“It’s arduous to place into phrases how necessary it’s to share the stage with a legend like Sheryl Crow,” stated “zero-time Grammy winner” Vincent Lima. The artist was one in all three up-and-coming musicians who got the chance to play with Crow at an intimate live performance showcase in Harmony, Massachusetts on Friday (February seventh).
The present was placed on courtesy of Salt Lick Incubator, a singular non-profit dedicated to nurturing rising musicians with monetary and different assist. Based in 2022 by former Berklee School of Music President Roger Brown, Salt Lick Incubator works to assist artists by the early phases of their profession by offering assist, grants, profession steering, and publicity to new audiences by such autos as WERS Radio’s Salt Lick Classes and the Salt Lick YouTube channel — and the “Collectively in Live performance” showcase collection.
Harmony’s Umbrella Arts Middle has partnered with Salt Lick to host the live performance occasions, pairing younger artists with established headliners in a 350-seat state-of-the-art theater. Along with Lima, the occasion featured Argentine singer-songwriter Paula Prieto and outlaw nation sensation Kyle Ray. Every act was given the stage for a mini set in entrance of a sold-out crowd largely drawn in by the presence of nine-time Grammy-winner headliner Crow. That kind of publicity and expertise is precisely what Salt Lick seeks to offer its artists.
After a welcoming speech from Umbrella Arts Middle Govt Director Eileen Williston and Salt Lick’s Roger Brown and Liza Levy, Crow got here out to introduce every of the brand new artists. Prieto opened her set with a canopy of Bob Dylan’s “Make You Really feel My Love,” earlier than transitioning to Spanish for 3 extra songs. The US-born Prieto moved to Argentina at a younger age, and her music tries to mix parts of each Argentine and American people, rock, and indie-alternative music. On stage, the sonic combine swung from delicate to grooving, and all the time remained stirringly emotive.
Lima, who was born in Chicago and raised in New Jersey, has been writing songs since age 5 — but, as he playfully boasted, he’s but to win that Grammy. He delivered his set of real lyricism with soulful, blues-tinged vocals, all whereas displaying off his basic people influences resembling Jackson Browne and Cat Stevens. Having just lately wrapped a US headlining tour on the finish of final yr, his upcoming world tour this spring will certainly entice extra followers with efficiency like this.
Kentucky native Kyle Ray, backed by a full band, closed out the primary a part of the night with a three-song set that blended basic nation with people to make a memorable sound of his personal. Commenting on the blessing of discovering himself opening for Crow, Ray stated, “You’re humbled in your life by the unhealthy issues that occur to you. However you’re additionally humbled by the nice issues. And that is a type of issues.” Ray has solely been actively releasing music for a yr, and it’s straightforward to think about how an opportunity to play with Crow this early in his profession can set him up for better success.
After a brief break, Crow took the stage backed by her personal five-member touring band and motored by an hour-long set chock filled with fan favorites, from “Steve McQueen” and “A Change Would Do You Good” to “Leaving Las Vegas,” “Robust Sufficient,” “My Favourite Mistake,” and the Cat Stevens ballad “The First Minimize Is the Deepest.” It was a hit-filled set, however the spotlight for the Salt Lick artists was undoubtedly nearer “Soak Up the Solar”; Crow invited Lima, Prieto, and Ray again out to hitch her on the finale singalong, closing the loop between showcasing younger artists and truly supporting them.
That, in spite of everything, is Salt Lick Incubator’s mission. Try pictures from the non-profit’s “Collectively in Live performance” present under.
Sheryl Crow has a handful of headlining tour dates this summer season, together with a spot on Willie Nelson and Bob Dylan’s Outlaw Music Pageant Tour. Get tickets right here. In the meantime, dates and tickets for Vincent Lima and Paula Prieto may be discovered on their respective web sites.