Author Archives: ZAAC

The Judd Group – 8 PM Saturday, Sept. 12th, 2015

TheJuddGroup2015Crossings brings The Judd Group to Zumbrota's State Theatre on Saturday, September 12th, at 8 PM. Tickets are $26 in advance, $30 at the door, and can be purchased online or by calling 507-732-7616. Doors open at 7 PM.

Having first formed in Rochester in 1970, The Judd Group is reuniting after 45 years for a performance at the State Theatre on Sat., Sept. 12 at 8 p.m.

The original cast, Steve McLoone, Tom Williams, Dave "Elwood" Williams, Dik Shopteau and "Scooter" Nelson, with Bryan Rossi on keyboards, will be rockin' once again. Special guests include previous Judd members Bruce Judd, John Thomson and Jerome Beckley performing selections from his new CD "offleash."

The band has an interesting history and track record playing with major acts; one was Bruce Springsteen at Mankato State before he was a big name. Members of the group have either written, performed, engineered or produced almost 200 records. The Judd Group was inducted into the Mid-America Music Hall of Fame in 2008.

Singer McLoone is an owner of indy record label Ultimasongs Records and he continues writing, singing and recording. He has recorded six solo CDs. Guitarist Tom Williams is McLoone's business partner and has performed and co-written songs. Drummer "Elwood" Williams, Tom's brother, plays drums with a Twin Cities vocal group. Shopteau, bassist, owns a recording studio and is a recording engineer and producer. He and Nelson perform with The Tex Pistols. Nelson, percussionist and vocalist, also started a music company that produces music for television and records. Taking the place of Judd is keyboardist Rossi, who plays keyboards with salsa and Latin music groups in the Twin Cities.

The original keyboardist for The Judd Group is Judd, who is currently a nationally touring sound technician based out of Chicago. Also, the second guitarist for many of the early years, Thomson, continues to perform and work in the music industry. In addition, Beckley is a previous lead singer of the Judd Group, and is a song writer, performer and graphic artist.

The Judd Group can claim two radio singles, two critically acclaimed albums ("Rhythm and Space," and "Second Thoughts"), 10 years of touring and performances with the REO Speedwagon, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ted Nugent, Average White Band, The Beach Boys, John Denver, Todd Rundgren, Tina Turner, and more in the U.S., Canada and beyond.

Shawn Phillips – 8 pm Friday, Sept. 4th, 2015

ShawnPhillips2015Crossings brings Shawn Phillips to Zumbrota's State Theatre on Friday, September 4th, at 8 PM. Tickets are $22 in advance, $25 at the door, and can be purchased online or by calling 507-732-7616. Doors open at 7 PM.

Critically acclaimed and with a star-studded “played with” list, Shawn Phillips has the goods. Audiences will thrill to his voice and guitar on Friday, Sept 4, at 8:00 p.m. at the State Theatre, next door to Crossings. Phillips has sung with the Beatles, recorded with Traffic members Steve Winwood, Chris Wood, and Jim Capaldi, taught Joni Mitchell 12-string guitar techniques, and was the first to use an Indian sitar in popular music. He’s recorded four albums that made it on Billboard’s Top 100, and four of his singles have reached Billboard’s Top 40. His most recently released album is “Perspectives,” a 17-song double CD. Phillips is the kind of artist who seeks critical acclaim and appreciates his loyal fans – who quietly push his albums into multigold and platinum status in North America and overseas. Phillips, who is the son of best-selling spy novelist Philip Atlee, traveled the world with his family, and as an adult settled in a small Italian village after spending time in the ’60s culture of San Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury and of England. Reviewers have expressed awe at Phillips’ ability to play electric and acoustic six- and 12-string guitars (single- and double-necked), the sitar, and at his three-octave vocal range. His lyrics and melodies – running the gamut from folk to pop, classical to jazz – astound. Music fans won’t want to miss this opportunity to spend an intimate evening with this ought-to-be-a-legend!

AGAPE – 7:30 pm Tuesday, September 1, 2015

AgapeCrossings brings "AGAPE" to Zumbrota's State Theatre on Tuesday, September 1st, at 7:30 PM. Tickets are $10 for students, $15 for adults, and can be purchased online or by calling 507-732-7616. Doors open at 6:30 PM. 

Dave Scherer has inspired youth from Brooklyn to Bosnia with his relational ministry “Hip Hop Outreach.” Performing as AGAPE, he combines rapping, dancing, and storytelling.

AGAPE connects listeners with Christian faith, and Scherer’s energy is contagious. His stories of faith transcend differences. AGAPE brings an authentic approach by translating the theological depth of his seminary training into simple songs and stories that can be understood by every listener. His passion is to bring together people of all backgrounds and let them know about his faith.

Scherer seeks to share a message of love that persists in spite of hatred and ignorance. While “agape” is a Greek word describing feelings of love, Scherer also created an acronym to explain his performing name further. The beginning “A” stands for African American/Asian American/Arab American. The “E” represents the European American, and the “GAP” represents the expansive space that Scherer believes currently exists between these groups in American society.

“Not just confined to cultural barriers, we also are divided along lines of economics, ideology, politics, etc. The only way to truly bridge this divide is through God’s compassionate and boundless love, known as ‘Agape,’” Scherer says.

AGAPE’s high-energy performances and inspirational stories are designed to encourage people to explore their faith.

More info at Crossings: http://www.crossingsatcarnegie.com/concertpages/agape.html