Tom Rush

“My husband … didn’t give me a great deal of encouragement regarding my writing. But Tom Rush did. Tom would say, “Do you have any new songs?” I’d play him a batch and he’d say, “Any more?” I always held the ones out that I felt were too sensitive, or too feminine, and those would always be the ones he chose. Because of Tom, I began to get noticed.”
– Joni Mitchell

Tom Rush is a gifted musician and performer, whose shows offer a musical celebration…a journey into the tradition and spectrum of what music has been, can be, and will become. His distinctive guitar style, wry humor and warm, expressive voice have made him both a legend and a lure to audiences around the world. His shows are filled with the rib-aching laughter of terrific story-telling, the sweet melancholy of ballads and the passion of gritty blues.

Rush’s impact on the American music scene has been profound. He helped shape the folk revival in the ’60s and the renaissance of the ’80s and ’90s, his music having left its stamp on generations of artists. James Taylor told Rolling Stone, “Tom was not only one of my early heroes, but also one of my main influences.” Country music star Garth Brooks has credited Rush with being one of his top five musical influences. Rush has long championed emerging artists. His early recordings introduced the world to the work of Joni Mitchell, Jackson Browne and James Taylor, and in more recent years his Club 47 concerts have brought artists such as Nanci Griffith and Shawn Colvin to wider audiences when they were just beginning to build their own reputations.

Tom Rush began his musical career in the early ’60s playing the Boston-area clubs while a Harvard student. The Club 47 was the flagship of the coffee house fleet, and he was soon holding down a weekly spot there, learning from the legendary artists who came to play, honing his skills and growing into his talent. He had released two albums by the time he graduated.

Rush displayed then, as he does today, an uncanny knack for finding wonderful songs, and writing his own – many of which have become classics re-interpreted by new generations. (It is testimony to the universality of his appeal that his songs have been folk hits, country hits, heavy metal and rap hits.) Signed by Elektra in 1965, Rush made three albums for them, culminating in The Circle Game, which, according to Rolling Stone, ushered in the singer/songwriter era.

In the early ’70s, folk turned to folk-rock, and Rush, ever adaptable, saw more room to stretch out. Recording now for Columbia, he toured tirelessly with a five man band, playing concerts across the country. Endless promotional tours, interviews, television appearances, and recording sessions added up to five very successful but exhausting years, after which Tom decided to take a break and “recharge” his creative side at his New Hampshire farm.

Rush returned with a splash in 1981, selling out Boston’s prestigious Symphony Hall in advance. Time off had not only rekindled Rush’s love of music, it had re-ignited music audiences’ love of Rush.

He instinctively knew that his listeners were interested in both the old and the new, and set out to create a musical forum like the Club 47 of the early sixties to allow artists and newcomers to share the same stage. In 1982, he tried it out at Symphony Hall. The show was such a hit it became an annual event, growing to fill two, then three nights, and the Club 47 series was born. Crafting concerts that combined well known artists such as Bonnie Raitt or Emmylou Harris with (then) unknowns like Alison Krauss or Mark O’ Connor, Rush took the show on the road. From the ’80s to the present day, Club 47 events have filled the nation’s finest halls to rave reviews, and have been broadcast as national specials on PBS and NPR.

In 1999, Columbia/Legacy released a Tom Rush retrospective album that covers his recorded musical history from 1962 to the present, including tracks recorded for Columbia, Elektra, Prestige and his independent years. Entitled “The Very Best of Tom Rush: No Regrets”, the 17-track compilation includes as a bonus a brand new Tom Rush composition, “River Song,” which features vocal contributions from Grammy winners Shawn Colvin and Marc Cohn.

A live CD, “Trolling for Owls” released in 2003 and published by Tom’s NIGHTLIGHT RECORDINGS, captures Tom’s complete performance and includes, for the first time, some of the spoken stories that have endeared him to audiences.

“How I Play (some of) My Favorite Songs”, a DVD released in 2005 by Homespun Tapes. It shows how he plays ten of the memorable songs and guitar arrangements that have long made him one of America’s most beloved performers.

In 2009, Tom recorded his first studio CD in 35 years. Recorded in Nashville, “What I Know” was produced by Tom’s long-time friend Jim Rooney and includes original Tom Rush material, as well as harmonies by Emmylou Harris, Bonnie Bramlett and Nanci Griffith.

