The Weis Center will kick off its new season with bluegrass and Americana artist Bronwyn on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in the Weis Center Concert Hall.
The performance is sponsored, in part, by the Columbia Montour Visitors Bureau.
Bronwyn is renowned as a prolific instrumentalist, earning two International Bluegrass Music Association Fiddle Player of the Year awards as well as a Grammy for her work with Molly Tuttle and Golden Highway.
As a child, music lessons gradually transitioned into public performances, with a particular emphasis on Irish music after her family relocated to Charlottesville. Her lifelong musical education continues to shape her work. A background in dance makes her a captivating and energetic live performer. An on-stage collaboration with fellow Charlottesville-native Dave Matthews taught her how a crowd could feed your energy.
For her third album, Rattlin’ Bones, Bronwyn, a Grammy-winning artist and two-time IBMA “Fiddle Player of the Year,” decided to purposely leave her comfort zone and dive headfirst into a new, unknown realm of musical possibility for the acclaimed artist — Songwriting.
While her debut album, Fiddler’s Pastime (2020), was an instrumental offering showcasing Bronwyn’s fiddle skillset and prowess, it was the sophomore release, I Built A World (2024), that introduced the world to her singing style. And yet, with Rattlin’ Bones, it truly feels like Bronwyn has dug deep within to finally uncover and embrace her unique talents and sonic tones.
Backed by a whirlwind array of pickers, Bronwyn has elevated herself into the national spotlight of Americana, bluegrass and roots music as of late, which is why the urge to jump into the studio and capture this momentum and energy seemed like the perfect timing with Rattlin’ Bones.
This unrelenting force behind Rattlin’ Bones is due to Bronwyn hitting the road hard lately alongside her solo band, which includes mandolinist Tristan Scroggins, banjoist Frank Evans, bassist Larry Cook and guitarist Grant Dresnok. The ensemble is the cream of Nashville’s bluegrass crop, with their electrifying musical chemistry radiating a seamless sense of camaraderie and creativity.
With her former group, Americana/bluegrass juggernaut Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, dissolving amicably last year, the window of opportunity opened up for Bronwyn to pursue her own artistic endeavors, under the bright stage lights and in the recording booth.
When asked about how she discovered her vocal style, and where that side of her craft was initially sparked, Bronwyn points to her time in Golden Highway. She was routinely encouraged by Tuttle and bassist Shelby Means to lean into her voice, ultimately cultivating this new side of her musicality.
In the midst of a live performance, Bronwyn commands this relaxed confidence standing in front of the microphone. For a musician well-known for her instrumental abilities, it’s mesmerizing to watch Bronwyn sing and play through a set of her latest rollicking melodies — the band itself swirling around her in this joyous revival of the heart and soul conjured with ease each night.
TICKETS
Tickets are $35 for adults, $28 for seniors 62+ and subscribers, $25 for youth 18 and under, $25 for Bucknell employees and retirees (limit 2), free for Bucknell students (limit 1) and $25 for non-Bucknell students (limit 2).
Tickets can be reserved by calling 570-577-1000 or online at Bucknell.edu/BoxOffice.
Tickets are also available in person from several locations including the Weis Center lobby (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.) and the CAP Center Box Office, located on the ground floor of the Elaine Langone Center (weekdays 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
For more information about this event, contact Lisa Leighton, marketing and outreach director, at 570-577-3727 or by e-mail at lisa.leighton@bucknell.edu.
For more information about the Weis Center for the Performing Arts, go to Bucknell.edu/WeisCenter or search for the Weis Center on Instagram, Facebook, or YouTube.