Gig Harbor BoatShop is pleased to present Ray Troll and the Ratfish Wranglers. The program begins at 6 p.m. with a talk by Ray Troll. He will be joined by the Ratfish Wranglers at 7 p.m. for a concert. Bring your Troll gear to have it signed by Ray, or purchase it at the event.
All are welcome at this all-ages show held in the big shop. Complimentary appetizers will be served and outside food is welcome. Beer and wine will be available for purchase.
Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets, which include the talk, concert, and appetizers, are $20/members and $25/non-members in advance, or $25/members and $30/non-members at the door (if tickets remain).
Click here to buy tickets online.
Band bio:
Known primarily for his visual fish-filled art Ray Troll has also been in love with the guitar since he first saw the Beatles rocking it on Ed Sullivan that fateful evening way back in 1964. When art bands like the Talking Heads, Devo and the B-52s hit the scene in the late 70’s it really got Ray psyched to hit the stage. When the Ramones let loose their rock and roll fury with ‘three chords and the truth’ Troll knew the time was truly right for him. During a fateful turn as a substitute art teacher in the mid-80’s, Ray met Russell Wodehouse and Shauna Lee, two funky fresh teens who had been riding the British synth pop craze with their own brand of pop music. Thirty years later, the trio is still hitting the stage with a unique sound and delicious visuals.
Along the way the band has grown and tightened with the addition of masterful guitarist, Brian Curtis who brings his own flavor to the Wrangler sound. A veteran of garage bands, folk fests and fishing holes, in addition to lead guitar, Brian also wields a mean bass and a furious fiddle.
The most recent addition to the group is Chazz Gist who joined in 2015. A youngster amongst the vets but with classically trained fingers that fly across his 7 string bass with the power and grace of players twice his age, he will take you to school with his hot bass licks.
Drummer Patrick Troll was just a small fry growing up at the fin of his father, Ray, when he began to play music. He showed great promise from a young age and has mastered several instruments including guitar, drums and the turntable. He makes his home in the Pacific Northwest where he swims between Alaska and Washington on a regular basis. Patrick joins the band when they tour in the Northwest.
As their journey down the musical highway has picked up speed, they have played for many noted organizations including the American Fisheries Society, the American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists and the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. They participate in several annual concerts including The Fisherpoets Gathering in Astoria, Oregon, Folk Fest in Juneau and Salmonfest in Ninilchik, Alaska. They have penned a song for the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History to welcome the newest T-rex specimen and for NOAA to educate fisherfolks about the benefits of rockfish recompression. They have played their aquatic anthems as far north as Alice’s Champagne Palace in Homer, Alaska and taken a dip into deep-fish-funk at the Seattle Aquarium.
The Ratfish Wranglers latest musical offering is “Fish Worship”, a collection of funky rock, fishy rap and eclectic vocals that every Alaskan should be blasting on their next trip to the fishing grounds.