Maryna Krut at Palo Alto Art Center Auditorium, August 30, 2024

Earthwise presents Maryna Krut AKA KRUTЬ
Palo Alto Art Center Auditorium
1313 Newell Rd, Palo Alto, CA 94304 USA
8:00 PM, Friday, August 30, 2024

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[8:09 PM] {Welcome from Mark Weiss; Greetings from MK; Introduction to the bandura}

1. [8:13 PM] (unidentified tune #1 – listed as ? “Buigu buigu” on MK's handwritten setlist)
   [8:15 PM] {MK asks the aud: who is familiar with her music? who is hearing her for the first time…}
2. [8:16 PM] (unidentified tune #2 – introduced as a love song – listed as ?“Yiu Kyda” on MK's handwritten setlist)
3. [8:20 PM] (unidentified tune #3 – introduced as a lullaby)
   [8:25 PM] {MK apologizes for pausing for tuning}
4. [8:26 PM] 99
   [8:29 PM] {MK talk about the next tune‚ something to do with a poem from 1854?}
5. [8:30 PM] (unidentified tune #4)
   [8:33 PM] {MK: the next one is another traditional song; MK follows by telling a story about gardening with her Grandma}
6. [8:36 PM] Пряля (Spinning Wheel)
   [8:38 PM] {MK: more soil talk; introduces the next song as taken from poem by Lina Kostenko}
7. [8:39 PM] (unidentified tune #5)
   [8:42 PM] {MK vamps on the next tune for a long time while she introduces it as coming from the Ukrainian Carpathians}
8. [8:42 PM] Всипана зорями (Strewn with stars)
   [8:46 PM] {MK starts the next tune with a vamp and introduction in Ukranian}
9. [8:46 PM] (unidentified tune #6)
10. [8:50 PM] (unidentified tune #7)
11. [8:52 PM] То таке життя (That’s Life)
    [8:55 PM] {MK story about moving to Kyiv}
12. [8:58 PM] OK
13. [9:01 PM] (unidentified tune #8)
    [9:03 PM] {MK talks about bandura repertoire and her approach to playing the instrument}
14. [9:04 PM] Легкозаймисті (Flammable)
    [9:07 PM] {MK starts the next tune with a long vamp while talking about her friend Iryna‚ who was killed recently in the war with Russia}
15. [9:07 PM] Леся - Contra spem spero!
    [9:13 PM] {Minute of silence in memory of Ukranian victims of Russian war}
16. [9:15 PM] Україна (Ukraine)
    [9:19 PM] {applause at set end}
    [9:19 PM] {words from MW}
    
    Encore
17. [9:20 PM] Hallelujah
    [9:24 PM] {MK vamp while relating that she's exhausted: it took her two days travel to get from Kyiv to Palo Alto}
18. [9:24 PM] Оі у лузі червона калина (Oh‚ the Red Viburnum in the Meadow)
    [9:28 PM] {final applause}
    [9:29 PM] {final words from MW}
    [9:30 PM] {show ends}

• Maryna Krut AKA KRUTЬ: bandura, vox.

I don't remember exactly how I discovered Maryna Krut, but after watching a performance of her on YouTube earlier this year, I thought it would be fun to see her in person, and lucky for me, Mark Weiss arranged for her to play in Palo Alto. Although tonight was Maryna Krut's first ever show in the USA, the turnout was pretty good: my guess is that the venue was reasonably close to a sell out (150 people or more). Maryna will be back in a few months to play the much smaller Bing Studio, but I'm glad I motivated to catch her US premiere tonight.

I'd worried that the show might not offer enough sonic variety, but Maryna played us a pretty good mix, blending traditional tunes with her more pop-like originals. I thought her handwritten setlist would help me figure things out where she didn't announce tune titles, but my inability to read cursive Ukrainian shut down that notion as soon as I got a good glance. Ting took a picture anyway…maybe someone later on will help me fill in all those blanks above!

Maryna's handwritten setlist

It was really sad hearing Karyna talk about the war, and after getting home that night I found a short video of Maryna singing with her friend Iryna Tsybuh.

A majority of the attendees were Ukrainian speakers, but there were enough English speakers that Maryna did most of her talking twice – once for each language. Sometimes that can be tedious, but it didn't bother me tonight.

A few folks in the audience were overly enthusiastic about calling for more at the end of the show, but Maryna was firm about stopping after the encore tunes, telling folks she'd be back out to talk and sign merch once she has a quick break. I'm not keen on waiting 20 minutes to get an autograph, so we ditch the scene and head home.

Big thanks to Ting for the photo gallery!

Whoa! This section is incomplete for now, sorry!

Back to the previous event! ☸ Up to the 2024 yearbox! ☸ Up to the 2024 event list! ☸ On to the next event!