Renowned for her ability to weave together a tapestry of diverse musical influences ranging from gospel and blues to folk and soul, the 2025 Grammy Award Winner’s musical odyssey has taken her from singing in churches in rural Texas to earning multiple Grammy nominations, gracing the stage of New York’s Beacon Theatre with the Allman Brothers, and collaborating with icons such as Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks. With her milestone tenth studio album, Mileage, released by the legendary Sun Records, Foster continues to tell stories that reflect her personal triumphs, losses, and the universal human experience. She headlines the third season of Showcase South Hadley with her band.
Opening the program is local hero, Aisha Burns. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, and currently based in Western Massachusetts, violinist and singer-songwriter Aisha Burns began playing violin when she was 10 years old, and has been touring and recording since 2006. Soon after moving to Austin in 2005, she gained her start with folk-rock outfit Alex Dupree and the Trapdoor Band, and joined the instrumental ensemble Balmorhea on violin in 2007. After years of secret singing, she released her solo debut Life in the Midwater in 2013. Called “twisting, ethereal…arresting” by Dazed Magazine, and praised for its “delicate intimacy” by NPR, Life in the Midwater explored mortality and relationships with candor and wisdom. Her new album, Argonauta, is a collection of songs about her struggle with the grief of losing her mother, while also navigating a new relationship, and ultimately trying to discern the new normal for her life.
