Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Tracy Bonham will bring an intimate musical performance and creative workshop to the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library on Oct. 25, offering audiences a fresh perspective on the anger, vulnerability and personal experiences that have shaped her music.
Bonham, who rose to international fame with her alternative hit “Mother Mother” and her Gold-certified debut album, “The Burdens of Being Upright”, will present “Tracy Bonham on Alchemizing Anger.” The program combines live music, storytelling and reflections on the songwriting process, revisiting her debut album as it approaches its 30th anniversary.
The album, which helped establish Bonham as a distinctive voice in alternative music, will be celebrated with a new release in November 2026. Her more recent work includes “Sky Too Wide”, her eighth studio album, which blends her signature songwriting with classical and jazz arrangements.
For Bonham, the upcoming performance is an opportunity to reconsider the music she created three decades ago through the perspective of a life lived since then.
“I’m revisiting what Tracy was like 30 years ago, and with the filter of, how was my relationship to anger?” Bonham said.
When the debut album was released, Bonham recalled, listeners frequently characterized her as angry, focusing on the intensity of her performances and the screams in songs such as “Mother Mother.” She said the attention caused her to pull back from expressing anger, partly because she feared being judged harshly.
“I was afraid of my anger,” she said. “And I was afraid of being harsh, or called a bitch, or whatever it is that we all worry about, especially as women.”
She said the workshop will explore how anger can become a source of creativity rather than something to suppress.
“For me, as an artist, I’m so lucky to have an outlet, and to actually make, to be creative with it,” she said.
She hopes to encourage others to discover positive outlets for their own emotions through creative expression.
Bonham also plans to share stories about the experiences behind her music, including songs inspired by difficult relationships. With greater perspective, she said, those songs have taken on a broader significance.
“I want to be a voice to that,” she said, referring to people who have experienced similar struggles but may not yet feel able to express themselves.
She said one of her favorite aspects of performing live is the spontaneity and connection that develop between an artist and an audience.
“I love the spontaneity of it, and I love being able to interact with the audience, because that always creates a different performance every time, and I do love connecting with my audience,” she said.
Michelle Young, director of the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library, said the performance reflects the library’s effort to broaden its cultural programming.
“We are always looking to provide our community with unforgettable live experiences, and hosting alternative/pop artist Tracy Bonham is the beginning of us bringing in different sounds and styles to appeal to different age groups,” Young wrote in an email. “Please join me for a very special, intimate afternoon of music here at the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library.”
Darren Paltrowitz, the library’s public relations librarian, said he has followed Bonham’s career since her early success.
“I’ve been a huge fan of Tracy’s since I first saw her on MTV back in 1996,” Paltrowitz wrote in an email. “What’s amazing is that over the last 30 years, her music has only gotten more creative and inspired. Getting to know her personally has been a privilege, too—she is simply one of the kindest people you could hope to encounter. Having her perform here at the library is a thrill.”
