Triumphant Return for US Band…and Tour Includes Southport Show

Triumphant Return for US Band…and Tour Includes Southport Show

One of the top bands on the American roots music circuit, festival favourites The Mike + Ruthy Band, make a rare visit to the UK in July after taking Scotland’s Celtic Connections Festival by storm earlier this year.

Mike Merenda and Ruthy Ungar (daughter of Grammy-winning composer/fiddler Jay Ungar who wrote the universally-known fiddle tune, Ashokan Farewell) had previously spent seven-years together touring globally with Tao Rodriguez-Seeger (Pete’s grandson) in The Mammals.

When they brought the new band to the big midwinter jamboree in Glasgow back in January they were hailed as “outstanding” after artistic director, Donald Shaw selected them as one of his Top Ten highlights when interviewed by BBC. They wowed the crowd and gathered rave reviews.

When The Mike + Ruthy Band released the Bright As You Can album, it won instantaneous admiration on both sides of The Atlantic. Splicing styles from old-time to Motown, spare acoustic balladry to driving rock ‘n’ roll, The Boston Globe called it ‘one of the year’s standout Americana albums,” while Pop Matters said it had put them “in the vanguard of today’s vibrant folk revival.”

The hugely-influential No Depression magazine said: “It’s a record that will grab you and won’t let you go,” and at the end of 2015, the publication’s editor, Kim Ruehl, made it her stand-out release of the year.

Renowned for their high-octane live shows, the line-up includes fiddle, banjo, ukulele, guitar, pedal steel, bass and drums, fronted by stunning vocal harmonies.

The five-piece returns to these shores to play The Summertyne Americana Festival at Sage, Gateshead, on July 22, and make a main stage appearance at Cambridge Folk Festival on July 29 and 30.

A fortunate few who cannot make it to those events will be able to catch the band at a few add-on shows they have before flying back to USA, among them an appearance at The Atkinson Theatre in Southport, on Saturday July 23.

 

The Mike + Ruthy Band perform at The Atkinson on Saturday 23 July at 7.30pm. Tickets are £10. To book please visit theatkinson.co.uk or call the Box Office on 01704 533 333.

-ENDS-

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LISTING INFORMATION

 

 

The Mike + Ruthy Band

Saturday 23 July

7.30pm

£10

 

 

Please be advised that there is a £1 per ticket booking fee for telephone and online sales and a 2% fee for credit cards at the Box Office.

 

Posted on 30 June 2016 under General news

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