By Michael G. Stewart
Capitalizing on downtown Carson City's festive new summer vibe, the Brewery Arts Center will kick off a series of concerts beginning this weekend.
Acts ranging from bluegrass to Broadway will be featured in a sequence of musical performances as diverse as any to appear in Carson in recent years, said Kristi Pulizzotto, assistant to BAC Executive Director John Procaccinni. The series will run concurrently with regular BAC events such as the Third Thursdays and Pop Up Park.
The quality and diversity of the series, which starts Sunday with a concert by Seldom Scene, serves as a testament to Procaccinni's dedication and experience, Tammy Westergard, manager of the Carson City Office of Business Development, said. Procaccinni, who is also coordinating entertainment for the Fridays at Third block parties, has worked in music booking for years.
"John is coming off a tour with Tina Turner three months ago," Westergard said. "To have him working on concerts in Carson City is really a big deal."
Long-running bluegrass outfit Seldom Scene and Carson City act Hick'ry Switch will launch the series Sunday at 7:30 p.m. Among the most acclaimed bluegrass bands in recent decades, the Grammy-nominated Seldom Scene maintain their familiar warm harmonies and sparkling instrumental work some 36 years after the band was formed, Procaccinni said in a press release.
Next, vocalist Barbara Baxter will appear July 16 at 6 p.m. in the BAC's Artisans Cafe and Gift Shop for a live remote with radio station KTHX. Baxter will perform unique renditions of jazz, blues and American standards. The show, which may be followed by other cafe-centric events, will also feature live music outside the cafe with a special guest appearance.
On July 18 at 7:30 p.m., the Sierra Nevada Ballet will join Cami Thompson and the Cami Thompson Trio in bringing live Broadway tunes to the Brewery Arts Center. The Best of Broadway is a two-hour Broadway medley featuring hits of Broadway from the '50s through modern shows such as the "King and I," "West Side Story," "Show Boat," "Phantom of The Opera" and more. The event will be held at the BAC Amphitheatre.
The odd satire "Urinetown the Musical" is set to run July 23 through Aug. 2, also in the amphitheater. A tale of greed, corruption, love and revolution in a time when a corporation charges people to use the toilet, "Urinetown" will launch the summer season for the Brewery Arts Center Performing Arts Collaborative. While not technically a concert, the show promises to offer plenty of funny, clever and uplifting tunes, organizers said.
Finally, alt-gospel musician Michelle Shocked will perform Aug. 14 at 7:30 p.m. Accompanied by a fittingly diverse crew including a Bay area rhythm section, a pedal steel player and vocalists from the New Greater Circle Mission Church in Los Angeles, Shocked's sets range from the explicitly devotional to what she refers to as "secular gospel." Reno's Buster Blue will open the show, which will be in the BAC Amphitheatre.