A House Concert Featuring Mike Agranoff April 2, 2011

You never quite know what you're going to get when you listen to Mike Agranoff. When I first met him, he was reciting "The Battle of Trenton", a long, improbable and very funny account of how George Washington defeated the Hessians in the Revolutionary War. As the laughter died he pulled out his guitar and launched into a strikingly original fingerstyle rendition of O'Carolan's Sidh Beag Agus Sidh Mor, and believe me it's not so easy to bring something fresh to a tune that has been played for hundreds of years.

Mike's influences also include Tin Pan Alley, JS Bach, Scott Joplin, traditional sea ballads, Gospel and British Vaudeville. He is well known for his parodies, from the short and sweet Will Ye Go to the The Folkie, sung to the tune of Paul Simon's classic "The Boxer". Mike has his serious side, too, penning a sequel to the classic traditional tune Gypsy Davey.

You'll be able to hear Mike up close and personal at a house concert in our living room. Be sure to call for reservations (328-3103) because there is limited space.

Official Website: http://heartlandconcerts.org/Concerts/Agranoff/Concert.htm