twang club presents: charlie marie at the shea theater 5/15/26

I am thrilled to announce the first of hopefully many shows being presented by Twang Club.

Charlie Marie’s music is rooted in a classic honky tonk sound but with her new album “Signs” she has added flavors of folk rock and contemporary alt.country. “The songs on the album were inspired by her epic journey of self-discovery following profound loss. Embarking on a spontaneous journey across the US from Rhode Island to Alaska and back again, the songs reflect both the trials and tribulations she encountered and the signs she learned to recognize along her path, guiding and sometimes redirecting her to the truths she learned and answers she sought.”

Charlie will be performing with Boston based alt.country band These Wild Plains who produced the new record along with Ben Klise.

I’ve been a fan of Charlie since 2019 when I came across a listing for a show she was playing at Fort Hill Brewery in Easthampton. I couldn’t make the show but I had to investigate this honky tonk singer from Providence, Rhode Island.

On her bandcamp page I found the Chucktown Takes LP which she recorded live in an airbnb while on tour.

The first song on that recording is Countryside which she would later re-release on her next studio EP. When I heard the first verse I knew both that she was a special talent and that were kindred spirits.

“There’s neon lights in New York City,

bumper stickers that read “I voted for Willie.”

Ain’t it evident it’s a small world we’re living in.

Sky scrapers may kiss the sky,

but everywhere’s got a countryside.”

I lived in New York City for 6 years at a time when country music was not as popular there as it is now. Aside from Rodeo Bar, Hank’s, Lakeside Lounge and a few other places it wasn’t quite as easy to find the “countryside” of NYC while I was there.

The song has become a bit of a personal anthem and inspiration for me as a fellow native New Englander with a love for classic country music.

Charlie returned to Western Mass again in 2019 and played a phenomenal set at Luthier’s Co-op to only a few of us. I’ve been hoping she would return ever since. When I finally decided to try my hand at booking shows she had to be my first call.

Not long after that show Charlie released her self titled EP which included a studio version of “Countryside.” Word started to build online about her and when she released her album “Ramble On” in 2021 it made even more inroads, being added to playlists like Spotify's "Cosmic Country,” “Indigo,” Apple Music's "Southern Craft," and Tidal's "Country Calm.”

It was also frequently featured on Gimme Country and several other streaming radio programs. People have never stopped discovering that record and I have often seen folks sharing songs on Reddit, facebook and other places online. Usually accompanied by the them asking “whatever happened to Charlie Marie?”

The new record answers that and is a wonderful return but also expansion of what has made her such a unique talent.

There’s a great moment on the Chuck Takes before the song “Rhinestones” when Charlie banters with the folks in the room with her. It’s the first time you really hear her Rhode Island accent in its full glory. It’s somewhat jarring after hearing her singing which sounds as close to Patsy Cline as any contemporary artist. On the new record Charlie has managed to fuse those two voices fully into something utterly unique. There simply isn’t anyone else who sounds like Charlie. In a world of cookie cutter AI melodies and autotune it is truly refreshing.

The songs on the album are filled with nature imagery and a roaming sense of place. The album is both deeply personal and subtly political. It’s filled with hope and warmth and provides a musical road map to surviving challenging times.

Keep an ear out and you may just hear the first two singles on WRSI 93.9 The River.

Opening the show will be Rosie Porter. A western Mass native she has been living in California for awhile developing her unique take on classic country.

Oh, and I’ll be spinning some country vinyl before, between, and after the sets. So, let’s make a twangy night of it.