Our musical Guests of Honor will be the Indianapolis-based band Wild Mercy, who describe their music as "neo-Celtic-powered post-industrial electro-acoustic folk-rock with jazz influences and freeform choral structure". The group is composed of Barry (bass, guitars, Roland GR-33 guitar synth, vocals), Debbie (keyboards, percussion, vocals, occasional guitar), Jennifer (harp, vocals, bass guitar, psaltery), and Sally (percussion).
Wild Mercy's albums include Summer Storm and Furious Fancies; they've almost finished production on their third CD. Musically, Summer Storm runs the gamut from ballads to improvisational space music to rowdy singalongs, proving that it's possible to provide something for everyone without sacrificing musical integrity. Of course, the big trick was figuring out how to get from the ethereal "Mantra" to "Chicken on a Raft" without frightening the listener. Furious Fancies shows a strong Celtic rock influence while also mixing in things like Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" and the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood." The bluesy "Their Music" and the cutting humor of the re-mixed fairy tales in "Po' Boys" showcase the songwriting breadth of Chicago singer-songwriter Martha Coady Fabish, while "Gravity Exiles" brings updated lyrics to the "Nottamun Town" tune, offering travel advice to aliens passing near our planet.
We'll have other musicians performing at the Saturday night open filk, including our guest Robin Nakkula, who plays mandolin and guitar.
