Free Lunchtime Performance by The Wiyos
The Rhythms of Life cultural series at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, brings The Wiyos to town for a free lunchtime performance on Wednesday, November 7.
The Wiyos play and compose old-timey American 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.
Their performance begins at noon in Bruno’s Café, located on the second floor of the college’s Reed Union Building. A full menu of hot and cold lunches will be available for purchase.
With instrumentation that includes washboard, harmonica, kazoo, resonator guitar, banjo, upright bass, and three harmony vocals, The Wiyos’ live performances transport audiences back to an era before TV and mass media were the main sources of entertainment. Their sound is reminiscent of a time 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.
The Wiyos’ performance is sponsored by the Penn State Behrend Office of Educational Equity and Diversity Programs and by the Student Activity Fee. For more information, contact the college’s Office of Student Affairs at 814-898-6111.