EARLVILLE — A musical force equipped with the soulful vocals of Janis and the guitar slinging skills of Stevie Ray, Carolyn Wonderland reaches into the depths of the Texas blues tradition with the wit of a poet. She hits the stage with unmatched presence, a true legend in her time. Earlville Opera House is thrilled to present Carolyn live on our historic Main Stage on Friday, April 21, at 7 p.m.

Carolyn grew up the child of a singer in a band and began playing her mother’s vintage Martin guitar when other girls were dressing dolls. She’d gone from being the teenage toast of her hometown Houston to sleeping in her van in Austin amid heaps of critical acclaim for fine recordings.

Along with the guitar and the multitude of other instruments she learned to play – trumpet, accordion, piano, mandolin, lap steel – Wonderland’s ability to whistle remains most unusual. Whistling is a uniquely vocal art seldom invoked in modern music, yet it’s among the most spectacular talents the human voice possesses.

That vocal proficiency was well-established in the singer’s mid-teens, landing her gigs at Fitzgerald’s by age 15. She absorbed Houston influences like Little Screamin’ Kenny, Albert Collins, Lavelle White, Jerry Lightfoot, Joe “Guitar” Hughes, Little Joe Washington, and “borrowed” a car to sneak out and jam, ending up swapping songs with Townes Van Zandt at Houston’s Local’s on White Oak, got involved in the underground theater scene, becoming the first “Photochick” in Jason Nodler’s “In the Under Thunderloo," and soaked up touring bands like the Paladins, Los Lobos, and the Mad Hatter of Texas music, Doug Sahm.

In addition to Carolyn’s angelic voice, which can turn into “a class 5 hurricane all within the drop of a hat," she has won numerous awards, most recently being honored at the Austin Music Awards with Best Blues Band and Best Guitarist. Wow, don’t miss experiencing Carolyn Wonderland live at the EOH!

Tickets for this power-packed blues show are $40 general admission and $36 for members (become a member!), with college students receiving half off general admission. Youth 17 and under are always $10. Premiums apply to the first four rows.

Thank you to our current show sponsors: R.C. Smith Foundation, Preferred Mutual Insurance Company, Sidney Federal Credit Union, Hamilton Community Chest and NBT Bank. Special thanks to our hospitality sponsor Poolville Country Store and B&B, Poolville, NY.




Earlville Opera House Arts Center is located at 18 East Main Street in the charming Village of Earlville, NY and is handicap accessible. Masks optional. Please check our website for the latest COVID protocols and for information on our programs and services, also like us on Facebook and Instagram!

Events are made possible, in part, with public funds from New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor of New York and the New York State Legislature, and through the generosity of EOH members.

- Information provided by the EOH