Live music preview: Strand of Oaks at 3TEN at ACL Live this Saturday
As the holiday season historically lends itself to a drop-off in touring acts to grace our stages here in Austin, we are fortunate to have a bevy of top-quality artists residing here in our own backyard to satisfy our live music addiction.
Case in point: The relatively recent relocation of Timothy Showalter aka Strand Of Oaks to our city allows us to catch some quality live music as we start our celebratory conclusion of another 12 months passed. This Saturday, December 17 finds Strand Of Oaks taking the 3Ten at ACL Live stage for a performance that promises to bring an appropriate mix of Showalter’s songwriting ability to traverse folk, country, and rock in a live setting.
A Strand of Oaks show is a suggested experience for any fans of Showalter’s recorded material that on playback shines strong but live, guarantees a full exploration of the range of musical influences and genres that drive Showalter’s songwriting. The result is bigger, bolder, and at times a sonic, psychedelic-tinged trip of a concert experience.
Strand of Oaks are touring material from their latest album In Heaven. The record is the second Showalter has released since relocating to Austin from Phiadelphia. The affable songwriter and actor (Sons of Anarchy) has more on the reason he and his wife decided to pick up and move to Austin in information related the record release:
“In late 2018, Showalter’s wife, Sue, lost her mother in a car accident. Soon after, Stan, the cat they both adored, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Showalter quit drinking so he could take better care of his wife and help rebuild the life they shared. And within months, they decided to pack up and move across the country from Philadelphia to Austin, Texas. It was an irrational decision made at the height of a terrible time, but it’s one that shaped so much of what In Heaven is about.”
That story has also resulted in Austin inheriting a resident who is not only a gifted songwriter, but a talented actor, humanitarian and person. To put it bluntly, the man just fits in here.
Over a decade worth of genre-spanning material produced by Strand Of Oaks suggests that Showalter will bring a little bit of something for longtime fans of the band and first-time listeners this Saturday. With his history of notable artist collaborations and shared stage experiences, there may be an unexpected guest. Who knows?
Tickets are still available directly from the 3TEN online box office.
