Coors Light presents Westword Music Showcase 2003

Westword Magazine June 2003 edition

Mary Beth Abella
Nominated in Singer/Songwriter
6 P.M., Dazzle

After swerving around the Western Hemisphere for the better part of the '80s (from Philadelphia to Norway to Boulder), singer/songwriter Mary Beth Abella has been in Denver for more than a decade. Unfortunately for local listeners, her nomadic tendencies are acting up again.

"All I know is, we're leaving," Abella says of her impending bolt from Colorado with husband Kevin Kauper. "We're selling our house. We're selling everything we own." After wrapping a calendar of local gigs in late July, the two intend to leave for parts unknown; at the moment, their semi-realized itinerary includes stops in New York, Norway, and New Zealand. "We feel we need to shake off this town before we settle someplace else," Abella explains.

Armed with edgily honest material that encompasses both wit and heartache, the singer performed solo in the Denver area from the early to late '90s. To bolster her prickly-soft vocals and hooks, she recruited a backing band in 1999, an outfit that has since included "a rotating cast of characters," she notes. ("People have different needs," she says of the high turnover rate.")

The current lineup--at least until Abella rips up her fourteen-year-old roots--includes ex-Rainville bassist Matt Sumner, drummer Chris Budin, guitarist Gerry Hundt and keyboardist Judy Brady. For lower key sets, the singer teams with violinist Jennifer Kavanaugh. At the Westword Music Showcase, Abella's brother/longtime musical collaborator John--who produced her glittery, gritty full-length debut, What Happened to the Girls?, last year before fleeing to Los Angeles--returns to her side on guitar for one night only. Catch Abella while you can.
--Eric Peterson