Acoustic Harvest presents Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman on Saturday, May 17.
The New Jersey-born Savoca was singing almost as early as she could form words, starting piano lessons at age eight and picking up her first guitar at 13. She attended Syracuse University, where she met Heitzman, who was on a visit to his hometown. He had been touring as a guitarist, playing in clubs since his teens, but after seeing Savoca sing, he joined her band the next day.
For seven years the duo played to a packed house every Monday just off campus, developing their unique hybrid of soul, r&b, roots and world music.
The chemistry they forged during that time, both with each other and their audience, has carried over to present day, as they connect with crowds of all sizes, creating the feel of a full band despite performing as a drums/guitar duo.
Savoca and Heitzman have released eight albums together. The latest, Promise, was recorded in their 19th century church studio in upstate New York.
Karen Savoca and Pete Heitzman perform as part of Acoustic Harvest at Robinson Hall, St. Nicholas Anglican Church, 1512 Kingston Road, just east of Warden Avenue. Tickets are $22 in advance through acousticharvest.ca, or $25 at the door. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.
For more on the duo and their music, visit karensavoca.com.
Beach guitarist, composer and poet Mark Battenberg will be reading selections from his latest book of poetry titled The Tower, a tale of love on Sunday, May 18 at Kingston Road United Church, 975 Kingston Rd., in the library. He will also perform several guitar pieces. The event gets underway at 1 p.m. There is no admission charge, but donations will be accepted for the church.
Morgan’s Jazzy Sundays continue at Morgan’s on the Danforth, 1282 Danforth Ave., east of the Greenwood subway station.
On Sunday, May 18, Vivia Kay Kieswetter and Mark Kieswetter perform, while Lisa Particelli brings a daytime version of her Girls’ Night Out East Jam (“where gentlemen are welcome too”) to the stage on Sunday, May 25.
Jazzy Sundays run from 2 to 5 p.m. For more information, visit morgansonthedanforth.com.
Students and staff at Neil McNeil are mounting a production of the classic comedy The Odd Couple.
The story follows two very different friends as they mirror their broken marriages as roommates. The play is directed by teacher Lesley Anderson.
The Odd Couple will run on Thursday, May 29 at the school with a curtain time of 7 p.m. Tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for students and seniors. The Odd Couple is a fragrance-free event.
Matthew Bailey will perform as part of the Gerrard Art Space Sunday afternoon concert series.
Bailey has been playing around town for six years, as a guitarist for a number of acts including Justin Rutledge, Sam Cash, Kirty and Ivy Mairi, and has contributed songs to The Long Haul, Kirty, Ivy Mairi and Joshua Cockerill.
His songs are said to speak beyond his years, despite his firsthand accounts of the trials of youth and “the complexities of the human heart.”
Bailey’s performance starts at 3:30 at Gerrard Art Space, 1390 Gerrard St. E., between Coxwell and Greenwood. Admission is pay what you can. To hear some of his tunes, visit matthewbailey.bandcamp.com.
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