2008 Woodie Awards
The universal seranade
Anna Wiegenstein - The Daily Iowan
Issue date: 2/14/08 Section: 80 Hours
Music always has its power-couple performers, from Johnny and June Cash up to Jay-Z and Beyoncé. The chemistry that fuels a romantic relationship seems to only improve a melodic collaboration.
When Amy Finders takes the stage at the Mill tonight to play the Seventh-Annual Sweethearts' Serenade with husband Mike Finders, she tends to steer clear of most musical married clichés.
"It's not really a night of Sonny-and-Cher, 'I Got You Babe' style sappiness," Amy Finders said. "Mike and I are kind of cynical lovers, anyway."
Started by the Finders as a way to showcase the numerous couple performers in the Iowa City area, the Sweethearts' Serenade was almost instantly a success.
"We knew basically from the first year onward that we wanted to keep it going," Finders said, noting that the event has nearly sold out the Mill each year.
"I don't think it can get much bigger," said Al Murphy, who has performed in the concert since the beginning with wife Aleta Murphy.
Appearing in tonight's show alongside the Finders and the Murphys will be Joe and Coleen Peterson, Bob and Kristie Black, the Great Bluegrass Herons, and Truckstop Souvenir. A dinner is provided in the ticket price, and a fundraising raffle involves numerous gifts from local area restaurants and pieces by Iowa City artists.
"I know that there are a lot of Valentine events going on around town that night," Murphy said. "But I think this one is unique, just because of the number of different musicians involved."
The amount of local talent the event showcases is very much in line with the original goals the Finders had for themselves in creating the Sweethearts' Serenade - namely, to learn from performers older than them how it's done.
"From a musician's standpoint," Amy Finders said, "we're able to tap into these artists who have been playing forever, which is really great."
She also emphasized the "outside the box" quality of the occasion, saying couples tend to favor the outing, because "it's much more interesting than chocolate and flowers."
"There are plenty of festivals in the summer, but in the winter, there's not that much going on save for the bar scene," she said.
While the Serenade itself might be untraditional, that's not usually the case with the music the concert features. Finders characterized much of the music as "traditional country," including bluegrass and American heritage.
"We do try to gear the material toward a Valentine's mode," Al Murphy said. "There aren't as many breakup songs."
Set lists not only dial back on songs about heartbreak, they also tend to favor numerous cover songs, a practice that Amy Finders points to as among the reasons the attendees of the Serenade range in age from 20 to 70.
"We relive these love stories over and over again, in every generation," she said. "There are certain things that are universal."
E-mail DI reporter Anna Wiegenstein:
anna-wiegenstein@uiowa.edu
When Amy Finders takes the stage at the Mill tonight to play the Seventh-Annual Sweethearts' Serenade with husband Mike Finders, she tends to steer clear of most musical married clichés.
"It's not really a night of Sonny-and-Cher, 'I Got You Babe' style sappiness," Amy Finders said. "Mike and I are kind of cynical lovers, anyway."
Started by the Finders as a way to showcase the numerous couple performers in the Iowa City area, the Sweethearts' Serenade was almost instantly a success.
"We knew basically from the first year onward that we wanted to keep it going," Finders said, noting that the event has nearly sold out the Mill each year.
"I don't think it can get much bigger," said Al Murphy, who has performed in the concert since the beginning with wife Aleta Murphy.
Appearing in tonight's show alongside the Finders and the Murphys will be Joe and Coleen Peterson, Bob and Kristie Black, the Great Bluegrass Herons, and Truckstop Souvenir. A dinner is provided in the ticket price, and a fundraising raffle involves numerous gifts from local area restaurants and pieces by Iowa City artists.
"I know that there are a lot of Valentine events going on around town that night," Murphy said. "But I think this one is unique, just because of the number of different musicians involved."
The amount of local talent the event showcases is very much in line with the original goals the Finders had for themselves in creating the Sweethearts' Serenade - namely, to learn from performers older than them how it's done.
"From a musician's standpoint," Amy Finders said, "we're able to tap into these artists who have been playing forever, which is really great."
She also emphasized the "outside the box" quality of the occasion, saying couples tend to favor the outing, because "it's much more interesting than chocolate and flowers."
"There are plenty of festivals in the summer, but in the winter, there's not that much going on save for the bar scene," she said.
While the Serenade itself might be untraditional, that's not usually the case with the music the concert features. Finders characterized much of the music as "traditional country," including bluegrass and American heritage.
"We do try to gear the material toward a Valentine's mode," Al Murphy said. "There aren't as many breakup songs."
Set lists not only dial back on songs about heartbreak, they also tend to favor numerous cover songs, a practice that Amy Finders points to as among the reasons the attendees of the Serenade range in age from 20 to 70.
"We relive these love stories over and over again, in every generation," she said. "There are certain things that are universal."
E-mail DI reporter Anna Wiegenstein:
anna-wiegenstein@uiowa.edu
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