_full.jpg)
_full.jpg)
_full.jpg)
_full.jpg)
OUR CALENDAR
March
12
Wednesday
_full.jpg)
March
13
Thursday
March
26
Wednesday
March
28
Friday
March
28
Friday
March
29
Saturday
April
5
Saturday
April
9
Wednesday
April
10
Thursday
April
10
Thursday
April
18
Friday
_full.jpg)
Mike Gordon
Bassist Mike Gordon (co-founder of the seminal improvisational rock band Phish in 1983) released his new album 'Moss' on October 19th, 2010. 'Moss' comes only two short years after 'The Green Sparrow', and about half of its songs stem from the same 50-song burst of creativity that seeded that album. Songs like "Spiral" and "The Void" detour into evocatively abstract, meterless areas of sound with a mysterious, textural richness. You might suppose these soundscapes are musical evocations of particularly fanciful sights and sounds experienced while on hallucinogenic vision quests. On the other hand, "Can't Stand Still" and "Fire From a Stick" - both joyfully devoted to muses, mentors and the ecstatic wellspring of inspiration - are infectious, danceable, upbeat and viscerally planted in the here and now. Following four highly acclaimed tours in '08, '09, and '10, Mike returns to the road with the same five-piece lineup, including longtime collaborator Scott Murawski on guitar, Vermonters Craig Myers on percussion and Tom Cleary on keyboards and Brooklyn drummer Todd Isler.
OUR LINKS
3/13
Mouth
Draper Family Band
18 & Over | 8 pm
Mouth
"Kansas City band Mouth combines the elements of guitar, bass and drums to form a delectable musical stew... The band adds the fresh spices of jazz, funk, dance and hip hop to create an eclectic mix." - Ink
Formed in late 2008 by guitarist Jeremy Anderson, bassist Zach Rizer and drummer Stephen Gunn, Mouth plays original "cyberfunk" music: bass-heavy, deep funk grooves that combine rhythmic elements from funk, house, dubstep and hip hop with the improvisational approach of a jam band.
Having quickly established a name for themselves in their hometown with their exhilarating live shows, Mouth is now branching out with tour dates and festival performances throughout the Midwest.
"Fans wanting to pigeonhole Mouth's music, do so at their own risk. The three-piece Kansas City band combines elements of funk, jazz, hip hop, electronica and progressive rock in their unique, dance-friendly instrumental songs." - The Daily Record
OUR LINKS
Draper Family Band
MORE INFO COMING SOON!
3/15
Ass Jamz
18 & Over | 8 pm
Stick To Your Guns
Stick To Your Guns is a 5 piece melodic hardcore band from Orange County, CA. The group began in the summer of 2003 when vocalist Jesse Barnett was inspired to form a band that would provide him with a medium to project his view points and reflect his musical influences. STYG blends melody, heaviness, and sincerity into one solid sound that will cater to fans of Comeback Kid, Throwdown, Ignite, and Rise Against.
When Ash Avildsen of Sumerian Records first noticed the band, he put them on as the opener for Ignite's Anaheim House of Blues show that did over 850 people. After the incredible response and passionate performance, he immediately signed the band for booking and the hype began to spread all of the country. STYG recently completed a Westcoast tour w/ Caliban and The Acacia Strain in October, as well as a 7 week co-headline tour in Nov/Dec w/ Too Pure to Die and As Blood Runs Black. STYG headlined all of the Texas and California shows with all of the turnouts being between 300 and 500 kids. STYG also holds the record for the highest attendance ever at the Chain Reaction in Anaheim, Orange County's premier all ages venue. Even before signing to Sumerian Records, the amount of momentum behind the band was so powerful that they were chosen to open the upcoming Terror tour in January/February 2007 that also features The Warriors and All Shall Perish.
OUR LINKS
Reckless Kelly
When Reckless Kelly released its 2006 triple-disc CD/DVD package with the title, Reckless Kelly Was Here, the question almost begged to be asked: Where hasn’t Reckless Kelly been?
In 11 years together, the Austin, Texas-based Americana band has figuratively left its mark everywhere from college bars to dancehalls to festival stages throughout the South and West, and now the quintet is carving a swath across the rest of the lower 48 — and then some. Reckless Kelly’s bid for expanded recognition even includes national anthem gigs like the one it will do October 21 in Reliant Stadium for the Houston Texans-Tennessee Titans game, and the band just debuted its new tribute to our national pastime, “April to October,” at a park outside of Austin that houses the area’s minor-league team.
Baseball-fan brothers Willy and Cody Braun, Reckless Kelly’s nucleus, dream of hitting the high notes from center field at Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium, respectively, but competing allegiances aside, they’ve known since they were kids performing with brothers Gary and Micky in their dad’s Western swing band, Muzzie Braun & the Boys, that they’d be playing out their lives onstage.
The only question is whether Reckless Kelly should be introduced as a country rock band or a rockin’ country band. Not that it matters. Lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Willy, fidder/mandolinist/harp blower/vocalist Cody and their fellow players — Berklee-grad lead guitarist David Abeyta, bassist Jimmy McFeeley and drummer Jay Nazz (another family-band vet) — don’t care what you call it. They’re just happy to be making music — and they’ll do it their way regardless of anyone’s preconceived notions. In Austin, Reckless Kelly is considered a trendsetter; it was one of the first roots-rock bands to generate a huge following, and in the process, it influenced many other bands that picked up on that sound.
“We started out as a country band trying to be a little edgier with the rock ’n’ roll stuff, like Son Volt and Billy Joe Shaver’s Unshaven album,” explains Cody. “That was the direction we wanted to go, and we did, and we've almost gotten beyond that point now, where we have to rein it in to keep some of the country in there.”
Eagles comparisons? They’ve heard them. Outlaws references? There might be a slight nod to “Green Grass & High Tides” buried in a song or two, but they’re far more aligned with real outlaw-country types, like the Highwaymen or the Flatlanders. In fact, Flatlander Joe Ely snatched up the band for a spring 2007 mini-tour following their collaboration on “Riders in the Rain” for a Randy Newman tribute album. Ely calls it “my kind of band: hell-raising, hard-playing, kick-ass songwriting, feet firmly in the present, but with an amazing knowledge of where it has all come from.” (They also share a sly sense of humor; during the tour, Ely wore a T-shirt that read “The Joe Ely & Reckless Kelly Show,” emphasizing the acronym JERKS.)
