Kim Baker

For Immediate Release on September 22, 2008
Rosanne Brouette, UpMarket Publicity
Tel: (925) 285-6812; Email: rbrouette@yahoo.com

SF Bay Area “Rocker with Heart” Hosts Charity Rock Concert at The Little Fox Theater to Benefit Larkin Street Youth Services of San Francisco.

In an age of American Idol and the pursuit of instant celebrity, SF Bay Area indie rocker Kim Baker personifies a “rocker with heart,” a singer, songwriter, musician, who is about the joy of giving music---the message, the music, the money---to highlight important charitable causes.

In the past year, Baker has dedicated herself to doing a benefit charity concert every time she performs. This time, it’s for the Larkin Street Youth Services of San Francisco, a non-profit that provides housing, meals, medical, social and educational services to at-risk homeless and runaway youth aged 12-24. This special concert will take place at The Little Fox Theater on Thursday, October 9 at 8 p.m.

As a special treat, fifty (50) young adults, staff, and volunteers of Larkin Street Youth Services will be treated to this concert performance and a pre-party reception, and be escorted by limo, courtesy of Think Escape Limos of SF.

“Music is about love, expression and giving from your heart to lift up the spirits of our family, friends and neighbors, as well as our extended world community,” says Baker. “I believe it is my responsibility to use my musical talents to not only give a voice, but also, share the spotlight and my concert proceeds, to those in my community who need it.”

Tickets to the Kim Baker Concert to benefit Larkin Street Youth Services of SF are available for $ 12.00 in advance by going to www.FoxDream.com or by visiting www.KimBaker.com. Donations will also be accepted the evening of the concert from 8 p.m. – 10: 30 p.m.

About Larkin Street Youth Services:
Founded in 1984, San Francisco’s Larkin Street Youth Services is a globally-recognized leader providing innovative and effective solutions to at-risk homeless and runaway youth ages 12-24 across 24 programs and 13 sites. Seventy six percent of youth who participate in the full continuum of services at Larkin Street exit street life. For more information, please visit www.larkinstreetyouth.org.


Kim Baker’s Bio:
Kim Baker makes her musicianship and songwriting accessible to the masses with her melodic and acoustic guitar-rooted songs. Her voice and songwriting style have been compared to such greats as Chrissie Hynde (of the Pretenders) and Melissa Etheridge. "Rising Tide," Baker's latest release on Earthwater Records was recorded with seven-time Grammy nominated producer Cookie Marenco at the helm, and features the seamless blending of an eclectic array of songs best described as "thoughtful acoustic rock." The sound is a combination of honest and insightful lyrics delivered in a driving, folk-rock package. The album also features stellar performances by Kenny Aronoff (Melissa Etheridge, John Mellencamp) on drums, Myron Dove (Santana) on bass and Stef Burns (Huey Lewis and the News) on lead guitar. Baker planned two national tours in support of "Rising Tide," and has performed at premier venues throughout the Bay Area, including the Great American Music Hall, The Little Fox Theater and San Francisco's historic Fillmore Auditorium. Baker has been written up in numerous publications, including the Chicago Tribune, Mediaweek Magazine and the LA Times.

Baker grew up in southern California and took interest in music at an early age. She learned to play the piano at age 8 and began playing guitar and writing songs in high school. By age 15, she had committed herself seriously to a future in music, and at age 18 departed for Mills College in Oakland, CA where she earned a degree in music. Within a year of her graduation, and after finishing an internship at Polygram Group Distribution, Baker founded Earthwater Records, and began to perform music professionally. Sean Lineweaver of WHFC Baltimore radio has been spinning Baker's music since 1998 and considers Baker well on her way to national recognition. He raves, "Kim Baker is one of Crossroads favorite new talents. Songs like 'Promised Land' and 'Encircled by Angels' are just proof of her outstanding talent as a songwriter." - Rosanne Brouette, UpMarket Publicity

ROCKTALK ~ LA Times
"Moving to the Next Level"
Folk singer hopes to engender a rock following during her U.S. tour, which starts in Ventura.

By BILL LOCEY, Special to The LA Times

She wants to rock, but for now, Kim Baker is a folk singer who has a million songs about relationships or the lack of the same. She and her backup singer, Krista Enos, will kick off the Rock Star 101 Tour with a gig at Cafe Voltaire in Ventura tonight.

The tall singer-songwriter moved from L.A. to the Bay Area to go to school and ended up staying there with all those Giants fans. Baker has two albums currently out, "On Her Dream," and "Rising Tide." She has fans, too. During her last visit to Ventura several months ago, a carload of them followed her down from the Bay Area. Baker stopped packing for her big tour long enough to chat about the latest.

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So what's the deal on this tour?
We're going everywhere, and Ventura is the first stop. We're going across the country to the East Coast and heading as far north as Portland, Maine. The whole thing is going to be sort of a test for us. We want to choose three territories in the country that we like, and then keep going back to those areas. When we return, I'll begin work on our new album.

How's the Bay Area music scene?
Oh, it's great, but I'm actually looking forward to getting away from it for a short while. I love to travel. Lots of people come to see you at certain clubs, but I want to take it to the next level. I'm ready for the next step, and I think, you can only do that by consistently touring. You have to develop a strong fan base.

Is it a bad thing to be called a folkie?
No, not at all. It's good, and I'll certainly know more about the folk scene when we get back from this tour, because we're playing at three folk festivals. Right now, I'm a folk musician at heart, but I also want to be a rock musician. I want to have a solid drummer and a lead guitar player, but it's hard to find people who are willing to tour day in and day out. My ultimate goal is to have enough fans and enough money to hire some musicians and start playing at bigger clubs throughout the country and the world.

What's the difference between playing a coffeehouse and a bar?
At a coffeehouse people tend to listen more to the subtle nuances of the music, while at a bar, there tends to be more people drinking and partying. It's definitely hard to play in a loud bar if you're a folk musician.

Who goes to a Kim Baker show?
I get various types of fans. I've made a lot of friends with people I've met and then ended up spending time with. Once, when I played the Genghis Cantina in L.A., a caravan of people came down from the Bay Area, so I've made a lot of loyal fans, and am very grateful. Hopefully each fan I make will tell a dozen more.

What do you think your music sounds like?
I usually say it's acoustic rock, but I am starting to play more on my electric guitar too.

If you weren't doing this, what would you be doing?
All I can think of doing is music. I really can't think about anything else because there really isn't any other option for me. I worked full time to make enough money to do this tour. Music is definitely a lot of hard work--I think I spend 90% of my time on the phone or the Internet instead of playing my guitar, but it is well worth it. I love what I do.

Do bad relationships make for good songs?
Yes, they do, although I'm trying to move away from that and write songs that tell stories which reflect the complexities of life from other people's perspectives. Right now, I have at least three full hours of music, all originals.

So for now the plan is tour, tour, tour. Money, money, money. Rock, rock, rock?
That's it.


Ventura County Edition
Section: Calendar
ID: 0980056566
Words: 765
Byline: BILL LOCEY
SPECIAL TO THE LA TIMES - LA Times