Sunday, April 13 (exactly one year since their first visit to ArtRat Gallery), Americana Sundays: An Afternoon With Whorled brings this eclectic trio back to the roots music series curated by The Stableford Agency. The show runs 3-5pm at 46 Division Ave. S in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids. (Admission $25; tickets available from Eventbrite.)
Described in Local Spins as “a road trip for the ears,” Whorled transports their audience around the globe as they fuse together various genres of world folk. Audiences find themselves on a journey of musical discovery, whether it be jazz-infused Celtic, Ukrainian dance rhythms, flamenco or a dimly lit 1920s French cafe.
Ahead of Sunday's show, the members of Whorled — Thom Jayne, Keala Venema and Mariko Venema — teamed up with an update.
What's Whorled been up since last April?
Since playing at ArtRat last year, Whorled played at a couple of great summer festivals, including Blissfest, Wheatland, Buttermilk Jamboree, the Michigan Celtic Festival, and at Meijer Gardens. We're getting new material together for Whorled's second CD and will most likely play a few of these new originals at ArtRat on Sunday.
Where's your set list headed in 2025?
Our new CD project revolves around the elements of nature and how they affect humans. One of our tunes simulates a frog pond in the spring, another tries to capture the power of a violent rainstorm I experienced in Africa, and another (maybe) the musings of a cowboy in a bathtub out in a field of cows. We're also piecing together new mashups, including one that toggles back and forth between Bohemian Rhapsody and the 1812 Overture.
What was it like playing The Jammies at the end of February?
That was a heartwarming occasion, it was great to meet many friends and new fans. Here's a tune from that evening, the Afro-Celts' tune “Whirly Reel,” with special guest Lino Venema.
You're known for musical mashups, like combining Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue with the theme from The Simpsons. Can the Americana Sundays audience expect a few surprises?
Yes, mashups are becoming a Whorled "thing"; maybe on Sunday you'll hear Miles Davis' "So What" on top of an Irish reel — although that might be too weird even for us.
The jury's still out ....
