Before Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, there was Mudcrutch – a band that lasted from 1970-1975 and who reunited in 2007 to release a debut self-titled album and take it on a brief tour in ’08. Here we are six years later, and Mudcrutch’s plans are bigger than ever with their first national tour and the release of their second album, entitled 2.Sticking to the roots of southern rock, the band is currently made up of all original Mudcrutch members Tom Petty (bass/vocals), Tom Leadon (guitar/vocals), Randall Marsh (drums/vocals), as well as Benmont Tench (keyboards/vocals) and Mike Campbell (guitar/vocals), who both also played with Petty and The Heartbreakers.Mudcrutch’s follow-up album is due out May 20 through Reprise Records and can be pre-ordered here. With each pre-order comes a download of three exclusive tracks, including the single “Trailer,” ahead of the street release date. Following the official release, the band will bring their new music on a national tour with The Shelters as support. Concert tickets, which include a copy of the new album, go on-sale Friday, April 1 at 10AM local time and are available here.Check out this official music video for 2008’s “Lover of the Bayou”:2 Tracklist:TrailerDreams of FlyingBeautiful BlueBeautiful WorldI Forgive It AllThe Other Side Of The MountainHopeWelcome To HellSave Your WaterVictim of CircumstanceHungry No MoreMudcrutch 2016 Tour:MAY 26 OGDEN THEATRE – DENVER, CO MAY 29 SUMMER CAMP MUSIC FESTIVAL – CHILLICOTHE, IL MAY 31 RYMAN AUDITORIUM – NASHVILLE, TN JUN 02 TABERNACLE – ATLANTA, GA JUN 03 BUNBURY MUSIC FESTIVAL – CINCINNATI, OH JUN 06 9:30 CLUB – WASHINGTON, DC JUN 07 THE FILLMORE PHILADELPHIA – PHILADELPHIA, PA JUN 10 WEBSTER HALL – NEW YORK, NY JUN 11 WEBSTER HALL – NEW YORK, NY JUN 14 CAPITOL THEATRE – PORT CHESTER, NY JUN 15 HOUSE OF BLUES – BOSTON, MA JUN 19 FILLMORE – SAN FRANCISCO, CA JUN 20 FILLMORE – SAN FRANCISCO, CA JUN 25 THE FONDA THEATRE – LOS ANGELES, CA JUN 26 THE FONDA THEATRE – LOS ANGELES, CA JUN 28 THE OBSERVATORY – SANTA ANA, CA[H/T JamBase]
Del McCoury has been playing bluegrass music since before most of us were alive. The 77-year-old guitarist got his start with Bill Monroe over fifty years ago, but age most definitely hasn’t stopped him. Aside from a regular touring schedule, it seems that McCoury is an active humanitarian in the Cumberland, MD area.According to an article in the Cumberland Times-News, Del McCoury and his two sons, Robbie McCoury and Ronnie McCoury, have been volunteering at a “Blitz Build” in Cumberland, helping a family who recently lost their 10-year-old daughter to illness. The McCoury family was in town after performing at the Charm City Folk and Bluegrass Festival in Baltimore last weekend.When interviewed by the local paper, Del McCoury kept things lighthearted and optimistic. “We came with no tools. I said, ‘How will we work with no tools?’” he quipped. “We are glad to do it.” Later, he commented, “I begged them for a hammer and they wouldn’t give me one… I’ve been using a screw gun. I guess they think that was safer.” The construction team doesn’t want McCoury to injure his hands, of course.It’s truly heartwarming to see a man so venerated for playing music take the time out to do good for his community. Well done, Del.
Pennsylvania’s Mason Porter is on a serious roll. In recent months, they’ve released a single based on the Edgar Allen Poe story The Tell Tale Heart, had a small batch craft beer named after them, and now have partnered with the National Park Service’s Centennial celebration to release a new EP, Heart Of the Mountains. While many sponsorships can be blatant advertisements, the way Mason Porter has taken the very essence of embracing nature and infused it into their songwriting and playing is both impressive and heartwarming. It’s hard to find a more universally agreed upon subject than the protection and importance of our many unspoiled parks and preserves, and the merging of that thought with the mountain music made by Mason Porter is inspired.Opening with the title track, Mason Porter kicks off the nature themed collection of tunes with a very visceral lyrical look at the enveloping sense of being far from civilization, lost in nature’s splendor. The driving mandolin, fiddle and drums give the song a galloping nature that invokes the gleeful spirit of running free. “See America,” the second track, talks of second chances and the boundless hope that is the American Dream. “Box Of Answers” features a meditative, lilting examination of choices, mistakes and the inability of modern distractions to fill the emotional needs that we all possess. To find life’s riddles, we fire have to put more thought into asking the right question. A much needed reminder that was very well put.Mason Porter takes this nature themed opportunity to deliver a spellbinding take on the old-as-the-hills song “Shenandoah.” It’s been adapted and reworked many times throughout its hundreds of years of existence, and Mason Porter continues in that long tradition by merging modern production and sensibilities with a timeless sound. The ethereal opening of “You And I” shows the depth of sound, variety of tempos and incredible potential of Mason Porter’s diverse array of instrumentation. Whispering and wistful, the romantic song touches not on the more familiar ground of finding or losing love but the less examined area of how to keep the flame alive.The closing tune, “Yosemite,” is a lengthy instrumental that allows the band to stretch out and find fresh ways to fill space in ways only they can. It’s a strong song and a telling indicator of the band’s development. You can literally hear the thought put into the spacing and pacing of the proceedings and it’s proof that proper planning gives bands the best chances to shine.Heart Of the Mountains is a strong statement from Mason Porter about the state of the band and its future, which is certainly as clear and wide open as the parks that the album celebrates. With the amount of material already released this year, it’s a safe bet we’re not done hearing from them, but for now, fans of modern bluegrass have six new songs of gold to treasure.
