Music that is described as both gritty and pretty at the same time is what one can expect at the Crooked Brothers’ concert on Saturday April 16 at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion.

The Crooked Brothers describe their music as home-brewed. They play homegrown homemade music. They have a special way of incorporating folk blues rock and much more into their songs. Sometimes it’s as simple as three sweet harmonies or a single harmonica holding the whole room at attention and sometimes things growl and shake and come smashing down with a filthy rhythm beneath it. But it’s all Crooked Brothers to the last drop.

They essentially embellish their rootsy folk music with the more urban sounds of rock blues jazz and funk. It must be experienced to be fully understood.

The group consists of Jesse Mantas Darwin Baker and Matt Foster. They were friends who left their punk band roots to get started in acoustic music bringing musical influences from Leonard Cohen to Dr. Dre.

As a result their concerts are filled with banjos mandolins guitars and much more. Instruments are juggled from one to the other each with their own style and touch making the arrangements seem limitless and giving each piece its own individual flavour.

Audiences are struck by Matt’s unforgettably strange voice inhuman and gravelly deep as well as Darwin’s deft handling of the harmonica and Jesse’s stories and poems turned lyrics. The music will take one on a journey that leads to a good cry followed by a good laugh and then a dance in the street without your shoes. The Crooked Brothers’ songs move from sorrow to joy and back with a surprising grace.

The Crooked Brothers have performed to sold-out rooms at festivals overseas such as Brighton’s Great Escape and Willisau Switzerland’s Spring Bluegrass Festival. They have toured 10 countries played in nearly every province and territory in Canada and have released three full length albums as well as an EP that comes available exclusively on limited-edition postcards.

Raven Mad Crow Society will open the concert and master of ceremonies will be Lesley English.

The Crooked Brothers will be performing as part of the Haliburton County Folk Concert Series on Saturday April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion in Haliburton. Doors open at 7.

Tickets are available online at http://www.haliburtonfolk.com Halco Electronics/The Source in Haliburton and Organic Times in Minden. For more information call 705-754-FOLK or visit www.haliburtonfolk.com.