We all know Suzanne Vega’s song “Tom’s Diner.” It’s super-catchy and has been remixed and reworked more times than one can shake a DJ at. And who could forget “Luka?” That song got more people talking about the issue of child abuse than any social service awareness campaign. As popular as these tunes are however, they are not the beginning and end of Vega’s creative accomplishments. Far from being a two-hit wonder, she has had a long and celebrated musical and artistic career.

A young student of the written and performance arts, Vega eventually decided to focus her creative energies on music and started playing in and around Greenwich Village. Her early attempts at becoming a signed artist were met with dismissal; Vega’s demo tape was rejected by every major record label. She finally caught the ear of A&M and landed her first deal.

By the 1980s, Vega was one of the defining artists of the folk-revival sound. She strung together hits and developed a reputation as one of the most talented and insightful songsmiths of her generation. She won seven Grammy awards, reached platinum album sales, wrote numerous books of poetry and became a long-time social activist and blogger for the NY Times. These days, she’s busy re-interpreting and re-recording her best-loved songs in “imaginative and intimate renderings.”

Described as both cerebral and streetwise, Vega has a sound that is uniquely her own. Her songs reflect the mind of a keen observer and the heart of a poet. Equal parts storyteller and musician, Vega and her music are woven tightly into the fabric of contemporary singer/songwriter culture.

Get Tickets and More Info on the Suzanne Vega Trio at the Montalvo Arts Center