Endings are messy. Falling in love is messy. Change is messy. Perhaps, change is the messiest of them all. Especially when eyes are on you; when you blast out of adolescence onto stages across the country, then into your twenties, onto more stages and, finally, into your thirties—all on those same stages. The stages that Lydia Loveless has sung her heart out on, has collapsed on, and laughed on, all mirror the stages of her life thus far for the world to see. When Loveless released her first album over a decade ago, she was still a teenager whose songs of debauchery, guzzling alcohol and doing cocaine were an audio wet dream for a certain type of listener who not only wear their music tastes on their (tattooed) sleeve, but in the lifestyle that they emulate: “outlaw” music with brains – akin to Steve Earle, Drive-By Truckers and Lucinda Williams, vintage country heart with a heartland rock soul.
In the end, the music industry is still sadly a man’s world and, as such, Loveless grew up in the spotlight (or perhaps, more accurately, the bar lights) while she was placed on a pedestal. Her voicemail greeting is a tongue-in-cheek ode to this: “Hi, this is Lydia Loveless, savior of cowpunk. Please leave a message and I will get back to you.”
The time between their late adolescence to now is defined by a shelf full of records, hundreds of thousands of miles on the road, and a ribbon of heartbreaks pockmarking their trail. Loveless is a fiercely brave writer who bluntly assesses their life in song: their struggles with alcohol and depression, and the uncertainty of not only the future, but what piecing together the past will mean for the present.
In 2020, they put out their excellent fourth full-length Daughter on their own label, Honey, You’re Gonna Be Late Records, with encouragement from their friend Jason Isbell, but could not tour behind it; the one consistent throughline in Loveless’ life was impossible due to the pandemic. They were living in North Carolina with their boyfriend at the time, stuck, away from the stages they grew up on, isolated from their family, and going stir-crazy. As the world came undone and then back together again, Loveless returned to Columbus, where their career first began. Starting anew, Loveless found part-time work at a recording studio (Secret Studios) and began processing the last two years of their life. The title of their new album, Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again, came easy—like a mantra from the heavens.
Nothing’s Gonna Stand in My Way Again continues the evolution of Loveless. The artist who once sang that she would rather stay home and drink gallons of wine is now on the other end of the bottle, where a bit of resignation resides. She sings on “Feel”: “I’m getting older and my jets are starting to cool, if I ever get sober it’s really over for you fools.” Though a melancholic weight rests on the record—as it was written after the breakup with her longtime boyfriend and following a period of isolation and depression during the pandemic—it also feels like a triumphant moment from an artist who’s continuing her stride. Loveless has always been a brutally honest songwriter, one whose articulation of love, heartbreak and bad habits is wrapped not only in catchy melodies but also her finesse with words.
Nothing’s Gonna Stand in My Way Again musically retains the spirit of Loveless’ previous records, but also moves past the chunky drunk and almost out-of-control riffing of their earliest work. Present here is something more akin to Rumors and Tusk-era Fleetwood Mac—and it works incredibly well. Their voice is more controlled and wiser. Although the subject matter that they are mining is, at times, desolate, they mask it with the smoother production. It’s as beautiful and tragic as a woman crying in the rain, with make-up streaming down her cheeks: at once real and mesmerizing.
Gently crushing standout “Runaway” opens with a floating piano chord, slowly building with detailed, multifaceted flourishes to a memorable chorus: “I don’t like to run, I just like to run away.” It’s a stunning showcase of Loveless’ powerhouse vocals and heart-wrenching lyricism. On “Toothache,” she sings about the mundanity of daily life feeling catastrophic enough to precipitate a breakdown, as kinetic, dynamic arrangements add to the track’s intense and claustrophobic mood. Album highlight “Sex and Money” was made for driving with the windows down on a sunny summer day, and Loveless’ wry and self-deprecating sense of humor sparkles: “I know I’m not saving the world / But I gotta live in it so I might as well splurge / On 200 cotton t-shirts with my face on the front.” “Poor Boy” recalls the excitement, energy and rebellion of bands like The Replacements, but Loveless makes the mood her own with a subtle twang and a lot of vulnerability: “I need to clean up my mess and leave the poor boy alone.”
Nothing’s Gonna Stand in My Way Again is not only a break-up record drifting back to some of the best of its kind, like Richard & Linda Thompson’s Shoot Out the Lights, Superchunk’s Foolish and of course, Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, it’s also a reminder to keep improving oneself, taking ownership and moving forward—alone, if needed. Complex and captivating, Nothing’s Gonna Stand In My Way Again is a brave declaration from a person who has survived a lot. Here they lays bare not only their raw pain, but also the strength and resiliency they’ve earned along the way, that only Loveless could hold.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240130T193530Z SEQUENCE:11404436 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2387 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240202T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240202T210000 UID:D65A79F6-8FC4-45AD-80DA-7ED34133E746 SUMMARY:Steve Poltz CREATED:20231113T175926Z DTSTAMP:20231113T175926Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/steve-poltz-2 DESCRIPTION:This is the story of Steve Poltz. \NSome people start life with a plan. Not Steve. He opens himself up to the universe in a way most of us will never be loose enough to achieve, and the universe responds with a wink, a seemingly bottomless well of inspiration, and the talent to truly connect with an audience. While 2021 could have found him adrift, faced with a tour moratorium the likes of which he hadn’t experienced in decades, it opened a door — literally, his friend Oliver Wood of The Wood Brother’s door — to creating an exuberant, thoughtful batch of songs that celebrate life in all of its stages. \NThe resulting album is called Stardust & Satellites [Red House / Compass Records]. \N“I just make stuff up,” he exclaims, quipping, “it sounded good to say that.” Steve is the sort of prolific writer and collaborator who downplays what seems like a non-stop geyser of creativity. “I have no rhyme or reason for what I do. It’s all magic. I go by instinct. It just felt right, so I went with it.”\NThe “it” in question is one of those serendipitous situations that were created by the pandemic. Steve, a road dog and performance junkie who regularly spends 300+ days a year on the road, bringing it to the people, should’ve been on tour last year. Esteemed Nashville roots rockers The Wood Brothers (Chris Wood being a former neighbor to Steve), also should’ve been on tour. Stuck in Nashville, Steve often joined the Wood Brothers for outdoor socially distant hangs, and, on a whim, decided to record one song with Oliver Wood and Jano Rix. \NThey cut “Frenemy,” a wistful, “keep your friends close and your enemies even closer” song that made it clear to all involved that they’d stumbled onto something special. With no studio clock ticking, no schedule or deadlines to meet, the companionship and ability to collaborate with like-minded musicians added a joyful diversion to what was a boring-ass year. Musically, the sky was the limit, and the group of musicians and friends embarked on a musical experience that found cast and crew reaching toward the stratosphere with Stardust & Satellites, which Oliver and Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers produced. \NThe album begins with the lithe fingerpicking of “Wrong Town,” an anthem summing up the life of an itinerant songwriter/performer, where he declares, “The truth is I have no plan at all,” going on to cite Emmylou Harris and Don Was as his style icons. It’s a “pleased to meet me” sort of song, and it was written to greet the audience at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2019. “I wanted to write an opening song,” Steve recalls.“I sat down with fellow Nashville songwriter Anthony da Costa, and ‘Wrong Town’ just appeared.” \NBut even gonzo guys have their moments where the cycle of life seems to be almost too much to bear. “Conveyor Belt” is a heartfelt song, a song that could only be written at a certain point in one’s life, and that point is when you’re saying goodbye to your parents and addressing your own mortality. Steve explains, "My mom passed away, and then a few years later my dad crossed over. I started thinking that I was next on the conveyor belt in a factory on the wheel of time. Next thing I know, I grabbed my guitar and this song appeared to me like a gift. It didn’t exist and then voila, there it was. I feel lucky to be a conduit." \NThe song is written over a gentle, repetitive melody that moves along with the inevitability of ye old sands of time. For fans, it’s a different side of Steve, using a voice and a new solemnity for a song that touches a universal nerve.\NOn one of the last nights of the recording sessions, Steve locked himself up in his writing room and within an hour, had conjured the catchy, effervescent “Can O’ Pop,” destined to be the radio single. \N“Jano from The Wood Brothers was leaving the studio, and I asked him to give me a beat, and I told him I’d write a song with the beat he gave me,” recalls Steve. The exuberant, syncopated groove seems to bubble up as Steve admits, in his best mid-period Dylan, “I want to feel the fizzy rhythm with you.” \N“Hey, Everyone loves a can of pop” he cracks.\NAmong other highlights, “It’s Baseball Season” seesaws on a sunny acoustic guitar as he pays homage to America’s favorite pastime. Poltz is a true fan, and the song’s laid-back, relaxed vibe speaks of carefree days at the ballpark. Steve even pays tribute to legendary baseball announcer Ernie Harwell.\NWith a cult following that includes fellow musicians, regular folks and festival goers who stumble onto his performances, there’s no common denominator to Steve’s fans. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and raised in San Diego, CA Steve toured and recorded with San Diego cult favorites The Rugburns (they still play annual sold-out reunion shows). But it was through his creative partnership with Jewel that he vaulted into the national spotlight; co-writing her multiplatinum Billboard Hot 100-busting smash, “You Were Meant For Me,” and continues to work with her to this day.\NOver the years, the Nashville-based troubadour has built a fascinating solo catalog, earmarked by his debut, One Left Shoe, Dreamhouse, Folk Singer, and 2019’s Shine On. No Depression crowned him, "A sardonic provocateur with a lighthearted acoustic-driven wit, suggesting at times a sunnier, less psychedelic Todd Snider, or maybe a less wan, washed Jackson Brown,” while the Associated Press dubbed him "part busker, part Iggy Pop and part Robin Williams, a freewheeling folkie with a quick wit and big heart.”\NAmong other collaborations, GRAMMY-winning bluegrass phenom Billy Strings tapped him to co-write “Leaders” on 2021’s Renewal and he’s co-written with Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Nicki Bluhm, Oliver Wood and even Mojo Nixon.\NHe’s resumed his tour schedule, and when he comes to your town, he’ll say, as he does every night, “This is the best show I’ve ever played.” And hell, maybe it just is.\NUltimately, Steve never needed a plan. \NHe’s something of a natural, after all. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:This is the story of Steve Poltz.
Some people start life with a plan. Not Steve. He opens himself up to the universe in a way most of us will never be loose enough to achieve, and the universe responds with a wink, a seemingly bottomless well of inspiration, and the talent to truly connect with an audience. While 2021 could have found him adrift, faced with a tour moratorium the likes of which he hadn’t experienced in decades, it opened a door — literally, his friend Oliver Wood of The Wood Brother’s door — to creating an exuberant, thoughtful batch of songs that celebrate life in all of its stages.
The resulting album is called Stardust & Satellites [Red House / Compass Records].
“I just make stuff up,” he exclaims, quipping, “it sounded good to say that.” Steve is the sort of prolific writer and collaborator who downplays what seems like a non-stop geyser of creativity. “I have no rhyme or reason for what I do. It’s all magic. I go by instinct. It just felt right, so I went with it.”
The “it” in question is one of those serendipitous situations that were created by the pandemic. Steve, a road dog and performance junkie who regularly spends 300+ days a year on the road, bringing it to the people, should’ve been on tour last year. Esteemed Nashville roots rockers The Wood Brothers (Chris Wood being a former neighbor to Steve), also should’ve been on tour. Stuck in Nashville, Steve often joined the Wood Brothers for outdoor socially distant hangs, and, on a whim, decided to record one song with Oliver Wood and Jano Rix.
They cut “Frenemy,” a wistful, “keep your friends close and your enemies even closer” song that made it clear to all involved that they’d stumbled onto something special. With no studio clock ticking, no schedule or deadlines to meet, the companionship and ability to collaborate with like-minded musicians added a joyful diversion to what was a boring-ass year. Musically, the sky was the limit, and the group of musicians and friends embarked on a musical experience that found cast and crew reaching toward the stratosphere with Stardust & Satellites, which Oliver and Jano Rix of The Wood Brothers produced.
The album begins with the lithe fingerpicking of “Wrong Town,” an anthem summing up the life of an itinerant songwriter/performer, where he declares, “The truth is I have no plan at all,” going on to cite Emmylou Harris and Don Was as his style icons. It’s a “pleased to meet me” sort of song, and it was written to greet the audience at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in 2019. “I wanted to write an opening song,” Steve recalls.“I sat down with fellow Nashville songwriter Anthony da Costa, and ‘Wrong Town’ just appeared.”
But even gonzo guys have their moments where the cycle of life seems to be almost too much to bear. “Conveyor Belt” is a heartfelt song, a song that could only be written at a certain point in one’s life, and that point is when you’re saying goodbye to your parents and addressing your own mortality. Steve explains, "My mom passed away, and then a few years later my dad crossed over. I started thinking that I was next on the conveyor belt in a factory on the wheel of time. Next thing I know, I grabbed my guitar and this song appeared to me like a gift. It didn’t exist and then voila, there it was. I feel lucky to be a conduit."
The song is written over a gentle, repetitive melody that moves along with the inevitability of ye old sands of time. For fans, it’s a different side of Steve, using a voice and a new solemnity for a song that touches a universal nerve.
On one of the last nights of the recording sessions, Steve locked himself up in his writing room and within an hour, had conjured the catchy, effervescent “Can O’ Pop,” destined to be the radio single.
“Jano from The Wood Brothers was leaving the studio, and I asked him to give me a beat, and I told him I’d write a song with the beat he gave me,” recalls Steve. The exuberant, syncopated groove seems to bubble up as Steve admits, in his best mid-period Dylan, “I want to feel the fizzy rhythm with you.”
“Hey, Everyone loves a can of pop” he cracks.
Among other highlights, “It’s Baseball Season” seesaws on a sunny acoustic guitar as he pays homage to America’s favorite pastime. Poltz is a true fan, and the song’s laid-back, relaxed vibe speaks of carefree days at the ballpark. Steve even pays tribute to legendary baseball announcer Ernie Harwell.
With a cult following that includes fellow musicians, regular folks and festival goers who stumble onto his performances, there’s no common denominator to Steve’s fans. Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia and raised in San Diego, CA Steve toured and recorded with San Diego cult favorites The Rugburns (they still play annual sold-out reunion shows). But it was through his creative partnership with Jewel that he vaulted into the national spotlight; co-writing her multiplatinum Billboard Hot 100-busting smash, “You Were Meant For Me,” and continues to work with her to this day.
Over the years, the Nashville-based troubadour has built a fascinating solo catalog, earmarked by his debut, One Left Shoe, Dreamhouse, Folk Singer, and 2019’s Shine On. No Depression crowned him, "A sardonic provocateur with a lighthearted acoustic-driven wit, suggesting at times a sunnier, less psychedelic Todd Snider, or maybe a less wan, washed Jackson Brown,” while the Associated Press dubbed him "part busker, part Iggy Pop and part Robin Williams, a freewheeling folkie with a quick wit and big heart.”
Among other collaborations, GRAMMY-winning bluegrass phenom Billy Strings tapped him to co-write “Leaders” on 2021’s Renewal and he’s co-written with Molly Tuttle, Sierra Hull, Nicki Bluhm, Oliver Wood and even Mojo Nixon.
He’s resumed his tour schedule, and when he comes to your town, he’ll say, as he does every night, “This is the best show I’ve ever played.” And hell, maybe it just is.
Ultimately, Steve never needed a plan.
He’s something of a natural, after all.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240130T193541Z SEQUENCE:6744975 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1515 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-11-14 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240203T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240203T233000 UID:C429FF21-8714-4E32-94EC-6DA5A95C08DD SUMMARY:Slothrust CREATED:20231017T164218Z DTSTAMP:20231017T164218Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/slothrust DESCRIPTION:There’s cover songs, and then there’s the many ways Leah Wellbaum and Will Gorin have flipped their favorite tracks over the past 15 years. Not just with their longtime band Slothrust either. The Sarah Lawrence grads first bonded over the blues, a way to apply the progressive lesson plans of teachers like Mike Longo — a pianist who played with such jazz pioneers as Dizzy Gillespie and Lee Konitz — to fearless riffs and rhythms that feel like total rewrites. \NGorin is quick to credit Longo’s “Three I’s” lesson — imitation, incubation, and innovation — in particular. The main takeaway? That the best music comes from building upon other people’s ideas, rather than simply replicating or revisiting them. \NThe clearest example of this would be the Slothrust record Show Me How You Want It to Be, a cover song compilation that dropped sand-blasted renditions of The Turtles (“Happy Together”) and Marcy’s Playground (“Sex and Candy”) alongside spare takes on Al Green (“Let’s Stay Together”) and Sam Cooke (“Cupid”). \NHeading even further out into left field is the new EP I Promise, a wild ride that includes a raw performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and not one but four different recordings of the slo-mo smash “Pony.” The latter takes its cues from Ginuwine’s cassingle, which split its sides between a vibrant album version, drawn-out director’s cut, Timbaland’s iconic beat, and Ginuwine’s carnal a cappella. \NSlothrust takes the track down two distinct paths built around the original’s three powerhouse chords and effervescent low end. One swings like a lithe slice of sludgy rock ‘n’ roll, and the other dives straight off the deep end for 10 extra minutes, playing to the pair’s strengths as well-rounded mind readers. \N“It’s always fun to leave space in the music where improvisation is possible,” explains Wellbaum, “and that is part of what is so exciting to us about the extended version of ‘Pony’; it’s entirely improvised, and we only did one performance of it in the studio.” \N“One of my all-time favorite quotes is from composer Claude Debussy,” adds Gorin. “I first discovered it in Miles Davis’ biography, when he said ‘music is the space between the notes.’ I approach my playing with that kind of energy, with an emphasis on filling negative space with symmetrical or asymmetrical patterns.” \NThe same can be said for the two snappy, tightly wound tracks that also landed on I Promise, “Maybe Maybe” and “Magic Glow.” Written by Wellbaum while she was living in Florida last year and ending a “really long and beautifully dramatic relationship,” the songs are both poetic and poppy, working in hummable nods to liminal spaces, ceremonial magic, and eco-sexuality alongside a slick rhythm section (featuring Gorin on drums and bass for the first time) and Welbaum’s manic guitar melodies. \N“The two originals on this EP are good examples of songs that wrote themselves,” says Wellbaum. “I decided that I wanted to do guitar-driven, dynamic rock songs and I wrote these two as a pair, which happens to me a lot.”\NAnother recent example of songs that seemed to finish each other’s sentences — sonically and lyrically — would be “Courtesy” and “Waiting” from Slothrust’s last record, 2021’s Parallel Timeline LP. All of this synchronicity makes perfect sense, of course. After all, Slothrust’s breakthrough album (Of Course You Do) is about to celebrate its tenth anniversary, and the band’s core duo have connected on a kismet level ever since those early days. \N“Will and I have been playing different genres of music in different configurations together for almost 15 years now and that is a big part of our lock,” says Wellbaum. “We know how to work with each other in a variety of different settings and how to communicate outside of what we do specifically. That offers us tremendous freedom.”\N“I feel like we have developed our own unique sound to the point where we can ask ourselves ‘what would Slothrust do?’” adds` Gorin. “The paradox being that if Slothrust knew what Slothrust would do, Slothrust would do the opposite.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:There’s cover songs, and then there’s the many ways Leah Wellbaum and Will Gorin have flipped their favorite tracks over the past 15 years. Not just with their longtime band Slothrust either. The Sarah Lawrence grads first bonded over the blues, a way to apply the progressive lesson plans of teachers like Mike Longo — a pianist who played with such jazz pioneers as Dizzy Gillespie and Lee Konitz — to fearless riffs and rhythms that feel like total rewrites.
Gorin is quick to credit Longo’s “Three I’s” lesson — imitation, incubation, and innovation — in particular. The main takeaway? That the best music comes from building upon other people’s ideas, rather than simply replicating or revisiting them.
The clearest example of this would be the Slothrust record Show Me How You Want It to Be, a cover song compilation that dropped sand-blasted renditions of The Turtles (“Happy Together”) and Marcy’s Playground (“Sex and Candy”) alongside spare takes on Al Green (“Let’s Stay Together”) and Sam Cooke (“Cupid”).
Heading even further out into left field is the new EP I Promise, a wild ride that includes a raw performance of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and not one but four different recordings of the slo-mo smash “Pony.” The latter takes its cues from Ginuwine’s cassingle, which split its sides between a vibrant album version, drawn-out director’s cut, Timbaland’s iconic beat, and Ginuwine’s carnal a cappella.
Slothrust takes the track down two distinct paths built around the original’s three powerhouse chords and effervescent low end. One swings like a lithe slice of sludgy rock ‘n’ roll, and the other dives straight off the deep end for 10 extra minutes, playing to the pair’s strengths as well-rounded mind readers.
“It’s always fun to leave space in the music where improvisation is possible,” explains Wellbaum, “and that is part of what is so exciting to us about the extended version of ‘Pony’; it’s entirely improvised, and we only did one performance of it in the studio.”
“One of my all-time favorite quotes is from composer Claude Debussy,” adds Gorin. “I first discovered it in Miles Davis’ biography, when he said ‘music is the space between the notes.’ I approach my playing with that kind of energy, with an emphasis on filling negative space with symmetrical or asymmetrical patterns.”
The same can be said for the two snappy, tightly wound tracks that also landed on I Promise, “Maybe Maybe” and “Magic Glow.” Written by Wellbaum while she was living in Florida last year and ending a “really long and beautifully dramatic relationship,” the songs are both poetic and poppy, working in hummable nods to liminal spaces, ceremonial magic, and eco-sexuality alongside a slick rhythm section (featuring Gorin on drums and bass for the first time) and Welbaum’s manic guitar melodies.
“The two originals on this EP are good examples of songs that wrote themselves,” says Wellbaum. “I decided that I wanted to do guitar-driven, dynamic rock songs and I wrote these two as a pair, which happens to me a lot.”
Another recent example of songs that seemed to finish each other’s sentences — sonically and lyrically — would be “Courtesy” and “Waiting” from Slothrust’s last record, 2021’s Parallel Timeline LP. All of this synchronicity makes perfect sense, of course. After all, Slothrust’s breakthrough album (Of Course You Do) is about to celebrate its tenth anniversary, and the band’s core duo have connected on a kismet level ever since those early days.
“Will and I have been playing different genres of music in different configurations together for almost 15 years now and that is a big part of our lock,” says Wellbaum. “We know how to work with each other in a variety of different settings and how to communicate outside of what we do specifically. That offers us tremendous freedom.”
“I feel like we have developed our own unique sound to the point where we can ask ourselves ‘what would Slothrust do?’” adds` Gorin. “The paradox being that if Slothrust knew what Slothrust would do, Slothrust would do the opposite.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20240130T193814Z SEQUENCE:9082556 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1996 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240209T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240209T210000 UID:2FECAEC5-6DBC-48D3-A66C-8286C09B84D4 SUMMARY:Wildflowers CREATED:20231218T232155Z DTSTAMP:20231218T232155Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/wildflowers DESCRIPTION:On Feb. 9, 2024, an all-star group of musicians will celebrate one of the greatest American songwriters (and bands) of the past century: Tom Petty. In honor of the 30th anniversary of Petty's iconic Wildflowers album, the band and a ridiculously great roster of guest singers will perform Wildflowers in its entirety plus more hits from the legendary albums of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. From the same people who brought you 2023's tribute to Neil Young's Harvest, this show features singers and musicians from The National Parks, Neon Trees, Fictionist, Goldmyth, Seaslak, The Lower Lights, Book On Tapeworm, The Hollering Pines, Cardinal Bloom, Mideau, Pinguin Mofex, Lantern By Sea, and many more. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:On Feb. 9, 2024, an all-star group of musicians will celebrate one of the greatest American songwriters (and bands) of the past century: Tom Petty. In honor of the 30th anniversary of Petty's iconic Wildflowers album, the band and a ridiculously great roster of guest singers will perform Wildflowers in its entirety plus more hits from the legendary albums of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers. From the same people who brought you 2023's tribute to Neil Young's Harvest, this show features singers and musicians from The National Parks, Neon Trees, Fictionist, Goldmyth, Seaslak, The Lower Lights, Book On Tapeworm, The Hollering Pines, Cardinal Bloom, Mideau, Pinguin Mofex, Lantern By Sea, and many more.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240130T193906Z SEQUENCE:3701831 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4349 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-12-19 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240216T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240216T210000 UID:BE991A14-5D43-4B1C-A0C4-B214FA1D43A9 SUMMARY:John Craigie (Night 1) CREATED:20231009T180012Z DTSTAMP:20231009T180012Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/john-craigie-night-1 DESCRIPTION:Portland, OR-based singer, songwriter, and producer John Craigie adapts moments of solitude into stories perfectly suited for old Americana fiction anthologies. Instead of leaving them on dog-eared pages, he projects them widescreen in flashes of simmering soul and folk eloquence. On his 2022 full-length album, Mermaid Salt, we witness revenge unfurled in flames, watch a landlocked mermaid’s escape, and fall asleep under a meteor shower. \NAfter selling out shows consistently coast-to-coast and earning acclaim from Rolling Stone, Glide Magazine, No Depression, and many more, his unflinching honesty ties these ten tracks together.\NThe album comes from the solitude and loneliness of lockdown in the Northwest. Someone whose life was touring, traveling, and having lots of human interaction is faced with an undefinable amount of time without those things. So, he began writing new songs and envisioning an album that was different from his past records. The sound of everyone playing live in a room together was traded for the sound of song construction with an unknown amount of instruments and musicians—a quiet symphony.\NRather than steal away to a cabin or hole up in a house with friends, Craigie opted to set up shop at the OK Theater in Enterprise, OR with longtime collaborator Bart Budwig behind the board as engineer. A rotating cast of musicians shuffled in and out safely, distinguishing the process from the communal recording of previous releases. The core players included Justin Landis, Cooper Trail, and Nevada Sowle. Meanwhile, Shook Twins lent their signature vocal harmonies, Bevin Foley arranged, composed, and performed strings, and Ben Walden dropped in for guitar and violin plucking parts.\N“Instruments were scattered around the theater and microphones placed in various spots,” he recalls. “It’s hard to say who all played what exactly.”\NAs such, the spirit in the room guided everyone. On “Distance,” warm piano glows alongside a glitchy beat as he softly laments, “I could lose you to the loneliness, vast and infinite.” Then, there’s “Helena.” A jazz-y bass line snakes through head-nodding percussion as he relays an incendiary parable of a mother and son in exile. He croons, “She said fire was how we’d make ‘em pay. As I ran across the fields, she would scream, ‘Light it up son’,” uplifted in a conflagration of Shook Twins’ harmonies. Strings echo in the background as his vocals quake front-and-center on “Street Mermaid.” \NElsewhere, the guitar-laden “Microdose” beguiles and bewitches with an intoxicating refrain dedicated to a time where he “Microdosed for months and months, dissolve my ego in the acid.” Everything culminates on the glassy beat-craft and glistening guitars of “Perseids” where he sings, “There’s always a new heart after the old heart. Maybe a new heart is enough.”\NDuring this period, he explored the environment around him “from the Oregon coasts to the waterfalls” and read books about Levon Helm, Billie Holiday, and Ani DiFranco.\N“I got time to silence all the noise and chaos of touring and look inward,” he observes.\NCraigie had reached a series of watershed moments in tandem with Mermaid Salt. Beyond headlining venues such as The Fillmore and gracing the stage of Red Rocks Amphitheater, his 2020 offering Asterisk The Universe earned unanimous tastemaker applause. Rolling Stone noted, “tracks like ‘Don’t Deny’ and ‘Climb Up’ bridge a Sixties and Seventies songwriter vibe with the laid-back cool of Jack Johnson, an early supporter of Craigie,” while Glide Magazine hailed it as “one of his best records.” Perhaps, No Depression put it best, “For many weary and heavy- listeners hearted, the album might be exactly what they need.” Along the way, he generated over 40 million total streams and counting, speaking to his unassuming impact.\NIn the end, Craigie offers a sense of peace on Mermaid Salt. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Portland, OR-based singer, songwriter, and producer John Craigie adapts moments of solitude into stories perfectly suited for old Americana fiction anthologies. Instead of leaving them on dog-eared pages, he projects them widescreen in flashes of simmering soul and folk eloquence. On his 2022 full-length album, Mermaid Salt, we witness revenge unfurled in flames, watch a landlocked mermaid’s escape, and fall asleep under a meteor shower.
After selling out shows consistently coast-to-coast and earning acclaim from Rolling Stone, Glide Magazine, No Depression, and many more, his unflinching honesty ties these ten tracks together.
The album comes from the solitude and loneliness of lockdown in the Northwest. Someone whose life was touring, traveling, and having lots of human interaction is faced with an undefinable amount of time without those things. So, he began writing new songs and envisioning an album that was different from his past records. The sound of everyone playing live in a room together was traded for the sound of song construction with an unknown amount of instruments and musicians—a quiet symphony.
Rather than steal away to a cabin or hole up in a house with friends, Craigie opted to set up shop at the OK Theater in Enterprise, OR with longtime collaborator Bart Budwig behind the board as engineer. A rotating cast of musicians shuffled in and out safely, distinguishing the process from the communal recording of previous releases. The core players included Justin Landis, Cooper Trail, and Nevada Sowle. Meanwhile, Shook Twins lent their signature vocal harmonies, Bevin Foley arranged, composed, and performed strings, and Ben Walden dropped in for guitar and violin plucking parts.
“Instruments were scattered around the theater and microphones placed in various spots,” he recalls. “It’s hard to say who all played what exactly.”
As such, the spirit in the room guided everyone. On “Distance,” warm piano glows alongside a glitchy beat as he softly laments, “I could lose you to the loneliness, vast and infinite.” Then, there’s “Helena.” A jazz-y bass line snakes through head-nodding percussion as he relays an incendiary parable of a mother and son in exile. He croons, “She said fire was how we’d make ‘em pay. As I ran across the fields, she would scream, ‘Light it up son’,” uplifted in a conflagration of Shook Twins’ harmonies. Strings echo in the background as his vocals quake front-and-center on “Street Mermaid.”
Elsewhere, the guitar-laden “Microdose” beguiles and bewitches with an intoxicating refrain dedicated to a time where he “Microdosed for months and months, dissolve my ego in the acid.” Everything culminates on the glassy beat-craft and glistening guitars of “Perseids” where he sings, “There’s always a new heart after the old heart. Maybe a new heart is enough.”
During this period, he explored the environment around him “from the Oregon coasts to the waterfalls” and read books about Levon Helm, Billie Holiday, and Ani DiFranco.
“I got time to silence all the noise and chaos of touring and look inward,” he observes.
Craigie had reached a series of watershed moments in tandem with Mermaid Salt. Beyond headlining venues such as The Fillmore and gracing the stage of Red Rocks Amphitheater, his 2020 offering Asterisk The Universe earned unanimous tastemaker applause. Rolling Stone noted, “tracks like ‘Don’t Deny’ and ‘Climb Up’ bridge a Sixties and Seventies songwriter vibe with the laid-back cool of Jack Johnson, an early supporter of Craigie,” while Glide Magazine hailed it as “one of his best records.” Perhaps, No Depression put it best, “For many weary and heavy- listeners hearted, the album might be exactly what they need.” Along the way, he generated over 40 million total streams and counting, speaking to his unassuming impact.
In the end, Craigie offers a sense of peace on Mermaid Salt.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240213T214706Z SEQUENCE:10986414 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1701 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-10-10 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240217T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240217T233000 UID:4ADC060F-725A-426D-88EA-DEDD2E1ABE82 SUMMARY:John Craigie (Night 2) CREATED:20231010T000016Z DTSTAMP:20231010T000016Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/john-craigie-night-2 DESCRIPTION:Portland, OR-based singer, songwriter, and producer John Craigie adapts moments of solitude into stories perfectly suited for old Americana fiction anthologies. Instead of leaving them on dog-eared pages, he projects them widescreen in flashes of simmering soul and folk eloquence. On his 2022 full-length album, Mermaid Salt, we witness revenge unfurled in flames, watch a landlocked mermaid’s escape, and fall asleep under a meteor shower. \NAfter selling out shows consistently coast-to-coast and earning acclaim from Rolling Stone, Glide Magazine, No Depression, and many more, his unflinching honesty ties these ten tracks together.\NThe album comes from the solitude and loneliness of lockdown in the Northwest. Someone whose life was touring, traveling, and having lots of human interaction is faced with an undefinable amount of time without those things. So, he began writing new songs and envisioning an album that was different from his past records. The sound of everyone playing live in a room together was traded for the sound of song construction with an unknown amount of instruments and musicians—a quiet symphony.\NRather than steal away to a cabin or hole up in a house with friends, Craigie opted to set up shop at the OK Theater in Enterprise, OR with longtime collaborator Bart Budwig behind the board as engineer. A rotating cast of musicians shuffled in and out safely, distinguishing the process from the communal recording of previous releases. The core players included Justin Landis, Cooper Trail, and Nevada Sowle. Meanwhile, Shook Twins lent their signature vocal harmonies, Bevin Foley arranged, composed, and performed strings, and Ben Walden dropped in for guitar and violin plucking parts.\N“Instruments were scattered around the theater and microphones placed in various spots,” he recalls. “It’s hard to say who all played what exactly.”\NAs such, the spirit in the room guided everyone. On “Distance,” warm piano glows alongside a glitchy beat as he softly laments, “I could lose you to the loneliness, vast and infinite.” Then, there’s “Helena.” A jazz-y bass line snakes through head-nodding percussion as he relays an incendiary parable of a mother and son in exile. He croons, “She said fire was how we’d make ‘em pay. As I ran across the fields, she would scream, ‘Light it up son’,” uplifted in a conflagration of Shook Twins’ harmonies. Strings echo in the background as his vocals quake front-and-center on “Street Mermaid.” \NElsewhere, the guitar-laden “Microdose” beguiles and bewitches with an intoxicating refrain dedicated to a time where he “Microdosed for months and months, dissolve my ego in the acid.” Everything culminates on the glassy beat-craft and glistening guitars of “Perseids” where he sings, “There’s always a new heart after the old heart. Maybe a new heart is enough.”\NDuring this period, he explored the environment around him “from the Oregon coasts to the waterfalls” and read books about Levon Helm, Billie Holiday, and Ani DiFranco.\N“I got time to silence all the noise and chaos of touring and look inward,” he observes.\NCraigie had reached a series of watershed moments in tandem with Mermaid Salt. Beyond headlining venues such as The Fillmore and gracing the stage of Red Rocks Amphitheater, his 2020 offering Asterisk The Universe earned unanimous tastemaker applause. Rolling Stone noted, “tracks like ‘Don’t Deny’ and ‘Climb Up’ bridge a Sixties and Seventies songwriter vibe with the laid-back cool of Jack Johnson, an early supporter of Craigie,” while Glide Magazine hailed it as “one of his best records.” Perhaps, No Depression put it best, “For many weary and heavy- listeners hearted, the album might be exactly what they need.” Along the way, he generated over 40 million total streams and counting, speaking to his unassuming impact.\NIn the end, Craigie offers a sense of peace on Mermaid Salt. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Portland, OR-based singer, songwriter, and producer John Craigie adapts moments of solitude into stories perfectly suited for old Americana fiction anthologies. Instead of leaving them on dog-eared pages, he projects them widescreen in flashes of simmering soul and folk eloquence. On his 2022 full-length album, Mermaid Salt, we witness revenge unfurled in flames, watch a landlocked mermaid’s escape, and fall asleep under a meteor shower.
