Ellis Paul and Radoslav Lorković in Concert

Date & Time Tue 03/11/2025 7:00pm

Venue The Studios of Key West
Key West, FL 33040 GET DIRECTIONS

Price 50

Phone Number 305.296.0458

Tuesday, March 11, 7pm
Helmerich Theater
$75 front row, $50, $40 mbrs.

Ellis Paul doesn’t just write songs; he’s a guitar-carrying reporter who covers the human condition and details the hopes, loves, losses of those he observes, turning their stories into luminous pieces of music that get under your skin and into your bloodstream. And much like the artists who have influenced him, everyone from Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Paul Simon to the singer-songwriter who is undoubtedly his greatest inspiration, Woody Guthrie, Paul weaves deeply personal experiences with social issues and renders them as provocative works that are as timely as they are timeless. Born and raised in Maine, Paul attended Boston College on a track scholarship and in the evenings became a fixture on the city’s open mic circuit. After winning a Boston Acoustic Underground songwriter competition, he caught the ear of folk luminary Bill Morrissey, who produced his indie album Say Something in 1993. This led to a seven-album contract with Rounder Records and the 1994 album, Stories. His songs have appeared in several blockbuster films (Me, Myself, and Irene; Shallow Hal, Hall Pass) and have been covered by award winning country artists (Sugarland, Kristian Bush, Jack Ingram). Through a steady succession of albums of his own – a remarkable 23 releases so far – and a constant touring presence around the world, Paul’s audience has grown into a loyal legion of fans. Along the way, he has picked up an impressive number of awards including the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Award, 15 Boston Music Awards, An Honorary Doctorate from the University of Maine, the 2019 International Acoustic Music Awards Artist of the Year and most recently his album, The Storyteller’s Suitcase, was named the 2019 NERFA Album of the Year.

Drawing from a multitude of influences ranging from elegant classical and jazz styles to the rawest, most basic blues, country and soul, Radoslav Lorković has taken on an unusually broad musical spectrum and refined it into his distinctive piano style. His tenure on the R&B and folk circuits has culminated in five critically acclaimed solo recordings and numerous appearances on the recordings of and performances with artists including Odetta, Jimmy LaFave, Ribbon of Highway Woody Guthrie Tribute, Greg Brown, Richard Shindell, Ellis Paul, Ronny Cox, Dave Moore, Andy White, and Bo Ramsey. His thirty year touring career has led him from the taverns of the upper Mississippi River to the castles of Italy, The Canary Islands, The Yup’ik villages of Alaska, The Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall. Influenced by his grandmothers, Antonija and Melita, who introduced him to Croatian folk songs and classical music, Lorković showed musical talent from a young age. Moving to the U.S. at six, he was poised for a classical music career until a friend taught him the blues scale at fourteen, igniting his passion for blues. By twenty, Lorković was touring with Bo Ramsey and the Sliders, mastering boogie-woogie and delving deeper into blues. He fused his classical heritage with blues and expanded his repertoire to include Tex-Mex and Zydeco accordion.

Old Town New Folk is underwritten by Nick and Lorie Howley, with additional support from Doug and Sherri Montgomery, John and Marilyn Rintamaki, Nell Smets, and Michael Blades and Kathy Kilroy. Series sponsored by Blue Heaven