After playing today at Merryland Music Fest at Columbia, Maryland’s famous Merriweather Post Pavillion, the quintet will continue their current summer tour this Thursday, July 14th, at Horning’s Hideout in North Plains, Oregon. Jamgrass superstars Greensky Bluegrass played a characteristically strong show at Charleston, South Carolina’s Music Farm this past Friday, July 8th. The show featured 21 songs over two sets and an encore, but one of the biggest highlights of the night was the pair of covers to end the second set, played with their usual twangy flair–The Band‘s “The Shape I’m In” (from 1970’s Stage Fright) into Bruce Springsteen‘s “Atlantic City” (from the Boss’s 1982 acoustic album Nebraska).Thanks to archive.org user @chrisdavis, you can stream the full show below:Ellison White Photography was on the scene, and you can see his images below. As Ellison tells us, the AC in the venue went out during the show, creating quite the sweltering situation. At least the heat of the music matched that of the room!
Tonight, and currently on-going, Warren Haynes is performing a special symphonic tribute to the late great Jerry Garcia at Red Rocks Amphitheatre. While Haynes has played a handful of these performances earlier in the summer, tonight’s has special significance for a number of reasons. Aside from today being Garcia’s birthday, the show also marks the first time ever that Garcia’s guitar Tiger was used in a public performance since the Grateful Dead member’s death. The full story about Tiger can be found here.The performance just recently started, and the Jerry Garcia page has shared some live footage from the event. Watch “Dark Star” and “Bird Song/Crazy Fingers” from the show, streaming below. We’ll be sure to update tomorrow with full coverage of this emotional performance.
Jamtronica titans The Disco Biscuits have added three new dates to their calendar, scheduling a three-night run at The Fillmore Philadelphia from February 2nd through the 4th. The group has been on fire of late, as limiting their performances to isolated multi-night runs has allowed the group to dive deeper into their catalog and explore new improvisational outlets.The run will be the Biscuits’ first shows of 2017, though the group isn’t done with 2016 just yet! Their annual Dominican Holidaze event is coming up at the beginning of December, as well as three nights at the Tabernacle in Atlanta for New Year’s. The hometown shows at the new Philly venue are sure to bring some heat during the coldest part of the year.Three day passes will go on sale via BiscoTix Today tomorrow, November 15th, at Noon ET. The full ticket on sale will take place this Friday, November 18th at Noon ET as well. You can find more information here, and see the artwork for the shows posted below.
