Maddie Poppe ft. special guest Genevieve Heyward

The Bend Welcomes American Idol Winner Maddie Poppe

ft. special guest Genevieve Heyward

Unless you’ve experienced it firsthand, there’s no way to understand just how dramatically instant fame can mess with your head. Maddie Poppe went through all kinds of emotions — from elation to self-doubt — after winning American Idol in 2018, releasing her debut album Whirlwind the following year, and then ultimately watching in amazement as many of the people in her creative orbit dropped away.  Despite the momentum from a pair of hit singles, “Made You Miss” and “Not Losing You,” Maddie found herself alone, and her future as an artist uncertain.

“There were so many times I felt I had the rug pulled out from under me. Like the minute any momentum had built up, it came crumbling back down. From losing team members to seeing
crucial opportunities fall through, I found myself feeling so helpless and thinking, ‘How am I going to do this on my own?’ It felt like I was standing at the bottom of a mountain I was too afraid to climb,” Maddie says. “It took some time, but I finally realized I didn’t have a choice, my fate was in my own hands. I had to face my fears, rise above.

The Iowa native, who captured the attention of fans with her folksy singer-songwriter style, did exactly that by giving herself the grace to evolve. While Maddie, now 24, can still very much
bowl over a crowd with only her honeyed voice and acoustic guitar, she’s upped her game by tapping into a modern sound that blends R&B, pop, and Americana, and by committing herself to writing her own songs.  On her irresistible new single “One That Got Away,” Maddie writes about the dissolution of a friend’s longtime relationship, predicting that the guy who foolishly dumped her will realize he threw away something great. But the song — a soulful jam with shades of Bruno Mars and Maroon 5 — can also be seen as a commentary on Maddie’s own experience in the music industry.

Since she can remember, Wisconsin based singer-songwriter Genevieve Heyward has grown up with music in her life. Adept at both guitar and piano, she writes her songs based on raw emotion and relatable experiences that cuts through with melody and sultry tone. Straight out of school, she dove head first into music: touring nationally and internationally, either by herself, with her band, or with other well renowned artists. She has released numerous records throughout her career and doesn’t plan on stopping. Her music has hints of indie folk, bedroom pop and indie piano pop, all tied in with her own spin and topped off with a unique and rich voice. Her songs and performing style incorporates humor and connection, making the audience feel heard and immersed.

After releasing her first album before graduating high school, “It’s Not Like Anyone’s Listening”, she went on to tour through the United States by herself or with other artists. She then released her second Ep, “The River” in 2019 at Painted Recordings. While recording and writing, she toured across the United States in Tennessee, California, Texas, Vermont, and eventually headed overseas where she did her first headlining European tour through Norway accompanied by a band. After returning she released her latest album, “The Norway EP”, which she had the opportunity to record in Scandinavia. Now she is currently working on her next project and planning on getting back to the road.

Doors open at 6:30 PM to give you time to find your seats, visit our historic lobby, concession stand and fully stocked bar!

Show begins at approximately 7:30 PM