Reckless Kelly itself germinated in rural Idaho, where the Braun boys were schooled in Bob Wills and Gene Autry. After wending their way to Oregon, where they explored their Son Volt influences in a short-lived band called the Prairie Mutts, Willy and Cody recruited Nazz and two other players, morphed into Reckless Kelly and migrated to Austin. The band hooked up with one of Muzzie’s pals, country songwriter-artist Chris Wall, caused a huge stir on the local scene (readers of The Austin Chronicle voted it Best Roots-Rock Band six consecutive times). After self-released its first few albums, the band recruited Abeyta and McFeeley, signed with Sugar Hill Records and eventually began collaborating with idols like Steve Earle, with whom the band recorded tracks for the Warren Zevon tribute album, Enjoy Every Sandwich, and the Alejandro Escovedo tribute, Por Vida. (Earle’s Twangtrust producing partner, Ray Kennedy, helmed Reckless Kelly’s Sugar Hill debut, 2003’s Under the Table and Above the Sun, and 2005’s Wicked Twisted Road. Following the live tour-de-force Reckless Kelly Was Here, the label honored the band with the new Americana Masters Series release, Reckless Kelly: Best of the Sugar Hill Years.)
Whether its doing covers, like its hot-rockin’ version of Escovedo’s “Castanets,” its laid-back take on the Beatles’ “Revolution” or a timbre-rich delivery of Richard Thompson’s “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” or one of its own crowd-whipping originals, like “Wiggles & Ritalin,” “Sixgun” or “Break My Heart Tonight,” Reckless Kelly has no trouble gaining converts. Here’s what the Birmingham (Ala.) News had to say about a recent show: “The whole mixture works to perfection, and it’s a shame the band calls Austin home. Birmingham could use a few resident bands like Reckless Kelly.”
Allmusic.com calls Reckless Kelly “an utterly soulful and raucous country-rock band” and adds, “They have songs, chops, and plenty of piss and vinegar to make you stomp around the crib shaking your fist in the air and attempting to do a drunken two-step.”
Accolades for Reckless Kelly Was Here sounded a lot like this one from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: “(The album) captures every ounce of stage energy and deserves to be listed with the great live rock-era albums, alongside the Who’s Live at Leeds, Janis Joplin’s Cheap Thrills or even Warren Zevon’s Stand in the Fire. It’s that good.”
And no less an authority than the Nashville Tennessean labeled the band “one of the most able torch-carriers in recent years for cranking, passionate twang-rock.”
Such flattery could go to their heads, but these industry vets — the Braun boys even did the Grand Ole Opry and Johnny Carson had them on “The Tonight Show” twice — won’t let that kind of praise make them lazy. If anything, it inspires them to work harder.
“Musically, right now, we’re sitting at a place where we really want to try to build on the songs and set the bar a little bit higher with every record,” says Cody.
Under the guidance of its new management agency, Murphy to Manteo Music Management of North Carolina and Nashville (who broke Hootie & the Blowfish and 2006 country sensation Jason Michael Carroll), and with a broadened Budweiser relationship that will open new, non-traditional marketing outlets for their already-in-the-works 2008 release, the band expects to hit many more “wicked, twisted roads.”
When the Braun boys were traveling to gigs in the family motor home, they often listened to a favorite band called the Famous Motel Cowboys. Willy pays tribute to them in “Motel Cowboy Show,” which includes the lyric, “Well, the boys are in their prime/Let’s see ’em one more time.”
Yeah, the Reckless Kelly guys are in their prime. And they plan to stay there for a long, long time.
OUR LINKS
Jonathan Richman
Jonathan Richman has been writing songs, making records and performing live for most of his life, winning fans and making friends around the world with his guileless honesty and playfully catchy compositions. He's revered by countless fellow artists, and has built a remarkably loyal international audience through his tireless touring. His deceptively straightforward songs embody timeless qualities of humanity, optimism, emotional insight and a boundless sense of humor, untainted by cynicism or transient notions of hipness.
The records that Jonathan Richman has made over the past 30 years have long held a special place in the hearts of his fans. He began playing guitar at the age of 15, and in the early 1970s formed the Modern Lovers, whose raw, minimalist sound and emotionally forthright songs helped to lay the groundwork for punk rock. But by the time the group's landmark debut album (including the much-covered "Road Runner," a Top Five single in Europe) was released in 1976, Jonathan had already moved on to a quieter sound and a gentler lyrical focus. Since then, he's continued to record and tour prolifically, first with a series of Modern Lovers lineups, later on his own, and eventually as a duo with drummer Tommy Larkins. Over the years, Jonathan's music has absorbed a multitude of influences, from doo-wop to country to a variety of international styles, without sacrificing the artist's effervescent personality.
Jonathan's fans have remained fiercely devoted over the years, and his audience expanded substantially in the 1990s, thanks to his frequent guest spots on TV's Late Night with Conan O'Brien, his prominent appearance in the 1998 film comedy smash There's Something About Mary, and the inclusions of his Modern Lovers classics "Ice Cream Man" and "I'm A Little Airplane" on Sesame Street.
For much of his career, Jonathan has toured almost almost nonstop around the world. "Traveling and playing for new people in new places is one of my favorite things," he notes. "It's great playing places that are off the beaten track. You can learn a lot when you play in a little town in Holland or Western Australia, and you learn different things than you would learn playing a big city. This year we're going to try to play in Extremadura, which is the southwest of Spain--we might become the first American entertainers ever to play there. I'm hoping that we can able to play the Canary Islands soon.
OUR LINKS
3/29
Dirtfoot
Hearts Of Darkness
18 & Over | 8 pm
Dirtfoot
Dirtfoot is an all original, all acoustic band out of Shreveport, LA. Forming in early 2002, they've been honing their songs and craft in bars and pubs across North Louisiana, Southern Arkansas, and east Texas. After winning the Shreveport Times Battle of the Bands in January 2006, doors have really been opening. Now playing festivals like Voodoo Music Experience in NOLA, Wakarusa Music Festival in Lawrence, KS, Diversafest in Tulsa, OK, Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival in Ozark, AR, Cutting Edge Music Festival in New Orleans, LA, Red River Revel in Shreveport, LA, Northgate Music Fetival, College Station, TX, etc, and playing major markets like Austin, Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans, etc, things are definitely looking up.
