MONROE — Nashville-based Americana-Country duo AJ Swearingen and Jayne Kelli will present “Country Rewind”, a show that evokes nostalgia for the folk and country music of a bygone era, while forging a path distinctly its own at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 16 at the Monroe Arts Center.
The duo’s love for the dobro and string arrangements encased in pedal will take center stage, along with harmonies honed through years of touring together and a closely shared life. Featuring Outlaw and Classic Country from the 1960s and ’70s, the audience will hear songs by Merle Haggard, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, Emmylou Harris, Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn, Lucinda Williams, Kris Kristofferson, Roger Miller, and many more.
Bridging the gap between modern Americana, ’70s folk singers, and country rebels, the duo’s new album, Cold-Hearted Truth, has been featured on Cowboys and Indians, and Americana Highways.
“They’ve made something all their own with their own signature approach, and it’s one that others would do well to emulate down the road,” said Red Line Roots, a New England-based media publication that focuses on folk music and interviews.
It’s their classic songwriting with a live and vintage approach to recording that has fueled the duo’s strong desire to pay homage to the heroes of the past. They are on a mission to write and preserve the old traditions for people who miss those elements in the modern music of today. Swearingen and Kelli have shared the stage with country legends Crystal Gayle and Kenny Rogers.
Tickets are $25 for Choice Seating and $30 for Prime seating. Student tickets are $10. Tickets may be purchased online at monroeartscenter.com, by calling the Box Office at 608-325-5700, or by stopping by MAC at 1315 11th Street during regular business hours: Tuesday-Friday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Country Rewind has been supported by MAC Corporate Underwriter Colony Brands, Inc. and Season Media Underwriter Big Radio, with additional support from David and Julie Buchanan, Wayne Hefty and Mary Spaay, Ruda Chevrolet Toyota, Boband& Gaida Vickerman, Andy and Julie Wilke, Don Amphlett and Jan Johnson, Jim Glessner, John and Donna Glynn, Horst and Mary Alice Hart, Ken Klassey, Richard Luthin, Robert and Nan Rudd, Tom and Karen Vale, Barbara Weldon, Chuck and Chris Wellington, Barb Woodriff and Pete Guenther.
