Country superstar to perform Aug. 26 along with Madeleine Peyroux
Summer's going fast, but there's still time to pack a picnic dinner, stake out a patch of concert lawn, and take in a show by one of country music's all-time greats in an idyllic outdoor setting. Rosanne Cash comes to town Aug. 26 as part of the Oregon Zoo summer concert series presented by Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon with support from U.S. Bank and Toyota.
Cash, the oldest daughter of Johnny Cash, may have been born to country-music royalty, but her achievements stand on their own. So far, she's scored 11 No. 1 country hits — just two fewer than the "Man in Black" himself. Her first gold record, "Seven Year Ache," topped the album charts and featured three No. 1 country singles in 1981. But that was just a warm-up: Starting with 1985's Grammy-winning "I Don't Know Why You Don't Want Me," Cash had a four-year string of nine consecutive Top 5 country hits, with all but two of those going to No. 1.
Though she's widely acclaimed for her songwriting, Cash's most recent record, "The List," is a collection of covers. The genesis of that album dates back to 1973, when Cash was 18 and on the road with her father. As the two sat on the tour bus, talking about music, Johnny Cash mentioned several songs Rosanne said she had never heard before. He then spent the rest of the day making a list of "100 Essential Country Songs" for her. Some 35 years later, 12 songs from the list made it onto her album, which features guest performances by Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Jeff Tweedy and others.
Also appearing at the Aug. 26 zoo show is singer Madeleine Peyroux, known for her intimately arranged covers of early American jazz and blues standards. Peyroux, who first struck big with her million-selling 2005 release "Careless Love," began performing on the streets of Europe as a teenager, honing her vocal and guitar skills and taking inspiration from artists such as Billie Holiday, Bessie Smith and Louis Armstrong. Though known as jazz singer, Peyroux has wide-ranging tastes and her repertoire includes songs by everyone from Serge Gainsbourg to Elliott Smith.
Tickets for the concert are $26 and can be purchased at the zoo during normal operating hours. Tickets can also be purchased (with service charge) at all Ticketmaster ticket centers, online at Ticketmaster.com and by phone at 800-745-3000. Purchase of a concert ticket allows entry into the zoo after 4 p.m; the concert begins at 7 p.m.
The zoo concert series will be showcasing a variety of world-renowned artists through September. In 1979, the Oregon Zoo became the first in America to host a summer concert series. Now, the series is one of the top outdoor events in the Northwest, and is the region's longest continuously running outdoor series.
Oregon Zoo Summer Concerts is presented by Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon with support from U.S. Bank and your local Toyota dealers, and media support from The Oregonian.
The Oregon Zoo is a service of Metro and is dedicated to its mission of inspiring the community to create a better future for wildlife. Committed to conservation, the zoo is currently working to save endangered California condors, Columbia Basin pygmy rabbits, Oregon silverspot and Taylor’s checkerspot butterflies, Western pond turtles and Oregon spotted frogs. Other projects include studies on black rhinos, Asian elephants, polar bears and bats.
The zoo relies in part on community support through donations to the Oregon Zoo Foundation to undertake these and many other animal welfare, education and sustainability programs. The zoo is located five minutes from downtown Portland, just off Highway 26 at exit 72. The zoo is also accessible by MAX light rail line. Visitors who travel to the zoo via MAX receive $1.50 off zoo admission. Find fare and route information online or by calling TriMet Customer Service at 503-238-RIDE (7433).
General zoo admission is $10.50 (ages 12-64), $9 for seniors (65 and up), $7.50 for children (ages 3-11) and free for those 2 and younger; 25 cents of the admission price helps fund regional conservation projects through the zoo’s Future for Wildlife program. A parking fee of $4 per car is also required. Additional information is available by calling 503-226-1561.
Hova Najarian at 503-220-5714 or hova.najarian@oregonzoo.org