Old Sloop Presents: Leslie Mendelson — Kim Moberg opens

If Leslie Mendelson’s only collaboration with a legendary musician was Jackson Browne, it would be a worthy point to celebrate. What’s truly telling is that Leslie has also drawn the attention of The Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir who recorded a duet with her on Roy Orbison’s standard, “Blue Bayou,” while no less than classic rock royalty The Who invited her to open two shows at Madison Square Garden last year. She was set to open three more dates for the band in 2020 that were unfortunately postponed due to the pandemic. With some of rock music’s most legitimate voices seeking Leslie out, it leaves no doubt the rarefied air she inhabits as an artist.

Leslie is supporting her most recent studio album ‘If You Can’t Say Anything Nice…,’ as well as a solo acoustic EP ‘In The Meantime,’ that was recorded during the 2020 lockdown. Described by Relix Magazine as an artist with “a loyal, cross-generational audience that hugs the hippie, hipster, coffee shop and society crowds,” Leslie’s timeless musicality and evocative songwriting indeed cuts a wide swath. All Music writes that Leslie evokes “1970s songwriter influences in the vein of Carole King and Carly Simon,” while The Aquarian calls her “the closest thing one can get to a truly honest musical experience.”

Award winning singer/songwriter Kim Moberg was born in Juneau, Alaska, the daughter of a classical pianist mother of Alaskan Native Tlingit descent and a US Coast Guard veteran father from Kansas. Music was the constant in Kim’s childhood, helping her to adjust to the frequent moves associated with growing up in a military family.

At the age of 14, Kim began playing acoustic guitar on a borrowed nylon 6 string. A few years later, Kim taught herself to strum and finger pick to her favorite songs by singer/songwriters of the 1970’s, but debilitating stage fright kept her from pursuing her own dream of becoming a professional performer.

Advance tickets are $17 for adults and $5 for those age 18 and under. Visit oldslooppresents.org, John Tarr Store in Rockport, or The Bookstore of Gloucester. Tickets will also be sold after the worship service October 22. The suggested contribution at the door is $22 for adults, $5 for those age 18 and under, and $44 for families.