The Wiyos at McMenamins Kennedy School April 17, 2008

Thursday, April 17
McMenamins and opbmusic.org present
Great Northwest Music Tour
THE WIYOS
7 p.m. | Free | All ages welcome

The Wiyos play and compose music inspired by the early American musical idioms of the 1920s and '30s. Gleefully subverting genre distinctions, their music comes from a time before commercial formatting separated blues from country, ragtime from gospel, and swing from hillbilly.

With an instrumentation of washboard/harmonica/kazoo, resonator guitar/banjo, upright bass and three harmony vocals, The Wiyos' live performance transports audiences back to an era before TV and mass-media were the main sources of entertainment. Their sound is reminiscent of days-gone-by when live bands could be heard both on the radio and at community dances, juke joints, and house parties. With infectious exuberance and theatrical skill, they create a visual spectacle in the tradition of vaudeville-esque performers such as Fats Waller, the Hoosier Hotshots and Uncle Dave Macon. Their onstage physical comedy recalls the silent films of Laurel & Hardy, Keaton and Chaplin.

Formed in New York City during the summer of 2002, The Wiyos took their name from the toughest gang to prowl the streets of old New York (The Whyos, circa 1890). Like the traveling bands of the depression era, they have taken to the road full-time, touring extensively in the USA, Canada, France, The Netherlands and The United Kingdom.

Playing theaters, bars, street corners, art auctions, pig roasts, and listening rooms, The Wiyos unique charisma transcends typical social boundaries. They appeal to everyone from hipsters to seasoned music connoisseurs, from children to bikers. Everywhere they play, The Wiyos charm and amuse audiences with their exuberant style of old-timey music, passionately carrying this rich musical heritage into the 21st century.

Official Website: http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?loc=57&id=81&eventid=55622