Escovedo, Carolina Chocolate Drops Headline Strand Spring Concert Series

Rockland, Maine - The Strand Theatre, 345 Main St., is welcoming spring with an exciting series of live concerts throughout April and early May. Artists from across the country perform the very best in folk, Bluegrass, roots-rock, and pop music, including Grammy winners Carolina Chocolate Drops and Steep Canyon Rangers, and American Idol winner Kris Allen.

Alejandro Escovedo and The Sensitive Boys: Thursday, April 4 at 7:30pm; Tickets $20

Carolina Chocolate Drops: Thursday, April 11 at 7:30pm; Tickets $25

David Mallett & The Mallett Brothers Band: Saturday, April 20 at 7:30pm; Tickets $22

Kris Allen: Friday, April 26 at 7:30pm; Tickets $20

Steep Canyon Rangers: Saturday, May 4 at 7:30; Tickets $22 Advance Purchase/$25 Day of Show

Americana/Roots-Rock musician Alejandro Escovedo returns to the Strand with his band, The Sensitive Boys to open with the series (Apr 4). The legendary Texas based singer-songwriter is one with his muse and his music, having spent a lifetime traversing the bridge between words and melody. Escovedo is a resolute voice that weathers the emotional terrain of our lives, its celebrations and despairs, landmines and blindsides, upheavals and beckoning distractions, In search for ultimate release and the healing truth of honesty. His songs speak of his
hard-won personal experience, an enduring spirit of positivity, potential and faith, an intertwined mix of mature wisdom and perpetually youthful spirit, and a panorama of inspirations gleaned from his lifelong devotion to rock’n’roll.

Strand fans know the Carolina Chocolate Drops (Apr 11) -  with their 2010 Best Traditional Folk Album Grammy for Genuine Negro Jig  - have proved that the old-time, fiddle and banjo-based music they’d so scrupulously researched and passionately performed could be a living, breathing, ever-evolving sound. Starting with material culled from the Piedmont region of the Carolinas, they sought to freshly interpret this work, not merely recreate it, highlighting the central role African-Americans played in shaping our nation’s popular music from its beginnings more than a century ago.

Two Maine music favorites take the Strand stage Apr 20: David Mallett shares the bill with his sons Luke and Will and the The Mallett Brothers Band. Singer-songwriter, David Mallett, is one of America’s true original troubadours. In a career spanning four decades, he has recorded 14 albums, had several hundred covers of his songs, including the American folk classic "Garden Song" (Inch by Inch, Row by Row) and performed in clubs, concert halls and festivals across the US and around the world. The Mallett Brothers Band is an alt-country/rock band from Portland, Maine. Drawing from an array of influences including rock and roll, folk, blues, bluegrass, neo-traditional and classic country and even punk, MBB are known for high-intensity live performances. They were nominated for Best Emerging Artist of 2011 by Deli Magazine, Boston, and Best Band/Act in Maine in the 2011 New England Music Awards.

Since skyrocketing to stardom as the winner of the 2009 season of American Idol, Kris Allen (Apr 26) has enjoyed five singles on the Billboard charts. His self-titled debut album featured his hit single "Live Like We're Dying" which has a combined digital sales of over 1.7 million. Since the release of his album he has toured with Keith Urban, Maroon 5, Barenaked Ladies, Lifehouse as well as headlining his own club tour.

2013 Grammy Award-winners of Best Bluegrass Album for “Nobody Knows You,” the Steep Canyon Rangers (May 4) bring Bluegrass to music lovers across the USA and across the globe, with smooth vocals, smart songwriting, ferocious instrumentals and jaw-dropping harmony. In March 2011, the band released its first collaborative record with Steve Martin, Rare Bird Alert, which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Bluegrass Chart and at #43 on the Billboard Top 200. While headlining festivals like MerleFest and Bonnaroo alongside Martin, the Rangers also continue to perform as a quintet on stages such as Telluride, RockyGrass, and A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. Recent television appearances by Steve Martin with Steep Canyon Rangers include Late Night With David Letterman, The Colbert Report & Austin City Limits.

The Strand Theatre is a premiere venue for live music and performance events, films, and HD broadcasts in Rockland, Maine. Media sponsorship of the 2013 spring live concert series is provided by Maine Magazine. Tickets are on sale now. All seating is general admission. For tickets and information visit  www.rocklandstrand.com or call (207) 594-0070 x3.