Shining Singer-Songwriters
UWADE
You've heard Uwade before. It's her honeyed voice that opens Fleet Foxes' 2020 record Shore — an experience that's since earned her global critical acclaim. Though her career in music is now taking off, for Uwade, 21, singing has always been a kind of prayer. This stems, in part, from her spiritual upbringing — steeped in the sounds of hymnal choral music, Fela Kuti, and Nigerian Highlife on her dad's car radio — and her rigorous education. A scholar of the highest order, Uwade has studied Classics at Columbia and Oxford, and cites Catullus and Virgil among her influences (along with Julian Casablancas and Nina Simone). Knowing this, it's easy to want to plumb the academic depths of her sound. To describe her voice as a divine signal you'd read about in classic texts, at once ancient and altogether new.
But this feels heavy. And the truth is that Uwade's voice is an embodiment of light. Yes, there is hope and influence and complexity there, but in the end, there's just joy. The joy of following a feeling. Of being lost in the pleasure of the present moment. Of singing together with people in a room. Uwade's latest single "The Man Who Sees Tomorrow' could stand as a balm to our present time, an ode to hope in the midst of unbearable loss: "And even though my memories are fading far too fast / One day I will know it all / And frolic in the grass."
Visit her website here.
KELLY MCFARLING
Kelly McFarling is an Atlanta-born, Bay Area-based singer-songwriter. Her songs capture a palette of Georgia clay and California gold. She has been writing and releasing music for a decade in the Bay Area. With a sound that moves between folk, rock, and alt-country, Kelly McFarlings vocals are the throughline: warm, assured, and often breathtakingly strong, anchoring the power of her well-crafted songs, delivered with emotion.
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CANCELLATION POLICY
All concert ticket sales are final and non-refundable. The value is not transferable to another concert or program.
In the event you are unable to attend the concert, you are welcome to gift or sell the ticket(s) to someone else in advance of the show. The recipient will have to use the ticket purchaser's name for admittance.
Absolutely no ticket selling or transfers allowed at the Botanical Garden, including the parking lot.
We appreciate knowing if your tickets will not be used; please email us at gardenprograms@berkeley.edu (We use these for the band guest list.)
PARKING AT THE BOTANICAL GARDEN IS NOT GUARANTEED. The adjacent UC parking lot ($1.50/hr) has only 51 spaces - rideshare and carpooling are highly encouraged. A UC Berkeley campus shuttle is available from overflow parking at LHS departing every 30 minutes. Please plan accordingly!
CONCERT INFORMATION AND TICKET POLICIES
All tickets are by registration "will call list"; no physical tickets available.
Your name will be on the check-in list available at the Kiosk and Grove Gate.
Ticket includes admission to the main Botanical Garden collections before it closes at 5:00pm. (With the exception of Tuesday shows, the Garden is closed on Tuesdays.)
Redwood Grove Gate opens at 5pm. Show starts promptly at 5:30pm (unless otherwise noted).
Seating is general admission amphitheater. (Stadium chairs are great; no lawn chairs) Please contact us in advance if you will need a wheelchair accessible spot.
Picnics welcome. No concessions provided (unless otherwise noted).
Warm clothes recommended.