“There’s a big little city where the bluegrass grows. It’s got some small town charm just like the bourbon flows.” Sound like some place you might know? Pokey LaFarge’s song, “Home Away From Home”, showcases all the “small town charm” Louisville has to offer: from stoic barges moving down the river to holding hands through Tyler Park tunnel.
LaFarge knows Louisville better than most out of town musicians. Having lived here in previous years he has a unique perspective to the area. “It’s always a fun time playing in Louisville,” says LaFarge, “There’s great energy within the people [in Louisville] that when shared with a band like ours, who has an energetic style, it combines to make what is sometimes a rowdy show.”
The now St. Louis based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, along with his band, adopt traditional American music styles. Styles like jazz, ragtime, and country blues are played through a modern filter making them personal, expressive, and timeless. “The attempt is to make everything I do, write, play and sing be an original expression to where in the end it’s just me,” says Lafarge. This personalization makes Lafarge’s songs accessible, especially for us fellow Midwesterners.
LaFarge is touring behind his latest album, “Something in the Water “, released this year on Jack White’s, Third Man Records. You can catch him, his band, and the heart and soul of Midwest America this Friday at Headliners Music Hall.
Cover photo courtesy of Pokey LaFarge
