Park Hall concert

Shawndell Marks, area vocalist and pianist, will perform a Holiday Concert at 7 p.m. on December 4 at historic Park Hall (aka Free Thinkers Hall). Tickets are $15 for adults; $10 for students and will be sold at the door. All profits will go to the Free Congregation of Sauk County Historic Restoration Project. Marks grew up singing in church, at family reunions and in the back seat of the family car while harmonizing with her mother. As a teen, she performed Patsy Cline’s beloved “Crazy” nightly at the Wisconsin Opry in Wisconsin Dells and later with an Elvis impersonator who sweated profusely. While studying music at UW-Madison, she played and sang with the classic rock and country band Thunder Road at bars & festivals throughout the state, opening for acts such as George Jones & the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. She now fronts her own original band and is involved with several Madison area projects including Girls Rock Camp, Gin, Chocolate & Bottle Rockets, Gold Dust Women, and various studio ventures. Shawndell has been nominated for 15+ Madison area music awards, including Vocalist of the Year, Best Cover Band with Gold Dust Women, and Vocal Ensemble of the year with Gin, Chocolate & Bottle Rockets. Marks has recently released her fifth album, Punk Ballads, piano ballad interpretations of punk songs from bands like Black Flag and The Cure. She lives in Baraboo with her teenage daughter and sometimes in the hills of Roxbury with her partner. She is currently a student at UW-Green Bay with plans of continuing her education to earn a Master’s degree in Music Therapy.