Alejandro Escovedo
Alejandro Escovedo With an All-Star Band of Mitch Easter, Doug Davis, Rob Ladd, and Chris StameyAppearances by Caitlin Cary, Lynn Blakey + surprisesJonathan Byrd + Jess Klein open!A concert for NC musicians’ mental health, benefitting the SIMS FoundationLinks: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
Plains
Hitting play on the debut album from Plains, the duo composed of Waxahatchee’s Katie Crutchfield and Jess Williamson, we’re immediately teleported into a world of Southern sunsets, wide open spaces, and the unapologetic nature of Country music.Plains began out of Crutchfield’s and Williamson’s mutual love for each other’s music and after trading albums (Saint Cloud and Sorceress, respectively) in early 2020. Feeling that it was time to have a separate project that could reflect a different side of her creative inspirations, Katie felt that Jess was the perfect fit for a collaboration, and they set off to create I Walked With You A Ways.Written between Kansas City, Los Angeles, and Marfa, the album was recorded in Durham, NC with collaborator and producer Brad Cook. The creative magic of only a few vocal takes, tracking with a band comprised of Spencer Tweedy and Phil Cook, gives the album a feel of fresh, on-the-spot conception. The trust and history of Crutchfield and Cook’s collaborations (Saint Cloud, Great Thunder EP) set the tone for this new container of spontaneity and experimentation.With both being from the South, we hear the history of place and story in each song: Texas meteor showers, family ties, and the lineage of songwriters who have come before.As solo practitioners of the craft of song, Williamson and Crutchfield bring a creative permission slip to both the process of songwriting itself but also to the listener. In both of their solo projects you hear a specificity of experience that is so sharp and intimate that it brings the listener into a personal side of the experience of life. With Plains, we are invited into this spaciousness of story, to a shared narrative spanning the beginning of the album to the end.“Summer Sun,” the opening track, greets us with their two voices in perfect unison and sets the tone for the album – “come along with us, we’ll be here for you the whole time.” We’re catapulted into what feels like a small show on the back porch of a house in West Texas. There is an essence of their own friendship that clearly emerges that is just as much about joy and playfulness as it is about two people ushering each other through life’s great journeys.And that’s the thing about Country music, and what so much of this album nods to – from Waylon and Willie, to The Judds, The Chicks, Trio, and beyond – these are groups that are formed out of family and friendship, that lyrically take their listeners on a voyage of sorrow and hope. Crutchfield’s sharp, honest edge of truth telling paired with Williamson’s ability to paint the scene with candles, plains, sunsets, and small Texas towns is one of the strongest parts of this album. “When the summer sun melts candles / I dig out the wick / Honey we’re up against somethin / Our love alone can’t fix / So I won’t see the garden or the figs when they are ripe/ It hurts to be leavin, but I know that stayin ain’t right.”Crutchfield brings us through what we all could stand to strive for: Setting affectionate boundaries and expectations of how we want to be met and loved in relationships. She recalls that in her solo project she might not have kept the lyrics heard in “Problem With It,” but Williamson encouraged her to. It gives the song that directness of sharing our intentions and needs, while also acknowledging the parts of ourselves that get lost when we try to contort ourselves for someone else. “Justified it in my own way / I lost myself in it / If it’s all you got, it’s enough you say / I got a problem with it.”
