Friday, February 13, 7:30 pm
Over the course of his thirty-year career, Nolan McKelvey has covered nearly every corner of the country and traversed all roads of Americana. From the pavement of alt-country, to the dusty trails of bluegrass, to the gravel roads of classic-country, to the interstate highway of rock-n-roll.
Joining him for this intimate performance is Jesse Valenzuela, founding member of Gin Blossoms. For more than three decades, Jesse has provided the multi-platinum group with hit songs (“Til I Hear It From You,” “Follow You Down,” “Mrs. Rita”), masterful guitar playing and exquisite harmony singing.
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Members save 10% on tickets!
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Saturday, February 14, 7:30 pm
Mama’s Broke is a powerful duo that deliver a compelling performance with heart and raw energy. Although highly influenced by their Canadian roots, Lisa and Amy are based out of nowhere and everywhere.
Their two strong voices blend to create haunting harmonies, while they artfully juggle fiddle, banjo, guitar and mandolin, and incorporate traditional dance and foot percussion into their performance. Their original -and often dark- compositions push the boundaries of tradition and the constraints of genre. Drawing from old-time, Quebecois, blues, punk, celtic, balkan and doom metal, they create a soundscape that is both familiar and new.
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Members save 10% on tickets!
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Add FORE! Play before each show!
It’s the final two days of FORE! open play, with tee times wrapping up at 5:30 pm on both Friday and Saturday. Golf the gallery, then keep the date night going with incredible live music on both nights!
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Sunday, March 1, 7:30 pm
One of Canada’s finest artists, Bruce Cockburn has enjoyed an illustrious career shaped by politics, spirituality, and musical diversity. The Ottawa-born artist remains deeply respected for his activism on issues from native rights and land mines to the environment and Third World debt, working for organizations such as Oxfam, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, and Friends of the Earth. His remarkable journey has seen him embrace folk, jazz, rock, and worldbeat styles while travelling to such far-flung places as Guatemala, Mali, Mozambique, and Nepal, and writing memorable songs about his ever-expanding world of wonders.
Bruce Cockburn has written more than 400 songs on 35 albums over a career spanning more than 50 years, of which 23 have received gold or platinum certification. His guitar playing, both acoustic and electric, has placed him in the company of the world’s top instrumentalists. He has sold more than nine-million albums worldwide, and has been honoured with 13 JUNO Awards, an induction into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, and he has been made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
His commitment to growth has made Bruce Cockburn both an exemplary citizen and a legendary artist whose prized songbook will be celebrated for many years to come. In 2020 Cockburn celebrated his 50-year anniversary as a recording artist. As his producer-friend Colin Linden says: “Like the great blues players he admires, Bruce just gets better with age.”
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Friday, March 13, 7:30 pm
Chicken Wire Empire is a Wisconsin-based bluegrass band known for their dynamic musicality, thorough arrangements, and true-to-life songwriting. The band emerged in 2016 with their debut self-titled album and have since released a prolific catalogue of studio projects and live performances. Their sixth and latest album, Growing Pains, releases June 1 and is a veritable culmination of the band’s growth through the past decade.
CWE continuously captivates audiences with thoughtful, energetic performances. Their high-level musicality turns up a fresh conversation with each show, like a brainstorm of creative musical substance. Americana Highways writes “These musicians must enjoy what they do because their joy translates through their instruments. The energy, fingering techniques are all proponents that deliver substance with a modicum of joy. There aren’t any low points, missteps, loss of heat in any of these melodies.”
The band has been recognized worldwide for their performances and recorded works, with Americana UK calling their latest album “a variety which transcends genre and rewards careful listening.” Capturing the ever-evolving sights and sounds of the road through the lens of their Midwestern roots, the band’s catalog of songs is ever-growing and CWE continues to be acknowledged for their pensive attention to detail in writing and crafting deeply engaging songs.
Chicken Wire Empire has partnered with dozens of artists from all corners of the bluegrass genre, from Sam Bush and Peter Rowan to Vince Herman and Keller Williams. Their forthcoming album features guest appearances from Grammy-winning artists Jerry Douglas and Kyle Tuttle. The long list of collaborators has lent a lifetime of taste and knowledge to CWE’s musical journey while the band has grown into its identifiably authentic yet original sound.
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Tuesday, March 17, 7:30 pm
Tuvan throat singing (xöömei), a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time.
Alash are masters of Tuvan throat singing (xöömei), a remarkable technique for singing multiple pitches at the same time. What distinguishes this group from earlier generations of Tuvan throat singers is the subtle infusion of modern influences into their traditional music. One can find complex harmonies, western instruments, and contemporary song forms in Alash’s music, but its overall sound and spirit remain decidedly Tuvan.
