The Wiyos have dedicated over 6 years to touring the US and Europe. They draw from a vast spectrum of traditional American rural and urban roots music, crafting their own startlingly fresh yet strangely familiar sound. Featured artists in the BBC film documentary Folk America, The Wiyos recently toured as the support act for the 2009 Bob Dylan Show summer tour, and their latest album, Broken Land Bell, has enjoyed international acclaim. The LA Times calls them "fabulously skilled and inspired kooks!" and The New Yorker exclaims "The group brings exuberance and intensity to these vintage styles."
Many musicians throughout history have made their coin leading the life of wandering troubadours, and The Wiyos have definitively embraced and embodied this tradition. They began life as an acoustic trio in a tavern in the lower east side of Manhattan during the summer of 2002 (a neighborhood historically known as the ‘Five Points’ district). An old street gang from that area, The Why’os, became the band’s namesake, and soon thereafter on their inaugural tour to New Orleans, the band put down their hats and plied their trade. Originally meant to be a few days stopover in the Crescent City, their van broke down and they stayed for two weeks, becoming enchanted with the city, meeting many new musicians and beginning the process of steeping themselves in the early swing era.
Around the time of the first record, they began to devote themselves intensely to the study of the spectrum of traditional American musical idioms that were recorded from circa 1900 through the 1930’s. As a result of this newborn fascination with old-timey American music, they began performing more country blues, ragtime and western swing songs in their concerts and decided to make their next recording project a document of their high-energy stage shows. Teaming up with engineer/producer Perry Margouleff, the band recorded their second and third records at PIE studios, which is equipped with some of the world’s best vintage analog gear. In an anomaly from the contemporary methods of recording, both records were cut entirely live over the course of a few days. Using only three microphones and a reel of two-track analog tape, they recorded live with no overdubs, multi-tracking or digital editing. Due to their years of dedication to being a well-rehearsed touring ensemble, almost all the songs were captured on the first take.
Their fourth record Broken Land Bell, is an album of all original songs that includes adventurous collaborations with New York beat boxer Adam Matta and circus/theater composer Sxip Shirey. A product of all their disparate influences and many years of musical evolution, Broken Land Bell successfully blends their affinity of 1920’s and 30’s country blues and western swing with pop songwriting sensibilities and post-modern experimental sound sculptures.
Ever-building their resume, the Wiyos have recently had appearances at the Kennedy Center Arts Festival, in a BBC documentary on the roots of American music, and at the Bob Dylan Show 2009 summer tour, The Wiyos are receiving greatly increased recognition and praise from both the press and the general public.
"One of Colorado's finest songwriters," (Daily Camera) Kurt McCumber will open the show.
