Folk rock poet returns to the Marshall Grange

GARDEN VALLEY — The long-awaited return of singer and songwriter Laura Meyer to the Marshall Grange, 4940 Marshall Road in Garden Valley, is on Saturday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m.

Meyer is a true folk rock poet who has spent the majority of the past three years living out of a car.

She has driven more than 100,000 miles and played more than 400 shows in venues ranging from a tiny spirit store nestled amid medieval ruins north of Dublin to the main stage at the renowned Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado.

She has lived at the mercy of tires, tip jars and the kind souls who fill them and has weathered sketchy bar owners, break-ins, snowstorms, and hungry nights spent with bed bugs and disease.

Somewhere in between, her songs were born.

Following an eight-month string of shows, Meyer returned to New York City to record a new album, “Been Here Before,” a collection of songs composed on interstates, futons, and motel floors throughout the United States.

Her music has been called poetic, lyrical, gutsy, gritty, but whatever it is called, the songs are powerful and diverse, varying from traditional folk style (“Katrina, Katrina”) to songs that bring to mind the punk attitude of Patti Smith (“Chelsea Hotel”).

Experience the variety of her songs at laurameyer.net.

Meyer is basically on the road, connecting with audiences the old-fashioned way —  live.

This is where her emotionally driven performance thrives, igniting halls and leaving listeners inspired, if not transformed.

She will be making a stop at the Marshall Grange, one of her favorite venues, as part of her “End of Hibernation Tour,” celebrating the end of a year of self-imposed exile in Southern California, and the release of her new CD, “Golden Delicious.”

Tickets are $10 in advance, $12 at the door and $8 for Grange members. The tickets can be purchased at Roses Garden Café in Garden Valley, Main Street Music in Placerville or Cherry Records in Auburn.

Tickets can be purchased online at brownpapertickets.com or by calling 530-642-8671.

For more information about the Marshall Grange check out marshallgrange.org or call 530-642-8671.