NISSWA-Pierce Pettis makes his Grassroots Concerts debut at 7:30 p.m. April 7 at the Live Well Nightclub and Coffee Bar in the Journey Church at Nisswa.
After a lifetime of crafting finely wrought, heart-touching songs, singer-songwriter Pettis feels he's finally found his comfort zone. He stated in a news release, "The biggest change has been getting over myself and realizing this is a job and a craft. And the purpose is not fame and fortune .. .but simply doing good work."
"From the time I was very little, I always had the music going in my head," Pettis stated. "Like my own personal soundtrack or something. I also come from a fairly musical family: my mother went to music school and was an excellent organist and pianist. And my sisters all played piano and other instruments.
"In school, I met other kids who wanted to be rock stars, just like me. From the time we were around 10 or so up through high school, we put together various bands-all of them horrible."
Pettis hit the road and became a member of the "Fast Folk" movement in New York in the mid-1980s. He released one independent solo album, "Moments" in 1984 before signing with High Street Records, a division of Windham Hill.
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Pettis was a staff songwriter for PolyGram from 1993-2000 and when his High Street contract ended, Pettis signed to Compass Records where he has released "Making Light of It" in 1996, "Everything Matters" in 1998, "State of Grace" in 2001 and "Great Big World" in 2004. Pettis' songs have been recorded by artists including Susan Ashton, Dar Williams, Garth Brooks and Art Garfunkel.
Admission for general seating at all concerts is $10 at the door for adults and $5 for children under 12 with listening attention, when accompanied by an adult. At all shows, seating is first-come, first-served. Showtime is 7:30 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Grassroots performances are made possible in part by a grant from the Five Wings Arts Council with funding through the Minnesota State Legislature. The series is a nonprofit organization under the Internal Revenue Code.
At each concert your nonperishable food or cash donation to a local food shelf is welcomed by volunteers who will deliver each gift.
For information go to www.grassrootsconcerts.org , visit Grassroots Concerts on Facebook, or call 218-829-4092.