Led by the organic writings of Matt Hazelton with each player adding his own flavor and feeling to the songs and sound of the group, Dirtfoot is a blend of eclectic styles as well as diverse personalities. By far, their claim to fame is their high energy shows and overwhelming crowd participation. They involve the fans with infectious grooves, call and response songs as well as their famous "Beancans'. Each show, bean cans (homemade shakers) are passed out to the audience which turns them into a part of the percussion section. Though all of their instruments are acoustic, their energy and ingenuity will make you swear they are plugged in. Featuring instruments ranging from an acoustic guitar, banjo, upright bass, pots n' pans, drums, bells, saxophone, xylophone and more, this band has a truly engaging sound, a real dose of Gypsy, Punk, Country, Grumble Boogie! It is like a good gumbo - you have some growling vocals, upright bass and percussion that makes a good, dark, dirty Louisiana roux, mixed heartily with some meaty rhythms, combined liberally with fresh offerings from the guitar and banjo that are like okra and tomatoes picked from your backyard garden, topped with the hot n' sexy spice of the saxophone and jazz style drums, and finally a little something magical and indescribable, and you have Dirtfoot - a delicious, spicy, dirty band that will make you stomp your feet, shake your ass and yell like a lunatic on a full moon night.
OUR LINKS
Hearts Of Darkness
Welcome to the heartland's biggest Afrobeat band! Every show is an afrobeat party pandemic where everyone comes down with the fever and nice girls dance dirty!
OUR LINKS
Elephant Revival
“Where words fail … music speaks.”
That simple line atop Elephant Revival’s Facebook page contains only five words, but reveals volumes about the band’s reason for being. Music unites us in ways that no other medium can. Even when we don’t understand one another’s languages — we can be moved by a rhythm, soothed by a song. Brought together by a unified sense of purpose — the spirit of five souls working as one, in harmony, creating sounds they could never produce alone.
The five souls in Elephant Revival are Sage Cook (banjo, guitar, mandolin, tenor banjo, bass and fiddle); Bridget Law (fiddle, octave fiddle); Bonnie Paine (washboard, djembe, musical saw, stompbox); Daniel Rodriguez (guitar, banjo, bass); and Dango Rose (double-bass, mandolin, banjo). All share vocals and write songs. Paine delivers additional beats via footstomps on plywood, her stockinged feet doing near jigs as her hands, encased in antique leather gloves, rub silver nickel against corrugated metal.
This Nederland, Colo., quintet are, needless to say, quite a sound to be experienced — especially when they fall into the pocket of a groove containing elements of gypsy, rock, Celtic, alt-country and folk.
The Indie Acoustic Music Project simply labeled their sound “progressive edge.” At least, that’s the category in which it placed the band when it gave their Ruff Shod/Nettwerk Records release, BREAK IN THE CLOUDS, a best CD of 2011 award. It’s as good a label as any to convey what Rose has described as their mission: “to close the gap of separation between us through the eternal revelry of song and dance.”
Elephant Revival also shares a commitment to responsible stewardship of the planet and its inhabitants, working with organizations such as the Conscious Alliance, Calling All Crows, Trees Water & People, and other nonprofits supporting humanitarian causes. Their very name was chosen out of empathy for a pair of zoo pachyderms who, upon being separated after 16 years, died on the same day. The band related that heart-rending story during their April 2012 debut on fellow Coloradoans Nick & Helen Forster’s internationally syndicated “eTown” radio show — like Elephant Revival, a blend of music and social consciousness.
Sitting in the audience during their performance, one music blogger was moved to write, “Elephant Revival serenaded the crowd with arabesque melodies, harmonies and rhythms that braided and coiled into a sublime aural tapestry. Their instrumental dynamics, verse, and even the harrowing story that inspired their appellation, invoked the majesty, mystery and sorrow of Mother Earth.”
Campout for the Cause festival organizers put it this way in an affectionate shoutout on their Facebook page. “We love Elephant Revival so much,” they wrote, “not just for their incredible music and conscious lyrics, but for their commitment to living up to the standards they set forth and setting positive examples.”
It’s a paradigm worth spreading, and that’s what Elephant Revival members intend to continue doing as they carry their music around the world, speaking one song at a time.
OUR LINKS
Old Salt Union
MORE INFO COMING SOON!
The Werks
The Werks have quickly emerged as a national powerhouse. As a result of their eclectic individual influences, The Werks produce a dance party that can be appreciated by a majority of musical tastes. Fusing the psychedelic shredding guitar and screaming organ of jam and classic rock with funk slap bass, synthesizers, and modern dance beats, The Werks are redefining the term "Jam Band" with the ability to cross genres from Psychedelic Rock to Funk to Electronica. Their unique style of performing is affected and manipulated by the energy of the audience, guaranteeing that each show will be different and memorable.
The success is largely credited to the hard work of their street team as well as to the dedication of the band, their fans and a unique performance.
The Werks have just released a 4th Album, The Werks (Self-Titled), to go along with "Dig It" (2007), "Synapse" (2009) and "The Werks Live at The Werk Out Music Festival" (2010). The band regularly tours the US and holds their annual music festival, entitled "The Werk Out Music and Arts Festival", each September.
OUR LINKS
Shakey Graves
“Astonishing…Unclassifiably original. And frighteningly good.”
- NPR Music
“Makes the one-man band approach look effortless.”
- NY Times
“A gnarly composite of blues and folk…a one-man-band of epic sonic proportions.”
- Paste “Best of What Next”
“Delicate, precise fingerpicking and raw, whiskey-soaked vocals”
- Consequence of Sound
Performing live with nothing but a guitar and a handmade kickdrum built out of an old suitcase, Austin, TX’s “astonishing one-man-show” (NPR Music) Shakey Graves has quickly risen from obscurity into the national spotlight since the release of his debut full-length LP “Roll the Bones.”
Nearly two years later, as word of his haunting lo-fi recordings and contrastingly explosive live shows spreads, the self-released album continues to sell at a vigorous pace, consistently ranking near the top of Bandcamp’s digital “best-seller” charts. The album was recently released as a limited-edition vinyl LP, which sold out almost instantly. New listeners around the world continue to discover his music every day, often through a series of live performance videos on YouTube (which have collectively racked up well over 1.5 million views). His videos for MySpace and Cadillac’s “One Two Watch” documentary series have also gathered over 3 millions views alone.
Along with breakout festival performances at Pickathon, Austin City Limits, SXSW, Montreal Jazz Fest, Edmonton Folk Fest and the Americana Music Conference last year, Shakey has been selling out headlining shows around the country, and has recently toured alongside artists like Shovels & Rope, Phosphorescent, Robert Plant, The Devil Makes Three, Robert Ellis and Old Crow Medicine Show.
