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ED ROMANOFF w/ CLIVE BARNES

Buy Tickets 2016 master

ED ROMANOFF w/ CLIVE BARNES

^ Upstairs ^ Stories are his lifeblood. Their source stems from observing people and their weaknesses, personal experiences and well-observed idiosyncrasies and oddities. But not only human nature; the novelist of the songwriters also sharply turns his mind to political events as he meticulously and finely carves his words. ED ROMANOFF has a lot to tell. It is always worthwhile to take a good look at his lyrics, try to discover what’s hiding under the surface. His storytelling is poetic; even though some songs come along in a more narrative style rather than resembling poems, his poetry is always there, always tangible. In Simone Felice he found the congenial producer for his second album “The Orphan King”, on which his art has advanced and matured significantly in comparison to his first, which was published in 2012. Working on the album, Simone Felice and his brother James Felice have managed to create a genuine Americana sound infused with zeitgeist: While deeply rooted in the musical rhetoric of the genre with its usage of mandolins, fiddle, accordion and pedal guitars, the producer has managed to wield magic and to add a certain something, an Alternative touch. The album is many-faceted and wide-ranging and yet never loses sight of the essentials. For example, a Horn Section is used to spread authentic Southern flair in “The Night Is A Woman”, and even a cello and the good old harmonium make their appearance. On the other hand, heavy guitars (“The Ballad Of Willie Sutton”) and musically quoting of Pink Floyd (find out yourself where this is happening) are in no way contradictory but rather complement the album. The list of musicians is phenomenal (see below). The single “Without You” would certainly have become a US # 1 hit for Johnny Cash and June Carter in the 1960s. A catchy melody combined with a hook that will haunt you and which you will want to keep on humming, set to the skilled use of words and wittiness. To be able to tell a story using exactly the right words combined with a subtle humor and thus effortlessly getting the meaning across and have the listener chuckling is a great gift and an art you don’t encounter every day. In times like these, where we need artists who are not afraid to make use of their voice, ED ROMANOFF is just the thing. He shows us that indeed it is possible to sound just like America without falling into the trap of populist frippery. In “Coronation Blues”, the topic reminds to the enthronement of “King Trump” – merrily making us recall the fable of „The Emperor’s New Clothes“. The album “The Orphan King” has successfully achieved the feat of merging the heritage of American folk with modern times – traditional instruments in consonance with electronic elements. The use of occasional sound feed serves to create additional atmospheric density (e.g. fairground scene in “The Elephant Man”) Ed’s voice can be gruff and is always earthy and matured – yet it retains an element of fragility. His soft baritone, however, warms heart and soul. Not surprisingly one might be tempted to make the association with Leonard Cohen; and maybe rightly so, as Simone Felice was an inspiration to this recently deceased master of lyric music, too. Americana greats such as Crit Harmon, Josh Ritter and Mary Gauthier collaborated on the lyrics. Literally there is a story behind each and every song, but to tell them all would be beyond the scope of the bio. Try to catch him live and you’ll surely be treated to a few: It is an integral and very charming part of his shows when ED ROMANOFF weaves in these stories between the songs. ED ROMANOFF has been supporting the singer Rachael Yamagata, who also lives in Woodstock, NY, on her three last European tours which took him to London, Amsterdam, Berlin, Rome, Madrid, Lisbon, Hamburg, Zurich, Barcelona, Munich, etc. The list of participating musicians serves to emphasize the sincerity on the musical level; it reads like a beautiful and significant part in the “Who’s Who” of the musical pedigree of Americana: Cindy Cashdollar (Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams, Van Morrison), slide guitar Simone Felice (The Lumineers, Levon Helm Band, Bat For Lashes), drums & producer Zach Djanikian (Amos Lee, Rachael Yamagata), bass Lee Nadel (Sara Bareilles), bass Larry Campbell (Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Sheryl Crow, Little Feat etc.), guitars James Felice (Felice Brothers), keyboards David Baron (Lenny Kravitz, Lumineers, Meghan Trainor, Bat For Lashes), keyboards Teresa Williams (Jackson Browne, Emmylou Harris, Rodney Crowell, Little Feat , etc.), vocals Rachael Yamagata (Ryan Adams, JasonMraz, Ray LaMontagne, Bright Eyes, Solo-Artist, etc.), vocals Kenneth Pattengale (Milk Carton Kids), guitars, mandoline Cindy Mizelle (Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band, Bruce Springsteen’s Seeger Session Band, Rolling Stones, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey), vocals Chris Pasin (Buddy Rich, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughn, Ray Charles, etc.), trumpet Jay Collins (Gregg Allman Band), flute Brian Goss (Warm Jets, Warzone, The Noise, etc), electric guitar Peter Doran (Solo Artist from Ireland), vocals Mai Bloomfield (Jason Mraz, Adam Cohen, Sara Bareilles), cello Press (excerpt): ROLLING STONE (Germany) … 4 out of 5 stars **** AUDIO (Germany) … 4 out of 5 points, each for sound and music OK! (Germany) … “absolutes Must-have” MINT (Germany) … “blueprint to a musical passion formulated to perfection” Classic Rock magazine (Germany) … “reminds to Leonard Cohen” TIP, Berlin … two times: 4 out of 5 points Le Cri Du Coyote (Frankreich) … “a really great and beautiful record” Written In Music (Niederlande) … “impressed by his personalized stories. Classy!” Rootstime (Belgien) … “This record is a must for every music collection” Blues Magazine (Niederlande) … “A very good album!” Ctrl. Alt. Country (Belgien) … 4,5 out of 5 stars “Top-Record !” Ed is joined on stage by renowned guitarist and songwriter Clive Barnes. Clive has toured as guitarist with artists the caliber of Joe Cocker, Eric Bibb, Dr. John, Jim White, Gary Clark Jr. and many more. As well as a storied solo and sideman career, Clive is also front man of Haunted Head who release a new EP later in 2018

TICKETS

€15 available online from WAV Tickets or Lo-Call 1890 200 078 (1-7pm M-F) – 50c per ticket service charge applies on phone, internet or credit card bookings. Final ticket price may be higher from other outlets. Strictly over 18′s, I.D. may be required

AFTER THE GIG

Whelan’s Silent Disco, now every Mon, Tue & Wed from 11pm – 2 DJs, just pick the one you like best [Free Entry] plus Late Bar.