By Cathleen Twardzik

Poor Old Shine takes to the stage at Arts at the Armory this Thursday.

An Americana Dance Party will occur each Thursday in July from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. at The Arts at the Armory. This free event will include food and different types of beer, all of which will be local, as well as music and dancing.

While in attendance this coming Thursday, enjoy the auditory vibes of Poor Old Shine, a new Americana/Roots band which hails from Storrs, CT. Their original “arrangements” and “hand-painted cereal box CD cases” will prove to be of interest.

The band’s music is “foot-stomping, bluegrass,” according to a press release. Their sound combines the traditional and the modern.  Due to the use of varying “instruments and harmonies” they have been compared to Mumford and Sons, The Low Anthem and Langhorne Slim.

“Poor Old Shine did a show for us in May and rocked the house. They were so fun and talented, we just had to find the right event to work with them again. We also have three other nights, with three other bands: [which include] July 26, Somerville’s own Sal Islam; August 10, Uncle Buzz; [and] August 17, The Bill O’Connor Trio,” said Jennifer Lawrence, responsible for Arts, Cultural and Community Programming Booking at The Center for Arts at the Armory.

Poor Old Shine consists of: Antonio Alcorn, mandolin and guitar; Harrison Goodale, bass; Benedict Gagliardi, concertina and tin whistle; Max Shakun, guitar and pump organ;  Brian Conlon, drums, which are from yard-sale, scrap-metal; and, to round it all out, Chris Freeman, banjo.

All of the members are University of Connecticut students.

Poor Old Shine has had the good fortune to demonstrate their skill at Toads’ Place in New Haven, Conn., The Space in Hamden, Conn., and Sully’s in Hartford, Conn.

Previously, they have opened for Monroeville at Bridge Street Live and for The Steel Wheels, and they appeared on The Sunday Night Folk Festival on WHUS, featuring Susan Forbes Hansen and WWUH’s Caterwaul, featuring Ed Mckeon.

Visit http://artsatthearmory.org/, which is the armory’s website because, “We have so many other events going on that are different and fun,” said Lawrence.