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Venue

Ordway Concert Hall

345 Washington Street, 55102, St. Paul, MN, US

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Mavis Staples biography

Mavis Staples is an American rhythm and blues and gospel singer originally from Illinois, Chicago who found fame as a vocalist in her family band The Staple Sisters.

Mavis Staples began her career with her family group The Staple Sisters in 1950. Initially singing locally at churches and appearing on a weekly radio show, the Staples scored a hit in 1956 with 'Uncloudy Day' for the Vee-Jay label. In 1957 The Staple Singers took their music on the road led by family patriarch Roebuck "Pops" Staples on guitar and including vocals by Mavis and her siblings Cleotha, Yvonne, and Purvis.

They soon evolved from popular Gospel singers to become the most influential spirituality-based group in America. By the mid-1960s The Staple Singers, inspired by Roebuck's close friendship with Martin Luther King, Jr., became the spiritual and musical voices of the civil rights movement. The Staple Singers hit the Top 40 eight times between 1971 and 1975, including two No. 1 singles, 'I'll Take You There' and 'Let's Do It Again' and a No. 2 single 'Who Took the Merry Out of Christmas?'.

Mavis branched out from the group during their successful career to release solo recordings. Her first solo single while at Epic Records with The Staple Singers was 'Crying in the Chapel' which received moderate attention in the late 1960s. The single was later included in a collated album released in 1994 by Sony Music called 'Lost Soul'. Her first solo album came almost ten years later in 1969, she followed this self titled album in quick succession with 'Only for the Lonely' in 1970. A 1984 album (also self-titled) preceded two albums under the direction of rock star Prince; 1989's 'Time Waits for No One' and 1993's 'The Voice', which People magazine named one of the Top Ten Albums of 1993.

Lucius biography

Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, US, Lucius are an indie-pop act known for their three-pronged vocal attack full of luscious harmonies, infections melodies and tantalisingly danceable rhythms.

The beginnings of the band were formed at the Berklee School of Music, after the two students, Jesse Wolfe (vocals) and Holly Laessig became friends and started performing together. After graduating, they moved to Brooklyn, US to try develop their music careers, going on to meeting the other members of the band, Dan Molad (drums), Peter Lalish (guitar) and Andrew Burri (guitar) and forming Lucius. The two vocalists, when house hunting, stumbled upon a 60 year old recording studio and former music school, Bromley House, with this building becoming the base from which Lucius was to grow and find its sound.

Quickly in their career, Lucius gathered many plaudits, praised for their innovative and sumptuous indie-pop that melds americana-folk with 60s-pop all delivered with their beautifully balanced and constructed harmonies. They manage to create a big sound, full of reverb and driving percussion with instantly memorable melodies.

The band signed to Mom + Pop Music and released their debut album, “Wilderwoman” in October 2013. The album was released in the UK/Europe, Australia and Japan by the Play It Again Sam record label. Media outlets such as the New York Times NPR and The Guardian have al sung the band’s praises since the album’s release, deemed by Rolling Stone as “the best band you may not have heard yet.” Comparisons have been made to their sound with Neko Case, Blanche, Cults and Arcade Fire. Their impressive live show is full of energy and charisma, with their performance at South by Southwest Festival in Austin Texas in 2014 gaining many new fans and drawing significant interest towards the five-piece.

Live reviews

It’s not every day that you get the chance to see a living legend in concert, and when it happens, you know that you’re in the presence of something truly special. This is certainly the case for Mavis Staples, the legendary gospel soul singer and civil rights activist of the 1950s and ‘60s. For starters, it is an achievement in itself that Staples, at the age of 75, continues to tour, and what’s even more impressive is that her warmth, soul and incredible honey-poured-over-gravel voice are just as powerful as ever. Mavis began her musical career in her family band, The Staple Singers, who released their first hit, ‘Uncloudy Day’, way back in 1956. Since then, The Staples released politically-charged message songs like "Long Walk to D.C." and "When Will We Be Paid?," which brought their moving and articulate music to a huge number of young people. Mavis Staples’ solo work is equally as meaningful, upbeat and catchy, and in 2011 she won a ‘long-awaited’ Grammy Award for her soaring album ‘You Are Not Alone’. When I saw Staples performing as part of the awesome ZooTunes concert series at Woodland Park Zoo, Seattle, earlier this year, she set the place alight with her buoyant energy, soulful grooves, and more-powerful-than-ever lyrics. Accompanied by a full band and, of course, a gospel choir, Staples brought the house down for a feel-good, heartfelt show which emanated good vibes from beginning to end. Catch her while you still can!

Report

louise_h

Wednesday 20th August. The Lexington. Lucius. Two trips in the space of a week to the Lexington and 23rd gig of the year. Shaping up to be a great year on the live music scene. Me and my good lady tonight as my usual gig buddies were not interested. So the conversation usually goes “Darling, fancy a night out in London” “Ooh that would be nice” “Well I’ve got us a tickets for a great new band you wouldn’t have heard of” “Ok then”. So it’s off to Islington. After a swift one in the Wetherspoons at the Angel it’s off for some tapas along Upper Street. I am really looking forward to this gig as I love the album, its pure pop. For those who don't know them Lucius are a five piece band from Brooklyn fronted by two platinum blonde singers who play a variety of instruments throughout the night ranging from cowbells, synths and drums. In fact the whole band all appear to have a drum as one of their instruments which for a frustrated drummer like me is no bad thing. The three lookalike guys that complete the band exude cool rock chic which I think comes from being in a band that is clearly on the way up demonstrated by this sold out show and their return to these shores in October to a venue three times the size. We do our best to blend in with the uber trendy Islington set that are here tonight and luckily I spy a couple of old timers that make me feel better. The band hit the stage with the girls in a blur of blond hair, matching dresses and begin to beat the bejesus out of their drums and cow bells for the opening number. I am hooked from the first note. It’s a twin vocal lead on every song with their voices complementing each other perfectly. The harmonies are further enhanced by all three of the guys and the sound is spot on all evening. They rattle through their debut album in the next forty minutes and I’m in power pop heaven. Clear highlights for me were Wildewoman and Turn it Around which starts with some heaving had clapping from the whole venue and segues into a couple of choruses of Whitney’s I want to dance with somebody which we duly oblige. Band exit stage right and we wait for them to return and they do, not on stage but into the middle of the audience a foot away from us armed with only two acoustic guitars, a drum (obviously) and two beautiful voices. It’s a spine tingling performance of Two of Us on the Run and it’s a joy to watch five musicians at the top of their game in perfect harmony. We leave in good spirits with Anne thoroughly enjoying the night. Gig of the year contender. Absolutely.

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