Daily Pioneer News

PLATTEVILLE - MTV helped popularized acoustic guitar music among young people with its "MTV Unplugged" series. For the past two years, students and visitors to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville have had the chance to see their very own acoustic show nearly every week with the UWP Acoustic Wednesday show series.

In it's third season, the series has brought a variety of performers to the Pioneer Haus in the UWP Pioneer Student Center, and this season continues with top-notch performers of different musical backgrounds.

"This concert series has included folk music, country, jazz, blues and rock, and has featured solo singer-songwriters to seven-piece bands," UWP director of Performing and Visual Arts John Hassig said. "While we delve sometimes into plugged-in music, the vast majority have been of the true acoustic flavor. This season we have some of the most notable performers we have ever had."

Following an open mic night Oct. 20, singer-songwriter Justin Roth will perform at UW-Platteville at 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 27. With his unique style of "new acoustic folk" music, Roth has been compared to David Wilcox and Willy Porter, and has done well at folk music competitions such as the Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and the Minnesota Folk Festival.

The following week, Nov. 3, features acclaimed acoustic duo Storyhill. Billboard Magazine praised the band for a sound which "recalls the harmonious interplay of Simon and Garfunkel; the pained, plaintive sound of Cat Stevens; and the acoustic juice of the Indigo Girls." Storyhill has produced 11 CDs, toured the country from coast to coast and amassed a loyal following while building a mailing list of over 10,000 members. "Storyhill is one of the biggest acts in the Midwest. They are huge on college campuses," Hassig said. "When they play Madison they sell out concerts in 1000-plus seat venues, and the Platteville show is free." Catie Curtis, who The New Yorker deemed a "folk-rock goddess," comes to perform at UWP Nov. 10. Curtis received national recognition for her single "Soulfully," and has toured with Lilith Fair and artists such as Dar Williams and Mary Chapin Carpenter. Her songs have appeared in numerous television shows such as Dawson's Creek, Felicity, Chicago Hope and Alias. Nov. 17 presents the first double bill of this year's series, as young 22-year-old entertainers Syd and Gregory Douglass come to entertain. With musical influences that range from Ani DiFranco to Metallica, Syd is known for his catchy guitar work, resonant vocals and passionate lyrics. Gregory is a musician whose independent efforts have produced a solid fan base. He's the winner of the 2003 GrammyFest in New York City, and he has played on the same bill with They Might Be Giants, Tracy Chapman, Third Eye Blind, Martin Sexton and Michelle Branch.

Prior to the Dec. 15 open mic night that will wrap the fall semester portion of the 2004-05 Acoustic Wednesday series, Chicago performer Keith Scott will entertain at the Pioneer Haus Dec. 8. Scott has built his reputation as a sizzling blues guitarist. He has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe, and his music has been featured on MTV shows The Real World and Road Rules. "It will be a big fall for Acoustic Wednesday and I hope people don't miss these significant concerts," Hassig said.

All shows are free to the general public and begin at 8 p.m. More information on the show series is available online (www.uwplatt.edu/wednesday). The website includes a complete listing of scheduled Acoustic Wednesday concerts, plus links to websites with song clips of featured performers.

Contact: John Hassig, UWP Director of Performing and Visual Arts, 608-342-1267, hassigj@uwplatt.edu

Prepared by: Dan Lehnherr, UWP Public Relations, 608-342-1194, lehnherd@uwplatt.edu