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Mark Rubin - The Jew of Oklahoma
April 16, 7:00 PM
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Mark Rubin, co-founder of the legendary Bad Livers, is a folk singer and multi instrumentalist who proudly bills himself as the “Jew of Oklahoma.” A pioneer of the Americana movement and lifelong genre-bender, he fuses bluegrass, klezmer, country, punk, and blues into a sound that’s equal parts tradition and rebellion. Called "one of the great Jewish musicians of our time" by the Weitzman Museum, Rubin's plainspoken songs mix sharp humor with a protest singer’s bite, carrying forward both his Jewish heritage and his Oklahoma roots. On stage with his banjo and guitar, he’s as comfortable in a honky-tonk as a synagogue hall, always delivering raw, unvarnished truth.
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When querried, he describes his music as "Southern Americana from a Jewish POV." To me being a Jew means being socially conscious as well. And I like to think of myself working in the same vein as my fellow Okies Woody Guthrie and Will Rodgers." When it comes to his songwriting influences he name checks country hit maker Harlan Howard and the Polish-Yiddish poet Mordecai Gebertig; "I'll reckon I'm the only place where both those world reside in equal measure," he notes.
Today, he lives and works as a professional musician playing tenor banjo with the Panorama Jazz Band in New Orleans and makes a study of the musical traditions and cultures of South Louisiana. He continues to be a first call tuba and bassist in the Yiddish Klezmer community, performing nationally and internationally. He recently took a position at the Museum of the Southern Jewish Experience where he jokes he's an exhibit.
Rupert Wates
May 3, 3:00 PM
Rupert Wates was born in London and studied at Oxford University. He began his full-time songwriting career in the late 1990s after signing a publishing deal with Eaton Music Limited. In London, he collaborated with top-tier performers before moving to Paris in 2001, where he formed his own quartet and began performing regularly. Since relocating to the United States in 2006, Wates has made his home between New York City and Colorado and has earned more than 50 songwriting and performing awards.
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His music is an eclectic blend of acoustic, melodic art/folk infused with elements of jazz, vaudeville, and cabaret. He has released twelve solo albums, each earning critical acclaim and international airplay. His songs have been covered by artists across the UK, Canada, and the U.S., with two full-length tribute albums—Crazy Puzzle (2015) and Wide Open Heart (2017)—produced independently by other performers and composed entirely of Wates’ material. In 2016 alone, over 20 cover recordings of his songs were released.
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Performing an average of 120 shows annually across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, Wates prefers intimate listening rooms where the focus is on connection and storytelling. He was voted Artist of the Year in both 2013 and 2016 by Concerts In Your Home and was their most-booked performer for five consecutive years. In 2018, he was a finalist in the Kerrville New Folk Song Contest and named an Emerging Artist at the Falcon Ridge Folk Festival.
Though British by birth, Wates has been hailed as "a prime figure in American music" by Folk and Acoustic Music Exchange, who praised him as “one gifted sonofabitch.” Audiences everywhere respond to the haunting, melodic quality of his songs—music that rings true.
Sprig of That
with Jeff Jakobs
May 14, 7:00 PM
Sprig of That is a tabla, fiddle, and guitar trio playing a hearty Midwest-raised and globally inspired acoustic stew. In February 2023, they released bloom, their full-length, all-original debut album, produced by Wes Corbett (Sam Bush Band, Joy Kill Sorrow) and engineered/mixed by Dave Sinko (Punch Brothers, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer) recorded at Nashville’s legendary Sound Emporium studios over the course of a week in December 2021. Formed in Minneapolis, MN in 2018, the group has spent the last five years making a name for themselves across the country: playing legendary venues like Seattle’s Tractor Tavern, Minneapolis’ Cedar Cultural Center and NYC’s Rockwood Music Hall, sharing the stage with artists like Charlie Parr and Emilia Amper, and collaborating with organizations like Carnegie Hall, Minnesota Public Radio, and the Mile of Music Music Education Team to give educational workshops across the country. In 2021, they released “Eight Threads,” a cross-genre collaboration comprising 8 compositions written for the trio by eight very different Twin Cities-based music makers that was accompanied by an eight episode self-produced podcast. In addition to bloom and Eight Threads, they have also released two EPs of original compositions and arrangements: Sprig of That in 2019 and Untold in 2020. With an album comprising their best work yet and dates booked across the country, 2023 is looking to be the biggest year yet for Sprig. Grateful for what has been and excited for what’s to come, Sprig is, in a word, ready to bloom.
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Jeff Jakobs is a Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter straddling the worlds of folk, indie rock, blues and jazz.
His sophomore album, Lorem Ipsum, was hailed as "a wholly satiating success," by Obscure Sound, "unveiling a sound that blends psych-folk, indie-pop, and chamber-pop with graceful ease."
Jakobs performs around the city at venues such as the Jalopy Theatre, The Francis Kite Club, Theatre 80, Anyway Cafe, Arts On Site and folk festivals like Porch Stomp. He also tours across New England. His background in theater and comedy shines through in his live performances.
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UPCOMING SHOWS
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April 16 - Mark Rubin-The Jew of Oklahoma
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May 3 - Rupert Wates
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May 14 - Sprig of That
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May 31 - Flagship Romance
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June 18 - Craig Bickhardt
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July 9 - Lucy Isabel
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July 16 - The Honey Badgers
Folkus-NYC.org’s passion is supporting artists. Three generations of the Lowe family—Jeff, Carol, Matt, Brianna and Jonathan—collaborate to bring singer-songwriters, creators of original Americana, Folk, American-roots, Blues, Jazz, and World music to audiences at the Brooklyn Art Haus in Williamsburg. Artists perform in a dedicated listening room that recreates the warmth of a house concert. Following the concert, guests and artists enjoy social time and snacks from The Mouth, BAH's restaurant, in the comfortable lounge. Folkus-NYC invites music lovers of all genres to join us at BAH for this unique and intimate music experience.
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Music for folks like us
What we do
Folk
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Americana
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World Music
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