Mulebone Concert at the Chalfonte Theatre

Description

ACCLAIMED BLUES DUO MULEBONE BRINGS ROOTS, SLIDE GUITAR, AND DEEP BLUES TO THE PLATFORM AT CHALFONTE THEATRE

Thursday, July 9, 2026  •  Doors 6:00 PM  •  Concert 7:00 PM

All Proceeds Benefit the Chalfonte Theatre HVAC Capital Campaign

ELK RAPIDS, MI — The Platform at Chalfonte Theatre presents Mulebone on Thursday, July 9, 2026, for an evening of traditional blues, country blues, slide guitar, and inventive roots music. The concert features two 45-minute sets with a 15-minute intermission. Doors open at 6:00 PM and music begins at 7:00 PM. Made possible through the generous support of Higgins Hearing & Audiology of Traverse City and the Chalfonte Foundation all proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to the Chalfonte Theatre's HVAC Capital Campaign.

Mulebone is the musical partnership of multi-instrumentalist John Ragusa and roots music specialist Hugh Pool, two veteran performers whose shared passion for traditional blues has earned them national and international acclaim. Their recordings have all reached the Americana Music Association Top 100 chart, and their album Keep on Movin' holds the distinction of being the only independent release to remain in the AMA Top 40 for six consecutive weeks — a milestone achieved in 2015. The duo has received Blues Artist of the Year honors from radio stations across the country.

Pool brings powerful vocals, slide guitar, harmonica, and rhythmic boot board percussion to every performance. He has toured throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, and was inducted into the New York Blues Hall of Fame in 2016. As owner of Brooklyn's Excello Recording studio, he has worked with Taj Mahal, Debbie Harry, Marshall Crenshaw, and Molly Ringwald.

Ragusa's instrument list reads like an ethnomusicologist's inventory: flutes, fife, cornet, pennywhistle, Jew's harp, conch shell, and other unexpected voices that give Mulebone performances a sonic range few blues acts can match. He has appeared alongside acclaimed singer-songwriter Beth Nielsen Chapman and has performed in conjunction with Deepak Chopra's speaking engagements.

Together, Mulebone draws on the music of Howlin' Wolf, Reverend Gary Davis, Robert Johnson, and the broader Delta tradition while creating something distinctly their own — moving between haunting blues, foot-stomping boogies, trance-like grooves, and inventive reinterpretations of roots material.

"Pure, muggy Mississippi afternoon passion, with inventive instrumental know-how and boundless blues expression."

— Elmore Magazine

Living Blues praised Mulebone's music as a strong effort in modern blues interpretation that combines acoustic Delta influences with folk, world music, and contemporary roots traditions. Blues Revue called the duo "a potent force with a very bright future in contemporary blues."

All proceeds from the July 9 concert benefit the Chalfonte Theatre's HVAC Capital Campaign, an initiative to replace a failing system that has served the Theatre for over 50 years — ensuring the building can continue to host concerts, cinema, community events, and Village Radio year-round for decades to come.

Guests will enjoy cinema concessions along with wine, brandy, and vodka selections from Chateau Chantal. The Chalfonte Theatre thanks Higgins Hearing & Audiology of Traverse City for their partnership and their commitment to the cultural life of northern Michigan. Their support is what makes a concert like this one — where every ticket purchase becomes a direct contribution to the Theatre's future — possible.

SHOW DETAILS

Who:  Mulebone — John Ragusa & Hugh Pool

Date:  Thursday, July 9, 2026

Venue:  The Platform at Chalfonte Theatre, 205 River Street, Elk Rapids, MI 49629

Doors:  6:00 PM  |  Concert: 7:00 PM  |  Two sets with intermission

Tickets:  Advance: $20  |  Day of Show: $25

Benefit:  All proceeds support the Chalfonte Theatre HVAC Capital Campaign

Sponsors:  Higgins Hearing & Audiology (Traverse City); Short's Brewing Company (Elk Rapids)

Info:  www.chalfontetheatre.org  |  (231) 498-2399