Evento

Merrimans' Playhouse Jazz Performance Series presents Victor & Penny

Victor & Penny is a KC based duo singing music they call Antique Pop. Playing vintage instruments with modern sensibility, they bring a fresh twist to music of the early 20th century and unique arrangements of modern tunes with characteristic charm and good humor. With a fiery ukulele and a red-hot jazz guitar, Victor & Penny put the swing, the jump, the dance and the roll in early twentieth century "rock and roll." This corset-tight quartet comprised of guitar, ukulele, upright bass and hot jazz clarinet brings antique pop to life with thier charismatic style of early jazz, jump, and swing. With the lady on ukulele and the gentleman on guitar they impress and delight with humor, charm and hot licks - they are "...an absolute rollicking blast."

The duo is the creation of Jeff Freling and Erin McGrane who, prior to the pairing, worked in a variety of performing genres and troupes. Freling is a skilled guitarist, who attended Berklee School of Music, and spent a dozen years with Blue Man Group, while McGrane's juggled bands like Blue Museum and Alacartoona with acting work, including a supporting role in the George Clooney film Up in the Air.

Erin has been an active performing artist in the KC arts and music scene for many years. Erin is a film, theater and commercial actress; a musician and songwriter; and one of the co-hosts of the new TV program CINEMAKC. Most notably, Erin appeared in the Emmy-winning web series THE UNREAL HOUSEWIVES OF KANSAS CITY and in the Oscar-nominated film, UP IN THE AIR alongside George Clooney. Look for Erin in the thriller feature film NAILBITER. As chanteuse Ruby Falls, she fronts the cabaret act Alacartoona who was awarded a 2009 Inspiration Grant from the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City. She is proud to say she mis-spent her youth singing in a rock band and was named Kansas City's sexiest musician in the Pitch Magazine's "Best of KC 2005".

Jeff, originally from Kansas City, calls Chicago home most of the time where he has performed regularly with Blue Man Group, Tributosaurus, Mar Caribe, the Tom Waits tribute band B1G T1ME, and has performed alongside Doug Gillard (Guided By Voices). He began furiously studying the guitar at the age of 10 when he first heard Jimmy Page's guitar solo on "Whole Lotta Love" and has considered himself a guitar geek ever since. In the late 80s and early 90s Jeff was the guitarist and co-songwriter for two of KCs favorite bands: The Mongol Beach Party and Grumpy. He studied at the Conservatory at UMKC and at the Berklee School of music in Boston.