On Friday night, The Muse in Rosendale won’t just be hosting a concert — it will become the meeting place of two vibrant musical worlds. VKB Band, aka Vicki Kristina Barcelona, the genre-bending trio known for reimagining the Tom Waits songbook, returns to the stage with their “arsenal” of instruments and trademark three-part harmonies. Opening the evening is the 10-voice women’s ensemble the B2s, led by singer, arranger, and founder Debbie Lan.
VKB members Rachelle Garniez, Amanda Homi, and Kirsten Thien say their sound is rooted in rediscovery.
Garniez described the band’s approach simply: “What we love to do is take these rough diamonds that are these incredible songs of [Tom Waits’] and we sparkle them and shine them up and find the melodies and create new ways of hearing the songs.”
For Homi, the thrill lies in revealing something listeners may have missed in Waits’ famously gravelly voice. “He has so many beautiful melodies and sometimes people don’t really hear that,” she said. “It kind of reveals some real beauty there, as well as all the poetry.”
Their chemistry, the women agree, emerged naturally. “We all come to this as songwriters ourselves,” Homi said. “We always find interesting pathways.”
That sense of play extends to the band’s instruments, which include accordion, harmonium, ukulele bass, banjo, washboard, bottles and bells. Garniez laughed that the instruments “seem to naturally attract,” saying, “Once you take out an accordion, the banjo’s not far behind.”
The B2s — formed 12 years ago — bring their own distinctive spirit. Lan’s ensemble began as a community voice group but grew into a polished and deeply connected vocal collective.
“They present their voices to me like a blank piece of canvas,” Lan said. “I get to throw whatever I want on the canvas, and they sing whatever parts I ask them to.”
The two groups will join forces for a collaborative finale, creating a chorus of 13 women. Their combined rehearsal, Thien said, felt electric. “I don’t think I’ve ever been in a room with 11 to 13 women joined together with a common mission,” she said. “It was really powerful.”
Lan said that sense of shared joy is one reason she continues the work. “One of the things that turns me on a lot is community — singing with community,” she said. “We come together as a group and discover that together we have a really powerful sound.”
More information at themuserosendale.org.
Image: VKB Band, from left to right–Rachelle Garniez, Kirsten Thien, Amanda Homi. (Credit: VKB Band)