The acclaimed New York-based husband and wife folk-rock duo Mike and Ruthy will be in concert on Friday, March 13 at the Phippsburg Congregational Church.

After 16 years of collaboration, Mike and Ruthy Merenda define their sound as "refined down to the very core of acoustic American music." With an arsenal of fiddle, banjo, guitar, ukulele and vocal harmonies, their performances have included shows at New York's Carnegie Hall accompanying Arlo Guthrie (with their former band The Mammals), and Madison Square Garden where the duo performed as part of Pete Seeger's 90th birthday celebration. 

As the daughter of fiddle legend Jay Ungar and country singer Lyn Hardy, Ruthy Merenda is no stranger to roots music and harmony singing. Despite her innate knowledge of American folk and country music, she opted to steer clear of the musician’s life and moved to New York City in 1977. Ruthy was pursuing a career in the theatre when she was introduced to Michael Merenda, an aspiring playwright and songwriter from New Hampshire who himself had just recently arrived in the Big Apple to test his mettle. 

With this meeting Ruthy’s interest in music was kindled and the duo began collaborating. A romantic relationship began shortly after the musical partnership was sparked and in 2000 the couple resettled just outside of Northampton, Massachusetts where they met Tao Rodriguez-Seeger (grandson of the late legendary folk singer Pete Seeger) and together they formed the The Mammals.

The Mammals toured the world for seven years, including a six month stint opening for and backing Arlo Guthrie during his 40th anniversary of Alice's Restaurant tour. After the birth of their first child in 2008, Mike and Ruthy announced a departure from The Mammals to focus on their growing family. Now settled just outside Woodstock, New York, they tour with a full band or as a duo, doing more than 100 shows a year, and sometimes even share the stage with their show-stealing kids.

The duo's fourth release featured the premiere recording of "My New York City," a revived Woody Guthrie lyric from the Woody Guthrie Archives. Friends of the Guthries for many years, the duo was sent the lyrics and melody by Nora Guthrie, Woody’s daughter. Their version of the song was also included on "My Name is New York," a 3-CD compilation that included new recordings by Seeger, Bob Dylan, Wilco, Arlo Guthrie, Billy Bragg and others. 

In July 2014 they were the only artists to perform at all four major Seeger Fest concerts along the Hudson River. Their rendition of "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" at Lincoln Center Out of Doors was singled out by the New York Times as “Pristine."

Their music can be sampled at the duo's website: www.mikeandruthy.com.

Tickets for the 7:30 p.m. concert, available at the door, are $12/adults, $8/students and children under 8 admitted free. Doors open at 7 p.m.

The Phippsburg Congregational Church is located at 10 Church Lane, Phippsburg.

Refreshments will be served. For more information, please call 207-389-1770.