Crys Matthews, Social Justice Music-Maker with Sug Daniels + Justice Art Show

$20 online, $25 at the door

Crys Matthews

Already being hailed as “the next Woody Guthrie,” Nashville resident Crys Matthews is among the
brightest stars of the new generation of social justice music-makers. A powerful lyricist whose songs of
compassionate dissent reflect her lived experience as what she lightheartedly calls “the poster child for
intersectionality,” Justin Hiltner of Bluegrass Situation called Matthews’s gift “a reminder of what
beauty can occur when we bridge those divides.” She is made for these times and, with the release of
her new, hope-fueled, love-filled social justice album Changemakers, Matthews hopes to take her
place alongside some of her heroes in the world of social-justice music like Sweet Honey in the Rock
and Holly Near. Of Matthews, ASCAP VP & Creative Director Eric Philbrook says, “By wrapping honest
emotions around her socially conscious messages and dynamically delivering them with a warm heart
and a strong voice, she lifts our spirits just when we need it most in these troubled times.”
Matthews began performing in 2010 but cemented her acclaim at Lincoln Center as the 2017 NewSong
Music and Performance Competition grand prize winner. That year she also released two new projects
— her album of thoughtful songs on love and life called The Imagineers, and her EP called Battle Hymn
for an Army of Lovers, which tackles social justice themes. Matthews also won the People’s Music
Network’s Social Justice Songs contest at the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance. Loyal fans quickly
followed as Matthews racked up performances at large music festivals and prestigious venues across
the country including the Sundance Film Festival, Kerrville Folk Festival, and locally at venues like The
Birchmere, The Hamilton, Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center, and Jammin’ Java. In her TedTalk
about difficult conversations called “Sing, Don’t Shout — An Alternative Approach” Matthews spoke
about being born and raised in a small town in southeastern North Carolina by an A.M.E. preacher, and
how she witnessed the power of music from an early age. A former drum major and classically trained
clarinetist turned folk singer, Matthews is using her voice to answer Dr. Martin Luther King’s call to be
“a drum major for justice.”
“I believe in hope,” Matthews said. “As a social-justice songwriter, it is my duty to keep breathing that
hope and encouragement into the people who listen to my music.” And, from the title track to the last
track, Changemakers does just that all while tackling some heavy topics like immigration, the opioid
crisis, Black Lives Matter, and gun safety to name a few. “Ani DiFranco said, “People used to make
records as in a record of an event,”” said Matthews, “so I hope that these songs will serve as a time
capsule, a record of the events of the last four years and what it was like to live through them.” Crys
Matthews’s thoughtful, realistic, and emotional songs speak to the voice of our generation and remind
us why music indeed soothes the soul.

https://www.crysmatthews.com/

https://www.instagram.com/crysmatthews

Sug Daniels

Sug Daniels is a Delaware born, Philadelphia based, singer-songwriter, story teller, and producer who is using the tools around her to capture the emotions of an era. Daniels’ work is as colorful, vulnerable, and charismatic as her personality. She thoughtfully combines elements of folk, rock, and soul alternatives to create personal and tender music interlaced with messages of truth and positive change.

Sug Daniels Social:

https://www.sugdaniels.com/

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Art Show Doors Open 6pm

There are many ways to work for justice.   Tonight will be about song and art.

Come early to check out the incredible art on The Fallser Club walls and meet the artists.  The show will remain up through October 16th.

Tiff Davis – American Queen TJD

Philadelphia-based artist American Queen TJD aka TIFF Davis is best known for her vibrant abstract paintings highlighting a set of words painted on top of crowns that sit above a human bust-like object.TIFF introduces a complex vision of what it means to treat your thoughts like you would a gold crown. She believes that we all must remember to fix or adjust our own crown from time to time. Her mission is to spread positive energy, hope, and motivation through art.

By creating these paintings she is sending a message about how important it is for every individual to nurture themselves by holding their own thoughts or dreams up on pedestals. Her work also stems from her own experiences and the world around her. Her most recent artwork takes a critical view of social, cultural and interpersonal issues. Some of her artistic inspirations are Basquiat, Pollock, Haring, Warhol, Picasso, RGB, Nina Simone, old Kanye, and Lauryn Hill.

@americanqueentjd

UNAPXLXGETIC

UNAPXLXGETIC is a Conscious Creator. He creates to Heal, Nurture and Cultivate a prosperous Afro-Human mentality through mindful colors. His artworks are creative, thoughtful & expressive. He strives to Educate, Elevate, and Inspire progressive conversations throughout his work.

unadesign.co

instagrtam @unapxlxgetic

Berlin

“Berlin…! Explores the mind through what he calls Psychological Popstract (Pop art/abstract). His purpose as an artist is to shed light on our mental health and to capture the clashing romance between color psychology and our emotional intelligence, thus delivering more awareness to our self-reflective prowess. Beyond many colors, pink is a common motif he uses to represent self-love and the connection between the heart and brain. His ghoulish Glum Glums, usually identified as black and white zombies, are representations of our negative emotions and society’s oppressions which feed on our color, serving as a result of our self-deprivation. Berlin…!’s goal as an artist is to empower the world through his use of vulnerability and self-analysis, and to help design a world beyond society’s traditional boundaries with creative expression through mediums in art, music and poetry. He is native to Newport News, VA, and currently resides in Philadelphia, PA.”

https://www.instagram.com/dotdotdotart/

Jovace L. Nelson

Jovace L. Nelson is a dynamic artist from Philadelphia, celebrated for his compelling blend
of architectural design and fine art. With a foundation in business management and design
from Penn State, his work explores the intersections of structure, space, and emotion.
Featured in the Philadelphia Museum of Art and in the spring of 2025 the Philadelphia
Airport, his pieces invite viewers into a world of layered meaning and thoughtful
composition. A lifelong Philadelphian, his artistic journey is rooted in the city’s rich culture
and history, with each piece reflecting his deep connection to his hometown.

https://www.instagram.com/jovace

https://www.vacetime.com/