An intimate evening with an American folk legend!
“Mr. Wainwright has proved to be far and away the most candid diarist among the singer-songwriters who…brought confessional poetry into popular song…. (he) wrings more human truth out of his contradiction than any other songwriter of his generation.” – New York Times, Stephen Holden
Loudon Wainwright III is an accomplished American singer-songwriter, folk musician, and actor. Well-known for his poetic lyrics, distinct voice, and masterful guitar playing, his witty and insightful songwriting style often delves into personal experiences, relationships, and social observations. Wainwright came to fame when his song “Dead Skunk” became a Top 20 hit in 1972. He had studied acting at Carnegie-Mellon University, but dropped out to partake in the Summer of Love in San Francisco, and wrote his first song in 1968 (“Edgar,” about a lobsterman in Rhode Island). His songs have since been recorded by Bonnie Raitt, Johnny Cash, Earl Scruggs, Kate and Anna McGarrigle, his son Rufus Wainwright, and Mose Allison, among others. Wainwright has recorded 27 albums, including his 2009 Grammy-winning High Wide & Handsome.
In 2018, Wainwright released Years in the Making, a 42-song treasury of rare and unreleased Loudoniana. This 2-disc, 60-page hardbound audio-biography includes orphaned album cuts, lovingly-made lo-fi home recordings, radio appearances, demos, live performances, and beyond. It features appearances by Kate McGarrigle, Suzzy Roche, Bill Frisell, Van Dyke Parks, Chaim Tannenbaum, David Mansfield, and the Wainwright children Rufus, Martha, Lucy, and Lexie.
A talented actor, Wainwright has appeared in films directed by Martin Scorsese, Hal Ashby, Christopher Guest, Tim Burton, Cameron Crowe, and Judd Apatow. He was also featured on television in the popular series M.A.S.H., and on Broadway in Pump Boys and Dinettes. More recently, he appeared in the film Pleased to Meet You (with fellow music legends John Doe, Aimee Mann, and Joe Henry), and the television series, Mosaic, directed by Steven Soderbergh.
His 2022 release Lifetime Achievement, an album of 15 original songs, established his singular talent as our foremost six-string tragicomedian, not only undiminished, but hitting new heights. Wainwright puts his latest achievement in the context of a lifetime of music making this way: “When I made my first record for Atlantic in 1969, I wanted to make not only a recording, but a document that captures a moment. Now, fifty years later, I guess I still want to make a testament of songs, and I like to think they might last a while.”
