RUBE & RAKE
A Pay What You Can Community Event
Rube & Rake’s new album begins with an ode to family and friends— togetherness—as Josh Sandu declares, against a hopeful bluegrass backdrop, “somewhere there’s a place to lay my head.” Nine songs later, over a gently plucked guitar, he sings, “I won’t go picking it up, the weight of the page is just too much.”
Following the award-winning 2017 debut Back and Forth, the St. John’s- based Sandu and Andrew Laite wanted to keep the core of that album’s artistic successes—musical and collaborative harmony, folk storytelling—while recognizing audience expectations have intensified. “The first album ends up being the greatest hits of what you’ve done so far,” says Laite. “With record number two, you want it to be in the ring with the first one, only bigger and stronger.”
For their sophomore album Leaving With Nothing, Sandu and Laite enlisted producer Adam Hogan, best known for his anthemic guitar work as a member of Newfoundland’s most beloved indie-rock outfit, Hey Rosetta!. Recording in bits in houses around St. John’s, Rube & Rake (& Adam) worked to expand the band’s sound to include more instrumentation, pleasingly surprising time changes, and an overall expansion of intention.
“We knew that this grouping of songs deserved a different treatment and wanted to introduce somebody with different instincts and tendencies,” says Laite. “We were confident that Adam would shed the right light on these songs while also maintaining our methodology.” “He’s a very engaged person,” adds Sandu, “who had a lot of thoughts on every aspect of the recording process.”
Sandu and Laite have always maximized the duo configuration—even singing together at a single condenser microphone, allowing for space and patience within the songs—but this is the first time they’ve consciously pushed outside it, to fill in that air with new tones and textures in the form of a full band. The resulting record evokes Blue Rodeo at its most rollicking, Great Lake Swimmers at their most thoughtful, and The Tallest Man On Earth at their most gently contemplative.
The best distillation of all these themes, music and expectation and place, comes at the album’s midpoint, in the five-minute “10-33”—CB radio code for “mayday”—where Rube & Rake reveal themselves to be ready for anything. “This ain’t a common road, but you already know,” sings Sandu, “I will be leaving with nothing, a-dead-head I will go.”
The collection of 10 songs comprising Leaving With Nothing fits comfortably in the folk tradition of road-worn tales and lost love laments told across an ever-changing, often lonely landscape. Rube & Rake is for late-night wind-downs, long drives, a walk by the water: solitary and steadfast, honest and true.
*By attending, you agree to our terms and conditions (below) regarding Mermaid’s Health statement and agree to follow our safety protocols.
PAY WHAT YOU CAN
Pay What You Can at the door
(cash is appreciated)
Terms & Conditions
Here is what you can expect while attending a live performance at Mermaid Imperial Performing Arts Centre:
Pay What You Can at the door (cash appreciated)
We encourage patrons to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
All ticket holders are required to read the posted health screening questionnaire posted at the entrance prior to entering the facility.
We kindly ask that ticket holders who become unwell during the show seek a Mermaid staff member or volunteer immediately. If you become symptomatic on the day of the performance, please contact the box office before 12:00pm at (902) 798-5841 for Mermaid to release and refund your tickets. Should you have questions please contact our offices during box office hours, Monday-Thursday 10:00AM - 3:00PM.
Assumption of the Risk and Waiver of Liability Relating to Coronavirus/COVID-19
The novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization. COVID-19 is extremely contagious and is believed to spread mainly from person-to-person contact. As a result, federal, provincial and local governments and federal and provincial health departments recommend social distancing and have, in many locations, prohibited the congregation of groups of people. Mermaid Imperial Performing Arts Centre (“the Theatre”) has put in place preventative measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19; however, the Theatre cannot guarantee that you or your child(ren) will not become infected with COVID-19. Further, attending the Theatre could increase your risk and your child(ren)’s risk of contracting COVID-19.
By purchasing tickets to a Mermaid show, you acknowledge the following:
I understand the contagious nature of COVID-19 and voluntarily assume the risk that my child(ren) and I may be exposed to or infected by COVID-19 by attending the Theatre and that such exposure or infection may result in personal injury, illness, permanent disability, and death. I understand that the risk of becoming exposed to or infected by COVID-19 at the Theatre may result from the actions, omissions, or negligence of myself and others, including, but not limited to, Theatre employees, volunteers, and program participants and their families.
I voluntarily agree to assume all of the foregoing risks and accept sole responsibility for any injury to my child(ren) or myself (including, but not limited to, personal injury, disability, and death), illness, damage, loss, claim, liability, or expense, of any kind, that I or my child(ren) may experience or incur in connection with my child(ren)’s attendance at the Theatre or participation in Theatre programming (“Claims”). On my behalf, and on behalf of my children, I hereby release, covenant not to sue, discharge, and hold harmless the Theatre, its employees, agents, and representatives, of and from the Claims, including all liabilities, claims, actions, damages, costs or expenses of any kind arising out of or relating thereto. I understand and agree that this release includes any Claims based on the actions, omissions, or negligence of the Theatre, its employees, agents, and representatives, whether a COVID-19 infection occurs before, during, or after participation in any Theatre program.
Mermaid Theatre is monitoring the rapidly changing coronavirus (COVID-19). Mermaid Theatre is actively engaged with local public health officials to assess the ongoing situation. For more information regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19), please visit https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/