Iris DeMent, a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, will perform Americana folk music for a crowd at Stuart’s Opera House on Friday.
Though it has been years since DeMent’s last performance in Athens, Brian Koscho, marketing and promotions coordinator for Stuart’s, said that by this past Friday, the majority of floor seats were sold out.
DeMent, who has been part of the music industry for more than two decades, is known for her songwriting, Koscho said, adding that the opera house “is a perfect setting” for the Americana folk singer’s music style.
“We do a lot of different music here; we have a lot of singer-songwriters,” Koscho said. “It’s a perfect room for someone like Iris; for telling great stories, and great musicians. The atmosphere is perfect for how she plays music.”
DeMent’s style of music pulls inspiration from Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash, according to a news release. DeMent has released three albums and collaborated with numerous artists.
Sing the Deltawas her first album in 16 years and has earned nods from NPR as well as The Guardian. She said the creative process is something that cannot be rushed, according to her website.
“I didn’t know when or if I’d make another record,” DeMent said, according to the site. “I gave up on trying to steer it or force it and decided to just make myself available in my heart and mind as much as I could and leave the rest up to fate.”
Despite not adhering to a specific structure for producing music, DeMent’s first few albums earned numerous Grammy nominations.
“For her live shows and her recordings, the response has been pretty unanimously positive,” said Bryant Kitching, a publicist for the self-managed DeMent.
Koscho said that DeMent’s strain of music is typically well-received at Stuart’s, and that he expects a good turnout for the show.
“(Her music is) right up our alley,” Koscho said. “The crowds are normally people where that’s what they love, so getting to see that in a beautiful theater is great.”
eb104010@ohiou.edu
