Steve Earle to Return to The State This July 15th!

Legendary country-rock genre bending musician Steve Earle makes his way back to The State this July 15th. We're going to let his bio and some videos speak for themselves:

Steve Earle grew up in a tiny town outside of San Antonio called Schertz, Texas. The oldest of five children, he was incredibly active and somewhat ADD. By the age of 14, he had moved to Houston to live with his cousin Nick Fain (a musician). By this time, Steve had already developed a prodigious gift for the guitar, and started messing around with bass guitar. He also picked up a nasty drug habit.

Still, he managed to hook up with some of the most influential mentors a budding alt.ountry hero could hope for - including Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt.

Finally in 1986, Earle found some creative grounding with RCA when he released his first record, Guitartown. He went on to release two more records for MCA, before being fired after the release of Hard Way. This provoked Steve to pawn his guitars and spend some time on the "bad side of town" doing not much more than drugs and hanging out, eventually landing in jail.

Upon his release from the County Jail four months later, Steve was off drugs and soon began playing again. He started releasing more innovative records, which included more ardently political protest tunes. A long-time anti-death penalty demonstrator, Steve started working his politics into his music.

Married six times to five different women before he turned 40, Earle has two children. He's now hailed as one of the most fantastic forces in the alt.country world [source].




There was also a great feature on NPR yesterday that featured Steve Earle. To read the article and listen to the broadcast all you have to do is click HERE!

Tickets for Steve Earle's July 15th performance at The State Theatre go on sale May 22nd and are going for $32. Tickets will be available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. Keep checking back to The State Theatre Blog for more info on these show as we get closer to the event. Hope to see you there!

ON SALE NOW: Legendary Guitarist Robin Trower To Perform at The State 9/24

Incredible guitarist Robin Trower will be bringing some Rock N Roll to The State this September 24th. Trower's legend is massive in the Rock N Roll cannon, and below you will find his bio as well as some videos to help convince you:

Throughout his long and winding solo career, guitarist Robin Trower has had to endure countless comparisons to Jimi Hendrix, due to his uncanny ability to channel Hendrix's bluesy/psychedelic, Fender Strat-fueled playing style. Born on March 9, 1945, in Catford, England, Trower spent the early '60s playing guitar in various London based outfits; the most successful one being the R&B group the Paramounts, who specialized mostly in covers, but managed to issue several singles between 1963 and 1965. It wasn't until 1967 that Trower received his big break however, when he joined Procol Harum. The group had just scored a worldwide smash hit with "A Whiter Shade of Pale," but the only problem was that the band's leader, singer/pianist Gary Brooker, didn't have a proper band to back him. Brooker was previously a bandmate of Trower's in the Paramounts, and offered the guitar slot in his new fast-rising project to his old friend. As a result, Trower appeared on such Procol Harum classics as 1967's Procol Harum, 1968's Shine on Brightly, 1969's A Salty Dog, 1970's Home (which spawned the popular Trower tune "Whiskey Train"), and 1971's Broken Barricades.

While Procol Harum helped launch Trower's career, the guitarist realized there was limited space for his guitar work, and eventually left for a solo career. Enlisting singer/bassist James Dewar and drummer Reg Isidore (who was soon replaced by Bill Lordan) as a backing band, Trower issued his solo debut, Twice Removed From Yesterday, in 1973. The album barely left a dent in the U.S. charts, but that would change soon enough with his next release, 1974's Bridge of Sighs. With rock fans still reeling from Hendrix's death a few years earlier, the album sounded eerily similar to the late guitarist's work with the Jimi Hendrix Experience (especially his 1968 release, Electric Ladyland), and as a result, the album sky rocketed into the U.S. Top Ten, peaking at number seven.

Although Bridge of Sighs was to be his most popular solo release, Trower's stock continued to rise throughout the mid-'70s, as he became an arena headliner on the strength of such hit albums as 1975's For Earth Below, 1976's Robin Trower Live!, and Long Misty Days, plus 1977's In City Dreams. Further releases followed, yet by the dawn of the '80s, it became quite obvious that Trower's star was rapidly fading, as each album sold less than its predecessor. A brief union with ex-Cream bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce spawned a pair of releases, 1981's B.L.T. and 1982's Truce, before Trower returned back to his solo career [yahoo].

