SWEETBACK SISTERS TO PERFORM AT RCCAC

The Randolph County Community Arts Center announces a special performance of the Sweetback Sisters on Saturday, February 13 at 7:30 p.m. The group’s whimsical charm, sterling musicianship and heartbreaking renderings of both traditional and modern country songs made them one of A Prairie Home Companion’s "People in Their Twenties" talent contest in 2007. Since then, the Sweetback Sisters have only continued to gain new fans nationwide with their self-described “honky tonk for the modern-day cowboy and girl” and their debut album, Chicken Ain't Chicken, was rated one of the top 100 CDs of 2009 by WNCW.

Described on their web site (www.sweetbacksisters.com) as a throwback to the “memories of the golden era of both the silver screen cowgirl and the ersatz cowboy stars of local UHF TV kiddie shows,” the Sweetback Sisters is fronted by Zara Bode and Emily Miller. Their “winking irreverence and freewheeling enthusiasm” for performing is matched with an all-star cast of instrumentalists including drummer Stefan Amidon, Ross Bellenoit on Telecaster and vocals, guitarist and fiddler Jesse Milnes, and newcomer Bridget Kearney on bass.

Bode, who grew up in San Francisco and later moved to Massachusetts, states she was a “high school starlet singing jazz songs and leading plays, melting the hearts of audiences with her soulful voice and easy going stage presence.”

“I’m very new to traditional country music,” Bode observes. “But where I do not have the familiarity with those traditions that Emily does, our varying approaches are what make the pairing unique. She brings the roots, and I bring the retro.”

Miller says she spent most of her early childhood in Hong Kong and often traveled to both the U.S. and Canada with her parents. “My earliest performing experience came in Hong Kong with the Miller Family Band: Dad on banjo, my brother on guitar, Mom on fiddle, me on fiddlesticks, and everyone singing,” Miller remembers. “We kind of had a corner on the wholesome American singing family market in the area, so we ended up playing a lot of TV programs, shopping malls, and little festivals. We sang many rousing renditions of ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads.’ They love that song in Hong Kong.”

Several other band members also grew up in families where musical exploration was embraced. Studying classical guitar for 10 years and conducting a symphony at the early age of 12, Bellenoit had the distinct honor of opening for Bob Dylan and recording with John Carter Cash. Kearney, the newest Sweetback Sister member, earned double degrees in jazz bass and English literature from the New England Conservatory and Tufts University. Amidon says he grew up singing in his own family band, The Amidons, and eventually graduated with a degree in Jazz Performance from Oberlin Conservatory. Finally, former Elkins resident Milnes learned to play old-time fiddle and fingerpicking guitar from his dad, Gerry Milnes.

“The six of us all have very diverse musical influences,” Bode reflects, “but there’s always been something old-school about the Sweetback Sisters. Although we’ve definitely taken some modern liberties with the fashion and sounds, we all have a bona-fide respect for that era and style of American music.”

All tickets for this special engagement are $12 and can be purchased at the RCCAC office, located at 2 Park Street, or at the door while supplies last. Credit card sales may be taken by calling (304) 637-2355. Doors open at 7 p.m. and all RCCAC concert events are open seating.

The Randolph County Community Arts Center, a non-profit organization promoting and supporting the arts in Randolph County and surrounding areas, is located at the corner of Randolph Avenue and Park Street in Elkins. The RCCAC is supported by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act through the National Endowment of the Arts and the West Virginia Division of Culture and History.

RCCAC is committed to providing accessibility to individuals with disabilities. If you are in need of an accommodation, please contact our office in advance. Call the RCCAC office at 637-2355 or log onto www.randolpharts.org for more information.