Society Hall  "where community celebrates!"

Society Hall is thrilled to welcome globetrotting British folksinger Rupert Wates back to the stage on Saturday, January 10th at 7:00 PM. Doors will open at 6:00. The concert will also stream live on the Society Hall Facebook page and You-Tube channel. Tickets are $20 and are available at the link below or at the Green Spot, at 711 State Ave in Alamosa.

We were honored to host Rupert a couple of years back, and are so glad that he is coming back to the San Luis Valley and Society Hall! From his website - “Multi award winning singer-songwriter Wates combines unforgettable songs with virtuoso guitar playing. His music is the fruit of twenty years at the top of his profession. Folk tinged, with flavors of jazz and even classical, it bears the impression of his English roots as well as his years in New York City and on the road in America. By turns witty, erudite and moving, his songs will go straight to your heart.” Here are a few other things that folks have said about his shows - 'How can anyone play guitar like that?' (Musicians Corner HC MN) 'Unbelievable experience with Mr Rupert Wates' (Charlie Boy HC CA) 'Our audiences are always blown away' (Empty Nest HC NJ).

Rupert Wates was born in London and studied at Oxford University. In the late 1990's, he signed a publishing deal with Eaton Music and worked for several years as their house songwriter. He moved to Paris in 2001, formed his own quartet and performed regularly in the city's clubs. He came to the US in fall 2006. Since then he has received more than fifty songwriting and performing awards. He has been a Finalist in the Kerrville New Folk Song Contest, and an Emerging Artist at Falconridge Folk Festival (full list of awards at www.rupertwatesmusic.com/awards). He has recorded and released 9 CDs (available at www.rupertwatesmusic.com/buy-music). All have received outstanding reviews in the online press and have been played on radio stations in America, Canada, The Netherlands, Germany, Greece, Israel and Australia. Rupert's songs have been covered plentifully by other performers in the UK, Canada, and the USA (see www.rupertwatesmusic.com/covers). In 2015-17 alone, 25 of his songs were recorded by other artists, including two full length CDs: 'Crazy Puzzle' (August 2015) by Nashville-based performer Roxie Rogers, and 'Wide Open Heart' (July 2017) by Los Angeles vocalist Susan Kohler. These two CDs comprise exclusively songs chosen from Rupert Wates' catalog. They were initiated and funded entirely by the artists themselves, and may fairly be described as tribute albums to his songwriting.

In addition to writing and recording, Wates plays over 120 live shows a year in venues all over America, in Canada and in Europe, and has appeared regularly on radio and TV. He prefers smaller, more intimate spaces, where the audience is up close, where true musicianship counts, and where real emotion can't be faked.

Society Hall is excited to welcome the legendary Alamosa band Tumbleweed for a special reunion show on Saturday, January 17th! Tumbleweed first formed in the fall of 1973, and for many years (and through many member changes) was one of the most popular country-rock bands in the region, attracting legions of devoted fans. The concert will also stream live on the Society Hall Facebook page and You-Tube channel. Tickets are $20.00 and are available at the link below or at the Green Spot, at 711 State Ave in Alamosa.

Tumbleweed originally formed in the fall of 1973 to be the house band at the newly opened location of the Goalpost night club in Alamosa, Colorado. Although there were no plans for any sort of long-term endeavor, the band quickly started collecting legions of fans and realized there was something going on worth sharing and continuing. The band started branching out and over the years began touring extensively in their native region of Colorado and New Mexico. Tumbleweed always seemed to feel most at home in the mountain resort areas and became regulars at such well-known clubs as the Old Dillon Inn in Silverthorne, Colorado and many other high country clubs.

The band's music was always characterized by wide-ranging variety, eclectic selection, and intricate and challenging arrangements. Although usually thought of as a country band, Tumbleweed played (and plays) material from rock to blues to reggae to bluegrass to old hippie anthems and pretty much whatever they feel like. With several active songwriters in the band, there was always a mix or original and cover material happening. It was always an interesting night, and no one (least of all the band) was ever sure what was going to happen.

The band stopped playing regularly in 1990, but has continued to get together once or twice a year for special engagements, mainly because, as band member Don Richmond says, “It was just too much fun to stop!”

Tumbleweed is a 5-piece powerhouse of a band, with a wide range of instruments including acoustic and electric guitars (often 3 lead guitar players) bass, drums, pedal steels (2 onstage) mandolin, accordion, fiddle, banjo, harmonica, trumpet, and even a clarinet making an occasional appearance.

Numerous different musicians moved through the ranks of Tumbleweed over the years, with the current lineup being Don Richmond on guitars, fiddle, banjo, pedal steel, harmonica, trumpet and vocals, Rob “Robear” Bosdorf on guitar, pedal steel and vocals (and clarinet if he's feeling brave), Dale Smith on cajon and vocals, Roger Dawson on bass and vocals, and Scott Russell on guitar, mandolin, accordion and vocals.

And you still never quite know what's going to happen! But it will be fun!