Are you looking for a high-energy, summer reading program?
For the past five years the quirky, carefree, energetic music of Detroit’s The High Strung has been electrifying patrons across the nation with their sunny three-part harmonies and witty, lyrical bravado. This year the guitars that accompany the band’s catchy sing-along choruses are roaming the country again, headed in your direction, and the show is only getting better.
Hailed by Rolling Stone magazine, the New York Times, and Village Voice as one of the best rock & roll bands in America, NPR’s Ken Tucker named The High Strung’s debut album These Are Good Times as one of the Top 10 Rock Records of 2003. The band’s videos have been seen on MTV, including full features in Entertainment Weekly, Magnet, Harp, and Spin magazines.
In August of 2006, in a segment touting the Library Tour, The High Strung was also featured on National Public Radio’s This American Life. To listen go to http://www.thisamericanlife.org/pages/descriptions/05/294.html
In addition to playing a full-set of their rousing Beatlesque jams, concert goers will learn what it’s like to tour year-round and what sort of enthusiasm it takes to maintain such faith in your art. With a new album coming out on Park the Van Records in spring 2009, The High Strung will perform a mix of favorites and new tunes, as well as writing and performing a new song at each location with the help of the audience.
With more than 200 appearances at libraries in 48 states since 2005, the Rock & Roll Library Tour is a proven way to draw reluctant users into the library, often bringing crowds numbering in the hundreds to the most buzzed about event of the summer. Librarians note, “The guys were so engaging with the crowd. It was quite literally a traffic stopping performance†and the tour “took our summer programming to a completely new level.â€
For more information or to book the band for your library, call Bill Harmer of The Black River Group at (734) 612-5405 or e-mail bharmer@blackriverintl.com.
The Rock & Roll Library Tour http://www.rockandrolllibrarytour.com
The High Strung http://www.myspace.com/thehighstrung
About the Black River Group
The Black River Group was founded in 2008 by Bill Harmer, head of adult services at the award-winning Chelsea (MI) District Library, and Elizabeth Goldman to bring innovative programming and staff training to libraries. For more information, visit http://www.blackriverintl.com