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East Coast Homecoming Tour by Berkeley-Based Singer/Songwriter/Pianist Rachel Efron Runs April 30 - May 6

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Singer/songwriter/pianist Rachel Efron will appear at venues up and down the East Coast, Friday, April 30th through Thursday, May 6th. The tour will include shows at The Nave Gallery, Somerville MA (Fri. 4/30), One Longfellow Square, Portland ME (Sat. 5/1), The Tin Angel, Philadelphia (Sun. 5/2), as220, Providence (Tues. 5/4), The Bitter End, New York City (Wed. 5/5), and PACE Theater, Easthampton MA (Thurs. 5/6). The tour will mark Efron's first appearances at The Nave Gallery, The Tin Angel, as220, The Bitter End, and PACE Theater, and her first time performing at One Longfellow Square on a Saturday night.

Although Rachel is based in Berkeley, this tour is a sort of homecoming, as Efron is a native New Englander--she was born in Boston, grew up in small-town Cape Elizabeth, Maine, and went to college at Harvard University in Cambridge (class of 2001). Her musical achievements owe much to her early piano lessons with Maine pianist and educator Dale Churchill, her classical theory courses with Harvard professor John Stewart, and her weekly jazz piano study with Berklee College of Music professor Jeff Covell.

“I am really excited about this group of shows," says Efron. “The East Coast made me who I am today--both personally and musically. To this day images from that part of the country--the falling leaves of a Boston November or the freezing edges of the ocean of a Maine December--remain the most natural way for me to communicate the themes of my songs. It means the world to me to return--to encounter memories of the girl I was alongside the recognition of the woman it allowed me to become, and to play for the family, friends, and mentors that gave me so much."

Shows are in support of Efron's sophomore album, 4AM, released in August 2009 by her Whisper Track label. However, they will feature just as prominently songs from her upcoming release, which she plans to record later this year. Efron's new material maintains her commitment to lyrical depth and addicting melodies, but with an artistic touch both bolder and more direct. Standouts include the gospel-laced “Beautiful Day"; the ironic tango, “Before We Start to Fall in Love"; and the equal parts heartwarming/heart-wrenching anthem, “The Love You Gave Me."

4AM calls upon the inspired musicianship of both Bay Area and international talent, including producer Jon Evans (bassist for Tori Amos), Jon Arkin on percussion, Dan Feiszli on bass, Joel Behrman on trumpet, trombone, and flugelhorn, Lylia Guion on violin, and Marcie Brown on cello. It has received high acclaim from critics such as the San Francisco Chronicle's David Weigand, who wrote, “The voice is airy, plaintive, the sound, at first, seemingly detached, but it isn't long--about three notes will do it--before Bay Area singer- songwriter Rachel Efron hooks you by the heart... Efron's deceptively effortless piano pop stands out from the pack because of her delicate lyricism... [Her] classically influenced piano dominates the arrangements, but that is as it should be: This is a woman taking charge"; and Portland Press Herald's Mike Olcott, who commented, “Not your garden variety supporting cast, these are thoughtful players with long resumes in the business; but Efron is the star."

Rachel Efron will perform all shows as a solo. Audrey Ryan shares the bill at the Somerville, Portland, New York, and Easthampton shows; Kim Lamothe in Providence; and Zoe Lewis in Philadelphia.

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