Carbon Leaf, the Richmond, Virginia, quintet known for their alt-country, Celtic and folk-influenced indie sound plays four shows at Rams Head On Stage Friday through Sunday.
The band is celebrating its 25th anniversary with a tour and a new disc. Though there have been some personnel changes over the years, founding members Barry Privett, Carter Gravatt and Terry Clark still hold forth. Jon Markel and Jesse Humphrey round out the quintet.
Their sound, which the band calls “ether-electrified porch music” blends rock, folk, Celtic, bluegrass and Americana with a lot of energy.
The members play acoustic and electric guitars, mandolin, fiddle, bass, drums, cello, banjo, penny whistle, pedal steel, accordion, though not all at once, with strong harmonies.
They mark their anniversary with a five-track disc “The Gathering; Volume I,” their first recording since 2014.
They are best known for their song “Life Less Ordinary,” which hit the charts in 2004.
Writing and producing from their home studio in Richmond, they have released 17 albums and performed over 2,400 live shows throughout their 25-year run.
Both the Friday and Saturday night show have sold out. At press time tickets were still available for the two matinee shows, at 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Tickets are $39.50 and available at ramsheadonstage.com.
The Michael McHenry Tribe plays Blackwall Hitch (9600 4th St., Eastport) on Friday night. McHenry’s accomplished guitar work — soulful, funky, rock and roll — leads the way as he has been doing for years.
He was glued to Jimi Hendrix in the third grade and picked up a guitar, teaching himself to play via the old drop the needle on the record to learn a riff.
And he’s still at it after spending time playing for Sheena Easton, George Clinton and Parliament Funkadelic and The Jacksons. Closer to home he’s played with a wide array of folks from the Mary Ann Redmond Band, Clones of Funk, Nadene Ray and Tommy Lepson.
And it comes from the heart. McHenry told Jeni Paris Brady of Naptown Music: “To me, I feel like I’m adding something positive to the world… what I get from it is connection with the audience; even if it’s just one person in the audience… we’re not thinking about our problems or politics, and the music is all that we’re focused on. It bonds people from different walks of life.”
The band hits the stage at 9:30 p.m. playing until 1 a.m.
Monday at 49 West Ray Weaver returns with more songs and stories from his book “A Father’s Heart.”
He’s been playing in the area for years even if he lives in Denmark, where he keeps a pretty busy schedule of gigs too.
“A Father’s Heart” collects some of Ray’s best-loved stories and songs into a multimedia package that includes links to stream or download nine songs that relate to the stories of family, life and love included in the collection.
From heartfelt stories of Christmases past to rollicking tales of hunting wild refrigerators, ”A Father’s Heart looks at parents, grandparents, wives, husbands and children with tenderness, humor and above all, love.
Ray has the rare ability to transform life into songs and stories that are intensely personal, yet still touch a universal chord.
Since debuting the live version of ”A Father’s Heart” at 49 West a couple years back he has performed the project around the world and turned it into a podcast.
He has written for the Copenhagen Post and his short stories have been published as part of the Rocking Chair Reader series and in many magazines and newspapers.
Ray plays pubs, concerts and festivals throughout the United States and in Europe. A seasoned performer, Ray is known to add a few audience favorites to the playlist. This time of year there are liable to be a few numbers to celebrate the holidays as well.
Admission is $10 for the 7 p.m. show. Call 410-626-9796 for reservations.
On Wednesday the Unified Jazz Ensemble plays 49 West.
The Unified Jazz Ensemble are a group of masterful musicians with years of experience educating and entertaining audiences in the metro area and worldwide.
Founded in 1992 as the first jazz group in the National Endowment for the Arts Rural Residency Arts Initiative, the group has performed across the United States and internationally, engaging listeners in innovative performances of jazz standards and original compositions.
This is acoustic jazz, a classic American art form, in quartet form via trumpet, vibes, drums and bass.
The 8:30 performance is $10. Go to 49westcoffeehouse.com for further information.
