The Hope College Concert Series will feature William Fitzsimmons on Friday, Sept. 4, at 7:30 p.m. at the Knickerbocker Theatre in downtown Holland.
Admission is free with a Hope College ID, and tickets will cost $10 for the general public.
William Fitzsimmons grew up outside of Pittsburgh in a home with two blind parents. The result was a childhood immersed in a much more sonically emphasized environment than the typical American household. Being surrounded by instruments and timeless folk artists set the foundation for Fitzsimmons's songwriting.
As Fitzsimmons's Web site reports, "William draws from those early folks stylings of his mother's music, and the embellished instrumentation of his father's. He is often compared to contemporaries Sufjan Stevens, Iron & Wine, and the late Elliott Smith, not only for his unique style and skill in writing and proclivity to deal with substantive and evocative subject matter, but also for his use of organic and colorful melodies and arrangements..."
Fitzsimmons draws not only from his musical past but also his relational past to create his music. For example, his 2008 album "The Sparrow and the Crow" was written about and following his own divorce. Mark Jenkins of the "Washington Post" called "The Sparrow and the Crow" a "doleful but delicately lovely album," noting that the song "Just Not Each Other" "struggles about as far toward acceptance as the Pittsburgh-bred singer-songwriter can get."
Fitzsimmons has received mention in noted publications such as "Billboard," "Paste Magazine" and "Performing Songwriter Magazine." His music has been featured on a variety of television programs, including "Grey's Anatomy" and "Army Wives."
Opening the night will be special guests and Hope College act, Philip & Trixie, led by Jonathan Ytterock.
Tickets are on sale at the ticket office in the main lobby of the DeVos Fieldhouse, which is open weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and can be called at (616) 395-7890. Any remaining tickets will be sold at the door.
The DeVos Fieldhouse is located at 222 Fairbanks Ave., between Ninth and 11th streets. The Knickerbocker Theatre is located at 86 E. Eighth St.
The doors at the Knickerbocker will open at 7 p.m. on the night of the concert.