Music

Oak & Ash

Arlene's Grocery
Fri Jul 17 7:30pm Ages: 21+
AJ SmithOak & AshSCOTT & BENJIThe Afro Nick

About Oak & Ash


The Afro Nick was born in Crete surrounded by tradition, mythology, family, and the all-consuming Greek pride that seems to be inherent in every Greek-born native. Yet, for this native, his gods were the vinyl records from Hendrix, Zeppelin, Marley and Santana. His earliest musical influences were the Gypsies playing for coins on the Venetian streets of Chania (on the island of Crete), an ethereal city mired in history and legends even before the time of Christ.
Whether possessed by Gypsy magic or classic rock fervor, he picked up the guitar as a preteen, eventually leading to a scholarship at a prestigious music college in Boston. Despite the attraction of a formal education, The Afro Nick decided to pursue music, moving to New York City with nothing, purchasing a '65 acoustic Gibson, immersing himself in the nightlife playing at local venues and building his fan base.
This Brooklyn-based frontman is your modern-day musical Vitruvian Man! His single "Don't Waste My Time," probably his best-known work to date, was featured in Season 10 of PBS' Roadtrip Nation. He found his own style, neither indie nor alternative, and the only adjective that comes to mind is "eclectic," a style he developed purely from playing, learning, failing and rising from the ashes. Rather than submit to a label, Nick describes his music as a mashup of all his past influences and culture leading to his distinctive sound.
His true audience are the disenfranchised and marginalized, those who "don't really fit within the normal flow of society, those who seek music as an outlet." The Afro Nick sees much of himself in the audience he attempts to reach.

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