Birds and Arrows
In 2020 the Birds and Arrows began the creation of their 6th full length record. But recording was cut short due to the first big wave of Covid hitting the US. Like all musicians during the lockdown, the band had to cancel all tours and shows putting their livelihood as musicians and artists in jeopardy. Birds and Arrows also had to put all album production on hold for the foreseeable future.In 2021, the band was able to get back into the studio with new ideas to complete the album which would become “Electric Bones.”The album was recorded live at Dust and Stone Studios as a full 4 piece band with Andrea Connolly on lead vocals, rhythm guitar and synth soundscapes, Pete Connolly on drums and vocals, Ben Nisbet on lead guitar and Gabriel Sullivan on bass and in role of producer. By this time Gabe had partnered with full time engineer Frank Bair. The electricity that happened between the live studio band when they returned from lockdown was palpable. The visceral excitement fueled by pent up creativity is the spark that formed “Electric Bones.”“Electric Bones” the new album by Birds and Arrows out August 5th on Hookworm records is a lush combination of moody soundscapes, throwback 70’s groove and classic “in studio” live band sound.This collection of new songs was written by creative duo Andrea and Pete Connolly and is a wild ride through the psyche of lifelong artists digesting an unexpected pandemic lockdown and processing the communal loss of innocence that came with surviving a world shattering pandemic together.“Electric Bones” is authentic on every level, right down to the band’s energetic core performance that burns bright into the studio microphones and shines direct into listeners psyches. The album is a strong collection of thoughtful compositions, dynamic melody and harmony and stellar vocal performances that hint at despair while still maintaining enough hope to shimmer in the dark.The album also features an ethereal vocal duet with Brian Lopez (of XIXA and Calexico) called “Saviors of this Town” Other special guests include Saul Millan (of Los Esplifs) – Moog manipulation. Daniel Martin Diaz (of Trees Speak) – synth on Truth or Consequence. Chris Pierce (of Katie Haverly and the Aviary) – bass on Radio Shack. Marta DeLeon (of Weekend Lovers) – bass on Saviors of This Town.Links: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
The Greeting Committee
Comprised of Addie Sartino and Pierce Turcotte, joined by Noah Spencer and Micah Ritchie, the spirit of purposeful sharing has served as something of a lifeline for Kansas City band The Greeting Committee.After making their Harvest debut with the Meeting People Is Easy EP in 2017 and the subsequent release of This Is It, the band spent much of the years to follow on the road, with sold-out headline shows in major markets such as Chicago, Austin, New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. To date, they’ve toured with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, Tennis, Hippo Campus, and Rainbow Kitten Surprise and taken the stage at leading festivals like Lollapalooza and SXSW, in addition to delivering the I’m Afraid I’m Not Angry EP in late 2019 and appearing in Netflix’s To All the Boys: Always and Forever in 2021. The band’s sophomore album ‘Dandelion’ is out now via Harvest/Capitol Records with a deluxe edition, including tracks with Briston Maroney and Tune-Yards. Sartino and Turcotte are currently working on the band’s next project.Links: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok
The Wrecks: Back and Better Than Ever Tour
THE WRECKSNick Anderson (Vocals)Aaron Kelly (Bass)Billy Nally (Drums)Nick “Schmizz” Schmidt (Guitar)Hailing from rural Wellsville, New York – almost exactly two hours south of nowhere, it’s not too surprising that there wasn’t much of a music scene. So, in the absence of one, Nick Anderson built one from scratch. In search of like-minded souls who loved the punk and alternative sounds he preferred, Nick turned to the internet. He recruited Aaron Kelley, Billy Nally, and Nick “Schmizz” Schmidt, to road test a new band: The Wrecks. The band’s top five tracks on Spotify have been listened to more than 80 million times, & their first single was a Top 40 Alternative Radio hit. Their most recent single, the post-breakup anthem “I Love This Part” finds the Wrecks’ music evolving as they approach the completion of their second album. Now as they progress towards an even larger reach that far extends above the foundation that they have already built, The Wrecks are poised for a wide-open road ahead of them.Links: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube | TikTok
Eugene Mirman
