Klezmer music spins its way across northern Michigan this weekend.
There’s no question that style — steeped in the tradition of eastern European Jewish communities — is full of joy, a staple of parties and gatherings.
But the whirlwind tunes also come in a minor key.
“People often say the music sounds like it’s laughing and crying at the same time,” said Kia Karlin, who plays french horn and accordion for the group Yid Vicious, based in Madison, Wisconsin.
The group has two public concerts in northern Michigan this weekend. Friday night at 7, they’re playing at Michigan Legacy Art Park at Crystal Mountain. Then on Saturday, Yid Vicious plays a benefit concert at the Mills Community House in Benzonia.
“Klezmer is Jewish party music, basically,” said Daithi Wolfe, the band’s fiddle player and one of its original members.
Wolfe attended Interlochen camps in the 1970s, and the group’s percussionist, Geoff Brady, graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in the 1980s.
Listen to Wolfe and Karlin talk about their music with IPR through the audio player above.
