April 19 | 2:30pm | 213 Water Street | Free
Due to unforeseen circumstances this has been canceled. We are working to reschedule the program and will contact registrants if we are able to confirm a new date. If you have any questions or need assistance, please contact the Museum.
Join an afternoon of music, storytelling, and hidden histories with the Ranzo Boys—New York City’s premier trans maritime trio. Through a dynamic blend of performance and historical context, this event brings to light stories long left out of traditional maritime history, offering both insight and entertainment.
Blending folk music, sea chanteys, and engaging storytelling, the Ranzo Boys will explore queer narratives of the Golden Age of Sail—from Walt Whitman’s dockside trysts to sailors using sea voyages to transition to living as men—as well as the vibrant, queer community that continues to surround sea music today.
Expect an afternoon that is as thought-provoking as it is joyful: part concert, part maritime history, and entirely one of a kind. Preregistration is encouraged for this event. Walkups will be accommodated as possible. Access requires walking up six steps, with wheelchair access available via a platform lift.
About the Hosts
The Ranzo Boys—Lafayette Matthews (he/him), Jules Peiperl (they/them), and Lindsey Smith (they/she)—are traditional folk singers putting the queerness back into maritime and folk music. Formed in New York City in 2020, they have performed at the Connecticut Sea Music Festival, the Portsmouth Maritime Folk Festival, New England Folk Festival Association, and the South Street Seaport Museum. They have also recorded eight songs for public radio that were later broadcast as a national NPR special. Their repertoire includes buzzy English harmonies, Appalachian ballads, sea chanteys, droney instrumental backing, and any song that can be remotely construed as queer.
Enjoy More That the Museum Offers
Access to the historic ships and exhibition galleries at the Seaport Museum is included with your ticket to this event! You may visit any time from 11am to 5pm on the day of your event.
General Admission brings you aboard the 1885 tall ship Wavertree and 1908 lightship Ambrose at Pier 16, and into all current exhibitions on view in the first-floor Schermerhorn Row galleries at 12 Fulton Street. Your ticket also sets you on course to explore Maritime City, the Seaport Museum’s immersive, three-floor exhibition at A.A. Thomson & Co., located at 213 Water Street.
Ready for more?
Head over to our Programs and Events page to see what else is happening at the Museum. Sign up for an upcoming talk, learn more about visiting Wavertree, or explore our virtual offerings.