Critics are starting to take notice too, earning him coverage from NPR Music, PBS, The New York Times, Bloomberg News, Paste Magazine, The AV Club, Consequence of Sound, Brooklyn Vegan and other national outlets.
In his hometown, Shakey’s shows are the stuff of legend. Recently featured on the cover of Austin Monthly Magazine, the Mayor has even given him his own local holiday. February 9th is officially proclaimed “Shakey Graves Day” in Austin.
OUR LINKS
Esme Patterson
Esmé Patterson's songwriting is at the heart of the folk and roll explosion in Denver, CO. Her first album "All Princes, I," described by the Denver Post as "raw and intimate" was released in November of 2011. Her sophomore album "Woman to Woman," a concept album of responses to famous songs about women (more in-depth explanation here: http://youtu.be/luiz913mWM8), will be released on April 1st. She is a founding member of the Americana group Paper Bird and has toured extensively and recorded 4 studio albums with them over the last 7 years.
OUR LINKS
Particle
Since forming in the fall of 2000, Particle has enjoyed a successful ride that has taken them to eight countries for over 850 shows including Europe and Japan. After a whimsical San Francisco boat cruise, a musical bond was surged that was would take core Particle members Eric Gould, Steve Molitz, and Darren Pujalet on a sonic adventure that’s strong to this day.
Particle forged their signature sound playing late night parties and high profile festivals across the country including Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Festival, Coachella, and New Orleans Jazzfest to name a few. The band has also appeared at Bonnaroo three times where they played a legendary five plus hour set beginning at 3am. Once dubbed the 'late night kings', Particle has garnered a lot of hype for creating a series of out of the box special events across the country.
In 2004, the band released their debut album Launchpad produced by Tom Rothrock to critical praise from fans and media alike. Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and URB ran glowing features on the band and the Associated Press named the album among the year’s Top Ten. The album’s title track was remixed by Groove Armada’s Tom Findlay and released as an EP later that same year.
Shortly thereafter, Particle formed a percussive driven electronic side project with Grateful Dead percussionist Mickey Hart called Hydra and created an entire new repertoire for the tour. A sonic shift happened, allowing the band to add new directions to their already diverse style.
With the addition of Ben Combe on guitar and vocals, the band released a DVD and Live CD featuring special guests Joe Satriani, Robbie Krieger, Blackalicious, and DJ Logic. They also recorded a song for the Scarface: The World Is Yours Video Game entitled American Dream. Particle is currently recording their sophomore studio effort with producer Steve Goldman and engineer Marc Johnson to be released in 2007.
OUR LINKS
Freekbass
Born and raised in Cincinnati, OH, Freekbass was an only child who initially wanted to be a magician. He later developed his own obsession for cartoon superheroes and comic books, relating to the underlying themes.
Living in Cincinnati exposed Freekbass to genres of music he may have missed otherwise. While most kids were listening to Nirvana and Green Day, he connected with the bottom-heavy sounds coming out of the boom boxes like Zapp and Midnight Star. While working in a music shop to pay off his first electric bass he had in lay-away, he began to study the classics of Larry Graham, Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, Parliament and Bootsy with a bass in one hand, and an MPC2000 in the other.
Freekbass has released five full-length CDs, including the current “Concentrate” (available HERE for free download) with guests Bootsy Collins, DJ Spooky, Adam Deitch, and Steve Molitz, and ”Junkyard Waltz” which includes guest appearances by Phish bassist Mike Gordon, guitarist Buckethead, keyboard wizard from P-Funk/Talking Heads Bernie Worrell, and is produced by funk legend Bootsy Collins. Also, national music DVD instruction company, The Rock House Method, recently released two Freekbass instructional DVDs “Learn Funk Bass with Freekbass (Level 1 & Level 2) “, and TrueFire.com just released the instructional DVD/download “50 Freekbass Licks You Must Know” . Last year Freekbass connected with DJ Logic, and Particle keyboardist Steve Molitz to form the funktronica trio, Headtronics. He also tours with the bass and DJ livetronica duo, “FREEKBOT”, with DJ Tobotius from the group Science Faxtion, and winners of the DMC DJ Championships, the Animal Crackers.
Going into 2014 Freek has a lot of things on the table. He is releasing his next album which is being produced by Duane Lundy (My Morning Jacket/Ben Sollee) and Executive Producer Bootsy Collins. Also, He will be a part of this year’s London Bass Guitar Show in the UK giving a master class and performing. Plus extensive touring with both his own group, and as part of the Blues/Rock/Funk trio, ‘The Kelly Richey Band’.
OUR LINKS
Fortunate Youth
Fortunate Youth is a collaboration of South Bay Reggae stand-outs. Rising from various bands, they’ve created a phenomenal 7-piece masterpiece bringing more fire to the stage than ever before. Combining rootsy vibes and unique bass lines united with multiple harmonies, boisterous guitar solos, and heavy keys separates Fortunate Youth from every other mainstream Reggae band. With their high energy approach and positive stage presence they provide an unforgettable show to every music fan. Fortunate Youth’s objective is to ensure a performance that leaves you feeling euphoric and curious of what might happen at the next show.
In 2011 they supported Tribal Seeds on their nationwide Tribal Youth Tour to spread their conscious music to the nation. F.Y. linked up The Green, from Hawaii, for a Midwest/Westcoast run before jumping back in the studio to record. They have hit the masses promoting only their 6-song EP titled “Up-Lifted EP” and just released their full-length album, “IRIE STATE OF MIND” on July 1, 2011. Fortunate Youth will also be touring very heavily through 2011 including a Naitonwide CD Release Summer Tour.
Upon Releasing their full-length album they quickly rose to #2 on the iTunes Reggae Charts and also locked in a #13 position on Billboard Top 100 Reggae Albums. Receiving great praise for early success Fortunate Youth strives to spread their interpretation of Reggae music to Music Lovers worldwide.
They have had the honor to share the stage with bands such as Groundation, Toots & The Maytals, The Green, The Wailers, Katchafire, Tribal Seeds, The Expendables, Pepper, Dirty Heads, Natural Vibrations, Tomorrows Bad Seeds and Sashamon.
