Related Events
The Green Room at Crosstown Arts
Friday, December 2, 2022
Doors 7 p.m. | Show 7:30 p.m.
Tickets: $20 | $15 in advance
Memphis-based, Arkansas-born singer-songwriter Mark Edgar Stuart performs a very special concert with Blueshift Ensemble, a Memphis-based contemporary chamber music ensemble dedicated to bringing artists and audiences together through artistic collaboration. Stuart’s acclaimed songwriting will be paired with all-new arrangements written by Jonathan Kirkscey, for a one-of-a-kind performance featuring a string quartet, flute, clarinet, oboe, and upright bass.
You’ll have a tough time finding a more widely embraced modern singer-songwriter in Memphis – Mark Edgar Stuart’s enthusiasm about his adopted hometown and what it has to offer is magnetic, and his songs will stick with you. Quick-witted, empathetic, and self-deprecating, aloof but probably alert of the room tone, Stuart’s complementary musicality and contagiously honest voice showcase a resilient and relaxed artist, both sage and seasoned. Grammy-winning music writer/director Robert Gordon is a big fan, often spinning Mark’s tracks on his weekly radio show, and other critics agree: “His acerbic wit is reminiscent of John Prine and Randy Newman” (No Depression); “His wry, cutting view of the world makes something old new again” (Paste); “Always maintaining a tender demeanor, his songwriting is smart as it is sincere” (Pop Matters). Mark’s stories are sweet but never saccharine, even-keeled but deeply affecting. He’s lovable and literary, smart yet plain-spoken, heartening, funny, and always memorable. He sounds new and familiar, fresh yet timeless. His songs sound like your favorite stories, retold by a friend.
