Iris Dement at the ACA

On her transcendent new record, Workin’ On A World, Iris DeMent faces the modern world, with its climate catastrophe, pandemic illness, and epidemic of violence and social injustice. 

With an inimitable voice as John Prine described, “like you’ve heard, but not really,” and unforgettable melodies rooted in hymns, gospel, and old country music, her debut record Infamous Angel, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary, was recently named one of the “greatest country albums of all time” by Rolling Stone, and the two albums that followed, My Life and The Way I Should, were both nominated for GRAMMYs. From there, DeMent released three records on her own label, Flariella Records, the most recent of which, The Trackless Woods (2015), was hailed as “a quietly powerful triumph” by The Guardian. DeMent’s songs have also been featured in film (True Grit) and television (The Leftovers) and recorded by numerous artists. Fittingly, she received the Americana Music Trailblazer Award in 2017.

Catch her, opened by Pieta Brown, onstage at the Acadiana Center for the Arts this month as part of its "Allstars Series". 7:30 pm. Tickets start at $35. acadianacenterforthearts.org.