Joy Ike to play this week’s Summer Music Fest concert

Monday, August 7, 2017
Joy Ike

The Greencastle Summer Music Festival continues Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m. in Gobin Memorial United Methodist Church with a free concert featuring Joy Ike, a singer/songwriter from Philadelphia. This will be Joy’s first visit to Greencastle and she will be joined by percussionist Ryan Socrates and bassist Jason Rafalak.

“I have had the pleasure to see Joy Ike perform in various venues on the East Coast and I am extremely excited to bring her to Greencastle,” executive director Chris Flegal said. “Joy is a truly talented songwriter and has the musical talent to back it up. She is one of the hardest-working independent artists I know.”

Born to Nigerian immigrants, Ike’s music, voice and writing have drawn comparisons to female musicians such as Norah Jones, Corinne Bailey Rae, Regina Spektor and Fiona Apple, while her percussive piano-playing and soaring vocals give homage to her African upbringing.

Leaving her career as a publicist in 2008, Ike has since played thousands of shows across the Northeast, Midwest and South. She has had the opportunity to share the stage and open for Jeffrey Gaines, Cody Chestnutt, Denison Whitmer, Deas Vail, Butterfly Boucher, Serena Ryder, Tyrone Wells, Najee, Allen Toussaint, Seth Glier and Ken Whitely and The Levy Sisters, to name a few.

Ike’s path has consistently taken an “anywhere for anyone” approach playing for intimate audiences in coffeehouse, universities, house concerts, churches and small theater settings.

A write-up on NPR’s All Things Considered says “The depth of subjects she tackles in her poetic lyrics are perfectly complemented by a unique blend of neo-soul, with just the right dash of pop … a truly compelling act to watch in person, with the ability to create an intimate setting in locations big and small.”

Greencastle Summer Music Festival’s free concerts are made possible by donations from individuals and businesses, including the festival’s main corporate sponsor, the Inn at DePauw, as well as an endowment at the Putnam County Community Foundation.

With only two more concerts left in the season, the 13-week series concludes Wednesday, Aug. 16 with local bluesman Tad Robinson.

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