About the Show

Join us at Swallow Hill Music on Saturday, October 26 at 8 pm as Denver-based songwriters Niki Tredinnick and Barry Osborne present an evening of Halloween songs, stories, and (not too) spooky fun!

In addition to performing their original songs about ghosts and goblins and devils and the like, they will also explore the season musically via traditional tunes and old-time ballads, as well as popular songs by more recent artists. Niki and Barry will also share creepy stories from their own lives and family stories. Audience members are encouraged to dress up in Halloween costumes, but come as you are, costumes are not required. Perhaps we’ll even have a costume contest.

While the show will not be too spooky, some of the songs may contain themes of an adult nature (think murder ballads), with content that might not be suitable for children under the age of 12.

Late October and early November is a time for many cultures to mark the final harvest season and commune with those who are no longer with us. In the United States, many of us associate this time with Halloween, but other celebrations like Día de los Muertos in Mexico, and All Saints & All Souls Days stemming from the Catholic faith, also mark times to remember and honor the dead. The Irish tradition of Samhain (pronounced Sow-in) marks this as the beginning of the darker half of the year, a time when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest.

The poet Brendan Kennelly once said,“All songs are living ghosts. And long for a living.” What better occasion, then, than Halloween to gather for songs and stories?

About Niki Tredinnick

Niki Tredinnick is a powerhouse songwriter, vocalist, and multi-instrumentalist. She is best known as fronting Denver’s The Dollhouse Thieves, a multi-instrumental project she started with her husband Luke Tredinnick, that blends elements of neo-rock with indie-folk, using jazz-influenced vocals and unconventional instruments such as accordion, clarinet, and trombone.

About Barry Osborne

Barry Osborne is a singer-songwriter, banjo player, and fabulist who performs solo, and with the indie folk band Distance Walk. His love of storytelling was nurtured early by his family, who brought him up on folktales, history, family lore, and a healthy dose of Star Wars. He discovered old-time folk music and ballads in college, which created a perfect marriage of storytelling and music that fires his imagination to this day.