OUR LINKS
Katie Herzig
After the critical and commercial success of her 2011 album, The Waking Sleep, and its subsequent packed-out tours, Katie Herzig will finally releases her new record, Walk Through Walls on April 8. A celebratory, love-struck album of sublime dream pop. Herzig has spent years playing festivals such as Bonnaroo and Summerfest and touring as a headliner and as support for Brandi Carlile, Sara Bareilles, Ingrid Michaelson, The Fray, and as a member of 10 out of Tenn. She has had her music licensed for innumerable film, TV and commercial uses. Including over 10 songs on Grey’s Anatomy and most recently her song “Lost and Found” was featured in the trailer for Disney's Saving Mr. Banks and in a commercial for Carnival Cruises. Herzig can be heard on RAC's new EP with their song collaboration "We Belong," featured on KCRW. Herzig also co-produced songs on Ingrid Michaelson's forthcoming 2014 Lights Out album, including her first single “Girls Chase Boys.” To put Herzig in any sort of box is for it to be broken as she continues to outdo herself with each new release. Her live show is a dynamic full-band set that is as intimate as it is epic, what listeners have come to expect of Herzig, who will tour Walk Through Walls this spring with her band throughout the US.
OUR LINKS
MIDEAU
MORE INFO COMING SOON!
Sara Swenson
MORE INFO COMING SOON!
Turnpike Troubadours
MORE INFO COMING SOON!
Bottle Rockets
In a country where interstates don’t take you to new places, but to the same places, where everywhere you go you’ve already been or you’ve just left, The Bottle Rockets’ new album absolutely nails a sound and a vibe with a palpable sense of place. Lean Forward is suffused with the determination and resilience of their distinctly midwestern roots; theirs is a celebration of pragmatism and tempered optimism, not the delusions and exhortations of glassy eyed zealots—they aren’t going to fall for that. Oh, it’s a flat out, smoking rock record, too.
Lean Forward continues the Rockets’ creative resurgence ignited by 2006’s Zoysia. Reunited with producer Eric “Roscoe” Ambel (who ran the knobs on the Bottle Rockets’ seminal albums The Brooklyn Side and 24 Hours A Day), the Bottle Rockets do what no other band does better — look into the hearts and minds and faces of the dying small towns in America and crafts populist anthems with the sympathetic eye of Woody Guthrie and sonic stomp of Crazy Horse. They are songs that demand the windows be rolled down and the volume turned up. And with the hooks, you’ll wonder how they make such problems sound so good …
Lean Forward is stacked with a sharp lyricism and gritty fatalism that looks off the front porch for inspiration, and has the locked down groove of a band on top of its game. “The Long Way” looks on the bright side of the path not intentionally taken and works into a joyous song-ending jam. Songs like “Done It All Before” and “Get on the Bus” shine with an irresistible buoyancy, as does “Shame on Me” which gets to the meat of the relationship matter that, despite our best intentions, we’re all gonna screw up. “Hard Times” whips up a ZZ Top-inflected boogie with effortless mastery and a dual guitar attack that’ll put some much-needed flare back in your jeans.
On “Kid Next Door,” the lyrics bypass protest in favor of simple commentary on a war coming home, making it a far more powerful song no matter where one stands on the issue. It’s a stone cold classic and handled with the deftness and conviction that speaks to the Rockets’ sober-minded realism. To see that they’ve still got scruffy punk moxie to spare, look no further than “The Way It Used To Be” and the channeling of Bo Diddley via the Stooges on “Nothing but a Driver.”
With their 15th anniversary now in the rear view mirror, the Bottle Rockets show no signs of letting up. Lean Forward is an album that celebrates the forces of erosion not earthquakes, of the marathon not the sprint. Honed in their towns and on their back roads, it is distinctly the Bottle Rockets. Rather than be confining, this identity broadens the appeal and strength of their music far from their backyards into our own. Their specificity speaks universally and the message is a simple one: Lean forward, man, because it beats falling back
OUR LINKS
Jonny Burke
Jonny Burke is a man continually on the move, musically and literally. His debut solo album – “Distance and Fortune” - was quickly followed up with his 2012 release, “Cup Runneth Over.” As producer of the bulk of the project – released independently on his own Dreamcar Records — Burke made an album that is as raw and honest as it gets.
Burke admits that he has enjoyed being on stage and performing from an early age. He was born and raised in New Braunfels, a small town in Texas. His dad taught him his first chords and played him Chuck Berry’s ‘Jonny B. Goode’ when he was a little boy. Burke would listen to albums like Dylan’s “Highway 61 Revisited” and Townes Van Zandt’s “Flyin Shoes” over and over again. By the time Burke was 15, he was already performing in bars. He formed his first band, the Dedringers, and it became a popular regional band while he was still in his teens. “I thought it was the coolest thing in the world to come home after playing a bar and making a little cash,” he recalls. “Nobody in high school could compete with that!”
Since the release of “Cup Runneth Over” Burke has continued to tour the country opening for greats like James McMutry. After a few years residing in Southern California, Burke found himself spending more time in his home state of Texas playing shows and co-writing with friends for what will inevitably become his next project.
OUR LINKS
The Faint
Omaha, Nebraska, 2001. For a select assemblage of musicians and their fans, there was no better time and place. More specifically, it’s the city and year that gave us Danse Macabre.
Due to a number of factors, most notably the Internet’s ability to build a global community at the click of a button, it’s unlikely that we will ever again experience a next-big-thing local music scene the way we saw places like Athens and Minneapolis blow up in the ’80s and Seattle explode in the ’90s. And when we look back at the time when music was still consumed in physical forms, Omaha will probably be remembered as the last city where a homegrown scene was developed organically with the assistance of local garages, basements, studios, clubs, and labels.
The Omaha scene that we’ve come to know and love reaches as far back as the early ’90s, but it wasn’t until the turn of the millennium that the rest of the world got hip to what was going on in the middle of America. Around this time—actually, almost exactly 10 years to the day that this is being written—I headed to eastern Nebraska with the magazine that I once edited, DIW, and we did our best to chronicle what we considered to be the most exciting and vibrant hotspot in the country. Sure, part of the appeal was that a city known mostly for a bajillionaire, the College World Series, and mail-order steak was suddenly dumping a huge pile of awesomeness into our record collections, but just as impressive was the fact that unlike most regional scenes, none of these bands sounded like the other. It was also difficult not to appreciate that despite the glaring spotlight on the town at the time, the family that made up Saddle Creek Records—in some cases actual siblings, but mostly just childhood friends—seemed to be taking everything in stride. No enlarging egos, no jealous backstabbing, just a group of hardworking Midwesterners happy to be sharing their music and stories with a world that had finally started to listen. Though Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst had already achieved some commercial success, by the summer of 2002 the top dog in town was The Faint, thanks to the record that you now hold in your hands.
