Mosey on down to Chatfield, Minn., for the 50th Annual Western Days Celebration from August 10-13 for music, food, parades, car and truck show, and more. A highlight of the weekend is live music at Chatfield Center for the Arts with Bill & Kate Isles on Saturday, August 12 at 8 p.m.
Bill & Kate Isles are an acoustic singer/songwriter duo based in Duluth, Minn. Using a wide variety of musical styles, their performances carry audiences through a broad landscape of experiences from metaphorical worlds to small town family stories and to zany comedy. Consummate performers, they are known for their catchy melodies and memorable songs. They have a deep-seated love for the audience, and each other, and it shines before, during, and after the performance. They tour nationally, presenting their profound songs for audiences large and small, from house concerts to festival stages and everything in between. Words like “Mesmerizing,” “Transcendent,” and even, “Hysterical” are common descriptions from audience reviews and audiences members feel that they are listening to stories of their own lives, told by two of their best friends.
Bill Isles (born and raised in Duluth, Minn.) performed his first show of original songs, after a 25-year hiatus, in February 2000. Since that time, he has become one of the most well known singer/songwriters in the Minnesota acoustic scene and has been getting national and international attention. Bill’s love of life has strong roots in his childhood, but his urgency to tell these stories comes from an experience in 1993 when, with just enough warning to drive himself to the hospital, he experienced a sudden cardiac arrest. He arrived with just ten minutes to spare. After being defibrillated, and before the doctors had time to detect and open a blocked artery in his heart, he made a commitment to himself that, if he survived, he would begin to write again. Those paddles restarted more than just his heart…
Kate Isles (born in Tecumseh, Nebr., raised in Rochester, Minn.) was a closet singer/songwriter when she came to a CD release concert for Bill’s first CD, “Weightless” after hearing a public radio interview. She bought the CD and signed up on his e-mail list. (“Grounds for marriage!” quips Bill). Their song, “Public Radio (A True Story)” is a delightful duet that chronicles these beginnings.
Their relationship began in the ensuing months as they enjoyed afternoon sessions with guitars, harmonies and coffee. They’ve been together ever since, marrying in May 2004. They have toured nationally as a duo, full-time, since early 2007, performing about 150 shows per year. Their late-2011 duo album, “Still Beneath the Stars and Moon,” includes ten new original songs, and showcases their respective songwriting with several of Kate’s songs as well as a few they’ve co-written. The response has been very positive with many comments such as “We’re wearing out your CD, we listen to it all the time!” and “It’s the perfect blend of two voices.”
Tickets are $20 in advance or at the door; seating is limited. Advance tickets are available online at www.chatfieldarts.org or by calling (507) 884-7676.
Beer, wine, non-alcoholic options and snacks available for purchase at the venue. Concert starts at 8 p.m., doors open at 7:30 p.m.
About Chatfield Center
for the Arts
Chatfield Center for the Arts is non-profit, regional arts center celebrating its newly renovated 658-seat Potter Auditorium. The renovations were made possible through funding from the State Legislature and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development grant. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts & cultural heritage fund. Learn more at www.chatfieldarts.org, or call us at (507) 867-2927.