Live Music: Michael Iafrate and Joshua Lee Album Release Party
Join Wheeling indie folk-rock musicians Michael Iafrate and Joshua Lee for a special double-album release party 8pm Saturday, June 10 at Towngate Theatre. M Iafrate & The Priesthood will perform material from their newly-released “Christian Burial,” while Joshua Lee performs singles from his debut EP “Promise Land.” Andrew Iafrate will open, and an after party will take place at the Gallery at Towngate. Beer, wine, soda, water and popcorn will be available to purchase. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online, at the door, or by calling 304-242-7700. More about Michael Iafrate: For over two decades, West Virginia songwriter Michael John Iafrate has performed alongside some of West Virginia’s most creative independent music acts such as The Minus Tide, COBRA and Killed At Camp. Recently, Iafrate has developed his unique voice with his band M Iafrate & The Priesthood. His soft-spoken contemplative song-explorations are often enriched by his training as a theologian—asking more questions than providing answers, co-mingling the worlds of flesh and spirit, and holding received images and traditions up to the light in respect, playfulness, and negation. Whether solo or with his band, each of Iafrate’s records presents an introspective “theo-folk” through thoughtful and dignified arrangements. More about Joshua Lee: After 14 years in Nashville, cutting his teeth on Rock, Pop, Country, and everything in between, Joshua Lee decided to hit reset in West Virginia. He brought along a love for a good hook, and a taste for ambience, noise, and fits of fury. Joshua’s songwriting falls somewhere between brooding melancholy of bands like The National, the no-nonsense song-crafting of Ryan Adams, and a healthy overdose of childhood religion.