'Janis, Me & Bobby McGee' explores life of Janis Joplin March 4 at ECC Arts Center
Vocalist Karen Irwin and her band will celebrate the life, music, and legacy of Janis Joplin this March at the Elgin Community College Arts Center. The performance takes place at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 4, in the ECC Arts Center, Building H at the college, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.
Described as "a triumphant journey of discovery and celebration, "Janis, Me & Bobby McGee" focuses on how Janis Joplin used her authenticity, voice, and raw, blues-inspired performance style to confront personal and social adversities and how, in turn, Joplin's legacy has inspired those who came after her, including performer Karen Irwin. Through 13 Janis Joplin songs, Irwin weaves a personal story about her own transformation from a shy "string-bean" with an "un-girly" voice into a singer unafraid to use her "great big gutsy growl" to both inspire and celebrate. Lou Harry of the Indianapolis Business Journal calls "Janis, Me & Bobby McGee" "one of the most astounding, magnetic performances I've seen on a musical stage. Not just this musical stage. Any musical stage."
Irwin decided to create the show because of the kinship she felt for and the inspiration she personally drew from Joplin's voice and story. "It's a universal story, really," Irwin says. "Girl isn't the kind of girl who people think she should be. Girl is bullied and tortured by other boys and girls. Girl fights through the torture to discover her own authenticity and share it with the world."
With anecdotes and Joplin songs, including "Mercedes Benz," "Piece of My Heart," and "Bobby McGee," Irwin pays homage to the icon that changed her life. The performance requires a lot of Irwin both vocally and physically - it's a marathon of high-energy performances. "I'm not careful when I perform this," she says. "I leave the stage with bruises and I don't know where they came from. But it's worth it."
Tickets for "Janis, Me & Bobby McGee" are $33-$39. A three-course, preshow dinner prepared by ECC's award-winning Culinary Arts and Hospitality program can be purchased for an additional $29. The menu includes trio of crostini with dressed greens, bacon wrapped monk fish medallions with lemon butter sauce, wild rice pilaf, asparagus, and a dessert of panna cotta. Wine and beer are sold separately by the glass. Dinners must be ordered on or before Monday, Feb. 27.
Tickets for all performances in the ECC Arts Center are available online at tickets.elgin.edu or at the ECC Arts Center box office. Box office hours are noon to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and noon to 5 p.m. on Saturday. To purchase tickets by phone, call 847-622-0300. All major credit cards are accepted. The ECC Arts Center can be found at facebook.com/eccartscenter and on Twitter @eccartscenter.