"Mesmerizingly arty folk ‐ rock...On "Yiftach's Daughter," [Girls in Trouble] strums an austere acoustic ‐ guitar pattern while cooing with a sweetly beguiling intimacy, joined by hauntingly lovely pastoral harmonies." - LA Weekly

The Brooklyn band 'Girls in Trouble' fuses American folk music and underground rock to share one-of-a-kind stories of complicated biblical women. On Tuesday, October 15, 2013, at 8 p.m., the group will perform its catalogue of fully orchestrated, intriguing songs at a free concert in Fairfield University's Wien Experimental Theatre at the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, in honor of Daniel Pearl World Music Days.

Seating is limited and reservations are required. To reserve a seat, call (203) 254-4000, ext. 2066. The event is sponsored by Fairfield University's Carl and Dorothy Bennett Center for Judaic Studies. Daniel Pearl World Music Days is an international network of concerts that uses the power of music to reaffirm its commitment to tolerance and humanity. These "Harmony of Humanity" concerts were created after the murder of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, in an effort to remind the world of the principles by which Mr. Pearl lived, the universal power of music and our shared humanity.

Girls in Trouble is comprised of multi-instrumentalist Alicia Jo Rabins and bassist Aaron Hartman. Using an upright bass, drums, accordion, and layered electric guitars, the duo play songs that are both intimate and wide-ranging. Inspired by storyteller- songwriters such as Leonard Cohen and Joanna Newsom, bandleader and composer Rabins has mined dark stories of Biblical women, by exploring the hidden places where their lives overlap with her own.

"In writing these songs, I research these stories in original texts and commentaries, but I also look within, searching for places where their stories feel personal, where these ancient stories intersect with contemporary life," she said. "I've toured across the United States, Europe and Canada performing these songs in a wide range of venues, from rock clubs to basement clubs, but since this project actually began as my Master's Thesis in Jewish Women's Studies, it's always wonderful to bring these songs to a University setting."

Girls in Trouble's newest album is called "Half You Half Me," a follow-up to the duo's self-titled debut.

A classically trained violinist since the age of three, Rabins grew up practicing Bach and sneaking out to Baltimore punk shows. She began touring at eighteen, when she fell in love with traditional fiddle music, then traveled to Jerusalem to immerse herself in a new realm - the study of ancient languages and texts. For two years, she absorbed the stories and rituals of the Torah and Kabbalah. Returning to the States, Rabins attempted to resume her regular life, but found herself haunted still by the ancient stories she had encountered in her studies - especially those of Biblical women, she said.

Realizing their stories echoed with the traditional ballads she loved, Rabins began writing her first songs, taking these Biblical women as her subjects. As she composed, harmonizing quietly into her laptop so as not to wake her roommates, her love of American folk and underground rock fused indelibly with her knowledge of the Hebrew Bible: Girls in Trouble was born.

The Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts is located on the campus of Fairfield University at 1073 North Benson Road in Fairfield, Connecticut. Entrance to the Quick Center is through the Barlow Road gate at 200 Barlow Road. Free, secure parking is available. Fairfield University is located off exit 22 of Interstate-95. For further information about other events and directions, call (203) 254-4010 or 1-877-278-7396, or visit www.quickcenter.com.

Image: The Brooklyn duo Girls in Trouble will perform at Fairfield University on Tuesday, October 15, 2013, at 8 p.m., as part of Daniel Pearl World Music Days. (L-R) Aaron Hartman and Alicia Jo Rabins.

Posted On: 09-26-2013 11:09 AM

Volume: 46 Number: 59