Though unquestionably confident and completely realized, Danse Macabre wasn’t the album anyone could have expected from the band that debuted in 1998 with Media, a perfectly fine post-hardcore record that, aside from the personnel that made it, has nothing to do with anything else in The Faint’s catalog. After shocking everyone but themselves with the retro dance-rock found on the following year’s Blank-Wave Arcade—the first to feature synth player Jacob Thiele—the group solidified its place in the underground’s upper echelon with Danse Macabre, a dark-wave masterpiece made well before the ’80s became a ubiquitous touchstone for contemporary bands with keyboards. In fact, it could easily be argued that the one-two punch of Blank-Wave Arcade and Danse Macabre helped usher in the era of the modern dance-rock act, predating bands like Franz Ferdinand, The Killers, and Bloc Party. From the middle of nowhere, The Faint had crafted a sound that was suddenly seemingly everywhere.
Whereas Blank-Wave was a raw exercise in bringing The Faint’s ecstatic basement shows into the studio, Danse Macabre was a sleek, shiny vehicle meant to evoke bumping Berlin dance clubs. Never mind that they could only dream of German techno while putting up with Cher remixes nearly 5,000 miles away at Omaha’s gay bars, the only places in town offering even close to what the guys wanted to hear when they went out.
There isn’t a single reason why Danse Macabre is considered part of Saddle Creek’s holy trinity (along with Cursive’s The Ugly Organ and Bright Eyes’ I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning), but rather a whole host of them: the perfectly aggressive synth lines, Todd Fink’s (née Baechle) menacingly effected vocals, the infectious dance beats, the intriguing bits of industrial and goth, and, at the heart of it all, strong songwriting featuring the kind of minor-key melodies that make singing along inevitable. Engineering and production by Mike Mogis as well as the addition of death-metal guitarist Dapose also helped raise the bar. And then there’s the concept, replacing Blank-Wave’s sexually charged atmosphere with the attitude that you should DIY before you D-I-E. Or, as a wise guidance counselor once said: Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life. After all, some of their heroes were punk-rock do-it-yourselfers like Fugazi and Sonic Youth.
“We thought about the Dance of the Dead, the Danse Macabre, being the working-for-a-living people going through these choreographed motions while they’re working,” says Thiele. “They’re doing a really stiff, boring dance that they don’t realize. We decided at some point that that was the Dance of the Dead.”
The guys took their own advice, quitting their day jobs and focusing all of their energy on the band. They also decided not to work with any of the major labels that came sniffing around after Danse Macabre, and Saddle Creek similarly decided to keep things on a smaller scale. It meant that the next big thing never got as big as expected, yet it resulted in Omaha never being forced to compromise its art for the sake of commerce.
OUR LINKS
Katchafire
Reggae is one of the bloodlines of New Zealand music -- which accounts for the extraordinary success of Hamilton's Katchafire who, two years ago, emerged as the hardest working band in the country. Their astonishing debut album, the prophetically named Revival, sold in excess of 30,000 copies (double platinum) and they scored massive hits with songs like Giddy Up, the biggest selling single of 2002. Katchafire had tapped into that bloodline of New Zealand and people, being reacquainted with what they had lost, loved it all over again. Katchafire's music was uplifting and celebratory, and their gigs were joyous singalong affairs where people of all cultures and affiliations were welcomed.
Their audiences are still the most cross-cultural, cross-generational in the country. Katchafire were, and remain, unique in New Zealand music. They are a viable, touring eight-piece band which can work the length of the country without exhausting the place. They can return to a venue they played just a few months before and pack it out all over again. That is rare for any band. The success of the band was evident in album sales, opening shows for the likes of Michael Franti and Spearhead, gigs all across the country (three in one day on Waitangi Day 2004, in Hamilton, Manukau and Nelson), three tours to Australia and New Caledonia, and most recently a stadium-filling headlining show in Fiji. And now they are stepping up again with a cracking new album Slow-Burning which shows them reaching a new level.
From the terrific cover slip -- a cheeky homage to the classic Bob Marley album sleeve from which the band took its name -- to the eleven diverse tracks within Slow-Burning is a leap forward, both musically and lyrically. The title is again appropriate; you will feel the fire from this for a long time to come. Produced by Chris Macro (of Dubious Brothers) and with international guests, this is a new level of consciousness music from Katchafire which moves effortlessly from classic JA-sounding roots-reggae to material which could be located nowhere else other than in Aotearoa: when they say "don't frisk me down because of my brown skin" they also bring dignity to bear, "we must hold our head up high". The deeply felt and fiery I And I stands proudly in the local lineage of politicised reggae that was kick-started by Herbs.
More than on their debut they pull in threads of dub and toasting, there are musical references to the sound of classic Trojan records (Close Your Eyes, Hey Girl Version) but, courtesy of the French horn section Mister Gang whom they met in New Caledonia, you can also hear echoes of DD Smash-styled pop. And on Rude Girl, with toasting by Tuff Enchant, the band open with a tricky rhythm and a nod to the music of Cuba. However Katchafire haven't sacrificed their pop sensibilities and songs like Hey Girl, I Got Ya Back and Close Your Eyes should be all over radio this, and every, summer. With Slow-Burning, Katchafire have fulfilled the promise of their debut that here was a band schooled in roots reggae, which has honed its professionalism on the road, and has within its ranks songwriters who can take their place alongside the best Aotearoa has had to offer. Katchafire shows are always celebratory affairs and with Slow-Burning the band have even more to be joyous to be about. Be prepared to celebrate with them.
OUR LINKS
Liverpool
The Liverpool experience has it all: The Look...The Sound...The Songs!
Liverpool began paying tribute to The Beatles more than 20 years ago in Kansas City. Three members of the legendary Kansas City band The Crayons started the tribute and continue as original members to this day - Larry Kips (as John), Gary Butler (as Ringo) and Steve Davis (as George). In the beginning, the trio recruited Jimmy Bond from Plain Jane (a member of the Kansas Music Hall of Fame) to round out their fab lineup as Paul. In the early days, Jeff Frost provided offstage keyboard sounds. Jimmy retired from performing in 2006, and bass duties fell temporarily to Scott Duncan. Since summer 2007, the part of Paul has been played by Dave Tanner. Mark Agnew plays offstage keyboards.
