Americana darlings are set to strum on Vashon

Two powerhouse players in Seattle’s vibrant music scene will play a local benefit for Vashon Youth & Family Services on Sunday.

Two powerhouse players in Seattle’s vibrant music scene will play a local benefit for Vashon Youth & Family Services on Sunday.

Americana singer/songwriters Star Anna and Shane Tutmarc will headline the evening and be joined by two special guests, islanders Jennifer Sutherland and Rusty Willoughby.

Star Anna is a vocalist and rhythm guitarist from Ellensburg, described by Barbara Mitchell of National Public Radio as belonging to the genre of Americana and by Nicole Brodeur of The Seattle Times as alt-country. Brodeur described her as having “a voice full of bluster that will slam the door behind you, then find itself alone to take in the loneliness, the quiet, the beauty.”

Tutmarc’s musical roots run deep: His great-grandfather Paul is credited with inventing the electric guitar, and his grandfather Bud was an acclaimed Hawaiian steel guitar player.

Before moving to Nashville, the younger Tutmarc found success in his native Pacific Northwest as the central figure in Dolour, “a group whose best output mirrors The Shins and Jellyfish,” said Nashville Scene. Many prominent Northwest musicians found their start in Tutmarc’s band, including a young Robin Pecknold, principle singer/songwriter for folk-revivalist sensation, the Fleet Foxes.

According to Pecknold, “Very few songwriters are as obsessed with their craft as my friend Shane.”

Tutmarc has also had his songs played in film and TV, most recently on Anthony Bourdain’s hit show, “The Layover,” on the Travel Channel.

Guest artists Sutherland (perhaps best known on the island for her role as one of the Washington State Fairies and an unofficial mayor) and Willoughby are also well-known in the Seattle music community and beyond.

This intimate concert — staged at The Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie — will include original songs, covers, duets and collaborations as well as solo performances.

 

Vashon Island Sessions will present Star Anna, Shane Tutmarc, Jennifer Sutherland and Rusty Willoughby in concert at 6 p.m. Sunday at The Vashon Island Coffee Roasterie. Tickets are $18, and all proceeds will be donated to Vashon Youth & Family Services. Guarantee a spot at the small venue by purchasing tickets in advance at Vashon Bookshop or www.brownpapertickets.com.