Frank Hurricane & Ralph White
Thursday, May 29 at 7:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM), two 55 minute performances with intermission
Tickets are available for $20 in advance, $23 at the door, and $30 for preferred seating (pay-what-you-can available)
Recommended 18+
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Frank Hurricane & Ralph White
An evening of truly adept musicianship meets hilarious and thought provoking storytelling from this unique pairing of two of America’s most authentic wandering troubadours.
Ralph White will open the evening with ever morphing compositions on banjo, guitar, accordion, kalimba, and fiddle. "Non-traditional traditional? Indo-African mountain songs? Rocking-chair string ephemera? What longtime Austinite and former Bad Liver Ralph White puts on albums and onstage is so mind-boggling and vast, it forces those of us in the description business down a treacherous path. His five-string fretless banjos and African kalimbas – resonating thumb pianos – mix with accordion and fiddle to create an Eastern Appalachian sound, but it's much more complicated than that. ... It's the culmination of years of experimentation and travel woven into a magic carpet, jetting off hither and fro, crossing continent boundaries and civil wars. ... White's melodies and lyrics scratch the surface of the Old World, leaving just a contemporary hint of now. Therein lies the magic." - Darcie Stevens - Austin Chronicle
Frank Hurricane will follow with his own singular style of Appalachian folk and primitive guitar playing mixed with outrageous and psychedelic storytelling that is unrivaled in our current times. While drawing on the finger picking styles of John Fahey and Jack Rose, Hurricane pairs these techniques with a voice that sounds weather worn from years of wandering the Appalachian trail and lyrics that promote love and appreciation for the natural world and the bizarre characters that inhabit it. Amongst these songs are a never ending cycle of deranged tales from the road; Frank Hurricane can turn a simple story about buying a slice of pizza into a Homerian saga that leaves the listener aching from laughter.
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Ralph White Bio:
What longtime Austinite and former Bad Liver Ralph White puts on albums and onstage is so mind-boggling and vast, it forces those of us in the description business down a treacherous path" (Darcie Stevens, Austin Chronicle)
"White was a member of well-loved punk bluegrass outfit Bad Livers, but his solo work is possessed of a much more lonesome spark, exaggerating the implied drone at the heart of the music of Dock Boggs and The Stanley Brothers...White plays wooden six-string banjo, violin, button accordion and kalimba and his voice has a high, eerie quality to it...extremely psychedelic" (David Keenan, The Wire UK)
One of our foremost instrumentalists and a true hidden American treasure, Ralph White has taken the back roads in his inspired pursuit of the ancient roots of music. The "folk/noise/avant-whatever genius" (Joe Gross, Austin Statesman) has made many strange travels as an itinerant musician and laborer. Thus his intimate, nuanced musical language has slowly revealed itself, along a path that meanders from the apple orchards of British Columbia to the villages of Zimbabwe and Namibia, from the lonesome moors of Ireland to Australia, Brittany, Peru, Louisiana and beyond. There is also the influence of White's hometown of Austin, Texas, a rich musical crossroads in and of itself.
Along with Danny Barnes and Mark Rubin, White completed the original and definitive lineup of country/bluegrass mavericks (and recent Texas Music Hall of Fame inductees) The Bad Livers. He now performs his singular blend of ancient rural folk music and original songwriting as a soloist. Since touring extensively in North America and Europe, White has kept a prolific schedule of independent releases, "where borders are erased and music is the only language" (Insound). Most recently, his "Navasota River Devil Squirrel", called "a fine navigation of the American mystery zone" (Volcanic Tongue) was reissued on vinyl LP by Mystra Records/Spirit of Orr. And in late 2009 the Resipiscent label issued his improv collaboration with San Francisco sound artist Hora Flora Sound System. New releases are scheduled for 2010, including a solo album with Austin indie Monofonus. White has also self-released limited edition works and is called on for various recording projects and film scores & appearances.
In addition to his solo work, White has recorded or performed with a diverse group of folk and avant-garde musicians: Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth, Jandek, Jack Rose, Eugene Chadbourne, Michelle Shocked, Sun City Girls' Sir Richard Bishop, Powell St. John and Michael Hurley. He plays fiddle in traditional Cajun dance band The Gulf Coast Playboys, and, with folk singer Amy Annelle, performs in the roots country & folk duo Precious Blood.--D Walker, 2009
IG: @ralphewhite
Frank Hurricane Bio:
Frank Hurricane is a spiritual blues and folk musician/storyteller from the South and the North of the holy US. He has been traveling and performing in the spiritual underground and DIY scenes for well over a decade, gathering tales and touring the world. He has self released many records and also has put out records on Feeding Tube, Ultra Excema, Mystra, Scissortail, and other exceptional labels. PBS recently made an emmy nominated documentary about his musical journey. He has performed with many legends across the spiritual board and has hiked thousands of mile of trails in the mountains.
IG: @frankhurricane
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PAY WHAT YOU CAN
No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Please use this online form or contact MSA at 207-879-4629 or info@mayostreetarts.org to take advantage of pay-what-you-can admission.
EVENT PARKING
Free on-street parking is available in Mayo Street Arts’ neighborhood.
There is one paid parking lot conveniently located a six-minute walk from the venue: Top of the Old Port Parking (119 Pearl St, Portland ME 04101)
Mayo Street Arts is accessible by Greater Portland Metro bus routes with nearby transfer points 7, 9A & 9B. Click here to learn more.
ACCESSIBILITY
All performances and most other events held at Mayo Street Arts are wheelchair accessible. There are two accessible spots directly in front of our building, however there is not yet a curb cut out at that location.
If you would benefit from additional information or accommodations, we invite you to contact us at info@mayostreetarts.org or 207-879-4629.
COMMUNITY HEALTH
Audience members — in addition to artists, staff & volunteers — who feel sick or exhibit symptoms of illness should stay home out of respect for others.
SEATING POLICY
We will save your reserved seat until showtime, at which point any unclaimed seats may be offered to other people. Please call our box office at 207-879-4629 if you are running late.
CANCELATION POLICY
MSA has a no refund policy for all reservations. In the event that MSA is forced to cancel an event due to weather, illness, etc., refunds will be offered via the Ticket Tailor platform.
Location
Mayo Street Arts, 04101