Toledo Lucas County Public Library welcome s all to our new series\, Live at the Library\, a concert series featuring musical talent as they tour the country. \;
\nWe are excited to welcome\, social-justice songwriter\, Crys Matthews!
\nAlready being hailed as &ldquo\;the next W oody Guthrie\,&rdquo\; Nashville resident Crys Matthews is among the brigh test stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. A powerfu l lyricist whose songs of compassionate dissent reflect her lived experien ce as what she lightheartedly calls "the poster child for intersectionalit y\," Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation called Matthews&rsquo\;s gift " a reminder of what beauty can occur when we bridge those divides." She is made for these times and\, with the release of her new\, hope-fueled\, lov e-filled social justice album Changemakers\, Matthews hopes to take her pl ace alongside some of her heroes in the world of social-justice music like Sweet Honey in the Rock and Holly Near. Of Matthews\, ASCAP VP &\; Cre ative Director Eric Philbrook says\, &ldquo\;By wrapping honest emotions a round her socially conscious messages and dynamically delivering them with a warm heart and a strong voice\, she lifts our spirits just when we need it most in these troubled times.&rdquo\;
\nMatthews began performin g in 2010 but cemented her acclaim at Lincoln Center as the 2017 NewSong M usic and Performance Competition grand prize winner. That year she also re leased two new projects &mdash\; her album of thoughtful songs on love and life called The Imagineers\, and her EP called Battle Hymn for an Army of Lovers\, which tackles social justice themes. Matthews also won the Peopl e&rsquo\;s Music Network&rsquo\;s Social Justice Songs contest at the Nort heast Regional Folk Alliance. Loyal fans quickly followed as Matthews rack ed up performances at large music festivals and prestigious venues across the country including the Sundance Film Festival\, Kerrville Folk Festival \, and locally at venues like The Birchmere\, The Hamilton\, Millennium St age at the Kennedy Center\, and Jammin' Java. In her TedTalk about difficu lt conversations called "Sing\, Don't Shout &mdash\; An Alternative Approa ch" Matthews spoke about being born and raised in a small town in southeas tern North Carolina by an A.M.E. preacher\, and how she witnessed the powe r of music from an early age. A former drum major and classically trained clarinetist turned folk singer\, Matthews is using her voice to answer Dr. Martin Luther King's call to be "a drum major for justice."
\n&ldqu o\;I believe in hope\,&rdquo\; Matthews said. &ldquo\;As a social-justice songwriter\, it is my duty to keep breathing that hope and encouragement i nto the people who listen to my music.&rdquo\; And\, from the title track to the last track\, Changemakers does just that all while tackling some he avy topics like immigration\, the opioid crisis\, Black Lives Matter\, and gun safety to name a few. &ldquo\;Ani DiFranco said\, &ldquo\;People used to make records as in a record of an event\,"&rdquo\; said Matthews\, &ld quo\;so I hope that these songs will serve as a time capsule\, a record of the events of the last four years and what it was like to live through th em.&rdquo\; Crys Matthews's thoughtful\, realistic\, and emotional songs s peak to the voice of our generation and remind us why music indeed soothes the soul.
\n\nA light fare will be available through purchase or donations made to SAME Café\;.
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