After selling out shows consistently coast-to-coast and earning acclaim from Rolling Stone, Glide Magazine, No Depression, and many more, his unflinching honesty ties these ten tracks together.
The album comes from the solitude and loneliness of lockdown in the Northwest. Someone whose life was touring, traveling, and having lots of human interaction is faced with an undefinable amount of time without those things. So, he began writing new songs and envisioning an album that was different from his past records. The sound of everyone playing live in a room together was traded for the sound of song construction with an unknown amount of instruments and musicians—a quiet symphony.
Rather than steal away to a cabin or hole up in a house with friends, Craigie opted to set up shop at the OK Theater in Enterprise, OR with longtime collaborator Bart Budwig behind the board as engineer. A rotating cast of musicians shuffled in and out safely, distinguishing the process from the communal recording of previous releases. The core players included Justin Landis, Cooper Trail, and Nevada Sowle. Meanwhile, Shook Twins lent their signature vocal harmonies, Bevin Foley arranged, composed, and performed strings, and Ben Walden dropped in for guitar and violin plucking parts.
“Instruments were scattered around the theater and microphones placed in various spots,” he recalls. “It’s hard to say who all played what exactly.”
As such, the spirit in the room guided everyone. On “Distance,” warm piano glows alongside a glitchy beat as he softly laments, “I could lose you to the loneliness, vast and infinite.” Then, there’s “Helena.” A jazz-y bass line snakes through head-nodding percussion as he relays an incendiary parable of a mother and son in exile. He croons, “She said fire was how we’d make ‘em pay. As I ran across the fields, she would scream, ‘Light it up son’,” uplifted in a conflagration of Shook Twins’ harmonies. Strings echo in the background as his vocals quake front-and-center on “Street Mermaid.”
Elsewhere, the guitar-laden “Microdose” beguiles and bewitches with an intoxicating refrain dedicated to a time where he “Microdosed for months and months, dissolve my ego in the acid.” Everything culminates on the glassy beat-craft and glistening guitars of “Perseids” where he sings, “There’s always a new heart after the old heart. Maybe a new heart is enough.”
During this period, he explored the environment around him “from the Oregon coasts to the waterfalls” and read books about Levon Helm, Billie Holiday, and Ani DiFranco.
“I got time to silence all the noise and chaos of touring and look inward,” he observes.
Craigie had reached a series of watershed moments in tandem with Mermaid Salt. Beyond headlining venues such as The Fillmore and gracing the stage of Red Rocks Amphitheater, his 2020 offering Asterisk The Universe earned unanimous tastemaker applause. Rolling Stone noted, “tracks like ‘Don’t Deny’ and ‘Climb Up’ bridge a Sixties and Seventies songwriter vibe with the laid-back cool of Jack Johnson, an early supporter of Craigie,” while Glide Magazine hailed it as “one of his best records.” Perhaps, No Depression put it best, “For many weary and heavy- listeners hearted, the album might be exactly what they need.” Along the way, he generated over 40 million total streams and counting, speaking to his unassuming impact.
In the end, Craigie offers a sense of peace on Mermaid Salt.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240213T212909Z SEQUENCE:10963733 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1393 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-10-10 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240218T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240218T233000 UID:D6A16642-7D01-4106-A423-013A1F50469A SUMMARY:John Craigie (Night 3) CREATED:20231010T000002Z DTSTAMP:20231010T000002Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/john-craigie-night-3 DESCRIPTION:Portland, OR-based singer, songwriter, and producer John Craigie adapts moments of solitude into stories perfectly suited for old Americana fiction anthologies. Instead of leaving them on dog-eared pages, he projects them widescreen in flashes of simmering soul and folk eloquence. On his 2022 full-length album, Mermaid Salt, we witness revenge unfurled in flames, watch a landlocked mermaid’s escape, and fall asleep under a meteor shower. \NAfter selling out shows consistently coast-to-coast and earning acclaim from Rolling Stone, Glide Magazine, No Depression, and many more, his unflinching honesty ties these ten tracks together.\NThe album comes from the solitude and loneliness of lockdown in the Northwest. Someone whose life was touring, traveling, and having lots of human interaction is faced with an undefinable amount of time without those things. So, he began writing new songs and envisioning an album that was different from his past records. The sound of everyone playing live in a room together was traded for the sound of song construction with an unknown amount of instruments and musicians—a quiet symphony.\NRather than steal away to a cabin or hole up in a house with friends, Craigie opted to set up shop at the OK Theater in Enterprise, OR with longtime collaborator Bart Budwig behind the board as engineer. A rotating cast of musicians shuffled in and out safely, distinguishing the process from the communal recording of previous releases. The core players included Justin Landis, Cooper Trail, and Nevada Sowle. Meanwhile, Shook Twins lent their signature vocal harmonies, Bevin Foley arranged, composed, and performed strings, and Ben Walden dropped in for guitar and violin plucking parts.\N“Instruments were scattered around the theater and microphones placed in various spots,” he recalls. “It’s hard to say who all played what exactly.”\NAs such, the spirit in the room guided everyone. On “Distance,” warm piano glows alongside a glitchy beat as he softly laments, “I could lose you to the loneliness, vast and infinite.” Then, there’s “Helena.” A jazz-y bass line snakes through head-nodding percussion as he relays an incendiary parable of a mother and son in exile. He croons, “She said fire was how we’d make ‘em pay. As I ran across the fields, she would scream, ‘Light it up son’,” uplifted in a conflagration of Shook Twins’ harmonies. Strings echo in the background as his vocals quake front-and-center on “Street Mermaid.” \NElsewhere, the guitar-laden “Microdose” beguiles and bewitches with an intoxicating refrain dedicated to a time where he “Microdosed for months and months, dissolve my ego in the acid.” Everything culminates on the glassy beat-craft and glistening guitars of “Perseids” where he sings, “There’s always a new heart after the old heart. Maybe a new heart is enough.”\NDuring this period, he explored the environment around him “from the Oregon coasts to the waterfalls” and read books about Levon Helm, Billie Holiday, and Ani DiFranco.\N“I got time to silence all the noise and chaos of touring and look inward,” he observes.\NCraigie had reached a series of watershed moments in tandem with Mermaid Salt. Beyond headlining venues such as The Fillmore and gracing the stage of Red Rocks Amphitheater, his 2020 offering Asterisk The Universe earned unanimous tastemaker applause. Rolling Stone noted, “tracks like ‘Don’t Deny’ and ‘Climb Up’ bridge a Sixties and Seventies songwriter vibe with the laid-back cool of Jack Johnson, an early supporter of Craigie,” while Glide Magazine hailed it as “one of his best records.” Perhaps, No Depression put it best, “For many weary and heavy- listeners hearted, the album might be exactly what they need.” Along the way, he generated over 40 million total streams and counting, speaking to his unassuming impact.\NIn the end, Craigie offers a sense of peace on Mermaid Salt. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Portland, OR-based singer, songwriter, and producer John Craigie adapts moments of solitude into stories perfectly suited for old Americana fiction anthologies. Instead of leaving them on dog-eared pages, he projects them widescreen in flashes of simmering soul and folk eloquence. On his 2022 full-length album, Mermaid Salt, we witness revenge unfurled in flames, watch a landlocked mermaid’s escape, and fall asleep under a meteor shower.
After selling out shows consistently coast-to-coast and earning acclaim from Rolling Stone, Glide Magazine, No Depression, and many more, his unflinching honesty ties these ten tracks together.
The album comes from the solitude and loneliness of lockdown in the Northwest. Someone whose life was touring, traveling, and having lots of human interaction is faced with an undefinable amount of time without those things. So, he began writing new songs and envisioning an album that was different from his past records. The sound of everyone playing live in a room together was traded for the sound of song construction with an unknown amount of instruments and musicians—a quiet symphony.
Rather than steal away to a cabin or hole up in a house with friends, Craigie opted to set up shop at the OK Theater in Enterprise, OR with longtime collaborator Bart Budwig behind the board as engineer. A rotating cast of musicians shuffled in and out safely, distinguishing the process from the communal recording of previous releases. The core players included Justin Landis, Cooper Trail, and Nevada Sowle. Meanwhile, Shook Twins lent their signature vocal harmonies, Bevin Foley arranged, composed, and performed strings, and Ben Walden dropped in for guitar and violin plucking parts.
“Instruments were scattered around the theater and microphones placed in various spots,” he recalls. “It’s hard to say who all played what exactly.”
As such, the spirit in the room guided everyone. On “Distance,” warm piano glows alongside a glitchy beat as he softly laments, “I could lose you to the loneliness, vast and infinite.” Then, there’s “Helena.” A jazz-y bass line snakes through head-nodding percussion as he relays an incendiary parable of a mother and son in exile. He croons, “She said fire was how we’d make ‘em pay. As I ran across the fields, she would scream, ‘Light it up son’,” uplifted in a conflagration of Shook Twins’ harmonies. Strings echo in the background as his vocals quake front-and-center on “Street Mermaid.”
Elsewhere, the guitar-laden “Microdose” beguiles and bewitches with an intoxicating refrain dedicated to a time where he “Microdosed for months and months, dissolve my ego in the acid.” Everything culminates on the glassy beat-craft and glistening guitars of “Perseids” where he sings, “There’s always a new heart after the old heart. Maybe a new heart is enough.”
During this period, he explored the environment around him “from the Oregon coasts to the waterfalls” and read books about Levon Helm, Billie Holiday, and Ani DiFranco.
“I got time to silence all the noise and chaos of touring and look inward,” he observes.
Craigie had reached a series of watershed moments in tandem with Mermaid Salt. Beyond headlining venues such as The Fillmore and gracing the stage of Red Rocks Amphitheater, his 2020 offering Asterisk The Universe earned unanimous tastemaker applause. Rolling Stone noted, “tracks like ‘Don’t Deny’ and ‘Climb Up’ bridge a Sixties and Seventies songwriter vibe with the laid-back cool of Jack Johnson, an early supporter of Craigie,” while Glide Magazine hailed it as “one of his best records.” Perhaps, No Depression put it best, “For many weary and heavy- listeners hearted, the album might be exactly what they need.” Along the way, he generated over 40 million total streams and counting, speaking to his unassuming impact.
In the end, Craigie offers a sense of peace on Mermaid Salt.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240213T213228Z SEQUENCE:10963946 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1455 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-10-10 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240223T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240223T233000 UID:4EE24D53-6023-4FA5-96B2-ACE9AE674F67 SUMMARY:Michael Nau CREATED:20231023T212948Z DTSTAMP:20231023T212948Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/michael-nau DESCRIPTION:Michael Nau is your favorite band’s favorite songwriter. Since the mid 2000’s, he’s crafted a catalog of thoughtful, reflective songs as the frontman of indie-rock mainstays Cotton Jones, Page France, and Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread. Now, he’s set to release the fifth full-length record under his own name. Accompany is due out 12/08/2023 on Karma Chief Records.\NAll 11 tracks come together to paint a beautiful picture. The lyrics invoke the listener’s imagination throughout. They’re introspective, but vague and open-ended. The indie rock backdrop shows signs of psych-soul influence with dry and punchy drums, lush synth lines, and tastefully verb-soaked vocal production. Sweeping string arrangements and French horn runs add cinematic motion to the waltz-y “Shiftshaping” (track 4). Slide guitar and a shuffling snare drum add some get-up-and-go to “Painting a Wall” (track 2). Nau’s vocal delivery falls somewhere between crooning to a crowd, telling stories to a loved one, and musing to himself.\NThe singer-songwriter’s relaxed attitude toward making records is discernible in the sound. A while back, veteran producer and engineer Adrien Olsen (The Killers, Lucy Dacus, Fruit Bats), approached him about recording in his Richmond, Virginia-based studio. For the first time in a while, Michael had some sessions on the calendar. He called a few old friends and put together a band. “I didn’t have much of a plan before Adrien reached out, so I wrote some songs specifically for the session,” Michael explained. “I was thinking about what would be fun to play with this specific group of guys."\NThe band consisted of several long-time collaborators and musicians who had participated in Nau’s various recording and touring efforts over the years. “It had been a while since I’d made music in a room with other people,” Michael shared. “We just sort of started playing and didn’t really talk about what was happening.” The combo’s newfound chemistry was a primary source of inspiration and, with the help of Olsen, ultimately led to an album’s-worth of music.\NNau and the band spent five days at Montrose Recording and left with a plan to return and finish up a few months later. “After the first session, I took a copy of the recordings with me to overdub a few things at my spot,” Michael shared. While he was working through it, he found a bunch of beautiful moments of jamming in between the takes. “I grabbed a bunch of the pieces and tried to work them in. Then, I dumped the whole thing onto a cassette as one long stream of songs.” With the record mostly complete, the final session at Montrose would consist of some simple overdubs and finishing touches.\NBut somehow, in the months between, he lost the overdubs. “Going into the second session, all I had was the cassette,” Michael explained. The band got back together and performed another batch of songs. At the end of their second session, they had enough music to pick and choose from for the new full-length. “The songs, as they appear on the album, are basically how they were recorded as a live band.” Grab a copy of Accompany on 12/08/2023 and keep an eye out for tour dates in the coming months. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Michael Nau is your favorite band’s favorite songwriter. Since the mid 2000’s, he’s crafted a catalog of thoughtful, reflective songs as the frontman of indie-rock mainstays Cotton Jones, Page France, and Michael Nau & The Mighty Thread. Now, he’s set to release the fifth full-length record under his own name. Accompany is due out 12/08/2023 on Karma Chief Records.
All 11 tracks come together to paint a beautiful picture. The lyrics invoke the listener’s imagination throughout. They’re introspective, but vague and open-ended. The indie rock backdrop shows signs of psych-soul influence with dry and punchy drums, lush synth lines, and tastefully verb-soaked vocal production. Sweeping string arrangements and French horn runs add cinematic motion to the waltz-y “Shiftshaping” (track 4). Slide guitar and a shuffling snare drum add some get-up-and-go to “Painting a Wall” (track 2). Nau’s vocal delivery falls somewhere between crooning to a crowd, telling stories to a loved one, and musing to himself.
The singer-songwriter’s relaxed attitude toward making records is discernible in the sound. A while back, veteran producer and engineer Adrien Olsen (The Killers, Lucy Dacus, Fruit Bats), approached him about recording in his Richmond, Virginia-based studio. For the first time in a while, Michael had some sessions on the calendar. He called a few old friends and put together a band. “I didn’t have much of a plan before Adrien reached out, so I wrote some songs specifically for the session,” Michael explained. “I was thinking about what would be fun to play with this specific group of guys."
The band consisted of several long-time collaborators and musicians who had participated in Nau’s various recording and touring efforts over the years. “It had been a while since I’d made music in a room with other people,” Michael shared. “We just sort of started playing and didn’t really talk about what was happening.” The combo’s newfound chemistry was a primary source of inspiration and, with the help of Olsen, ultimately led to an album’s-worth of music.
Nau and the band spent five days at Montrose Recording and left with a plan to return and finish up a few months later. “After the first session, I took a copy of the recordings with me to overdub a few things at my spot,” Michael shared. While he was working through it, he found a bunch of beautiful moments of jamming in between the takes. “I grabbed a bunch of the pieces and tried to work them in. Then, I dumped the whole thing onto a cassette as one long stream of songs.” With the record mostly complete, the final session at Montrose would consist of some simple overdubs and finishing touches.
But somehow, in the months between, he lost the overdubs. “Going into the second session, all I had was the cassette,” Michael explained. The band got back together and performed another batch of songs. At the end of their second session, they had enough music to pick and choose from for the new full-length. “The songs, as they appear on the album, are basically how they were recorded as a live band.” Grab a copy of Accompany on 12/08/2023 and keep an eye out for tour dates in the coming months.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240215T175237Z SEQUENCE:9922969 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2297 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-10-24 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240301T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240301T210000 UID:9C33AA4D-FB8E-4C19-9433-734DDFEA613E SUMMARY:The Discographers: Dark Side of Oz CREATED:20231213T220637Z DTSTAMP:20231213T220637Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-discographers-dark-side-of-oz-2 DESCRIPTION:TAKE A TRIP down the psychedelic, rainbow-colored brick road to the Dark Side of Oz. You’ve probably heard that you can loop Pink Floyd’s classic album The Dark Side of the Moon along with the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and come across a number of striking synchronicities. We now present a 2-hour show of Pink Floyd’s music, including the full Dark Side, in sync with video celebrating the history of Pink Floyd and all things Wizard of Oz. Be a part of this new live multimedia concert experience! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:TAKE A TRIP down the psychedelic, rainbow-colored brick road to the Dark Side of Oz. You’ve probably heard that you can loop Pink Floyd’s classic album The Dark Side of the Moon along with the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz and come across a number of striking synchronicities. We now present a 2-hour show of Pink Floyd’s music, including the full Dark Side, in sync with video celebrating the history of Pink Floyd and all things Wizard of Oz. Be a part of this new live multimedia concert experience!
LAST-MODIFIED:20240301T220434Z SEQUENCE:6825477 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2911 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240305T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240305T210000 UID:8C830214-761A-461C-B44A-0A107EAA9B02 SUMMARY:Briscoe CREATED:20231208T230140Z DTSTAMP:20231208T230140Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/briscoe DESCRIPTION:West of It All, the debut album from Americana folk-rock band Briscoe, is a coming-of-agesoundtrack set against the backdrop of the Texas Hill Country. Written in the Lone Star State andrecorded in North Carolina, it's an album that charts its own musical geography, with productionfrom Grammy nominee Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff & The NightSweats) and adventurous songwriting that bridges the gap between classic American roots musicand its modern-day incarnation.\NFrom free backyard performances on the outskirts of UT Austin's campus to sold-out gigs at Antone's Nightclub and The Continental Club Gallery, Briscoe's growth — like the group's music itself — has been organic. Bandmates Truett Heintzelman and Philip Lupton met as teenagers, reunited as students at UT Austin, and built their grassroots following the old-school way: by carving out a sound that nodded to the golden era of folk, rock, and pop music, then getting onstage and building a genuine relationship with their audience. Signed by ATO Records while still pursuing undergraduate degrees, the Texas natives wrote West of It All as graduation loomed in the distance, funneling the stories of their college experience — from heartbreak to hard-won lessons to weekend trips into the rural countryside — into a raw, rugged blend of classic and contemporary influences.\NWith contributions from drummer Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver) and multi-instrumentalist Phil Cook (Megafaun, Hiss Golden Messenger), West of It All offers a singular version of genre-fluid folk music, from rootsy rave-ups like "The Well" to brainy, literary songs like "Sparrows." It's a self-assured album that follows no directions but its very own, stacked organic performance and sharp songwriting that negotiates the transition from adolescence to adulthood. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:West of It All, the debut album from Americana folk-rock band Briscoe, is a coming-of-agesoundtrack set against the backdrop of the Texas Hill Country. Written in the Lone Star State andrecorded in North Carolina, it's an album that charts its own musical geography, with productionfrom Grammy nominee Brad Cook (Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, Nathaniel Rateliff & The NightSweats) and adventurous songwriting that bridges the gap between classic American roots musicand its modern-day incarnation.
From free backyard performances on the outskirts of UT Austin's campus to sold-out gigs at Antone's Nightclub and The Continental Club Gallery, Briscoe's growth — like the group's music itself — has been organic. Bandmates Truett Heintzelman and Philip Lupton met as teenagers, reunited as students at UT Austin, and built their grassroots following the old-school way: by carving out a sound that nodded to the golden era of folk, rock, and pop music, then getting onstage and building a genuine relationship with their audience. Signed by ATO Records while still pursuing undergraduate degrees, the Texas natives wrote West of It All as graduation loomed in the distance, funneling the stories of their college experience — from heartbreak to hard-won lessons to weekend trips into the rural countryside — into a raw, rugged blend of classic and contemporary influences.
With contributions from drummer Matt McCaughan (Bon Iver) and multi-instrumentalist Phil Cook (Megafaun, Hiss Golden Messenger), West of It All offers a singular version of genre-fluid folk music, from rootsy rave-ups like "The Well" to brainy, literary songs like "Sparrows." It's a self-assured album that follows no directions but its very own, stacked organic performance and sharp songwriting that negotiates the transition from adolescence to adulthood.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240215T180104Z SEQUENCE:5943564 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2722 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-12-13 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240306T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240306T210000 UID:7C73FC05-8840-42E9-ABED-6C217991F8BC SUMMARY:Boogarins x Levitation Room CREATED:20231211T220209Z DTSTAMP:20231211T220209Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/boogarins-x-levitation-room DESCRIPTION:Boogarins’ Fernando “Dino” Almeida and Benke Ferraz began playing music together as teenagers in the central Brazilian city of Goiânia — creating psychedelic pop in their parents’ gardens, filtering their country’s rich musical history through a very modern lens. By the time the group’s home-recorded debut LP, ‘As Plantas Que Curam’ (2013), was released worldwide, the band had recruited a proper rhythm section and were developing a name around Goiânia. Soon after, the group was booking regular gigs in Sao Paulo and across the country. \NSombrero Dúvida, the band’s fourth full-length release, is a question. A play on words in Boogarins’ native Brazilian Portuguese. It’s a contraction of “Sombra ou Dúvida”, the title track of the album, which translates as ‘Shadow or Doubt’. There might seem to be a darkness to the question, given that both choices aren’t exactly cheery. Yet, Dino, the smiling, Afro-donned singer of the group tells us that “shadow” refers to a feeling related to your comfort zone, whereas doubt is the uncertainty that hits people and leads them to follow their instincts.”\N“We didn’t want to write songs telling people what to do, but instead help them find their own thing. So, there are more questions in the album than answers” Dino adds. In these days of uncertainty, perhaps there’s some comfort to be found by remaining in the shadows. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Boogarins’ Fernando “Dino” Almeida and Benke Ferraz began playing music together as teenagers in the central Brazilian city of Goiânia — creating psychedelic pop in their parents’ gardens, filtering their country’s rich musical history through a very modern lens. By the time the group’s home-recorded debut LP, ‘As Plantas Que Curam’ (2013), was released worldwide, the band had recruited a proper rhythm section and were developing a name around Goiânia. Soon after, the group was booking regular gigs in Sao Paulo and across the country.
Sombrero Dúvida, the band’s fourth full-length release, is a question. A play on words in Boogarins’ native Brazilian Portuguese. It’s a contraction of “Sombra ou Dúvida”, the title track of the album, which translates as ‘Shadow or Doubt’. There might seem to be a darkness to the question, given that both choices aren’t exactly cheery. Yet, Dino, the smiling, Afro-donned singer of the group tells us that “shadow” refers to a feeling related to your comfort zone, whereas doubt is the uncertainty that hits people and leads them to follow their instincts.”
“We didn’t want to write songs telling people what to do, but instead help them find their own thing. So, there are more questions in the album than answers” Dino adds. In these days of uncertainty, perhaps there’s some comfort to be found by remaining in the shadows.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240228T202603Z SEQUENCE:6819834 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2863 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-12-12 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240308T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240308T210000 UID:755AA81A-2089-4F41-88B7-45A27F3B7813 SUMMARY:Margo Cilker CREATED:20231208T173638Z DTSTAMP:20231208T173638Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/margo-cilker DESCRIPTION:Margo Cilker’s sophomore album, Valley of Heart’s Delight, refers to a place she can't return: California’s Santa Clara Valley, as it was known before the orchards were paved over and became more famous for Silicon than apricots. Margo is the fifth generation of Cilker’s born there, and in this 11-song collection, family and nature intertwine as guiding motifs, at once precious and endangered, beautiful and exhausting. The trees here are family trees, or they’re apricot trees, but suburban sprawl isn’t looking good for either. Cilker moved from California to the Pacific Northwest in her mid-twenties and wrote much of Valley of Heart's Delight while living in Enterprise, Oregon, a small town near the Snake River and powered by the river’s massive, publicly-funded hydroelectric dams. The dams (part of the same system Woody Guthrie was hired to write about) provide clean electricity to much of the western US but make it extraordinarily difficult for anadromous fish (such as Steelhead Trout) to return from the ocean and spawn in their native streams. Valley Of Heart’s Delight feeds off of this tension - how we live in and off of nature, how we live within and without family, and why we return to the places we were born.\NCilker and producer Sera Cahoone’s work on her critically acclaimed Pohorylle debut earned its accolades for lyric-focused production and understated musicianship. The pair maintain this approach on Valley of Heart’s Delight, bringing back the same crew to the same studio in Vancouver, Washington: Cahoone (Sub Pop, Carissa’s Weird, Band Of Horses) drums and produces, John Morgan Askew (Neko Case, Laura Gibson) engineers, Jenny Conlee-Drizos (The Decemberists) provides piano, organ, and accordion, Rebecca Young (Lindsey Fuller) plays bass, Kelly Pratt (Beirut) on horns, and of course, sister Sarah Cilker contributes harmonies. Those in need of more twang will appreciate the addition of Paul Brainard’s (M. Ward, Richmond Fontaine) pedal steel and telecaster work, Annie Staninec's (Mary Gauthier) fiddle, and the mandolin and high lonesome harmony of Portland country standard-bearer Caleb Klauder. Cilker also branched out in her song-collecting, reeling in a cover (“Steelhead Trout”) by Idaho native Ben Walden, ostensibly because of artistic and thematic reasons, but also because, in Cilker’s words, “it’s a damn good song and I wanted to record it.” Walden also sings and plays harmonica on the track.\NCilker's debut record was released in late 2021, a year swinging wildly between cloistered days of lockdown, social engagement roaring back to life like the former ‘20s, and the Greek alphabet entering the vernacular to turn us inwards again. This tumult was echoed in the artistic life of Margo Cilker, trying in vain to predict what kind of a world her first record would be released into while writing what would become her second. As it turned out, the world was welcoming of Pohorylle. The unpronouncably-titled, darkly-jacketed, quietly-released record ended up a darling of critics and fellow songwriters and notably ended up on albums-of-the-year lists in two different years (strange times indeed). The debut was also nominated for UK Americana Album of The Year alongside Brandi Carlile and Robert Plant, and earned Cilker a slew of festival performances and tours supporting American Aquarium, Hayes Carll, and Drive-By Truckers. Between tours, Cilker made time to record Valley Of Heart’s Delight, and its release on Fluff & Gravy Records (Loose Music in the UK/EU) will be followed by a US headline tour with her longtime road band. \NMargo Cilker currently lives near the Columbia River in Goldendale, Washington with her husband, songwriter and working cowboy Forrest VanTuyl, as well their dog and some horses. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Margo Cilker’s sophomore album, Valley of Heart’s Delight, refers to a place she can't return: California’s Santa Clara Valley, as it was known before the orchards were paved over and became more famous for Silicon than apricots. Margo is the fifth generation of Cilker’s born there, and in this 11-song collection, family and nature intertwine as guiding motifs, at once precious and endangered, beautiful and exhausting. The trees here are family trees, or they’re apricot trees, but suburban sprawl isn’t looking good for either. Cilker moved from California to the Pacific Northwest in her mid-twenties and wrote much of Valley of Heart's Delight while living in Enterprise, Oregon, a small town near the Snake River and powered by the river’s massive, publicly-funded hydroelectric dams. The dams (part of the same system Woody Guthrie was hired to write about) provide clean electricity to much of the western US but make it extraordinarily difficult for anadromous fish (such as Steelhead Trout) to return from the ocean and spawn in their native streams. Valley Of Heart’s Delight feeds off of this tension - how we live in and off of nature, how we live within and without family, and why we return to the places we were born.
Cilker and producer Sera Cahoone’s work on her critically acclaimed Pohorylle debut earned its accolades for lyric-focused production and understated musicianship. The pair maintain this approach on Valley of Heart’s Delight, bringing back the same crew to the same studio in Vancouver, Washington: Cahoone (Sub Pop, Carissa’s Weird, Band Of Horses) drums and produces, John Morgan Askew (Neko Case, Laura Gibson) engineers, Jenny Conlee-Drizos (The Decemberists) provides piano, organ, and accordion, Rebecca Young (Lindsey Fuller) plays bass, Kelly Pratt (Beirut) on horns, and of course, sister Sarah Cilker contributes harmonies. Those in need of more twang will appreciate the addition of Paul Brainard’s (M. Ward, Richmond Fontaine) pedal steel and telecaster work, Annie Staninec's (Mary Gauthier) fiddle, and the mandolin and high lonesome harmony of Portland country standard-bearer Caleb Klauder. Cilker also branched out in her song-collecting, reeling in a cover (“Steelhead Trout”) by Idaho native Ben Walden, ostensibly because of artistic and thematic reasons, but also because, in Cilker’s words, “it’s a damn good song and I wanted to record it.” Walden also sings and plays harmonica on the track.
Cilker's debut record was released in late 2021, a year swinging wildly between cloistered days of lockdown, social engagement roaring back to life like the former ‘20s, and the Greek alphabet entering the vernacular to turn us inwards again. This tumult was echoed in the artistic life of Margo Cilker, trying in vain to predict what kind of a world her first record would be released into while writing what would become her second. As it turned out, the world was welcoming of Pohorylle. The unpronouncably-titled, darkly-jacketed, quietly-released record ended up a darling of critics and fellow songwriters and notably ended up on albums-of-the-year lists in two different years (strange times indeed). The debut was also nominated for UK Americana Album of The Year alongside Brandi Carlile and Robert Plant, and earned Cilker a slew of festival performances and tours supporting American Aquarium, Hayes Carll, and Drive-By Truckers. Between tours, Cilker made time to record Valley Of Heart’s Delight, and its release on Fluff & Gravy Records (Loose Music in the UK/EU) will be followed by a US headline tour with her longtime road band.
