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STEVEN KING
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Worcester’s ukulele scene front and center at Uke-A-Palooza 5 Ashley Klann
Fame. Fortune. Fans. Musicians seem to have it all, and a local ukulele scene is proving that the size of the instrument doesn’t matter at the fifth-annual Uke-APalooza event this Saturday at the Hotel Vernon. “Worcester has a good fan base for any kind of good music. Regardless if it’s on a ukulele or banjo or electric guitar,” says Rich Leufstedt, ukulele player and Uke-A-Palooza organizer. “Worcester appreciates the quirk about the ukulele, the novelty of it.” Uke-A-Palooza is a night of live ukulele music celebrating the instrument that continues to grow in popularity with music lovers looking for a cheaper, more portable string instrument to take to the next campfire. Leufstedt says part of Uke-A-Palooza’s success can be attributed to the growing uke trend. Recently, he’s started the Union Ukulele Club at Union Music where uke players can gather to jam together each month. “What’s nice is that it’s all ages. It’s a nice opportunity to perform for someone who’s [younger than] 21 or 18,” he says. “More and more people discovered the ukulele. I know there are a lot more players than there were five years ago. There are a lot of people who play for fun and are learning,” Leufstedt says. “It’s a fun, easy instrument to learn on so more and more people are learning to play. When I promote or advertise a show, it seems to pull a bigger turn out each year.” While this will be the event’s fifth year, Leufstedt says he tries to keep it fresh. “We have music ranging from 1920s old time banjo uke songs to a ukulele band with drums and bass,” he says. “That’s what’s nice about Uke-A-Palooza. We have eleven acts lined up so far – it’s like a variety show. You know in 20 minutes you’ll have another act go up.” Even though the ukulele scene continues to grow, Leufstedt says he has cut back on the number of bands performing at Uke-A-Palooza to allow each to play longer sets. His first year putting on the show, 18 bands took the stage. Uke-A-Palooza performer Joy Rachelle Murrieta says the instrument’s size and portability is what first grabbed her attention. “The uke first caught my eye when I was working at a music store. I’m not the world’s biggest person, so a cute, little four-string instrument like that seemed approachable for me to learn,” she recalls. “I also already played guitar, and figured it would be easy to tinker around on. I guess I was right.” Murrieta started making YouTube videos of original songs and covers, which led to forming the band Bright, the Morning that she currently plays with. Bright, the Morning has been active for two years, and you can catch them at Uka-APalooza. Murrieta describes the group as an indie/folk/rock trio. She is accompanied by brothers Shaun L’Esperance and Eric L’Esperance. “It’s cool to have such a unique instrument like the ukulele to lead with, because it catches people’s attention right away. You’d never expect such a full sound with this little guy leading the way,” she says. Like Murrieta, Leufstedt has been playing music for years, even before picking up a ukulele. He says the musical talent in Worcester was part of his decision to pick up the mini music maker. “I play the bass and the guitar, and I started playing open mics and played in bands over the years.” He credits Worcester: “locally, there are a lot of really talented guitarists. At the time, with practicing, my family and career, I had less time for it, and nobody played the ukulele then. I saw it as a niche and grabbed that. Here we are seven years later and people are still enjoying it.” Leufstedt has a record coming out next month, “Fore Strings of Fury.” He calls it an eclectic mix with percussion and bass going from traditional tunes to a holiday track. Head to Uke-A-Palooza 5 this Saturday, Oct. 8, at 7 p.m. at the Hotel Vernon, 16 Kelley Sq. The $5 cover gets you into the event and don’t forget the $1 beers. Find the event on Facebook. WORCESTERMAG.COM
• OCTOBER 4, 2012