We recently sat down with Scott Morrill, owner and head talent buyer at Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom and The Other Side in Denver, CO to discuss the music scene, how he got involved in working in the industry, some of his favorite musical moments over the years, and the recent acquisition of Fort Collins venues Hodi’s Half Note and The Aggie Theatre. Colorado has such a vibrant music scene, we wanted to get the inside scoop from someone on the inside.L4LM: What was the show that you saw, as a fan, that gave you that “this is IT” moment?SM: There were several shows that I saw that made me realize I needed to be around music my whole life, but one that comes to mind is a late night show at Jazzfest in 2000 with Soulive at the House of Blues Parish Room. I was with four of my best friends and we had no tickets and it was sold out. We ran into Sam Kininger (former sax player for Soulive/Lettuce) outside the venue and told him we were big fans and didn’t have any tickets. He didn’t know us at all but ended up hooking us up with two tickets and then we found two more out front and were in. It was my first time seeing them live and the energy they had going in that room was ridiculous. We all couldn’t stop smiling and it was one of those moments that I said to myself, “Someday I want to make as many people as possible have this feeling that I’m having.”L4LM: Who were some of your favorite acts growing up?SM: My first concert was Michael Jackson with my parents at Mile High Stadium when I was 7. I, of course, loved Michael Jackson as a kid. But as I got to middle school I listened to all classic rock, the typical artists that everyone passed around – Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Doors, The Beatles, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Grateful Dead. Then I got to high school and listened to lots of hip-hop. I was a freshman in 1990, so I was listening to Dr Dre, A Tribe Called Quest, Pharcyde, Digable Planets, De La Soul, and quite a bit of gangsta rap. I knew all the words to NWA, Ice Cube, Easy E, etc. When I got to college, I started getting into jam and funk. I saw a bunch of Widespread Panic and Phish and then Galactic, Soulive, moe., Yonder Mountain String Band, etc…Soulive “El Ron” Live at Cervantes 8/22/08:[courtesy of MoBoogie]L4LM: How did you get involved in the music industry? What was your first job?SM: I went into commercial real estate out of college and was a financial analyst for five years, but always had music on my mind. I was able to take out a second mortgage on my house to start Cervantes. So my first job was everything, really. I helped with the bar, made the posters, did lights and sound, hospitality for bands, and gradually got into talent buying.L4LM: What are the Top 5 favorite shows that you have booked?SM: Soulive was my first big show I booked the first year Cervantes was open and will always be one of my favorites. After that, there have been so many but a few of my favorites would be Pretty Lights, Greensky Bluegrass, Lettuce and Fruition for my birthday last year was amazing. Those all being at Cervantes. I also book Sonic Bloom Festival and Arise which have definitely been some of my favorite musical experiences with so many different bands. I also would have to say Tipper at Red Rocks for my first official show there as a promoter. That was a very special experience. Hard to pick 5!Tipper w/ Android Jones at Red Rocks 2015:[courtesy of bigeyedphish79]L4LM: A lot of folks don’t see all of the behind the scenes work that goes into putting on even just one show, let alone a full year’s worth of shows to fill a venues calendar. Tell us a little about the process and the team that takes care of it all….SM: The team at Cervantes has grown organically over the years and has become something that we are all very proud of. It’s really more of a family than a team. Each show could be broken down into booking, promotion and production. Our booking team consists of Adam Stroul and myself, who are the head buyers, and Hunter Stevens and Dave Halchak who are assistant buyers. After a show is booked it goes to our Marketing Director Diana Azab, who wears several hats and is assisted by Cris Bachman and Jamie Jay. They make sure the show is properly promoted through every outlet possible. Then when it comes down to executing the show, we have our Production Manager, Trent Hufford, handle all the logistics and our General Manager, Matt Greer, there to handle day of show communication and settlements with the band. I feel very fortunate to have a staff who cares so much about Cervantes.L4LM: There is a pretty happening scene in the greater Denver area, and out in Colorado, in general. What do you attribute that to?SM: Well, I think the scene continues to get better each year because we have more and more music lovers moving to Colorado. Colorado offers so many things that are very attractive to twenty-somethings that have just graduated college, or looking for a change from their current environment. Now that we have a reputation for having one of the best music scenes in the country, it is only going to get better. Musicians and fans want to live somewhere they can thrive and Colorado is arguably the best in the nation.L4LM: Cervantes recently purchased The Aggie Theatre and Hodi’s Half Note up in Fort Collins, aka “Fort Fun”, in the last year or so. Fort Collins is a beautiful town, and home to Colorado State University. How important was that acquisition on your end?I think it was a very important acquisition. It allows us to offer bands another market to play when they are routing through Colorado. I think it’s very important for bands to play different markets when they come through Colorado to expose themselves to as many fans as possible. This will only help them grow their overall Colorado fan base to someday play bigger venues in the state such as Red Rocks.Sonic Bloom 2016 Recap:[courtesy of Electronic Colorado]L4LM: Do you think there is over-saturation of the market right now? It seems like there is almost too many shows to choose from. Is that a good or bad thing?SM: I think that as long as the vast majority of the shows are successful that it isn’t over-saturated. It is pretty amazing how many shows we can have in this state compared to ten years ago, or even five years ago. I think the variety of shows to choose from contributes to our music scene and makes it more attractive for fans and musicians to move here. Hopefully the fans can keep up with all the new venues and shows. There is only one way to find out!L4LM: What upcoming shows at Cervantes/Aggie/Hodi’s are you most excited for?SM: So many great shows coming up! Check out Cervantes and Aggie websites for all upcoming shows. We are having Moon Taxi for the first time at The Aggie on Dec. 1st and Cervantes on Dec. 2nd and 3rd the latter of which are dual room shows with Joey Porter’s Shady Business on The Other Side. The Marcus King Band plays Hodi’s Half Note on Nov. 30th. The Travelin’ McCourys are coming through for a run of shows and doing Aggie on Dec. 8th and Cervantes on De.c 10th. Elephant Revival are playing Aggie on Dec. 9th and they are a band that I go way back with and played, I think, their first gig in Denver at Cervantes opening for Railroad Earth back in the day. New Years will be awesome too with Stick Figure in the Ballroom and DeadPhish Orchestra w/ Cycles in The Other Side.L4LM: Thanks so much for sharing with us, Scott. We’ll see you out at Cervantes soon!For information and upcoming shows at Cervantes/Other Side, click here.For information and upcoming shows at The Aggie Theatre, click here.For information and upcoming shows at Hodi’s Half Note, click here.
