Acoustic Band Celebrates American Traditional Music
An up-and-coming acoustic band born in Michigan will perform high-energy bluegrass tunes, waltzes, love songs and “everything in between” in a concert at Alma College.
Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys will perform at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22 in the Remick Heritage Center. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for seniors 62 and up, and free for Alma College staff, students and youth 18 and under. Seating is reserved. Call (989) 463-7304 for ticket information.
With members hailing from all parts of Michigan, the Lansing-based group focuses on the original tunes of Lindsay Lou Rilko, which include “true-life tales of bank-robbing aunties, moonshinin’ grandpas, and celebrations of love, life and nature,” according to the band’s Website.
Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys
Distinct vocals, tight harmonies, instrumental expertise and creative arrangements are all essential characteristics of the band’s sound, says band member Mark Lavengood, a 2007 Alma College alumnus who plays resonator guitar (Dobro).
“I'm thrilled to be coming back to Alma as a professional musician,” says Lavengood, who performed in the Alma College Percussion Ensemble while double majoring in Spanish and international business administration. “It was during my time at Alma College that I cultivated a strong sense of appreciation for the arts and honed my skills as a performer.
“Our music is an amalgamation of different styles, different inspiration,” says Lavengood. “It's deeply rooted in roots music — bluegrass and folk, in particular — however, we weave in different elements of swing, jazz, ragtime, rock and roll, and classical music as well.”
Other members of the band include Lindsay Lou and Joshua Rilko, Keith Billik and Spencer Cain, performing various instruments, including acoustic guitar, mandolin, upright bass and banjo. The band has recorded two albums: “Lindsay Lou: A Different Tune” (2010) and “Release Your Shrouds” (2012).
“One of my favorite elements of being in Lindsay Lou & the Flatbellys is the opportunity to live out my dream of making a living as a musician with some of my best friends,” says Lavengood. “Each member of the band brings a different perspective, a different light, to the musical tableau from which we aspire to create beautiful music with every show we perform.”
Reviewers describe the band’s music as “relentlessly optimistic” and original while still giving a nod to bluegrass and American traditional music.
“They have a distinctive sound all their own, a sound that’s taking acoustic music in an exciting new direction,” according to John Hart, New Folk Radio. Grammy-winning guitarist David Grier says, “Lindsay really puts her heart into what she sings…Phrasing, tone, emotion, it’s all there.”
A reviewer for Current Magazine wrote, “Lindsay’s songwriting captures the ol’ timey tales of traditional bluegrass with the swing of contemporary hopefulness.”
-mjs-
Posted: Sun, January 6th, 2013 at 1:37PM
