Nobody else is quite like the incredible gypsy quartet Fishtank Ensemble. And, they are coming back for a return engagement in Paonia. They will be in concert, Saturday, July 31, at The Paradise Theatre. Showtime is 8 p.m. Doors open at 7:30. Tickets are $15 advance or $18 at the door.

Fishtank Ensemble has been described as “traveling between traditional and original sonic European landscapes, they’ll keep you on your toes all night, blending Roma roots music with flamenco guitar and Balkan dance rhythms.”

They have a new CD, “Woman in Sin.” Copies will be available at The Paradise Theatre on the night of the concert.

The quartet includes vocalist Ursula Knudson, violinist Fabrice Martinez, guitarist Doug “Douje” Smolens, and bassist Djordje Stijepovic.

Fishtank Ensemble in the next few weeks will be performing in Wisconsin, Michigan, Oregon, Idaho, Colorado, Montana, Wyoming, New Mexico, Arizona and California. They remain a very busy touring band. While on tour, Stijepovic took time for an interview with the DCI.

“The last couple years we’ve been touring like crazy! I’d say that we play more than 150 dates per year. I haven’t been home since August last year, because of our hectic touring schedule,” Stijepovic said.

“So far we been touring just in the U.S. This fall we’re going on our first European tour, where we are going to visit France, Italy, Holland, Finland, Serbia... We are very fortunate that we’re able to travel, visit beautiful places, meet great people and play music that we love! We also get along very well which is very important for the touring band.”

The band doesn’t travel with a crew, but in almost every city they play they have fans and friends that want to help them.

“We’re on the ‘Woman in Sin’ tour,” Stijepovic shared. “That’s the name of our last album. We play all the songs from that one, some of the favorite tunes from the first two CDs and we also add new songs to the repertoire all the time.”

The band members live in California claiming that as their “home state.” The band started in the San Francisco Bay area, but now most live in Los Angeles.

When asked what part of their career do they like the most — creating original music, the recording studio process or performing concerts, Stijepovic replied, “All of it! It’s great to travel, because you make people happy and you get that immediate reaction when you see them dancing, singing and having fun. In order to do that you have to put out some albums. Everything is connected.”

The band played in Paonia last year. They often headline festivals and play in front of 5,000 to 10,000 people. The largest indoor venue they have performed in is probably the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, Calif.

Stijepovic says his career has gone beyond what he would have imagined. “It exceeded all our expectations, because when we started we just wanted to play music and that’s what we do! Luckily I think there’s also a nice path in front of us.”

Their music and attendance at their concerts has not been affected by the current economic downturn. “We play more than ever. There’s definitely more people at our shows, but I think that’s mostly because of our hard work.”

It’s hard for the band to think what their highest achievement has been so far. “Probably the fact that we survived through all these years and stayed together as a band. The latest one is definitely our new CD “Woman in Sin.”

Stijepovic added, “We’re always looking for new directions and new songs. We like to experiment a lot. Our fans should not be worried because we don’t plan any drastic changes, but they should always be ready to be surprised!”

Fishtank Ensemble has attained success, but the band members are keeping their feet on the ground. “We like to be close to our fans and not acting like some kind of superstars. We depend on all these great people that come to our shows and support us. They deserve just the best. Without them we wouldn’t exist!” Stijepovic concluded.