Tret Fure returns to Erie

Playing at the Unitarian Universalist on November 19

by Kate Hentz

Singer-songwriter Tret Fure returns to Erie Friday night, November 19th, bringing her rockin' aggressive folk and signature ballads into the UU Church of Erie, 7180 Perry Highway, an 8 o'clock show. Fans attending this year's concert will hear a slew of new songs salted in among a slate of old and current favorites.

It's been a year since Fure first performed in Erie, and in a year's time she's been a busy girl. In January, Tret performed at the South Florida Folk Festival, a prestigious juried competition for folk performers, where she took first place in two of the three musical categories of the competition: best overall song and best up-tempo song.

In April, Tret and partner Jane Weldon were in Portland, Oregon, where they were wed, joining the ranks of thousands of gay couples afforded the legal right marry in Multnomah County last Spring. Tret speaks firsthand of the individual and political import of the experience from a profoundly personal as well as political perspective in her monthly letter to fans on her website at www.tretfure.com. Photos of Tret and Jane's wedding are posted in the website Photo Gallery.

In June, Tret and Jane produced the second annual Tomboygirl Festival in their hometown of Madison, Wisconsin. The festival is a day-long event of music and comedy that has already morphed into an entire weekend of activities starting the night before with a mini-performance by the next day's artists and ending with a traditional golf scramble and picnic at Monona Golf Course on Sunday.

And in July in Columbus, Ohio at the National Women's Music Festival, Tret was honored with the Phyllis Schliessman Award for Outstanding Contribution to Women's Music in recognition of her three-decade career in women's and independent music.

An untiring artist who tours year `round, Tret will be playing in Erie for just the second time in as many years. She was so warmly welcomed a year ago that returning this Fall was high on her list of commitments. Says Tret:

"I totally enjoyed coming to Erie for the first time last year and playing to such an appreciative audience. Great audiences are the deciding factor in whether I return to a city and Erie is one to which I'm excited about returning. I hope that people will come out again for this as it will be a brand new show. I have tons of new songs to play as well as a few older ones I haven't played for a while.

"I am starting the new project at the end of November and will have a new CD out in March 2005 called `Anytime, Anywhere.' I'm really looking forward to my return to Erie and hope you are too."

Will Tret and Jane be selling their exclusive line of Tomboy girl clothing again this trip? You bet. They have some great new Tomboy girl wear to showcase as well as some signature Tret Fure shirts bearing lyrics from several of her songs. And just in time for the holidays!

Aromas Coffeehouse will be on hand again to sell coffee and other hot beverages for what promises to be another heartwarming evening of Tret Fure's musical artistry at the UU Church.

Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at the UU Church, at Aromas Coffeehouse at 2174 West 8th Street in Erie, from Chiropractic Works, 413 High Street in Waterford, from this writer at 716-326-7480, and on the web at www.tomboygirl.com.

Photos

Also view photos here.