8pm – Elizabeth Ghandour
9pm – Mark Reitan

https://soundcloud.com/mark-reitan/sets/needles-with-names

Mark Reitan is an original Americana voice, creating beautifully uneasy acoustic music. He will be performing an intimate set of songs from his album “Needles with Names.”

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https://www.elizabethghandourmusic.com

Keep on Movin’ is the name of Elizabeth Ghandour’s new EP, and she knows exactly what that means. From Minnesota to New York and back again, from Middle Eastern and Egyptian music to Opera to Music Theater to Folk singer-songwriter, Elizabeth has been on a continuous journey of body and spirit, and of musical discovery.

Born to a Lebanese father and American mother, she grew up in the small town of Madelia, MN. She began taking vocal lessons at age 8 and continued them through high school. She then earned her degree in Vocal Performance at St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN, studying Opera. Upon graduation, she found work performing in numerous Operettas and Music Theater productions.

Small towns gave way to big cities as the itch to prove herself led her to relocate to New York City. With the change in place came an unexpected change in focus. Elizabeth stumbled upon the city’s robust folk scene and, inspired by what she heard, expanded her musical skills to include songwriting and playing guitar. Newly enthused, she brought her own brand of music back to Minnesota, to the Twin Cities.

With a rich, cultivated voice often compared to Joni Mitchell for its range or Joan Baez for its emotive qualities, and with lyrics contemplating everything from the prosaic to the profound, Elizabeth’s music fully acknowledges the heritage of her chosen genre. But while reverent to folk history, her songwriting has also moved on, establishing her own voice with songs that are accessible yet… different, influenced by her classical training and multicultural heritage.

Always restless, always pushing, always exploring, the new EP from Elizabeth Ghandour and the Heighburners contemplates the trials and triumphs of living a life that’s true to self and open to discovery. A life that’s willing to Keep on Movin’!