COLUMBUS, Ohio — Shadowbox Live returns to the stage this weekend with “Evolutionaries: The Stories and Music of David Bowie and Prince."
For Matthew Hahn, the group’s music director and a lifelong Prince fan, it’s another opportunity to bring the music he loves to central Ohio audiences.
"When I was a kid, I delivered the Columbus Citizen-Journal in Columbus on a bicycle," explained Hahn, "and one of the first albums that I bought with my paper route money was 'Purple Rain' and I listened to that album nonstop."
Though he would have loved to have selected more obscure personal favorites, Hahn made sure to pick 11 hits from each of the artists that are sure to be audience favorites.
"We had a lot of trouble whittling it down to two hours because there's just so much great material," said Hahn.
Hahn joined Shadowbox in 1990 as a sophomore in high school when the group was performing in a warehouse in what is now the Arena District. He has been part of all of the organization's growth and change through the years.
One thing that has been constant, however, is the love that Shadowbox has felt from their audiences.
"Just the embrace that we get from our audience is - I'm incredulously grateful to get to do this in Columbus, OH," said Hahn. "I'm so honored that people come to see us do what we do. It's a really wonderful feeling and rewarding and I'm grateful to be a part of just the arts community in Columbus. It's just a great place to live and make art, for sure."
Shadowbox Live’s “Evolutionaries: The Stories and Music of David Bowie and Prince” runs through Aug. 11. For showtimes and ticket information, visit their website: https://shadowboxlive.org/.