They've opened for Sarah McLachlan, Kate Nash and Heart. Their songs have been heard on MTV and Showtime, and their recent album Kuhzoo, spent eight weeks on the CMJ Radio Top 200. They've been a Needle in the Haystack artist on MTVmusic.com. They're playing at the Old Factory Saturday, Nov. 19 at 8 p.m. Admission is $2.
ORANGE CITY – The date is November 19, the time: 8 p.m. Come for music and coffee at the Old Factory.
Bella Ruse is doing a show.
VIDEO LINK: An Animal, A Natural: www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5I2IeBRyuA
HEAR Push On: www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyFsQNOKFR8
For two years, Joseph Barker and Kay Gillette have been traveling across the country in a van powered by vegetable oil. They’ve opened for Sarah McLachlan, Kate Nash and Heart. Their songs have been heard on MTV and Showtime, and their most recent album, Kuhzoo, spent eight weeks on the CMJ Radio Top 200.
Plus, in early 2011, they were a Needle in the Haystack artist on MTVmusic.com.
Prior to becoming a duo, Gilette trained as a classical singer at Hope College in Holland MI, Barker was one of the award-winning composers for Northwestern College’s musical, Terror Texts. Now they hail from the Twin Cities, and surround themselves with a laboratory of instruments: guitar, suitcase organ, glockenspiel, typewriter, kazoo.
According to Gilette, Bella Ruse is “fiest plus a little jazz; Ella Fitzgerald plus a little folk; Yael Naim minus the accent. Or, sometimes we like to call it Cute Rock.”
Want to hear what others say about Bella Ruse?
MTV: “Vocally reminiscent of the 20s.”
Performer Magazine: “Kuhzoo wonderfully exemplifies their minimalist folk/indie music. With a sound like a mix between Kate Nash and Regina Spektor, Kay Gillette’s voice is truly unique.”
CityBeat: “Singer Kay Gillette and guitarist Joseph Barker make colorful, catchy, folksy pop with an ethereal glaze and eye-contact directness.”
And the veggie-oil-powered van? They watch for restaurants – often Chinese – which throw used oil in a separate dumpster. If it looks good, they ask the owners if they can scoop up the grease. Usually the restaurateurs are happy to part with it.
Good Show Great Show won the video contest. They will open for Bella Ruse and be awarded a $50 gift card, courtesy of Orange City’s The Hatchery.
The November 19 concert will be held at Old Factory Coffee Shop, 110 4th Street SW, Orange City, sponsored by the Orange City Arts Council, orangecityarts.net.
Admission is $2. Coffee and the regular Old Factory beverages will be available for purchase.
