BROOKINGS – The Brookings Public Library will host a virtual concert by Minneapolis folk musicians Curtis and Loretta at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30.
Their performance, part of their “When There’s Good To Be Done” tour, will be streamed live on the library’s Facebook page (@Bkglib) and will be available to watch for two weeks after the concert date for those who missed the live performance.
The event is made possible through a grant from the South Dakota Arts Council.
The award-winning husband and wife duo of Curtis and Loretta has gathered together a stellar cast of characters to star in the collection of songs featured in their tour. Loretta writes about real-life, ordinary people who overcame seemingly insurmountable challenges in their lives and came out stronger for the journey. These are story-songs of courage, resilience, kindness and determination.
There’s a rich tapestry of inspiration and riveting drama offered by the people she sought out to interview and write about, including a couple who married “against the odds” in 1947; a World War II vet whose ship was sunk by Kamikazes and who saved another man’s life; a woman who donated a kidney to a little girl she’d never met; a Native American man who had a loveless upbringing at an orphanage but later turned his life around; a couple raising kids on the severe end of the autism spectrum; and many more.
In between songs, Curtis and Loretta will give the background of the song, show photos, and tell how they “found” each person. A handout with the lyrics and an information sheet with a brief bio of each person can be found on the library’s Facebook or website.
All of the songs are crafted with Loretta’s poignant storytelling style and presented with Curtis and Loretta’s signature tight vocal harmonies and array of stringed instruments, including folk harp, mandocello, guitars and clawhammer banjo.
The duo lives in Minneapolis but tours across the U.S., performing at folk venues and festivals. They were named “Best Acoustic Performers of the Twin Cities” by City Pages (Minneapolis / St. Paul) and have been on the South Dakota Arts Council Touring Arts Roster since 2012.
South Dakota Arts Council support is provided with funds from the State of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
