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  • Austin Musician Suzanna Choffel will perform at Friday’s concert on the porch of the Wofford House. Courtesy photo

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September 2, 2010

Famed Austin musician to appear on Wofford House porch

Robby Robertson The Athens Review

Athens — The East Texas Arboretum has scheduled a concert for Friday night on the porch of the Wofford House with Austin Musician Suzanna Choffel.

The show is scheduled for 8 p.m. A VIP party is set for 6 p.m.

“We are trying to bring some culture to the city with this great music from Austin,” organizer Michael Lenz said. “There is a lot a great music that comes out of Austin and other places, and we would like to bring some of it to Athens.”

The concert is a fundraiser for the Arboretum. Tickets are $15 for adults and $5 for students, and kids six and under are free. The concert is BYOB. Coolers are welcome.

For music lovers who want a more intimate setting, the VIP session at 6 p.m. just might be for them. VIP tickets are $50, and includes a pre-show from Choffel. Lenz said also included are some drinks and a meet-and-greet with the artist.

“I really would like people to realize how big of an artist Suzanna is,” Lenz said. “She was voted the Best Indie Band of 2010 by the Austin Music Awards. She usually doesn’t come to smaller towns. I really think people will love her music and her style.”

A native of Austin, Choffel combines her poetic lyrics and sweet smoky voice with funky urban rhythms to create a fresh and unique sound.

In March 2009, the “Best Indie Band” prize was awarded to her  at the Austin Music Awards-SXSW 2009, and in April, 2009, she won second place in the “AAA” category of the prestigious International Songwriting Competition.

She uses her guitar to create staccato rhythms underneath her dazzling soulful vocal melodies, all backed by a pulsing band with unique instrumentation.

Her music has been described as “indie pop with urban beats”, and “jazz-infused soul pop” with comparisons ranging from Feist to Nelly Furtado to Norah Jones to KT Tunstall.

Since the 2006 release of her debut album, Shudders & Rings, she has been finding her name atop many a music reporter’s list as “one worth watching.”

During the past three years, Choffel has been touring regionally and nationally, playing noteworthy festivals such as CMJ Fest in 2008 and Voodoo Fest in 2009.

Choffel is currently wrapping up production (with Danny Reisch) on her second album, Steady Eye Shaky Bow, which will be released later this year.

Lenz said he hopes the Arboretum will be able to have several concerts a year, at least one in the fall and spring and possibly summer.

“The Arboretum is a great venue for people to come out to and relax and enjoy music,” Lenz said. “We want people to realize what we have here in this great place, and come out and support it. The great thing is we are having this on the first Friday of the month. People who come to Canton could come over, and enjoy a great night of music, and hopefully people from other surrounding areas will see how great this is.”

For more information, or to get tickets, call the Arboretum at 903-675-5630.

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