Sunday, April 9th
9:30 - 10:30
Pete's Candy Store [1]
709 Lorimer Street
Williamsburg
Brooklyn
FREE
Folk music—that is, any kind of music traditionally created by everyday partyin’ people—is never born in a bubble. Anyone who cares to compare, say, Bluegrass to Irish folk to Zydeco to Klezmer, will find the genres more similar than different—lots of frantic string runs, heavy on the two and four beats, and a steadfast reliance on the old thematic standbys: love, death, heartache, drinking… The pluckers in the Strung Out String Band [2] recognize this continuum, and (unlike too many sticks-in-the-mud in the “folk” scene) they embrace the range wholeheartedly.
Citing 1930s hillbilly recordings and firsthand Romanian Gypsy lessons among their many influences, the all-acoustic Strung Out String Band [3] bangs out infectious, heartfelt dance tunes that defy easy categorization, incorporating elements of a country jug band, a Cajun fish boil, a ragtime revue, and a Jewish wedding—often all in the same song. The result is a skilled and learned nod to the varied traditions of the past… and a damn fine—and often funny—way to spend a Saturday night.
Band review by Uncle Leon [5]