Identical twins Greg (fiddle) and Jere (guitar, banjo) Canote brought Spokane a great afternoon of song and silliness on June 19, starting the summer season of KPBX Kids' Concerts.
The duo's music is steeped in vintage Americana -- forgotten fiddle tunes, swing classics, and quirky novelty songs -- but with their own twists. Their sense of humor and affable attitude shines in their choice of songs and loving banter between tunes. One fan gushed on her blog, "Can I tell you how much I adore those wacky Canote Brothers? Can I? In ties that are nearly as wide as their smiles, you head on back in time to an era of high waisted trousers and crank start automobiles.... Golly gee whiz, did they bring the wholesome tunes and the big smiley times."
Each brother is a fabulous musician, moving effortlessly among fiddle, guitar, banjo, ukulele, and various hybrids, and their genetically-matched voices recall brother duets from the Blue Sky Boys to the Everlys. Many long-time public radio listeners recognize them from more "Sandy Bradley's Potluck" which ran for more than a dozen years.
The Summer KPBX Kids' Concerts are free thanks to event donors Harvard Park Children's Learning Center North, Numerica Credit Union, and Rocket Bakery. SPR also gets support from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Florence Wasmer Fund for Arts & Culture at Inland Northwest Community Foundation.
