Country, comedy together at tavern

Singer Austin Lucas
Singer Austin Lucas

One's a little bit country, one's a little bit comedy and they both will be onstage -- though not at the same time -- tonight at White Water Tavern in Little Rock.

Singer Austin Lucas and comedian Ryan Singer are in the middle of their The Crooner & The Clown Tour and it sounds as if the pair of buddies are having a good time.

Austin Lucas, Ryan Singer

The Crooner and The Clown Tour

9 p.m. today, White Water Tavern, 2500 W. Seventh St., Little Rock

Admission: $7

(501) 375-8400

whitewatertavern.com

"We're gonna pretend like we're Morning Zoo [radio] hosts," Lucas says from Richmond, Va., as Singer makes siren noises in the background. "And up next, The Eagles with 'Take It Easy.'"

It is easy to hear the camaraderie beteen the two friends, who concocted this tour after seeing each other perform.

Alt-country singer-songwriter Lucas, who lives in Bloomington, Ind., is a stand-up comedy fan and connected with Singer after seeing him do a show there. Later, Singer, who grew up in Dayton, Ohio, and now lives in Los Angeles, saw Lucas play in Santa Cruz, Calif., and a mutual admiration society was born.

Both approach their craft from a storyteller's standpoint, says Singer, 41, and there is a good crossover between audiences.

"Austin's music, the way he writes, we just matched up," he says. "His songs tell these elegant, beautiful stories. As a comic, I get to perform for his fans, who are invested in a narrative. It's a real treat."

"I'm super into stand-up comedy," the constantly touring Lucas, 38, says, "and people like Ryan have elevated alternative comedy. It's a similar breed, I think, to the kind of singer-songwriter that I am. We're both road warriors, and I thought that if we like what each other does, we should perform together."

It's a natural fit, says Singer, who is working on recording a follow-up to his last album, 2015's Immortal for Now, and is a frequent guest on Marc Maron's comedy podcast.

"Comedians are so into music," he says. "We don't really listen to stand-up when we're driving across the country. We listen to music. It keeps us alive."

Lucas, whose latest album is last year's twang-rocker Between the Moon & the Midwest, is no stranger to Arkansas. He records for Little Rock-based Last Chance Records, has toured with North Little Rock singer-songwriter Adam Faucett and has played at White Water several times. His next LP will be a more stripped-down affair that will be preceded by a smaller project.

"Before the next album, we're doing a 10-inch, limited release that I recorded in a chapel in a monastery in Appleton, Wis.," he says.

As for tonight's Crooner and Clown stop, expect Singer to warm up the crowd before Lucas performs an acoustic, set.

"Like the salad before the entree," Singer quips. "If the audience has half as much fun as Austin and I have been having, then it's going to be a killer night."

photo

Comedian Ryan Singer

Style on 10/24/2017

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