Trained in traditional Tuvan music since childhood, the Alash musicians studied at Kyzyl Arts College just as Tuva was beginning to open up to the West. They formed a traditional ensemble and won multiple awards for traditional throat singing
in international xöömei competitions, both as an ensemble and as individuals. At the same time, they paid close attention to new trends coming out of the West. They have borrowed newideas that mesh well with the sound and feel of traditional
Tuvan music, but they have never sacrificed the integrity of their own heritage in an effort to make their music more hip.
Alash first toured the U.S. under the sponsorship of the OpenWorld Leadership program of the Library of Congress and the National Endowment for the Arts. Since then they have returned many times, to the delight of American audiences. The Washington Post described their music as “utterly stunning,” quipping that after the performance“audience members picked their jaws up off the floor.”
Alash enjoys collaborating with musicians of all stripes. Since their early partnership with the legendary Sun Ra Arkestra, they have joined forces with musicians across the spectrum—from country to classical to jazz to beatboxing. Alash appeared as guest artists on Béla Fleck & the Flecktones’ Grammy-winning holiday CD Jingle All the Way (2008). They joined Chicago’s innovative Fifth House Ensemble in a groundbreaking concert series called Sonic Meditations, and later were part of a “global jam band” which recorded the soundtrack for the video game The Pathless. Most recently, Bady-Dorzhu Ondar teamed up with beatboxer Shodekeh in a live recording of original Tuvan songs filtered through the creative artistry of hip hop musicians.
Beyond performing, Alash has a passion for teaching and promoting understanding between cultures. Their tours often include workshops in which they introduce Tuvan music to students in primary, middle and high schools, colleges, universities, and music conservatories. Children as young as 8 and 9 have learned to throat-sing. One inspired student exclaimed, “Alash opened my eyes to a whole new world!”
Alash albums: Alash Live at the Enchanted Garden (2006), Alash (2007), Buura (2011), Achai (2015, re-released on Smithsonian Folkways in 2017), Meni Mana (2020), Embodiments by Bady-Dorzhu Ondar with Shodekeh and hip hop artists (2022).
Members of Alash:
Bady-Dorzhu Ondar: vocals, igil, guitar, bayan (accordion). Kyzyl Arts College, East Siberia State Academy of Culture and Art. Best soloist, 2005 All-Russian Festival of traditional ensembles and orchestras. Best in Maxim Dakpai xöömei competition, 2006. Named People’s Xöömeizhi of Tuva, 2007. Grand prize, International Xöömei Symposium, 2008.
Ayan-ool Sam: vocals, doshpuluur, igil, xomus. Republic School of the Arts, Kyzyl Arts College, Moscow State Pedagogical University. First prize, International Xöömei Symposium, 2008. Named People’s Xöömeizhi of Tuva, 2015.
Ayan Shirizhik: vocals, kengirge, shyngyrash, shoor, xomus. Kyzyl Arts College, East Siberia State Academy of Culture and Art. Second prize, International Xöömei Symposium, 2008. Distinguished Artist of Tuva, 2009. Named People’s Xöömeizhi of Tuva, 2021.
Kang-Khüler Saaia: vocals, byzaanchy, chadagan. Kyzyl Arts College, founding member of Tuvan National Orchestra.
Sean Quirk: manager, interpreter. Studied music in Tuva on Fulbright fellowship. Named Distinguished Artist of Tuva, 2008.
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Members save 10% on tickets!
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There’s still time to be part of the Coconino Center for the Arts’ Theater Seating Fundraiser! Each seat sponsorship includes a personalized plaque on the seat of your choice — a meaningful way to honor a loved one, celebrate a milestone, or show your love for the arts in Flagstaff.
Your gift goes further right now: thanks to a generous matching donation from a former Creative Flagstaff board member and their spouse, every contribution is doubled to help us reach our goal!
Special thank you to All Awards, Flagstaff’s local awards shop, for generously donating the plaques in-kind.
Sponsor your seat today and help us create a more comfortable, modern theater experience for the community.
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Seat plaques allow up to three lines of text!
Examples:
Line 1: In Honor of [Your Name or Tribute]
Line 2: A Friend of the Arts
Line 3: 2025 – Forever
Your support will help us create a more welcoming and comfortable space for performances, screenings, and community events. Let’s finish strong—join us today!
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Coconino Center for the Arts is operated by Creative Flagstaff
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Thank you, Corporate Sponsors!
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Shelley Buckman | Associate Broker
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Eric Souders | Chartered SRI Counselor
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The work of Creative Flagstaff is not possible without our community partnerships.
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Copyright © 2025 Flagstaff Arts Council DBA Creative Flagstaff. All rights reserved.
Our mailing address is:
P.O. Box 296, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
Our office is located at:
Coconino Center for the Arts
2300 N Fort Valley Rd
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
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2300 N Fort Valley Rd
Flagstaff, AZ 86001
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