KEENE, N.H. (MyKeeneNow) – For Stelth Ulvang, music and travel have been inseparable since his early days hitchhiking across the U.S. with no budget and no plan—only the desire to see the world. Now, years later, his journey has led him to Keene, where he will reconnect with old friends and perform alongside a talented group of musicians.

Ulvang, best known as the multi-instrumentalist for The Lumineers, performs this Friday, Oct. 4, at Brewbakers Cafe as part of the Nova Arts live music series.

“In 2006, I was hopping trains and ferries and hitchhiking all over,” Ulvang recalls in a phone interview with My Keene Now. “I wasn’t even trying to be a musician. I just wanted to travel, see places.” One such adventure brought him to Boston, where a chance encounter outside the Middle East club resulted in a long-standing friendship with Emily and Brian Daigle of Keene.

“We met while I was trying to get into a show without tickets,” he said.

Nearly two decades later, Ulvang’s path crosses with the Daigles once again—this time in Keene. “We’ve stayed in touch all these years, meeting up in different states,” Ulvang shares. “It’s funny to think we’ve known each other for so long, and this is the first time we’re all in Keene together.”

Ulvang’s journey from wandering traveler to acclaimed musician has been far from traditional. While he now plays to sold-out crowds with The Lumineers, his solo work remains rooted in the unpolished, adventurous energy of his youth in his native Colorado. His performances are an unpredictable mix of instruments—piano, guitar and accordion among them—capturing the same chaotic spirit he embraced while busking on street corners.

“I like to jump around a lot,” he says. “In The Lumineers, I’m kind of the jester, switching instruments mid-song and climbing on things. I bring that same energy to my own shows.”

Joining Ulvang on stage in Keene is Seán Barna, a drummer and songwriter Ulvang met while on tour with The Lumineers in 2015. Barna’s performances, lauded by critics like Pitchfork and NPR, are known for their honesty and connection with the audience. His recent LP, “An Evening at Macri Park,” has drawn comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Rufus Wainwright.

“He’s a great songwriter – raw and beautiful,” said Ulvang.

Also accompanying Ulvang is bassist Dave Drago, a longtime collaborator from Rochester, N.Y., rounding out the trio.

Ulvang’s love for the unpredictable is reflected in his latest album, “Stelth Ulvang and the Tigernips,” recorded live to tape in New Orleans between legs of a Lumineers tour. “We recorded with a band I hadn’t even met before,” Ulvang shares. “There’s something freeing about that—no perfectionism, just capturing the rawness of the songs.”

Despite his global travels and massive success, Ulvang remains deeply connected to his roots as a street performer. “When I was 19, I was throwing an accordion onto a freight train and jumping in after it,” he recalls.  Now living in Bishop, California, and father to a three-year-old son, Ulvang can reflect on how those experiences have shaped him and looks forward to what’s next.

“We learned these songs for this little tour,” he said of the trio performing in Keene. “I’m excited to see the Northeast – there’s something really nice right now about playing in places I’ve I haven’t before.”

Local singer-songwriter Marisol Zilske be opening the night, performing her mix of originals and covers.

Stelth Ulvang w/ Seán Barna & Marisol Zilske
Friday, Oct. 4, 2024
7 p.m.
Brewbakers
48 Emerald St., Keene
Tickets: $20
novaarts.org