Chadwick Stokes and the Pintos + Senseless Optimism

BOMBYX Center for Arts & Equity (130 Pine Street, Florence MA)

Art + Entertainment + Music + Music/Instruments

Between seven records with the college rock, folksy jam band Dispatch, four with righteous rock trio State Radio, and a smattering of solo releases under various names, Chadwick Stokes has a long history of singing about important issues while also examining his inner journey; equal parts protest song, romantic poetry, and journal entry. Along with his wife, Sybil, he founded Calling All Crows, a non-profit organization dedicated to engaging music fans around women's issues both at home and abroad. With his latest band the Pintos, Stokes offers the most cohesive blend of his previous projects: It’s lyrically more akin to State Radio’s social and political savvy, with more of the cool folk rock that helped make Dispatch such a beloved band. Citing David Bowie, The Band, and Billy Bragg as influences, Chadwick Stokes and The Pintos take the musical landscape and find ways to delightfully stand it on its head.

Senseless Optimism, the vessel for international artist Brittany Tsewole, is quickly redefining the role of the singer/songwriter in the modern era. Her international perspective and deeply insightful lyricism have already made her a fan favorite in her hometown of Lowell, MA. She was named New Act of the Year at the most recent New England Music Awards and now, with the release of her most accomplished music to date, Senseless Optimism is on the verge of a national breakthrough.