Tickets for Robin Trower's September 24th performance at The State Theatre ARE ON SALE NOW and are going for $35. Tickets will be available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. Keep checking back to The State Theatre Blog for more info on these show as we get closer to the event. Hope to see you there!

ON SALE NOW: Melody Gardot Returns to The State June 25th

Melody Gardot will be returning her unique sound to The State this June 25th. The jazz-vocalist Gardot is incredibly talented and below you will find her amazing bio as well as some videos of her performing:

The story of vocalist Melody Gardot is as remarkable as any who perseveres against abject adversity. Born in New Jersey in 1985, she took up piano and played as a youngster on the nightclub scene of Philadelphia, influenced by jazz, folk, rock and pop musics. At age 19 she was a fashion student at the Community College Of Philadelphia. But, on a fateful day, while riding her bicycle, the driver of a Jeep made an illegal turn, hurdling into Gardot and leaving her in the street for dead. Hospitalized for months with multiple head injuries and pelvic fractures, her love for music was the best therapy she could receive. While in her hospital bed, she wrote and recorded songs that would become the EP "Some Lessons." Upon her eventual release from intensive care, Gardot found the strength and determination to further her career as an artist. Blessed with a beautiful voice and grand insight as a songwriter, her cognitive powers slowly but surely became pronounced, leading to the independent recording and release of her debut CD, "Worrisome Heart," which was reissued in 2007 by Verve records. Her music could be described as a cross between Laura Nyro, Joni Mitchell, Eva Cassidy and Shania Twain, but goes deeper than mere pop convention. Gardot is hypersensitive to light and noise, thus she wears dark glasses, and uses a cane to walk. On stage she requires a special seating unit, and wears a Transcutaneous Electro-Nerve Stimulator, a TENS device, to assist in alleviating her neuralgic muscle pain. As amazing as her story is, what is more evident is that she possesses a blue style and persona that reflects not only her afflictions, but conversely the hope and joy of making personalized music that marks her as an individual and original. Though touring is difficult, she has been performing in major cities on the East Coast to support her recordings [billboard]





Tickets for Melody Gardot's June 25th performance at The State Theatre ARE ON SALE NOW and are only going for $23. Tickets will be available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. Keep checking back to The State Theatre Blog for more info on these show as we get closer to the event. Hope to see you there!

ON SALE NOW: Judy Collins to Perform at The State 12/18

This December 12/18 Judy Collins will perform at The State. Collins who has been in and around the music scene for over 40 years. Below you can find a biography and some videos about Judy Collins:

Judy Collins has thrilled audiences worldwide with her unique blend of interpretative folksongs and contemporary themes. Her impressive career has spanned more than 40 years. At 13, Judy Collins made her public debut performing Mozart's "Concerto for Two Pianos" but it was the music of such artists as Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger, as well as the traditional songs of the folk revival, that sparked Judy Collins' love of lyrics. She soon moved away from the classical piano and began her lifelong love with the guitar. In 1961, Judy Collins released her first album, A Maid of Constant Sorrow, at the age of 22 and began a thirty-five year association with Jac Holzman and Elektra Records.

Judy Collins is also noted for her rendition of Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now" on her classic 1967 album, Wildflowers. "Both Sides Now" has since been entered into the Grammy's Hall of Fame. Winning "Song of the Year" at the 1975 Grammy's Awards show was Judy's version of "Send in the Clowns," a ballad written by Stephen Sondheim for the Broadway musical "A Little Night Music."

Released on September 29th, Judy's new book, Sanity and Grace, A Journey of Suicide, Survival and Strength, is a deeply moving memoir, focusing on the death of her only son and the healing process following the tragedy. The book speaks to all who have endured the sorrow of losing a loved one before their time. In the depths of her suffering, Judy found relief by reaching out to others for help and support. Now, she extends her hand to comfort other survivors whose lives have been affected by similar tragedy.

In a recent appearance on ABC's Good Morning America, Judy performed "Wings of Angels," the heartbreaking ballad that she wrote about the loss of her son. The song is currently available on the newly released Judy Collins Wildflower Festival CD and DVD, which also feature guest artists Arlo Guthrie, Tom Rush and Eric Andersen. This extraordinary concert was filmed at the famed Humphrey's By the Bay in San Diego, CA. The concert was the culmination of a 25 city national tour.

