6/24: Amy Speace at Wilbert's

Amy Speace’s bio could have been conceived by John Irving. An undisciplined sight-reading musical prodigy, Speace learned piano, saxophone and clarinet by the time she entered high school, took voice lessons and then took up theater at Amherst College. Summer stock in Vermont led to the National Shakespeare Company in Manhattan, but a broken heart drew her to songwriting. She was jolted into touring and releasing her debut album, 2002’s Fable, after 9/11. Her next album, 2006’s Songs for Bright Street, included “Two,” which won an open-category International Acoustic Music Award. Speace’s new CD, The Killer in Me, comes out next week, and on it she straddles genres like a skilled rodeo rider, bouncing confidently between Americana, roots-rock, country, folk and streaks of pop. She says her music is inspired by her dad’s Johnny Cash records, her mom’s Neil Diamond collection and her own love of Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton, the Replacements, Tom Petty and Matthew Sweet. Throw in a dash of Lucinda Williams, and it sounds pretty good to us. Chris Castle opens at 8 p.m. at Wilbert’s (812 Huron Avenue, 216.902.4663). Tickets: $10. — Brian Baker