Slaid Cleaves kicks off Susanna’s Kitchen

Susanna’s Kitchen returns to the Wimberley Valley this Thursday night at the United Methodist Church of Wimberley as the concert series kicks off with singer-songwriter Slaid Cleaves on June 16.

It was a very exciting time for both the community and Susanna’s Kitchen as it has been so long since the concert series has taken place.

“It’s been over two years since we have had a concert,” Sharon Reece said. “We think everybody in town is very excited about these concerts starting up again so we are expecting a very big crowd.”

Cleaves, despite being raised in Maine, has made a name for himself by touring around the state and even the country.

“He lives in Wimberley, but he is known all around Texas,” Reece said. “He is a great musician and singer-songwriter, which is very important to us because here in Susanna’s Kitchen we only have singer-songwriters.”

In his work, the characters in Cleaves songs all have a similar trait according to his biography.

“The characters in Slaid Cleaves’ songs live in unglamorous reality. They work dead-end jobs, they run out of money, they grow old, they hold on to each other (or not), and they die. With an eye for the beauty in everyday life, he tells their stories, bringing a bit of empathy to their uncaring world.”

Being a regular in Susanna’s Kitchen, Cleaves was thrilled to be the first performer for Susanna’s Kitchen that he called Reece to see if the series was going to start back up again.

“I think he actually called us to ask if we were going to start up Susanna’s Kitchen,” Reece said. “He has been singing here at Susanna’s Kitchen regularly for about ten years now. He was obviously thrilled that he was going to be our first performer.”

Tickets for Slaid Cleaves at Susanna’s Kitchen are sold at the door before the concert on June 16. Ticket sales begin by 6:30 p.m. Doors open by 7 p.m. Concerts start at 7:30 p.m. and are held in the Fellowship Hall at Wimberley United Methodist Church.