Margo Cilker currently lives near the Columbia River in Goldendale, Washington with her husband, songwriter and working cowboy Forrest VanTuyl, as well their dog and some horses.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240221T230214Z SEQUENCE:6499536 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2655 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-12-12 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240309T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240309T220000 UID:F2C8F28C-487F-46E9-A01D-518145BBF3DA SUMMARY:Albert Cummings CREATED:20240129T222259Z DTSTAMP:20240129T222259Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/albert-cummings DESCRIPTION:Ever since the release of his first album in 2003, the blues world has opened its doors for Albert Cummings. A singer and guitarist who has played with many of the greatest players of the modern era, Cummings has received the kind of recognition that few others do. With its 2022 release on Cummings’ own indie label, Ivy Music Company, TEN is a full realization of the wider possibilities of where his music can go. The 13 songs on TEN are a compelling and emotional summation of what the artist has seen and done. The single “Need Somebody” begins the album with a sonic slugfest of back-alley power, the sound that Cummings has spent his life perfecting. Vince Gill lends background vocals to the standout track “Last Call”. Upon hearing that Gill was interested in collaborating, Cummings recalled “I figured then it was a sign that anything can happen.” He was certainly right. Blues is not a style of music that easily progresses, but this is exactly what Albert Cummings is able to do on TEN. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Ever since the release of his first album in 2003, the blues world has opened its doors for Albert Cummings. A singer and guitarist who has played with many of the greatest players of the modern era, Cummings has received the kind of recognition that few others do. With its 2022 release on Cummings’ own indie label, Ivy Music Company, TEN is a full realization of the wider possibilities of where his music can go. The 13 songs on TEN are a compelling and emotional summation of what the artist has seen and done. The single “Need Somebody” begins the album with a sonic slugfest of back-alley power, the sound that Cummings has spent his life perfecting. Vince Gill lends background vocals to the standout track “Last Call”. Upon hearing that Gill was interested in collaborating, Cummings recalled “I figured then it was a sign that anything can happen.” He was certainly right. Blues is not a style of music that easily progresses, but this is exactly what Albert Cummings is able to do on TEN.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240222T223734Z SEQUENCE:2074475 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1821 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240311T160000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240311T170000 UID:F4E20AB8-B63A-4188-B41F-0CDF44F25198 SUMMARY:Mia x Ally CREATED:20240104T231315Z DTSTAMP:20240104T231315Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/mia-x-ally DESCRIPTION: ‘Mia x Ally’ is the electrifying duo project of electric violinist Mia Asano and bagpiper/multi-instrumentalist Ally the Piper. With a combined following of over 6 million people, both musicians officially joined forces in April 2022. Playing original songs and covers of pop rock and metal music with a Celtic twist, Mia x Ally made their debut in Boston in August of 2022 and have since toured the States, embarking on their debut West Coast and Mid-West run in early 2024. Their debut album, released October 2023, ‘Mia x Ally: The Viral Hits.’ charted the billboards and received massive acclaim across the industry and their avid fanbase. Both from classically trained backgrounds, they share a dream of showcasing the vast range of their instruments, bringing them to the forefront of metal, rock, and pop music. With combined recognition from Metallica, Dragonforce, The Charlie Daniels Band, and Dropkick Murphy’s for covering their music, this duo is turning heads and shaking up the industry with a live show you won’t want to miss. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:‘Mia x Ally’ is the electrifying duo project of electric violinist Mia Asano and bagpiper/multi-instrumentalist Ally the Piper. With a combined following of over 6 million people, both musicians officially joined forces in April 2022. Playing original songs and covers of pop rock and metal music with a Celtic twist, Mia x Ally made their debut in Boston in August of 2022 and have since toured the States, embarking on their debut West Coast and Mid-West run in early 2024. Their debut album, released October 2023, ‘Mia x Ally: The Viral Hits.’ charted the billboards and received massive acclaim across the industry and their avid fanbase. Both from classically trained backgrounds, they share a dream of showcasing the vast range of their instruments, bringing them to the forefront of metal, rock, and pop music. With combined recognition from Metallica, Dragonforce, The Charlie Daniels Band, and Dropkick Murphy’s for covering their music, this duo is turning heads and shaking up the industry with a live show you won’t want to miss.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240222T002921Z SEQUENCE:4151766 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2966 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-01-05 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240312T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240312T233000 UID:10FC5B5D-3D80-4145-AE0F-D0F75E19DCBB SUMMARY:G. Love & Special Sauce CREATED:20231017T170950Z DTSTAMP:20231017T170950Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/g-love-special-sauce DESCRIPTION:"I've been in the game a long time, but I've always considered myself a student," says G. Love. "Finishing this album with Keb Mo' felt like graduation."\NRecorded in Nashville with a slew of special guests including Robert Randolph, Marcus King, and Roosevelt Collier, 'The Juice' is indeed diploma-worthy. Co-produced and co-written with GRAMMY-winning icon Keb Mo,' it's an electrifying collection, one that tips its cap to more than a century of blues greats even as it offers its own distinctly modern pop spin on the genre, mixing programmed beats and hip-hop grooves with blistering guitar and sacred steel. G. Love's lyrics are both personal and political here, artfully balancing his appreciation for the simple joys in life with his obligation to speak out for justice and equality, and his performances are suitably riotous and rousing to match, with infectious call-and-response hooks and funky sing-along choruses at every turn. Easy as it is to succumb to cynicism these days, the songs on 'The Juice' refuse, insisting instead on hope and determination in the face of doubt and despair.\N"I've always tried to make music that's a force for positivity," G. Love explains. "It was important to me that this album be something that could empower the folks who are out there fighting the good fight every day. I wanted to make a rallying cry for empathy and unity."\NBorn Garrett Dutton in Philadelphia, PA, G. Love grew up equally enthralled with folk, blues, and rap, devouring everything from Lead Belly and Run D.M.C. to John Hammond and the Beastie Boys. After migrating to Boston, he and his band, Special Sauce, broke out in 1994 with their Gold-selling self-titled debut, which earned widespread critical acclaim for its bold vision and adventurous production. Over the next twenty-five years, G. Love would go on to release seven more similarly lauded studio studios albums with Special Sauce (plus four solo albums on his own), solidifying his place in music history as a genre-bending pioneer with a sound The New York Times described as "a new and urgent hybrid" and NPR called a "musical melting pot." G. Love's magnetic stage presence, meanwhile, made him a fixture on festival lineups from Bonnaroo to Lollapalooza, and his relentless appetite for tour and collaboration landed him on the road and in the studio with artists as diverse as Lucinda Williams, Dave Matthews, The Avett Brothers, Jack Johnson, and DJ Logic.\NWhile G. Love has covered considerable sonic ground during his prolific career, he's always found himself drawn back to the blues, and to one bluesman in particular.\N"Keb Mo' and I got signed to the same label at the same time back when I first started out, and we toured together early on in my career," G. Love remembers. "He used to introduce me onstage as 'a true American original,' and I could tell that he got a kick out of what I did. We didn't see each other for a while after that, but a few years ago we reconnected and did a co-headline tour, which was really special for me."\NTwo decades after they'd first hit the road together, the unlikely duo picked up right where they left off, and after a couple late-night jam sessions, G. Love pitched Keb Mo' on producing his next album. The pair decided to test the waters with a writing session first, teaming up with GRAMMY-winner Gary Nicholson (famed for his work with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Willie Nelson, and Ringo Starr among others) for a week in Nashville, where they penned a handful of tunes based on phrases G. Love had saved in his phone or rough demos he'd recorded at home on Cape Cod. Those tracks quickly became fan favorites on the road, and G. Love knew he was on to something special.\N"I got wrapped up in touring and in my Jamtown project with Donovan Frankenreiter and Cicso Adler after that first session, and even though I really enjoyed working with Keb Mo' and Gary, it was a year-and-a-half before I was able to get back down to Nashville to finish writing the album with them."\NWhen it came time to record, Keb Mo' was meticulous, working closely with G. Love in the studio on nearly every aspect of his performances. While G. Love was used to creating raw, loose albums by the seat of his pants, Keb Mo' worked in a much more deliberate, methodical fashion, building songs up like a hip-hop producer. He'd create a beat on his keyboard, lay down a bass line, and then coach G. Love through the tracks sometimes line-by-line.\N"He was always impressing on me where to place the emphasis and how to phrase my lyrics and guitar playing in relation to the beat," G. Love explains. "He'd tell me to sing like I had a shovel in my hands and I was digging on the one."\NThe resulting mix of G. Love's idiosyncratic style and Keb Mo's old-school influence proves intoxicating on 'The Juice,' which opens with the shuffling, anthemic title track. "We got the juice / We got the love / We got the dreams / We had enough," G. Love sings, setting the stage for an album all about recognizing your power to impact the world around you in ways both big and small. The infectious "Birmingham," for instance, is an ode to perseverance when , while the funky "Go Crazy" cuts loose in the face of our maddening 24-hour news cycle, and the relentless "Shake Your Hair" rattles off a head-spinning list of modern ills before declaring "donate, don't wait, spread love don't hate."\N"I've never been the kind of guy who thinks he's going to change the world with his guitar," reflects G. Love. "But maybe I can write the kind of songs that give strength and encouragement to the people who are out there doing the work to make this planet a better place. Those are the people I want to lift up with my music."\NWhen G. Love sings about making the world a better place, he's not just singing about politics, though, and 'The Juice' serves as a beautiful exploration of the ways we can brighten our own little worlds and the worlds of those we care about on a daily basis. The gritty "SoulBQue" is a celebration of community and friendship, while the rootsy "She's The Rock" pays tribute to all the little ways lovers can lift each other up, and the breezy "Diggin' Roots" spins cultivating a garden into a metaphor for the importance of tending to your home and family and neighbors.\N"I was going through a tough time in my life when I met my fiancé, but my whole world seemed to turn around after that," says G. Love. "I started meditating, we had a son, and we moved out to the Cape. That's when I stopped writing breakup songs and started writing love songs and family songs and friendship songs."\NLife is good for G. Love these days, and he's not taking a moment of it for granted. In fact, in just the past few years alone he's launched his own beer collaboration with Oregon's Good Life Brewery (The Juice IPA), started his own festival in Massachusetts (The Cape Cod Roots & Blues Festival), and founded his own record label, Philadelphonic, which he aims to use as an outlet for curating both music and visual art (the cover of 'The Juice' features a brand new work G. Love commissioned from renowned painter Greg Haberny).\N"I'm more inspired right now than I've ever been before," G. Love reflects. "I feel more thoughtful, seasoned, marinated, confident. I'm making the records I've always wanted to make."\NCue "Pomp and Circumstance." X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:"I've been in the game a long time, but I've always considered myself a student," says G. Love. "Finishing this album with Keb Mo' felt like graduation."
Recorded in Nashville with a slew of special guests including Robert Randolph, Marcus King, and Roosevelt Collier, 'The Juice' is indeed diploma-worthy. Co-produced and co-written with GRAMMY-winning icon Keb Mo,' it's an electrifying collection, one that tips its cap to more than a century of blues greats even as it offers its own distinctly modern pop spin on the genre, mixing programmed beats and hip-hop grooves with blistering guitar and sacred steel. G. Love's lyrics are both personal and political here, artfully balancing his appreciation for the simple joys in life with his obligation to speak out for justice and equality, and his performances are suitably riotous and rousing to match, with infectious call-and-response hooks and funky sing-along choruses at every turn. Easy as it is to succumb to cynicism these days, the songs on 'The Juice' refuse, insisting instead on hope and determination in the face of doubt and despair.
"I've always tried to make music that's a force for positivity," G. Love explains. "It was important to me that this album be something that could empower the folks who are out there fighting the good fight every day. I wanted to make a rallying cry for empathy and unity."
Born Garrett Dutton in Philadelphia, PA, G. Love grew up equally enthralled with folk, blues, and rap, devouring everything from Lead Belly and Run D.M.C. to John Hammond and the Beastie Boys. After migrating to Boston, he and his band, Special Sauce, broke out in 1994 with their Gold-selling self-titled debut, which earned widespread critical acclaim for its bold vision and adventurous production. Over the next twenty-five years, G. Love would go on to release seven more similarly lauded studio studios albums with Special Sauce (plus four solo albums on his own), solidifying his place in music history as a genre-bending pioneer with a sound The New York Times described as "a new and urgent hybrid" and NPR called a "musical melting pot." G. Love's magnetic stage presence, meanwhile, made him a fixture on festival lineups from Bonnaroo to Lollapalooza, and his relentless appetite for tour and collaboration landed him on the road and in the studio with artists as diverse as Lucinda Williams, Dave Matthews, The Avett Brothers, Jack Johnson, and DJ Logic.
While G. Love has covered considerable sonic ground during his prolific career, he's always found himself drawn back to the blues, and to one bluesman in particular.
"Keb Mo' and I got signed to the same label at the same time back when I first started out, and we toured together early on in my career," G. Love remembers. "He used to introduce me onstage as 'a true American original,' and I could tell that he got a kick out of what I did. We didn't see each other for a while after that, but a few years ago we reconnected and did a co-headline tour, which was really special for me."
Two decades after they'd first hit the road together, the unlikely duo picked up right where they left off, and after a couple late-night jam sessions, G. Love pitched Keb Mo' on producing his next album. The pair decided to test the waters with a writing session first, teaming up with GRAMMY-winner Gary Nicholson (famed for his work with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Willie Nelson, and Ringo Starr among others) for a week in Nashville, where they penned a handful of tunes based on phrases G. Love had saved in his phone or rough demos he'd recorded at home on Cape Cod. Those tracks quickly became fan favorites on the road, and G. Love knew he was on to something special.
"I got wrapped up in touring and in my Jamtown project with Donovan Frankenreiter and Cicso Adler after that first session, and even though I really enjoyed working with Keb Mo' and Gary, it was a year-and-a-half before I was able to get back down to Nashville to finish writing the album with them."
When it came time to record, Keb Mo' was meticulous, working closely with G. Love in the studio on nearly every aspect of his performances. While G. Love was used to creating raw, loose albums by the seat of his pants, Keb Mo' worked in a much more deliberate, methodical fashion, building songs up like a hip-hop producer. He'd create a beat on his keyboard, lay down a bass line, and then coach G. Love through the tracks sometimes line-by-line.
"He was always impressing on me where to place the emphasis and how to phrase my lyrics and guitar playing in relation to the beat," G. Love explains. "He'd tell me to sing like I had a shovel in my hands and I was digging on the one."
The resulting mix of G. Love's idiosyncratic style and Keb Mo's old-school influence proves intoxicating on 'The Juice,' which opens with the shuffling, anthemic title track. "We got the juice / We got the love / We got the dreams / We had enough," G. Love sings, setting the stage for an album all about recognizing your power to impact the world around you in ways both big and small. The infectious "Birmingham," for instance, is an ode to perseverance when , while the funky "Go Crazy" cuts loose in the face of our maddening 24-hour news cycle, and the relentless "Shake Your Hair" rattles off a head-spinning list of modern ills before declaring "donate, don't wait, spread love don't hate."
"I've never been the kind of guy who thinks he's going to change the world with his guitar," reflects G. Love. "But maybe I can write the kind of songs that give strength and encouragement to the people who are out there doing the work to make this planet a better place. Those are the people I want to lift up with my music."
When G. Love sings about making the world a better place, he's not just singing about politics, though, and 'The Juice' serves as a beautiful exploration of the ways we can brighten our own little worlds and the worlds of those we care about on a daily basis. The gritty "SoulBQue" is a celebration of community and friendship, while the rootsy "She's The Rock" pays tribute to all the little ways lovers can lift each other up, and the breezy "Diggin' Roots" spins cultivating a garden into a metaphor for the importance of tending to your home and family and neighbors.
"I was going through a tough time in my life when I met my fiancé, but my whole world seemed to turn around after that," says G. Love. "I started meditating, we had a son, and we moved out to the Cape. That's when I stopped writing breakup songs and started writing love songs and family songs and friendship songs."
Life is good for G. Love these days, and he's not taking a moment of it for granted. In fact, in just the past few years alone he's launched his own beer collaboration with Oregon's Good Life Brewery (The Juice IPA), started his own festival in Massachusetts (The Cape Cod Roots & Blues Festival), and founded his own record label, Philadelphonic, which he aims to use as an outlet for curating both music and visual art (the cover of 'The Juice' features a brand new work G. Love commissioned from renowned painter Greg Haberny).
"I'm more inspired right now than I've ever been before," G. Love reflects. "I feel more thoughtful, seasoned, marinated, confident. I'm making the records I've always wanted to make."
Cue "Pomp and Circumstance."
LAST-MODIFIED:20240221T235642Z SEQUENCE:10997212 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2715 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240314T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240314T210000 UID:4FFD3C78-AF73-4954-851F-E6AF81674DCB SUMMARY:WIA Pechakucha Night CREATED:20240213T235756Z DTSTAMP:20240213T235756Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/wia-pechakucha-night DESCRIPTION:Women in Architecture, a local non-profit focused on gender equity in the profession of architecture, hosts a Powered by PK Night. PechaKucha is a presentation format that uses 20 slides that advance automatically every 20 seconds. 20x20. The event will highlight and celebrate local women from a variety of professions and walks of life. Audience participation is encouraged. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Women in Architecture, a local non-profit focused on gender equity in the profession of architecture, hosts a Powered by PK Night. PechaKucha is a presentation format that uses 20 slides that advance automatically every 20 seconds. 20x20. The event will highlight and celebrate local women from a variety of professions and walks of life. Audience participation is encouraged.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240214T181410Z SEQUENCE:65774 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1957 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240315T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240315T210000 UID:8817F47C-0DFB-4232-95A2-40D17C4424C5 SUMMARY:The Lil Smokies CREATED:20240214T183704Z DTSTAMP:20240214T183704Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-lil-smokies-2 DESCRIPTION:Blending virtuosic instrumental acrobatics with riveting lyrical craftsmanship, The Lil Smokies have earned a reputation as one of the most electrifying acts in modern American roots music thanks to their exhilarating live show and critically acclaimed studio output. Since forming on the streets of Missoula, Montana, where the group got its start busking back in 2009, the band has performed everywhere from Red Rocks to The Rialto and captivated festival audiences at Telluride, High Sierra, LOCKN’, Freshgrass, FloydFest, and countless more. Their latest album, 2020’s Tornillo, showcases the hard touring four-piece at its most adventurous, teaming up with producer Bill Reynolds (The Avett Brothers, Band Of Horses) for a genre-bending joyride from the hills of Laurel Canyon to the wide-open deserts of West Texas.\NThe Lil Smokies are:\NAndy Dunnigan – Dobro, Vocals\NMatthew Rieger – Guitar, Vocals\NJake Simpson – Fiddle, Vocals\NJean-Luc Davis – Upright Bass X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Blending virtuosic instrumental acrobatics with riveting lyrical craftsmanship, The Lil Smokies have earned a reputation as one of the most electrifying acts in modern American roots music thanks to their exhilarating live show and critically acclaimed studio output. Since forming on the streets of Missoula, Montana, where the group got its start busking back in 2009, the band has performed everywhere from Red Rocks to The Rialto and captivated festival audiences at Telluride, High Sierra, LOCKN’, Freshgrass, FloydFest, and countless more. Their latest album, 2020’s Tornillo, showcases the hard touring four-piece at its most adventurous, teaming up with producer Bill Reynolds (The Avett Brothers, Band Of Horses) for a genre-bending joyride from the hills of Laurel Canyon to the wide-open deserts of West Texas.
The Lil Smokies are:
Andy Dunnigan – Dobro, Vocals
Matthew Rieger – Guitar, Vocals
Jake Simpson – Fiddle, Vocals
Jean-Luc Davis – Upright Bass
LAST-MODIFIED:20240222T000540Z SEQUENCE:624516 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2560 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240316T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240316T213000 UID:AF4E5A92-1237-4D5C-B825-A5FD38C9BAE1 SUMMARY:The Pour CREATED:20240130T194841Z DTSTAMP:20240130T194841Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-pour-6 DESCRIPTION:Salt Lake City based band The Pour offers up their unique recipe of Funk, Soul, and Psychedelic Rock n’ Roll with influences ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Pink Floyd and Miles Davis to Radiohead. With over 15 years of songwriting under their belts, lead guitarist Jeremy Whitesides and vocalist/bassist Matt Calder lead the creative charge. Colorfully accompanied on keys is Jesse Howerton and driven by Nate Barkdull on the drums. Carefully crafted, tightly executed original songs provide the foundation for an energy rich live music experience full of deep grooves, tasteful solos, and open-ended improvisation. \NMembers of The Pour have had the privilege of sharing the stage with artists such as John Popper and Blues Traveler, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Karl Denson, Matisyahu, JJ Grey, John Medeski, Eric Krasno, Steve Miller, Eric McFadden, Orgone, Big Head Todd, The Mother Hips, MonoNeon, Allen Aucoin, Steve Molitz, DJ Logic and others. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Salt Lake City based band The Pour offers up their unique recipe of Funk, Soul, and Psychedelic Rock n’ Roll with influences ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Pink Floyd and Miles Davis to Radiohead. With over 15 years of songwriting under their belts, lead guitarist Jeremy Whitesides and vocalist/bassist Matt Calder lead the creative charge. Colorfully accompanied on keys is Jesse Howerton and driven by Nate Barkdull on the drums. Carefully crafted, tightly executed original songs provide the foundation for an energy rich live music experience full of deep grooves, tasteful solos, and open-ended improvisation.
Members of The Pour have had the privilege of sharing the stage with artists such as John Popper and Blues Traveler, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Karl Denson, Matisyahu, JJ Grey, John Medeski, Eric Krasno, Steve Miller, Eric McFadden, Orgone, Big Head Todd, The Mother Hips, MonoNeon, Allen Aucoin, Steve Molitz, DJ Logic and others.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240315T185041Z SEQUENCE:3884520 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1843 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240320T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240320T210000 UID:BA9CF9A3-1B15-4138-B2BB-B9B38D906137 SUMMARY:Steve 'n' Seagulls CREATED:20240104T212158Z DTSTAMP:20240104T212158Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/steve-n-seagulls DESCRIPTION:They ride again! Progressive bluegrass, or one might say new grass, ambassadors of the north. Combine musical adventures, energetic and lightning like like shows with odd Nordic sense of humor, and you'll end up with something mankind has never witnessed before. Meet the band from the land of eternal darkness: Steve 'n' Seagulls! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:They ride again! Progressive bluegrass, or one might say new grass, ambassadors of the north. Combine musical adventures, energetic and lightning like like shows with odd Nordic sense of humor, and you'll end up with something mankind has never witnessed before. Meet the band from the land of eternal darkness: Steve 'n' Seagulls!
LAST-MODIFIED:20240130T195015Z SEQUENCE:2240897 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2937 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-01-05 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240321T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240321T210000 UID:8B07DD97-16AF-44D0-AF19-340C67ED5D7C SUMMARY:Diggin Dirt (CANCELED) CREATED:20231205T220705Z DTSTAMP:20231205T220705Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/diggin-dirt DESCRIPTION:This seven-piece band emerging from behind the redwood curtain in Humboldt County, California, is skyrocketing through the west coast music scene. Shoveling out their own path, and consistently wowing audiences and filling concert venues, Diggin Dirt is no ordinary funk and soul band. Their sounds explode off the stage with a pure authentic energy, and once they have you in their clutches, the relentless dance party does not let up. Their intoxicating and infectious sound is fueled by a blazing horn section, pulsating rhythms, and searing guitars, that when combined into one, have been known to entice even the shyest of wallflowers to start movin and groovin. Tying it all together, is the band’s frontman, who is in possession of the pipes, charisma, moves, and natural-born-soul, and launches this ensemble into rarefied air. Behold, as they layer humble influences of psychedelic rock, Motown soul, Afrobeat, and even reggae, atop a sturdy foundation of late 60’s inspired funk music. You might have flashes of James Brown or Sly and the Family Stone, Otis Redding or Tower of Power, but make no mistake that you are in the presence of spine-tingling originality. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:This seven-piece band emerging from behind the redwood curtain in Humboldt County, California, is skyrocketing through the west coast music scene. Shoveling out their own path, and consistently wowing audiences and filling concert venues, Diggin Dirt is no ordinary funk and soul band. Their sounds explode off the stage with a pure authentic energy, and once they have you in their clutches, the relentless dance party does not let up. Their intoxicating and infectious sound is fueled by a blazing horn section, pulsating rhythms, and searing guitars, that when combined into one, have been known to entice even the shyest of wallflowers to start movin and groovin. Tying it all together, is the band’s frontman, who is in possession of the pipes, charisma, moves, and natural-born-soul, and launches this ensemble into rarefied air. Behold, as they layer humble influences of psychedelic rock, Motown soul, Afrobeat, and even reggae, atop a sturdy foundation of late 60’s inspired funk music. You might have flashes of James Brown or Sly and the Family Stone, Otis Redding or Tower of Power, but make no mistake that you are in the presence of spine-tingling originality.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240321T210655Z SEQUENCE:9241190 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2311 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-12-08 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240322T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240322T210000 UID:C88709B3-E839-4D79-BB2D-D84EF42AC291 SUMMARY:Madi Diaz CREATED:20231113T181500Z DTSTAMP:20231113T181500Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/madi-diaz DESCRIPTION:Madi Diaz has been making records and writing songs professionally since the late 2000s, but it wasn’t until she released 2021’s History Of A Feelingthat she felt the glare of wider notoriety. It wasn’t her debut album, but it certainly felt like it. She made her daytime and nighttimetelevision debuts, embarked on her first solo tour since 2014, supported Waxahatchee and Angel Olsen on tour, andcollaborated with them on record. Harry Styles handpicked Diaz to open for him in arenas and stadiums in NorthAmerica, and was so taken by her captivating live show, he asked her to be a member of his touring band, to sing alongside him all over Europe and the UK, as well as continuing to open the show in various cities.After three months on the road touring internationally, Diaz is back in Nashville and gearing up to release her new album, Weird Faith, perched on the precipice of her moment.\NOn her last album, History of a Feeling, Diaz confronted the dissolution of a long relationship and a nuanced breakup. “Writing that record was like throwing a dart at an emotional dart board,” she says. “I was trying to get closer to the bullseye of the core of what I was feeling with no goal other than processing my own grief.” Though it was scary to put those feelings out there for mass consumption, Diaz found the process of bringing the record on tour strangely healing. Fans screamed along to her set, and the power of hearing her words echoed back to her at a place like Wembley Stadium was affirming. “It's so empowering to stand in a room hearing girls yelling as loud as they can possibly yell,” she says. While she penned songs for artists like Kesha, Little Big Town, and more, time on the road renewed Diaz’s excitement about her own project, her own story. \NOn Weird Faith, Diaz once again examines a romantic partnership, but this time, her songs are about falling for someone and the endless self-questioning a new relationship inspires. “After being really burned by love –maybe relentlessly burned by it –the album is about being brave and trying again. Doing it differently,” she says. “It’s in our nature to try to be brave like that. You see the car crash coming. Maybe it won’t happen, but you're bracing for it anyway.” In the throes of new love, she repeatedly encountered the same questions: “Am I ready for this? Can I do this? Can I trust myself to know the good from the bad?”\NThe album’s stirring closer “Obsessive Thoughts” is about exactly that. It opens with quivering strings, as if in mimicry of a nervous heartbeat, before the chorus crashes in like a gale force, toppling any sense of unease. “It’s a lot, it’s a lot/ Obsessive thoughts,” she howls. The song will vindicate anyone who’s ever struggled with the same and while Diaz might consider those obsessive thoughts an impediment, they’re also what makes her a bold, singular songwriter. The poetry in her lyrics don’t obfuscate the reality of what she’s singing about: trusting another person with your heart is hard.\NWhile writing Weird Faith, Diaz came up against a problem that has dogged songwriters since time immemorial. How do you write about romance, or love, without making it sentimental, schlocky, or fake? For Diaz, the answer was to explore how anxiety-inducing, if not downright humiliating falling in love can be. Weird Faithanswers these questions bluntly, and Diaz says the record “chronicles a new relationship, but also a new relationship to myself.” This record exists between the time you say “I Love You” and the moment they say it back (or don’t). Album opener “Same Risk” acknowledges that feeling from the outset. “Do you think this could ruin your life? Cause I can see it ruining mine,” Diaz asks plainly. It’s a disarmingly honest moment, her barefaced and fearless lyrics becoming all the more impactful as the rhythm section briefly drops out of the mix. It’s but one of the breathtaking production choices Diaz made on the album with help from friends Sam Cohen and Konrad Syder. “Sam makes raw, grungy, rambunctious records, and I needed him to help me crack open the door and start sonically exploring what the record would be,” Diaz says about her time spent recording in Woodstock. “Later in Nashville, Konrad and I were able to push what we did even further, until it was beyond the sonic landscape of what I had set out to make.”\NDiaz’s collaborative spirit is the result of living in Nashville, where she moves in a tight-knit group of songwriters. “It’s the type of place where you get into deep conversations with people at 2AM then go to the gas station for a six pack because you’re not done talking yet,” she says. Kacey Musgraves is one of those friends and she accompanies Diaz on the devastating ballad “Don’t Do Me Good,” a song that mourns the end of a relationship before the inevitable end. It’s desperately lonely, a woman’s admission that peace eludes her, but Diaz is bolstered by Musgraves, as if to indicate that she’s never truly alone, that there is always a friend on the other end of the line waiting on your call.\NThat difficulty of trusting someone with your heart comes to a head on “For Months Now,” which sounds like the hard-fought revelation at the end of a therapy session. “It’s about knowing a relationship is over, you just haven’t acknowledged it yet,” Diaz says. On “Hurting You,” she acknowledges it. “Hurting you is hurting me,” she fervently sings on the chorus, her stark words bolstered by the sparest production heard on the album. It’s a crushing song, but it’s also an auspicious one. When Diaz started writing Weird Faith, she knew it would be bigger than a love story. She didn’t yet know that she was rendering a self-portrait, one that captures the Madi Diaz of a fleeting moment in time, hungrily alive and forever searching. A search that has led to a record highlighting the human experience of spinning out on the fall into love, bold in itshonesty, and matching the momentum of Madi Diaz. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Madi Diaz has been making records and writing songs professionally since the late 2000s, but it wasn’t until she released 2021’s History Of A Feelingthat she felt the glare of wider notoriety. It wasn’t her debut album, but it certainly felt like it. She made her daytime and nighttimetelevision debuts, embarked on her first solo tour since 2014, supported Waxahatchee and Angel Olsen on tour, andcollaborated with them on record. Harry Styles handpicked Diaz to open for him in arenas and stadiums in NorthAmerica, and was so taken by her captivating live show, he asked her to be a member of his touring band, to sing alongside him all over Europe and the UK, as well as continuing to open the show in various cities.After three months on the road touring internationally, Diaz is back in Nashville and gearing up to release her new album, Weird Faith, perched on the precipice of her moment.
On her last album, History of a Feeling, Diaz confronted the dissolution of a long relationship and a nuanced breakup. “Writing that record was like throwing a dart at an emotional dart board,” she says. “I was trying to get closer to the bullseye of the core of what I was feeling with no goal other than processing my own grief.” Though it was scary to put those feelings out there for mass consumption, Diaz found the process of bringing the record on tour strangely healing. Fans screamed along to her set, and the power of hearing her words echoed back to her at a place like Wembley Stadium was affirming. “It's so empowering to stand in a room hearing girls yelling as loud as they can possibly yell,” she says. While she penned songs for artists like Kesha, Little Big Town, and more, time on the road renewed Diaz’s excitement about her own project, her own story.
On Weird Faith, Diaz once again examines a romantic partnership, but this time, her songs are about falling for someone and the endless self-questioning a new relationship inspires. “After being really burned by love –maybe relentlessly burned by it –the album is about being brave and trying again. Doing it differently,” she says. “It’s in our nature to try to be brave like that. You see the car crash coming. Maybe it won’t happen, but you're bracing for it anyway.” In the throes of new love, she repeatedly encountered the same questions: “Am I ready for this? Can I do this? Can I trust myself to know the good from the bad?”
The album’s stirring closer “Obsessive Thoughts” is about exactly that. It opens with quivering strings, as if in mimicry of a nervous heartbeat, before the chorus crashes in like a gale force, toppling any sense of unease. “It’s a lot, it’s a lot/ Obsessive thoughts,” she howls. The song will vindicate anyone who’s ever struggled with the same and while Diaz might consider those obsessive thoughts an impediment, they’re also what makes her a bold, singular songwriter. The poetry in her lyrics don’t obfuscate the reality of what she’s singing about: trusting another person with your heart is hard.
While writing Weird Faith, Diaz came up against a problem that has dogged songwriters since time immemorial. How do you write about romance, or love, without making it sentimental, schlocky, or fake? For Diaz, the answer was to explore how anxiety-inducing, if not downright humiliating falling in love can be. Weird Faithanswers these questions bluntly, and Diaz says the record “chronicles a new relationship, but also a new relationship to myself.” This record exists between the time you say “I Love You” and the moment they say it back (or don’t). Album opener “Same Risk” acknowledges that feeling from the outset. “Do you think this could ruin your life? Cause I can see it ruining mine,” Diaz asks plainly. It’s a disarmingly honest moment, her barefaced and fearless lyrics becoming all the more impactful as the rhythm section briefly drops out of the mix. It’s but one of the breathtaking production choices Diaz made on the album with help from friends Sam Cohen and Konrad Syder. “Sam makes raw, grungy, rambunctious records, and I needed him to help me crack open the door and start sonically exploring what the record would be,” Diaz says about her time spent recording in Woodstock. “Later in Nashville, Konrad and I were able to push what we did even further, until it was beyond the sonic landscape of what I had set out to make.”
Diaz’s collaborative spirit is the result of living in Nashville, where she moves in a tight-knit group of songwriters. “It’s the type of place where you get into deep conversations with people at 2AM then go to the gas station for a six pack because you’re not done talking yet,” she says. Kacey Musgraves is one of those friends and she accompanies Diaz on the devastating ballad “Don’t Do Me Good,” a song that mourns the end of a relationship before the inevitable end. It’s desperately lonely, a woman’s admission that peace eludes her, but Diaz is bolstered by Musgraves, as if to indicate that she’s never truly alone, that there is always a friend on the other end of the line waiting on your call.
That difficulty of trusting someone with your heart comes to a head on “For Months Now,” which sounds like the hard-fought revelation at the end of a therapy session. “It’s about knowing a relationship is over, you just haven’t acknowledged it yet,” Diaz says. On “Hurting You,” she acknowledges it. “Hurting you is hurting me,” she fervently sings on the chorus, her stark words bolstered by the sparest production heard on the album. It’s a crushing song, but it’s also an auspicious one. When Diaz started writing Weird Faith, she knew it would be bigger than a love story. She didn’t yet know that she was rendering a self-portrait, one that captures the Madi Diaz of a fleeting moment in time, hungrily alive and forever searching. A search that has led to a record highlighting the human experience of spinning out on the fall into love, bold in itshonesty, and matching the momentum of Madi Diaz.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240301T182415Z SEQUENCE:9418155 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2405 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-11-14 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240323T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240323T233000 UID:8652B4B4-E6EE-455E-AB2D-B6E420DF0670 SUMMARY:San Fermin CREATED:20231023T195417Z DTSTAMP:20231023T195417Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/san-fermin DESCRIPTION:San Fermin songwriter Ellis Ludwig-Leone writes songs that shift seamlessly between joy and dread, panic and euphoria. Since the band’s beginnings in 2013, San Fermin’s ambitious scope has taken them across a variety of genres, attracting an eclectic group of collaborators that reflect Ludwig- Leone’s own wide-ranging musical background. San Fermin rose to early acclaim on the strength of their self-titled debut, which bandleader Ellis Ludwig-Leone had initially envisioned as a one-off featuring more than 20 collaborators. NPR hailed the album as “one of the year's most surprising, ambitious, evocative and moving records,” while Pitchfork called breakout single “Sonsick” “deliriously infectious.” Buoyed by the record’s success, Ludwig-Leone put together a full-time band and hit the road, performing everywhere from the Tiny Desk to Lollapalooza and sharing bills with the likes of alt-J, Courtney Barnett, the National, and St. Vincent. In the years to come, the group would go on to release three similarly lauded albums, prompting The New Yorker to celebrate their “knack for simultaneously expressing beauty and crisis,” and Rolling Stone to declare them “masters of highbrow chamber pop.\NWritten in the topsy-turvy days following two different breakups, San Fermin’s poignant new album, Arms, is a testament to the band’s ability to transform pain and isolation into catharsis and healing. The songs are more minimalist than ever before, stripping away much of the sonic ornamentation the Brooklyn eight-piece has come to be known for in favor of a more raw, direct sound reflective of the album’s candid, plainspoken lyrics. The result is a deeply moving, compassionate collection, one that moves from anger and disappointment to clarity and acceptance as it balances devastation and hope in equal measure. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:San Fermin songwriter Ellis Ludwig-Leone writes songs that shift seamlessly between joy and dread, panic and euphoria. Since the band’s beginnings in 2013, San Fermin’s ambitious scope has taken them across a variety of genres, attracting an eclectic group of collaborators that reflect Ludwig- Leone’s own wide-ranging musical background. San Fermin rose to early acclaim on the strength of their self-titled debut, which bandleader Ellis Ludwig-Leone had initially envisioned as a one-off featuring more than 20 collaborators. NPR hailed the album as “one of the year's most surprising, ambitious, evocative and moving records,” while Pitchfork called breakout single “Sonsick” “deliriously infectious.” Buoyed by the record’s success, Ludwig-Leone put together a full-time band and hit the road, performing everywhere from the Tiny Desk to Lollapalooza and sharing bills with the likes of alt-J, Courtney Barnett, the National, and St. Vincent. In the years to come, the group would go on to release three similarly lauded albums, prompting The New Yorker to celebrate their “knack for simultaneously expressing beauty and crisis,” and Rolling Stone to declare them “masters of highbrow chamber pop.
