(Early Show) Demos Papadimas and His Band with Special Guest Old Paint Music

Saturday, February 16, 2013 - 6:00pm doors / 7:00pm show

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Recently hailed by Cleveland's Scene Magazine as #2 on their "13 Bands to Watch in 2013," Demos Papadimas intertwines American roots music with Mediterranean influences. Papadimas (resonator guitar/vocals/harmonica/bouzouki) comes to Club Cafe with his three-piece live band consisting of Andre Ptichkin (upright bass), Sandi Quotson (violin), and Ralph Rich (drums) to promote his debut full length solo album, Wandering Through the Wilderness.

Often compared to Bob Dylan, Papadimas himself cites string bands such as Old Crow Medicine Show and The Hackensaw Boys as major inspirations for their rock and roll approach to traditional music. He also has been inspired by Leonard Cohen's marriage of American folk and Mediterranean-based World music evident in Cohen's most recent touring ensembles.

Papadimas considers American roots music to be aesthetically in line with Greek Rembetiko music--the "Greek Blues." Challenging prevailing attitudes that label such music as archaic or irrelevant, Papadimas argues that both are rebellious expressions of our search for meaning, relevant and vital today. He's found a kinship with modern twisters of American sounds like Old Crow Medicine Show, who blend foot-stompin' bluegrass with a rock 'n' roll attitude. "They're expressing what I'm feeling, the whole idea of being young and jumping back into the roots and making something new out of that."

Discussing his new album, Papadimas states that "[a]lthough the album explores varied musical territory, including back porch Americana, Bob Dylan-esque ballads, Gypsy Tango, and Greek Rembetiko, it is still very much a songwriter's album. The lyrics certainly take the spotlight, even though there are rich musical arrangements and diverse stylistic twists from track to track. I think this is the best I can summarize my style and the approach."

Lyrically, this self-described "cynical optimist" infuses glimmers of hope in his often world-weary lyrics. When Papadimas sings, "Somehow I've dodged so many evil eyes, that I ain't got religion is really just a surprise" he shares his sense of bemused wonder. His meditative travelogues are often Guthrie-esque ramblings translated from the Dust Bowl to the Euro-Zone, from freight trains to bullet trains, and are perceptive companions to his rootsy musical approach.

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