Tokyo Rosenthal returns to Galway

Date Published: 09-May-2013

 ACCLAIMED American songwriter Tokyo Rosenthal returns to Galway to play a solo acoustic show at Monroe’s Live this Sunday, May 12, as part of a two-week Irish and UK tour.

Tokyo’s country-tinged folk features starkly poetic lyrics and evocative sounds reminiscent of artists such as James Taylor and Kris Kristofferson.

His lyrics tread the line between roots, country and blues, and audiences at Monroe’s can expect some rousing foot-stomping numbers thrown in for good measure.

Tokyo’s depiction of the Canadian city of Edmonton led to him being presented with the Key to the City by Edmonton’s Mayor. He has also immortalised the Irish town of Killaloe in song and will be honoured this week by the Mayor of County Clare for that lyric as part of The Gathering.

“I was in Ireland 30 years ago,” says Tokyo. “I had an aunt and uncle who were living in a little town in County Clare called Killaloe.

“If you notice on my Ghosts album, which is my third record, there’s a song on there called House on the River and it’s about where my aunt and uncle lived, right on the Shannon.”

Tokyo Rosenthal will play the Backstage Bar in Monroe’s Live this Sunday and will be followed by local band Lunar Playground, who will take things into the small hours with tunes from past and present.