“We like to do songs about science. But first, we’re going to ironically do a song about Kansas.”

This line from the dulcimer player for the Alferd Packer Memorial String Band was met with hearty laughter at the Arts Center on a chilly Tuesday night. The band always had a knack for getting cheeky on political matters without really angering any one side. The performance in the lobby of the center was no different. They sang old and new favorites concerning all things science– and still stuck with their ever-entertaining (and gruesome) theme of caskets and dismemberment (what do you expect from a band named after a famous cannibal).

The farce-filled folk tunes are great fun and will win over anybody with a love for puns. But it’s also important to remember that these are highly skilled multi-instrumentalists with decades of experience. Even the staunchest of audience members will look up from their knitting every now and then to sing along.

Watch their humorous take on “Home on the Range” below, and check out the final two performances of the Tuesday concert series at the Arts Center on December 8th and December 15th.

Words and photos by Fally Afani