Three of the West’s most madly-creative underground songwriters will be surfacing on one stage for the Death Ballad Love Tellers tour: the Second Coming.
Ben Sures, David P. Smith and Bubba Uno will accompany each other on guitar, ukulele and accordion respectively while each takes a turn showcasing his songs.
Not content to stick with the tried and true themes of love and loss, Troy “Bubba Uno” Cook sets his acoustic indie folk music in make-believe post-zombie-apocalypse wastelands populated by robots, aliens, vampires and serial killers – and a satanic rabbit trying to restore old-fashioned evil on earth.
The musician, poet, visual artist and spoken word performer first started composing while working as a truck driver in a coal mine – which might explain his penchant for barren landscapes.
Sures is touring to support his latest album Gone to Bolivia. Sures celebrated his 20th year in music with the release of Bolivia, and the great thing about him is, he got his acclaim by getting more – not less – inventive in his work.
The songs themselves – already category winners in the John Lennon and International Songwriting competitions – have only grown more original.
Smith is just plain touring, and that’s a big deal unto itself. The last time he did a tour was three years ago – a long time to wait for fans of his raw, accordion-driven, reconstruction of blues and country music.
The tour stops in Nanaimo Sunday (April 15), 2 p.m., at Arbutus Music, 6324 Metral Dr. Please call 250-933-1900.