Write a commentOswego’s Music Hall is thrilled to have the international duo Loren Barrigar and Mark Mazengarb back on stage with their brilliant, world class guitar playing at 7:30 pm on Saturday night, Oct.10th.
This popular duo has probably played in every club, theater and venue in our region, and has won fans far afield through their intensive tours across the U.S. and in Europe, Canada, Russia and New Zealand. Their success is easy to understand: as others have said, these “fine guitarists . . . create a brilliant stereo sound . . . and are pretty amazing” (Lloyd Maines, a multiple Grammy award winning producer).
One of the most amazing things about Loren Barrigar and Mark Mazengarb is their unique musical chemistry and stage presence: the degree of their rapport and lively interaction is a rare experience among musicians. Their diverse repertoire of original and arranged music consists of stunning guitar instrumentals as well as vocal duets, all of which give them wide appeal and strong audience connection
Influenced by Americana, jazz, bluegrass, country western and classical music, Loren and Mark’s distinctive style of guitar playing is largely built upon the thumb-picking techniques pioneered by guitar greats Merle Travis and Chet Atkins. Their songs feature Loren’s heart-felt vocals with some beautiful harmonies from Mark. Mark--an internationally recognized guitarist who hails from New Zealand-- and Loren--the youngest instrumentalist to ever appear on the Grand Ole Opry--were first brought together by the Australian guitar sensation Tommy Emmanuel in 2005. Since then they have toured with Emmanuel and performed with him in Nashville recently. Mark is now based full time in the U.S.. In addition to the duo’s tours, they have appeared on national radio shows like NPR’s Says You, Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour, and the Nashville-based TV show Inside Music Row and recorded three albums together, all of which won SAMMY awards for Best Album. The title track of their 2nd album, ”Onward,” won best instrumental at the International Acoustic Music Awards in 2013.
If Loren and Mark’s music making is new to you, take a look and listen and learn more about them at http://www.lorenandmark.com/ Then join their fans at a live concert Oct. 10. The venue is the McCrobie Civic Center, 41 Lake Street, Oswego, in a space overlooking Lake Ontario that volunteers transform into an intimate atmosphere with candle-lit tables surrounding a small stage. Desserts, snacks, popcorn and beverages are available for purchase.
Ticket prices for this concert are $18 in advance and $20 at the door. Children 12 and under are half-price; under 5 are free. Tickets can be purchased on-line at http://oswegomusichall.org/ or at the river’s end bookstore, 19 West Bridge Street in Oswego. Holders of tickets purchased before 1 p.m. on the day of the concert will have preferred seating. After 1 pm, seating will be general admission. For information about money-saving Season Tickets or becoming a member or a volunteer, go to the website or contact Membership Secretary, Carol Forrest at 343-2988.
Budding guitar players in the area have a special opportunity to attend a workshop offered by Loren and Mark preceding their Music Hall concert. The guitar workshop covers the fundamentals of finger-style guitar playing and runs from 3:30 to 5:30 Oct. 10th at the same McCrobie Building site. Check the Music Hall website for more information and making reservations, or call 342-1733. The cost of the workshop is $25, and it can be combined with a concert ticket for $35.
The Music Hall’s next show, Sat. Oct. 24th, will feature one of Central New York’s best-loved acoustic bands, widely known for their bluegrass music as well as other genres, the Delaney Brothers. The Oswego Music Hall has been run entirely by volunteers from its beginning over 38 years ago. Volunteers can earn admission to shows through different tasks. Free Open Mic shows are held on Friday nights before all Sat. shows, making it a popular place for local and regional talent to be heard.
Music Hall concerts are made possible in part with funding from the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. For more information call 315-342-1733 or access the Music Hall website: http://oswegomusichall.org/
