Lori McKenna Band Performs at Concert Cruise in Boston Today, 8/26

Lori McKenna will perform with her band as part of the 2012 Rock and Blues Cruise Season Finale today, August 26. The cruise, presented by Club Passim, will also feature an opening guest set from rising singer-songwriter Liz Longley. The Rock and Blues Concert Cruise boards at 2:00pm and sails at 3:00pm on the Provincetown II out of the World Trade Center Pier, operated by Bay State Cruise Company, and provides one of the most unique concert experiences anywhere on the Boston Harbor. Tickets are available at www.rockandbluescruise.com.

At this point in her career, Lori McKenna’s story is somewhat legend. Her unusual combination of professional and personal life, at least in the context of the modern music industry, is well-documented. She grew up in Stoughton, Massachusetts in a musical household. Her father was an excellent singer, and her mother played the piano. Two of her older brothers were songwriters, one of whom (Richard) she considers largely responsible for her career. He accompanied a reluctant Lori to open mic nights and gave her confidence that she was good enough. After she and her husband Gene already had three children, Lori began performing her songs in public at age 27.)

McKenna eventually became a staple of the Boston singer songwriter scene, where she became friendly with Mary Gauthier. When Gauthier picked up and left for Nashville, she brought Lori’s music to the attention of her publisher. They got her music into the hands of Faith Hill, who fell hard for Lori’s songs. Hill recorded three of them for her album Fireflies. Lori’s way of articulating the love, pain and pathos of domestic life had a huge impact on Hill, and Hill’s very public championing of Lori’s music led other artists to Lori’s songs. Tim McGRaw, Carrie Underwood, Alison Krauss, Keith Urban and LeAnn Rimes are among the many that have recorded her songs in recent years.

Warner Brothers released her 2007 album Unglamorous. Working with Tim McGRaw (who co-produced the album), an appearance on Oprah and an opening slot on McGraw and Faith Hill’s Soul2Soul tour were heady experiences. Last year, Lori released her sixth album Lorraine and by choice, she is a completely independent artist – no record label and no manager – for the first time in her career.

The show is presented by Club Passim in Harvard Square, a venue that has regularly hosted sold-out concerts by Lori over the years. Established as the Club 47 in 1958 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 1994, Passim in Harvard Square has been a cornerstone of the arts community of New England, fostering both performers and audiences alike. Visit www.passim.org for more information.

The 2012 Rock and Blues Concert Cruises sail on the Provincetown II operated by Bay Sate Cruise Company. Cruises depart from the World Trade Center Pier at 200 Seaport Blvd, in the Seaport District of Boston. Advance tickets are available online at www.rockandbluescruise.com. Rock and Blues Concert Cruises sail rain or shine.

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