Genre-bending band, Cold Chocolate, in Marblehead on February 8

Cold Chocolate brings their eclectic stylings to the me&thee as part of the legendary coffeehouse’s winter season. This New England based band incorporates folk, funk, and bluegrass and rolls it all together to make a true Americana sound.Emerald Rae, a talented fiddler and songwriter extraordinaire opens the show. This concert takes place on Friday, February 8 at 8:00 p.m. The me&thee coffeehouse is at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 28 Mugford Street, Marblehead.

Featuring Ethan Robbins on guitar, Ariel Bernstein on percussion, and backed by some of the finest players in the roots scene. Cold Chocolate has been impressing audiences throughout New England and beyond. Punctuated by tight harmonies and skillful musicianship, and with a focus on songwriting, Cold Chocolate has quickly gained recognition for their original music and high-energy shows. The band has shared bills with Leftover Salmon and David Grisman, and regularly performs at venues and music festivals up and down the East Coast. According to The Boston Review, “they sound softer than the dew on the mountainside, harder than a Harley pushing back red dust, sweeter than true love.”

Guitarist-songwriter Ethan Robbins began his bluegrass career at Oberlin College. He began experimenting with how to stretch the meaning of bluegrass. He had been playing classical violin since he was four years old, switched to guitar by fourteen, and was highly inspired by Bob Dylan, John Hartford, Hank Williams and the Grateful Dead. Before long, he was coming up with his own original music. In 2012, he met percussionist Ariel Bernstein in Boston. His light and tasteful groove became the backbeat for Cold Chocolate. In addition to combining forces with Ethan as part of the band, Ariel is also a much-heralded sound engineer who has worked on recordings for Darlingside, Josh Ritter, and The Ballroom Thieves.

Fiddler and folksinger Emerald Rae brings the duo of strings and song to a new plateau with mesmerizing dexterity. Hailing from the historic fishing community of Gloucester, Massachusetts, Emerald Rae is both a small-town girl steeped in cherished folk traditions and a world-class artist breaking new ground with inventive fiddle effects. Roots Music Report says, “A spell-caster of no small skill, Ms. Rae matches her bowing prowess with appealing use of her fiddle for strumming and plucking vocal punctuation.” Her opening set is sure to whet the audience’s appetite for some wildly diverse music.

Tickets for Cold Chocolate with Emerald Rae are $18 in advance and $21 at the door. Student tickets are $10. Tickets are available online at www.meandthee.org and can be purchased in person at the Spirit of ’76 Bookstore or the Arnould Gallery in Marblehead. As at all me & thee coffeehouse events, refreshments are available, including homemade pastries, coffee, and teas. The me & thee has a handicapped-accessible entrance and an accessible bathroom, is a smoke-free environment, and is easily reached by MBTA bus.

The me & thee is one of the oldest continually running acoustic coffeehouses in New England, and probably the country. It has been and will always be a volunteer, non-profit organization sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead. For information and directions, call 781-631-8987 or check the website at www.meandthee.org.