Friday, June 28, 2019

Gigi Love, Amtrak's Rails And Trails Troubadour

By Robert Cox


When it comes to long distance train trips, few people expect live entertainment on board. While this is the case, Gigi Love is considered a Rails and Trails Troubadour participating in a joint program between the National Park Service or NPS and Amtrak. For, the young singer songwriter often sings songs on-board different Amtrak routes.

Gigi's observation and experience in the parks is what gives the artist's songs a special meaning and message. For, it is during visits to the park in which Gigi pulls most inspiration for different songs. In fact, some of these songs now grace an album titled National Parks Centennial Songs.

The singer-songwriter once again visited a number of parks and wrote songs while on four different Amtrak excursions in the Summer and Fall of 2017. While visiting the parks, the artist once again wrote new material. Although, unlike past journeys, the singer-songwriter also performed at the National Parks as well as aboard different train routes across the country.

Love's songs are often honest, bluesy songs with a folk twist which describe the singer-songwriter's travels, dreams and vision quests. Most often, songs written and performed by the artist whether onboard a train or at a park, capture the attention of audiences by taking listeners on a musical journey. Born and raised in Texas, Gigi began singing at the age of 7, then by age 12 was performing in numerous Texas venues.

If Love's name sounds familiar, it could be from a performance at the closing of the Winter Olympics which was televised, or when opening for Dave Matthews at an Amphitheater at the Columbia River Gorge. After which, Freedom Zone, the same company which promotes Mountain Dew picked up Love who then toured Texas and areas west of the Mississippi. Following the tour, Gigi could often be heard on airways of local college and community based radio stations around the country.

The singer-songwriter debuted new work at the New England Regional Folk Alliance's Susan Wollenberg Folk DJ Showcase in 2016. Whereas, the artist has also toured alongside Utah Phillips' son, Kate McLeod, Duncan Phillips and others. In fact, one of Utah's songs, "Going Away, " performed by Love is now available on Pandora radio. Whereas, there are also a few videos on YouTube which provide a brief history and music by the artist.

Gigi has also graced the stage of a number of national folk festivals. The festivals at which Love has performed include Kate Wolf, Moab, Nedfest, Arise and Desert Rocks. Whereas, more recently, the singer songwriter has opened for the likes of Tim Reynolds, John Gorka and Christine Lavin.

Love's ultimate mission is to preserve the valuable resources found inside the National parks and the National Park system. For, while the singer-songwriter loves to write and perform, the ultimate goal is to protect the parks. If interested in supporting this mission, booking Love, or discovering more about the partnership between Amtrak and the National Park Service, check out the artist website at www dot gigilove dot com.




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