I caught up with Austin Lucas at a new basement bar and music venue in Knoxville called The Well (where, coincidentally, the talented-in-his-own-right Matt Woods has his day job). When I heard this was his last stop on a U.S. tour filled mostly with house shows and intimate venues, I knew I had to see him.
I have seen Lucas perform twice before: once with his back-up band The Bold Party in Shepherdstown, WV, and once while he was touring with Glossary as his back-up band when they opened for Lucero in Nashville. This time was different, though, because I got to see him by himself, and there is nothing I love more than seeing a musician perform with nothing but his guitar and his voice (and oh, what a truly incredible voice it is).
John Doe’s new solo release, Keeper, is already getting good reviews from NPR to the L.A. Times, and TVD is giving away a copy on vinyl.
Doe has an extensive and eclectic background, ranging in acting to music. He’s worked with the likes of The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach, and the movie about his early career, The Unheard Music, was included in the Sundance UCLA Archive of greatest films of all time.
I caught up with Ben Nichols of Lucero last weekend during their two-night stand at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville. We shot the shit over things like the new record, the condition of his voice, the dream lineup at the Nashville shows (for which folks came from near and far to attend), and the possibility of touring with Frank Turner in the UK.
As fond as I already was of Ben Nichols The Songwriter and Musician, I came away with an equal fondness for Ben Nichols The Man. I could not help but be endeared by his humility, graciousness, and apparent deep love and respect for his family. I don’t think you’ll be able to help yourself either.
How did these Lucero/Glossary/Austin Lucas shows come to be? It’s kind of a dream lineup.
Well, Glossary’s on tour with Austin Lucas right now, which I haven’t seen yet. I haven’t seen Glossary backing up Austin yet, and I bet it’s amazing. I’m real curious to see how that goes. I’m sure it’ll be amazing. And, well, I did the first Revival Tour with Austin, and that’s where I met him, and we’ve run into him here and there, but we’ve never done a Lucero show with Austin before, that I can recall. We’ve kept in touch, though. We’ve always kind of run in the same circles, and so the fact that Glossary was out on tour with him, and Todd Beene plays with us and Glossary, it just kind of all fell together. So, of course, with Glossary being from Murfreesboro, having them as the opener is just ideal.
We’re all big fans of Glossary, and in fact, I’m just super-jealous of Joey Kneiser—well, actually the whole band. They really are possibly my favorite band right at the moment. The way I see it, I’m just trying to keep up with them, as far as songwriting and making music goes. I’m just trying to approach getting anywhere near that good, and ya know, I actually get to see them play. It’s nice playing shows with friends.
I’ve been going to see Lucero for years. I’ve been to rowdy shows, calm shows, crowded shows, empty shows, and sloppy shows (my favorites, to be honest).
I’ve been to shows where the openers were people I’d never heard of, and I’ve been to others with openers the likes of Amy LaVere, Cedric Burnside and Lightnin’ Malcolm, Cory Branan, Drag the River, and Frank Turner, just to name a few. I’ve been to shows I can’t remember, and I’ve been to shows I’ll never forget. With Austin Lucas and Glossary as support, this past weekend’s two-night stand at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville without a doubt falls into the latter category.
The first night’s opening act was local Murfreesboro, TN rock band Glossary, who were there to support their seventh full-length album Long Live All of Us, which frontman Joey Kneiser calls “an all-inclusive homage to humanity” that emphasizes such qualities as “mercy, redemption, forgiveness, and second chances.” Their set included some of my long-time favorites, as well as one of my newest favorites, “Bruised Ribs,” off of Joey Kneiser’s free, downloadable solo album, The All-Night Bedroom Revival (which happens to be one of Ben Nichols’ favorite albums right now).
The second night’s opener was a particularly special treat: Bloomington, IN musician Austin Lucas with “one of his favorite bands in the world,” Glossary, as his back-up. Austin was there supporting his new full-length album A New Home in the Old World as well as showcasing some new songs, like “So Much More Than Lonely.” As Lucero frontman Ben Nichols put it, “He can fucking sing, he can fucking write a song, and he can fucking play guitar.” Considering the folk and bluegrass lineage from whence he comes (his father is Bob Lucas), it’s no surprise.
Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band kick off the second leg of their U.S. tour this Friday at the 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore. Baltimore is the first stop on the second leg of their U.S. tour in support of their career-spanning, 26-track collection, Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets.
With such oldie-but-goodie hits as “Turn the Page,” “Night Moves,” and “Like a Rock,” as well as new hits like “Downtown Train” and “Hey Hey Hey Hey (Going Back to Birmingham),” this show promises to have a little something for everyone. Maybe he’ll play a few of these notable hits…
The Features are a psychedelic rock-pop band from Sparta, TN consisting of guitarist and vocalist Matt Pelham, bassist Roger Dabbs, keyboardist Parrish Yaw, and drummer Rollan Haas. They play tonight at the Red Palace, and their new album, Wilderness, is available now.
Rollum was gracious enough to share with us the first piece of vinyl he bought, his favorite record store, and the thrill of a bargain:
“My favorite LP finds are usually things I get at thrift stores for cheap. It’s a nice feeling to find something you’ve been looking for and paying 99 cents instead of $30.”
Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin formed approximately 10 years ago. Over the course of those years, they’ve released three studio albums, but that doesn’t mean that’s all they’ve recorded. Thanks to their new release, Tape Club, you can hear 26 never-released songs carefully curated to reflect the band’s musical evolution over the years.
Tape Club makes its debut on the shelves of your local record store today, and guess what? We’re giving away an autographed copy of the vinyl LP. Just tell us about your favorite SSLYBY show and why in the comments below.
We’ll choose one winner next Tuesday, 10/25. Winner must have a mailing address in the continental US or Canada.
TVD is pleased to join the Huffington Post, American Songwriter, and No Depression with an exclusive debut of two tracks from Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers, whose Vanguard release finds its way to store shelves on October 11th.
Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers are a straight-up American rock ‘n roll band. Hailing from Northampton, MA, members include Stephen Kellogg (vocals, guitar, keys), Kit Karlson (bass, keys, tuba, vocals), Boots Factor (drums, mando, banjo, vocals), and Sam Getz (electric guitar, pedal steel).
Their fifth album, Gift Horse, is filled with songs that revolve around personal-yet-universal themes like family, mortality, and relationships.
TVD is pleased to debut two exclusive tracks from this album, “Roots and Wings” and “Noelle, Noelle.” The tracks are available to stream for the next 48 hours only.
I was able to sit down for a few minutes before the Ottobar show last Friday to talk with Frank Turner. I found him to be just as his songs portray him: funny, outspoken, passionate, and sincere. His good taste in music and his lack of pretention about it was something I found particularly endearing and refreshing, as well. Among other things, we discuss some of his favorite bands, his bringing Lucero to the U.K., and what it’s like to play increasingly larger venues. Oh, and guess what, y’all? He totally gets what it’s like to be a fan. He’s even got a band tattoo himself.
So you’ve been playing some older stuff on this tour?
Yeah, it’s not going to be like the entirety of the new album [England Keep My Bones] or whatever. The first record I did, Sleep Is for the Week, hasn’t really been properly released in this country, so I don’t feel as bad only playing a few songs off that record. That seems legitimate to me. We’re playing a fair amount of stuff from Love, Ire & Song forward. It occurred to me during sound check we haven’t been playing a lot off Poetry of the Deed, so we’re playing more of those songs too.
I walked into the Ottobar in Baltimore knowing exactly what to expect from a Frank Turner show, for I had seen him about a year before as support for the Lucero and Social Distortion tour. That didn’t stave off my excitement any, though. If nothing else, it kind of intimidated me, because I was walking in off only eight hours sleep in three days, and I wasn’t at all sure I had the energy for it. (Turns out a couple of Jameson on the rocks cured that very nicely.)
Frank’s shows are notoriously high-energy, sweaty, and interactive, and this past Friday night’s show was no exception. With all the clapping, stomping, and dancing, I can’t help but be reminded of my church-going days as a child. To me, Frank’s shows have a revival-esque quality to them, right down to all the screaming, gyrating folks up front. I half expected to see some fainting or speaking in tongues.
Downright humorous, I think, considering neither Frank nor I believe in god (“Glory Hallelujah”).
