Sometymes Why at Unity College Centre

UNITY (Jan 30): February is a busy month with compelling recording artists performing at the Unity College Centre for the Performing Arts, 42 Depot St. (off Route 202).

Sometymes Why will kick off the month with a concert 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7.

Sometymes Why (Photo by Tom Krueger)

Midcoast music fans might know the three women of Sometymes Why as singers with one of their other bands. Aoife O'Donovan (Crooked Still), Kristin Andreassen (Uncle Earl) and Ruth Ungar Merenda (The Mammals) have been at the center of a creative revolution in the acoustic stringband scene for the past few years.

With Sometymes Why, the three women create music that moves past the stringband label entirely. They sing their own songs and back each other up on Wurlitzer, glockenspiel, high hat and tambourine. They appeal to a part of their audience (and a part of themselves) that is more aligned with Feist, Joni Mitchell and Bessie Smith than with Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys.

Sometymes Why is best heard live. Since their first show at the Sidewalk Café in New York City in 2005, Sometymes Why has played extensively in the Northeast, toured across Ireland and joined their friend Chris Thile (Nickel Creek, Punch Brothers) as the opener on two sold-out tours.

Tickets are $15, available online at unityme.org; at Crosstrax Restaurant in Unity; or by calling 948-7469.

Also scheduled for February is Guy Davis, 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 18 ($16); Railroad Earth with Old School Freight Train, 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19 ($22); and Gandalf Murphy and the Slambovian Circus of Dreams, 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 28 ($20).

In addition to the concerts, Unity College Centre offers a free film series on Tuesday nights and a free lecture series on Wednesday nights; see unityme.org for details.