GARDINER — Muddy Ruckus will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 17, at Waterfront Park as part of the free Summer Waterfront Concert Series by Johnson Hall.

Muddy Ruckus is a nationally touring Americana-rock duo from Portland. The stripped-down power duo features guitarist Ryan Flaherty and percussionist Erika Stahl. Muddy Ruckus blends haunting male/female vocals, rootsy guitar and edgy percussion on a suitcase drum kit. The band seasons its music with the salt of the eastern old ports and the mud of the Mississippi River, creating an epic blend of bluesy folk-rock, foot-stomping rhythms and haunting vocal melodies. In April 2016, Muddy Ruckus was dubbed Best in State of Maine by the New England Music Awards.

Muddy Ruckus’ music is a fat blend of subterranean grooves, punk-folk and electric suitcase rock.

Flaherty, originally from Rock Island, Ill., met Stahl in 2013 in Portland. They played on porches, street corners and campfires and became Muddy Ruckus. They would rehearse on the road, in the car, at shows and in the studio.

The duo continues to pull inspiration from the music it loves — old-time folk music, dirty electric blues, circa-1940 hot swing and rock ‘n’ roll — dressing it with Dylan-esque lyrics that poke fun at society and poetically examine the state of the world.

Muddy Ruckus released its debut album in September 2014.

A full list of summer performances can be found at www.johnsonhall.org.