PORT TOWNSEND — When Pharis Romero and her husband, Jason, make music, they lean in close to each other.
Their voices, alongside his banjo playing, intertwine like a silken rope.
The Romeros, who live on 40 acres outside Horsefly, B.C., have been to Port Townsend before for Voice Works, Centrum’s June celebration of singing.
They’ve taught workshops and given concerts in the big halls at Fort Worden State Park.
But this time around, the couple — now expecting their first child — will play a cozy gig Wednesday at the Key City Playhouse, 419 Washington St., in the first of this summer’s Key City Cabaret series.
Tickets to the show, presented by the nonprofit Key City Public Theatre along with the Toolshed Soundlab studio, are $15 at 360-385-5278 and www.keycitypublictheatre.org.
When they’re on stage, and the harmonies are flowing, “oh, it feels amazing,” Pharis said Saturday.
“It’s a really blended feeling. It feels like this is exactly where we’re supposed to be.”
She’s especially enjoying their travels right now. Last week, the Romeros were part of the Pickathon festival in Oregon, part of their tour promoting this year’s CD, “Long Gone Out West Blues.”
“Waiting for the Evening Mail,” “Come on Home,” “Truck Driver’s Blues” — these are old-time country songs that take workaday stuff and make it sound so romantic, Pharis said.
She grew up on this kind of country music, in Horsefly, in a remote region north of Kamloops. Her husband, meanwhile, grew up in the small Northern California towns of Colusa and Arcata.
A mutual friend thought they might like each other and set them up back in 2007. Jason went to meet Pharis at a music jam session in Victoria, B.C., where she was attending university.
Two and a half months later, they were married.
Now, Jason, a banjo builder, and Pharis have a home and workshop in Horsefly, where her family has lived for five — going on six — generations.
Last year, the Romeros won the Americana Album of the Year prize at the Independent Music Awards and were named the Canadian Folk Music Awards’ New/Emerging Artist of the Year for their album “A Passing Glimpse.”
Pharis is feeling just fine, traveling from town to town, as their baby’s October due date comes closer.
“Oh, heck, yeah. I feel really great. It’s been really nice for both of us to be on road together . . . Our kid needs to get used to these [music] festivals anyway,” she quipped.
After Port Townsend, the Romeros will appear at The Triple Door in Seattle and at the Blue Waters Bluegrass Festival in Medical Lake near Spokane. Then they will return to the Peninsula so Jason can teach classes at the American Banjo Camp (AmericanBanjoCamp.com) at Fort Flagler State Park from Sept. 5-8.
After the Romeros, five more Key City Cabaret shows will follow. The next brings the bluegrass band the Deadly Gentlemen in on Saturday, Aug. 10; then Mark Graham and Orville Johnson on Aug. 30, Uncle Bonsai on Sept. 14 and Sylvia Herold on Sept. 27.
Details await at keycitypublictheatre.org.
Features Editor Diane Urbani de la Paz can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5062, or at diane.urbani@peninsuladailynews.com.
