Steve Poltz - Live Music Soothes the Soul
About
Steve Poltz Throughout over three decades in music, Steve Poltz did it all and more—often shared by way of his rockin’ countrified folk slices of sardonic Americana (hatched in Halifax). Of course, he co-wrote Jewel’s multiplatinum Hot 100-topping megahit “You Were Meant For Me,” but he also went on a whale watch with her and a few federales that turned into a drug bust. The two still share the story at every festival they play together. He made his bones as the frontman for underground legends The Rugburns, who burned rubber crisscrossing the continent on marathon tours and still pop up once in a while for the rare and quickly sold out reunion gig. In 20 years since his full-length solo debut, One Left Shoe, he blessed the world’s ears with twelve solo records, spanning the acclaimed 2010 Dreamhouse and most recently Folk Singer in 2015. NPR summed it up best, “Critics and fans alike now regard Poltz as a talented and prolific songwriter.” By 2016, he survived a stroke, endured anything the music industry could throw at him, and still performed like “280 days a year.” However, he still never lived in Nashville, which represents a turning point in the story and the genesis of his 2018 Compass Records debut, Shine On…“My girlfriend Sharon sold the condo we were living in, and I was ready to live in a van, which seemed like a good idea for one night—then I decided I wanted a kitchen and a closet,” he admits. “Sharon wanted to move to Nashville, because she thought it would be good for me. It caused a huge fight. I’d been in San Diego since 1980, and that’s where I cut my musical teeth. I thought I’d never leave. In fact, at the height of our fight, I said, ‘I’m not leaving San Diego. I am San Diego!’ This makes me laugh now. As soon as I got to Nashville, I immediately knew I wanted to make a record in ‘Music City’.”Evoking themes of “hope, love, contemplation, celebration of Wednesday, pharmacists, and the fact that windows are not inanimate objects and they sometimes have conversations with each other,” the record represents Steve at his most inspired and insightful. The opener and title track “Shine On” pairs a delicate vocal with lithely plucked acoustic strings as he urges, “Shine on, shine on.”In the end, for everything you can call him “searcher, smartass, movie freak, lover of technology, news junkie, baseball fan to nth degree, lapsed catholic who still believes in god even though all his friends are atheists and think he’s an idiot, and maker of fun,” you might just call Steve that little light in the dark we all need in this day and age.
About the Series
<div style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:Helvetica;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">The Paradise Theatre and Pickin' Productions have been teaming up for years to bring the North Fork Valley and Western Colorado incredible live music. When COVID hit, we weren't sure how we were going to continue the tradition. And then a light bulb went off. Poulos Park is an underutilized pocket park on Grand Avenue, just a few doors down from The Paradise. We transformed the park into a magical event venue and a new outdoor concert series was born.</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;font-family:Helvetica"></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;font-family:Helvetica"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;font-family:Helvetica"><span style="white-space:normal">With COVID safety precautions in place, there will be beverages and concessions available to purchase throughout the show. No outside food or drink will be permitted inside the venue space. There </span><span style="white-space:normal">will be socially distanced tables and seating p</span><span style="white-space:normal">rovided </span><span style="white-space:normal">with your ticket purchase for you to comfortably enjoy the show. </span><br /></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;font-family:Helvetica"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align:center"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap;font-family:Helvetica"><span><span style="font-size:11.5pt;font-family:Arial;font-variant-numeric:normal;font-variant-east-asian:normal;vertical-align:baseline"><span style="border:none;display:inline-block;overflow:hidden;width:624px;height:468px"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/2GdWpgRcEfcyO2ibWSOXfXprBNrM9Ej9zOa9eiaks0C7dM2Uv89_19x4BiMjy01aiJVYPr9ctuyP1oCann1OfIf0K92vfdeJOLxfTVBJC8zFynTMijIVp9N99uKxXbDURmjX2vFO" style="margin-left:0px;margin-top:0px" /></span></span></span><br /></span></div>