This is a seated show.Comedian and actor Eugene Mirman immigrated from Moscow with his family at age 4. He grew up in Lexington, MA, attended Hampshire College where he designed his own Comedy major doing a one hour stand-up set as his thesis and has since gone on to a successful career on TV, stage and film. On TV, Eugene can currently be heard as the voice of Gene Belcher on FOX’s Emmy Award winning Bob’s Burgers. He has appeared on many other TV shows including Flight of the Conchords, Delocated, Archer, Broad City, StarTalk, Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, Inside Amy Schumer, Conan O’Brien, The Colbert Report, Late Night with Seth Myers, @midnight, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, Home Movies and more. Eugene made his animated big screen debut with the theatrical release of "The Bob's Burgers Movie" in spring 2022. As a stand-up, Eugene started his career in Boston before moving to New York where he was one of the kingpins in the city’s early alt-comedy scene. Eugene has two Comedy Central stand-up specials and his comedy special “Vegan on His Way to the Complain Store” is available for streaming. He has released five comedy albums, including his epic Sub Pop Records release I’m Sorry (You’re Welcome), which was made available in multiple formats including a 9-volume digital set, 7 LPs, a chair and a robe. As a touring headliner, Eugene has performed on stages around the world and at festivals including Edinburgh Fringe, Sasquatch, Bonnaroo, SXSW, SF Sketchfest and many more. Along with Julie Smith Clem, Eugene co-founded the comedy production company Pretty Good Friends which began as a weekly comedy show in Brooklyn and grew into tours, large outdoor shows and TV and radio projects. Out of these shows, Mirman and Clem also created the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival which started as a joke and became an annual institution in Brooklyn for 10 years. The festival also spawned the documentary film "It Started As A Joke" which chronicles the decade-long run of the Eugene Mirman Comedy Festival, including a final farewell show. The film celebrates Eugene’s unique brand of humor and his role in the alternative comedy movement, offers a bittersweet goodbye to an era, and reminds us of the healing properties of comedy – even in the most challenging of life’s circumstances. The film includes interviews Michael Ian Black, Kristen Schaal, Wyatt Cenac, Ira Glass, John Hodgman, Kumail Nanjiani, Reggie Watts and Michael Showalter, along with performances by Janeane Garofalo, Jim Gaffigan, Jon Glaser, Mike Birbiglia, Bobcat Goldthwait, Michael Che and more. Hailed as "funny and elegiac" (The New York Times) and "a hidden history of alternative comedy” (The Moveable Fest), the film is available on most streaming platforms.Links: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube | Soundcloud
The Connells
The Connells, one of North Carolina’s most successful indie rock bands, have new music on the way for the first time since 2001. They’ll break their recording hiatus with “Steadman’s Wake,” a new 11-song album that will be released September 24th, 2021.Beyond the fact that “Steadman’s Wake” is the group’s first new release in over 20 years, it is the first Connells’ album to feature their two newest members, guitarist Mike Ayers and drummer Rob Ladd (who have been in the lineup since 2002 and 2012, respectively), and the band’s first record made up of songs contributed solely by Mike Connell, who happens to take on a more prominent role as vocalist.Additionally, the title track, “Steadman’s Wake,” represents the first time The Connells have ventured into overt politics. Previously, the group tended to let actions and implications do the talking when it came to current events. But taking a more concrete and literal stand was something the times seemed to demand. With references to war, the opioid crisis and the white-supremacist rioting that roiled Charlottesville, Va., in 2017 (and were reprised in the January 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.), there is no mistaking the message of “Steadman’s Wake.”“We’ve had some oblique socio-political bits here and there over the years,” says Mike Connell. “But never as direct as this. It seems like it’s time. It’s scary, where we still stand in this country with issues of race. Of the 11 songs on the record, the clear consensus within the band was that ‘Steadman’s Wake’ best reflected the band’s take on the temper of the times and best represented the “spirit” of the record.”Off-record and onstage, The Connells have been no strangers to political activism over the years, going back to benefit shows they played for Harvey Gant when he was running against controversial Republican U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms. Nevertheless, taking a musical step into current events was not a decision they made lightly. But as frontman Doug MacMillan concurs, the times are dire enough to demand a response.“Even the least politically minded bands are saying things now because they need to be said,” MacMillan says. “Mike’s never been one for hitting anybody over the head with an agenda, and his lyrics tend to be pretty subtle. But I’m glad we did this. I’ll be interested to see what people think.”Even though it’s been 20 years since their last recording, The Connells never quit playing live, and Mike Connell never quit writing songs. Eventually enough material came together to suggest it was finally time to make another record. “Steadman’s Wake” features eight new songs that have never been released, while three of the album’s songs previously appeared in different versions on 2001’s “Old-School Dropouts” – a collection of demos recorded at the group’s practice space.Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube | Apple Music
