Sarah Grain, Ian Martin, Provok
House concert, 115 E. 21st St. (between Pennsylvania and Talbot streets)
Saturday, April 7, 8 p.m., $4

Sarah Grain is wearing several hats for this concert. It’s the first show she has coordinated that features her own work. “It represents the culmination of my individual and collaborative work over the past three years,” she says.

This is also the premiere performance for Grain’s trio, which includes Ryan Deasy on standup bass and Chip Reardin on drums.

“I am inspired by the storytelling and historical aspect of the music,” says Grain, who has been performing and writing songs for 10 years. “With technology, people stop writing letters, and [they stop] taking the time to reflect on their experiences. Music is oral history — the songs I write are the journals of my generation. They represent not only my own thoughts and emotions, but those of my community of friends and family.”

In addition, a performance by Provok will reunite Grain with musicians Kate Lamont and LaDonna Goshow. They sang together in the local hip-hop group Undefeatable Beats for three years. “When the group dismantled, I immediately wanted to begin an a cappella trio with them, inspired by our diverse singing styles and our cohesive harmonies,” Grain says.

Fellow performer Ian Martin has known Grain for years. They performed small folk shows in the basements of churches in high school. “We have grown up together in a sense, musically and otherwise,” Grain says. “He is an incredibly talented songwriter, with a strong voice, daunting guitar rhythms and melodies with a passionate, sentimental bent.”