STG Presents Zee Avi 12/10 At The Crocodile

Seattle Theatre Group (STG) presents Zee Avi on December 10, 2009 at 9:00pm at the Crocodile.

Zee Avi is just 23 but she's an old soul. A huge talent in a petite frame bringing a universal message from the unlikely birthplace of Borneo, an ancient island east of Malaysia which remains an untouched, natural paradise, an apt description of her songs.

Born in the tiny town of Miri in Sarawak on the island of Borneo, Zee grew up near the South China Sea in a liberal, encouraging household where her father owned an energy consultancy. "I was bred to be a lawyer," she says, but music was in her blood. Her father's father sang and played double-bass, accordion, violin and guitar in bands.

Zee began recording her songs on a webcam and posting them on YouTube for a friend to hear. "I remember getting so excited when there was one new comment from some random person I didn't know... One read 'I'm lost for words - I shall favorite it and ponder if that's OK,' " which was written by Kris Rowley, a U.K. singer-songwriter with a YouTube following under the name Zzzzzzzzap. He began posting her videos on his site, which began a viral snowball effect.

The Day Before her 22nd birthday, Zee posted what she intended to be "my last video," a holiday song, "No Christmas for Me." By the time she checked her e-mail Avi had almost 3,000 messages including a slew of label offers. One email came from Ian Montone, who had been shown the YouTube clip by Raconteurs' drummer, Patrick Keeler, prompting Montone to get in touch and offer to release her music on the Monotone Label.

Before she knew it Zee was on a plane to L.A. to record her debut with producer Robert Carranza at Brushfire's Solar Powered Plastic Plant. "No Christmas for Me" was then featured on the holiday charity album, This Warm December, A Brushfire Holiday, Vol. 1.

The songs on Zee Avi's debut are about an outsider's desire to belong and the tentative hope of moving on, filled with regret and loss, but boasting an impish, worldly wise sensibility. "I tend to be a loner," she nods. " 'Honey Bee' is about a romance between two nonconformists who are different from the rest of the hive, and are trying to avoid the pressure to be like everybody else."

From Malaysia to Los Angeles, Zee Avi is enjoying the ride and ready to take on passengers. "I'm still pinching myself" she gushes. "My parents always told me it's important to keep yourself grounded. I'm thankful, but at the same time, I just want to jump through the roof. It's been a pretty amazing journey, getting to work with some really wonderful people, a blessing, really."

Zee Avi's Monotone/Brushfire Records debut returns that blessing...and then some.
Tickets: $10.00 in advance, $12.00 day of show not including applicable fees. Tickets are on sale Friday, October 30th @ 10am through Tickets.com, online through TheCrocodile.com, in person at the Paramount box office, 24-hour kiosks located outside The Paramount & Moore Theatres, charge by phone at 877-STG-4TIX, or online at STGPresents.org.

About STG
Seattle Theatre Group is the 501 (c)(3) non-profit arts organization that operates the historic Paramount and Moore Theatres in Seattle, Washington. Our mission is to make diverse performing arts and education an integral part of our region's cultural identity while keeping these two landmark venues alive and vibrant. STG presents a range of performances from Broadway, off-Broadway, dance and jazz to comedy, concerts of all genres, speakers and family shows - at both historic theatres in Seattle and venues throughout the Puget Sound and Portland, Oregon.

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