Lac LaBelle

Lac LaBelle
WSG Delilah DeWylde
Aug 20 @ Mexicains Sans Frontieres 8 PM
120 S Division Av #226
10$ BYOB
Lac La Belle is an intriguing trio that juxtaposes rural American music of the early-to-mid 20th century with their contemporary Rustbelt aesthetic. The result is a tradition re-imagined, or maybe just resumed. Lac La Belle began with its members learning an extensive repertoire of old-timey country and folk songs before developing its own material, but soon they pared down to some personal favorites as more and more original music was written. The songs were honed during two sizable tours in 2009 and this creative flurry culminated in its first eponymous recording, released in November of that year. Recorded by Jim Diamond (The White Stripes, Detroit Cobras, The Dirt Bombs etc), the entire record was cut live in the studio, using only a few microphones. Its spare production captures the timeless quality of Lac La Belle’s sound.

Jennie Knaggs moved to Detroit in 2004 and her singular talent has made her a fixture on the city's music scene. She is the 2000 Hollerin' Champion of Wise Co., Virginia and Letcher Co., Kentucky. In the course of travel and advocacy work in Appalachia, she learned folk music from local musicians. Her snapping rhythm guitar, mandolin and accordion playing are all in fine display with Lac La Belle. Knaggs has also studied opera and toured the Ukraine and Europe in various vocal ensembles. She currently performs in the rock group I, Crime, Odu Afrobeat Orchestra and as a soloist. Nick Schillace is internationally recognized as a solo instrumentalist who has contributed significantly to the American Primitive guitar canon with his releases Box Canyon (2005) and Landscape and People (2008.) Raised by folk and blues enthusiasts, he acquired early training at Augusta Heritage in Elkins, West Virginia. Schillace draws on this background as he sings and plays banjo, mandolin and resophonic guitar in Lac La Belle. Other recent work includes tenor guitar in Odu Afrobeat Orchestra, electric guitar in Indoorpark (with percussionist Jon Moshier) and acoustic strings in the experimental/traditional group Duo un Duo with Joel Peterson. Schillace has toured and performed with other finger picking greats, including Jack Rose, Keenan Lawler, Eric Carbonara and Glenn Jones. Multi-instrumentalist Joel Peterson has spent 15 years performing in some of Detroit's most noted groups, including: Immigrant Suns, Scavenger Quartet (with Frank Pahl), Kindred (with Faruq Z. Bey), Odu Afrobeat Orchestra, Xenharmonic Gamelan, BoxDeserter (with Thollem McDonas and Skeeter Shelton); he has also collaborated and performed with Rhys Chatham, Damo Suzuki, Amy Denio, Gino Robair, Luc Houtkamp, Tatsuya Nakatani and many others. He ran Bohemian National Home, formerly Detroit's leading music/art space, from 2005 until late 2008. Lac La Belle's Friend Space (Top 15)