The Crooked Brothers bring folk with a groove to the Upstairs Lounge Friday.
Hailing from Winnipeg, the brothers meld their talents to create homegrown music touted as both gritty and pretty.
Matt Crooked’s unforgettably strange voice, inhuman and gravelly deep, and Darwin Crooked’s deft handling of the harmonica conspire with Jesse Crooked’s stories and poems turned into lyrics.
Their concerts see banjos, mandolins, guitars and more taking turns being juggled from brother to brother. Each having their own style and touch, the arrangements seem limitless, and there’s a refreshing sense that they will never write the same song twice.
The Crooked Brothers have performed to sold-out rooms at festivals overseas such as Brighton’s Great Escape and Willisau, Switzerland’s Spring Bluegrass Festival. They have toured 10 countries, played in nearly every province and territory in Canada, and released three full-length albums, as well as an EP that comes available exclusively on limited-edition postcards.
Their new album, Thank You I’m Sorry, released this year was captured in the wide open spaces of both a warehouse and a handmade log home.
The Crooked Brothers perform Friday at 7:30 p.m. (doors at 6) in Oak Bay Recreation’s Upstairs Lounge, 1975 Bee St. Tickets are $12 in advance at Ivy’s Bookshop and Oak Bay Recreation or at beaconridge productions.com online. Tickets are $15 at the door.
Visit crooked brothers.com for a sneak peek.
cvanreeuwyk@oak baynews.com