Written in the topsy-turvy days following two different breakups, San Fermin’s poignant new album, Arms, is a testament to the band’s ability to transform pain and isolation into catharsis and healing. The songs are more minimalist than ever before, stripping away much of the sonic ornamentation the Brooklyn eight-piece has come to be known for in favor of a more raw, direct sound reflective of the album’s candid, plainspoken lyrics. The result is a deeply moving, compassionate collection, one that moves from anger and disappointment to clarity and acceptance as it balances devastation and hope in equal measure.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240213T224400Z SEQUENCE:9773383 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2199 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-10-24 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240327T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240327T210000 UID:87D18FAC-5D20-48C3-B1B6-CC0D64C79A7A SUMMARY:Birdtalker CREATED:20231204T191333Z DTSTAMP:20231204T191333Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/birdtalker DESCRIPTION:Birdtalker released their debut album One in 2018 which met critical acclaim, featuring their breakout single “Heavy,” which has now amassed over 90 million streams on Spotify alone. With their self-titled sophomore album in 2021 and subsequent releases, they have come into their own with their most confident and unrestrained songs to date. Fronted by Zack and Dani Green along with Brian Seligman (guitar) and Chris Wilson (drums/percussion), Birdtalker explore how to navigate the unknown, embrace uncertainty, and learn to let go X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Birdtalker released their debut album One in 2018 which met critical acclaim, featuring their breakout single “Heavy,” which has now amassed over 90 million streams on Spotify alone. With their self-titled sophomore album in 2021 and subsequent releases, they have come into their own with their most confident and unrestrained songs to date. Fronted by Zack and Dani Green along with Brian Seligman (guitar) and Chris Wilson (drums/percussion), Birdtalker explore how to navigate the unknown, embrace uncertainty, and learn to let go
LAST-MODIFIED:20240327T224903Z SEQUENCE:9862530 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2499 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-12-05 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240329T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240329T210000 UID:A16C36B0-2816-4B63-A19F-B80BFE8423F9 SUMMARY:The Garcia Project CREATED:20240213T235540Z DTSTAMP:20240213T235540Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-garcia-project-2 DESCRIPTION:“The Garcia Project is a must-see for anyone who had the good fortune of seeing Jerry’s band live. I was lucky enough to share the JGB experience with Jerry, John Kahn, Maria Muldaur, Keith and Donna. Being on stage with Mik, Kat, Dan and the crew is the closest thing to the original. They are Jerry’s kindred spirits when it comes to making music. Even if you never saw JGB live, you can see and hear their spirit at a Garcia Project performance.” – Buzz Buchanan, Drummer for The Jerry Garcia Band 1977-1978 X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“The Garcia Project is a must-see for anyone who had the good fortune of seeing Jerry’s band live. I was lucky enough to share the JGB experience with Jerry, John Kahn, Maria Muldaur, Keith and Donna. Being on stage with Mik, Kat, Dan and the crew is the closest thing to the original. They are Jerry’s kindred spirits when it comes to making music. Even if you never saw JGB live, you can see and hear their spirit at a Garcia Project performance.” – Buzz Buchanan, Drummer for The Jerry Garcia Band 1977-1978
LAST-MODIFIED:20240326T170616Z SEQUENCE:3604236 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3442 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240330T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240330T230000 UID:803DAEB4-9A5F-44B6-BAC6-153A27FD3B58 SUMMARY:Cory Mon CREATED:20240130T195804Z DTSTAMP:20240130T195804Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/cory-mon DESCRIPTION:..music, my blessing, my curse, it's in me and it must come out. I can't help it, I must play, write, compose and perform. Without I am incomplete, while with, call me misfit in this world of the incorporated. I am a man confused and divided thus in recourse I am often brightened and enlightened. I emphatically give way to both light and dark, I live in pleasure and pain. My name: cory.\NCory Mon has a distinctly unique, albeit pleasant voice in the world of music. “Happy (sometimes sad), gritty, funky, folksy, bluesy, rocky music… I guess”… he says when asked the dreaded, “So what type of music do you play?” Assuming the life of a musician, Cory has thrived as well as endured through the many ups and downs that have come throughout his well tenured 20+ year music career. Cory has released 60+ original songs and toured with and/or supported a handful of his favorite artists: JJ Grey & Mofro, Sean Hayes, The Avett Brothers, Patterson Hood etc. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:..music, my blessing, my curse, it's in me and it must come out. I can't help it, I must play, write, compose and perform. Without I am incomplete, while with, call me misfit in this world of the incorporated. I am a man confused and divided thus in recourse I am often brightened and enlightened. I emphatically give way to both light and dark, I live in pleasure and pain. My name: cory.
Cory Mon has a distinctly unique, albeit pleasant voice in the world of music. “Happy (sometimes sad), gritty, funky, folksy, bluesy, rocky music… I guess”… he says when asked the dreaded, “So what type of music do you play?” Assuming the life of a musician, Cory has thrived as well as endured through the many ups and downs that have come throughout his well tenured 20+ year music career. Cory has released 60+ original songs and toured with and/or supported a handful of his favorite artists: JJ Grey & Mofro, Sean Hayes, The Avett Brothers, Patterson Hood etc.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240215T181459Z SEQUENCE:1376215 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1959 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240401T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240401T220000 UID:185406C1-25A2-42D2-A799-B7CD9EEEE29C SUMMARY:Low Cut Connie CREATED:20240221T164912Z DTSTAMP:20240221T164912Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/low-cut-connie-2 DESCRIPTION:“This record is all kink and no shame,” says Adam Weiner of ART DEALERS, the tough, sexy and tender new album coming from Low Cut Connie. “With Low Cut Connie, I try to create a safe space for you to just absolutely get your freak on.”\NFor years now, Low Cut Connie has built its grassroots coalition of oddballs, underdogs, and fun-loving weirdos with songs that celebrate life on the fringes of polite society. The band’s infamously wild, passionate live shows provide a total release - of stress, of inhibition, of shame - working up a primordial rock n roll sweat for fans to get blissfully soaked in. The new album, and its full-length companion film, sizzle with that same cathartic sweat, reminding us that it's time to get dirty again, and to feel alive. ART DEALERS sits at the intersection of sleazy and soulful - a collection of risky, romantic, life-affirming anthems, all dedicated to you.\N“I think rock n roll exists to be a red-blooded, countercultural medium,” says Weiner, who has performed under the Low Cut Connie moniker for over a decade, "You're supposed to get your hair messed-up." That imperative comes through in the adults-only tone of songs like the opening “Tell Me Something I Don’t\NKnow,” a sinuous, lurid rocker that sounds like walking through depraved Times Square in 1978 - neon-lit and nasty with a snapping beat. The speedy, fuzzed-up garage-rocker “Whips and Chains" calls out Trump and the current wave of neo-fascism, without ever losing its boogie rhythm section.\NBut there’s also tenderness behind the curtain here, as on the yearning first single "Are You Gonna Run?" and "Call Out My Name", which evoke the sweet sad love that punky boys like the New York Dolls and the Ramones used to have for tough girls like the Ronettes and the Shangri-La's.\NThe sounds throughout the record comprise a grimy modern urban landscape, a soulful but broken place that Weiner and his band (including rock n roll guitar hero, Will Donnelly, in his 9th year in Low Cut Connie) have been gravitating towards throughout the band's history. Weiner grew up amid the lawns and strip malls of suburban New Jersey, and his own teen dreams were lit up by the beacon of the big city, where he could shed his skin like so many artists before. “If you think about it, so many great artists who we associate with the city were actually bridge and tunnel people,” Adam said. “Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Springsteen. Debbie Harry, Robert Mapplethorpe. People who came from the burbs had this vision of what they could achieve in the city, what attracted them to this art life, who they could turn into and what impressions they could make - if they could just get there.” ART DEALERS is in many ways a tribute to that feeling at the pumping heart of the city - that enlightened buzz that can come in a packed hothouse of creativity and free expression. Songs like the Grace Jones styled "Take Me to the Place" and the penetrating title song point to all the people who cross those bridges, who choose the art life, who find their liberation on the edges of propriety.\NART DEALERS isn’t constrained by a gender binary, either. “When I’m onstage, I am the freest, most uninhibited version of myself,” Weiner explains. “It's total freedom of spirit and body. Over the years, that freedom has given me more confidence to write songs from a perspective that isn't necessarily male. I’ve slowly been walking toward a more gender-fluid voice with Low Cut Connie." Weiner's first steady gig at age 21 was as a piano-player in a drag karaoke bar in Manhattan called Pegasus, a seedy place where trans people, gay, straight and otherwise would gather around Weiner's piano in a benevolent yet fully debauched\Narray. "There are so many songs that came out of that bar for me. Things like 'Shake It Little Tina [the single\Noff of Low Cut Connie's Hi Honey album]" But it wasn't until ART DEALERS that he fully allowed himself to let the gender binary go so completely on songs like the upcoming single "Don't Get Fresh With Me," "Wonderful Boy," and "Sleaze Me On" (with its sweet refrain "Treat me like a modern girl!"). Says Weiner, "I have no idea the gender identity of those songs. And that feels real comfy for me, the 'not knowing'."\NART DEALERS goes out to all the outsiders. On the no-fucks-to-give anthem "King of the Jews," Weiner gets deep in the weeds of his personal and ethnic outsider identity. “There are just so many entry points these days to antisemitism, so my absolute unapologetic full-frontal Jewiness feels more needed now, I guess,” he says. “My Jewiness gives me an outsider perspective and humor that I wouldn't trade for any goddamn thing,\Nand the minute I start hiding that, I'm dishonoring myself. Shedding shame is a key element of Low Cut Connie.”\NWeiner feels like a certain dark prince of rock n roll was a companion to him on this whole album and film project. “I felt like Lou Reed was riding with me the whole time I was making Art Dealers,” he said. “Lou was the toughest motherfucker out there, a subversive Jew like me - but he had a real rock n’roll heart underneath it all."\NART DEALERS comes on the heels of a few very busy years for Low Cut Connie. During the height of COVID lockdowns, Adam and Low Cut Connie guitarist Will Donnelly did the near-impossible with their “Tough Cookies” live-streaming rock and soul variety shows. Even in a bathrobe, from his South Philly guest bedroom, Adam managed to generate the electricity of a live show - twice a week, no less - earning him the New Yorker’s newly-minted laurel of “Pandemic Person of the Year” in 2020. The broadcasts drew hundreds of thousands of viewers from more than forty countries, who joined previous appreciators like Bruce\NSpringsteen (who invited Weiner backstage on Broadway in 2018) Barack Obama (an early adopter, who included the band on his official Spotify favorites playlist in 2015) and Elton John (who both praised the band from his own concert stage and featured Weiner as a guest, twice, on his satellite radio show) in Low Cut Connie’s de facto fan club.\NIn the midst of all this, Low Cut Connie also released 2020's acclaimed PRIVATE LIVES album. The album's title track finished the year in the top 20 nationally for non-commercial radio and was praised by NPR as "the freak anthem we need right now." PRIVATE LIVES was praised for the vivid interiority and intimate detail of its songwriting and was included on many best-of-the-year lists that year (Rolling Stone, NPR/Fresh Air, PopMatters, Glide, AllMusic, etc). For that album and ART DEALERS, Weiner sat solo in the producer's chair.\NFurther exploring new media, Weiner co-directed (with filmmaker Roy Power) an 80 minute feature film that will premiere late this year as a companion piece to ART DEALERS. The film is a hybrid-genre documentary that combines a stellar run of NYC concerts from 2022 shot at Sony Hall and the Blue Note, as well as 15 years of performance footage and musical and personal misadventures that led up to ART DEALERS. There will be limited festival screenings of the ART DEALERS film late in 2023, in tandem with this Fall's US tour, and the film will see wider release in 2024.\NAhead of the release of this new album and film, Adam Weiner aka Low Cut Connie explains what motivates him to keep pushing deeper into art life.\N“I'm always trying to get back to the heart and soul of things with the intention of my music and my performances,” says Adam. “I don't know what's hip. I don't know what's in fashion. I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing to be accepted by whatever's popular or trending. I have no idea - I don't care anymore. I just want to turn people on with what I do. The world is a dirty and broken place... we might as well live it the fuck up while we’re here. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“This record is all kink and no shame,” says Adam Weiner of ART DEALERS, the tough, sexy and tender new album coming from Low Cut Connie. “With Low Cut Connie, I try to create a safe space for you to just absolutely get your freak on.”
For years now, Low Cut Connie has built its grassroots coalition of oddballs, underdogs, and fun-loving weirdos with songs that celebrate life on the fringes of polite society. The band’s infamously wild, passionate live shows provide a total release - of stress, of inhibition, of shame - working up a primordial rock n roll sweat for fans to get blissfully soaked in. The new album, and its full-length companion film, sizzle with that same cathartic sweat, reminding us that it's time to get dirty again, and to feel alive. ART DEALERS sits at the intersection of sleazy and soulful - a collection of risky, romantic, life-affirming anthems, all dedicated to you.
“I think rock n roll exists to be a red-blooded, countercultural medium,” says Weiner, who has performed under the Low Cut Connie moniker for over a decade, "You're supposed to get your hair messed-up." That imperative comes through in the adults-only tone of songs like the opening “Tell Me Something I Don’t
Know,” a sinuous, lurid rocker that sounds like walking through depraved Times Square in 1978 - neon-lit and nasty with a snapping beat. The speedy, fuzzed-up garage-rocker “Whips and Chains" calls out Trump and the current wave of neo-fascism, without ever losing its boogie rhythm section.
But there’s also tenderness behind the curtain here, as on the yearning first single "Are You Gonna Run?" and "Call Out My Name", which evoke the sweet sad love that punky boys like the New York Dolls and the Ramones used to have for tough girls like the Ronettes and the Shangri-La's.
The sounds throughout the record comprise a grimy modern urban landscape, a soulful but broken place that Weiner and his band (including rock n roll guitar hero, Will Donnelly, in his 9th year in Low Cut Connie) have been gravitating towards throughout the band's history. Weiner grew up amid the lawns and strip malls of suburban New Jersey, and his own teen dreams were lit up by the beacon of the big city, where he could shed his skin like so many artists before. “If you think about it, so many great artists who we associate with the city were actually bridge and tunnel people,” Adam said. “Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Springsteen. Debbie Harry, Robert Mapplethorpe. People who came from the burbs had this vision of what they could achieve in the city, what attracted them to this art life, who they could turn into and what impressions they could make - if they could just get there.” ART DEALERS is in many ways a tribute to that feeling at the pumping heart of the city - that enlightened buzz that can come in a packed hothouse of creativity and free expression. Songs like the Grace Jones styled "Take Me to the Place" and the penetrating title song point to all the people who cross those bridges, who choose the art life, who find their liberation on the edges of propriety.
ART DEALERS isn’t constrained by a gender binary, either. “When I’m onstage, I am the freest, most uninhibited version of myself,” Weiner explains. “It's total freedom of spirit and body. Over the years, that freedom has given me more confidence to write songs from a perspective that isn't necessarily male. I’ve slowly been walking toward a more gender-fluid voice with Low Cut Connie." Weiner's first steady gig at age 21 was as a piano-player in a drag karaoke bar in Manhattan called Pegasus, a seedy place where trans people, gay, straight and otherwise would gather around Weiner's piano in a benevolent yet fully debauched
array. "There are so many songs that came out of that bar for me. Things like 'Shake It Little Tina [the single
off of Low Cut Connie's Hi Honey album]" But it wasn't until ART DEALERS that he fully allowed himself to let the gender binary go so completely on songs like the upcoming single "Don't Get Fresh With Me," "Wonderful Boy," and "Sleaze Me On" (with its sweet refrain "Treat me like a modern girl!"). Says Weiner, "I have no idea the gender identity of those songs. And that feels real comfy for me, the 'not knowing'."
ART DEALERS goes out to all the outsiders. On the no-fucks-to-give anthem "King of the Jews," Weiner gets deep in the weeds of his personal and ethnic outsider identity. “There are just so many entry points these days to antisemitism, so my absolute unapologetic full-frontal Jewiness feels more needed now, I guess,” he says. “My Jewiness gives me an outsider perspective and humor that I wouldn't trade for any goddamn thing,
and the minute I start hiding that, I'm dishonoring myself. Shedding shame is a key element of Low Cut Connie.”
Weiner feels like a certain dark prince of rock n roll was a companion to him on this whole album and film project. “I felt like Lou Reed was riding with me the whole time I was making Art Dealers,” he said. “Lou was the toughest motherfucker out there, a subversive Jew like me - but he had a real rock n’roll heart underneath it all."
ART DEALERS comes on the heels of a few very busy years for Low Cut Connie. During the height of COVID lockdowns, Adam and Low Cut Connie guitarist Will Donnelly did the near-impossible with their “Tough Cookies” live-streaming rock and soul variety shows. Even in a bathrobe, from his South Philly guest bedroom, Adam managed to generate the electricity of a live show - twice a week, no less - earning him the New Yorker’s newly-minted laurel of “Pandemic Person of the Year” in 2020. The broadcasts drew hundreds of thousands of viewers from more than forty countries, who joined previous appreciators like Bruce
Springsteen (who invited Weiner backstage on Broadway in 2018) Barack Obama (an early adopter, who included the band on his official Spotify favorites playlist in 2015) and Elton John (who both praised the band from his own concert stage and featured Weiner as a guest, twice, on his satellite radio show) in Low Cut Connie’s de facto fan club.
In the midst of all this, Low Cut Connie also released 2020's acclaimed PRIVATE LIVES album. The album's title track finished the year in the top 20 nationally for non-commercial radio and was praised by NPR as "the freak anthem we need right now." PRIVATE LIVES was praised for the vivid interiority and intimate detail of its songwriting and was included on many best-of-the-year lists that year (Rolling Stone, NPR/Fresh Air, PopMatters, Glide, AllMusic, etc). For that album and ART DEALERS, Weiner sat solo in the producer's chair.
Further exploring new media, Weiner co-directed (with filmmaker Roy Power) an 80 minute feature film that will premiere late this year as a companion piece to ART DEALERS. The film is a hybrid-genre documentary that combines a stellar run of NYC concerts from 2022 shot at Sony Hall and the Blue Note, as well as 15 years of performance footage and musical and personal misadventures that led up to ART DEALERS. There will be limited festival screenings of the ART DEALERS film late in 2023, in tandem with this Fall's US tour, and the film will see wider release in 2024.
Ahead of the release of this new album and film, Adam Weiner aka Low Cut Connie explains what motivates him to keep pushing deeper into art life.
“I'm always trying to get back to the heart and soul of things with the intention of my music and my performances,” says Adam. “I don't know what's hip. I don't know what's in fashion. I don't know what I'm supposed to be doing to be accepted by whatever's popular or trending. I have no idea - I don't care anymore. I just want to turn people on with what I do. The world is a dirty and broken place... we might as well live it the fuck up while we’re here.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240306T185249Z SEQUENCE:1217017 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2389 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240402T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240402T120000 UID:69C79A85-0B94-4034-B750-98829436B433 SUMMARY:Jimmie Vaughan & The Tilt-A-Whirl Band (POSTPONED) CREATED:20231204T182505Z DTSTAMP:20231204T182505Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jimmie-vaughan DESCRIPTION:UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Jimmie Vaughan is postponing the show at the State Room on April 2nd. Please keep your tickets for a new show to be announced. Jimmie apologizes for any inconvenience and looks forward to performing again for you soon.\NIn true Texas fashion, four-time Grammy-winner Jimmie Vaughan has helped breathe new life into the music that has been his lifeline all these decades, becoming a hero to those who cherish America's real gift to musical history. \N"When I talk about country and blues, they're the same thing," Jimmie Vaughan says. "Muddy Waters and Hank Williams, Webb Pierce and Jimmy Reed. When I was a kid, I didn't understand the difference. Everybody was always asking me, 'Why do you want to play blues? Why don't you play country?' But I would listen to the country guys and they would be doing a Jimmy Reed song. They're playing the same lick. And Ray Charles, Little Milton, Guitar Junior, Lonnie Brooks, B.B. King--they all did country songs. Is Bob Wills country blues or jazz? And the answer is, it's American music. I'm tired of trying to pigeonhole everything. I want to bring it together; it comes from the same place." \NAs a young teenager in Oak Cliff, Texas, his father told him to take guitar lessons if he wanted to really learn the instrument. But when Vaughan's teacher told the guitar student it wasn't going to work because the student "was too far gone" to learn from the lesson books, Jimmie Vaughan knew he was on his own. Which was perfect for him, because the blues would be his teacher for life. For those who find themselves living inside this true American music, it becomes a way of life, and a musical force to follow forever. \NJimmie Vaughan became possessed by his instrument while listening to the blues on the Black radio station in Dallas, and it has been that way ever since. When something this strong takes over, there is no way out—the pursuit just keeps going deeper. \NJimmie Vaughan has been playing the blues he hears in his head and feels in his heart for over a half-century. \NWhen he first heard songs like Phil Upchurch's "You Can't Sit Down," The Nightcaps' "Wine, Wine, Wine" and B.B. King's many hit songs in the early 1960s, he knew he had found his music. And ever since then, it's been a constant quest to play the blues, whether it was in early 1970s Austin bands like Storm and then the Fabulous Thunderbirds, or later with brother Stevie Ray Vaughan on their FAMILY STYLE album, and on his own releases throughout the 1990s and in 2001. \NThen the solo albums stopped, until in 2010, Vaughan had an idea to start recording The Great American Blues Songbook. He assembled the kind of band most musicians can only dream about, and began recording his dream set list at Top Hat and Wire Studios in Austin. Never one to back down from a great idea, in 2011 Vaughan and band went back into the same studio and recorded a second collection of some of his favorite songs, zeroing in on that music's ability to light a fuse wherever it was heard. \NLast fall, to help celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the first of the BLUES, BALLADS AND FAVOURITES albums, THE PLEASURE’S ALL MINE compiled both albums as a collection, and was released alongside a Vinyl reissue of 2016's JIMMIE VAUGHAN TRIO featuring Mike Flanigin LIVE AT C-BOY'S release, which featured songs recorded at the venerable Austin nightspot that Vaughan and crew call home when they are in town. \NIn 2019, his newest release, BABY, PLEASE COME HOME brought him back into the spotlight with yet another Grammy nomination, and a Blues Foundation Award for Best Male Artist. \NThis year, he celebrates his life in the blues and on the road with THE JIMMIE VAUGHAN STORY, a special limited-edition box set and book including over 200 photos covering his life and the breadth of his remarkable career. And yet, Vaughan still feels like he is just getting started, devoted to making sure he is able to give back to the music that has given him so much. The blues is in Jimmie Vaughan's blood, has been there since the start, and will stay there forever. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:UPDATE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, Jimmie Vaughan is postponing the show at the State Room on April 2nd. Please keep your tickets for a new show to be announced. Jimmie apologizes for any inconvenience and looks forward to performing again for you soon.
In true Texas fashion, four-time Grammy-winner Jimmie Vaughan has helped breathe new life into the music that has been his lifeline all these decades, becoming a hero to those who cherish America's real gift to musical history.
"When I talk about country and blues, they're the same thing," Jimmie Vaughan says. "Muddy Waters and Hank Williams, Webb Pierce and Jimmy Reed. When I was a kid, I didn't understand the difference. Everybody was always asking me, 'Why do you want to play blues? Why don't you play country?' But I would listen to the country guys and they would be doing a Jimmy Reed song. They're playing the same lick. And Ray Charles, Little Milton, Guitar Junior, Lonnie Brooks, B.B. King--they all did country songs. Is Bob Wills country blues or jazz? And the answer is, it's American music. I'm tired of trying to pigeonhole everything. I want to bring it together; it comes from the same place."
As a young teenager in Oak Cliff, Texas, his father told him to take guitar lessons if he wanted to really learn the instrument. But when Vaughan's teacher told the guitar student it wasn't going to work because the student "was too far gone" to learn from the lesson books, Jimmie Vaughan knew he was on his own. Which was perfect for him, because the blues would be his teacher for life. For those who find themselves living inside this true American music, it becomes a way of life, and a musical force to follow forever.
Jimmie Vaughan became possessed by his instrument while listening to the blues on the Black radio station in Dallas, and it has been that way ever since. When something this strong takes over, there is no way out—the pursuit just keeps going deeper.
Jimmie Vaughan has been playing the blues he hears in his head and feels in his heart for over a half-century.
When he first heard songs like Phil Upchurch's "You Can't Sit Down," The Nightcaps' "Wine, Wine, Wine" and B.B. King's many hit songs in the early 1960s, he knew he had found his music. And ever since then, it's been a constant quest to play the blues, whether it was in early 1970s Austin bands like Storm and then the Fabulous Thunderbirds, or later with brother Stevie Ray Vaughan on their FAMILY STYLE album, and on his own releases throughout the 1990s and in 2001.
Then the solo albums stopped, until in 2010, Vaughan had an idea to start recording The Great American Blues Songbook. He assembled the kind of band most musicians can only dream about, and began recording his dream set list at Top Hat and Wire Studios in Austin. Never one to back down from a great idea, in 2011 Vaughan and band went back into the same studio and recorded a second collection of some of his favorite songs, zeroing in on that music's ability to light a fuse wherever it was heard.
Last fall, to help celebrate the 10-year anniversary of the first of the BLUES, BALLADS AND FAVOURITES albums, THE PLEASURE’S ALL MINE compiled both albums as a collection, and was released alongside a Vinyl reissue of 2016's JIMMIE VAUGHAN TRIO featuring Mike Flanigin LIVE AT C-BOY'S release, which featured songs recorded at the venerable Austin nightspot that Vaughan and crew call home when they are in town.
In 2019, his newest release, BABY, PLEASE COME HOME brought him back into the spotlight with yet another Grammy nomination, and a Blues Foundation Award for Best Male Artist.
This year, he celebrates his life in the blues and on the road with THE JIMMIE VAUGHAN STORY, a special limited-edition box set and book including over 200 photos covering his life and the breadth of his remarkable career. And yet, Vaughan still feels like he is just getting started, devoted to making sure he is able to give back to the music that has given him so much. The blues is in Jimmie Vaughan's blood, has been there since the start, and will stay there forever.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240326T211448Z SEQUENCE:9773383 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4703 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-12-05 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240403T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240403T210000 UID:CC344465-9F8B-4F2B-9855-263C9DD28FB6 SUMMARY:David Wilcox CREATED:20240214T001907Z DTSTAMP:20240214T001907Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/david-wilcox-2 DESCRIPTION:David Wilcox is a penetrating storyteller. The revered folk musician has an effortless talent for spinning lyrics that quietly cut deep, and crafting melodies that seamlessly ride the plot twists and turns. Wilcox handily exemplifies the power of lyrical and musical catharsis\NPick any song from Wilcox’s new acoustic album, My Good Friends, and you will find yourself instantly immersed. Sometimes you’ll see yourself in the lyrics, other times you’ll marvel at the four-minute mini-movie. My Good Friends is a stripped-down, acoustic collection of ten songs, a fan-requested creative respite for Wilcox as he also continues to work on a full band album coming in 2024.\NOf special note on the new recording is “Jolt,” with its jittery rhythm playing perfect backdrop to lyrics about today’s obsession with online fear mongering and internet disinformation. The title track is a folk-blues number about living a life filled with close calls and surviving them all. Then there’s a trio of story songs – “Dead Man’s Phone,” “This Is How It Ends,” and “Lost Man” – that are as cinematic as they are charismatic. Wilcox says those last three songs “create a whole movie in my imagination.”\NIn fact, the way Wilcox feels about every tune on My Good Friends proves this is indeed a fan-requested labor of love. “I am grateful for the community that sustains me – my good friends,” he says. “These are the kind of friends that get you through difficult times. The kind of friends that you go to for a fresh perspective when the future looks grim. These songs grew out of conversations with friends, and they hold ideas that I like to have around.”\NSuch dedication to honoring personal and heartfelt music has been the backbone of David Wilcox’s entire career. The Ohio native with the warm baritone found his artistic muse in North Carolina during the mid-1980s. In 1987, he released his debut album, The Nightshift Watchman, which led to winning the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in 1988. That translated to a four-album stint with A&M Records starting with 1989’s How Did You Find Me Here, which sold 100,000 copies by word of mouth. Thirty-plus years and twenty-plus albums later, Wilcox won top honors in the 23rd annual USA Songwriting Competition in 2018 for his effervescent “We Make the Way by Walking” from his last album release, The View From the Edge. Wilcox has deservedly earned praise over the years in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, and Rolling Stone, to name a few. He also has a dedicated and vocal core of fans who regularly write to thank him for his work and the impact his songs have had on their lives.\NToday, Wilcox is still earning his admirers with storytelling that cuts deep into the soul and observes the human condition from both the nerve center and the outside looking in. That kind of storytelling is certain to become a good friend. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:David Wilcox is a penetrating storyteller. The revered folk musician has an effortless talent for spinning lyrics that quietly cut deep, and crafting melodies that seamlessly ride the plot twists and turns. Wilcox handily exemplifies the power of lyrical and musical catharsis
Pick any song from Wilcox’s new acoustic album, My Good Friends, and you will find yourself instantly immersed. Sometimes you’ll see yourself in the lyrics, other times you’ll marvel at the four-minute mini-movie. My Good Friends is a stripped-down, acoustic collection of ten songs, a fan-requested creative respite for Wilcox as he also continues to work on a full band album coming in 2024.
Of special note on the new recording is “Jolt,” with its jittery rhythm playing perfect backdrop to lyrics about today’s obsession with online fear mongering and internet disinformation. The title track is a folk-blues number about living a life filled with close calls and surviving them all. Then there’s a trio of story songs – “Dead Man’s Phone,” “This Is How It Ends,” and “Lost Man” – that are as cinematic as they are charismatic. Wilcox says those last three songs “create a whole movie in my imagination.”
In fact, the way Wilcox feels about every tune on My Good Friends proves this is indeed a fan-requested labor of love. “I am grateful for the community that sustains me – my good friends,” he says. “These are the kind of friends that get you through difficult times. The kind of friends that you go to for a fresh perspective when the future looks grim. These songs grew out of conversations with friends, and they hold ideas that I like to have around.”
Such dedication to honoring personal and heartfelt music has been the backbone of David Wilcox’s entire career. The Ohio native with the warm baritone found his artistic muse in North Carolina during the mid-1980s. In 1987, he released his debut album, The Nightshift Watchman, which led to winning the prestigious Kerrville Folk Festival in 1988. That translated to a four-album stint with A&M Records starting with 1989’s How Did You Find Me Here, which sold 100,000 copies by word of mouth. Thirty-plus years and twenty-plus albums later, Wilcox won top honors in the 23rd annual USA Songwriting Competition in 2018 for his effervescent “We Make the Way by Walking” from his last album release, The View From the Edge. Wilcox has deservedly earned praise over the years in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Los Angeles Times, and Rolling Stone, to name a few. He also has a dedicated and vocal core of fans who regularly write to thank him for his work and the impact his songs have had on their lives.
Today, Wilcox is still earning his admirers with storytelling that cuts deep into the soul and observes the human condition from both the nerve center and the outside looking in. That kind of storytelling is certain to become a good friend.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240304T222832Z SEQUENCE:1721365 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1936 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240404T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240404T210000 UID:06B831C8-416A-4A77-B560-3460DFD368B0 SUMMARY:High Fade CREATED:20240108T192234Z DTSTAMP:20240108T192234Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/high-fade DESCRIPTION:On a three-man crusade to set dance floors alight with their inimitable brand of razor-sharp funk and disco, Edinburgh’s High Fade captured the attention of a global audience with their music amassing over 30 million views and streams within six months of their first release and, in the process, gaining recognition from music heavyweights including Jack Black, Cypress Hill, Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes, and Brad Wilk from Rage Against The Machine\NFor a band that only started mid-2018, to already have the support of artists including Emeli Sandé, David Paitch and even Peter Andre is a testament to not only their raw musical talent but also the relentless drive and ambition that has seen the band play over 1000 gigs in the last four years. With a forward-thinking approach to grassroots promotion, High Fade have been able to capture the magic of their live performances with a proactive presence on social media and create multiple viral moments for their tracks “Sharpen Up”, “Burnin”, and “Burnt Toast and Coffee” that feed the appetite of new fans across the world. \NWith a more traditional offline approach towards learning their craft and perfecting the High Fade sound, Harry Valentino (guitar/vocals), Oliver Sentance (bass) and Calvin Davidson (drums/vocals) developed their infectious style whilst feeding off the unpredictable crowd interactions that come with street shows and busking. It’s this unmatched live energy that sets their performances apart and results in the impressive musical display that comes from just three musicians working together. Indeed, with other acts in the same genre often having upwards of six members, being a three-piece could be a limiting factor for many, but for High Fade it has become an integral part of the band’s DNA, allowing them to put on a show that supersedes anything their fans have experienced before.\NFrom the old-school soul and Motown of John Legend and Barry White to the classic rock of bands like Kiss and Motley Crue, High Fade’s sound draws on the musical tastes and experiences of all three members, extracting the best bits of each and serving the funky, disco-inspired results up live on stage. Launching their own label, RPN Records, has allowed the band to take control of their output with monthly singles planned for the foreseeable and a forthcoming official remix package for “Sharpen Up”. Featuring club-ready interpretations from Opolopo and Oden & Fatzo that highlight the group’s passion for electronic music, this tangible connection to the dance music scene provides the perfect opportunity for the High Fade sound to make the transition into the setlists of house and disco DJs.\NBy their own admission, “High Fade doesn’t work unless there’s a crowd, a dance floor and people that want to get down” - it’s reassuring then that their gig diary is stacked, with dates across the UK and Scotland confirmed throughout summer, and a big US tour in place for later this year following their signing with leading US booking agency, Wasserman. Throw in partnerships with brands including Ernie Ball, Blackstar Amps and Suhr Guitars and it’s clear that the whole industry is backing the meteoric rise of High Fade, and so should you. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:On a three-man crusade to set dance floors alight with their inimitable brand of razor-sharp funk and disco, Edinburgh’s High Fade captured the attention of a global audience with their music amassing over 30 million views and streams within six months of their first release and, in the process, gaining recognition from music heavyweights including Jack Black, Cypress Hill, Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes, and Brad Wilk from Rage Against The Machine
For a band that only started mid-2018, to already have the support of artists including Emeli Sandé, David Paitch and even Peter Andre is a testament to not only their raw musical talent but also the relentless drive and ambition that has seen the band play over 1000 gigs in the last four years. With a forward-thinking approach to grassroots promotion, High Fade have been able to capture the magic of their live performances with a proactive presence on social media and create multiple viral moments for their tracks “Sharpen Up”, “Burnin”, and “Burnt Toast and Coffee” that feed the appetite of new fans across the world.
With a more traditional offline approach towards learning their craft and perfecting the High Fade sound, Harry Valentino (guitar/vocals), Oliver Sentance (bass) and Calvin Davidson (drums/vocals) developed their infectious style whilst feeding off the unpredictable crowd interactions that come with street shows and busking. It’s this unmatched live energy that sets their performances apart and results in the impressive musical display that comes from just three musicians working together. Indeed, with other acts in the same genre often having upwards of six members, being a three-piece could be a limiting factor for many, but for High Fade it has become an integral part of the band’s DNA, allowing them to put on a show that supersedes anything their fans have experienced before.
From the old-school soul and Motown of John Legend and Barry White to the classic rock of bands like Kiss and Motley Crue, High Fade’s sound draws on the musical tastes and experiences of all three members, extracting the best bits of each and serving the funky, disco-inspired results up live on stage. Launching their own label, RPN Records, has allowed the band to take control of their output with monthly singles planned for the foreseeable and a forthcoming official remix package for “Sharpen Up”. Featuring club-ready interpretations from Opolopo and Oden & Fatzo that highlight the group’s passion for electronic music, this tangible connection to the dance music scene provides the perfect opportunity for the High Fade sound to make the transition into the setlists of house and disco DJs.
