PUTNEY-The Next Stage Bandwagon Summer Series presents world music ensemble Yemen Blues on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 4 p.m., at the field behind The Putney Inn, 57 Putney Landing Rd. The band is touring in support of their recent album, Only Love Remains.
Formed in 2010, organizers boast, "Yemen Blues was swiftly recognized as one of the planet's most adventurous and invigorating bands, at once contemporary and timeless, defiantly singular and deliciously eclectic."
The quartet - Ravid Kahalani, the band's co-founding vocalist and gimbri player; bassist/oudist Shanir Blumenkranz; percussionist Rony Iwryn; and drummer Dan Mayo - has released three studio albums and performed more than 1,000 shows to date - including bookings at Canada's GlobalFest, Roskilde Festival Denmark, and UCLA's Royce Hall.
"This group is an explosive mix of sounds that incorporate Middle Eastern melodies, funk bass lines, and Ravid Kahalani, an explosive front man that croons in Arabic," Keith Marks, executive director of Next Stage Arts, said in a news release. "Yemen Blues has headlined around the globe, and we're excited to host them on this U.S. tour."
The four members of Yemen Blues are spread across continents, with roots that span cultures. "This global patchwork manifests in their singularly exhilarating polyglot mélange of Bedouin folk, funk, blues, avant-garde, Arabian classical, fuzzed-out rock, psych and jazz. So, wherever you're from, Yemen Blues speaks your language," organizers say.
Yemen Blues members say they reject the very concept of taking sides, instead seeing only unity and love as pathways to harmony on both micro and macro levels. They explore intricate and potentially thorny issues "through the simplicity of sheer fun - a universal state where we all can meet."
Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, and kids under 12 are admitted free. Advance tickets are available online at nextstagearts.org. Next Stage will provide a beer, wine, and cocktail cash bar. For more information, call 802-387-0102.
This Arts item was submitted to The Commons.