Tracy Bonham, singer-songwriter, and Julie Heffernan, painter: "Whether You Fall," an intimate concert and conversation

BOXBLUR proudly presents

Whether You Fall: An Intimate Concert and Visual Conversation with Tracy Bonham, singer-songwriter, and Julie Heffernan, painter

In an hour-long set, acclaimed singer-songwriter and two-time GRAMMY nominee Tracy Bonham will perform on piano accompanied by bass player Rene Hart, violinist Ani Bukujian, and cellist Saul Richmond-Rakerd. The performance will take place within Catharine Clark Gallery's presentation of renowned artist Julie Heffernan's painting exhibition, Whether You Fall. The concert will be punctuated by dialogue between Bonham and Heffernan.

Bonham shares her creative works as the singer-songwriter once known for screaming “everything’s fine!”, now lowering the volume without lowering the flame. With the same bite from her mid-nineties alternative rock songs, Bonham explores what goes on underneath the screams. Join Bonham as she responds to the beauty, vulnerability, and rebellion of Julie Heffernan’s abundant paintings with songs from the past and present arranged for piano, vocals, and strings.

As we conclude our eighth year of commissioned performances, BOXBLUR is thrilled to welcome Bonham and Heffernan for this special collaboration. Heffernan's selection of Bonham reflects the spirit of BOXBLUR's mission and continues the tradition of past BOXBLUR collaborations between visual and performing artists, such as with Timothy Cummings and Rufus Wainwright, Amy Trachtenberg and Sarah Cahill, Shinji Eshima and Chester Arnold, EOS Ensemble and Chris Doyle, Margaret Jenkins Dance Company and Kambui Olujimi, and Adji Cissoko with Michael Montgomery and Arleene Correa Valencia, among others.

“Bonham is a unique and versatile vocalist and writer with much more to offer than just that feisty hit” ~ The Charlotte Observer

“Bonham, from the beginning and increasingly over time, is a riveting, complicated maker of pop music” ~ PopMatters 

Two-time GRAMMY nominee Tracy Bonham (b. Eugene, Oregon) is a classically trained violinist and pianist turned alternative singer-songwriter. She rose to fame in 1996 with her debut album, The Burdens of Being Upright. The album catapulted Bonham into the global spotlight, earning MTV fame, an MTV Video Music Award nomination, and heavy radio rotation with her #1 alternative chart-topping song, "Mother Mother," an anthem for disgruntled teenagers. The Burdens of Being Upright achieved Gold Record status in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands.

For the past 28 years, Bonham has continued to evolve as an artist. With seven subsequent albums, each garnering critical acclaim, she has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to her craft as both a songwriter and musician. Her live performances highlight her versatility, as she seamlessly moves between guitar, violin, and piano. Bonham has also reimagined her earlier material, updating it for modern audiences without sacrificing the original passion and fire. As a songwriter, she is increasingly drawn to exploring the vulnerability beneath the surface of her past angst. This introspective shift is resonating more and more with her audiences.

Bonham’s early songwriting was rebellious, a reaction against her rigid classical training. She taught herself to play basic guitar chords and wrote her first album by channeling her emotions in a way she felt was impossible while performing classical pieces by Mendelssohn or Bach. Nearly 30 years later, Bonham's new songs are largely written and performed on the piano. This return to her classical roots has rekindled her love for music, allowing her to draw inspiration from the harmonic structures and melodies of her favorite Romantic composers. She blends these influences with her unique songwriting style, creating a musical fusion that is both fresh and deeply personal. This creative process serves as a vehicle for her ongoing inner transformation.

Tracy Bonham’s recent collaboration with the Eugene Ballet was performed at the Hult Center for the Performing Arts in Eugene, OR, in April 2024. Bonham's collaboration with Julie Heffernan offers audiences a compelling look at how music can expand and enrich the experience of Heffernan's paintings in the exhibition Whether You Fall, and how Heffernan develops her paintings in ways that resonate with Bonham's lyrics. Heffernan selected Bonham as this year's BOXBLUR performer.