At 7 pm on Wednesday, Oct 11, a group of Ukranian folk musicians from Odessa will continue their tour of the U.S. and Canada at Bell's Eccentric Café. Kommuna Lux features vocals, brass, clarinet, guitar, accordion, bass and drums. It's high-energy Klezmer music the band describes as "Odesa gansta-folk," says Cori Somers, co-founder of The Clover Room, a 55-seat listening room that opened in 2022. When the US representative for Kommuna Lux contacted her about performing there, Somers thought Kommuna Lux needed a bigger venue. She contacted Elizabeth Start, executive director of the Connecting Chords Music Festival, which has a long track record of presenting world music at a variety of venues. They partnered to present Kommuna Lux in a larger space with a casual brewery atmosphere.
Somers tells Cara Lieurance the band is sending the proceeds of its tour to humanitarian relief in Ukraine. They listen to two songs, "Babushka Zdorova" and "Vitka Shram." They also discuss Somers' experiences since joining with friend Mechele Peters to open The Clover Room, including highlights of past concerts and a look ahead at upcoming shows.
Tickets and more information about Kommuna Lux's concert is at the Connecting Chords Music Festival website.
