Sharon Knight
San Francisco songstress Sharon Knight is a Celtic folk singer in leather armbands. She plays octave mandolin as if it were an electric guitar and sings as though she means to summon a storm. Accompanied by longtime collaborator Winter, they craft a sound both ethereal and fierce, combining gutsy bravado with delicate beauty, adding a hearty dose of fantastical lyrics and an obvious love of storytelling in a Celtic-inspired style they call “Neofolk Romantique”. This often sounds less Celtic and more “Folktales that ran away with the Faeries at the turn of the century and took cover in an old trunk bound for the circus, which was then commandeered by pirates.” This suits them fine.
Sharon’s distinctive voice and striking poetry have won her a loyal following across the country. She and Winter tour internationally several months out of the year, performing at festivals, masquerades, conventions, cafes, shops and house concerts. They have performed main stages at Faerieworlds (OR), Sherwood Faire Celtic Music Festival (TX), New York Faerie Festival, as well as numerous smaller Celtic and mythic/fantasy festivals across North America.
2016 sees Sharon and Winter touring on behalf of their recent release, Portals, envisioned as an otherworldly traveling carnival, where each performer wields a magic capable of opening windows to the realms of myth and dream. Portals features guest performances by several mythic music favorites such as SJ Tucker, Heather Dale, Wendy Rule, Sonja Drakulich (Faun, Stellamara), Nathaniel Johnstone (Abney Park), Tim Rayborn, Caith Threefires (Tempest, Pandemonaeon), and many more. Portals also takes a step toward Americana/roots rock by showcasing Winter’s bluesy guitar chops more prominently.
The music of Sharon Knight combines a love of antiquity and romance with an affinity for the haunting and melancholy, adds a hearty dash of feistiness, and reminds us that we can all see the world through the eyes of enchantment.
Friday, July 14, 2017 9 pm @the Stage
