It’s time to break out the birthday candles and pour the champagne: Mavis Staples is turning 80! Although her birthday isn’t until July 10, she’s throwing an early celebration fit for a queen. On May 9th at the legendary Apollo Theater, Staples will headline a star-studded show filled to the brim with plenty of special guests. Tickets are going fast, but start at $47 for upper mezzanine seats and go up to $77 for a seat in the orchestra section. This show for all ages starts at 8:00pm sharp, so be sure to get there when doors open at 7:00pm so you don’t miss a thing.
The Apollo Theater is definitely a fitting location to celebrate Ms. Staples, as she is very much a legend in her own right. As an inductee into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1999) and the Blues Hall of Fame (2017), she spent the majority of her life moving people across the globe with her powerful gospel music. Performing with her father and three siblings as the Staple Singers, the group became one of the most prominent musical forces of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s. Since then, she has continued her own work solo, most recently collaborating with artists such as Arcade Fire, Gorillaz, and Hozier. Her sixteenth (!) album, titled If All I Was Was Black, was released in November 2017.
As if seeing Mavis Staples perform wasn’t enough, this show will include a flurry of special guests, including performer and bandleader Jon Batiste, iconic jazz singer/songwriter Norah Jones, and folk/blues/soul supergroup Lake Street Dive – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Grab your tickets NOW, I’m telling you – there’s no way you’ll want to miss this.
Newport Folk Presents
Mavis Staples & Friends
with Jon Batiste, The Lone Bellow, Lake Street Dive, Norah Jones & more
Thursday, May 9, 2019
Doors: 7:00pm
Show: 8:00pm
$47 Upper Mezzanine / $77 Orchestra
All ages
Apollo Theater
253 W 125th St
New York, NY 10027
Purchase tickets here.
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