Meredith Fierke & The McKinstrys to Perform in Concert at Carleton College Weitz Center for Creativity

Acclaimed musical ensemble Meredith Fierke & The McKinstrys will present a free public performance in the Carleton College Weitz Center for Creativity Theater on Sunday, Nov. 13 from 7 to 8:30 p.m.

If opposites attract, the music of Meredith & The McKinstrys is the atomic collider where they smash together, and once familiar elements are fused into astonishing substances. Soaring vocal melodies, reminiscent of 19th century art music, are conjoined with brilliant counterpoint and the "glass scraping on metal-edge" soundscape of the industrial world; a unique aesthetic Meredith describes as "dirty-pretty." Dylan McKinstry (mandola, banjo) plays his instruments with all the convention of a housewife wielding a machete, ranging from soft, subtle plucks of the strings to turbulent bowed musical phrases. Steve McKinstry (Hammond organ) crafts an undercurrent of gorgeous, often unsettling, textures weaving in and out of conversation with Meredith's vocals. Insightful poetry, stunning melodic lines and beautiful sonorities combine to forge a theatrical and unforgettable performance.

Currently in the process of recording her second album, Fierek's first release, "The Procession" (2008), garnered much critical acclaim. A live studio performance of "Train's Song," inspired by the sound of the train rolling through Northfield, was featured on the Cities 97 Sampler Volume 21 (2009). Fierke and her band have performed at numerous Twin Cities venues and at SXSW in Austin, Texas, in 2010. For more information, visit online at www.meredithfierke.com.

This event, sponsored by the Carleton College Department of Cinema and Media Studies and the Weitz Center for Creativity, is free and open to the public. The Weitz Center for Creativity is located at 620 N. Third Street in Northfield. For more information, including disability accommodations, please call (507) 222-4192.