By their own admission, “High Fade doesn’t work unless there’s a crowd, a dance floor and people that want to get down” - it’s reassuring then that their gig diary is stacked, with dates across the UK and Scotland confirmed throughout summer, and a big US tour in place for later this year following their signing with leading US booking agency, Wasserman. Throw in partnerships with brands including Ernie Ball, Blackstar Amps and Suhr Guitars and it’s clear that the whole industry is backing the meteoric rise of High Fade, and so should you.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240328T180348Z SEQUENCE:6907274 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2180 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240405T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240405T210000 UID:328A03FB-A92C-427F-AB77-F0A06A14DAD7 SUMMARY:Mike Doughty and Ghost of Vroom CREATED:20231113T183152Z DTSTAMP:20231113T183152Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/mike-doughty DESCRIPTION:Mike Doughty, is taking his new band Ghost of Vroom on the road for the first time this fall. The group, consisting of Doughty, Andrew “Scrap” Livingston and drummer Madden Klass are releasing their latest album “Ghost of Vroom 3” September 2023. The aptly titled full length is their third release from acclaimed producer Mario Caldato Jr (Beastie Boys, Beck) and showcases hard hitting drums, hooks, flows and Doughty's signature brand of art pop. \NThese special shows will feature songs from Mike Doughty’s entire catalog, spanning Soul Coughing, his solo work, and selections from all three Ghost of Vroom albums. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Mike Doughty, is taking his new band Ghost of Vroom on the road for the first time this fall. The group, consisting of Doughty, Andrew “Scrap” Livingston and drummer Madden Klass are releasing their latest album “Ghost of Vroom 3” September 2023. The aptly titled full length is their third release from acclaimed producer Mario Caldato Jr (Beastie Boys, Beck) and showcases hard hitting drums, hooks, flows and Doughty's signature brand of art pop.
These special shows will feature songs from Mike Doughty’s entire catalog, spanning Soul Coughing, his solo work, and selections from all three Ghost of Vroom albums.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240222T000724Z SEQUENCE:8660132 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3549 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-11-14 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240410T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240410T210000 UID:89F293E9-BEA5-494D-8D8D-34FF3240BFF1 SUMMARY:Jon McLaughlin CREATED:20240129T225259Z DTSTAMP:20240129T225259Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jon-mclaughlin DESCRIPTION:Everything in Jon McLaughlin’s life makes its way into his music, whether he’s conscious of it or not. The artist, raised in Indiana and based in Nashville, brings all of his experiences and beliefs into each song he creates, something that is especially true now that he’s the father of two young girls. \NJon released his debut album, Indiana, in 2007 on Island Def Jam, attracting fans with his heartfelt, hook-laden songwriting and impassioned delivery. He’s released six full-lengths in the years since and revealed a true evolution in both his piano playing and singing. He’s played shows with Billy Joel, Kelly Clarkson and Adele, collaborated with longtime friend Sara Bareilles, co-written with Demi Lovato and even performed at the Academy Awards in 2008. \NJon’s album, Like Us, dropped in October of 2015 via Razor & Tie, and he spent the past few years touring extensively before heading back into his Nashville studio to work on new music. Jon released a Christmas EP in 2017 titled Red & Green with two originals and his take on a few holiday classics. In November of 2018 Jon released his album Angst & Grace which features “Still My Girl” written for his youngest daughter. \NAnother project started in 2018 is his Dueling Pianos video series. Every episode features a new guest artist and they perform mashups of never-before-heard arrangements. \NIn Fall of 2019 Jon released an instrumental piano album titled MOOD. This record demonstrates Jon's artistry and captivates his talent as a pianist. In May 2020 the second edition of the project was released entitled MOOD II.\NJon wrapped up 2020 with the release of his Christmas EP Christmas Time before putting out his most recent full length album All The Things I Say To Myself with immediate fan favorites “A Breakup Song” & “Outta My Head”. \NIn the fall of 2022 Jon hit the road with his band in celebration of the 15 year anniversary of his Indiana album which will be remastered and re released on vinyl spotlighting a new a capella version of the title track “Indiana” featuring Straight No Chaser as well as never-before-released b-sides.\NTowards the end of 2023, Jon released the third installment in his instrumental piano series: MOOD III.\NAs with everything he does, Jon’s goal is to create connections. He wants to translate his experiences and ideas into music that reaches fans everywhere. His passion for music and playing is evident in each note he plays. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Everything in Jon McLaughlin’s life makes its way into his music, whether he’s conscious of it or not. The artist, raised in Indiana and based in Nashville, brings all of his experiences and beliefs into each song he creates, something that is especially true now that he’s the father of two young girls.
Jon released his debut album, Indiana, in 2007 on Island Def Jam, attracting fans with his heartfelt, hook-laden songwriting and impassioned delivery. He’s released six full-lengths in the years since and revealed a true evolution in both his piano playing and singing. He’s played shows with Billy Joel, Kelly Clarkson and Adele, collaborated with longtime friend Sara Bareilles, co-written with Demi Lovato and even performed at the Academy Awards in 2008.
Jon’s album, Like Us, dropped in October of 2015 via Razor & Tie, and he spent the past few years touring extensively before heading back into his Nashville studio to work on new music. Jon released a Christmas EP in 2017 titled Red & Green with two originals and his take on a few holiday classics. In November of 2018 Jon released his album Angst & Grace which features “Still My Girl” written for his youngest daughter.
Another project started in 2018 is his Dueling Pianos video series. Every episode features a new guest artist and they perform mashups of never-before-heard arrangements.
In Fall of 2019 Jon released an instrumental piano album titled MOOD. This record demonstrates Jon's artistry and captivates his talent as a pianist. In May 2020 the second edition of the project was released entitled MOOD II.
Jon wrapped up 2020 with the release of his Christmas EP Christmas Time before putting out his most recent full length album All The Things I Say To Myself with immediate fan favorites “A Breakup Song” & “Outta My Head”.
In the fall of 2022 Jon hit the road with his band in celebration of the 15 year anniversary of his Indiana album which will be remastered and re released on vinyl spotlighting a new a capella version of the title track “Indiana” featuring Straight No Chaser as well as never-before-released b-sides.
Towards the end of 2023, Jon released the third installment in his instrumental piano series: MOOD III.
As with everything he does, Jon’s goal is to create connections. He wants to translate his experiences and ideas into music that reaches fans everywhere. His passion for music and playing is evident in each note he plays.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240328T165735Z SEQUENCE:5076276 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2371 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240412T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240412T210000 UID:C64303DF-C15F-401F-AD4A-001F66571DAC SUMMARY:Knox CREATED:20240221T165611Z DTSTAMP:20240221T165611Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/knox DESCRIPTION:Growing up, Knox knew he had an interest in music more than the average kid. His teenage years were sound tracked by artists such as Fall Out Boy & Ed Sheeran, and the summer before he started college, Knox taught himself guitar. He began playing open mic nights and by his sophomore year, his musical ambitions were so all-consuming that he dropped out of school, moved in with his grandma and saved up money to move to Nashville. He made the leap in January 2019.\NKnox used Covid isolation to work on his craft. The focus paid off: Knox signed a publishing deal in 2022 but was struck with the urge to record songs he had been working on. The result was How to Lose a Girl in 7 Songs, Knox’s debut EP, released February 2023. Knox filmed TikToks featuring his song “Sneakers”, and 1 amassed nearly 2M views overnight. “Sneakers” now has over 28M streams. Another fan favorite track, “Not The 1975," can be seen on the Top 40 and Hot AC radio charts, and is featured on Knox’s latest EP, “I’m So Good At Being Alone?” released October 2023. \NKnox has since been touring, opening for the Band Camino, Nightly, and Boys Like Girls and most recently performing on his own sold out headline tour. “I'm 6 states away from home and there’s a thousand people in the audience that are singing the song that I wrote with my friends in my bedroom. That's when it gets you, when you see people connecting to something that I made with my best friends. It’s the most unreal feeling in the world.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Growing up, Knox knew he had an interest in music more than the average kid. His teenage years were sound tracked by artists such as Fall Out Boy & Ed Sheeran, and the summer before he started college, Knox taught himself guitar. He began playing open mic nights and by his sophomore year, his musical ambitions were so all-consuming that he dropped out of school, moved in with his grandma and saved up money to move to Nashville. He made the leap in January 2019.
Knox used Covid isolation to work on his craft. The focus paid off: Knox signed a publishing deal in 2022 but was struck with the urge to record songs he had been working on. The result was How to Lose a Girl in 7 Songs, Knox’s debut EP, released February 2023. Knox filmed TikToks featuring his song “Sneakers”, and 1 amassed nearly 2M views overnight. “Sneakers” now has over 28M streams. Another fan favorite track, “Not The 1975," can be seen on the Top 40 and Hot AC radio charts, and is featured on Knox’s latest EP, “I’m So Good At Being Alone?” released October 2023.
Knox has since been touring, opening for the Band Camino, Nightly, and Boys Like Girls and most recently performing on his own sold out headline tour. “I'm 6 states away from home and there’s a thousand people in the audience that are singing the song that I wrote with my friends in my bedroom. That's when it gets you, when you see people connecting to something that I made with my best friends. It’s the most unreal feeling in the world.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20240409T210356Z SEQUENCE:4162065 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2652 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240413T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240413T210000 UID:B05EEC41-2020-4BB3-93CA-4FBEA12D3122 SUMMARY:Hectic Hobo CREATED:20240222T165145Z DTSTAMP:20240222T165145Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/hectic-hobo DESCRIPTION:Since the dawn of the roots music revival of the 2000s, Hectic Hobo have summoned frenzied crowds on national and international tours with their eclectic blend of riotous Eastern European infused American folk-rock, dubbed “Wild West Gypsy Rock” in their earlier days. Wickedly funny, irreverent tunes like “There’s a Hole in My Coffin” (“Our Medicine Will Do You In,” 2014) about rain drops disturbing the corpses because there’s “no rest of the weary, no sleep for the dead,” or the murder ballad “In the Pines” (“Died on the Fourth of July,” 2017) took you on a time-trip to the days of minstrel style shows toting fiddle and horns.\NWhile they’re still playing some of the gypsy party stuff, the band, whose current members along with Cone are Todd Johnson (drums), Eric Peatross (keys, vocals), Nicholas Newberry (accordion, guitar, harmonica), and Christian Mills (bass, vocals) have evolved more towards Americana over time. “But it has always been rock n roll,” Cone says. And at its root, is good old-fashioned folksy storytelling. “Our songs have always carried a hint of protest music, albeit oftentimes hidden in the story, which is how I write: stories,” he says. \NCone started singing and playing music at Mojos in Ogden, the long-shuttered all ages venue. He had always been drawn to storytellers that paint vivid pictures, like Woody Guthrie, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Isaac Brock and Ian Felice—artists who, like himself, are storytellers first and singers second, he says.“Ever since I was young, even in elementary school, I’ve come up with tales about strange people, often on some sort of journey or stuck in some really tough predicament. They play out in my mind almost like a vivid movie with lots of imagery, and I just try to capture that in my writing, making it at least somewhat rhyme along the way,” Cone says.\NLong before Hectic Hobo, Cone played in a scat-jazz-stream of consciousness funk band called Hasenpfeffer & the Bombdiggitty, based in Logan, rapping instead of singing. He didn’t know how to sing or play guitar back then, but with access to instruments from his bandmates he picked up some chords and “twenty years later here I am, a mediocre rhythm guitar player and sore-throated singer that sometimes hits the right notes.” \NHectic Hobo’s videos are, like their live shows, thoroughly original and wildly entertaining. “We come up with the concepts, they bring their artistic eye, and we are always pleased with the final product,” Cone says. “I like doing music videos because it lets people get to know a bit of our personalities as they're listening to the songs. Plus it's an additional artistic outlet for us on top of writing, recording, and performing.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Since the dawn of the roots music revival of the 2000s, Hectic Hobo have summoned frenzied crowds on national and international tours with their eclectic blend of riotous Eastern European infused American folk-rock, dubbed “Wild West Gypsy Rock” in their earlier days. Wickedly funny, irreverent tunes like “There’s a Hole in My Coffin” (“Our Medicine Will Do You In,” 2014) about rain drops disturbing the corpses because there’s “no rest of the weary, no sleep for the dead,” or the murder ballad “In the Pines” (“Died on the Fourth of July,” 2017) took you on a time-trip to the days of minstrel style shows toting fiddle and horns.
While they’re still playing some of the gypsy party stuff, the band, whose current members along with Cone are Todd Johnson (drums), Eric Peatross (keys, vocals), Nicholas Newberry (accordion, guitar, harmonica), and Christian Mills (bass, vocals) have evolved more towards Americana over time. “But it has always been rock n roll,” Cone says. And at its root, is good old-fashioned folksy storytelling. “Our songs have always carried a hint of protest music, albeit oftentimes hidden in the story, which is how I write: stories,” he says.
Cone started singing and playing music at Mojos in Ogden, the long-shuttered all ages venue. He had always been drawn to storytellers that paint vivid pictures, like Woody Guthrie, Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, Isaac Brock and Ian Felice—artists who, like himself, are storytellers first and singers second, he says.“Ever since I was young, even in elementary school, I’ve come up with tales about strange people, often on some sort of journey or stuck in some really tough predicament. They play out in my mind almost like a vivid movie with lots of imagery, and I just try to capture that in my writing, making it at least somewhat rhyme along the way,” Cone says.
Long before Hectic Hobo, Cone played in a scat-jazz-stream of consciousness funk band called Hasenpfeffer & the Bombdiggitty, based in Logan, rapping instead of singing. He didn’t know how to sing or play guitar back then, but with access to instruments from his bandmates he picked up some chords and “twenty years later here I am, a mediocre rhythm guitar player and sore-throated singer that sometimes hits the right notes.”
Hectic Hobo’s videos are, like their live shows, thoroughly original and wildly entertaining. “We come up with the concepts, they bring their artistic eye, and we are always pleased with the final product,” Cone says. “I like doing music videos because it lets people get to know a bit of our personalities as they're listening to the songs. Plus it's an additional artistic outlet for us on top of writing, recording, and performing.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20240409T210424Z SEQUENCE:4075959 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2018 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-02-22 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240416T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240416T210000 UID:A75FEE35-CB9E-493B-9927-142095937168 SUMMARY:An Evening of Eight Guitars CREATED:20240315T193945Z DTSTAMP:20240315T193945Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/an-evening-of-eight-guitars DESCRIPTION:Utah Symphony’s Guitar Celebrations Festival Presents: AN EVENING OF 8 GUITARS WITH ANOTHER NIGHT ON EARTH\NClassical music and guitars of all kinds combine to kick off the Utah Symphony’s Guitar Celebrations festival! Another Night On Earth is an ensemble like no other—made up of eight electric and acoustic guitarists based all over the world, coming together to perform music both classical and current. From melodies of the Middle Ages to present-day art music, Another Night On Earth will highlight the guitar's sonic diversity! (Please note, the Utah Symphony does not perform on this concert.)\NThis performance is part of Utah Symphony’s Guitar Celebrations festival, bringing the eight extraordinary acoustic and electric guitarists of the collective Another Night on Earth to our community. The ensemble members—including conductor and Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Creative Partner David Robertson—will engage with audiences and students across Salt Lake City in a week of genre-bending performances and education programs. (Don't miss the festival's finale weekend, April 19 & 20 as Another Night on Earth takes the stage with the Utah Symphony at Maurice Abravanel Hall!) X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Utah Symphony’s Guitar Celebrations Festival Presents: AN EVENING OF 8 GUITARS WITH ANOTHER NIGHT ON EARTH
Classical music and guitars of all kinds combine to kick off the Utah Symphony’s Guitar Celebrations festival! Another Night On Earth is an ensemble like no other—made up of eight electric and acoustic guitarists based all over the world, coming together to perform music both classical and current. From melodies of the Middle Ages to present-day art music, Another Night On Earth will highlight the guitar's sonic diversity! (Please note, the Utah Symphony does not perform on this concert.)
This performance is part of Utah Symphony’s Guitar Celebrations festival, bringing the eight extraordinary acoustic and electric guitarists of the collective Another Night on Earth to our community. The ensemble members—including conductor and Utah Symphony | Utah Opera Creative Partner David Robertson—will engage with audiences and students across Salt Lake City in a week of genre-bending performances and education programs. (Don't miss the festival's finale weekend, April 19 & 20 as Another Night on Earth takes the stage with the Utah Symphony at Maurice Abravanel Hall!)
LAST-MODIFIED:20240409T210940Z SEQUENCE:2165395 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3969 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240418T203000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240418T213000 UID:53051D8B-2656-4328-880E-CD272512C148 SUMMARY:Phish: Live from Las Vegas! CREATED:20240417T190311Z DTSTAMP:20240417T190311Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/phish-live-from-las-vegas DESCRIPTION:Are you crying into your pillow every night at the thought of missing out on Phish's first Sphere run? Are you having a hard time coping with what's about to go down in Las Vegas because you won't be there?? Are you constantly checking CoT, StubHub, and VividSeats to see if there's *any* way you can finagle a last-minute send down I-15???\NDry your tears — and for the love of God, get off of those damn secondhand ticketing sites. We're here to make the most of it, together. Join us for a fun-a$$ time at The State Room as we live stream the Night 1 webcast of Phish at The Sphere. Free tickets, fully-stocked bar, and finally... no more PHOMO. ⭕️ X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Are you crying into your pillow every night at the thought of missing out on Phish's first Sphere run? Are you having a hard time coping with what's about to go down in Las Vegas because you won't be there?? Are you constantly checking CoT, StubHub, and VividSeats to see if there's *any* way you can finagle a last-minute send down I-15???
Dry your tears — and for the love of God, get off of those damn secondhand ticketing sites. We're here to make the most of it, together. Join us for a fun-a$$ time at The State Room as we live stream the Night 1 webcast of Phish at The Sphere. Free tickets, fully-stocked bar, and finally... no more PHOMO. ⭕️
LAST-MODIFIED:20240417T202938Z SEQUENCE:5187 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1411 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240419T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240419T210000 UID:F8BF3216-23B7-4914-967A-7C839AA6D4FA SUMMARY:Ezra Bell CREATED:20240213T235121Z DTSTAMP:20240213T235121Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/ezra-bell-2 DESCRIPTION:Ezra Bell was founded late in the summer of 2013. It was warm enough to sit on the porch into the evening and learn a couple of songs. A lap drum a banjo and an out-of-tune guitar. Years on, it’s surprising Ezra Bell is still at it. Streaming services have surprisingly worked in Ezra Bell’s favor and listeners resonate with the tales spinning out of order around disconcerting musical interludes. Somehow, a licensing company commissioned Ezra Bell to play and record Sam Cooke’s worst song for an insurance commercial. The commercial aired on Superbowl Sunday. Ezra Bell espouses neither football nor insurance but sold out accordingly for the pittance that was paid and the exposure. Such is the music industry. Many heartfelt messages from unknown listeners have kept Ezra Bell busy writing and recording. Eventually, a booking agency caught on to the growing cult following and propped Ezra Bell up in front of audiences outside of Portland, forcing the band to drive thousands of miles, sometimes in single day, to play for crowds. Then there was COVID. Now the touring has (mostly) ceased and the band focuses on recording and self-releasing independent music. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Ezra Bell was founded late in the summer of 2013. It was warm enough to sit on the porch into the evening and learn a couple of songs. A lap drum a banjo and an out-of-tune guitar. Years on, it’s surprising Ezra Bell is still at it. Streaming services have surprisingly worked in Ezra Bell’s favor and listeners resonate with the tales spinning out of order around disconcerting musical interludes. Somehow, a licensing company commissioned Ezra Bell to play and record Sam Cooke’s worst song for an insurance commercial. The commercial aired on Superbowl Sunday. Ezra Bell espouses neither football nor insurance but sold out accordingly for the pittance that was paid and the exposure. Such is the music industry. Many heartfelt messages from unknown listeners have kept Ezra Bell busy writing and recording. Eventually, a booking agency caught on to the growing cult following and propped Ezra Bell up in front of audiences outside of Portland, forcing the band to drive thousands of miles, sometimes in single day, to play for crowds. Then there was COVID. Now the touring has (mostly) ceased and the band focuses on recording and self-releasing independent music.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240409T210242Z SEQUENCE:4828281 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2139 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240420T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240420T210000 UID:159B1CD0-4316-49C1-BBC4-067A8A5CAF50 SUMMARY:Jesse Daniel CREATED:20240108T191400Z DTSTAMP:20240108T191400Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jesse-daniel-2 DESCRIPTION:It is no secret that Jesse Daniel puts on one hell of a live show. With his top notch band, he’s been touring the country for years and earning fans the old fashioned way; with honest songs played well. The California native is blazing the trail for a new wave of traditional artists, bringing his hard core country music to stages all over the US. There are many making traditional country music in modern times, but there is no one making it like Daniel. His sound is uniquely his own, while rooted in the tradition of his Bakersfield heroes like Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. This one-of-a-kind sound has earned Jesse a place at the table among the best of the country music world and has garnered the support of his contemporaries and fans alike. Over the past few years, he and his band have toured and shared stages with artists like Colter Wall, Tyler Childers, Sierra Ferrell, Charley Crockett, American Aquarium, Turnpike Troubadours, Shane Smith, Mike and the Moonpies, Raul Malo and many others. Jesse’s touring schedule has taken him and his band over 50,000 miles in 2022 alone and this year they aim to surpass that by a longshot. Touring this extensively can be tough on a band, but it has proven to be what truly makes a band great. There is nothing that will make a group tighter than grinding it out on the road, night after night, club after club. That is why Jesse and his songwriting partner, fellow band member, manager and fiance Jodi Lyford decided it was time to make a live album.\N“My Kind Of Country Live at The Catalyst '' was recorded in front of a sold out crowd at Santa Cruz, CA’s biggest live music venue. It’s the only album made at The Catalyst since Neil Young & Crazy Horse recorded “Touch The Night - Santa Cruz 1984” on the same stage. This was a monumental achievement for Daniel, considering he used to work as a stage hand and security at the venue years ago. He played his first ever show at the tiny upstairs bar and spent years battling addiction on the very street that The Catalyst resides. “The Catalyst was kind of as big as it gets in my world. I grew up there, going to shows, playing shows on their smaller stages. To headline the main stage, let alone sell it out and make a record there, is a huge accomplishment for me and I’m forever grateful to my Santa Cruz County friends, fans and family for supporting what we do.” said Daniel. What better way to thank the community that raised and supported you than to make a live album with them.\NThis recording includes songs from all three of Daniel’s studio albums - Jesse Daniel (2018), Rollin’ On (2020) and Beyond These Walls (2021), as well as his own hometown rendition of Homer Joy’s country classic “Streets Of Bakersfield”, made famous by Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens. When the band breaks down you can hear every soul in the room shouting, singing along and celebrating the phrase that they themselves coined - “My Kind Of Country”. This captured live performance showcases Daniel and his band’s live energy and transports you directly to that place in time, as if you were there for it all. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:It is no secret that Jesse Daniel puts on one hell of a live show. With his top notch band, he’s been touring the country for years and earning fans the old fashioned way; with honest songs played well. The California native is blazing the trail for a new wave of traditional artists, bringing his hard core country music to stages all over the US. There are many making traditional country music in modern times, but there is no one making it like Daniel. His sound is uniquely his own, while rooted in the tradition of his Bakersfield heroes like Merle Haggard and Buck Owens. This one-of-a-kind sound has earned Jesse a place at the table among the best of the country music world and has garnered the support of his contemporaries and fans alike. Over the past few years, he and his band have toured and shared stages with artists like Colter Wall, Tyler Childers, Sierra Ferrell, Charley Crockett, American Aquarium, Turnpike Troubadours, Shane Smith, Mike and the Moonpies, Raul Malo and many others. Jesse’s touring schedule has taken him and his band over 50,000 miles in 2022 alone and this year they aim to surpass that by a longshot. Touring this extensively can be tough on a band, but it has proven to be what truly makes a band great. There is nothing that will make a group tighter than grinding it out on the road, night after night, club after club. That is why Jesse and his songwriting partner, fellow band member, manager and fiance Jodi Lyford decided it was time to make a live album.
“My Kind Of Country Live at The Catalyst '' was recorded in front of a sold out crowd at Santa Cruz, CA’s biggest live music venue. It’s the only album made at The Catalyst since Neil Young & Crazy Horse recorded “Touch The Night - Santa Cruz 1984” on the same stage. This was a monumental achievement for Daniel, considering he used to work as a stage hand and security at the venue years ago. He played his first ever show at the tiny upstairs bar and spent years battling addiction on the very street that The Catalyst resides. “The Catalyst was kind of as big as it gets in my world. I grew up there, going to shows, playing shows on their smaller stages. To headline the main stage, let alone sell it out and make a record there, is a huge accomplishment for me and I’m forever grateful to my Santa Cruz County friends, fans and family for supporting what we do.” said Daniel. What better way to thank the community that raised and supported you than to make a live album with them.
This recording includes songs from all three of Daniel’s studio albums - Jesse Daniel (2018), Rollin’ On (2020) and Beyond These Walls (2021), as well as his own hometown rendition of Homer Joy’s country classic “Streets Of Bakersfield”, made famous by Dwight Yoakam and Buck Owens. When the band breaks down you can hear every soul in the room shouting, singing along and celebrating the phrase that they themselves coined - “My Kind Of Country”. This captured live performance showcases Daniel and his band’s live energy and transports you directly to that place in time, as if you were there for it all.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240415T205237Z SEQUENCE:8473117 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1974 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-01-10 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240422T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240422T230000 UID:ED82B9EC-3D42-489B-941E-B4BD0B3A6976 SUMMARY:Tinsley Ellis CREATED:20240130T201618Z DTSTAMP:20240130T201618Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/tinsley-ellis DESCRIPTION:According to Atlanta-based blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Tinsley Ellis, his new, first-ever solo acoustic album, Naked Truth, is both “a departure and an arrival.” Ellis has been recording and travelling the world for over four decades, delivering his feral, guitar-fueled, original electric blues-rock to ever-growing audiences at concert halls, festivals, and clubs. Naked Truth is steeped in the folk blues traditions of Muddy Waters, Skip James, Son House, Robert Johnson and even Leo Kottke. To the casual fan, this might seem to be a new direction, but for Ellis, it’s an extension of his music, as he taps into the raw essence of the blues. “This is a record I’ve always wanted to make, and one that my longtime fans have been asking for,” he says, noting he’s included an acoustic mini-set in his concert performances for years. In the last 12 months, Ellis has already performed over 100 solo shows, many as co-bills with his Alligator label-mate Marcia Ball. “I’m having so much fun playing these shows,” he says.\NOn Naked Truth (his 21stalbum), Ellis swaps his blistering, guitar-fueled full band workouts for equally passionate, soul-searching acoustic folk blues. His famed guitar chops and musical creativity are on full display throughout the album’s 12 songs, including nine newly written originals. Naked Truth was produced by Ellis, with the foot-stomping cover of Son House’s Death Letter Bluesproduced by Atlanta roots musician Eddie 9V. The album was recorded live in the studio using Ellis’ beloved 1969 Martin D-35 (a gift from his father) and his 1937 National Steel O Series guitars. Whether intricately fingerpicking the Martin or playing hair-raising slide on the National Steel, Ellis delivers each song with unvarnished intimacy.\NThe opener, Ellis’ original Devil In The Room, comes from an expression Ellis’ close friend, the late Col. Bruce Hampton, would tell his musicians just before a show was about to begin (“We’re here to put the devil in the room,” he’d say). From the original, Skip James-inspired Windowpane to the Delta-styled Tallahassee Blues, to the humorous Grown Ass Man, Ellis goes deep, singing and playing the blues’ honest truths. The inclusion of four introspective instrumentals (including a transcendent cover of Leo Kottke’s A Soldier’s Grave On The Prairie, a song he’s been playing live for almost 50 years) adds even more depth and substance to an album overflowing with riches. Each song carries the weight, experience and hard-earned wisdom Ellis learned over four decades on the road, infusing Naked Truth with an emotional authenticity that is palpable from start to finish.\NTinsley Ellis has been immersed in music his whole life. Born in Atlanta 1957 and raised in southern Florida, he acquired his first guitar at age seven, inspired by seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. He took to guitar instantly, developing and sharpening his skills as he grew up. Like many kids his age, Ellis discovered the blues through the back door of British Invasion bands like The Yardbirds, The Animals, Cream and The Rolling Stones as well as Southern rockers like The Allman Brothers. One afternoon after high school in 1972, he and a friend were listening to Al Kooper and Michael Bloomfield’s Super Session record when his friend’s older brother told them that, if they liked Super Session, they should go see B.B. King, who was in town that week. Tinsley saw that show from the very front row. As fate would have it, King broke a guitar string while playing, and after changing it without missing a beat, he handed the broken string to young Tinsley. And yes, Tinsley still has that string.\NLess than three years later, Ellis, already an accomplished teenaged musician, left Florida and moved to Atlanta. He soon joined a hard-driving local blues band, the Alley Cats. In 1981, along with veteran blues singer and harpist Chicago Bob Nelson, Tinsley formed The Heartfixers, a group that would become Atlanta’s top-drawing blues band. After cutting four Heartfixers albums (three for the Landslide label), Ellis was ready to step out on his own.\NGeorgia Blue, Tinsley’s first Alligator release, hit the unprepared public by surprise in 1988, as press and radio brought his music to more people than ever before. His next four releases—1989’s Fanning The Flames, 1992’s Trouble Time, 1994’s Storm Warning, and 1997’s Fire It Up—further grew his reputation as well as his audience. (His song A Quitter Never Wins, a highlight of Storm Warning, was recorded by Jonny Lang, selling almost two million copies.) Features and reviews ran in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and in many other national and regional publications. And he backed it all up performing hundreds of nights per year. Rolling Stonedeclared, “Feral blues guitar…non-stop gigging has sharpened his six-string to a razor’s edge…his eloquence dazzles…he achieves pyrotechnics that rival Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.”\NIn the early 2000s, Ellis released albums on Capricorn Records and on Telarc, returning to Alligator in 2005 with Live–Highwayman, which captured the fifth-gear energy of his roof-raising live show. He followed it with two more incendiary studio albums, 2007’s Moment Of Truth and 2009’s Speak No Evil. He self-released four successful albums on his own Heartfixer label before coming back home to Alligator in 2018. That year, he released the fan favorite Winning Hand, followed by 2020’s Ice Cream In Hell just before the pandemic sidelined all touring. With 2022’s Devil May Care, Ellis embarked on another relentless, coast-to-coast tour, further cementing his reputation as one of the most prolific and exciting blues rockers on the scene.\NTinsley Ellis has brought his music to fans live in person to all 50 United States, as well as in Canada, across Europe, Australia and South America. He’s earned the love and respect of many of his fellow musicians, having shared stages with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Allman Brothers, Warren Haynes, Oliver Wood, Buddy Guy, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gov’t Mule, Widespread Panic, and more. Over the years, legends including Otis Rush, James Cotton, Gregg Allman, Jimmy Buffett, Son Seals, Koko Taylor and Albert Collins invited Ellis to join them on stage. Mega-star guitarist Joe Bonamassa calls Ellis “a national treasure.” \NNow, with Naked Truth, Ellis will bring his music directly to his fans. “Two guitars and a car,” he says of the simplicity of his North American touring situation. “When folks come to see me, I’ll have the guitars I used on the record with me, so what fans hear on the album is what they’ll get live. It’s not easy. Now I’m the whole band and there’s nowhere to hide. It’s scary every single time I go up on stage alone. But nothing could be more honest.”\NNaked Truth is a revelation. Stripped of the electric fervor that defined his previous works, Ellis’ acoustic music carries a rawness that speaks directly from his soul. The songs unveil another side of Tinsley Ellis, but one that is totally recognizable to his fans. His gruff, full-throated vocals intertwine seamlessly with the bare, acoustic arrangements, creating an album that is both timeless and immediate. No Depression says, “Ellis shines. When the tempo slows, the intensity doesn’t waver.” Blues Music Magazine states, “Tinsley Ellis is a powerful and commanding presence. His music is impossible not to enjoy.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:According to Atlanta-based blues guitarist, singer and songwriter Tinsley Ellis, his new, first-ever solo acoustic album, Naked Truth, is both “a departure and an arrival.” Ellis has been recording and travelling the world for over four decades, delivering his feral, guitar-fueled, original electric blues-rock to ever-growing audiences at concert halls, festivals, and clubs. Naked Truth is steeped in the folk blues traditions of Muddy Waters, Skip James, Son House, Robert Johnson and even Leo Kottke. To the casual fan, this might seem to be a new direction, but for Ellis, it’s an extension of his music, as he taps into the raw essence of the blues. “This is a record I’ve always wanted to make, and one that my longtime fans have been asking for,” he says, noting he’s included an acoustic mini-set in his concert performances for years. In the last 12 months, Ellis has already performed over 100 solo shows, many as co-bills with his Alligator label-mate Marcia Ball. “I’m having so much fun playing these shows,” he says.
On Naked Truth (his 21stalbum), Ellis swaps his blistering, guitar-fueled full band workouts for equally passionate, soul-searching acoustic folk blues. His famed guitar chops and musical creativity are on full display throughout the album’s 12 songs, including nine newly written originals. Naked Truth was produced by Ellis, with the foot-stomping cover of Son House’s Death Letter Bluesproduced by Atlanta roots musician Eddie 9V. The album was recorded live in the studio using Ellis’ beloved 1969 Martin D-35 (a gift from his father) and his 1937 National Steel O Series guitars. Whether intricately fingerpicking the Martin or playing hair-raising slide on the National Steel, Ellis delivers each song with unvarnished intimacy.
The opener, Ellis’ original Devil In The Room, comes from an expression Ellis’ close friend, the late Col. Bruce Hampton, would tell his musicians just before a show was about to begin (“We’re here to put the devil in the room,” he’d say). From the original, Skip James-inspired Windowpane to the Delta-styled Tallahassee Blues, to the humorous Grown Ass Man, Ellis goes deep, singing and playing the blues’ honest truths. The inclusion of four introspective instrumentals (including a transcendent cover of Leo Kottke’s A Soldier’s Grave On The Prairie, a song he’s been playing live for almost 50 years) adds even more depth and substance to an album overflowing with riches. Each song carries the weight, experience and hard-earned wisdom Ellis learned over four decades on the road, infusing Naked Truth with an emotional authenticity that is palpable from start to finish.
