Indigo Girls come to Sheboygan on Earth Day, April 22

The Indigo Girls will be performing at the Stefanie H. Weill Center for the Performing Arts in Sheboygan at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 22. The Weill Center presents this special performance in recognition of Earth Day.

The Indigo Girls are Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, who hit the national scene in 1988. They met while in elementary school near Decatur, Ga., and began performing together in high school. They each went to different colleges but stayed in close communication and after college they united as the Indigo Girls.

They reached international praise with the release of their self-titled album Indigo Girls in 1988 and in 1990, they won the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. They were also nominated for Best New Artist, but lost to Milli Vanilli, who eventually had the award revoked.

Their second album, Nomads Indians Saints, went gold in December 1991 and contained the hit song “Hammer and a Nail,” a No. 12 modern rock track; it was not as successful as their first, which was certified platinum at about the same time.

The Indigo Girls followed it with the live Back on the Bus, Y'all and 1992's album Rites of Passage, featuring “Galileo,” the duo's first top 10 modern rock track (No. 10). This was followed by Swamp Ophelia in 1994, going platinum in September 1996, and charting at No. 9 on the Billboard 200 album chart.

In 1995, the Indigo Girls released a live, double CD, 1200 Curfews. Shaming of the Sun appeared in 1997 followed by Come on Now Social in 1999. Shaming of the Sun debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard charts, driven by the duo's high-profile contribution to the Lilith Fair music festival tour.

The track “Shame on You” received more airplay at adult alternative, top 40 and adult top 40 radio stations than any of their previous singles, although this seemed to be a peak in their crossover success.

The year 2006-07 found the Indigo Girls recording for the Disney Co.-owned record label Hollywood Records and the release of the CD Despite or Differences. John Metzger from MusicBox Online described Despite our Differences as “the most infectious, pop-infused set that the duo ever has managed to concoct. In fact, its melodies, harmonies, and arrangements are so ingratiating that the album carries the weight of an instant classic.”

Since 2008 the Indigo Girls have independently produced their CDs for their own label IG Recordings with distribution by Vanguard Records. This has given them total control on the recording arrangements, distribution and promotional planning of the music. Being conscientious about their music, Ray and Saliers find this the perfect situation for keeping the quality of everything involved with the Indigo Girls at a level that they demand.

Tickets for the Indigo Girls performance are on sale now at the Weill Center Ticket Office at 826 N. Eighth St. in Sheboygan, by phone at (920) 208-3243 or online at www.weillcenter.com. All seats are reserved.