Stephen Kellogg Plays Marblehead on April 8

On Friday, April 8, Stephen Kellogg makes his Marblehead debut at the me&thee. Over the last decade he has performed more than 1500 concerts in more than a dozen countries, both solo and with a band. Despite the fact that he may not be a household name at present, Kellogg has persisted in building a substantial career of playing genre-defying music which has landed him on stage with some of the biggest touring acts in the country like Train, Sugarland, Oar, and Josh Ritter, in the billboard charts, and with is songs as the backdrop of numerous films and TV shows like One Tree Hill, Men of a Certain Age, and Mercy. Joining Stephen for this show is up and coming singer-songwriter, Anthony D’Amato. This is a rare opportunity to see Stephen play in such an intimate space. Doors open at 7:30 PM for this 8:00 PM show at the me&thee coffeehouse which is located at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead at 28 Mugford Street.

Stephen Kellogg was born on November 28, 1976. He grew up in Southern Connecticut and in 1997 began his musical career in Northampton, MA while interning for a local club. A few years later, he married his high school sweet heart and began a well-publicized affection for his role as husband and later, father to their four daughters. In 2013 Kellogg gave a TEDx Talk about job satisfaction. Recently on a tour of Europe, SK (as fans often refer to him) made a detour to play the Middle East, Africa and an aircraft carrier for the Armed Forces. Upon returning to the USA, he started his annual lyric writing campaign to raise money and awareness in the fight against pediatric cancer. At first glance none of this has anything to do with his music, but Stephen Kellogg would argue, “it is the whole story. The music I make is a reflection of how I spend my time and what I care deeply about.”

When it comes to performing, CBS Radio has called Stephen, “the best live act you’ve never seen.” Another writer at No Depression magazine gives him the oddly flattering title of “the best songwriter you’re not listening to.” Perhaps most importantly to Kellogg, he’s ingratiated himself into the lives of his listeners. That sort of mentality has garnered him descriptions like this one from Macaroni Kid, “an unassuming manner, self-deprecating humor, a heart for those around him…100% genuine and utterly moving.” His Americana-tinged, sometimes folk, often rock, occasionally pop stylings can makeKellogg hard to define, and his most recent four part album South, West, North, East embraces the notion of genre splitting to the fullest.

Recorded literally “all over the map”, the premise of South, West, North, East was to record each section of the album in a different region of the USA, with different co-producers and different groups of musicians. “I’ve never felt that the genre was as important as the message and making the record this way was a chance to really explore that idea.” The end result is a collection of 20 songs that defy categorization. The Southern rock flavor of “South” (recorded in Nashville and Atlanta) slides into the cowboy motif of “West” (recorded on a farm in Boulder, CO); and the more indie rock feel of “North” (recorded in a cabin in Woodstock, NY) gives way to the songwriter pop of “East” (recorded in Washington DC). “You often hear about the importance of ‘picking a lane’ and while I completely understand the marketing savvy and focus of that concept, I picked my lane a long time ago; it’s called the ‘words that describe what I believe to be true’ lane.”

Anthony D’Amato “strikes every right note, incorporating classic folk, pop and even a little punk rebellion” according to USA Today. D’Amato first came to the national attention with 2010’s Down Wires, which he recorded with a single microphone in his college bedroom and NPR dubbed “a modern folk gem.” He followed it up with another home recording, Paper Back Bones, which BBC Scotland named one of the best Americana Albums of 2012. Since then he’s shared bills with Justin Towns Earle, Rhett Miller, Pete Yorn, Ben Folds, Joe Pug, Shawn Colvin, and more, in addition to performing at the iconic Newport Folk Festival, Glasgow’s Celtic Connections, Mumford & Sons’ Gentlemen of the Road Stopver Festival, and the Americana Festival in Nashville, where his set was named one of NPR’s favorite live performances of the year. D’Amato just releasedThe Shipwreck From the Shore that has earned praise from NPR and the NY Times to Spin and Billboard for its brand of heavy-hearted folk shot through with electric streaks of rock and roll

Tickets for the performance by Stephen Kellogg with Anthony D’Amato opening are $20 in advance and $23 at the door. Student tickets are only $10. Tickets are available online at www.meandthee.org and can be purchased in person in Marblehead at either the Spirit of 76 Bookstore or the Arnould Gallery. As at all me & thee coffeehouse events, refreshments are available, including homemade pastries, coffee, and teas. The me & thee has a handicapped-accessible entrance and an accessible bathroom, is a smoke-free environment, and is easily reached by MBTA bus. The me & thee is the oldest continually running acoustic coffeehouse in New England, and probably the country. The me & thee has been and will always be a volunteer, non-profit organization sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead. For information and directions, call 781-631-8987 or check the website www.meandthee.org.

Next show: April 15 the me&thee brings back popular singer-songwriter, Griffin House for the third year in a row. Opening the show is Britt Connors.