Tinsley Ellis has been immersed in music his whole life. Born in Atlanta 1957 and raised in southern Florida, he acquired his first guitar at age seven, inspired by seeing The Beatles perform on The Ed Sullivan Show. He took to guitar instantly, developing and sharpening his skills as he grew up. Like many kids his age, Ellis discovered the blues through the back door of British Invasion bands like The Yardbirds, The Animals, Cream and The Rolling Stones as well as Southern rockers like The Allman Brothers. One afternoon after high school in 1972, he and a friend were listening to Al Kooper and Michael Bloomfield’s Super Session record when his friend’s older brother told them that, if they liked Super Session, they should go see B.B. King, who was in town that week. Tinsley saw that show from the very front row. As fate would have it, King broke a guitar string while playing, and after changing it without missing a beat, he handed the broken string to young Tinsley. And yes, Tinsley still has that string.
Less than three years later, Ellis, already an accomplished teenaged musician, left Florida and moved to Atlanta. He soon joined a hard-driving local blues band, the Alley Cats. In 1981, along with veteran blues singer and harpist Chicago Bob Nelson, Tinsley formed The Heartfixers, a group that would become Atlanta’s top-drawing blues band. After cutting four Heartfixers albums (three for the Landslide label), Ellis was ready to step out on his own.
Georgia Blue, Tinsley’s first Alligator release, hit the unprepared public by surprise in 1988, as press and radio brought his music to more people than ever before. His next four releases—1989’s Fanning The Flames, 1992’s Trouble Time, 1994’s Storm Warning, and 1997’s Fire It Up—further grew his reputation as well as his audience. (His song A Quitter Never Wins, a highlight of Storm Warning, was recorded by Jonny Lang, selling almost two million copies.) Features and reviews ran in The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, The Boston Globe, and in many other national and regional publications. And he backed it all up performing hundreds of nights per year. Rolling Stonedeclared, “Feral blues guitar…non-stop gigging has sharpened his six-string to a razor’s edge…his eloquence dazzles…he achieves pyrotechnics that rival Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton.”
In the early 2000s, Ellis released albums on Capricorn Records and on Telarc, returning to Alligator in 2005 with Live–Highwayman, which captured the fifth-gear energy of his roof-raising live show. He followed it with two more incendiary studio albums, 2007’s Moment Of Truth and 2009’s Speak No Evil. He self-released four successful albums on his own Heartfixer label before coming back home to Alligator in 2018. That year, he released the fan favorite Winning Hand, followed by 2020’s Ice Cream In Hell just before the pandemic sidelined all touring. With 2022’s Devil May Care, Ellis embarked on another relentless, coast-to-coast tour, further cementing his reputation as one of the most prolific and exciting blues rockers on the scene.
Tinsley Ellis has brought his music to fans live in person to all 50 United States, as well as in Canada, across Europe, Australia and South America. He’s earned the love and respect of many of his fellow musicians, having shared stages with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram, The Allman Brothers, Warren Haynes, Oliver Wood, Buddy Guy, the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Gov’t Mule, Widespread Panic, and more. Over the years, legends including Otis Rush, James Cotton, Gregg Allman, Jimmy Buffett, Son Seals, Koko Taylor and Albert Collins invited Ellis to join them on stage. Mega-star guitarist Joe Bonamassa calls Ellis “a national treasure.”
Now, with Naked Truth, Ellis will bring his music directly to his fans. “Two guitars and a car,” he says of the simplicity of his North American touring situation. “When folks come to see me, I’ll have the guitars I used on the record with me, so what fans hear on the album is what they’ll get live. It’s not easy. Now I’m the whole band and there’s nowhere to hide. It’s scary every single time I go up on stage alone. But nothing could be more honest.”
Naked Truth is a revelation. Stripped of the electric fervor that defined his previous works, Ellis’ acoustic music carries a rawness that speaks directly from his soul. The songs unveil another side of Tinsley Ellis, but one that is totally recognizable to his fans. His gruff, full-throated vocals intertwine seamlessly with the bare, acoustic arrangements, creating an album that is both timeless and immediate. No Depression says, “Ellis shines. When the tempo slows, the intensity doesn’t waver.” Blues Music Magazine states, “Tinsley Ellis is a powerful and commanding presence. His music is impossible not to enjoy.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20240213T215315Z SEQUENCE:1215417 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1987 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240427T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240427T210000 UID:5AD6D743-94B4-4670-ABA4-4DFE57DAFC65 SUMMARY:Thunderstorm Artis CREATED:20240213T223051Z DTSTAMP:20240213T223051Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/thunderstorm-artis DESCRIPTION:Thunderstorm Artis is a singer/songwriter born and raised on the North Shore of Oahu. He learned at a very young age to play piano, guitar, harmonica and drums, from his father, Ron and mother, Victoria. He has shared stages with Train, John Legend, Zac Brown and Jack Johnson. However, he is most known for being a finalist on the NBC show “The Voice” Season 18. His music crosses many genres including Folk, Rock, Soul and Country. At his concerts he has been known to jump into Bowie, Beatles, Elton John and Leonard Cohen, as well as mixing in his own heartfelt originals. No matter what Thunderstorm performs, he does it from his heart. He does not consider his music as notes on a page but rather a window into his soul. His strong belief is that through music he can make the world a better place and lift the hearts of others. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Thunderstorm Artis is a singer/songwriter born and raised on the North Shore of Oahu. He learned at a very young age to play piano, guitar, harmonica and drums, from his father, Ron and mother, Victoria. He has shared stages with Train, John Legend, Zac Brown and Jack Johnson. However, he is most known for being a finalist on the NBC show “The Voice” Season 18. His music crosses many genres including Folk, Rock, Soul and Country. At his concerts he has been known to jump into Bowie, Beatles, Elton John and Leonard Cohen, as well as mixing in his own heartfelt originals. No matter what Thunderstorm performs, he does it from his heart. He does not consider his music as notes on a page but rather a window into his soul. His strong belief is that through music he can make the world a better place and lift the hearts of others.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240409T210145Z SEQUENCE:4833054 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2979 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240501T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240501T210000 UID:F93F4FB8-4910-4BF6-BD42-98A995AF733E SUMMARY:Tenille Townes CREATED:20240213T233611Z DTSTAMP:20240213T233611Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/tenille-townes DESCRIPTION:An astute observer of the human condition, Tenille Townes’ discography is rife with stories that reverberate with heavy truths. Following the release of a duet with world-superstar Bryan Adams, the revered songwriter, and CCMA Entertainer of the Year, released a five-song project called the Train Track Worktapes in 2023. Townes conceptualized, wrote, and recorded the EP on a 15-day, 3,000-mile, train trip where she played 65 shows at stops in communities across Canada. \NTownes is a 15-time Canadian Country Music Association Award winner (CCMA), a two-time JUNO Awards Country Album of the Year Winner, and a two-time ACM Award-winner. She is also the first female artist in Mediabase Canada history to achieve two No. 1 singles (Music Canada Gold-certified “Jersey on The Wall (I’m Just Asking),” Music Canada Platinum-certified and RIAA Gold-certified “Somebody’s Daughter”). \NTownes has opened for legendary artists such as Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain and George Strait. Townes has also toured extensively outside of the US – last year she performed for fans in Australia, Ireland, Germany, and had a sold-out run of headlining shows in the UK. Her international touring efforts earned her a nomination for the CMA International Artist Achievement Award. \NA Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Townes has been featured by NPR, Variety, Refinery29, Billboard, Rolling Stone, NBC’s “TODAY,” BBC and more. Additionally, she has raised over $2.5 million for Big Hearts For Big Kids, a non-profit she started when she was 15 years old to benefit a youth shelter in her hometown, which has grown to support US-based organizations including the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, S.A.F.E. Animal Haven, and the Manna House. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:An astute observer of the human condition, Tenille Townes’ discography is rife with stories that reverberate with heavy truths. Following the release of a duet with world-superstar Bryan Adams, the revered songwriter, and CCMA Entertainer of the Year, released a five-song project called the Train Track Worktapes in 2023. Townes conceptualized, wrote, and recorded the EP on a 15-day, 3,000-mile, train trip where she played 65 shows at stops in communities across Canada.
Townes is a 15-time Canadian Country Music Association Award winner (CCMA), a two-time JUNO Awards Country Album of the Year Winner, and a two-time ACM Award-winner. She is also the first female artist in Mediabase Canada history to achieve two No. 1 singles (Music Canada Gold-certified “Jersey on The Wall (I’m Just Asking),” Music Canada Platinum-certified and RIAA Gold-certified “Somebody’s Daughter”).
Townes has opened for legendary artists such as Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Shania Twain and George Strait. Townes has also toured extensively outside of the US – last year she performed for fans in Australia, Ireland, Germany, and had a sold-out run of headlining shows in the UK. Her international touring efforts earned her a nomination for the CMA International Artist Achievement Award.
A Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, Townes has been featured by NPR, Variety, Refinery29, Billboard, Rolling Stone, NBC’s “TODAY,” BBC and more. Additionally, she has raised over $2.5 million for Big Hearts For Big Kids, a non-profit she started when she was 15 years old to benefit a youth shelter in her hometown, which has grown to support US-based organizations including the Girl Scouts of Middle Tennessee, S.A.F.E. Animal Haven, and the Manna House.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240409T210209Z SEQUENCE:4829158 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2151 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240502T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240502T210000 UID:C877FD20-AE25-49BD-887E-C89E6EDDA81B SUMMARY:Jade Bird CREATED:20240301T162826Z DTSTAMP:20240301T162826Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jade-bird DESCRIPTION:Like falling in love, break-ups start slowly and then happen all at once. For Jade Bird, the end of her relationship gathered pace and crashed into reality in 2022, resulting in the beautifully temperate EP Burn The Hard Drive. It is a short collection of songs that paint the various stages of grief that come with the end of a relationship in devastatingly astute but carefully optimistic strokes. \NBird has always railed against being pigeonholed and wary of collaboration. Having grown up in the UK, she was influenced heavily by Americana and hailed as a powerhouse performer. Even as she was compared to country-folk titans, in those early days she was determined to be fully Jade Bird without any shades of anyone else. Every note had to come from her. But for the Burn The Hard Drive EP, she worked with Alex Crossan, known better as Mura Masa, finding freedom and joy in writing and experimenting with ideas in his modest home studio. Gradually, the songs found form and her emotions tumbled out into notes and melodies, shepherded by Crossan’s unique and encouraging ear. \NShe had met her ex-fiance when she was just 18. He was a musician and she was newly signed. “It was an unsaid thing that it wouldn’t have worked unless he kind of joined my band and we toured together, so things evolved very quickly,” she says. So for the next few years as Bird’s career took off, they did everything together: recording, touring, writing, everything. “Every cool memory I’ve got musically, he’s in that. The second record is about him.” He was enmeshed in her life in a way that few of us experience. “When you’re in a relationship like that, when it’s good it’s so good. You’ve got support at work, you’re on the road together: it’s this romantic ideal. And when it’s not good, it becomes a bit of a living hell.” \NEven as they got engaged and moved together to Austin, Texas, things began to break down. “There’s been so many times I’ve been on stage and I’ve just sort of had a bit of a breakdown, crying or whatever, because the songs are so interwoven into my experience.” Bird began writing the songs that make up the EP just after the hardcore lockdowns of the Covid-19 pandemic ended. “I think we were all going through something,” she says of those early writing sessions with Cossen. During one of the last writing sessions before the break-up, she wrote the song Burn The Hard Drive, a sultry, sorrowful song. “There’s no good goodbye, no right way to die,” she sings on the chorus before offering a digital Eternal Sunshine solution of destroying all evidence of a relationship. “I listened back to it with Alex and was like, ‘Oh my god this is a premonition of ending my relationship’.” \NWriting has always been a way to talk things through with herself. “I think that was me getting it out on paper, getting it out through music and telling myself the things I couldn’t do in a more matter of fact way.” With Cossen’s help, she interrogated the emotions the song had thrown up, feeling her way through the memories of times when she didn’t have a voice or a safe space to express what she’d been feeling during the dying days of an intense relationship. “Before I knew it, that was the exact concept for the EP, which was honing in on every little piece of the break up.” \NThough a sad, reflective kind of EP, it begins on a hopeful note with Breaking The Grey, the final stage of grief when you realise you’re going to be okay. “It’s about getting out of a bad spot,” Bird explains. “I often find in a room, there is a level of empathy, where I find myself worrying what the room is going through and I think with Breaking The Grey we were all feeling the murkiness of the pandemic, the clouds of that - so the chorus was about finding our way out of that while the verses are more personal.” Over a jaunty piano line, she sketches out tiny scenes of a different kind of grey - “The look on your face as you hold me close, your feelings have changed”. “There was a purity to the process,” she recalls. “I could get super in my head as a writer, zigzagging past my feelings. But with Alex, he was just like ‘It doesn’t matter what this is for, we’re just creating’. So it allowed me to tell stories that are different to my usual kind of ‘rage’ narrative - it’s a lot more vulnerable.” \NIt’s quite a departure for Bird, much gentler than her previous two albums and with more twisting, mesmerising riffs than the hard strums that have become a kind of trademark. “Rage became a huge point of contention for me - I grew up in a high conflict household so I think my albums have been about getting that out - but with Alex, for some reason, that wasn’t what was coming out. It’s a little different. I think it’s exploring the emotions before the rage,” she says, before adding with a grin: “I’m saving the rage for the album.”\NYou can still hear the fire of classic Jade Bird though - C’est La Vie has a huge stadium-worthy chorus that is solely Bird and her guitar. But there is no song more markedly unusual for her than You’ve Fallen In Love Again, twinkling gently across a winding bass line with otherworldly synths popping in and out of focus. “I think we tapped into the dissociative mood I was in - I felt like I was hovering above myself,” she says. The song suggests a fear of finding herself back in an unhealthy relationship, the trap of falling in love. “I think that is probably the most relatable feeling, as opposed to the heartbreak. I needed to be free.” \NIt’s a short, reflective record, one that seems to send Jade Bird off on a new trajectory. Life has taken a turn too. She relocated to LA, started seeing someone new and has been embracing more pastimes outside of her career - at just 26 she’s already been a working musician for almost a decade. Even as her most collaborative work yet, Burn The Hard Drive sees her finally feeling like herself. It’s been a transformative time: and from the darkness, light has come. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Like falling in love, break-ups start slowly and then happen all at once. For Jade Bird, the end of her relationship gathered pace and crashed into reality in 2022, resulting in the beautifully temperate EP Burn The Hard Drive. It is a short collection of songs that paint the various stages of grief that come with the end of a relationship in devastatingly astute but carefully optimistic strokes.
Bird has always railed against being pigeonholed and wary of collaboration. Having grown up in the UK, she was influenced heavily by Americana and hailed as a powerhouse performer. Even as she was compared to country-folk titans, in those early days she was determined to be fully Jade Bird without any shades of anyone else. Every note had to come from her. But for the Burn The Hard Drive EP, she worked with Alex Crossan, known better as Mura Masa, finding freedom and joy in writing and experimenting with ideas in his modest home studio. Gradually, the songs found form and her emotions tumbled out into notes and melodies, shepherded by Crossan’s unique and encouraging ear.
She had met her ex-fiance when she was just 18. He was a musician and she was newly signed. “It was an unsaid thing that it wouldn’t have worked unless he kind of joined my band and we toured together, so things evolved very quickly,” she says. So for the next few years as Bird’s career took off, they did everything together: recording, touring, writing, everything. “Every cool memory I’ve got musically, he’s in that. The second record is about him.” He was enmeshed in her life in a way that few of us experience. “When you’re in a relationship like that, when it’s good it’s so good. You’ve got support at work, you’re on the road together: it’s this romantic ideal. And when it’s not good, it becomes a bit of a living hell.”
Even as they got engaged and moved together to Austin, Texas, things began to break down. “There’s been so many times I’ve been on stage and I’ve just sort of had a bit of a breakdown, crying or whatever, because the songs are so interwoven into my experience.” Bird began writing the songs that make up the EP just after the hardcore lockdowns of the Covid-19 pandemic ended. “I think we were all going through something,” she says of those early writing sessions with Cossen. During one of the last writing sessions before the break-up, she wrote the song Burn The Hard Drive, a sultry, sorrowful song. “There’s no good goodbye, no right way to die,” she sings on the chorus before offering a digital Eternal Sunshine solution of destroying all evidence of a relationship. “I listened back to it with Alex and was like, ‘Oh my god this is a premonition of ending my relationship’.”
Writing has always been a way to talk things through with herself. “I think that was me getting it out on paper, getting it out through music and telling myself the things I couldn’t do in a more matter of fact way.” With Cossen’s help, she interrogated the emotions the song had thrown up, feeling her way through the memories of times when she didn’t have a voice or a safe space to express what she’d been feeling during the dying days of an intense relationship. “Before I knew it, that was the exact concept for the EP, which was honing in on every little piece of the break up.”
Though a sad, reflective kind of EP, it begins on a hopeful note with Breaking The Grey, the final stage of grief when you realise you’re going to be okay. “It’s about getting out of a bad spot,” Bird explains. “I often find in a room, there is a level of empathy, where I find myself worrying what the room is going through and I think with Breaking The Grey we were all feeling the murkiness of the pandemic, the clouds of that - so the chorus was about finding our way out of that while the verses are more personal.” Over a jaunty piano line, she sketches out tiny scenes of a different kind of grey - “The look on your face as you hold me close, your feelings have changed”. “There was a purity to the process,” she recalls. “I could get super in my head as a writer, zigzagging past my feelings. But with Alex, he was just like ‘It doesn’t matter what this is for, we’re just creating’. So it allowed me to tell stories that are different to my usual kind of ‘rage’ narrative - it’s a lot more vulnerable.”
It’s quite a departure for Bird, much gentler than her previous two albums and with more twisting, mesmerising riffs than the hard strums that have become a kind of trademark. “Rage became a huge point of contention for me - I grew up in a high conflict household so I think my albums have been about getting that out - but with Alex, for some reason, that wasn’t what was coming out. It’s a little different. I think it’s exploring the emotions before the rage,” she says, before adding with a grin: “I’m saving the rage for the album.”
You can still hear the fire of classic Jade Bird though - C’est La Vie has a huge stadium-worthy chorus that is solely Bird and her guitar. But there is no song more markedly unusual for her than You’ve Fallen In Love Again, twinkling gently across a winding bass line with otherworldly synths popping in and out of focus. “I think we tapped into the dissociative mood I was in - I felt like I was hovering above myself,” she says. The song suggests a fear of finding herself back in an unhealthy relationship, the trap of falling in love. “I think that is probably the most relatable feeling, as opposed to the heartbreak. I needed to be free.”
It’s a short, reflective record, one that seems to send Jade Bird off on a new trajectory. Life has taken a turn too. She relocated to LA, started seeing someone new and has been embracing more pastimes outside of her career - at just 26 she’s already been a working musician for almost a decade. Even as her most collaborative work yet, Burn The Hard Drive sees her finally feeling like herself. It’s been a transformative time: and from the darkness, light has come.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240409T210601Z SEQUENCE:3386255 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2367 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240503T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240503T210000 UID:8ABA76C8-D404-4119-9462-5617EDCEBC4C SUMMARY:Daniel Young x Hollering Pines CREATED:20240305T165441Z DTSTAMP:20240305T165441Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/daniel-young-x-hollering-pines DESCRIPTION:Daniel Young is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, drummer, sound engineer, and producer from Salt Lake City. He grew up on the side of a tall mountain, and that sense of forceful elevation informs all of his work. Daniel's been recording and performing for over two decades—and he's not that old, which tells you much of what you need to know about his commitment to craft, about how deep this runs with him.\NWho knows? On his soul-stretching, sometimes anguished fourth album, Leave It Out to Dry, Daniel Young finds his way to this question, over and over again. Through a heady stew of psych cowboy laments, Dead-style sideways rambles, and sagebrush pharmaceuticals, Leave It Out to Dry is Young's rawest, most expansive adventure yet. The medium matches the message: Young is looking at the great beyond; Young's music is becoming the great beyond. And, like the man said, sometimes when you stare into the abyss, it returns your gaze. Or sometimes, Young seems to acknowledge, you sing to it and it sounds back.\N The familiar influences are still there—country and western, early-70 r-&-r, observational songwriting á la John Prine—but they are filtered through something gnarlier, more unsettled. In other words, there's an urgency and a ragged edge to many of the cuts here that feels like a breakthrough. "Here Comes the Flood," for instance, finds Young at the edge of a new territory—sonically, spiritually—reaching outward, still reaching. Or the twin-guitar-lead, heavy-mic-bleed of "Help Us Get Along," a horn-driven plea that charges toward solace.\N Tracked mostly live in the basement of Orchard Studio, Leave It Out to Dry adds another length to the winding track of American song and sound that Young has been building for over half his life. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Daniel Young is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, drummer, sound engineer, and producer from Salt Lake City. He grew up on the side of a tall mountain, and that sense of forceful elevation informs all of his work. Daniel's been recording and performing for over two decades—and he's not that old, which tells you much of what you need to know about his commitment to craft, about how deep this runs with him.
Who knows? On his soul-stretching, sometimes anguished fourth album, Leave It Out to Dry, Daniel Young finds his way to this question, over and over again. Through a heady stew of psych cowboy laments, Dead-style sideways rambles, and sagebrush pharmaceuticals, Leave It Out to Dry is Young's rawest, most expansive adventure yet. The medium matches the message: Young is looking at the great beyond; Young's music is becoming the great beyond. And, like the man said, sometimes when you stare into the abyss, it returns your gaze. Or sometimes, Young seems to acknowledge, you sing to it and it sounds back.
The familiar influences are still there—country and western, early-70 r-&-r, observational songwriting á la John Prine—but they are filtered through something gnarlier, more unsettled. In other words, there's an urgency and a ragged edge to many of the cuts here that feels like a breakthrough. "Here Comes the Flood," for instance, finds Young at the edge of a new territory—sonically, spiritually—reaching outward, still reaching. Or the twin-guitar-lead, heavy-mic-bleed of "Help Us Get Along," a horn-driven plea that charges toward solace.
Tracked mostly live in the basement of Orchard Studio, Leave It Out to Dry adds another length to the winding track of American song and sound that Young has been building for over half his life.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240409T210821Z SEQUENCE:3039220 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2458 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-03-05 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240508T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240508T210000 UID:570D602A-6210-4530-A0BE-A3AB173729FB SUMMARY:We Three CREATED:20240228T172943Z DTSTAMP:20240228T172943Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/we-three-2 DESCRIPTION:We Three the Oregon alt-pop trio – siblings Manny, Bethany and Joshua Humlie – have already built a passionate global fanbase with their anthemic, emotive and life-affirming songs: they have 1.4 million TikTok followers, an audience they cultivated during the pandemic, and their music has received more than 250 million streams. But "Love Me" is their richest, rawest and hardest-hitting work yet. For frontman and primary songwriter Manny, the album title is a "smallphrase" that gives a "huge insight" into the record's themes. We Three are now a globally popular act selling out shows all over the world, but like so many bands, they started out gigging in and around their hometown – McMinnville, Oregon, a small city 40 miles southwest of Portland. They first came to wider attention in 2018 when they entered 'America's Got Talent' and stormed all the way to the semi-finals. We Three used 'America's Got Talent' as aspringboard and never looked back. They have since released three previous studio albums: 2018's 'We Three,' 2020's 'Dear Paranoia, Sincerely Me' and 2022's 'Happy' – and built a reputation for singing sensitively and insightfully about difficult topics including mental health issues. 'Sara,' their most streamed song to date, is a haunting portrait of a young woman struggling with self-harm, substance abuse and depression. As for the band's collective fantasy: it's simply to continue their forward momentum. "I always want us to move to a bigger level while staying genuine," Manny says. "I want us to grow and I believe this album has the songs that will help us do that. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:We Three the Oregon alt-pop trio – siblings Manny, Bethany and Joshua Humlie – have already built a passionate global fanbase with their anthemic, emotive and life-affirming songs: they have 1.4 million TikTok followers, an audience they cultivated during the pandemic, and their music has received more than 250 million streams. But "Love Me" is their richest, rawest and hardest-hitting work yet. For frontman and primary songwriter Manny, the album title is a "smallphrase" that gives a "huge insight" into the record's themes. We Three are now a globally popular act selling out shows all over the world, but like so many bands, they started out gigging in and around their hometown – McMinnville, Oregon, a small city 40 miles southwest of Portland. They first came to wider attention in 2018 when they entered 'America's Got Talent' and stormed all the way to the semi-finals. We Three used 'America's Got Talent' as aspringboard and never looked back. They have since released three previous studio albums: 2018's 'We Three,' 2020's 'Dear Paranoia, Sincerely Me' and 2022's 'Happy' – and built a reputation for singing sensitively and insightfully about difficult topics including mental health issues. 'Sara,' their most streamed song to date, is a haunting portrait of a young woman struggling with self-harm, substance abuse and depression. As for the band's collective fantasy: it's simply to continue their forward momentum. "I always want us to move to a bigger level while staying genuine," Manny says. "I want us to grow and I believe this album has the songs that will help us do that.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240508T175935Z SEQUENCE:6049792 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2060 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-02-28 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240509T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240509T210000 UID:A6ADEC6E-6B07-4694-A38C-6F2474A380D7 SUMMARY:LA LOM CREATED:20240226T232846Z DTSTAMP:20240226T232846Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/la-lom DESCRIPTION:The Los Angeles League of Musicians, LA LOM, are an instrumental trio formed in Los Angeles in 2021. They blend the sounds of Cumbia Sonidera, 60’s soul ballads and classic romantic boleros that emanate from radios, backyard parties and dance clubs of Los Angeles with the twang of Peruvian Chicha and Bakersfield Country. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The Los Angeles League of Musicians, LA LOM, are an instrumental trio formed in Los Angeles in 2021. They blend the sounds of Cumbia Sonidera, 60’s soul ballads and classic romantic boleros that emanate from radios, backyard parties and dance clubs of Los Angeles with the twang of Peruvian Chicha and Bakersfield Country.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240508T175952Z SEQUENCE:6201066 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3225 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-02-27 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240510T213000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240510T223000 UID:39E3A75B-522B-4CC9-9392-61D9FB18A335 SUMMARY:Loom CREATED:20240305T164813Z DTSTAMP:20240305T164813Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/loom DESCRIPTION:Loom is a Salt Lake City, UT based improvisational rock band that weaves together the imagery of cinematic landscapes with the novelty of auditory experimentalism into their live performances. Their music embodies a fusion of funk, jazz, disco, and world influences, captivating audiences and electrifying dance floors. Rooted in the commitment to a vibrant feedback loop with their audience, Loom's shows are never replicated, offering a distinct and communal celebration of the present moment. Loom is Billy Rogan (guitar), Vince DiMichele (bass), Tyler Troy (keyboards) and Carlos Bible (drums). X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Loom is a Salt Lake City, UT based improvisational rock band that weaves together the imagery of cinematic landscapes with the novelty of auditory experimentalism into their live performances. Their music embodies a fusion of funk, jazz, disco, and world influences, captivating audiences and electrifying dance floors. Rooted in the commitment to a vibrant feedback loop with their audience, Loom's shows are never replicated, offering a distinct and communal celebration of the present moment. Loom is Billy Rogan (guitar), Vince DiMichele (bass), Tyler Troy (keyboards) and Carlos Bible (drums).
LAST-MODIFIED:20240410T163554Z SEQUENCE:3109661 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3545 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-03-05 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240511T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240511T210000 UID:B99241F2-8F29-46DA-A2A5-CAB407CF2129 SUMMARY:Kaleb Austin CREATED:20240214T182448Z DTSTAMP:20240214T182448Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/kaleb-austin DESCRIPTION:Kaleb Austin grew up in Murray, UT where he cultivated a love for singing and writing country music from a very early age. He began writing his own songs at age 14 and quickly realized he wanted to pursue a career in the music business. In the coming years he would have the chance to share the stage with the likes of JoDee Messina, Billy Currington, Dan+Shay, Brantley Gilbert and Joe Nichols among others. After chasing his dreams for over a decade he finally got his big break through social media. His wife Cheyenne began posting short videos of Kaleb singing to his baby daughter which swiftly gained him a following of almost 2 million people. His following dubbed the “Kampfire” helped him get to Nashville and record his first #1 iTunes single, “Sound of the South” with long time hitmaker Dan Frizsell.\NThis marked a turning point in Kaleb’s life giving his music new wings and earning him the title of “TikTok Country Artist of the Year.” He has since released a full album with several chart topping hits including “Turn the Night On” and “Sun Goes Down.” He currently resides in Salt Lake City where he is preparing for his upcoming tour and is actively writing for his second studio album. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Kaleb Austin grew up in Murray, UT where he cultivated a love for singing and writing country music from a very early age. He began writing his own songs at age 14 and quickly realized he wanted to pursue a career in the music business. In the coming years he would have the chance to share the stage with the likes of JoDee Messina, Billy Currington, Dan+Shay, Brantley Gilbert and Joe Nichols among others. After chasing his dreams for over a decade he finally got his big break through social media. His wife Cheyenne began posting short videos of Kaleb singing to his baby daughter which swiftly gained him a following of almost 2 million people. His following dubbed the “Kampfire” helped him get to Nashville and record his first #1 iTunes single, “Sound of the South” with long time hitmaker Dan Frizsell.
This marked a turning point in Kaleb’s life giving his music new wings and earning him the title of “TikTok Country Artist of the Year.” He has since released a full album with several chart topping hits including “Turn the Night On” and “Sun Goes Down.” He currently resides in Salt Lake City where he is preparing for his upcoming tour and is actively writing for his second studio album.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240221T235834Z SEQUENCE:624826 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:10606 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240512T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240512T233000 UID:9C4CFE9B-D39B-4D90-9019-208CCC806662 SUMMARY:Bruce Cockburn CREATED:20230912T210658Z DTSTAMP:20230912T210658Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/bruce-cockburn-2 DESCRIPTION:“My job is to try and trap the spirit of things in the scratches of pen on paper and the pulling of notes out of metal.” – Bruce Cockburn, 2017\NOne of Canada’s finest artists, Bruce Cockburn has enjoyed an illustrious career shaped by politics, spirituality, and musical diversity. The Ottawa-born artist remains deeply respected for his activism on issues from native rights and land mines to the environment and Third World debt, working for organizations such as Oxfam, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, and Friends of the Earth. His remarkable journey has seen him embrace folk, jazz, rock, and worldbeat styles while travelling to such far-flung places as Guatemala, Mali, Mozambique, and Nepal, and writing memorable songs about his ever-expanding world of wonders.\NBruce Cockburn has written more than 400 songs on 35 albums over a career spanning more than 50 years, of which 23 have received gold or platinum certification. His guitar playing, both acoustic and electric, has placed him in the company of the world’s top instrumentalists. He has sold more than nine-million albums worldwide, and has been honoured with 13 JUNO Awards, an induction into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, and he has been made an Officer of the Order of Canada.\NHis commitment to growth has made Bruce Cockburn both an exemplary citizen and a legendary artist whose prized songbook will be celebrated for many years to come. In 2020 Cockburn celebrated his 50-year anniversary as a recording artist. As his producer-friend Colin Linden says: “Like the great blues players he admires, Bruce just gets better with age." X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“My job is to try and trap the spirit of things in the scratches of pen on paper and the pulling of notes out of metal.” – Bruce Cockburn, 2017
One of Canada’s finest artists, Bruce Cockburn has enjoyed an illustrious career shaped by politics, spirituality, and musical diversity. The Ottawa-born artist remains deeply respected for his activism on issues from native rights and land mines to the environment and Third World debt, working for organizations such as Oxfam, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders, and Friends of the Earth. His remarkable journey has seen him embrace folk, jazz, rock, and worldbeat styles while travelling to such far-flung places as Guatemala, Mali, Mozambique, and Nepal, and writing memorable songs about his ever-expanding world of wonders.
Bruce Cockburn has written more than 400 songs on 35 albums over a career spanning more than 50 years, of which 23 have received gold or platinum certification. His guitar playing, both acoustic and electric, has placed him in the company of the world’s top instrumentalists. He has sold more than nine-million albums worldwide, and has been honoured with 13 JUNO Awards, an induction into both the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, as well as the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award, and he has been made an Officer of the Order of Canada.
His commitment to growth has made Bruce Cockburn both an exemplary citizen and a legendary artist whose prized songbook will be celebrated for many years to come. In 2020 Cockburn celebrated his 50-year anniversary as a recording artist. As his producer-friend Colin Linden says: “Like the great blues players he admires, Bruce just gets better with age."
LAST-MODIFIED:20240415T173338Z SEQUENCE:18649600 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2925 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240517T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240517T210000 UID:30CBF45C-8DE7-4327-A223-C6A7AD0F734A SUMMARY:Zepparella CREATED:20231211T234015Z DTSTAMP:20231211T234015Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/zepparella DESCRIPTION:How to honor the legacy of a band deemed sacred? To tread on holy ground is perilous, and must be done with the intent and spirit of a disciple—Pay attention to the intricacies of the magic, explore the far ends of the innovation, strive for ever-growing ability, and let the purity of the love for the music drive it all.\NDrummer Clementine is the founding member of ZEPPARELLA. From the beginning of her musical career, her goal has been to be onstage every night. The pursuit of that goal has led Clementine to constantly tour the US and Europe in projects as diverse as Bottom, AC/DShe, The House Of More, The Solid, Francis Bakin, Stars Turn Me On and Beaux Cheveux. She tackles the best rock drumming ever written with her own emotionally powerful style, bringing the Motown influence of the Bonham groove to the forefront. The profound musical connection established with Gretchen Menn (guitar), Holly West (bass), and Anna Kristina (vocals) creates the bond required to do this great music justice.\NIt was under the tutelage of classical guitarist Phillip DeFremery, a student of Andrés Segovia, that guitarist Gretchen Menn began her path on the instrument. Playing with tireless passion and constantly seeking out new challenges, her projects are often unconventional, genre-bending expressions combining elements of classical, rock, progressive, jazz, and metal. On influences, Gretchen has never tired of her initial inspirations—Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Frank Zappa, and Jeff Beck. But she has loved Jimmy Page’s guitar playing longer than she has played the guitar. It was through the music of Led Zeppelin that she found a gateway into music that resonated deeply with her, creating a love for guitar-oriented music, and, ultimately, the guitar.\NBassist Holly West began her musical journey full-steam ahead, and more recently than her stellar playing belies. Her unstoppable will and drive have truly propelled her to this moment and her place in the powerhouse Zepparella. A self-taught bass player, she is also a blossoming vocalist with rich rock pipes. Her time on stage has been well spent, developing an impressive attack, impeccable feel, and a technique which seems to have come completely naturally to her, not to mention her dazzling stage presence and joyful performance style. Her influences span the rock gauntlet, from Clutch and the Rival Sons to Slash, ZZ Top, and of course, the mighty Zeppelin.\NSinger Anna Kristina is a soulful, fiery, and rocking vocal powerhouse who has stepped into Zepparella’s Plant spot for a second time. Anna was with the band for 5 years, became known for her performance in the band’s 15 million-view “When The Levee Breaks” video, took a 6-year hiatus, and now returns in 2018 to front the band. Her career has spanned acoustic, jazz, soul, rock, and her charisma and power delivers captivating performances every night. About her brilliant harp playing she says: “getting a chance to blow on the harmonica is an added bonus! Plant isn’t just a singer he’s a musician. He brings his blues background and natural percussive feel to his harmonica playing as well and I love getting lost in that. Playing the harp allows me to express on a whole different level and it’s so freeing.”\NNow more than ever, Zepparella explores their own improvised magic within the framework of Zeppelin’s mighty songs! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:How to honor the legacy of a band deemed sacred? To tread on holy ground is perilous, and must be done with the intent and spirit of a disciple—Pay attention to the intricacies of the magic, explore the far ends of the innovation, strive for ever-growing ability, and let the purity of the love for the music drive it all.