Judy Collins continues to create music of hope and healing that lights up the world and speaks to the heart [source].

Tickets for Judy Collins December 18th performance at The State Theatre ARE ON SALE NOW and are only going for $40. Tickets will be available for purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. Hope to see you there!

ON SALE NOW: Menopause The Musical Hitting The State This July & August

Coming July 28th The State Theatre is proud to welcome Menopause The Musical for an astounding eight shows over six days. Here is a write up from the Show's original website about the musical written by Jeanie Linders:

Set in a department store, where four women with seemingly nothing in common but a black lace bra meet by chance at a lingerie sale. The all-female cast makes fun of their woeful hot flashes, forgetfulness, mood swings, wrinkles, night sweats and chocolate binges. A sisterhood is created between these diverse women as they realize that menopause is no longer The Silent Passage! It is a stage in every woman’s life that is perfectly normal!

Menopause The Musical has entertained audiences across the country in more than 250 US cities as well as internationally in Australia, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, South Africa, South Korea and United Kingdom. Women of all ages and stages find their spirits lifted by the show’s light-hearted look at menopause. It is estimated that nearly 11 million women in 13 countries have attended a performance since the show’s opening in Orlando, Florida, in 2001.

The reviews for Menopause The Musical have been extremely positive as well. Leslie Fischer at chicagocritic.com recommends you "bring the waterproof mascara because you’ll laugh so hard, you’ll cry. With humor and compassion, writer, producer and lyricist Jeanie Linders has captured the experiences of Every woman in her 40s and 50s." In addition to more glowing reviews which you can find here and here you can check out a couple videos from the show below as well:


Tickets for Menopause The Musical are on sale NOW both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box office as well. Tickets are going for $40, $37 for Students and Seniors, and $25. More info about this show is yet to come as we get closer to the show.

The State Starts Serving Alcohol: Daily Collegian Article

In 3/4 Daily Collegian there was an article all about The State's now available alcoholic beverage service for select shows. On Monday 3/2 The State began serving beer and wine and this weekend sales will also include liquor. To the read the article from 3/4 Daily Collegian click HERE.

The Penn State film Festival Returns to The State April 25th

Saturday April 25th The State welcomes back The Penn State Student Film Festival. The always extremely popular event (sold out The State the last two years) is set to show students film at 7:00 PM. Below you will find detailed info about the event:

Founded and organized by the Penn State Student Film Organization, it is a juried student film festival open to all Penn State students, which showcases and premieres student films produced at Penn State University during the 2008-2009 academic year. The judging panel will be comprised of professionals, alumni, faculty and graduate students who demonstrate expertise in at least one of the following areas: film & video production, media or cultural studies, music, creative writing, and the arts.

Approximately 45 films are submitted each year, with 12-15 selected for the festival. Many different genres of films are screened including narrative, documentary, experimental and animation. Selected films will also be screened through Penn State On-Demand over the following year. A DVD compilation of the festival films will be available for sale at the festival. Additionally, there will be a VIP reception for film students, parents, faculty and alumni following the festival in the reception area in the State Theatre.

The Penn State Student Film Festival is set for Saturday April 25th at 7:00 PM at The State. Tickets are going for $7 and are available or purchase both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office. Be sure to get your tickets ahead of time as the festival will likely sell out! See you there!

Penn State's Whiplash Dance Team coming to The State Friday 4/24

The Whiplash Dance Team was formed on November 18, 2000. Today, the team consists of a group of 18 Penn State undergraduate students who are trained in all styles of dance and specialize in hip-hop. Whiplash is a high energy group that is asked to perform at many college and community events such as Thon, the Penn State homecoming parade and pep-rally, PSU men’s and women’s basketball games, and many other local fundraisers. Each year, Whiplash has hundreds of dance students interested in joining the team. However, after a rigorous audition process, they can only add approximately 5 new members per year.

Their annual spring show highlights the many talents of its members. This year there will be pieces in the following genres: hip-hop, contemporary, jazz, tap and lyrical. There will be three guest performances featured in this year’s show. Please join the Whiplash Dance Team for an evening of art and entertainment

Tickets for April 24th performance of Penn State's Whiplash Dance Team are on sale now and are going for $7 for students and $12 for everyone else. Tickets are available both ONLINE and at The State Theatre Box Office, and we hope to see you there April 24th.