Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem

One of “America’s most inventive string bands” (The Boston Herald), Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem mix traditional, original, and contemporary sounds on fiddle, guitar, bass and recycled percussion — and top that with joyous harmonies from four skilled lead singers. Hailed as “one of the most song- and arrangement-oriented bands in a field overgrown with pyrotechnic, jam- and solo-conscious virtuosos.” (San Francisco Guardian), the band tackles the human condition with playfulness, courage and heart.

Rani Arbo & daisy mayhem draw from the deep well of American roots music, and have an adventurous way of mixing things up. They’ll hang a 200-year-old Georgia Sea Islands song over a New Orleans groove. They’ll set original lyrics to an Irish fiddle tune, then layer it with a groove on a South American box drum. A Leonard Cohen cover gets a clawhammer banjo; Springsteen gets high-octane, bluegrass- style harmonies — and band’s originals range from Unitarian funk gospel tune to 1950s swing. With influences from Doc Watson to Django Reinhardt, from Ghanaian drumming to the funky Meters, and from Fiddlin’ John Carson to Bob Dylan, daisy mayhem celebrates America’s rich musical past and brings it into the present. These are four musicians who pick up what’s lying around — from tin cans, to old songs, to human stories — and create something new.

Come have a pre-concert picnic on the beautiful grounds of Grand View, on the side of Mount Monadnock. Sunflowers restaurant will offer elegant picnic baskets before each concert. Call by July 14: 603-593-3303. Click on Sunflowers logo for menu.