Shared concert at Unity Hall with Sloan Wainwright, Cosy Sheridan: How to get tickets

I had a friend I grew up with who had a pretty unique outlook on life; his favorite philosophy was “too much of a good thing is good.”

He would love the season-opening show at Unity Hall.

On Saturday, April 29 at 8 p.m. Unity Hall will present not one, but two nationally-recognized singer/songwriters, Sloan Wainwright and Cosy Sheridan, in a special shared concert.

If the name “Wainwright” sounds familiar, that’s to be expected. To music fans, the Wainwright family is iconic, encompassing Sloan’s brother Loudon, her nephew Rufus, sister-in-law Kate McGarrigle, and nieces Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche. But don’t get the idea Sloan is riding anyone else’s coattails; She has charted an artistic path all her own, combining her warm and welcoming contralto voice with a command of a variety of American musical styles including pop, folk, jazz and blues, utilizing it all to great effect to create her own unique songwriting style.

“I am a contemporary singer-songwriter who writes songs that investigate themes around love, loss, family, nature and time,” explains Wainwright. “I consider myself an emotional observer.”

Singer-songwriter Cosy Sheridan, who burst onto the national folk scene by winning songwriting contests at both the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival and Telluride Bluegrass Festival, regularly tops the folk radio charts. Sheridan has been on the road since her auspicious debut in the early ‘90s, playing clubs, concert halls (including Carnegie Hall) and coffeehouses across the country. She has made a name for herself with her percussive bluesy guitar style, often in open tunings and occasionally employing two capos on the guitar neck.

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Her 2018 release "My Fence and My Neighbor" landed in the top ten on the Folk DJ chart, and her 2014 CD, "Pretty Bird," was listed in Sing Out Magazines as one of the “Great CDs of 2014."

“When Sloan and I do a show together, we usually each do a few songs alone and then a majority of the evening is more of a band event,” says Cosy. Joining the pair to make up that band will be bass player Charlie Koch and guitarist Steve Murphy.

While both artists are enjoying successful solo careers, their mutual respect and admiration elevates those times when they play together into a special event.

“I thoroughly enjoy sharing shows with other singer-songwriters. It allows for surprises and spontaneity,” notes Wainwright. “And playing ensemble is the best, being awash in harmonies and a chorus of guitars.

“Friendship and connectedness runs deep between us all and we will joyously be playing all together on many of each other’s songs.”

Tickets are $18 in advance and are on sale now through Eventbrite and at the Adirondack Cheese Company, 8190 Route 12 in Barneveld. Tickets on the night of the concert (if available) will be $18 for Unity Hall members and $20 for non-members starting at 7:15 p.m. at the box office.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Sloan Wainwright, Cosy Sheridan take Unity Hall stage: What to know