Larry Hanks and Deborah Robins will be performing at the MAC Arts Centre and Gallery on Sunday, Sept. 23 as part of the Home Routes Concert circuit. This is the first of six concerts.
Hanks has been in the industry for more than 50 years and now plays with his wife, Robins.
Hanks’ one and only musical composition Apple Pickers Reel, is often ascribed to “anonymous” or “traditional,” but he’s still here and still singing.
The 72-year-old is truly, madly, and deeply committed to being the purveyor of plain old songs sung plainly, that is, delivered with his un-studied and naturally burnished voice, without embellishment, fancy guitar-playing, or further ado. He brings a melancholic and rough-hewn quality which makes each song sound like a personal confession, even though we know darn well he was never a coal miner, cowboy, or even in striking distance of the Gold Rush.
Hanks and Robins strive to impart sturdy “Hanksian” values to their song selections: no artifice, no gimmicks, no “stagecraft,” and don’t get bogged down in “performing.”
Tickets to the Sept. 23 show are $20 and available at missionartscouncil.ca/concerts.html or by calling 604-826-0029. Doors open at 7:30 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m.
The Home Routes house concert circuits are made up of 12 houses which the artist tours in 14 days.
Each house concert host presents six shows over the course of a year, which runs September to April with a two month break at Christmas and New Years.
Each circuit of 12 houses has its own “season” of shows, each with a balanced program that could include blues, cajun, bluegrass or old-time, to Celtic, Irish, World, American or Canadian music, whether traditional or contemporary, and any other interesting and fascinating music from just about anywhere on the planet.
A Home Routes circuit helps artists to overcome the cost barriers of travelling long distance. The innovative model offers a viable and lasting alternative to the traditional relationship between artist and presenter because it marries the needs of both into one dynamic program.
The Mission Arts Council is part of the Blue Moon route, starting in Vancouver, and ending in Prince George.