Rick Rourke and Lost Wages

Come watch Downtown BARN veterans Rick Rourke and Lost Wages play their Roots, Blues and Acoustic Soul as they return to DTB for the seond time this season!

If you missed the first show, make sure you get to this one! 5j Barrow, who you may have seen at Roscoe Singer Songwriter Festival, will be opening starting at 8pm!

Born in Troy NY, Rick grew up in a large family close to where the Hudson River meets the Mohawk in upstate New York. ge After hearing the Animals and Bob Dylan he taught himself guitar and harmonica. Seeking out the roots of these artists Rick developed a love for Blues, Folk and Jazz that inspires his work today.

For two decades prior to the Lost Wages project Rick was saxophonist and vocalist for The Out of Control Rhythm & Blues Band. As the main songwriter for the group, Rick worked with legendary producer Eddie Kramer whose credits include Hendrix, Zeppelin and Buddy Guy to name just a few. The resulting cd enjoyed airplay in diverse markets like Greece, Australia, Canada and blues and college stations in the U.S. This project inspired a volume of songs more personal, more political and with a deeper social connection to what’s going on. The need to get these types of songs heard was the genesis for the Lost Wages cd and the formation of the Lost Wages band. “The group has opened up the musical spectrum for me and allowed me to flavor the songs as needed.”

The cd or live band performances will take the listener down different paths with sax, violin, harmonica and a chunky rhythm section to lead the way. As the world has become more complex, corporate and regimented with radio airplay confined to the same 200 classic songs, Rick finds himself digging even deeper for well crafted, honest and fresh inspiration for the Lost Wages project.