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UPCOMING SHOWS

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WOMEN’S EXHIBIT SPEAKER SERIES

Songs and Stories from the Great Women's Movement in Champaign-Urbana, 1973-1983.

Champaign-Urbana was home of great activism and activity on behalf of women's rights in the decade between 1973-1983. There were ERA rallies, a rape crisis center, a women's escort service to take women home safely after parties and events, and groups from the Abortion Rights Coalition to Gay Illini to Housewives for ERA. Kristin Lems, singer-songwriter and founder of the National Women's Music Festival, will share songs and stories from those days along with precious (to her!) artifacts including t-shirts, posters, and buttons. Be sure to visit our special exhibit, How Long Must Women Wait? Woman Suffrage and Women’s Rights in Champaign County, and learn about this era and other leading ladies in history!

Focus of this year's variety show, in which Kristin will have a short set, is the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage, the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, and the 50th anniversary of the Student Strikes around the War in Vietnam, as well as the role that music played in these movements. All proceeds go to help fund the Woodstock Folk Festival.

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Kristin sings for you...

You, Me, and All of the Above

Kristin Lems

"Brilliant and funny," with lush, rich arrangements, Kristin's new songs range from guinea hens to a Chicago pirate, from Chilean miners to the universal plea, "Who Knows Where my Money Goes?" Enjoy world-class songs with LA production!

Kristin Lems has been writing and performing songs that have become "classics" over time, and You, Me, and All

"Brilliant and funny," with lush, rich arrangements, Kristin's new songs range from guinea hens to a Chicago pirate, from Chilean miners to the universal plea, "Who Knows Where my Money Goes?" Enjoy world-class songs with LA production!

Kristin Lems has been writing and performing songs that have become "classics" over time, and You, Me, and All of the Above will add to that legacy. She started singing during the "folk revival" and has continued over several decades, bringing her signature warmth and energy to both the stage and her 7 previous recordings.

*for lyrics, credits, and notes, hover over each song until "lyrics" appears, then click on it.

Kristin's songs were "instant anthems" and consciousness-raisers for thousands during the 1970's and 1980's, in events for women's rights, safe energy, racial equality, and related issues. Her songs made national airplay and found their way into documentaries and songbooks. Meanwhile, Kristin performed in venues in and around the Midwest, from street corners to elegant auditoriums. She has shared the stage with many luminaries, including Captain Jacques Cousteau, Gloria Steinem, Alan Alda, and Betty Ford, and musicians including Dan Fogelberg, Peter Paul and Mary, Holly Near, Simon Townshend, and many others. Her performances are known as energizing and witty, and her performances on guitar, piano, and autoharp highlight her musical skills and background.

Kristin founded the National Women's Music Festival in 1974, while living in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois, and was a prime organizer for the first five years. The Festival is in its fortieth year now, and Kristin has been invited to come to it to open the 2015 Festival in Middleton, Wisconsin. Her new album, You, Me and All of the Above, will be released there.

Kristin has taught English as a Second Language in several foreign countries and has learned songs of those countries, which are part of her repertoire. In particular, teaching ESL for a year in Iran gave her the opportunity to sing in Persian and take an interest in human rights and democracy in Iran. She also sings in Spanish, French and several other languages.

Kristin also sings for children, and her first album for children, Sharing, is a family favorite. She has sung for daycare centers, preschools, and in early childhood settings, with a variety of fun, funny songs. "I sing where people are," she affirms.

Based in Chicago, Kristin sings outside the Midwest for conferences, festivals, and occasionally for individual venues.

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