IanFisher left his home state of Missouri at 21 to spend 15 years wandering around Europe. His music blends his rural Midwestern upbringing with a dark subtlety developed during his time abroad. Simple yet emotionally complex, it has the intense power of early Jeff Tweedy, the sentimentality of Townes Van Zandt, and the political views of Billy Bragg. He has written nearly 2,000 songs while touring extensively throughout Europe, Africa, and North America, and his numerous albums have earned him praise from media outlets such as Rolling Stone, which calls his music "a world traveler's perspective on American folk-rock." When he's not touring, he can be found in his studio in Vienna or on his family farm in Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.
Hamburg-based StrangeCountry have undergone considerable development since their rather acoustic and traditional early days in 2008. A few of their older country-influenced numbers can still be found in their live set, but their focus has long been on wild, virtuoso improvisations. Influences? Traces of Bill Callahan, Nick Cave, and the late Bob Dylan, the spirit of US jam bands, and, time and again, the total spontaneity of jazz, are most readily apparent.
Admission: 7 p.m.
