The Pocahontas Opera House will welcome Indie-folk duo Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno to its stage Saturday, September 17, at 7:30 p.m.
Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno’s self-titled record is old-soul roots music to its core. Though both are just out of college, the duo’s musical talents extend far beyond their years. Produced by Grammy-winning Cajun roots heavyweight Joel Savoy at his Louisiana studio, Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno (released March 12, 2021 on Free Dirt Records) is not some soulless collection of songs imitating previous masters of American music. Rather, the pair has responded to one of the darkest eras in American history with an album of stunning breadth and originality.
With mass protests, fires raging near their current home in the Pacific Northwest, and no prospect of touring anytime soon, it’s an aptly biting, bittersweet group of songs for an uncertain time. Yet, Leva and Calcagno balance this with a sense of optimism—a notion that at our most vulnerable we might emerge better humans because of it all, perhaps beginning with our own intimate relationships.
The pair fluidly meld this traditional backbone with fresh iconic melodies, expanded production, and the tightly wound vocal harmonies of Indie folk. It’s an artistic statement made from this moment but built to last.
Vivian Leva and Riley Calcagno follows Leva’s critically acclaimed 2018 debut, Time Is Everything, which garnered rave reviews from publications like Rolling Stone who said the album shone “a light on the past without giving up its place in the present.”
As young artists stepping into the spotlight during one of the most brutal periods in our history it’s clear they’ve built something that can last, something that speaks to our present time while reminding us of the best parts of where we came from.
Tickets for the Opera House performance are $10 for adults and free for anyone 17 years old and younger. Tickets are available at the 4th Avenue Gallery in Marlinton, pocahontasoperahouse.org and at the door the evening of the performance.
The Opera House Performance Series is presented with financial assistance through a grant from the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. Support is also provided by Pocahontas County Dramas, Fairs and Festivals, and the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Performances at the Opera House are informal, family-friendly, and open to all. The entrance and main seating are accessible to persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to attend; special accommodations can be arranged upon request. Admission is available at the door and in advance on our website. Seating is on a first come, first served basis.
