MONROE — Madison’s all-gal pop-rock trio of Gin, Chocolate & Bottle Rockets are back to spice-up the holiday season in a one-hour holiday concert at 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15 at Monroe Arts Center, 1315 11th St.
Veteran performers Beth Kille, Shawndell Marks and Jen Farley combine their musical forces, featuring tight three-part harmonies, solid acoustic instrumentation on guitar/piano/percussion and clever songwriting ranging from edgy to fun, along with their renditions of favorite seasonal tunes in a one-hour concert.
Kille, a vocalist who also plays guitar and mandolin, is a 22-time Madison Area Music Association award-winning artist from Madison who has been cranking out Americana rock tunes since 2000. In 2011, she received Artist of the Year honors at the Madison Area Music Awards; a rare accomplishment for a solo artist.
She has also been honored twice with the MAMA for Female Vocalist of the Year, in 2006 and 2010, and was nominated for Singer-Songwriter of the Year in 2014 by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry.
Wisconsin native and 12-time Madison Area Music Association award-winning artist Shawndell Marks, who also provides vocals while playing either the keyboard or the accordion, grew up surrounded by music. As a teen, she performed nightly at the Wisconsin Opry Music Theater in Wisconsin Dells. While studying music at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Marks fronted the classic rock/country band Thunder Road, performing in bars and festivals throughout the state and opening for acts such as George Jones and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. She has been nominated for 15 Madison Area Music Association awards, including as keyboardist with Gin, Chocolate & Bottle Rockets.
Jen Farley, the band percussionist who provides vocals as well, is a veteran performer originally from Cleveland. She has been in numerous bands, stage productions and recordings in Cleveland and Nashville. She can be found performing around the Madison area as a duo with her husband, Mike Farley
Prior to the concert is the final opportunity to place bids on the display items at MAC’s Holiday Silent Auction. At 1:45 p.m., a whistle blow will signal the conclusion of this annual event.
Members of the Monroe Arts Center may attend this concert at no cost. Tickets may be purchased by calling the Monroe Arts Center at 608-325-5700, or in person at the box office at 1315 11th Street, or online at www.monroeartscenter.
