Natalie Merchant, former lead vocalist of the folk-rock band 10,000 Maniacs, brings her Keep Your Courage tour to Stifel Theatre in a one-night-only collaboration with the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra on June 22. Experience her unique, lush sound with beloved hits and selections from her new album performed live with your SLSO.
About the artist:
Over her 40-year career, Merchant has attained a place among America’s most respected recording artists. She has earned a reputation for being a songwriter of quality and a captivating stage performer and has distinguished herself as a social justice and environmental activist. Merchant began her musical career as the lead vocalist and lyricist of the pop music band 10,000 Maniacs and has since released nine solo albums. Merchant left the group in 1994 and has released nine albums as a solo artist with combined sales of seven million copies. Keep Your Courage, her ninth solo studio album and first of new material since 2014, is being released this spring. Merchant writes in her album’s liner notes, “The songs contained within this album were written and recorded during the global pandemic that began in the winter of 2019. But this is not an album about the coronavirus or the chaos it caused. For the most part, this is an album about the human heart. The word ‘courage’ has its root in the Latin word for heart, cor, and we see it over and over in many languages: le coeur, il cuore, o coração, el corazón. This is a song cycle that maps the journey of a courageous heart.”
A variety of subscription packages for the SLSO season are available and can be purchased by visiting slso.org/season or calling the SLSO box office at (314) 534-1700.