**Take advantage of advance ticket prices, as they go up the day of the show!** ADV: $12/$10 MEM; DOS: $14/$12 MEM
Uncle Monk is an indie-acoustic duo featuring Tommy Ramone on vocals, mandolin, guitar, banjo and dobro, and Claudia Tienan on vocals, guitar and bass. Their music is rooted in old-time and bluegrass influences. To this mix they have added unique musical textures to create a sound with a new sensibility.
“We are working with what feels natural to us.” says Ramone. “We are making use of string-band instrumentation along with alternative rock flavorings. We use mandolins and other stringed instruments to add texture and dimension to the overall sound. We have been drawn towards the classic simplicity of string band music, but at the same time we are deeply involved with the aesthetics of alternative music, and we do our best to use our musical influences to create an original style. There is a similarity between punk and old-time music, both are home brewed as opposed to schooled, both have earthy energy, and there is a certain cool in old time music that is found in the best alternative acts.”
The songs of Uncle Monk deal with many aspects of modern existence, joys, sorrows, loves, fears, longings, desolation, revelation and exhilaration. The themes are about small town life, coming to the big city, urban gentrification, interpersonal relationships, spiritual longings, melancholy and emotional needs.
Tommy Ramone began his musical career as Tom Erdelyi, an engineer at the Record Plant recording studios. In the musical doldrums of the 1970s he, along with the great Johnny, Joey and Dee Dee Ramone, formed the rock group the Ramones, and participated in the birth of new wave, punk rock and alternative music. As manager, producer and drummer for the band, Tommy Ramone helped create the sound, style and ideology for what was to become modern rock. As an independent record producer, Ramone has worked on recordings that include the single, “Love Goes to A Building On Fire” by Talking Heads, and the albums Neurotica by Redd Kross, Too Tough To Die by the Ramones, and Tim by The Replacements. Tim was voted one of the best albums of the year by the writers of Rolling Stone, Record, The Village Voice and The LA Times.
Claudia Tienan, formerly with the group The Simplistics, is a partner with Tommy Ramone in Uncle Monk. Her penetrating lyrics and haunting vocals add facets and dimension to the songs. The music of the two artists complements each other. There is a yin-and-yang sensibility at work, a touch of light and dark, of bitter and sweet.
