(NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ) -- State Theatre New Jersey presents Amos Lee - Transmissions Tour on Saturday, May 18, 2024 at 7:30pm. Joining Lee for this concert is special guest, Julia Pratt. Tickets range from $39-$99.
One of the shining stars of modern folk, Amos Lee creates the rare kind of music that’s emotionally raw yet touched with a certain magical quality. Lee’s musical style encompasses folk, soul, and jazz. He has been on tour with musicians such as Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Norah Jones, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, John Prine, Dave Matthews Band, and most recently, Indigo Girls. Lee's songs include “Sweet Pea,” “Colors,” “Windows Are Rolled Down,” “Arms of a Woman.”
On his 11th studio album, Transmissions, singer-songwriter Lee continues to expand his sonic range, while sharpening his closely observed lyrics that squarely address death, aging, and love. The force behind such acclaimed albums as Mission Bell and Mountains of Sorrow, Rivers of Song, ever since his gold-selling 2005 debut, Lee has been known for his association with a long list of collaborators and touring partners, from Paul Simon to Zac Brown Band.
For the new project, he craved a return to an old-school style of recording, working with his longtime band in a studio in rural Marlboro, NY. Playing live on the floor for long hours, in close quarters, they were able to capture the album’s 12 songs in less than a week.
“I really wanted us to be all in the room, making music together, listening to each other and responding to each other,” says Lee. “In this age where you can do everything at home and fly it in, there’s something really beautiful about getting in a room and starting at the top, the drummer counting in the song, and everybody just playing. I would call it vulnerability.”
The last few years have been wildly productive for Philadelphia native Lee. After 2022’s Dreamland album (which featured “Worry No More,” a Top 10 AAA hit and his biggest single in over a decade), he followed up with two full-length projects paying homage to musical heroes—My Ideal: A Tribute to ‘Chet Baker Sings’ and Honeysuckle Switches: The Songs of Lucinda Williams. He expresses his awe for these two renegade artists; Williams for her incomparable language, and Baker for his delivery.
Transmissions is Lee’s first release of original music on his own label, Hoagiemouth Records. “It's just a sign of the times,” he says. “Things have really changed for someone like me, and I’m going to adapt. I always wanted to have some kind of small label, so it's a cool opportunity.”
Special Guest Julia Pratt is a 22-year-old singer-songwriter based in Philadelphia. Pratt's music blends pop, jazz, R&B, and folk, with dashes of electronic production. Grounded in poignant lyricism inspired by songwriters such as Kevin Garrett, Amy Winehouse, and Hozier, Pratt writes about family, love, betrayal, and grappling with the concept of “the self.” She kicked off 2023 opening for artists such as Brandi Carlile, Hozier, The Head and The Heart, the Revivalists, and Adam Melchor, embarked on a national tour opening for Australian ambient pop artist Vancouver Sleep Clinic, and was runner up for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest On The Road tour in Philadelphia. Pratt recently released her brand-new EP Two To Tango. It features “A Little Love,” her hit collaboration with Matt Quinn of Mt. Joy.
Tickets range from $39-$99 and are available for purchase online or by calling State Theatre Guest Services at 732-246-SHOW (7469). State Theatre Guest Services, located at 15 Livingston Ave, New Brunswick NJ, is open by phone and email only, Tuesday through Friday from 11:00am to 5:00pm. For in-person purchases, Guest Services is open Tuesday through Friday from 12:00pm to 4:30pm. Additional ticket and transaction fees may apply.
After major renovations, State Theatre New Jersey celebrated its 100th Anniversary in December 2021 in a fully renovated theater including newly renovated lobbies, all new restrooms, upgraded HVAC systems, a new elevator for access to all levels, and brand-new theater seats. Originally built as a silent film and vaudeville palace, State Theatre’s historic significance was honored by PBS by featuring it in its documentary series, Treasures of New Jersey, in the fall of 2018. “Treasures of New Jersey: State Theatre New Jersey” can be streamed online.
Today, State Theatre is the largest performing arts center in Central New Jersey and has welcomed more than six million people through its doors since reopening as a nonprofit performing arts center in 1988. State Theatre New Jersey is a cornerstone of the cultural vitality of Middlesex County and averages a total economic impact on New Brunswick and the surrounding area of more than $18 million a year. The mainstage programs have featured high-caliber artists such as Diana Ross, Tom Jones, Kevin Hart, Ringo Starr, Melissa Etheridge, John Leguizamo, Harry Connick, Jr., Diana Krall, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Program offerings include Broadway, orchestra, family, dance, comedy, rock/pop, jazz, Performances for Schools, and Sensory-Friendly Performances.
State Theatre New Jersey’s programs are made possible by funds from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, a partner agency of the National Endowment for the Arts. Grant funding has been provided by the Middlesex County Board of County Commissioners through a grant award from the Middlesex County Cultural and Arts Trust Fund.