Boston, MA-based psychedelic jam band The Jauntee and NYC local livetronica favorites Digital Frontier are teaming up for a special Valentine’s Day Musical Feast of LOVE at American Beauty in New York, NY, on Tuesday, February 14th. Tickets for the show are currently on sale and can be purchased here.The Jauntee has been making the rounds of the Northeast music scene, playing over one hundred shows a year at venue’s such as Nectar’s, Paradise Rock Club, and The Spot Underground, along with a number festivals such as Catskill Chill, Disc Jam, Strange Creek, and more. Their unique blend of psychedelic rock, jazz, funk, and an ability to explore new territories from an improvisational-based standpoint, has garnered The Jauntee a rabid, and very loyal fanbase. Certainly a name to look out for in 2017.Digital Frontier, better known as DigiFront by their local NYC contingent, recently played their first show in several years at the Bowery Ballroom with Horizon Wireless. A mainstay of the scene in the mid-2000’s, the group of Luke Stocker (bass), Jesse Stocker (flute/synth), Matt Smilkstein (keys/synth), and Sol “Monty” Montoya (drums) decided it was time to get back together and once again make the ambient, futuristic, and harmoniously jazz-influenced beats that DigiFront has always been known for.Check out some recent footage of both bands in honor of this love filled occasion!The Jauntee – When the Love Is – 12/5/2015Digital Frontier “Smilkstein’s Day Off” (from The Basement Sessions 10/30/16)– SHOW INFO –Artist/s: The Jauntee & Digital Frontier Valentine’s Day Musical Feast of LOVEVenue: American Beauty – 251 W. 30th Street – New York, NY 10001Date: Tuesday – February 14th, 2017Time: Doors 7pm / Show 8pmTickets: $12adv / $15dos (purchase tickets here)Enter To Win Tickets:
Today, to celebrate the end of an incredible New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival music marathon, Pretty Lights has a very special celebration in store for the masses gathered in the Big Easy this afternoon. The pioneering electronic artist will host a parade through the streets of New Orleans today, ending under a bridge for a pop-up performance. The spectacle will begin at Bullet’s Sports Bar at 2441 AP Tureaud Ave. promptly at 4:30 pm, and will feature horns, a second line, and all the joyous pageantry that makes New Orleans such a magical city.The parade will head down Tureaud, and then down N Roman St before cutting across Bayou Rd and ending up under the I-10 overpass for a party with Pretty Lights providing the music. You can view the parade route below.Safe to say, with Pretty Lights at the helm and the spirit of Jazz Fest rising to its apex on the final day of the 10-day celebration, this will be quite the spectacle!Happy Jazz Fest, everybody![Cover photo via Live Edits Lab]
This past January, Jam Cruise 15 set sail out of Miami to cruise around the Carribean, with some of the biggest names in live music aboard and ready to get down. While Vulfpeck was originally slated to perform on the boat, when a scheduling change forced the band to back out, Vermont’s Twiddle was tagged in. During Twiddle’s set on January 21st, the Vermont quartet invited moe.’s Al Schnier to sit-in during a rendition of the perennial fan favorite “Mamunes The Faun.” moe. then returned the favor, with Mihali Savoulidis tagging in during a cover of the Rolling Stones’ “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking” along with Dumpstaphunk’s Ivan Neville. New pro-shot footage from the moe. and frends collaboration on January 23rd is here. As the set closer, it was a climatic end to moe.’s performance on Jam Cruise, which saw both Savoulidis and Neville take huge solos to bring the show to its timely peak.Jam Cruise Releases Pro-Shot Video Of moe.’s Al Schnier’s Sit-In With Twiddle For “Mamunes”The magical musical experience that is Jam Cruise will be setting sails next January, when Jam Cruise 16 takes over the Norwegian Jade from January 17th through 22nd. After it embarks from Miami, Florida, the cruise will round through Roatan, Honduras, and Grand Cayman during its weeklong circuit.As always, the lineup for the near week-long event is stacked, with Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood topping the bill. You can check out the almost-twelve minute video of moe. performing “Can’t You Hear Me Knockin’” with Ivan Neville and Mihali Savoulidis below, courtesy of TourGigs. The video is sure to get you stoked for next year’s Jam Cruise, which is bound to have similarly all-star collaborations across its trip. You can check out this year’s massive Jam Cruise lineup here, and get more information about the event on its website here. [Photo: Phierce Photo]