Jim Messina heading to Newton Theatre

NEWTON — The Newton Theatre presents Jim Messina on Saturday, Oct. 7, at 8 p.m.
Tickets for Jim Messina will go on sale to the general public on Friday, June 16, at 10 a.m. Tickets range from $34 to $49 and may be purchased by visiting www.thenewtontheatre.com or contacting the Box Office at 973-383-3700.
As one half of Loggins & Messina, co-founder of country-rock band Poco, member and key contributor to Buffalo Springfield, Jim Messina has left an indelible footprint on popular music. Jim produced, engineered, and composed much of the Loggins & Messina, Poco and Buffalo Springfield albums.
Jim Messina’s consummate legacy of musical prowess spans five decades, three acclaimed rock super groups, a vibrant solo career, and a dizzying array of game ‐ changing production credits, including the Doors, Lee Michaels, and Herb Alpert. He is an indisputable expert in the fine art of making hit music.
After the mid‐60s, while acting as producer and recording engineer for Buffalo Springfield, Messina joined the temperamental band as bassist. After Buffalo Springfield split up in 1968, Messina’s friendship with group founder Richie Furay led to the creation of Poco. Jim switched to playing lead guitar, and the band went on to define a new musical genre that came to be known as country‐rock. After two studio and one live album with Poco, Messina chose to leave the group and devote his time to record producing. That fateful decision led to his 1971 collaboration with newcomer Kenny Loggins. The resulting duo, Loggins and Messina, went on to record nine albums over a period of seven years, producing many hits (Angry Eyes, Your Mama Don’t Dance, Danny’s Song, Vahevala, House at Pooh Corner) and selling over 20 million albums domestically.
“Poco had been some real good-time music,” reflects Messina. “Loggins & Messina just took that a step further and made it more sophisticated and attainable. Through the years, the Loggins & Messina period yielded the stuff I’m most proud of.”
During the 1980s, Messina released three solo albums, as well as recording and touring with the original Poco for its 1989 reunion album Legacy, and two highly successful reunion tours for Loggins and Messina in 2005 and 2009.
After a series of acclaimed solo acoustic tours, Messina has now formed a dynamic new band which features selected hits from all three of his past bands, as well as some new material. With this band and a new album in the works, Messina says, he’s enjoying discovering who he is, where he’s been, and most significantly, where he’s going – all worthy destinations to be revered and celebrated.
The historic Newton Theatre, located at 234 Spring Street in Newton, NJ, was founded in 1924. Revitalized and fully renovated, Sussex County’s premier entertainment venue reopened in 2011 as a 605 seat capacity live performing arts center. With it’s rich history and diverse programming The Newton Theatre is essential to the buoyancy of New Jersey’s Skylands region. More information about The Newton Theatre may be found by calling 973-383-3700 or by visiting its website at www.TheNewtonTheatre.com.