PFS Presents Emerald Rae
Live at our Roxborough Venue!
6156 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia
Sunday, December 4th, 2022
Doors 6:30pm | Music 7pm
$0 Members | $14 Not-Yet-Members
This will be our December Monthly Member Show!
Fiddler & Folksinger Emerald Rae brings the duo of strings and song to a new plateau with mesmerizing dexterity. Hailing from the historic fishing community of Gloucester, Massachusetts, Emerald Rae is both a small-town girl steeped in cherished folk traditions and a world-class artist breaking new ground with inventive fiddle effects. A degree in Film Scoring from Berklee College of Music in Boston gave her the freedom to cast a wide creative net, while her grit and intensity was earned during her twenty-year career as a powerhouse fiddler and dancer. Rae embarked on her first journey into songwriting and multi-instrumentalism with If Only I Could Fly [May 2013], featuring her prowess on fiddle, vocals, guitar and the crwth [an ancient Welsh fiddle, pronounced “krooth”], and took to the road from the Canadian Maritimes to Shanghai. Single and video Blackbird [April 2017], a droning, groove-heavy version of the traditional Scottish Ballad, showcases her signature ornamented vocals and robust fiddling accompanied by a laid back djembe.
Zeroing in on the synergy of voice and fiddle, the self-produced self-titled album Emerald Rae [May 2018] offers a rare scope of vision and reveals her depth as an artist. Rae’s extraordinary chops transform the fiddle into anything from bagpipes to flamenco or electric guitar, slap bass or ukulele. Her direct and intimate voice, alternately high and honeyed then gutsy and soulful, encompasses both wind and sea, animal and etheric. Though intended as a minimalist introspective album, Rae pulls of an impressive level of variety. Her take on a sea shanty, “Deep Salt Sea” kicks off the record with edgy soundscapes, “When the Silvery Moon Comes Out to Play” drives with angsty power chords, “Inkwell” paints an intimate portrait of an awkward bookworm, and “Worlds Away” shouts from the rooftops about income inequality with foot percussion and a wailing old-timey fiddle. This collection of homespun vignettes will take you on a journey and leave you spellbound.
“Emerald Rae is that rare artist who combines musical dazzle with down-home stage charm, inviting audiences deep inside her music. She moves crowds from ancient reel to urgent modern song with a spontaneity so organic it’s easy to miss how difficult it is to master. What’s her secret? She likes her audience, meets them eye-to-eye, and they respond in kind, with affection, rapt attention, and delight. Whether introducing a muscular set of old fiddle tunes, or an intimate original song, they lean forward, eager for the next adventure. And she never disappoints. Emerald Rae owns the stage in the finest way, by sharing it with her fans. She does not perform at them, but with them––and they adore her for it.”
— Scott Alarik
Music journalist, author, host of Folk Tales on WUMB public radio.
“Fiddler/vocalist Emerald Rae takes her folk roots into fresh sounding regions, maxing out her axe’s potential in the service of her consistently compelling melodies. A spell-caster of no small skill, Ms. Rae matches her bowing prowess with appealing use of her fiddle for strumming and plucking vocal punctuation. Minimal production touches provide the ideal finish on one of the year’s more fetching releases. Standouts include “Sadie Dear”, “When The Silvery Moon Comes Out To Play” and “Moving On”.”
— Duane Verh, Roots Music Report
“Gloucester musician Emerald Rae has a way of pushing the boundaries with a fiddle that seems almost impossible. On her recent, self-titled album, she achieves a sound that’s both full and icicle delicate, with songs such as “Deep Salt Sea,” “Who Will Lie Behind You Now” and “Lonely Road” being alternately achingly beautiful and bracing as cold rain.”
— Victor Infante, Worcester Telegram
“The self-titled album is quite stunning – sharp, solid soundscapes, rich with intensity; a striking balance of fragility and substance.”
— Joshua Farber, Unity House Concerts
“Reliably one of the sweetest and friendliest people in the biz, as well as being a great player… and on top of the business end too.”
— Russell Gusetti, Blackstone River Theatre (Venue & Festival)
“a wholly-new sound that you’ll find electrifying”
— Devon Léger, Hearth Music
