In celebration of the release of their new CD, acoustic duo Amy & Adams will perform live in concert on February 11 at the Orpheum Theater in Marshalltown. Amy & Adams (comprised of Saint Paul, MN husband and wife Mark and Amy Adams-Westin) will perform past songs as well as songs from their new CD Gone…aloft. All proceeds of this special concert will go to the Jean Seberg Endowment Fund.
“We were in Marshalltown to perform for the First Annual Jean Seberg Film Festival last November and were very impressed with the revamped Orpheum Theater and with the first class event the folks had put together,” said Amy.
“We were so impressed with the stunning Black Box Theater, that we asked Pip (Gordon) if we could perform this concert to promote our new CD,” said Mark, a Marshalltown native who became close to the Seberg family growing up.
Mark began writing his own songs at age 17 when he got his first guitar. After high school, the aspiring musician attended Marshalltown Community College from 1969-1971. During his time at MCC, Mark also worked for Seberg Pharmacy, owned by Ed Seberg. Mark was asked to perform two songs at the funeral of actress Jean Seberg's infant daughter, Nina Hart Gary. Jean found comfort as well as talent in Mark’s music and her constant encouragement bolstered his confidence. She befriended Mark and the two remained close until her death in 1979. Mark wrote a song about Jean titled “I’m Flying”, found on the band’s CD Sail Away.
Ed Seberg was like a father to Mark Adams,” says Pip Gordon, Director of the Orpheum Theater Center. “Ed instilled in him a work ethic and the gift of how to care for the hundreds of people the Seberg Pharmacy on 13th Street served. It is a compelling story and one that was typical of a family like the Seberg’s, who encouraged and mentored all who came into their family circle. Mark Adams was no exception – Ed Seberg mentored him, Jean Seberg loved his music and was honored to have him sing at the burial service of her baby Nina.”
Mark was also interviewed for the documentary feature Movie Star: The Secret Lives of Jean Seberg, co-produced by award-winning filmmakers Kelly and Tammy Rundle and Emmy-nominated writer/documentarian Garry McGee. The film is slated for completion in 2012.
Amy and Mark Adams-Westing (Amy & Adams)
The former Amy Westin grew up in White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where she began her musical journey. She started on the piano then gravitated toward the guitar as she grew into her teens. The two met in 1993 when Amy attended a show at The Blue Guitar, a live music venue that Mark worked at in Stillwater, Minnesota. She handed Mark a demo cassette and he told her to come back and perform the next week. Both were in romantic relationships at the time so they continued to admire each other from afar until fate freed them both. The two have been together ever since and as they put it, “we first fell in love with each other’s music, then with each other.”
The benefit performance is Saturday, Feb. 11, at 8:00 p.m. in the Orpheum Black Box Theatre, 220 E. Main St., Marshalltown. Tickets are on sale now for $15 for an individual or $25 per couple. Limited seating is available, so call to reserve your tickets now at 641-844-5919. Champagne and hors d’oeuvres are included in the ticket price. Along with Gone…aloft, Amy & Adams will have four previously released CDs available for purchase, all of which received critical praise as well as national and international radio play.
The concert this February will contain songs in, what Amy & Adams have dubbed their own, Eclectic/Folk Rock/Tin Pan Alley/Blues Grass genre. The duo says they enjoy positive music with real melodies and meaningful lyrics. Mark’s sister, Mary, will be joining Amy & Adams on vocals, harmonica and some bass for this intimate and special show.
“We are so excited and proud of Gone…aloft and this concert at The Orpheum,” said Mark. “The Orpheum is breathing new life into the arts of Marshalltown, and we look forward to the opportunity to perform there.”
For more about Amy & Adams and to hear samples of their music, visit www.AmyandAdams.com. To read more about Gone…aloft and to hear samples, please visit: http://music.amyandadams.com/music/albums/gone-aloft.
The Orpheum Theater Center is owned and operated by the Iowa Valley Community College District.