Drummer Clementine is the founding member of ZEPPARELLA. From the beginning of her musical career, her goal has been to be onstage every night. The pursuit of that goal has led Clementine to constantly tour the US and Europe in projects as diverse as Bottom, AC/DShe, The House Of More, The Solid, Francis Bakin, Stars Turn Me On and Beaux Cheveux. She tackles the best rock drumming ever written with her own emotionally powerful style, bringing the Motown influence of the Bonham groove to the forefront. The profound musical connection established with Gretchen Menn (guitar), Holly West (bass), and Anna Kristina (vocals) creates the bond required to do this great music justice.
It was under the tutelage of classical guitarist Phillip DeFremery, a student of Andrés Segovia, that guitarist Gretchen Menn began her path on the instrument. Playing with tireless passion and constantly seeking out new challenges, her projects are often unconventional, genre-bending expressions combining elements of classical, rock, progressive, jazz, and metal. On influences, Gretchen has never tired of her initial inspirations—Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Frank Zappa, and Jeff Beck. But she has loved Jimmy Page’s guitar playing longer than she has played the guitar. It was through the music of Led Zeppelin that she found a gateway into music that resonated deeply with her, creating a love for guitar-oriented music, and, ultimately, the guitar.
Bassist Holly West began her musical journey full-steam ahead, and more recently than her stellar playing belies. Her unstoppable will and drive have truly propelled her to this moment and her place in the powerhouse Zepparella. A self-taught bass player, she is also a blossoming vocalist with rich rock pipes. Her time on stage has been well spent, developing an impressive attack, impeccable feel, and a technique which seems to have come completely naturally to her, not to mention her dazzling stage presence and joyful performance style. Her influences span the rock gauntlet, from Clutch and the Rival Sons to Slash, ZZ Top, and of course, the mighty Zeppelin.
Singer Anna Kristina is a soulful, fiery, and rocking vocal powerhouse who has stepped into Zepparella’s Plant spot for a second time. Anna was with the band for 5 years, became known for her performance in the band’s 15 million-view “When The Levee Breaks” video, took a 6-year hiatus, and now returns in 2018 to front the band. Her career has spanned acoustic, jazz, soul, rock, and her charisma and power delivers captivating performances every night. About her brilliant harp playing she says: “getting a chance to blow on the harmonica is an added bonus! Plant isn’t just a singer he’s a musician. He brings his blues background and natural percussive feel to his harmonica playing as well and I love getting lost in that. Playing the harp allows me to express on a whole different level and it’s so freeing.”
Now more than ever, Zepparella explores their own improvised magic within the framework of Zeppelin’s mighty songs!
LAST-MODIFIED:20240415T184212Z SEQUENCE:10868517 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3607 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-12-12 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240518T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240518T210000 UID:804F65EF-8F34-4FD4-81F9-0CF54A382F6D SUMMARY:J-Rad Cooley CREATED:20240305T191524Z DTSTAMP:20240305T191524Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/j-rad-cooley-2 DESCRIPTION:Young Salt Lake City-based musician J-Rad Cooley is a singer/songwriter, piano player and harmonica player, a unique storyteller with a distinct sense of blues, melody and groove. His soulful songs show his diverse influences from Lightnin’ Hopkins to Ray Charles to The Band, some with a New Orleans twist or a distinct ragtime flavor.\NFor his impressive debut album, YARD SALE, J-Rad got together with Memphis based musician/producer Tony Holiday in Wild Feather Recordings, the Hendersonville, Tennessee studio of Zach Kasik (bassist for Too Slim & the Taildraggers). YARD SALE comprises all original compositions plus one classic cover, with four tracks featuring Grammy nominated piano player Victor Wainwright. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Young Salt Lake City-based musician J-Rad Cooley is a singer/songwriter, piano player and harmonica player, a unique storyteller with a distinct sense of blues, melody and groove. His soulful songs show his diverse influences from Lightnin’ Hopkins to Ray Charles to The Band, some with a New Orleans twist or a distinct ragtime flavor.
For his impressive debut album, YARD SALE, J-Rad got together with Memphis based musician/producer Tony Holiday in Wild Feather Recordings, the Hendersonville, Tennessee studio of Zach Kasik (bassist for Too Slim & the Taildraggers). YARD SALE comprises all original compositions plus one classic cover, with four tracks featuring Grammy nominated piano player Victor Wainwright.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240409T210715Z SEQUENCE:3030711 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2221 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240519T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240519T210000 UID:7EB660F7-9D37-41B6-89B8-B86571489BCF SUMMARY:Terrapin Flyer CREATED:20240213T222203Z DTSTAMP:20240213T222203Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/terrapin-flyer-3 DESCRIPTION:For the past 25 years Terrapin Flyer has been touring with the finest in the Grateful Dead community of musicians and has become a fixture of the national music scene, playing regularly at venues around the country and appearing at music festivals. The band has a dedicated following among fans of the Grateful Dead and other jam bands, and is known for their authentic interpretations of rare and classic Dead songs. Over the years, Terrapin Flyer has toured with many notable musicians, including Melvin Seals from the Jerry Garcia Band, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten from the Grateful Dead and many other Dead-related musicians. Overall, Terrapin Flyer is a talented and highly regarded band that has made a significant impact on the national music scene.\NIt started in 1999 at the Boulevard Cafe in Chicago as a Grateful Dead jam night and soon became a touring Grateful Dead band featuring legends in the Grateful Dead. In 2001 TF began touring with final keyboardist of the Grateful Dead Vince Welnick. In 2004 touring with Melvin Seals who played Hammond organ in the Jerry Garcia Band. And then in 2006 with another of the Grateful Dead keyboardists Tom Constanten. Some of these tours included several first ever lineups with the combination of Melvin Seals, Tom Constanten and Mark Karan from Ratdog. These were not passing associations but long term bonds with these legends. For 15 years TF toured with Melvin Seals and kept a busy schedule with him as a side gig to his band Melvin Seals & the JGB. With Constanten they were mentioned in the Rolling Stone's "Guide to the Grateful Dead" for the many years of touring with him.\NTerrapin Flyer has been an evolution of band members over the past quarter of a century and currently features musicians that share the gravitas of having toured many years with members of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band. At it's core Terrapin Flyer is a band of deadheads who are committed to attempting to recapture the spirit and essence of the Grateful Dead by incorporating the roots music of jazz, blues and bluegrass into jams and bringing the music to new and similar places. Josh Olken is the lead guitarist, Wavy Dave on the bass, Jon Reed is the drummer, keyboardist is Michael Cole and rhythm guitarist Doug Hagman. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:For the past 25 years Terrapin Flyer has been touring with the finest in the Grateful Dead community of musicians and has become a fixture of the national music scene, playing regularly at venues around the country and appearing at music festivals. The band has a dedicated following among fans of the Grateful Dead and other jam bands, and is known for their authentic interpretations of rare and classic Dead songs. Over the years, Terrapin Flyer has toured with many notable musicians, including Melvin Seals from the Jerry Garcia Band, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten from the Grateful Dead and many other Dead-related musicians. Overall, Terrapin Flyer is a talented and highly regarded band that has made a significant impact on the national music scene.
It started in 1999 at the Boulevard Cafe in Chicago as a Grateful Dead jam night and soon became a touring Grateful Dead band featuring legends in the Grateful Dead. In 2001 TF began touring with final keyboardist of the Grateful Dead Vince Welnick. In 2004 touring with Melvin Seals who played Hammond organ in the Jerry Garcia Band. And then in 2006 with another of the Grateful Dead keyboardists Tom Constanten. Some of these tours included several first ever lineups with the combination of Melvin Seals, Tom Constanten and Mark Karan from Ratdog. These were not passing associations but long term bonds with these legends. For 15 years TF toured with Melvin Seals and kept a busy schedule with him as a side gig to his band Melvin Seals & the JGB. With Constanten they were mentioned in the Rolling Stone's "Guide to the Grateful Dead" for the many years of touring with him.
Terrapin Flyer has been an evolution of band members over the past quarter of a century and currently features musicians that share the gravitas of having toured many years with members of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band. At it's core Terrapin Flyer is a band of deadheads who are committed to attempting to recapture the spirit and essence of the Grateful Dead by incorporating the roots music of jazz, blues and bluegrass into jams and bringing the music to new and similar places. Josh Olken is the lead guitarist, Wavy Dave on the bass, Jon Reed is the drummer, keyboardist is Michael Cole and rhythm guitarist Doug Hagman.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240513T214632Z SEQUENCE:7773869 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:5230 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240522T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240522T210000 UID:8CF255A2-F5CE-456A-B478-2CC71EA5BA2A SUMMARY:Melissa Chilinski CREATED:20240412T155250Z DTSTAMP:20240412T155250Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/melissa-chilinski DESCRIPTION:Melissa is a multi-instrumentalist based in Salt Lake City. You may have seen her working the shop at Acoustic Music, orchestrating the ever-growing Trash Moon Collective, and playing banjo, guitar, and singing in many local bands including Pompe ‘n Honey, Josie-O and the Big Six, the Elderblossoms, and sometimes Pixie and the Partygrass Boys and Hot House West. Since devoting her life to being a full-time musician two years ago, she has released two solo records, Wings to Fly and River Green Sessions, Desert Moon with Pompe ‘n Honey, and has been featured on countless other records including Patron Saint Django by Hot House West.\NThis show will debut her newest solo record Melissa Chilinski with Westmoon Records. The album is composed of almost all original songs and all original arrangements. Haunting banjo tones, thoughtful, self-reflective lyrics, and textured orchestrations all wrap around Melissa’s unique voice and ethereal folk sound.\NBoth the album and album release show will feature performances with her close friends in the local music scene, including Ben Weiss (Pixie and the Partygrass Boys), Grayson Wickel (Theoretical Blonde), Sam Osimitz (Pompe ‘n Honey), Nick McMenamin (Pompe ‘n Honey), David Baker (Hot House West; Pompe ‘n Honey), Nathan Royal (Hot House West), Hayley Kirkland (Hot House West), McKayle Law, Megan Nay (David Burchfield & the Fire Guild), and Dylan Schorer (Josie O; David Burchfield and the Fire Guild; Hollering Pines). X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Melissa is a multi-instrumentalist based in Salt Lake City. You may have seen her working the shop at Acoustic Music, orchestrating the ever-growing Trash Moon Collective, and playing banjo, guitar, and singing in many local bands including Pompe ‘n Honey, Josie-O and the Big Six, the Elderblossoms, and sometimes Pixie and the Partygrass Boys and Hot House West. Since devoting her life to being a full-time musician two years ago, she has released two solo records, Wings to Fly and River Green Sessions, Desert Moon with Pompe ‘n Honey, and has been featured on countless other records including Patron Saint Django by Hot House West.
This show will debut her newest solo record Melissa Chilinski with Westmoon Records. The album is composed of almost all original songs and all original arrangements. Haunting banjo tones, thoughtful, self-reflective lyrics, and textured orchestrations all wrap around Melissa’s unique voice and ethereal folk sound.
Both the album and album release show will feature performances with her close friends in the local music scene, including Ben Weiss (Pixie and the Partygrass Boys), Grayson Wickel (Theoretical Blonde), Sam Osimitz (Pompe ‘n Honey), Nick McMenamin (Pompe ‘n Honey), David Baker (Hot House West; Pompe ‘n Honey), Nathan Royal (Hot House West), Hayley Kirkland (Hot House West), McKayle Law, Megan Nay (David Burchfield & the Fire Guild), and Dylan Schorer (Josie O; David Burchfield and the Fire Guild; Hollering Pines).
LAST-MODIFIED:20240521T200508Z SEQUENCE:3384738 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3354 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-04-12 16:30:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240529T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240529T210000 UID:BE28A549-7C04-447A-815F-6DAC5A0368E1 SUMMARY:Cedric Burnside CREATED:20240111T212524Z DTSTAMP:20240111T212524Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/cedric-burnside DESCRIPTION:The official credit tells it like it is. “Recorded in an old building in Ripley, Mississippi” – that’s all the info we get, and all that we need.\NWhen Cedric Burnside prepared to record Hill Country Love, the follow-up to his 2021 Grammy-winning album I Be Trying, he set up shop in a former legal office located in a row of structures in the seat of Tippah County, a town with 5,000 residents that’s known as the birthplace of the Hill Country Blues style.\N“That building was actually going to be my juke joint. Everything was made out of wood, which made the sound resonate like a big wooden box,” said Burnside. He called up producer Luther Dickinson (co-founder of the acclaimed North Mississippi Allstars and the son of legendary Memphis producer/musician Jim Dickinson), who brought recording equipment into the empty space. “We recorded in the middle of a bunch of rubbish – wood everywhere and garbage cans,” Burnside says. “We just laid everything out the way and recorded the album right there.”\NThe 14 songs on the record were finished in two days, but in addition to being satisfied with the sound, Burnside believes that Hill Country Love represents real creative progress. “Every time I write an album, it's always different,” he says. “I'm always looking to express myself a little bit better than I did on the last one and talk about more things happen in my life. I think that every day that you’re able to open your eyes, life is gonna throw you something to write about and to talk about.\N“So on this album,” he continues, “I'm a little bit more upfront and direct, because I went through some crazy feelings with family and with friends. Winning the Grammy was awesome, but people tend to treat you a little different when things like that happen.”\NCertainly, plenty of things have happened in Cedric Burnside’s life since he went on the road at age 13, drumming for his grandfather, the pioneering bluesman R.L. Burnside. His two albums before I Be Trying – 2015’s Descendants of Hill Country and 2018’s Benton County Relic – were both nominated for Grammys. He has also appeared in several films, including Tempted and Big Bad Love (both released in 2001) and the 2006 hit Black Snake Moan, and he played the title character in 2021’s Texas Red.\NBurnside is a recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship, the country’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts and was recently recognized with the 2024 Mississippi Governor's Art Award for Excellence in Music. He has performed and recorded with such diverse musicians as Jimmy Buffett, Bobby Rush, and Widespread Panic.\NYet as the title of the new album indicates, Burnside has never strayed far from the distinctive blues style introduced to the world by his “Big Daddy” R.L. and such other greats as Junior Kimbrough, Jessie Mae Hemphill, and Otha Turner. “I’ve been traveling my whole life, and the song ‘Hill Country Love’ gave me a chance to let people know that I love what I do and give a sense of how we do it in Mississippi – like, the house party is a tradition here, Big Daddy threw a lot of them. So that's what I was thinking about as I was writing that song – where I come from and also where I'm going, and how my journey has been to get to where I'm at now.”\NAnother song, “Juke Joint,” pays tribute to the local nightlife institutions that were central to Burnside’s growth both personally and musically. “The juke joint was a big part of my life,” he says. “I didn't go to church, the juke joint was my church, and the juke joint was my school. I was there all the time, from 10 years old until I was grown.”\NAt the same time, Burnside sees himself as an inheritor, not an imitator, of his native region’s blues style. “Big Daddy’s music, Junior’s music, Mister Otha’s music – my music is similar to theirs, but I'm a younger generation,” he says. “Whether we want to or not, we move on, and so my music will automatically sound a little more modern. But even if I tried to sound really modern, that old feel and old sound is just there. You might hear a song and think. ‘Wow, that sounds like it was recorded in 1959.’ I like that, but it's really just me growing up around it and falling in love with that sound.”\NThe album displays rock, R&B, and hip-hop elements, a range of sounds and emotions, from the self-explanatory instrumental “Get Funky” to the harsh truths of “Toll on your Life” and “Coming Real to You.” The most familiar composition is Burnside’s version of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “You Gotta Move,” popularized by the Rolling Stones but often performed by Burnside’s grandfather at his Holly Springs farm. “He would get off the tractor and go sit on the porch and play for a couple hours, drink a little moonshine, and then go back to the tractor,” says Burnside, “and that's one of the songs that I always loved to hear him play.”\NMany have drawn parallels between the polyrhythmic, droning sound of the Hill Country style, with its unpredictable chord progressions and bar counts, to West African music; that link is most obvious on the extended guitar introduction to “Love You Music.” But Burnside never really heard music from that part of the world until a few years ago, when a friend born in Gambia played him a record by Malian artist Ali Farka Toure. “I thought it was some old, underground Junior Kimbrough,” he says. “I was like, ‘Wow, man, I wonder do the Kimbrough family know about this?’ And then he started singing and my friend just started laughing!”\NWith “Closer,” Burnside strives for spiritual redemption; “I fall short on you, Lord, on some days/Please forgive me Lord, every day I pray,” he sings. “That song really resonates to me,” he says. “When I was writing it, I didn't just think about myself, I thought about everybody in the world, and getting closer to God. Every day you wake up, life is challenging, and it throws you all kinds of curveballs. Your faith is tested every day – that line is actually in the song, and I know people can relate to that as I can.”\NTo Cedric Burnside, Hill Country Love is a culmination of a career that’s already seen astonishing accomplishments and only keeps growing. What he wanted this time out was a real sense of honesty and integrity. “I compromised a little bit with my albums in the past,” he says, “and I didn't really have to compromise with this one, because I did it by myself. I paid for the engineer, paid for the musicians, I didn't have a record company there. We just went to play music, and how it came out was how it came out – and it came out great.\N“I have to be true to where I'm coming from,” he continues. “On this album, the feeling that I had was like, I’m going to write what I feel, I’m going to write what's going on. Life gives you good and life gives you bad and you have to cope with it however you need to cope with it. My way of coping with things is through my music, so I thank the Lord for music. I really do.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The official credit tells it like it is. “Recorded in an old building in Ripley, Mississippi” – that’s all the info we get, and all that we need.
When Cedric Burnside prepared to record Hill Country Love, the follow-up to his 2021 Grammy-winning album I Be Trying, he set up shop in a former legal office located in a row of structures in the seat of Tippah County, a town with 5,000 residents that’s known as the birthplace of the Hill Country Blues style.
“That building was actually going to be my juke joint. Everything was made out of wood, which made the sound resonate like a big wooden box,” said Burnside. He called up producer Luther Dickinson (co-founder of the acclaimed North Mississippi Allstars and the son of legendary Memphis producer/musician Jim Dickinson), who brought recording equipment into the empty space. “We recorded in the middle of a bunch of rubbish – wood everywhere and garbage cans,” Burnside says. “We just laid everything out the way and recorded the album right there.”
The 14 songs on the record were finished in two days, but in addition to being satisfied with the sound, Burnside believes that Hill Country Love represents real creative progress. “Every time I write an album, it's always different,” he says. “I'm always looking to express myself a little bit better than I did on the last one and talk about more things happen in my life. I think that every day that you’re able to open your eyes, life is gonna throw you something to write about and to talk about.
“So on this album,” he continues, “I'm a little bit more upfront and direct, because I went through some crazy feelings with family and with friends. Winning the Grammy was awesome, but people tend to treat you a little different when things like that happen.”
Certainly, plenty of things have happened in Cedric Burnside’s life since he went on the road at age 13, drumming for his grandfather, the pioneering bluesman R.L. Burnside. His two albums before I Be Trying – 2015’s Descendants of Hill Country and 2018’s Benton County Relic – were both nominated for Grammys. He has also appeared in several films, including Tempted and Big Bad Love (both released in 2001) and the 2006 hit Black Snake Moan, and he played the title character in 2021’s Texas Red.
Burnside is a recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship, the country’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts and was recently recognized with the 2024 Mississippi Governor's Art Award for Excellence in Music. He has performed and recorded with such diverse musicians as Jimmy Buffett, Bobby Rush, and Widespread Panic.
Yet as the title of the new album indicates, Burnside has never strayed far from the distinctive blues style introduced to the world by his “Big Daddy” R.L. and such other greats as Junior Kimbrough, Jessie Mae Hemphill, and Otha Turner. “I’ve been traveling my whole life, and the song ‘Hill Country Love’ gave me a chance to let people know that I love what I do and give a sense of how we do it in Mississippi – like, the house party is a tradition here, Big Daddy threw a lot of them. So that's what I was thinking about as I was writing that song – where I come from and also where I'm going, and how my journey has been to get to where I'm at now.”
Another song, “Juke Joint,” pays tribute to the local nightlife institutions that were central to Burnside’s growth both personally and musically. “The juke joint was a big part of my life,” he says. “I didn't go to church, the juke joint was my church, and the juke joint was my school. I was there all the time, from 10 years old until I was grown.”
At the same time, Burnside sees himself as an inheritor, not an imitator, of his native region’s blues style. “Big Daddy’s music, Junior’s music, Mister Otha’s music – my music is similar to theirs, but I'm a younger generation,” he says. “Whether we want to or not, we move on, and so my music will automatically sound a little more modern. But even if I tried to sound really modern, that old feel and old sound is just there. You might hear a song and think. ‘Wow, that sounds like it was recorded in 1959.’ I like that, but it's really just me growing up around it and falling in love with that sound.”
The album displays rock, R&B, and hip-hop elements, a range of sounds and emotions, from the self-explanatory instrumental “Get Funky” to the harsh truths of “Toll on your Life” and “Coming Real to You.” The most familiar composition is Burnside’s version of Mississippi Fred McDowell’s “You Gotta Move,” popularized by the Rolling Stones but often performed by Burnside’s grandfather at his Holly Springs farm. “He would get off the tractor and go sit on the porch and play for a couple hours, drink a little moonshine, and then go back to the tractor,” says Burnside, “and that's one of the songs that I always loved to hear him play.”
Many have drawn parallels between the polyrhythmic, droning sound of the Hill Country style, with its unpredictable chord progressions and bar counts, to West African music; that link is most obvious on the extended guitar introduction to “Love You Music.” But Burnside never really heard music from that part of the world until a few years ago, when a friend born in Gambia played him a record by Malian artist Ali Farka Toure. “I thought it was some old, underground Junior Kimbrough,” he says. “I was like, ‘Wow, man, I wonder do the Kimbrough family know about this?’ And then he started singing and my friend just started laughing!”
With “Closer,” Burnside strives for spiritual redemption; “I fall short on you, Lord, on some days/Please forgive me Lord, every day I pray,” he sings. “That song really resonates to me,” he says. “When I was writing it, I didn't just think about myself, I thought about everybody in the world, and getting closer to God. Every day you wake up, life is challenging, and it throws you all kinds of curveballs. Your faith is tested every day – that line is actually in the song, and I know people can relate to that as I can.”
To Cedric Burnside, Hill Country Love is a culmination of a career that’s already seen astonishing accomplishments and only keeps growing. What he wanted this time out was a real sense of honesty and integrity. “I compromised a little bit with my albums in the past,” he says, “and I didn't really have to compromise with this one, because I did it by myself. I paid for the engineer, paid for the musicians, I didn't have a record company there. We just went to play music, and how it came out was how it came out – and it came out great.
“I have to be true to where I'm coming from,” he continues. “On this album, the feeling that I had was like, I’m going to write what I feel, I’m going to write what's going on. Life gives you good and life gives you bad and you have to cope with it however you need to cope with it. My way of coping with things is through my music, so I thank the Lord for music. I really do.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20240308T235749Z SEQUENCE:4933945 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4451 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-01-12 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240530T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240530T210000 UID:1429C67E-9599-4770-AD08-F38C4A90DB85 SUMMARY:Mike Zito CREATED:20240401T203431Z DTSTAMP:20240401T203431Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/mike-zito-2 DESCRIPTION:Mike Zito is one of the most lauded artists in the contemporary blues arena today and rightfully so, but for him, the thing that counts the most is maintaining his honesty, authenticity and integrity. Those are the qualities that have steered Zito’s career since the beginning and continue to define every effort he’s offered since.\N“I have nothing to hide; it seems my honesty is what people relate to most,” he once told Vintage Guitar magazine. “Anders (Osborne) told me early on, ‘If you don’t believe what you’re singing, you’ll never be a good singer.’ I try not to write fluff; I try to make every word count.”\NNaturally, patience and perseverance have been Zito’s stock and trade since the beginning. He began playing guitar at the age of five, and by the time he reached his late teens, he was already a fixture on the local St. Louis music scene. He initially released his music independently and then signed with Eclecto Groove Records in 2008. “Pearl River,” the title track of his 2009 album for the label, won Song of the Year at the Blues Music Awards and marked his first collaboration with Cyril Neville, with whom he’d later work in the Royal Southern Brotherhood. A steady succession of critically acclaimed albums followed, culminating in 2011’s Greyhound, which was nominated for Best Rock Blues Album at that year’s Blue Music Awards ceremony in Memphis. Two years later, he signed with Ruf Records and released Gone to Texas, the story of how he gained his sobriety, offered an emotional homage to the state that left an indelible imprint on his entire life. It also marked the debut of his band, The Wheel.\NFrom 2010 to 2014, Zito also played an integral role in the super group of sorts, Royal Southern Brotherhood. The group released two albums and a DVD, Songs from the Road – Live in Germany, winner of the year’s Blues Music Award for Best DVD. He also made his mark behind the boards by producing albums for Samantha Fish, Albert Castiglia, Ally Venable, Jeremiah Johnson, Jimmy Carpenter, and many others.\NMeanwhile, the accolades kept coming. His album, Make Blues Not War, debuted on the Billboard Blues Album Chart at number one and garnered him recognition as the 2018 Rock Blues Artist of the Year at the Blues Music Awards. First Class Life followed suit, also entering the charts at number one. Alternate Root magazine insisted that “The First Class Life that Mike Zito titles his upcoming album can be heard in the sweet sound of Blue Soul rising like heat waves from his guitar and his vocal.” American Blues Scene said, “Mike Zito’s return to the blues is, in a word, triumphant!” No Depression declared, “Once again, Zito has delivered the goods, a first class package with no postage due.”\NIn 2019, Zito released a tribute album of fellow St. Louis native and rock ‘n’ roll legend, Chuck Berry, and featured an array of guest guitarists ranging from Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout and Eric Gales, to Robben Ford, Luther Dickinson and Sonny Landreth, as well as Berry’s own grandson. Rock ’n Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry debuted on the Billboard Blues Album Chart at number 1 and remained on the chart for several weeks. Rock ’N Roll won the Blues Music Award for Blues Rock Album of the year and Mike also received the Blues Music Award for Blues Rock artist.\NAt about the same time, Mike Zito partnered with Guy Hale to form the new record label Gulf Coast Records. Gulf Coast Records is based in Nederland, TX with a focus on Regional Roots, Blues and Americana genres. The mutual passion of the founders is to lift up artists and help them get their music out to the world.\NQuarantine Blues, was recorded during the heart of the coronavirus pandemic and served as a healing love letter to his fans around the world that heralded better days ahead if we’d all just stick together. In 2021, Mike released Resurrection on his record label Gulf Coast Records. The new disc was produced by the celebrated Grammy-winner David Z, best known for his long-standing work with Prince, and who has contributed to albums by Etta James, Billy Idol, BoDeans, Buddy Guy and John Mayall, among many others. \N“I have songs in me and musical ideas all of the time,” volunteers Mike Zito about the new album’s genesis. “I write what I can, when I can and try to save it all for posterity. Some of the songs are just songs and they don’t always have meaning for me, and some of them become very personal. For me to sing songs and feel them with real emotion, they need to be somewhat personal. Even songs I did not write, I need to feel they explain a part of my thinking or how I am feeling about love, sex, life, death, the world…. Resurrection is an album of feelings, emotions, and is very personal. The title track is how I once almost lost my love, but it came back stronger than ever. I have had this song in me for years, but it only makes sense now to share it with the world. After the year we have had on planet Earth, I believe we all need a rebirth. This rebirth has given me an opportunity to be who I want to be musically and artistically.”\NResurrection was a critic and fan favorite and later won the Blues Music Award for the 2022 Blues Rock Album of the year. \NIn 2022, Zito released the double live album Blues for the Southside. Recorded on November 26, 2021, at the Old Rock House in St. Louis, Missouri, and produced by Mike Zito, Blues for the Southside showcases Zito (guitar, vocals) and his stellar band in full fury with special guests Tony Campanella, Dave Kalz and guitar wizard Eric Gales. After the release of Blues for the Southside, Zito joined forces with Gulf Coast Records label mate Albert Castiglia and created the Blood Brothers tour. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Mike Zito is one of the most lauded artists in the contemporary blues arena today and rightfully so, but for him, the thing that counts the most is maintaining his honesty, authenticity and integrity. Those are the qualities that have steered Zito’s career since the beginning and continue to define every effort he’s offered since.
“I have nothing to hide; it seems my honesty is what people relate to most,” he once told Vintage Guitar magazine. “Anders (Osborne) told me early on, ‘If you don’t believe what you’re singing, you’ll never be a good singer.’ I try not to write fluff; I try to make every word count.”
Naturally, patience and perseverance have been Zito’s stock and trade since the beginning. He began playing guitar at the age of five, and by the time he reached his late teens, he was already a fixture on the local St. Louis music scene. He initially released his music independently and then signed with Eclecto Groove Records in 2008. “Pearl River,” the title track of his 2009 album for the label, won Song of the Year at the Blues Music Awards and marked his first collaboration with Cyril Neville, with whom he’d later work in the Royal Southern Brotherhood. A steady succession of critically acclaimed albums followed, culminating in 2011’s Greyhound, which was nominated for Best Rock Blues Album at that year’s Blue Music Awards ceremony in Memphis. Two years later, he signed with Ruf Records and released Gone to Texas, the story of how he gained his sobriety, offered an emotional homage to the state that left an indelible imprint on his entire life. It also marked the debut of his band, The Wheel.
From 2010 to 2014, Zito also played an integral role in the super group of sorts, Royal Southern Brotherhood. The group released two albums and a DVD, Songs from the Road – Live in Germany, winner of the year’s Blues Music Award for Best DVD. He also made his mark behind the boards by producing albums for Samantha Fish, Albert Castiglia, Ally Venable, Jeremiah Johnson, Jimmy Carpenter, and many others.
Meanwhile, the accolades kept coming. His album, Make Blues Not War, debuted on the Billboard Blues Album Chart at number one and garnered him recognition as the 2018 Rock Blues Artist of the Year at the Blues Music Awards. First Class Life followed suit, also entering the charts at number one. Alternate Root magazine insisted that “The First Class Life that Mike Zito titles his upcoming album can be heard in the sweet sound of Blue Soul rising like heat waves from his guitar and his vocal.” American Blues Scene said, “Mike Zito’s return to the blues is, in a word, triumphant!” No Depression declared, “Once again, Zito has delivered the goods, a first class package with no postage due.”
In 2019, Zito released a tribute album of fellow St. Louis native and rock ‘n’ roll legend, Chuck Berry, and featured an array of guest guitarists ranging from Joe Bonamassa, Walter Trout and Eric Gales, to Robben Ford, Luther Dickinson and Sonny Landreth, as well as Berry’s own grandson. Rock ’n Roll: A Tribute to Chuck Berry debuted on the Billboard Blues Album Chart at number 1 and remained on the chart for several weeks. Rock ’N Roll won the Blues Music Award for Blues Rock Album of the year and Mike also received the Blues Music Award for Blues Rock artist.
At about the same time, Mike Zito partnered with Guy Hale to form the new record label Gulf Coast Records. Gulf Coast Records is based in Nederland, TX with a focus on Regional Roots, Blues and Americana genres. The mutual passion of the founders is to lift up artists and help them get their music out to the world.
Quarantine Blues, was recorded during the heart of the coronavirus pandemic and served as a healing love letter to his fans around the world that heralded better days ahead if we’d all just stick together. In 2021, Mike released Resurrection on his record label Gulf Coast Records. The new disc was produced by the celebrated Grammy-winner David Z, best known for his long-standing work with Prince, and who has contributed to albums by Etta James, Billy Idol, BoDeans, Buddy Guy and John Mayall, among many others.
“I have songs in me and musical ideas all of the time,” volunteers Mike Zito about the new album’s genesis. “I write what I can, when I can and try to save it all for posterity. Some of the songs are just songs and they don’t always have meaning for me, and some of them become very personal. For me to sing songs and feel them with real emotion, they need to be somewhat personal. Even songs I did not write, I need to feel they explain a part of my thinking or how I am feeling about love, sex, life, death, the world…. Resurrection is an album of feelings, emotions, and is very personal. The title track is how I once almost lost my love, but it came back stronger than ever. I have had this song in me for years, but it only makes sense now to share it with the world. After the year we have had on planet Earth, I believe we all need a rebirth. This rebirth has given me an opportunity to be who I want to be musically and artistically.”
Resurrection was a critic and fan favorite and later won the Blues Music Award for the 2022 Blues Rock Album of the year.