RIP Jimmy Bond, who passed away March 10, 2011.
Liverpool has performed from California to Florida at top notch concert venues, public events, private parties, fairs and festivals, you name it. The band is in steady demand and continues to please crowds young and old.
Liverpool is available for bookings and concert events in your area.
Official website is www.liverpoolband.com
OUR LINKS
Skrillex
MORE INFO COMING SOON!
Dillon Francis
MORE INFO COMING SOON!
What So Not
MORE INFO COMING SOON!
Milo and Otis
MORE INFO COMING SOON!
6/2
Vampire Weekend
All Ages | 7 pm
Vampire Weekend
Ezra Koenig, Rostam Batmanglij, Chris Baio, and Chris Tomson formed Vampire Weekend in 2006 while attending Columbia University. In 2007 the band signed to XL Recordings. Their self-titled debut album was released on January 29th, 2008. "Contra", the bands second album, will be released January 12th, 2010.
OUR LINKS
John Butler Trio
In June this year, John Butler proudly announced the new line up of the ever evolving John Butler Trio. Prominent Melbourne musician Nicky Bomba (drums and percussion) of ‘Bomba’ fame and principal drummer on ‘Sunrise Over Sea’ joined the band and bass player Byron Luiters from Sydney outfit Ray Mann Three completed the new line up. Having spent the past few months bunkered down in his Fremantle studio with his new band mates putting down tracks for their forthcoming fifth studio album entitled ‘APRIL UPRISING’, John Butler is pleased to announce fans will get their long awaited live JBT hit when the band perform throughout the world early in 2010.
The new album title April Uprising came from an incredible journey John undertook for the ‘Who Do You Think You Are’ TV series. He traces the Butler name through generations of hardship to a matriarch who sang for her survival and follows his Bulgarian ancestry to a forebear caught up in a violent revolt called the April Uprising.
The recording process for the new album (the first release from the JBT in 3 years) has been shared with avid JBT followers via a special studio sessions page on the band’s website: www.johnbutlertrio.com John Butler describes the first new track, One Way Road; “One Way Road is the combination of pretty much most of my musical influences; dancehall, roots & rock. Some how we found a way to bring all these feels in a way that sounds natural and not too contrived or cerebral. I’m really happy with how we captured the vibe of his song”.
With sold out performances over the past two years, not only on home turf but also worldwide, on the back of their highly acclaimed and 3 x platinum accredited ‘Grand National’ album, the John Butler Trio have reaffirmed their status as one of Australia’s leading artists. ‘APRIL UPRISING’, scheduled for release early in 2010, will unveil a whole new journey for the band.
John Butler comments on the forthcoming new album, “The whole rehearsal and recording process so far has been a lot of fun and very gratifying. I feel the sounds and general spirit and energy of this album are best summed up in the words – free, melodic, funky, phat and rocking. There’s definitely a certain attitude that comes across on the album. Perhaps there’s a conviction, in a song writing and production sense, that I haven’t tapped into so much on earlier works that seems to be more prevalent on April Uprising. There’s chemistry and language that Nicky, Byron and I have found that really compliments these songs in all their different facets”.
OUR LINKS
Frank Turner
For three long and often lonely years of life on the road, plying a brand of honest and passionate folk/punk, Frank Turner continued to rise to prominence with an ever increasing following. But it was in the sweaty climes of the Lock Up Stage at Reading and Leeds 2008 that his solo career really started to take off. Inside the packed out tents, heaving with adoring fans and intrigued passers-by, Frank led the congregation in a mass sing-a-long; a stirring set that not only sparked the interest of the British mainstream but resonated unassumingly across the pond as a wealth of American punk bands watched approvingly from the sidelines.
No stranger to the festival, Frank had not only played the Lock Up Tent with former hardcore band Million Dead back in 2005 but also as a tentative solo artist in 2007 when debut album ‘Sleep Is For The Week’ was just an underground success. Within the following year, Frank’s popularity grew with yet more touring and the release of second album 'Love Ire & Song' in March 08. He started to play larger headline shows and develop the live band that he was looking for.
The profits of all his hard work came together that festival weekend; it kicked started a new wave of interest and thanks to the unwavering support from Radio 1 DJs Mike Davies and Steve Lamacq, the rest of Radio 1 began to follow suit. Soon enough when Frank’s single 'Long Live The Queen' – taken from ‘Love Ire & Song' – was released in October, it made the R1 C-list, was Single Of The Week on Sara Cox’s show and helped sell out Frank’s largest UK headline tour culminating in a bursting-over-capacity-finale at London’s Scala. The following single 'Reasons Not To Be An Idiot' released in January of this year eclipsed those successes by graduating to the R1’s B-list, 6Music’s A-list and XFM’s daytime playlist, prompted a Live Lounge session for Sara Cox, a Hub Session for George Lamb as well as making iTunes Single Of The Week all helping to recruit a new army of Frank followers.
It was also during this time that sections of the US punk fraternity began to take notice. Having watched the infamous Lock Up Stage set at Reading and Leeds, Vinnie from Less Than Jake got in contact asking to release 'The First Three Years' album (a collection of all early and previously unreleased material, live tracks and b-sides released in the UK in December 08 on his vinyl label Paper and Plastick. Chuck Ragan took him on the Revival Tour with Tim Barry across America, he did a few shows with up and coming stars Fake Problems and New Jersey boys The Gaslight Anthem invited him to support them on their huge UK and European dates in the early part of this year. It was evident that word was spreading throughout the punk scenes both sides of the Atlantic and by the time Frank flew in to Austin, Texas for the annual industry showcase SXSW in March, a whole new chapter in his story was about to begin.
Frank’s brand of folk songwriting, catchy melodies and punk passion had reached the ears of the CEO of US independent label Epitaph Records, Bad Religion’s legendary guitarist: Brett Gurewitz. Excited by what he had heard and seen when Frank headlined LA’s notorious Viper Rooms in March, Gurewitz got in contact and soon enough plans were formulated and a worldwide deal was inked. With loyalty and integrity firmly intact, Frank kept his relationship with his existing label Xtra Mile Recordings for all releases in the UK and Ireland and so the two labels will work closely for what will undoubtedly be an exciting new era in Frank’s ever evolving career.
“Frank Turner’s music is a revelation to me,” says Gurewitz. “I can’t stop listening to it. It’s a real privilege to get out there and help Xtra Mile spread the Frank Turner gospel.”
