IUP's OnStage…Arts and Entertainment program is going “UpTown,” presenting a mixture of jazz-pop artists, singer-songwriters, and blues, comedy, and emerging artists.
OnStage UpTown will offer four concerts at The Coney on Philadelphia Street's VIP Lounge, starting October 2, 2009, with Alyssa Graham.
Upcoming shows include Leon Redbone on November 14, Dan Dyer on February 6, and Karla Bonoff on March 5.
All shows begin at 9:00 p.m., and tickets are $10 per person. Tickets are available at the Hadley Union Building ticket window and all Indiana First Bank locations. Tickets can also be charged by phone by calling 724-357-1313.
“We are very excited to offer nationally touring performers in a New York City atmosphere right in the heart of Indiana, at a very economical price,” Frank DeStefano, director of the Office of Arts and Entertainment, said.
Doors open at 7:00 p.m., and patrons should access the VIP Room via a private entrance along Philadelphia Street.
People who become fans of the OnStage UpTown Facebook page will receive special offers, including a two-for-one admission.
Graham, a jazz vocalist, singer, and songwriter from New Jersey, recently released her second CD, titled Echo. In 2005, she began her solo career with “What Love Is,” chosen by All About Jazz as one of the “best new recordings of 2005” and for mention in Jazz's annual “Women In Jazz” issue.
Redbone, who now lives in Bucks County, has been performing since the 1970s. He became known for his rumpled three-piece suits from the 1920s, a wide-brim hat, sunglasses, and thick mustache.
He released his first album, On the Track, in 1976 and appeared on Saturday Night Live in February and May of 1976. His second album, Double Time, released in 1977, went gold. He began to sing television commercial jingles in the early 1980s. A ballet was created by Elliot Feld for Feld Ballets/NY in 1996 using eleven songs arranged and recorded by Redbone.
Redbone's vocals were featured in the song “Baby It's Cold Outside” in the movie Elf with Will Ferrell.
Dyer, from Austin, Texas, started performing in the late 1990s with the band Breedlove. After touring with Breedlove, Dyer found his way into commercial songwriting, with songs placed in marketing campaigns for Budweiser, Chevrolet, Dr. Pepper, and Campbell's Soup.
Dyer worked in New York City with Lenny Kravitz, who produced and released Dyer's first solo album in 2005, ...Of What Lies Beneath. His 2008 album, Dan Dyer, was named one of the top ten local albums of 2008.
Born and raised in southern California, Bonoff wrote for Linda Rondstadt in her early years. Her first hit single, “I Can't Hold On” was released in 1977. She also has written songs for the film About Last Night and sings “Somebody's Eyes” in the film Footloose.
In 1994, she had a top-ten hit single with “Standing Right Next to Me,” a song from the film 8 Seconds. In 1993, her song, “Tell Me Why,” sung by Wynonna Judd, was the title song to Judd's second album.
She continues to tour and perform throughout the United States and, in 2007, released a live recording of her work.
For more information about OnStage UpTown, call 724-357-4778.