‘Troubadour Thursdays’ & its musical tour returns to downtown restaurant patios

Last year, Fox Tucson Theatre and the Downtown Tucson Partnership (DTP) kicked off its “Troubadour Thursdays” — a Downtown Patio Tour — to bring back live music downtown. It was a hit and folks enjoyed the sounds while eating at their favorite local restaurants.

Now, the performances are coming back for a sophomore release.

Beginning on Thursday, April 7, Troubadour Thursdays is once again launching its weekly musical patio tour along with the addition of some great new patios and restaurants in the area.

“The perfect recipe really: Tucson food, outdoor seating, tunes drifting in the breeze,” said Bonnie Schock, Executive Director of the Fox Tucson Theatre. “We’re so delighted to bring this project back to downtown for all to enjoy.”

Here’s how it works

Each Thursday in April, different music duos will make their way through downtown, stopping to perform in front of eight restaurants and bars during specific times.

Musical Tour Schedule each Thursday

• The Monica, from 5 – 5:25 p.m.
• Batch and Ten55 Brewing Company from 5:30 – 5:55 p.m.
• The Delta from 6:05 – 6:30 p.m.
• Charro Steak and Del Rey from 6:40 – 7:25 p.m.
• Perche’ No from 7:35 – 8 p.m.

Of course, all of these times are approximate so just keep an ear out for when the music starts. Also, you’re more than welcome to follow the music performances around all evening if you’d fancy doing so.

“DTP is excited to once again partner with the Fox for Troubadour Thursdays,” said Kathleen Eriksen, President and CEO of the Downtown Tucson Partnership. “The series will be hosted at some of our newest downtown restaurants. This is a not-to-miss spring event for the community and visitors alike.”

Troubadour Thursdays Musical Talent

Naim Amor

Thursday, April 7

“Naim Amor is a French native who grew up in Paris, but in many ways is quintessentially Tucson, having helped define the sound of the Tucson music scene since the mid ’90s. He has released several albums under his own name, and he has played guitar on tour with Howe Gelb, collaborated with John Parish, and performed as a guest guitarist on albums by Dean Owens, Fredda, Howe Gelb, Marianne Dissard, Andrew Colberg, Al Foul and among others. He also composes film/short film soundtracks including the musical score for the award-winning PBS documentary film Precious Knowledge.”

Birds and Arrows

Thursday, April 14

“Originally from Chapel Hill, NC, Andrea and Pete Connolly of Birds and Arrows have been making music together for more than 15 years, and this familiarity and cohesion certainly shows. Performing live their sound makes them seem much larger than a duo as they churn out music that can jump from personal ballads to psychedelic rock. Over the past 10 years, Birds and Arrows have released 4 full-length records, “Starmaker” in 2008, ‘We’re Gonna Run’ in 2009, ‘Coyotes’ in 2013, and ‘Edge of Everything’ in 2015. During that time, they also released a holiday EP ‘Holiday Forever’ from which, songs have been featured on compilations with Wilco, Big Star, Yo La Tengo, Whiskeytown, and more. After many years spent as an integral part of the NC triangle music scene, the band recently relocated to the southwest.”

Photo courtesy of Batch on Facebook

Nico Barbaren

Thursday, April 21

“Nico Barberan is an eclectic guitarist, singer, and composer born and raised in Santiago, Chile. After earning a bachelor’s degree in music in Chile, Nico Barberan moved to Chicago, US, to immerse himself in the city’s diverse music scene, and completed a master’s degree in classical guitar. Since then, his musical career has taken him to step on important stages and festivals in states such as Tennessee (Nashville), Illinois (Chicago), Milwaukee (Wisconsin), Cedar Rapids (Iowa), Michigan City (Indiana), Phoenix, and Tucson (Arizona). Also, his international career has reached stages in Chile (Santiago and Concepcion), Mexico (Huatulco and Mexico City), and Colombia (Popayan).”

Olivia Reardon

Thursday, April 28

“Olivia Reardon is a pinch of Erykah soul, a drop of the gospel-tinged blues of The Black Crowes, and a bit of everything else that has shaped good music over the years. She’s like a great mixtape. Miss Olivia offers phenomenal musicianship with the forte focusing on the art of variation; she leans into deep and soulful original tunes with jazz tendencies that often stretch song formats allowing her a lot of room for spontaneous creativity. Getting her early start in Los Angeles, Slash invited Miss Olivia to sit in with his Guns N’ Roses bandmates- which led to more bookings. This went on for a decade before she decided Tucson was where she wanted to build her band, Miss Olivia and The Interlopers.”

For more information about Troubadour Thursdays, visit foxtucson.com.