PUTNEY, Vt. – 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 Road in Putney. The band is touring in support of their new album, “Only Love Remains.”
Formed in 2010, 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. Their three studio albums and over 1,000 shows to date – including prestigious bookings at Canada’s GlobalFest, Roskilde Festival Denmark, and UCLA’s Royce Hall – have cemented the quartet (Ravid Kahalani, the band’s mercurial cofounding vocalist and gimbri player; bassist/oudist Shanir Blumenkranz; percussionist Rony Irwin; and drummer Dan Mayo) as a benchmark in a world music that has both shaped and challenged the genre.
“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,” says Keith Marks, executive director of Next Stage Arts. “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 melange 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.
Equally a gathering of musicians and a spiritual channeling, Yemen Blues rejects 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 discounted in advance at www.nextstagearts.org, and kids under 12 are free. Next Stage will provide a beer, wine, and cocktail cash bar. For more information, visit www.nextstagearts.org, or call 802-387-0102.
Support for the Bandwagon Summer Series is provided by M&T Bank, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Oak Meadow, The Porch Cafe & Catering, Southern Vermont Solar, and Confluence Acupuncture.