FREE LIVE MUSIC performance MADDY HUDSON SOLO ACOUSTIC

After making it into the top 25 on the 14th season of American Idol in 2015, Pleasanton native Maddy Hudson has spent the past decade evolving as a singer-songwriter. Although Hudson performs all over California, she often returns to the Tri-Valley, most recently with an intimate solo acoustic performance at The BArnyard Wine Bar in Danville.

Hudson, 27, has had placements of recorded music on major platforms including Amazon, Facebook and Netflix. She also has sync-licensing placements with American Girl Doll, which plays her music in stores.

She also performs in three bands: the Ruby Band, Bee Sides and the Pocket Burners.

Her biggest takeaway from being on American Idol as a teenager was that “it's not about how perfect you are — it's about how you make people feel,” Hudson said.

“Now, my performing is all about making sure that everyone I’m in front of is having the best time possible,” she said. “My goal is to find a way to travel the world and perform for people, so that just for the amount of time that I am with them, I want them to feel connected to the experience. I want them to feel seen. I want them to feel excited. I want them to be invested in the moment.

“People aren't going to remember if every note was perfect. They are going to remember how they felt from seeing you perform.”

Although Hudson attended Berklee College of Music in Boston and now lives in San Francisco, the Tri-Valley remains a special place for her.

“The dream for me is to go out and tour the world because I feel like music is missing something. There’s a change that has happened in music where it all feels dead inside, and it feels manufactured. It doesn't feel real. I want to bring back that feeling that came from older music, when people used to go out to concerts all the time and it was more connective. I just want to heal the world, one hug and one song at a time.”

You may hear Maddy's versions of songs by Adele, Amy Winehouse, Etta James, Norah Jones or even some Christina Aguillera.

Hudson’s music is available on Apple Music and SoundCloud.

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