Today, Tom Rush lives in New Hampshire when he’s not touring. His voice has grown even richer and more melodic with training, and his music, like a fine wine, has matured and ripened in the blending of traditional and modern influences. He’s doing what he loves, and what audiences love him for: writing and playing …passionately, tenderly…knitting together the musical traditions and talents of our times.

and accompanist Monica Rizzio

With a perspective equally influenced by her Texas roots and her Cape Cod home, Americana singer-songwriter Monica Rizzio has emerged as one of the finest talents in the East Coast music scene. Monica released her debut album, aptly named Washashore Cowgirl, in 2016; where it was Monica’s solo introduction after a decade in the trio Tripping Lily, Sunshine is Free is her expansion — after time spent on the road, she realized it was time for her to start collaborating again and recorded the album in Nashville with producer Michael Rinne and a stacked lineup of guest musicians. Throughout the eleven tracks on Sunshine Is Free, Monica appreciates the little things in life and looks for silver linings where necessary. It’s clear she has a keen ability to connect; her songs are often autobiographical but delivered through a fictional approach that aids in creating a universal experience for the listener — whether it’s expressed using her trademark sense of humor or with such striking honesty that the pain in her voice is tangible.

with Brendan Cleary

Brendan Cleary is a lifelong musician, guitarist, vocalist, and composer with a deep love for American roots music. Born and raised in New Jersey, his journey with music began at a young age, playing in every setting he could find and any stage that would have him. He honed his craft through years of hard work and passion which eventually led him to Berklee College of Music, where he studied songwriting.

It was there that Brendan discovered a deep love for creating music that resonates with the American heartland and a connection he’s carried with him ever since. His mentors and instructors at Berklee helped him sharpen his approach to the creative process. But after two years he put his education on hold, as a new chapter of life opened for him in Music City, Nashville, TN.

Surrounded by a rich history of Country, Blues and Roots music traditions, Brendan spent years performing live nearly every day on Nashville’s famed Broadway strip. Long days and nights in honky-tonks and blues bars old and new helped him master his live presence, and his unique guitar style began to take shape. Personally describing his sound as a mix of acoustic fingerstyle blues and traditional folk, his right-hand rhythm brings a driving force to his playing, adding robust layers and textures to every single phrase.

Influenced by a diverse range of musicians, Brendan’s heroes include Tom Waits, Malcolm Holcombe, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Keb’ Mo’, Eric Bibb, Chris Smither, and Dr. John. He draws comparisons to artist such as Tom Rush, Chris Stapleton, Ryan Adams, and Jason Isbell, who have all left an indelible mark on Brendan’s own approach to songwriting and live performance.

His voice is a mixture or distinctive tenor overtones with a touch of grit, that keep pace with his music, embraced by lyrics that weave stories which resonate deeply with his growing legion of listeners. A back story which includes recovering from alcohol and drug addiction means he has walked in the shoes of a troubled life. His truths are his own and paint pictures of lives that everyone can imagine. Whether it’s the tale of a troubled young man in “Liquor Boy,” the aching regret of lost love in “Olivia,” or the open-road spirit of “Soundbox,” his music captures the deep emotional bonds that tie us to our pasts, our loves, and our losses.

Brendan Cleary’s music is like a warm ray of sunshine on a cold day; comforting, familiar, and brimming with soul. Sharing stories and songs that have shaped his life, he is opening his heart to America’s Northeast and making the darkest of days bright and clear.

Brendan has had the honor of appearing regularly on the legendary Tom Rush’s “Rockport Sundays” weekly podcast. Brendan’s songs have also earned him a place as a finalist in the NH Music Collective Singer Songwriter Competition 2024.

Reservations

Table and blanket reservations are non-refundable, but can be transferred to another available date in the 2025 season.

Please Note: General Admission Donations do not include reserved seating. This is a way to make your gate donation in advance.

Table reservations seat four. 

Blanket reservations are placed in the blankets-only area of lawn and do not allow for chair placement. Blankets are roughly 5′ x 5′, comfortably fitting 2 adults and 1 child. 

See you in the park!