Jeffrey Gaines has been heralded for his soul-searching lyrics and his powerful live performances. With only his voice and a guitar for accompaniment, Gaines has earned a reputation as a captivating performer, entertaining his audiences worldwide.

Gaines will headline the first concert in the Live at Edmond Town Hall 2023 Music Series, with Newtown native Lucinda Rowe performing as special guest.

The concert is planned for Friday, September 15, at 8 pm.

The show will begin at 8 pm.

Tickets are $20 and available through edmondtownhall.org.

Throughout his three-decade recording career, Gaines has maintained an impressive standard for soul-searching, introspective lyrics and catchy, uplifting melodies. Since bursting on the scene with his self-titled 1992 debut album, the charismatic singer-songwriter-guitarist has built a beloved body of recordings that has won him a large and deeply devoted international fan base.

He has sold out theaters and clubs throughout North America and Europe, and has earned high respect from his peers. Gaines was featured as special guest on tours with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Tracy Chapman, Stevie Nicks, and Sheryl Crow, among many others.

“The biggest pleasure I derive from this is playing live,” Gaines notes. “There’s nothing more satisfying for me than a good live gig. I’m in control, but the audience can take it to a place that’s higher than I can imagine.

"When I show up for a live gig, I don’t need much, there’s no rider. It’s just, turn it on, let the audience in, and I’ll do the rest. It’s the best job anyone could ever have,” he added.

Rowe says growing up in Newtown “was one of the best things of my life.”

The Rowes moved to Newtown in 1964.

“My father owned an insurance agency, my mother was very active in helping people in the town and my brother was a Newtown Police Officer who moved on to the State Police … and I was the kid who went to school with a guitar on my back every day,” Rowe said.

Rowe has enjoyed a wonderful musical career as both songwriter and vocalist, having success at radio and touring nationally with her equally musically talented husband Mick Connolly. Performing with or opening for artists such as Pat Benatar, Stevie Nicks, Tony Bennett, REO Speedwagon, Eddie Money and many others, Rowe made her way as an independent musician without the help of a label or agent, selling over 65,000 CDs from the trunk of her car.

She is an award-wining vocalist and songwriter garnering professional showcases from the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame and National Academy of Popular Music.

Edmond Town Hall means a lot to her. At the age of three, Rowe began dancing with The Lathrop School of Dance on the town hall stage. In 2011, she and Mick got married in the town hall’s Alexandria Room. The following year she and her husband performed a benefit called “Music, Light and Love” for the families of Sandy Hook and the community.

“So many memories were made here for me at the Edmond Town Hall. Returning to this stage means so much to me,” she said, adding, “I am incredibly excited to share the stage with Jeffrey Gaines and am humbled to perform in my hometown.”

Connolly will accompany Rowe on guitar at the performance.

In addition to the September 15 concert by Gaines and Rowe, the Live at ETH 2023 Fall Music Series has five additional shows on the calendar: The Rat Pack Tribute Show, October 1; Stella Blue’s Band, October 14; Back to The Garden 1969: The Woodstock Experience, November 4; The Yale Whiffenpoofs, November 30; and Funky Dawgs, December 16.

Tickets and additional information for these shows are also available at the Edmond Town Hall website.