Looking for some upbeat, old-time string music? No one quite delivers like Ann Arbor’s The Appleseed Collective.
The eclectic, folksy, string band will liven up Maumee’s Village Idiot with fiddles, mandolins, washboards, and more on Friday, April 29 at 10pm. Playing their unique blend of contemporary indie sounds and American roots music, singer and guitarist Andrew Brown describes the group as “an indie band that’s influenced by a host of American and world music.”
On the road
On and off the road since 2010, The Appleseed Collective evokes the American highway with a coast-to-coast Americana sound. Picking up different strains of American roots along the way, the band is as eclectic as it is adaptive.
“We’ve been through some different phases and we’ve traveled all along the country,” says Brown. “From San Francisco to New York City… I had gone down to New Orleans and became obsessed with old swing music and New Orleans street bands.”
Rarely sitting still, The Appleseed Collective’s influences are similarly across the map. Brown says the band’s influences range from including kitschy jazz, to the adventurous, gypsy swinging guitar playing of Django Reinhardt, and the storytelling of Tom Waits.
The vibe
From touring the country and learning from different crowds, The Appleseed Collective creates an uplifting and memorable experience for their audience. “It’s a live show people don’t wanna miss,” says Brown. “We combine cover songs with a lot of our own material.”
The Appleseed Collective also tries to infuse their live sets with a sense of unpredictability and magic. “We experiment with improvisation to give people a different show every single night,” explained Brown. The music often elicits a positively electric response from the audience. “It’s definitely upbeat and danceable. Some people just wanna nod their head and get rowdy… but it turns into a party, one way or the other.”
Before the band hits the road again, and starts working on their next album, catch the band at The Village Idiot.
Also, check out their recently released EP, The Tour Tapes here.
10pm, Friday, April 29 | $8 |The Village Idiot, 309 Conant St., Maumee | 419-893-7281 | Villageidiotmaumee.com
