Folk Legends Kingston Trio Hit Central Oregon Coast April 12

Published 04/04/23 at 6:15 AM
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Newport, Oregon) - Back in the late 1950s, as the U.S. was slowly entering a new phase of awareness and the Civil Rights Movement was just starting, the time was ripe for a music genre to emerge and close up the ranks a bit. One of the main progenitors of that was the Kingston Trio, a three-man outfit that changed the musical landscape for a time and had an effect on social issues as well.

Now, the latest version of the influential group comes to the central Oregon coast on April 12 at the Newport Performing Arts Center, providing audiences with a nostalgic, even time machine-like journey into the folk-pop boom that erupted in the states at that integral period. They perform at 7 p.m.

The current members all have distinct connections to the original lineup. The three coming to the Oregon coast are Buddy Woodward, Mike Marvin, and Tim Gorelangton, sticking to the deep, folk heritage that comes with this iconic name. Still at the forefront are the acoustic guitars, banjos and those vocal harmonies.

The Kingston Trio shot to fame at the end of the '50s with the release of their eponymous first album and the hit “Tom Dooley.” Right off the bat the group snagged a Grammy, which was the first time there was a Country and Western Performance category in the awards. That record sold over three million copies, propelling them to a stardom that reached cultural phenomenon status. They quickly saw record-breaking concerts, enormous album sales in subsequent LP's, and even snagged the unique honor of having four LP's in the Billboard top ten all at the same time – a feat that hasn't been duplicated yet.

The Kingston Trio literally changed the course of pop music for a time. It opened the doors for a variety of other folk acts to become not just viable but all the rage. Among their seminal hits was “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” morphing quickly into a hippie movement anthem. It will be one of the big hits entertaining the Oregon coast audience.

With the original lineup lasting until '67, it consisted of Dave Guard, Bob Shane, and Nick Reynolds. After that, various others became the legendary band. The current lineup all have direct or nearly-direct links to the initial members. Marvin is the adopted son of founding member Nick Reynolds, who was also his musical mentor; Woodward performed with longtime trio member George Grove; and Gorelangton, a close friend since boyhood, is one of the few musicians outside the Trio who has recorded with Reynolds. The current members have had the license to the name since 2017.

The concert begins at 7pm on Wednesday, April 12th in the state-of-the-art Alice Silverman Theatre at Newport Performing Arts Center (777 W Olive Street). Tickets range from $50-$70 each when purchased by phone (541-265-2787) or in person at the box office (Tuesday-Friday, 10am – 5pm). Tickets can also be purchased online (additional service fee applies). For more information, or to check seat availability, visit www.coastarts.org/events/kingston-trio.

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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