In an appearance originally scheduled for April 2020 but postponed because of the pandemic, Marblehead’s Me&Thee Music will present multiple Boston Music Award winner Ellis Paul with Radoslav Lorković in concert on Friday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. Paul will be traveling from Texas to Massachusetts as part of a nine-concert national tour that will include appearances in Austin, Houston, Dallas, Oklahoma City and Charlotte, North Carolina. As a special treat, Alice Howe & Freebo will open the show.
Paul will present an evening of intimate, provocative and romantic tales, including new music from his upcoming album “55,” which reference the events of the last two years. A troubadour, a folkie and a storyteller, Paul has been a force on the scene since 1993.
Ellis Paul is the quintessential songwriter who has released close to two dozen albums. Paul sports a tattoo of Woody Guthrie proudly on his arm, and his commitment to Guthrie’s legacy led to his inclusion in a 10-day celebration of Woody’s work held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an event that included Bruce Springsteen, Billy Bragg, the Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco. He later headlined at the first Woody Guthrie Folk Festival in Okemah, Oklahoma.
In the words of Guthrie’s daughter Nora, “In times like these, it’s comforting to know that Ellis Paul is actually holding our sanity on his own stage! Wise, tender, brilliant and biting, Ellis is one of our best human compasses.”
Born in Zagreb, Croatia, Radoslav Lorković grew up hearing Croatian, Slovenian and Czech folk songs sung by his maternal grandmother. His grandfather was an internationally renowned classical pianist.
In America, Lorkovic, playing piano and Zydeco-style accordion, began touring at age 20. He has appeared on “A Prairie Home Companion,” “eTown,” and “Mountain Stage” as well as at music venues across the globe and a litany of Italian castles and villas.
Alice Howe is a rising voice in modern folk and blues originally from Boston but now living in Los Angeles. Freebo is a genuine folk, blues and rock icon who for 40 years toured with many great artists, including Bonnie Raitt, Crosby, Stills & Nash, John Mayall, Ringo Starr, Dr. John, Neil Young and many more.
Tickets are $25, students $10. Locally, tickets are available at Arnould’s Gallery, Washington Street, Marblehead. Online info and no-fee tickets: meandthee.org.
Doors open at 7:15 p.m., and the kitchen opens at 7:30 p.m. For the safety of our traveling musicians and patrons, masks are required. Me&Thee Music is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization now in its 53rd season at 28 Mugford St. in Marblehead. Refreshments are served.
