Rosie Thomas


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Livonia, Michigan native Rosie Thomas has been a darling of indie-folk patrons for a surprisingly long time. I remember picking up (literally) 2001's When We Were Small back when I was in college.  And even then I was late. I remember a few stand-out tracks like “Wedding Day” and  “2 Dollar Shoes.” These were songs that quietly opened up an adult world I didn’t know much about. The songs' gentleness and Rosie’s voice sometimes belied the real world stuff happening, lyrically and musically.  But, that’s not a liability. It tends to be her greatest strength. 

There are other things about Rosie that seem incongruous, like her stand up act she unleashes at pretty much every live show under the “Sheila Saputo” moniker. I’ve seen it twice now. But, invariably, after I finish laughing, I’m left doing a double take. There is also the perplexing matter of her voice. She migrates from her high-pitched spoken word to a sultry soprano and back again with great ease. Again, the first time I experienced it, I was not sure how to react. Cue another double take. 

My focus on who Rosie Thomas is beyond her music is important because her personality and her extra musical traits are partly what makes her music, and her live shows, so good. It is certainly hard to go to a Rosie Thomas show and leave disappointed. Without fail, whenever I’ve seen her live, the crowd grows honestly quiet. Rosie can captivate. 

She captivates for a couple of reasons. Obviously her music speaks for itself (“Where Was I”, a cut from her new LP, proves this point).  She’s also earnest. I’m a sucker for earnestness. Take her remarks in a recent interview,

"[…] there's a serious side to me that's always been there, about this pursuit of how am I going to change or impact people, how am I going to be vulnerable enough to share my heart with others in the hope that I help people see themselves or get them through something. I really wanted my life to be that vessel for someone else."      

There tends to be a perception about folk music, and of the sort Rosie Thomas makes, that it’s preachy or even ignorant to the facts on the ground; that life is hard or unpleasant or frustrating.  But if I read Rosie correctly, I see how she makes her earnestness something tangible, even confessional; not only in her music, but also in how her music amplifies her perspective on life.  Few songs can unearth me like “Farewell

I miss the way you
I miss the way you danced with me I miss the way you
I miss the way you danced with me
 
So farewell my love
Cause I was wrong I guess
Farewell so long
Cause I was wrong I confess.

- John Scherer

Presentations at Calvin University

SAO Concert - Rosie Thomas
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 09:00:00 PM
Covenant Fine Arts Auditorium (100)

SAO Concert - Rosie Thomas
Tuesday, March 27, 2012 09:00:00 PM
Covenant Fine Arts Auditorium (100)

Rosie Thomas
Friday, October 16, 2009 08:00:00 PM

Rosie Thomas
Friday, October 16, 2009 08:00:00 PM

Rosie Thomas
Friday, December 5, 2008 08:00:00 PM
Ladies Literary Club

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