River Boat Soul and American music at its finest; one might as well suppose this an anthem of sorts for these St. Louis fellows. The North American Continent: they have darted to-and-fro, and then some. The last calendar year has been chock-full of notoriety for Pokey LaFarge & the South City Three. A glowing review from Newport Folk Festival, a tour with Jack White and crafting a 45 on his label, Third Man Records, and played accompaniment to Wanda Jackson and Old Crow Medicine Show – these are all items on the stack while people grasp to summarize their century-old, new sound.
A definite highlight of many people’s Calgary Folk Music Festival, Pokey himself seemed an honest gentleman, through and through. His commute on Prince’s Island Park would be stymied by fans who easily spotted his iconic 30s attire – I can honestly say that his willingness to engage conversations of any kind is rare like hens teeth. An aficionado of American history, LaFarge was born in Bloomington, Illinois. He later moved to St. Louis, Missouri. The nickname “Pokey” was coined by his mother, who would scold him to hurry when he was a child.
Seen here, Joey Glynn (bass), Adam Hoskins (guitar) and Ryan Koenig (harmonica, washboard, and snare) make up the South City Three. The One Town at a Time session was filmed on the final day of the Calgary Folk Fest in Kane’s living room.
