Rhiannon Giddens PAC Performance

George Caldwell ’24

News Editor

On March 13th, the College of the Holy Cross hosted multi-instrumentalist Rhiannon Giddens at the Prior Performing Arts Center. Giddens has recently been in the national spotlight, as she played banjo on Beyoncé’s hit song “TEXAS HOLD ‘EM.” The PAC’s 400 seat Luth Concert Hall was filled for the event. Most of the attendees were not part of the campus community, coming to hear Giddens’ eclectic mixture of American musical forms such as blues, bluegrass, creole music, soul, rap, and rock. 

To open the show, Charly Lowry, a musician from Pembroke, North Carolina took the stage to play a solo set. Lowry began by playing a drum while singing an original song. The musician had a remarkable ability to stay in time and in  key without any accompaniment, demonstrating her great vocal range and virtuosity. Later, Lowry explained how the fact that she grew up in North Carolina as a member of the indigenous Lumbee people has greatly influenced her music. Lowry spoke of her experiences as a student at UNC Chapel Hill, where many of her peers were awed at her native American ancestry and could not believe that there were indigenous communities just an hour and a half away from campus. Charly Lowry’s set electrified the audience and provided a fitting prelude to an exciting night of music.

After Lowry’s set, Giddens took the stage. Throughout the night, Giddens played both the banjo and the violin, navigating her way through various musical styles. An entertaining part of the show was the fact that each member of Giddens’ band was given an opportunity to showcase their own abilities. For example, Giddens’ guitarist Dirk Powell started out the show awing the audience with his facility on the electric guitar, but later was given the opportunity to play some of the Creole music which he had learned from fellow musicians near his home in Louisiana. Powell sang these traditional Creole songs while playing the accordion. Later, Powell accompanied  Giddens on the fiddle while they played a medley of traditional songs from her home state of North Carolina. According to Powell’s  website, “He has toured and recorded with musicians such as Joan Baez, Rhiannon Giddens, Eric Clapton, Buddy Miller, Loretta Lynn, and Levon Helm.” 

Another musician who received the spotlight was Niwel Tsumbu, a guitarist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who took center stage and sang one of his own songs. Tsumbu has a major online presence, with over 160,000 on his Instagram account where he releases guitar lessons and videos to the general public. Francesco Turrisi, the keyboard player also showcased his accordion abilities later in the set. Being able to see each member of the band fully express themselves on a song of their choice was a wonderful surprise for the audience.

Throughout the night, Giddens displayed  great stage presence, cracking jokes and showing a relaxed demeanor. At different points in the show, Giddens would share her opinions on the artificiality of genre distinctions, as well as how music can serve as a uniting force in the midst of political chaos. Giddens provided the Holy Cross community and visitors to the campus with a welcome break from everyday life. The fact that the College brought these world class musicians to campus shows its commitment to making the PAC an active performing space where the wider Worcester community can enjoy the performances of influential artists.