Stephen Kellogg to bring Americana to M-Shop

Stephen Kellogg will bring his take on americana to the M-Shop on Friday at 9 p.m. at the M-Shop.

Courtesy of SUB

Stephen Kellogg will bring his take on americana to the M-Shop on Friday at 9 p.m. at the M-Shop.

Parker Reed

Massachusetts-based singer-songwriter Stephen Kellogg will bring his blend of Americana and folk-rock to the Maintenance Shop at 9 p.m. Friday.

Tickets are $10 with a student ID and $15 for the public, with a $2 increase the day of the show. Tickets can be purchased at the M-Shop box office or online via Midwestix.

Kellogg has shared the stage with acts like Train, Sugarland, Josh Ritter and O.A.R., who he co-wrote a song (“Irish Rose”) with for their 2011 album, “King.”

“So I’m sitting in the [San Diego] airport and this guy comes up behind me and he’s like, ‘Hey Stephen, big fan.’ I turn around, it’s [from O.A.R.],” Kellogg said. “And as it turns out, the airline has our seats right next to each other.”

Kellogg went on to play a series of demos he had recorded for Roberge, who in turn gave him the idea for his most recent album, “South, West, North, East,” which was released on Feb. 12.

“[Roberge] said, ‘Man, you should do a series of short albums to showcase the different things you do.’ And he was thinking about the seasons [as a theme], but I was like ‘I don’t know, I’ve done that before,’” Kellogg said. “But the more I thought about that … I came up with the idea for ‘South, West, North, East.’”

The album was recorded in a variety of locations to reflect the musical style of the titular locations. The album’s “West” section was recorded in a barn in Colorado and features a western small town feel, while the “North” section was recorded in a cabin in Woodstock, N.Y., and has more of an indie-rock feel.

“[Kellogg] uses a lot of instrumentation in his music, which I appreciate,” said Aaron Hudson, sophomore in computer engineering. “It creates a full sound that’s interesting and really pleasing to listen to.”

Kellogg’s first mainstream musical endeavor began when he founded Stephen Kellogg and the Sixers in 2003. While The Sixers ultimately went on hiatus beginning in 2012, Kellogg has been touring solo ever since, with members of his former band filling in from time to time.

“I think [Kellogg] is a great performer and will make for a fun show,” said Jonathan Laczniak, co-director of the Maintenance Shop. “He performed [at the M-Shop] in 2013, so I think he enjoys the venue.”

Singer-songwriter Liz Longley will open the show.

Longley moved around multiple cities after graduating from the Berklee College of Music before settling in Nashville, Tenn., to record her self-titled album.

The album’s Kickstarter goal of $35,000 was exceeded, ending with a total of $55,000 donated.

Longley will join Kellogg on the road for the remainder of his tour, ending Feb. 27 in Portland, Maine.

For more information, visit the M-Shop website and the SUB website.