Girlyman / LJWorld.com

Details

Categories: Music | Acoustic, Music | Americana, Folk, Music | Indie, Singer/songwriter
Event posted: Dec. 20, 2011
Last updated: Jan. 12, 2012

Event details

Friday, Jan. 13, 2012, 7:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Unity Church of Lawrence, 9th and Madeline
Cost: $23
Age limit: All ages

After Girlyman’s first gig they earned enough to buy a milkshake. Now they sell out The Barns at Wolftrap, The Old Town School of Folk Music, and The Freight and Salvage. The venues have gotten more famous, but filling the seats is just part of the story of Girlyman’s connection to their audience. Fans drive hundreds of miles to hear their three-part harmonies. If they live overseas, they make a special trip to America. If they bring friends, the newcomers leave hooked. The Village Voice calls Girlyman “really good, really unexpected, and really different.” When a rabbinical student writes a prayer based on their music, that’s really unexpected. When a fan tattoos their lyrics on her feet, that’s really different. The band’s blend of acoustic, Americana and rock winds its way into your life, whether you’re novelist Anne Beattie quoting the song “On the Air,” or characters listening to the band in The Last Lie written by best selling author Stephen White, or college choral groups who perform a capella versions of Girlyman’s songs. The three founding members of the Atlanta-based band handle songwriting duties, penning lyrics about love and loss and memory. But, as Slate magazine wrote “Girlyman doesn’t wallow in such emotions; the band approaches them frankly, capturing, in a story or a surprising metaphor, a feeling you’ve had but never heard so well-expressed.” Their music spans genres-they play acoustic guitar, banjo, mandolin, djembe, and electric baritone guitar-but even in large venues their shows are accessible in the coffeehouse style. Most recently, Girlyman has been collaborating with comedian Margaret Cho, co-writing songs for her upcoming CD. She also produced their first music video for the song “Young James Dean.” Of Girlyman, Cho says, “It’s the music of my heart and soul. Girlyman is the future and the past and the present.”