The Filament Theatre Ensemble is presenting a one-night-only concert appearance by renowned New Orleans songbird Ingrid Lucia on Sunday, November 24 starting at 7pm at the Filament Theatre space. Admission is free of charge, with a $10 suggested donation welcome.
The performance story of Ingrid Lucia begins with her father David Pearlman, aka “Poppa Neutrino”. A compadre and contemporary of Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, et. al, he was one of the greatest manifestations of Kerouac’s “On The Road” ideal; an artist, adventurer, tinkerer, and all-around personality of unmatched wanderlust. The subject of a book (The Happiest Man In The World, Random House, 2007) and a 2005 article in The New Yorker, Pearlman formed a family band in the early ’80s with his wife and five children called the Flying Neutrinos. During much of this time their home life was spent traveling on a series of rafts built out of recycled junk, and performing for whoever would have them, before eventually settling, semi-permanently, in New Orleans.
It was from this decidedly unusual environment that Ingrid Lucia’s musical career sprang forth. Though she started as a dancer, music quickly took over. She went to New York, bounced between record deals, came back to New Orleans, and re-immersed herself in the city’s musical traditions. She was caught up in the swing revival trend of the late ’90s after forming her own version of The Flying Neutrinos and, with them and on her own, has released nine albums, most recently Living The Life, released in October. She is also the leader of the New Orleans Nightingales, featuring twenty other New Orleans-based female vocalists. Her sound combines trad jazz, blues, vocal, and a variety of other Big Easy roots music influences, and her songs convey a breadth of perspective gained from a life spent “on the road”.
Ingrid Lucia will be performing current and past originals as well as standards with her longtime guitarist and songwriting partner John Fohl. Fohl is himself a veteran of ’90s swing revival, having played on the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies’ 1998 platinum album Zoot Suit Riot. He is one of the most in-demand musicians in New Orleans and has worked with Bo Diddley, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, Pinetop Perkins, and many others.
Ingrid Lucia in concert is part of the Filament Theatre Ensemble’s ongoing special programming in its new home at 4041 North Milwaukee Avenue in Portage Park. All proceeds from donations will go to Filament to help fund the build-out of their theatre.