PUTNEY — Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present The Stray Birds and Mike and Ruthy at Next Stage on Thursday, July 24, at 7:30 p.m.
The Stray Birds are a Pennsylvania-based acoustic folk trio. Mike and Ruthy are Mike Merenda and Ruth Ungar Merenda, the indie roots husband and wife team formerly of the acoustic stringband The Mammals.
The Stray Birds were born of a compelling collaboration between unique writers and vocalists: the pure, luxurious voice of Maya de Vitry and the rich tone and depth of delivery of Oliver Craven. Grounding their sound is the unshakable groove of bassist Charles Muench.
Their full-length debut, “The Stray Birds,” was lauded by radio stations and listeners across the country and named to the Top 10 Folk/Americana Releases of 2012 by NPR.
Passionate live performances led to appearances on NPR's Mountain Stage, the Philadelphia Folk Festival, the Kerrville Folk Festival, and the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
After thousands of concerts across tens of thousands of miles, Woodstock, N.Y.-based Mike and Ruthy have emerged as one of acoustic America's most revered musical duos.
In 2000, the couple met Tao Rodríguez-Seeger (grandson of the legendary folk singer Pete Seeger) and formed The Mammals, an acoustic stringband that toured the world over the next seven years, and performed with the likes of Arlo Guthrie and Pete Seeger.