Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts presents
NICKEL CREEK
with special guest Monica Martin
Nickel Creek is the internationally renowned roots trio of mandolinist Chris Thile, violinist Sara Watkins and guitarist Sean Watkins. The Grammy-winning band has revolutionized folk and roots music since first performing together as children at a pizza parlor in San Diego in 1989, signing to acclaimed roots label Sugar Hill Records after wowing the bluegrass circuit for a decade.
Nickel Creek quickly broke through in 2000 with their Grammy-nominated, Alison Krauss-produced self-titled LP, which showcased not just their instrumental virtuosity but their burgeoning songwriting prowess. The trio quickly followed that effort with the Krauss-produced This Side, a landmark release that earned Nickel Creek the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album and brought their progressive take on acoustic music to a broader audience, greatly influencing the sound and trajectory of roots music in the process.
2005's Grammy-nominated Why Should the Fire Die? found the trio pushing genre boundaries even further, incorporating elements of alt-rock and indie pop into their singular brand of acoustic music. In 2014, Nickel Creek released the critically acclaimed and joyously received A Dotted Line, ended a seven-year recording and touring hiatus for the band.
After another hiatus during which members explored other musical and creative avenues, the Platinum-selling, Grammy Award-winning trio gathered for a creative retreat in Santa Barbara during the pandemic and emerged with a bounty of disparate but loosely connected songs that resulted in 2023's highly anticipated album, Celebrants. The record is perhaps their most audacious — with "18 interconnected tracks, Nickel Creek offers another world for listeners, not necessarily one to escape into — these songs are nuanced and honest, not fantasy — but one suited for introspection" (NPR). The entire enterprise is, naturally, shot through with the band's virtuosic picking and shiver-inducing harmonies. The lyrics — addressing love, friendship, time, and the universal travails of travel — combine the poetic and plain-spoken, hitting a sweet spot of ethereal and relatable as bridges are built, crossed, burned, and rebuilt.
“Their instruments and voices alternately blend and shine...it’s a joy to have the gang back together.”
For tickets and more information, including details on a VIP Package, visit jorgensen.uconn.edu.
MAKE A NIGHT OF IT
Enjoy dinner in Downtown Storrs before the show! With over twenty eateries serving up cuisines from around the globe, there’s something for every taste and budget. See what’s cooking here.
Pictured: Square Peg Pizzeria