Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Event Details

JBM Promotions Presents
Ellis Paul with Sadie Gustafson-Zook
Fri Apr, 25 @ 8:00 PM (Doors: 7:30 pm )
The Southgate House Revival - Revival Room , 111 E Sixth Street , Newport, KY
Ages 18 and up
event-img
$27 adv / $30 dos On Sale 1/17

An astute storyteller, poetic and literate, with a stellar stage presence…

Ellis Paul is one of those gifted singer/songwriters. Though some may refer to him as a folk singer, he is more, for lack of a better word, a singular storyteller, a musician whose words reach out from inside and yet also express the feelings, thoughts and sensibilities that most people can relate to in one way or another, regardless of age or upbringing. The exhilaration of the open road. A celebration of heroes. The hope for redemption. Descriptions of those things that are both near and dear. The sharing of love…, intimate, passionate and enduring.

Opening the show will be singer-songwriter Sadie,Gustafson-Zook

Every time Sadie Gustafson-Zook carves a linoleum block, sews a pencil case out of scraps, or admires the way the ink in her Pilot G-2 glides over her journal, she thinks, “I should be doing this all the time.” The act of creating something tangible is the air Sadie breathes. Her songwriting is the same- weaving an internal dialogue, the stories she tells herself, warm melodies and clever chords into something real, something she can physically feel with her hands and her throat. And chances are that you’ll be able to feel them too.

Sadie’s songs have been endorsed by some of the most respected songwriting contests in the country, winning Kerrville Folk Festival’s 2022 New Folk Contest (as well as placing as a finalist in 2020), earning second place at the Rocky Mountain Folk Fest’s Songwriter Showcase, and winning first place at the NewSong + LEAF Songwriting Contest. Sadie has been featured on the Basic Folk podcast and on Folk Alley. 

On Sadie’s May 2024 album “Where I Wanna Be,” she takes the listener along on an intimate journey as Sadie decides where to call home. Recorded on an 8-track reel to reel, this stripped-down album isn’t hiding behind anything. Over the course of 10 delightful tracks the listener gains insights into Sadie’s middle school crushes on gay boys, a desire to call the weatherman to ask for some guidance, and the nerve-wracking experience of meeting your idols and feeling small.  Throughout the album Sadie’s agile vocals and intricate guitar playing shine while her thoughtful lyrics capture the immensity of potential and the complexity of history that emerge during times of life transition.

Following closely on the heels of “Where I Wanna Be” is Sadie’s fall 2024 EP entitled “What I Pushed Below,” out November 13th, 2024.

 
 

Ellis Paul

Ellis Paul doesn’t just write songs; he’s a guitar-carrying reporter who covers the human condition
and details the hopes, loves, losses of those he observes, turning their stories into luminous pieces of
music that get under your skin and into your bloodstream. And much like the artists who have influenced
him, everyone from Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon to the singer-songwriter who is undoubtedly
his greatest inspiration, Woody Guthrie, Paul weaves deeply personal experiences with social issues and
renders them as provocative works that are as timely as they are timeless. Born and raised in Maine, Paul
attended Boston College on a track scholarship and in the evenings became a fixture on the city’s open
mic circuit. After winning a Boston Acoustic Underground songwriter competition, he caught the ear of
folk luminary Bill Morrissey, who produced his indie album Say Something in 1993. This led to a seven-
album contract with Rounder Records and the 1994 album, Stories.

His songs have appeared in several blockbuster films (Me, Myself, and Irene; Shallow Hal, Hall Pass) and
have been covered by award winning country artists (Sugarland, Kristian Bush, Jack Ingram). Through a
steady succession of albums of his own – a remarkable 23 releases so far – and a constant touring
presence around the world, Paul’s audience has grown into a loyal legion of fans. Along the way, he has
picked up an impressive number of awards including the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Award, 15 Boston
Music Awards, An Honorary Doctorate from the University of Maine, the 2019 International Acoustic
Music Awards Artist of the Year and most recently his album, The Storyteller’s Suitcase, was named the
2019 NERFA Album of the Year.

His new album “55” touches on the necessity of gratitude in a difficult era of the pandemic and divided
political stances on his own imprint, Rosella Records.



 

Sadie Gustafson-Zook