Mix in a little ancient literature with a high lonesome harmony and you have the perfect elixir to wash away those winter blues. Local folk favorites, The Backyard Revival, presents O Sister Where Art Thou, a live musical parody of the Coen Brothers hit movie O Brother Where Art Thou (which is loosely based on Homer’s The Odyssey.) The show will feature all your favorite songs from the beloved cinema classic.
This unique Salt Lake City concert will take you on a musical madcap romp through the Depression Era South as Jack and Betty O’Malley, a pair of troublesome siblings, played by Brian Bingham and Sarah Little Drum, run from the law (much like the Soggy Bottom Boys in the film).
The film’s soundtrack, produced by T Bone Burnett, won multiple Grammy Awards including Album of the Year in 2002. The chart-topping record featured a star-studded cast of country, folk, blues, gospel and bluegrass performers like Alison Krauss, Gillian Welch, Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley, and Dan Tyminski, to name a few.
The Backyard Revival’s reimagined show features an ensemble of local talent including musicians from The Swinging Lights, Lonesome Folk, Lucy Ave, Tycoon Machete, The Magpipes and solo artists Dylan Roe, Mavi Blue, Rocky Velvet, and Zaza Historia VanDyke.
After performing a musical tribute to the folk band Civil Wars last year, Sarah Little Drum and Brian Bingham of Backyard Revival (they often play as a duo but also expand to a trio or quartet) were inspired to develop more light-hearted parodies in their own musical style. They loved the soundtrack to O Brother Where Art Thou and the project took flight. Little Drum and Bingham co-wrote the revised script, arranged the music, and recruited like-minded musicians to help them bring the soundtrack back to life in a slightly different way.
This stage play/musical tribute hybrid will be a one-of-kind live music experience. Audiences across the Wasatch Front will have the opportunity to see the show: on Thursday, January 25, 2024 at The Start Up in Provo; Friday, January 26, 2024 at The Copper Nickel in Ogden; and a final performance in SLC at The State Room on Saturday, January 27, 2024.
Who: The Backyard Revival
What: O Sister Where Art Thou
Where: Provo, Ogden, and Salt Lake City
When: January 25-27, 2024
Tickets and Info: https://thestateroompresents.com https://www.eventbrite.com/e/o-sister-where-art-thou-ogden-tickets-768415299847
