Ledfoot Larry coming to Keshena Nov. 15-16

Some people are a little bit country, while others are a little bit rock ‘n’ roll. Ledfoot Larry doesn’t quite fit into either category. He’s done both genres and doesn’t plan on settling snugly into either one. Whether you like one type of music or the other, it’d be a good bet that Larry’s concerts Nov. 15-16 could be entertaining when he hits the Spirit Island Lounge at Menominee Casino Resort, N277 State Highway 47-55, Keshena. Larry started as a solo artist in 2014 in St. Paul, Minnesota, before getting together a band in 2017. He’s made a name for himself in Minnesota and Wisconsin, performing at festivals, street dances, rodeos and more in both states. However, that name he’s made is not the name his parents gave him, Lorenzo Michelutti, which he noted was one that, in his view, did not make for an attention grabber in the music industry. Larry’s played rock ‘n’ roll for years, he said, but whenever he got into his vehicle, the radio dial moved toward stations playing Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Kris Kristofferson and other country legends. He noted his performance of cover songs and his own hits tend to circle around the 1990s style. That tended to swing his performance interests toward country. “I remember telling my wife at the time, ‘I think I want to do country. I love country,’ and she said, ‘Well, that makes sense,’” Larry said. “I couldn’t go out there with ‘Lorenzo.’ It just didn’t scream county or Americana.” The first part of the name, intentionally misspelled, can be attributed toward Larry’s penchant for racking up speeding tickets, he said, as well as enjoying Led Zeppelin’s music growing up. The name had to be something that made sense for him and wasn’t just cooked up for no sensible reason. “I wanted it to still be me,” Larry said. Larry has two albums out with a third in the works. His first, “Smooches Gracias,” came into existence as he was partying one night with friends and, at the end of the night, instead of saying “muchas gracias,” the Spanish expression for “many thanks,” it came out “smooches gracias.” “They’re all like, ‘What?’” Larry said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, that’s dumb,’ but I never forgot it, and for some reason, I was compelled to use that title, and I’ve had nothing but positive affirmations about it. Everybody thought it was funny.” The first song on the album is called “Sunday Morning Light” and was done as a tribute to Kristofferson, according to Larry. “After I wrote that song, it was really something that kicked me off,” he said. “I said, ‘I want to do country music, but I also want to write country music, too.’” “Smooches Gracias” is, in Larry’s view, more Americana than straight up country or rock. Larry veered over to the country side of his persona a little more with his second album, “Tequila Mockingbird.” “There was really more honky-tonk influenced style of tunes but still showing my nod to ’50s and ’60s pop and country of that era,” Larry said. “I was definitely influenced by Elvis.” Larry said the album he’s currently working on will definitely have more of a balance between rock and country. He noted that performing and creating music is a natural instinct for him. “To me, a wolf must hunt, and a musician must music,” Larry said. “I also feel like, when you play often, it also works as practice. Practice never makes perfect, but practice always makes it sound better.” AT A GLANCE WHO: Ledfoot Larry WHEN: 8 p.m. Nov. 15-16 WHERE: Menominee Casino Resort, Spirit Island Lounge, N277 State Highway 47-55, Keshena ADMISSION: Free lpulaski@newmedia-wi.com