Lula Wiles with Susie Burke and David Surette

There are double bills and then there are double bills. One of New England’s favorite duos, Susie Burke and David Surette and Berklee-bred trio, Lula Wiles, will grace the stage of the me & thee coffeehouse on Friday, September 16. Burke & Surette are the parental unit of Isa Burke, one of the Lula Wiles. This multi-generational show will certainly be one of the highlights of the season at this venerable Marblehead music institution. Doors are at 7:30 PM for this 8:00 PM show. The me & thee coffeehouse is located at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead at 28 Mugford Street.

Susie Burke and David Surette have made a name for themselves as one of the finest acts on the New England folk scene. Together since 1988, Susie and David have built a steady following for their own blend of contemporary, traditional, and original folk and acoustic music. Burke's vocal style is at once stunning and heartfelt, and is matched by Surette's fluid fretwork. Both are well-respected within the folk music community, as is demonstrated by the fact that they have appeared as backing musicians on numerous recordings. Many of these have come out of the New Hampshire Seacoast area, where Susie and David are based, and which has a well-deserved reputation as a haven for folk and acoustic music. Susie Burke has been singing on Seacoast stages as a soloist, a member of several local bands, and in several duos. Her musical tastes and influences are varied and many, encompassing contemporary and traditional folk, swing, country, topical songs, and acapella singing, with detours along the way for Broadway show tunes and classic ballads. David Surette is well-known as a top-notch accompanist in New England's contra dance and Celtic music circles, and is also in demand as a studio musician.

Lula Wiles is a young band but they have spent their entire lives grounded in music The three band members swap instruments and frontwoman duties. Isa Burke and Ellie Buckland alternate between fiddle and guitar and Mali Obomsawin plays upright bass. They grew up attending the Maine Fiddle Camp and then made their way down to Boston to attend Berklee School of Music. They clicked and started making appearances all over New England. Their shows are energizing and it’s clear that there is a whole lot of musical chemistry going on. Onstage, the band gathers tightly around a single microphone for a spirited live show that resonates like a whiskey-slap to the heart. Their self-titled first album is Lula Wiles’ first creative statement, an exploration of their sound. Lula Wiles is deeply rooted in traditional folk music, but equally deep is their devotion to modern songcraft. The songs span from heartbreak-drenched acoustic ballads to honky-tonk swagger to contemporary grit and back again, all anchored by rich vocal harmonies. Their lyrics are fiercely honest, littered with reinvented folk tropes and evocative images – a rainy field of daisies, a dusty bar lit by Christmas lights, an unmade bed.

Expect some collaborations between Susie and David and Lula Wiles. Expect some magical moments. Expect to have a lot of fun.

Tickets for this show with Susie Burke and David Surette and Lula Wiles are $16 in advance and $19 at the door. 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. Buyers who purchase tickets online are automatically eligible for door prizes. The Landing Restaurant at 81 Front Street, Marblehead offers a 10% discount on dinner if you show your ticket or receipt. Enjoy a meal before the show! 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.

Next concert: September 23, 2016: The Ghost of Paul Revere with Sorcha Cribben-Merrill opening