Junior Boys
Fusing disco, soul and modern R&B with New Wave, pop and techno, Junior Boys, the Hamilton, Ontario duo of Jeremy Greenspan and Matt Didemus, have released 5 albums, and numerous EPs over two decades. Their 2004 debut “Last Exit” and its follow up “So This Is Goodbye”, while very well received at the time, have now gained a cult-like following, as their distinctive style seems to have clearly prefigured the digital R&B/synthpop blend so omnipresent within popular music of the last few years. The three following albums were each praised for the increasing emphasis placed on sonic wizardry and non-traditional songcraft. Their last album “Big Black Coat”, released in 2016, was their most overt homage to the techno influence of their youth. It was universally heralded as one of the best records of their career and of the of the best electronic releases of the year 2016. 2023 will mark the 20th anniversary of Junior Boys’ first release “Birthday/Last Exit” EP on Kin Records. In keeping with a celebratory mood, the group is undertaking a tour of North America which will include an expanded band performing songs from all five albums and other rarities. This will be the first opportunity to see the band perform in seven years, and fans can expect a show unlike any other the band has ever performed.Links: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
The Luka State
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Lucero
Like the great river that flows through Memphis, the music of Lucero keeps rolling on, twisting and turning through the years, the same dark and brooding steadiness always at work.Since forming in late the ‘90s, this group of Memphis road-dogs has mixed heartfelt lyrics with the sounds of early rock and roll, classic punk, country-folk, and deep-fried Southern soul. It’s a sound that stands on the pillars of American music, born more of feeling than technique, delivered night after night to legions of fans in dive bars and theaters, and on stages as august as Red Rocks Amphitheater and the Ryman. In short, it’s music that is built to last, impervious to trends.For their tenth studio album, When You Found Me, the band continues its natural evolution, this time tapping into a more atmospheric, widescreen vision (one that wouldn’t seem out of place on a Reagan-era FM dial) while still staying tethered to its roots.“I wanted a very classic rock sound for this album,” says songwriter and frontman Ben Nichols. “I wanted it to sound like stuff I heard on the radio growing up. I didn’t want to make a retro record at all, but I did want to reference some of those sounds and tones and moods. I think we struck a nice balance between nostalgia and something that still sounds like contemporary Lucero.”Long-time fans might be surprised to hear the ghostly tinge of a synthesizer on a Lucero record. But the new direction is not as far afield as one might think. Rick Steff, the band’s piano and organ man of ten years, collects vintage synthesizers, so this new sonic twist was a natural detour for him. With these flourishes, Steff helps conjure an aural world of classic tracks with a firm foot in the present. Nichols’s long-time fondness for film soundtracks likely contributed to the album’s feel as well. The band has also recorded music for every movie made by Ben’s brother, acclaimed filmmaker Jeff Nichols, whose credits include Mud, Midnight Special, and Shotgun Stories.Lucero recorded When You Found Me over two weeks in July of 2020 at Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Memphis. Matt Ross-Spang, a long-time friend of the band who also produced 2018’s Among The Ghosts, signed on again as producer and engineer. “I don’t think he often records with a lot of synthesizers,” Nichols says, “but he’s a natural and was able to get all the sounds we wanted on the album while making sure we stayed true to ourselves.”During the recording session, Lucero wore masks the entire time, quarantining among themselves and managing not to get sick. The band had not rehearsed since Covid-19 took root. As such, Nichols’ demos were more fleshed out this time around, complete with drum machine, synth, and fairly elaborate guitar parts, which gave the guys more of a playbook to go by when they entered the studio. “The band did an excellent job of taking those parts and making them their own,” Nichols says. Now a fairly stripped-down five-piece shorn of a horn section, Lucero — in addition to Nichols and Steff, the group comprises Brian Venable on guitar, John C. Stubblefield on bass, and Roy Berry on drums — has been able to explore new sonic avenues in its latest form, as the leaner version has opened up more space in the band’s sound.Links: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Spotify | YouTube
