Mishka Shubaly, a singer originally from Ontario, will perform with Star Anna from Washington at Jackie O’s on Sunday.
Two folk singers will come together to perform at Jackie O’s and appreciate each other’s musical talent.
Mishka Shubaly of Ontario and Star Anna of Washington will perform about eight songs each at Jackie O’s Taproom on Sunday at 4 p.m.
The Post spoke with Shubaly about the upcoming show.
The Post: How long have you been performing?
Mishka Shubaly: I’ve been performing since I was 21, and I’m 39, so almost 20 years.
P: Can you tell me a little bit about your music style?
MS: Somebody compared it to Johnny Cash and Tom Waits in a slow motion fistfight, basically. And I can stand by that. That works for me.
P: What made you decide to perform in Athens?
MS: I’ve been coming to Athens since I was about 25. I came there for Blackout Fest one year and fell in love with the town and fell in love with a lot of the people there. So I have a lot of friends in Athens. I actually have a song on my last record called Ohio that’s about Athens.
P: Are you going to perform that song?
MS: I guess I have to, right? I’ll have to learn it again. The song named Ohio doesn’t go over so well in Tennessee or Michigan, you know?
P: Can you tell me about Star Anna?
MS: She’s one of my favorite musicians. Killer singer. Killer writer. The windows rattle when she cuts loose.
P: What are you most looking forward to about coming back to Athens?
MS: I have so many good friends in town who I see, you know, once every couple years so I’m really looking forward to seeing my old friends and looking forward to eating at Casa (Nueva). Looking forward to the habanero salsa at O’Betty’s (Red Hot). I’m looking forward to seeing The Union, and I hope that it’s coming back together. I just love the town.
The Post also interviewed Star Anna in an email, who will be performing with Shubaly. Star Anna will be visiting Athens for a second time.
The Post: How long have you been performing? What inspired you to start?
Star Anna: When I was 11 I started playing drums. I was in a punk band in high school. Junior year is when I picked up the guitar.
P: How did you meet Mishka Shubaly? What do you think of his music style?
SA: We met through a mutual friend who had put one of Mishka’s albums out and managed me. Mishka was setting up a tour and asked if I wanted to join. I said yes, flew to New York and hopped in the van. We'd never met in person before that. Mishka’s music is a perfect balance of darkness and humor that seems to be the perfect fit with my style. It's so important to find someone whose music you can listen to every night for a month and he's that guy.
P: How would you describe your own music style?
SA: When I play solo I'd have to say it's a mix of folk, blues and Americana. I think the focal point of what I do is my voice and the rest is just secondary.
P: Can you tell me about some of the songs you'll be performing?
SA: I'll be playing mostly songs off my new album (which won't be officially released until June, but I brought some copies with me). It's my first acoustic album. The previous ones are all band records, which is great, but I've been touring solo for the last couple years so it's nice to have something that represents that.
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P: What do you hope the audience gets from your and Mishka's performances?
SA: I hope it moves them, whether they love it or hate it, I hope it makes them feel something.
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