The Everly Brothers combined their two voices for a distinctive harmony that was wrapped around some of the finest songs of the early rock era. Now audiences can relive that sound with Forever Everly: A Tribute to the Great Duets Made Famous by The Everly Brothers. Crossings brings the performance to the State Theatre.

A major influence on the Beatles and virtually every vocal act that followed, the Everlys were also able to cross genres and had both pop and country hits.

This joyous performance features a full band and six wonderful vocalists – including Mary Jane Alm, Matt Velline, Boyd and Aimee Lee, and brothers Paul and Tim Frantzich – all taking turns pairing up to interpret the rich and varied musical catalog of the legendary duo. All told, there are 11 performers on stage for this concert.

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The Shaun Johnson Big Band Experience is the only group taking big band music, fusing it with modern day mixes of all genres, and making the act of giving “cool.”

The performance was created for intelligent music lovers worldwide who wish to be a part of an electric musical experience accomplishing the unexpected: reaching out in an era of people typically looking out for “number one.”

The Big Band Experience creates more than music. They create feelings. Experiences. The kind people remember as, “that unbelievable night out.” Wanna levitate off your chair with the pulse of pop? Done. Just don’t ask that they hold back the edge because that is what makes the Big Band Experience who they are. Big band was born out of rebellion, and the BBE owes it to Sinatra to keep that evolution alive. Suits. Edge. Energy. Contemporary songs with big band punch.

Shaun Johnson is an Emmy-winning singer/songwriter who seemed destined for a life of music from the very beginning. Originally from the small town of Saint Joseph, Iowa, Johnson attended Saint John’s University before settling in Saint Cloud, where he began his career with the nationally known vocal group, Tonic Sol-fa. This quartet has sold nearly two million albums independently and has been featured in Newsweek and on the Today Show. Johnson is still an active member.

Wanting to bring an innovative big band experience to the audience, Johnson put together a group featuring some of the best instrumentalists and arrangers in the Midwest – guys who’ve toured with such luminaries as Aretha Franklin and Johnny Mathis, who are Music Educators of the Year and who are integral members of collegiate jazz faculties. His vision was to create a contemporary big band sound with a pop flair, honoring legends like Frank Sinatra, with a nod to Michael Bublé, while giving the music his own twist – performing songs ranging from the “Spiderman Theme” to originals from U.S. songwriters.

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Polkas. Schottisches, Waltzes and Hymns- Something for everybody! The repertoire of Ameriikan Poijat is derived directly from original hand manuscript sources to be found among Finnish bands and archives. Waltzes, schottisches, polkas, mazurkas, polonaises, and other social dances are well represented in the old books. Distinctly Finnish dances included are the jenkka, humppa, and the Finnish version of “tango.” As a part of the amateur brass band movement in Finland, such prominent composers as Sibelius and Madetoja contributed concert repertoire, and numerous transcriptions were made of standard orchestral music. Many of the concert pieces for brass septet were commissioned to be performed at large national music festivals. During the past decade, when the Finnish septet has been enjoying a revival, modern Finnish composers and arrangers have contributed many new works to the septet.

Although Finnish brass septet music bears the shadows of Russian, Swedish, and German influences, its Finnish sound is unmistakable. Through contact with septet players in Finland, we realize that our playing style may differ a bit from native performers, but their enthusiasm for our renditions has been gratifying. We play with a “foreign accent.” The more we interact with our Finnish musical colleagues, the more authentic we sound! The septet repertoire is colorful, well crafted, full of history, and a very satisfying medium for learning about an ethnic and musical heritage.

Tickets $10 Ticket link

Website: http://ameriikanpoijat.org/

Crossings presents:

Memphis and the Meantimes with Mick Sterling celebrates the music from Sun Records and the Grand Ole Opry; music that changed the world. This special night of classic country and rock and roll will also feature special guest Bobby Vandell, performing several selections from his upcoming show “Sing Me Back Home,” honoring the genius of Merle Haggard.

Mick Sterling Presents Memphis and the Meantimes is an unabashed love-fest of the songs and artists that were the building blocks of all popular music today. The legendary performers and songwriters of the Grand Ole Opry and Sun Records – including Elvis, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, George Jones and Johnny Cash – will be honored by a stellar lineup of singers including Cate Fierro, Shalo Lee and Mick Sterling performing classics including “Blue Bayou,” “Will the Circle Be Unbroken?” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Jackson,” and many more influential classics.

To spice the night even hotter, Vandell will pay tribute to Haggard, who is known for hits like “Okie from Muskogee,” “The Fightin’ Side of Me,” and “I Wonder if They Think of Me.” With his band the Strangers, he helped create the Fender Telecaster-twang of the Bakersfield sound.

Haggard, who died in April, had 38 singles hit number one on U.S. country charts between the 1960s and ’80s.

This is not new country – this is the stuff new country can only dream of being. For fans of the classics of these genres, this will be a beautiful night.

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Meat Loaf’s music comes to life in a performance with a 17-member band led by Grant Haake.

“Bat Out of Hell” is an album that struck a nerve with listeners when it was released in 1977. It is one of the best-selling albums in the history of recorded music, having sold over 30 million copies worldwide, according to Wikipedia. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 343 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2003.

This tribute begins with performances of some of Meat Loaf’s most popular songs not on that album. Then the band – which includes a string quartet, horns and backup singers – performs “Bat Out of Hell” in its entirety.

Audiences will hear songs such as “Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad,” and “Paradise by the Dashboard Light.”

See Crossings web site for more information and tickets