Epitaph is the perfect home for Frank. With its fiercely independent spirit, rich in punk and hardcore history it is also home to the song-writing talents of Nick Cave and Tom Waits on sister label Anti; mirroring Frank’s cross-over appeal of punk ethics and strong song-writing abilities. Inspired by the likes of Bad Religion as a kid, this really is a dream come true for Frank.
So with this exciting plot in place the year ahead is looking pretty good. His third studio album, ‘Poetry Of The Deed’, released worldwide in September, sees Frank venture in a more rock direction recruiting his outstanding band for the recording process. Performing live has always been at the very heart of the Frank Turner experience and whilst he’s still writing all the songs, they will be recorded live to help bring that experience to the album. Grammy nominated producer Alex Newport – who has previously worked with Death Cab For Cutie, At The Drive-In, Two Gallants – is on production duties after contacting Frank directly asking if they could work together. Coinciding nicely with the release are tours in America and Europe as well as the massive UK headline tour in October, where having previously supported The Gaslight Anthem at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire, he will return triumphantly to headline for the last night of the tour.
Before that though, another summer of further touring and festivals lies ahead. He will jet off to the East Coast of America to support The Offspring for 12 dates of their tour in July, performing solo to potentially 30,000 people. He’ll play at Camp Bestival and Jersey Live fest and return full circle to this year’s Reading and Leeds Festival. This time, however, he will play the larger Radio 1/NME tent midway through the afternoon and judging by what happened last year it’ll be another defining moment in this story of one beardy man and his acoustic guitar. The best is yet to come.
OUR LINKS
The Avett Brothers
The Avett Brothers begin another new era of folk with their seventh full-length album,
and first for American Recordings/Republic Records, The Carpenter.
Produced by the legendary Rick Rubin and recorded in North Carolina and Malibu, it's
an artful distillation of classic homegrown folk, rock energy, bluegrass soul and pop
charm. In 2009, the group made mainstream waves with their lauded major label
debut, I and Love and You. It landed at #16 on the Billboard Top 200 and garnered
unanimous critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Paste, New York Times, Los Angeles
Times, and Time, who even dubbed it one of Top 10 albums of the year. In addition to
touring tirelessly, they gave memorable performances on the Late Show with David
Letterman, the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson, and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon
as well as during a feature spot on the PBS series Austin City Limits.
In 2001, banjoist Scott Avett and guitarist Seth Avett formed The Avett Brothers with
standup bass player Bob Crawford. Growing up in Concord, NC, the boys immersed
themselves in their musician dad's record collection, falling in love with Bob Dylan,
Neil Young, and Crosby, Stills & Nash. Since then, they've become genre stalwarts
over the course of six albums, including 2007's acclaimed Emotionalism.
However, The Carpenter is the group's richest and most rewarding record yet. The
next chapter for The Avett Brothers has commenced.
OUR LINKS
Langhorne Slim
“Langhorne’s stronger than ever vocals lead the journey blending his poetry through the beautiful chaos and bearing a wisdom that reflects a broken heart battling the perils of true hope.“ - BMI
Since Langhorne Slim first swept onto the Brooklyn music scene with a guitar in his hand and a song in his heart, folks have been trying to find the right hole for this square peg. Listeners have drawn comparisons to celebrated artists from across the generations, citing folk legends like Dylan and Guthrie, alternative phenom Beck, and contemporaries like Conor Oberst and Ray LaMontagne. Critics have tried their best to tag him, pulling out genre labels from Americana to anti-folk or just breaking it down to rock and roll.
Langhorne has shared stages across the world with acts such as The Avett Brothers, Josh Ritter, and The Drive-By Truckers. He’s astonished the foot-stomping masses at premier festivals including Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Austin City Limits. With his remarkable performance on Late Night with David Letterman and his songs being featured everywhere from indie buzz film The Waitress to the hit show American Idol to a nationally-televised Traveler’s Insurance commercial, chances are Langhorne Slim songs have reached you in one way or another even if you were yet to formally make his acquaintance. Langhorne makes no apologies for his genre-busting style, claiming his music is “just a reflection of what I'm doing at that one time, and that's what music has always been to me."
“(A) shimmery slice of heartache.” – Twang Nation
OUR LINKS
Dark Star Orchestra
Performing to critical acclaim worldwide for over 13 years and more than 1800 shows, Dark Star Orchestra continues the Grateful Dead concert experience. Their shows are built off the Dead’s extensive catalog and the talent of these 7 fine musicians. On any given night the band will perform a show based on a set list from the Grateful Dead's 30 years of extensive touring or use their catalog to program a unique set list for the show. This allows fans both young and old to share in the experience. By recreating set lists from the past, and by developing their own sets of Dead songs, Dark Star Orchestra offers a continually evolving artistic outlet within this musical canon. Honoring both the band and the fans, Dark Star Orchestra’s members seek out the unique style and sound of each era while simultaneously offering their own informed improvisations.
Dark Star Orchestra offers much more than the sound of the Grateful Dead, they truly encapsulate the energy and the experience. It's about a sense of familiarity. It's about a feeling that grabs listeners and takes over. It's about a contagious energy, ... in short, it's about the complete experience and consistent quality show that the fan receives when attending a Dark Star Orchestra show.
Dark Star Orchestra has performed throughout the United States and Europe. They continue to grow their fan base by playing at larger venues for two and even three nightstands as well as performing at major music festivals including Bonnaroo, All Good Festival, Gathering of the Vibes, Mountain Jam, Summer Camp, Wakarusa and 10,000 Lakes. In addition, Dark Star Orchestra hosts its own annual gathering, Gratefulfest, where they headline three nights and are joined by a mix of established and up and coming national touring acts.
Fans and critics haven’t been the only people caught up in the spirit of a Dark Star show. The band has featured guest performances from original Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Bill Kreutzmann, Donna Jean Godchaux-Mackay, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten and even toured with longtime Dead soundman, Dan Healy. Other notable guests have included Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman of Phish, Keller Williams, Warren Haynes, Steve Kimock, Peter Rowan, Ramblin’ Jack Elliot and many more…
"For us it's a chance to recreate some of the magic that was created for us over the years," rhythm guitarist and vocalist Rob Eaton explains. "We offer a sort of a historical perspective at what it might have been like to go to a show in 1985, 1978 or whenever. Even for Deadheads who can say they've been to a hundred shows in the 90s, we offer something they never got to see live."