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TICKETS đď¸ https://bit.ly/LaFarge2024On Sale Friday, February 16th 10am PST
This Event is All Ages
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After crisscrossing the nation for the last half-decade looking for a home, Pokey LaFarge found himself in Mid-Coast Maine. Upon arriving, the Illinois-born singer/songwriter/actor pursued a major life change, working 12-hour days on a local farmâa turn of events that catalyzed an extraordinary burst of creativity and redefined his sense of purpose as an artist. On his new album Rhumba Country, LaFarge reveals his newly heightened devotion to making music that channels pure joy. âThere was a time when I glorified sadness because I lost sight of who I was, but now I understand that creating and expressing joy is my gift, and gifts are meant to be shared,â he says. Reclaiming his voice, LaFarge has recorded his boldest album yet.
Rhumba Country was initially shaped from material that emerged while LaFarge was deep in work on the farm. âIâd be pushing a plow or scattering seeds, and the songs would just come to me,â he recalls. âIt was tremendously inspirational and made me realize that apart from singing, farming is perhaps the oldest human art form.â But as he moved forward with his songwriting, something felt undeniably amiss. LaFarge then spoke with fellow Midwestern transplant Elliot Bergman (Wild Belle), who suggested he return to city life in Los Angeles for a season so that the two musicians could work togetherâa collaboration that soon brought the rhumba to LaFargeâs country. As he immersed himself in the albumâs creation, LaFarge began dreaming up a kaleidoscopic sound informed by his love of music from far-ranging eras and corners of the globe, including mambo, tropicaĚlia, rocksteady, and mid-century American rock-and-roll. Co-produced along with Chris Seefried and Bergman and recorded in L.A., the resulting Rhumba Country is an invitation to come together to celebrate life and love. âThe songs that naturally come to me are upbeat and make you wanna dance or at least bop your headâtheyâre all very colorful,â says LaFarge. âI used to think of my music in dark blue, but now I see it in technicolor.â
Reflecting on the origins of Rhumba Country, LaFarge points to one of the most crucial revelations he experienced while farming: a newfound understanding of the uniquely human potential to be âconduits of continuous creation.â To that end, his effort to provide listeners with âmedicine for the soulâ has led LaFarge toward a deeper level of dedication when it comes to nurturing his own spirit. âYou have to live the life youâre singing in your songsâno matter what youâre going through,â he says. âEverything will come out in your music whether you want it to or not. Iâve realized that the more I can pursue goodness and live in peace, the more I can make the music I was put here to make.â And by living with intention and fully connecting with his truest purpose, LaFarge might finally be ready to lay his head in a place he calls home.
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Aladdin Theater, 3017 SE Milwaukie Ave, Portland, OR 97202-2426, United States,Portland, Oregon
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