Looking for a no-waste experience gift for your friend or sweetheart?
The Soft and Low has got you covered.
May Your Presence be a Present
Author: Tara McGovern
Just fiddling around, mostly.
The Soft and Low at Wild Culture Kombucha Fri 12/13 7 pm
The Northside neighborhood of Iowa City is already home to my most beloved bookstore, theatre and my soon to be favorite kitchen store so it was no great surprise to discover that Wild Culture Kombucha taproom and lounge has become a treasured place to relax and enjoy delicious food and drinks.
In September, my almost 14 year old Liam and had a wonderful night nibbling on charcuterie and sipping kombucha while listening to my musical partner Jeffrey C. Capps rock a solo show and ever since I’ve been looking forward to bringing them The Soft and Low, my folk-rock duo with Jeff.
The day has nearly arrived! Friday, December 13 at 7 pm is your time to escape from the hustle of this season, to sit and sip and relax and let us folk-rock you.
The Soft and Low Carol Countdown
The Soft and Low and our favorite elf are pleased to present the 2019 Top Ten Carol Countdown! We will be singing these TONIGHT (Saturday, December 7 at 7 pm) with YOU as an opening act for the Coppers & Brass Christmas show at Sanctuary Pub.
We used a delicate algorithm balancing community input with artistic license to come up with this year’s offerings.
Please let us know what you’d like to see on the list for 2020!
Click through for lyrics and sing along!
10. God Rest You Merry Gentlemen
5. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
4. Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
1. We Wish You a Merry Christmas
Come for the carols, stay for the superior food, drink, service and for our very best in Irish trad music with a Christmas twist.
December delights from Tara McGovern and friends
Hello friends!
I hope that all of you had a warm and nourishing Thanksgiving. December is full of seasonal fun! Here’s where you’ll find me celebrating all the treasures of this month:
Ron Clark’s Small Miracles – Fri, Dec 6th – 7-9 pm
Uptown Bill’s, 730 S. Dubuque St, Iowa City
A beautiful and rare offering by my friend and mentor Ron Clark:
“Get out of the cold and enjoy an evening of heart-warming holiday storytelling with Small Miracles, a moving, one-man show by Ron Clark. Small Miracles takes the audience on a nostalgic, heartfelt journey as Clark shares his recollections of growing up in a small Iowa town where the mayor/street cleaner doubled as Santa, a courageous dog, a terrifying audition for the fifth grade Christmas pageant, and his stint at a department store Santa. Clark’s vivid storytelling will captivate you and bring to mind your own fond memories. This show is perfect for the whole family.”
The Soft and Low Carol Countdown! – Sat, Dec 7th – 7-7:30 p.m
Sanctuary Pub, 405 S. Gilbert St, Iowa City
Doesn’t this just sound like something you need to experience?! Be sure to drop me a note with your carol request and then show up to see if yours makes the list!
and definitely stick around following the carol countdown for…
Coppers & Brass Christmas – Sat, Dec 7th – 7:30-9 p.m.
Sanctuary Pub, 405 S. Gilbert St, Iowa City
Celebrate the season with a traditional Irish twist. Coppers & Brass is proud to present our very last performance of 2019 with gratitude for the amazing year we’ve had as a band. We look forward to seeing you many more times in 2020 and beyond.
The Soft and Low – Fri, Dec 13th – 7-9 p.m.
Wild Culture Kombucha, 210 N. Linn St, Iowa City
Jeff played at this great new venue a couple of months ago, but this will be the first time for our duo! While we’ll play much of our standard fare, you can bet that a couple of those holiday songs will sneak into this set, as well. Come for the tunes, and stay for the delicious kombucha, beer & wine!
Champagne Academy of Irish Dance Irish Christmas Céilí – Sat, Dec 21 – 2-5:30 pm
South Slope Community Center, 980 Front St, North Liberty
A fabulous afternoon of Irish dance and music! Irish dance (beginners to champions from Champagne Academy of Irish Dance) & music performance with a social dance (Céilí, no experience needed!) and potluck to follow featuring Caller Tadhg Mac Aindriú and the Champagne Céilí Band of which I am a proud fiddler. Doors open at 1:30pm. $16 at the door, 4 and under free. Contact Trèa Champagne TCRG for more details.
Wherever you are and however you choose to spend this season that can be so cold and dark, please know that I am wishing you all that is calm and bright.
Tuned to truth,
Tara
Coppers & Brass Christmas
Join us at Sanctuary Pub for an Irish Christmas celebration!
The Soft and Low will open the evening with a carol countdown of the top ten most requested carols of the season.
Send in your carol requests: thesoftandlow@gmail.com
Sweet Mama Angel by Jeffrey C. Capps
I’m very proud as always to fiddle in the Family Folk Machine band but even more proud than usual that we will be performing “Sweet Mama Angel”, one of my favorite songs written by my bandmate in The Soft and Low Jeffrey C. Capps.
Our “One Family” concert also features music by Janis Ian, Bill Withers, Bob Dylan, Jeff Tweedy, Sade, Greg Brown as well as four other original songs by Family Folk Machiners.
See you at The Englert Theatre Sunday November 17 at 3 pm!
I Lift My Lamp
Please join Coppers & Brass and the sister schools of Champagne Academy of Irish Dance and McGovern Music Studio for an Irish music and dance spectacular on Saturday, November 16th at the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts.
I LIFT MY LAMP is the first of several events presented by Coralville Center for the Performing Arts inspired by “I lift my lamp beside the golden door” from the sonnet inscribed on the pedestal of The Statue of Liberty – “The New Colossus” by American poet Emma Lazarus.
The aim of the series is to highlight the immigration stories that enrich our nation and to celebrate our immigrant friends and neighbors.
One more haunted evening with Coppers & Brass
We will be playing from 6 to 8 pm. Delicious scratch kitchen open all evening and let’s not forget the marvelous brews.
A new moon tonight means a dark and mysterious evening awaits.
Haunted Irish Music with Coppers & Brass
Join Coppers & Brass (Frank Claudy, Joe Dutcher, Tara McGovern and Keith Reins) for our second annual Halloween Haunted Irish Music shows.
We’ll feature grisly songs and happy tunes for an early show (5 pm at the Sanctuary on Saturday and 6 pm at Kalona Brewing Co. on Sunday that will let you get home before the vampires wake up.
The Sunday version of the show at Kalona Brewing Co. is their annual Drink or Treat Halloween-themed night. We’ll provide haunted music from across the pond and the Champagne Academy Irish Dancers will be joining us for a bit of extra fun!
On tap for this event will be KBC’s Trick or Treat Pale Ale, made with actual Jolly Ranchers – available in-house only.
No cover for this special event; heavenly beers on tap and scratch kitchen open till close (8pm). Join us…if you dare!
Coppers & Brass with Champagne Academy of Irish Dance performing the music of David Hicks
Coppers & Brass is honored to be performing the original music of our friend David Hicks from his wonderful collection The Storms of May in gratitude for his life and legacy.
We will be playing Dave’s music to accompany my McGovern Music Studio’s sister school, the Champagne Academy of Irish Dance, at the Iowa Dance Festival at The Englert Theatre this Saturday night October 19 at 7 pm.
