LIVE MUSIC
Lone Howl with Ol' Moose
8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7
$5
Doors and Varsity Bar at 7
Join Lone Howl with Ol’ Moose for a concert in the Big Room.
Ol’ Moose, otherwise known as Doug Anderson, returns to perform occasionally in Southern Illinois, where he taught philosophy at SIU for nearly a decade and played solo and in bands that included Bone Dry River Band and Transcendental Cowboys. After spending the last several years in Texas playing solo gigs and with the Merry J. Pranksters trio, Anderson has made his way north to Weston, Connecticut, where he is getting back to his New England roots and settling into the music scene there. He performs a blend of folk, blues and country.
Musician Chris Brown founded Lone Howl in early 2017 to showcase his original songwriting and performing solo or with an occasional guest or group. In the summer of that year, Brown was joined by Kegan Doty on drums, Marshall Anderson – son of Ol’ Moose – on guitar, and Jonny Coller on bass. Keyboardist Mike Arthur joined in early 2018; sax player Robb Smith came on board in 2019; and Nashville base fiddle player Becca Perry also joins the gang in studio and on stage.
Lone Howl play various styles of rock, folk, blues and funk. They have shared the stage with some of region’s most talented artists as well as international touring musicians such as Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band and Amy Helm. Lone Howl has written and recorded one full-length, self-titled album, and a one-off single, “My Way Home.”
Members of Lone Howl are excited to return to the Varsity to perform with Ol’ Moose. The last time Lone Howl played the Varsity was on the Big Room stage in November 2018 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the legendary concert, The Last Waltz by The Band, to a packed house. They were joined by Ol’ Moose and multiple guests for that concert.
Catch Lone Howl with Ol’ Moose on Thursday, Nov. 7. The show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are only $5 and are available in advance at Eventbrite. (See Link below) Tickets are not available in advance at but can be purchased on the night of the show when doors and the Varsity Bar open at 7:30.
Classical Guitar: Christopher Allen
7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 16
$14 adv / $16 at the door
$8 for students with ID
Children 10 and younger admitted free
The 2019-20 Southern Illinois Classical Guitar Series continues at the Varsity. This is the second year for the series at the downtown performance venue. The series is presented by First Southern Bank and co-produced by the Varsity and SI Classical Guitar.
Second up in the series is Christopher Allen on Nov. 16. Allen’s playing is described as “powerful but sublime, a step away from explosive, a power to be reckoned with.” He plays classical guitar, Flamenco guitar, medieval and Baroque lute, jazz guitar, country mandolin, and the Oud (an ancient Moorish pre-guitar).
Allen’s undergraduate and master degrees are from SIU, where he studied under Joseph Breznikar, professor of guitar studies for many years at the university. Allen then studied with Rene Esquierdo at the University of Wisconsin, where he earned a doctorate in guitar performance. Post-graduate master classes included those with Carlos Barbosa-Lime, Ben Verdeny, Ana Vidovic and other great teaching concert artists.
Allen brings a visible enthusiasm for his chosen instruments, particularly his love of classical guitar, which shines through in his exciting performances. His colorful stories add to each program an element of information that lets the listener into the nuances of the piece, the composer or the artistic experience. Chris founded and is president of the Madison Classical Guitar Society in Madison, Wisconsin, where he also teaches at Madison College and the Monroe Street Arts School.
The performance begins at 7 p.m., and doors and the Varsity Bar open at 6:30.
Tickets are $14 in advance or $16 at the door for adults, $8 for students with ID, and children 10 and younger are admitted at no charge.
Tickets are available in advance at www.thevarsitycenter.eventbrite.com. Tickets are not available in advance at the venue but will be available when doors open on the night of the performance.
Classical Guitar: Hector Torres
7 p.m. Saturday, March 7
$14 adv / $16 at the door
$8 for students with ID
Children 10 and younger admitted free
The 2019-20 Southern Illinois Classical Guitar Series continues at the Varsity. This is the second year for the series at the downtown performance venue. The series is presented by First Southern Bank and co-produced by the Varsity and SI Classical Guitar.
Third in the series is Hector Alonso Torres, guitarist, lutenist and Theorbo player who will perform on March 7.
Hailing from Puerto Rica and now completing his doctoral studies in performance guitar at the University of North Texas, Denton, Hector’s musical presentation is a complex mix of island rhythms, Spanish sounds and the contrapuntal music of the Baroque, of which he is a master interpreter. Multi-talented when it comes to the variety of guitar and guitar like instruments, Hector plays classical guitar, medieval lute and the Theorbo (a lute like instrument with a 5-foot-long fingerboard and five octaves).
Hector has performed around the world, including a recent tour of China playing both as a soloist and with his trio, the Trio Resonance. He also teaches, and performs at festivals around the world. He has received many top prizes in guitar competitions both in the U.S. and abroad. He is president of the North Texas Guitar Consortium.
The performance begins at 7 p.m., and doors and the Varsity Bar open at 6:30.
Tickets are $14 in advance or $16 at the door for adults, $8 for students with ID, and children 10 and younger are admitted at no charge.
Tickets are available in advance at www.thevarsitycenter.eventbrite.com. Tickets are not available in advance at the venue but will be available when doors open on the night of each performance.
Classical Guitar: Kirk Hanser
7 p.m. Saturday, April 4
$14 adv / $16 at the door
$8 for students with ID
Children 10 and younger admitted free
The 2019-20 Southern Illinois Classical Guitar Series offers its last performance of the season. This is the second year for the series at the downtown performance venue. The series is presented by First Southern Bank and co-produced by the Varsity and SI Classical Guitar.
Kirk Hanser will take the stage on April 4. Hanser is one of the world’s most versatile guitar players, excelling in virtually every type and style of guitar. He is most known for his classical solo concerts, his duet pieces as a part of the Hanser-McCellan Duo, and for his fingerstyle interpretations in the style and technique of Chet Atkins.
Hanser will present a multi-media music and visual program that will transport the listener around the world. And the award-winning youth classical guitar ensemble, Bella Corda, instructed by Kirk, will perform the pre-show for the event.
Hanser is the on-call guitarist for the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, the MUNY and the St. Louis Opera. He also is on the faculty at several colleges and universities, including the Paris Conservatory in Paris, France. He is director of the St. Louis Guitar Academy and the Childbloom Guitar Program for St. Louis, in addition to his very active concert and gig calendar in the Midwest and internationally.
The performance begins at 7 p.m., and doors and the Varsity Bar open at 6:30.
Tickets are $14 in advance or $16 at the door for adults, $8 for students with ID, and children 10 and younger are admitted at no charge.
Tickets are available in advance at www.thevarsitycenter.eventbrite.com. Tickets are not available in advance at the venue but will be available when doors open on the night of each performance.