In 2022, Zito released the double live album Blues for the Southside. Recorded on November 26, 2021, at the Old Rock House in St. Louis, Missouri, and produced by Mike Zito, Blues for the Southside showcases Zito (guitar, vocals) and his stellar band in full fury with special guests Tony Campanella, Dave Kalz and guitar wizard Eric Gales. After the release of Blues for the Southside, Zito joined forces with Gulf Coast Records label mate Albert Castiglia and created the Blood Brothers tour.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240426T173032Z SEQUENCE:2148961 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2892 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-04-02 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240531T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240531T210000 UID:89912E96-B91E-456C-8B52-3B413FC0215C SUMMARY:Sinkane CREATED:20240122T171232Z DTSTAMP:20240122T171232Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/sinkane DESCRIPTION:We Belong, is the eighth studio album from Sinkane, a band led by multi-instrumentalist Ahmed Gallab. And like much of Sinkane’s previous releases, it resists genre. It’s pop. It’s funk. It’s electronic. It blends the gritty punk newness of a 70s and 80s New York with the steady, foundational soul of the rhythms of his native Sudan. Though We Belong comes deep into the catalog of a long career, it also resists stagnation. It moves and travels—through words and eras, through emotion and healing. It is a kind of rebirth for Gallab, who began releasing music under the Sinkane moniker in 2007. \NThough it can be painful, it can be cathartic to revisit the past; this album is both. Because to be Black in America is to know great suffering and great joy. “I made this album as my love letter to Black music,” Gallab says. Each song is addressed to a different era, a different form: the gospel-soaked “Everything Is Everything,” the dreamy, Quiet Storm-influenced Afro-beats of “Rise Above,” the 70s-funk of “We Belong” and its Sly Stone influence, the Stevie Wonder-edged “Another Day”—they tell a story about Black music and Black people.\N“A musical community exists in New York, a specific kind of Black musical community,” Gallab says. We Belong assembles them, makes them visible, not just to each other but to anyone willing to see, to hear, to feel. Gallab and Amanda Khiri, co-lyricist on most of the songs, passed notes across the digital divide. Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison, Ismael Reed, scraps of poetry. The pair turned these late-night ideas into fully realized compositions. Casey Benjamin, a multi-instrumentalist who has worked with jazz pianist Robert Glasper, left his touch on several tracks. Jazz trumpeter Kenyatta Beasley soared across three songs. Soul singer Bilal lent his voice. Rising artists like vocalists Ifedayo Gatling, of the Harlem Gospel Travelers, Tru Osbourne, Hollie Cook and STOUT, joined this community as well.\NAll of this is by design. Gallab wanted to lead and allow himself to be led. “Having all these people at my disposal [meant] I could actually be a producer,” he says. “I could zoom out a little bit and see what serves the song best. How can I make this better? Having a community around me really just allowed this to turn into something bigger than I could have ever imagined.”\NSinkane had long been the solitary vision of its creator, melding the classic American sounds mingling in his head—rock, jazz, soul, pop—with the syncopated rhythms of Africa to create his own Afrofuturistic vision. But for this album, the idea of a single voice no longer felt right. The methods that once felt natural now felt heavy, an old way tethered to old sounds. Gallab’s longing to reshape what a “Sinkane song” could be required rethinking fundamental ideas about music and collaboration. He returned to school, at SUNY Purchase, and earned a masters in composition; on the way, he learned new ways. “We are hardwired for connection, and we want to communicate with each other,” Gallab says. And as much as this is an album displaying his new ways of thinking and creating, it is also about connections. Between musicians. Between cultures. Between sounds. Between histories.\NLetting go of the urge to create alone has led to beautiful things for Gallab in the past, including his stint leading the Atomic Bomb! Band, a tribute band celebrating the work of Nigerian funk musician, William Onyeabor. The project included notables such as Pharoah Sanders, David Byrne, Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), and Dev Hynes, among many others. He found it essential for We Belong, as well. “Collaborating doesn't mean you're losing a part of you, you're only showcasing more of a very beautiful part of you,” Gallab says. “And once I was able to understand how to move away from that it allowed this process to work a lot easier, and it allowed me to really understand myself.” Gallab reached out to a frequent collaborator, producer Money Mark (who produced for the Beastie Boys and Beck), who helped him understand more about the journey his music was about to take.\NReturning to the classroom not only honed Gallab’s composition skills, but his listening skills too. Each week, he’d bring a new song to his instructor: old favorites from David Bowie, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock. They’d listen together and hear the notes anew. It not only deepened his understanding of how music worked, but how he worked. It vastly expanded the definition of what a Sinkane song could be. He started writing new material. “We'd lock in on one song and spend two or three weeks on a song,” Gallab says. “And by the end of the year, I had thirty-plus songs in demo form.”\NWhen the last note fades on this album, there’s hope. The we of the title is all of us. All of us who have lost and found community. All of us who have reached into the past to find our future. But, Gallab says, the “we” is also Black people. It’s his message to a culture, to a history, to a people. “I think We Belong ultimately turned into, ‘This is about us, this is about all of us.’ And we all feel the same thing about how the world responds to us, and how we feel like second class citizens, and how a lot of people try to tell us all of the time that we don't belong, in one way, shape, or form,” he says.\N“In making this album, I realized very quickly that I got a lot of freedom in not making it about myself,” Gallab says. “I realized I'm more than just me, there's all of us, all of us together. It's much more about community and much more about connecting with other people. But maybe, that's how I've kind of come to find myself.”\NShort bio:\NWe Belong, is the eighth studio album from Sinkane, a band led by multi-instrumentalist Ahmed Gallab. And like much of Sinkane’s previous releases, it resists genre. It’s pop. It’s funk. It’s electronic. It blends the gritty punk newness of a 70s and 80s New York with the steady, foundational soul of the rhythms of his native Sudan. Though We Belong comes deep into the catalog of a long career, it also resists stagnation. It moves and travels—through words and eras, through emotion and healing. Gallab calls this album his “love letter to Black music,” and each track pulses with the energy of different eras and forms: the gospel-soaked “Everything Is Everything,” the dreamy, Quiet Storm-influenced Afro-beats of “Rise Above,” the 70s-funk of “We Belong” and its Sly Stone influence, the Stevie Wonder-edged “Another Day”—they tell a story about Black music and Black people.\NThe album itself also reveals Gallab’s desire to create a work that not only reflected a community, but was made by one, too. We Belong assembles this community, makes it visible, to anyone willing to see, to hear, to feel. Gallab and Amanda Khiri, co-lyricist on most of the songs, passed notes across the digital divide. Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison, Ismael Reed, scraps of poetry. The pair turned these late-night ideas into fully realized compositions. Casey Benjamin, a multi-instrumentalist who has worked with jazz pianist Robert Glasper, left his touch on several tracks. Jazz trumpeter Kenyatta Beasley soared across three songs. Soul singer Bilal lent his voice. Rising artists like vocalists Ifedayo Gatling, of the Harlem Gospel Travelers, Tru Osbourne, Hollie Cook, and STOUT, joined this community as well.\NWhat had long been a solo endeavor by Gallab, suddenly became a collaborative experience. “Having all these people at my disposal [meant] I could actually be a producer,” he says. “I could zoom out a little bit and see what serves the song best? How can I make this better? Having a community around me really just allowed this to turn into something bigger than I could have ever imagined.”\NThe result is an album that showcases freedom, in all its forms. Freedom to create, to move, to love, to live. The we of the title is all of us. All of us who have lost and found community. All of us who have reached into the past to find our future. And ultimately, it is the sound of an artist finding his way back to himself by stretching beyond himself. “In making this album, I realized very quickly that I got a lot of freedom in not making it about myself,” Gallab says. “I realized I'm more than just me, there's all of us, all of us together. It's much more about community and much more about connecting with other people. But maybe, that's how I've kind of come to find myself.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:We Belong, is the eighth studio album from Sinkane, a band led by multi-instrumentalist Ahmed Gallab. And like much of Sinkane’s previous releases, it resists genre. It’s pop. It’s funk. It’s electronic. It blends the gritty punk newness of a 70s and 80s New York with the steady, foundational soul of the rhythms of his native Sudan. Though We Belong comes deep into the catalog of a long career, it also resists stagnation. It moves and travels—through words and eras, through emotion and healing. It is a kind of rebirth for Gallab, who began releasing music under the Sinkane moniker in 2007.
Though it can be painful, it can be cathartic to revisit the past; this album is both. Because to be Black in America is to know great suffering and great joy. “I made this album as my love letter to Black music,” Gallab says. Each song is addressed to a different era, a different form: the gospel-soaked “Everything Is Everything,” the dreamy, Quiet Storm-influenced Afro-beats of “Rise Above,” the 70s-funk of “We Belong” and its Sly Stone influence, the Stevie Wonder-edged “Another Day”—they tell a story about Black music and Black people.
“A musical community exists in New York, a specific kind of Black musical community,” Gallab says. We Belong assembles them, makes them visible, not just to each other but to anyone willing to see, to hear, to feel. Gallab and Amanda Khiri, co-lyricist on most of the songs, passed notes across the digital divide. Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison, Ismael Reed, scraps of poetry. The pair turned these late-night ideas into fully realized compositions. Casey Benjamin, a multi-instrumentalist who has worked with jazz pianist Robert Glasper, left his touch on several tracks. Jazz trumpeter Kenyatta Beasley soared across three songs. Soul singer Bilal lent his voice. Rising artists like vocalists Ifedayo Gatling, of the Harlem Gospel Travelers, Tru Osbourne, Hollie Cook and STOUT, joined this community as well.
All of this is by design. Gallab wanted to lead and allow himself to be led. “Having all these people at my disposal [meant] I could actually be a producer,” he says. “I could zoom out a little bit and see what serves the song best. How can I make this better? Having a community around me really just allowed this to turn into something bigger than I could have ever imagined.”
Sinkane had long been the solitary vision of its creator, melding the classic American sounds mingling in his head—rock, jazz, soul, pop—with the syncopated rhythms of Africa to create his own Afrofuturistic vision. But for this album, the idea of a single voice no longer felt right. The methods that once felt natural now felt heavy, an old way tethered to old sounds. Gallab’s longing to reshape what a “Sinkane song” could be required rethinking fundamental ideas about music and collaboration. He returned to school, at SUNY Purchase, and earned a masters in composition; on the way, he learned new ways. “We are hardwired for connection, and we want to communicate with each other,” Gallab says. And as much as this is an album displaying his new ways of thinking and creating, it is also about connections. Between musicians. Between cultures. Between sounds. Between histories.
Letting go of the urge to create alone has led to beautiful things for Gallab in the past, including his stint leading the Atomic Bomb! Band, a tribute band celebrating the work of Nigerian funk musician, William Onyeabor. The project included notables such as Pharoah Sanders, David Byrne, Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), and Dev Hynes, among many others. He found it essential for We Belong, as well. “Collaborating doesn't mean you're losing a part of you, you're only showcasing more of a very beautiful part of you,” Gallab says. “And once I was able to understand how to move away from that it allowed this process to work a lot easier, and it allowed me to really understand myself.” Gallab reached out to a frequent collaborator, producer Money Mark (who produced for the Beastie Boys and Beck), who helped him understand more about the journey his music was about to take.
Returning to the classroom not only honed Gallab’s composition skills, but his listening skills too. Each week, he’d bring a new song to his instructor: old favorites from David Bowie, John Coltrane, and Herbie Hancock. They’d listen together and hear the notes anew. It not only deepened his understanding of how music worked, but how he worked. It vastly expanded the definition of what a Sinkane song could be. He started writing new material. “We'd lock in on one song and spend two or three weeks on a song,” Gallab says. “And by the end of the year, I had thirty-plus songs in demo form.”
When the last note fades on this album, there’s hope. The we of the title is all of us. All of us who have lost and found community. All of us who have reached into the past to find our future. But, Gallab says, the “we” is also Black people. It’s his message to a culture, to a history, to a people. “I think We Belong ultimately turned into, ‘This is about us, this is about all of us.’ And we all feel the same thing about how the world responds to us, and how we feel like second class citizens, and how a lot of people try to tell us all of the time that we don't belong, in one way, shape, or form,” he says.
“In making this album, I realized very quickly that I got a lot of freedom in not making it about myself,” Gallab says. “I realized I'm more than just me, there's all of us, all of us together. It's much more about community and much more about connecting with other people. But maybe, that's how I've kind of come to find myself.”
Short bio:
We Belong, is the eighth studio album from Sinkane, a band led by multi-instrumentalist Ahmed Gallab. And like much of Sinkane’s previous releases, it resists genre. It’s pop. It’s funk. It’s electronic. It blends the gritty punk newness of a 70s and 80s New York with the steady, foundational soul of the rhythms of his native Sudan. Though We Belong comes deep into the catalog of a long career, it also resists stagnation. It moves and travels—through words and eras, through emotion and healing. Gallab calls this album his “love letter to Black music,” and each track pulses with the energy of different eras and forms: the gospel-soaked “Everything Is Everything,” the dreamy, Quiet Storm-influenced Afro-beats of “Rise Above,” the 70s-funk of “We Belong” and its Sly Stone influence, the Stevie Wonder-edged “Another Day”—they tell a story about Black music and Black people.
The album itself also reveals Gallab’s desire to create a work that not only reflected a community, but was made by one, too. We Belong assembles this community, makes it visible, to anyone willing to see, to hear, to feel. Gallab and Amanda Khiri, co-lyricist on most of the songs, passed notes across the digital divide. Audre Lorde, Toni Morrison, Ismael Reed, scraps of poetry. The pair turned these late-night ideas into fully realized compositions. Casey Benjamin, a multi-instrumentalist who has worked with jazz pianist Robert Glasper, left his touch on several tracks. Jazz trumpeter Kenyatta Beasley soared across three songs. Soul singer Bilal lent his voice. Rising artists like vocalists Ifedayo Gatling, of the Harlem Gospel Travelers, Tru Osbourne, Hollie Cook, and STOUT, joined this community as well.
What had long been a solo endeavor by Gallab, suddenly became a collaborative experience. “Having all these people at my disposal [meant] I could actually be a producer,” he says. “I could zoom out a little bit and see what serves the song best? How can I make this better? Having a community around me really just allowed this to turn into something bigger than I could have ever imagined.”
The result is an album that showcases freedom, in all its forms. Freedom to create, to move, to love, to live. The we of the title is all of us. All of us who have lost and found community. All of us who have reached into the past to find our future. And ultimately, it is the sound of an artist finding his way back to himself by stretching beyond himself. “In making this album, I realized very quickly that I got a lot of freedom in not making it about myself,” Gallab says. “I realized I'm more than just me, there's all of us, all of us together. It's much more about community and much more about connecting with other people. But maybe, that's how I've kind of come to find myself.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20240416T215658Z SEQUENCE:7361066 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2003 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-01-23 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240601T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240601T210000 UID:8CA19930-68AA-4F25-AE72-4CDAE6524908 SUMMARY:Hive Mind CREATED:20240416T155056Z DTSTAMP:20240416T155056Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/hive-mind DESCRIPTION:HiveMind is a Salt Lake City music collective featuring different friends and talented musicians from around Utah. Featuring members Jeremy Whitesides (The Pour), David Mealey (Meander Cat), Morgan Snow (Triggers & Slips), Sarah DeGraw (Lee Rafugee), Megan Blue, Adam Fifield, and Jon Olsen (Mokie). \NThey’ll be performing songs by J.J. Cale, Levon Helm, Little Feat, Phish and more as they play a Country-Funk style set. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:HiveMind is a Salt Lake City music collective featuring different friends and talented musicians from around Utah. Featuring members Jeremy Whitesides (The Pour), David Mealey (Meander Cat), Morgan Snow (Triggers & Slips), Sarah DeGraw (Lee Rafugee), Megan Blue, Adam Fifield, and Jon Olsen (Mokie).
They’ll be performing songs by J.J. Cale, Levon Helm, Little Feat, Phish and more as they play a Country-Funk style set.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240602T002712Z SEQUENCE:4005376 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2250 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240614T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240614T210000 UID:021FAF9C-3D79-495D-8825-54E8610BB56F SUMMARY:Salt Lake City: A Love Story (10 Year Anniversary) CREATED:20240416T155838Z DTSTAMP:20240416T155838Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/salt-lake-city-a-love-story-10-year-anniversary DESCRIPTION:In February 2014, Charles Ellsworth & Vincent Draper released their split LP “Salt Lake City: A Love Story” at The State Room in Downtown Salt Lake. The two emerging folk singers had teamed up with the goal to create something greater than the sum of their parts. The rules were simple: They could go minimal, but no skimping on the beauty. At the time, the release was well received. It got a little buzz in the local folk community, and since then, it’s grown to be something of a regional cult-classic.“Salt Lake City: A Love Story” was born of two relatively green songwriters, but their love of the city, respect for the community, and the serious dedication to each other’s craft is woven into each track. Never straying too far from its muse, the album dips into its vibrant community to round out the sound: Josaleigh Pollet, Genevieve Smith, and Sam Osimitz pepper their musical talents, while the tracks were charmingly engineered and mixed by Wes Johnson and mastered by the dearly missed late Ty Steadman. This record still proudly sits in the collection of aging millennial-hipsters not only in the American Southwest, but around the world. It stands as a testament and a time capsule to the vibrant folk scene in Salt Lake of the 2010s, and exists eternally as a love letter not only to lost romances and the heavy heartbreaks of youth described in the songs, but to the power of friendship and community that light even the darkest of nights and the coldest of winters.Backed by the indie rock masters The Culls and supported by Utah’s very own Josaleigh Pollett, Ellsworth & Draper will be returning to The State Room on July 14th for the 10 year anniversary party of the release of Salt Lake City: A Love Story. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:In February 2014, Charles Ellsworth & Vincent Draper released their split LP “Salt Lake City: A Love Story” at The State Room in Downtown Salt Lake. The two emerging folk singers had teamed up with the goal to create something greater than the sum of their parts. The rules were simple: They could go minimal, but no skimping on the beauty. At the time, the release was well received. It got a little buzz in the local folk community, and since then, it’s grown to be something of a regional cult-classic.“Salt Lake City: A Love Story” was born of two relatively green songwriters, but their love of the city, respect for the community, and the serious dedication to each other’s craft is woven into each track. Never straying too far from its muse, the album dips into its vibrant community to round out the sound: Josaleigh Pollet, Genevieve Smith, and Sam Osimitz pepper their musical talents, while the tracks were charmingly engineered and mixed by Wes Johnson and mastered by the dearly missed late Ty Steadman. This record still proudly sits in the collection of aging millennial-hipsters not only in the American Southwest, but around the world. It stands as a testament and a time capsule to the vibrant folk scene in Salt Lake of the 2010s, and exists eternally as a love letter not only to lost romances and the heavy heartbreaks of youth described in the songs, but to the power of friendship and community that light even the darkest of nights and the coldest of winters.Backed by the indie rock masters The Culls and supported by Utah’s very own Josaleigh Pollett, Ellsworth & Draper will be returning to The State Room on July 14th for the 10 year anniversary party of the release of Salt Lake City: A Love Story.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240523T172847Z SEQUENCE:3202209 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2440 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-04-16 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240615T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240615T210000 UID:46577888-98AB-4CBA-9EC6-A10583B3127C SUMMARY:SuperBubble CREATED:20240507T223546Z DTSTAMP:20240507T223546Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/superbubble DESCRIPTION:SuperBubble is an ever-expanding funk collective out of Salt Lake City, Utah. With their lyrical and experimental style, fat driving beats and solid grooves, they turn a room into an unapologetically funky dance party. Formed in 2016, they became a quick favorite within the festival circuit and a staple of the local music scene. In May of 2017 SuperBubble released their first self-titled EP, which received positive and enthusiastic reviews. S.L.U.G Magazine wrote, “SuperBubble are one of the biggest surprises I have encountered this year, with one of the most solid debuts I’ve heard out of the Salt Lake scene. This album is a fleshed funk fest of jam, jive and jazz, with a couple of the strongest instrumental tracks I’ve heard for years.” In 2018, they embarked on their first tour of Europe, playing shows all over the Netherlands and France while on their way to the ÉCU Film Festival in Paris. They kicked off 2019 by performing a New Years Eve Bash with Orgōne, and later releasing their debut full-length album “Space Bound” in March. With building momentum and a loyal growing fan base, look out for SuperBubble popping off at a party near you. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:SuperBubble is an ever-expanding funk collective out of Salt Lake City, Utah. With their lyrical and experimental style, fat driving beats and solid grooves, they turn a room into an unapologetically funky dance party. Formed in 2016, they became a quick favorite within the festival circuit and a staple of the local music scene. In May of 2017 SuperBubble released their first self-titled EP, which received positive and enthusiastic reviews. S.L.U.G Magazine wrote, “SuperBubble are one of the biggest surprises I have encountered this year, with one of the most solid debuts I’ve heard out of the Salt Lake scene. This album is a fleshed funk fest of jam, jive and jazz, with a couple of the strongest instrumental tracks I’ve heard for years.” In 2018, they embarked on their first tour of Europe, playing shows all over the Netherlands and France while on their way to the ÉCU Film Festival in Paris. They kicked off 2019 by performing a New Years Eve Bash with Orgōne, and later releasing their debut full-length album “Space Bound” in March. With building momentum and a loyal growing fan base, look out for SuperBubble popping off at a party near you.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240521T210846Z SEQUENCE:1204380 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1842 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-05-08 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240621T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240621T210000 UID:328955CB-6B7A-4540-8664-D3F68C6B7C3D SUMMARY:Pigs On The Wing CREATED:20240319T160150Z DTSTAMP:20240319T160150Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/pigs-on-the-wing DESCRIPTION:“...(Pigs on the Wing) is fearless when experimenting with sound in the proper temperament of psychedelia”\N- David Victor, TOP TEN PINK FLOYD TRIBUTE BANDS 2/27/23 \N“Capturing what made Pink Floyd iconic is a hard thing to do, and Pigs on the Wing comes as close as anyone we’ve heard. That looming mystique, that inscrutable grandiosity......Those qualities are alive and well with Pigs on the Wing.” \N- Adam McKinney, OLY ARTS 5/10/17 \NFrom its garage-rock roots in 2006 as a one-off show, to full album productions and performing for thousands of fans each year, Portland Oregon-based Pigs on the Wing has built a loyal following dedicated to the band’s high-energy take on Pink Floyd’s music. All members of Pigs on the Wing are seasoned veterans of the Pacific NW rock scene and are unapologetic in bringing their wide-ranging musical influences to the table. Setting the band aside from other tribute rock acts, Pigs on the Wing balances a decidedly un-tribute-like attitude towards the music with precision to detail and a deep understanding of the importance of Pink Floyd's music in many fans' lives. \NAmongst the band’s accomplishments, Pigs on the Wing has in recent years featured full album performances of The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall and was recently ranked the #4 Pink Floyd tribute worldwide. None are bigger fans of the work of Pink Floyd than the members of Pigs on the Wing themselves, a dedication which has been foremost in the band’s approach since the very beginning. \NPigs on the Wing’s 2023-2024 tour, “A Pink Floyd Retrospective”, will feature a meticulously curated collection of the very best of classic-era Pink Floyd cuts organized into 2 distinct sets. Rather than performing a single album from start to end, expect to hear the band focus on their favorite sections of the classic albums, including hits, deep cuts, and the band’s trademark willingness to explore the sonic space in experimental improvisation. Concert-goers can expect an immersive visual show in a don’t-miss event for any Pink Floyd fan! \NPigs on the Wing is: Eric Welder (bass / vocals); Matt Jones ( keys / vocals); Bryan Fairfield ( drums); Holly Brooks ( vocals); Dave Lindenbaum ( guitar / vocals) Jason Baker ( guitar / vocals); Matt Sulikowski (sax) X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“...(Pigs on the Wing) is fearless when experimenting with sound in the proper temperament of psychedelia”
- David Victor, TOP TEN PINK FLOYD TRIBUTE BANDS 2/27/23
“Capturing what made Pink Floyd iconic is a hard thing to do, and Pigs on the Wing comes as close as anyone we’ve heard. That looming mystique, that inscrutable grandiosity......Those qualities are alive and well with Pigs on the Wing.”
- Adam McKinney, OLY ARTS 5/10/17
From its garage-rock roots in 2006 as a one-off show, to full album productions and performing for thousands of fans each year, Portland Oregon-based Pigs on the Wing has built a loyal following dedicated to the band’s high-energy take on Pink Floyd’s music. All members of Pigs on the Wing are seasoned veterans of the Pacific NW rock scene and are unapologetic in bringing their wide-ranging musical influences to the table. Setting the band aside from other tribute rock acts, Pigs on the Wing balances a decidedly un-tribute-like attitude towards the music with precision to detail and a deep understanding of the importance of Pink Floyd's music in many fans' lives.
Amongst the band’s accomplishments, Pigs on the Wing has in recent years featured full album performances of The Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals, and The Wall and was recently ranked the #4 Pink Floyd tribute worldwide. None are bigger fans of the work of Pink Floyd than the members of Pigs on the Wing themselves, a dedication which has been foremost in the band’s approach since the very beginning.
Pigs on the Wing’s 2023-2024 tour, “A Pink Floyd Retrospective”, will feature a meticulously curated collection of the very best of classic-era Pink Floyd cuts organized into 2 distinct sets. Rather than performing a single album from start to end, expect to hear the band focus on their favorite sections of the classic albums, including hits, deep cuts, and the band’s trademark willingness to explore the sonic space in experimental improvisation. Concert-goers can expect an immersive visual show in a don’t-miss event for any Pink Floyd fan!
Pigs on the Wing is: Eric Welder (bass / vocals); Matt Jones ( keys / vocals); Bryan Fairfield ( drums); Holly Brooks ( vocals); Dave Lindenbaum ( guitar / vocals) Jason Baker ( guitar / vocals); Matt Sulikowski (sax)
LAST-MODIFIED:20240409T211102Z SEQUENCE:1832952 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:7671 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240628T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240628T210000 UID:303E90C2-A71F-43FD-8DEE-E9BAA4462C3D SUMMARY:Lamont Landers CREATED:20240320T155947Z DTSTAMP:20240320T155947Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/lamont-landers DESCRIPTION:Born and raised in Alabama, Lamont Landers grew up absorbing the soulful sounds of the South that surrounded him. At the age of 14, he taught himself how to play guitar, and, at the age of 19, began singing. He spent years quietly honing his talents behind his bedroom doors, listening to records by Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Sly & The Family Stone, and Ray Charles on repeat. At the age of 22, a candid video recorded by his sister of Lamont performing the Ray Charles’ classic “Hit the Road Jack” went viral on YouTube and garnered over 400,000 views overnight. In the summer of 2023, history repeated itself with similar enthusiastic fan response propelling five Lamont Landers TikTok videos to over 1,000,000 views each. A feature on the Bobby Bones nationally syndicated radio show and shoutouts from music tastemakers ranging from Snoop Dogg to Questlove soon followed. No longer a secret of North Alabama, Lamont will be touring throughout North America in 2024. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Born and raised in Alabama, Lamont Landers grew up absorbing the soulful sounds of the South that surrounded him. At the age of 14, he taught himself how to play guitar, and, at the age of 19, began singing. He spent years quietly honing his talents behind his bedroom doors, listening to records by Stevie Wonder, Al Green, Sly & The Family Stone, and Ray Charles on repeat. At the age of 22, a candid video recorded by his sister of Lamont performing the Ray Charles’ classic “Hit the Road Jack” went viral on YouTube and garnered over 400,000 views overnight. In the summer of 2023, history repeated itself with similar enthusiastic fan response propelling five Lamont Landers TikTok videos to over 1,000,000 views each. A feature on the Bobby Bones nationally syndicated radio show and shoutouts from music tastemakers ranging from Snoop Dogg to Questlove soon followed. No longer a secret of North Alabama, Lamont will be touring throughout North America in 2024.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240528T184334Z SEQUENCE:5971427 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2737 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240718T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240718T120000 UID:743D1EFE-32DB-4240-A7B2-F42FDD52D807 SUMMARY:Jenny Oaks Baker & Family Four CREATED:20240718T174134Z DTSTAMP:20240718T174134Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jenny-oaks-baker-family-four-2 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:178 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:1 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240801T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240801T210000 UID:3E780C31-176E-4D3A-911C-1BC7E5B572D2 SUMMARY:Alejandro Escovedo CREATED:20240522T173439Z DTSTAMP:20240522T173439Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/alejandro-escovedo DESCRIPTION:\NAlejandro Escovedo's New Album ECHO DANCING is an Adventure in Life\NNo one has really ever been able to define themselves and their music like singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo does. His life in music of all kinds sometimes feels like a swirl through the sky, where his songs point out all the majesty and mystery of how he sees the world. The sounds he makes take him places that he might not even predict, but once there, greatness always follows. It's just the way Escovedo is. It has happened over and over for decades, almost like a fateful agreement he has with the cosmos. There is a good chance it cannot be explained, especially by him.\NMaybe that's because this is a musician who feels magic, both in himself and the world around him, and is open to the experience of whatever comes his way. It is not always easy, and can have a high demand on how a person lives. But it is the way that Escovedo is always moving forward.\NOn this new album, Alejandro Escovedo has taken a road rarely traveled, which is totally in keeping with how he has lived his life in music. Echo Dancing is an experiment in how to use the past to shape the future. By recording completely new and repurposed versions of songs from his past, Escovedo actually gets a chance to rewrite his own history. It's also an idea that pushes growth into the present, and asks an artist to see themselves anew. "I always feel that a well-written song can withstand a lot of abuse," Escovedo says. It is an area of creativity that the man has always honored. "Turning a past song inside out leads to discovery of new ideas you might not have understood about the song," he says. "Even lyrical refurbishing has proven helpful and effective. It's like interpreting your own work anew. The songs never seem to be complete. They are always evolving."\NAnd with those words, Alejandro Escovedo succinctly explains the new levels of artistic exploration he's undertaken on his new album. It's a unique adventure into recording new versions of songs from his past, and approaching them as challenges to totally express what the music means to him today. Songs like "Bury Me" and "Castañuelas," while they were powerful in their original form several years ago, now announce themselves as highlights of Escovedo's long career. They speak to an eternal world that lives inside so much of his music, like it was formed in a way that cannot age. There is something very permanent in the career of the Texas-born artist, an inner flame that is always there. It feels like it is a part of musical history that is rarely captured at such peak performance, let alone reappears with a new life. If the life of an artist is always to push ahead, to leave what was done alone in favor of contemporary creations, then Escovedo's basic concept of Echo Dancing is a revolutionary concept of high beliefs. That the past can live again as a reborn entity.\N"I was planning this record just prior to boarding a plane to Italy to record with Don Antonio and Nicola Peruch," Escovedo says. "My original idea was to record an album of new material. But then I changed my mind and thought that revisiting songs from my various past albums throughout my career would be more interesting. I have a great faith in these two artists to always create something interesting with whatever I might bring to the session. These songs were already dressed for the dance."\NEverything on Echo Dancing has a feeling of absolute freshness about it, and at the same time, there is a strong link to the past. It's almost like reincarnation in the recording studio, but everything seems brand new. All the musicians are dedicated to finding the new amongst the songs' prior history. It is not something that happens often, and it surely has never occurred quite like it does on this fascinating new collection.\NAlejandro Escovedo knew that an experience like the one he was embarking on needed all the freshness he could find, and off he went to Italy. Sometimes there are now choices in how to approach a new vision. It simply has to be started with total dedication. "I find that recording in a foreign country opens the creative eye in a way that working at home lacks," he says. And the way the experiment works was proof that today's approach to these songs has a rock-solid beauty to it. A new sonic world has opened. "Surprises were a daily occurance," the musician says, "and we embraced them with exuberance. Is it the beginning or the end? I feel there have always been certain songs on my albums that have guided me to new approaches in my music. That is really the goal of recording. To keep moving forward no matter what it takes. That's why I continue to work on new ways to tell these stories."\NTruer words were never spoken than Alejandro Escovedo's love for exploration in the music he writes and plays. The son of a Mexican immigrant and a Texas native, the sounds that Escovedo first discovered and then performed morphed into all kinds of exciting styles of his life. A member of the first-wave punk rock group The Nuns in San Francisco, he moved to New York and joined the Judy Nylon band and experienced the total electricity of the late 1970s there. Moving then to Austin was a radical shift of geography and musical style when Escovedo helped form one of the country's first so-called Cowpunk adventurers. It often seems like the man has been on a pirate-like adventure through the kinds of music he is drawn to. Those sounds are usually new and often have a strong edge of the avant-garde in them. \NDeeply embedded in the burgeoning Austin scene in the 1980s, Escovedo was a prime architect in the new band True Believers, which included his brother Javier and Jon Dee Graham. In many ways the band helped build the gateway to the whole burgeoning Americana music scene which prospers to this day, but it was also the turning point for Alejandro Escovedo to take his life in his control and record solo albums. In the thirty-plus years since that decision has come a wild roller-coaster ride of groups, spinoffs, tribute albums and even original dramatic projects and experiments. In 1998, No Depression Magazine named him Artist of the Decade. For this musician, though, that was just the start of a life that twists and turns wherever Escovedo's clearly uninhibited imagination takes him.\NThe 21st century has been a time of widely successful excursions that only a few American musicians are able to create. Between adventurous solo albums, continuing collaborations with other musicians, and an ever-growing sense of boundary-breaking, Alejandro Escovedo has created his own definition of what a modern rock artist can accomplish. Which is exactly why Echo Dancing comes at the perfect time for this man. While it does seem Escovedo has his own category of accomplishments, to now bring together these songs he has previously recorded and inject such exciting new and different life into them is a complete exoneration of his belief in the future.\N"I said goodbye to certain phases of my life as I have grown," the musician says. "I greeted new acquaintances musically. And I was extremely surprised by the outcome. That is the thrill of being alive. I feel we have now made a beautiful collection of songs recorded in an effortless vibe of collaboration and camaraderie. I can't give Nicola and Antonio enough credit and thanks for their musicianship and wide-open approach to making this album. And I should also mention Ivano Giovedi, who incredibly engineered the recordings. He did an amazing job."\N"Everyone involved has guided me to new approaches to my music, like other musicians have my whole life. I have always worked hard to discover new ways to tell the story. I've never hidden my love for Brian Eno, Roxy Music, Judy Nylon, Cluster, along with the Stooges, New York Dolls, MC5, Roky Erickson, Lightnin' Hopkins, Joe Ely, Terry Allen; you get the picture. There is always more work to be done and joy to be made. I am nowhere near finished."\NEcho Dancing makes sure Alejandro Escovedo's evolving circle remains unbroken. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Alejandro Escovedo's New Album ECHO DANCING is an Adventure in Life
No one has really ever been able to define themselves and their music like singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo does. His life in music of all kinds sometimes feels like a swirl through the sky, where his songs point out all the majesty and mystery of how he sees the world. The sounds he makes take him places that he might not even predict, but once there, greatness always follows. It's just the way Escovedo is. It has happened over and over for decades, almost like a fateful agreement he has with the cosmos. There is a good chance it cannot be explained, especially by him.
Maybe that's because this is a musician who feels magic, both in himself and the world around him, and is open to the experience of whatever comes his way. It is not always easy, and can have a high demand on how a person lives. But it is the way that Escovedo is always moving forward.
On this new album, Alejandro Escovedo has taken a road rarely traveled, which is totally in keeping with how he has lived his life in music. Echo Dancing is an experiment in how to use the past to shape the future. By recording completely new and repurposed versions of songs from his past, Escovedo actually gets a chance to rewrite his own history. It's also an idea that pushes growth into the present, and asks an artist to see themselves anew. "I always feel that a well-written song can withstand a lot of abuse," Escovedo says. It is an area of creativity that the man has always honored. "Turning a past song inside out leads to discovery of new ideas you might not have understood about the song," he says. "Even lyrical refurbishing has proven helpful and effective. It's like interpreting your own work anew. The songs never seem to be complete. They are always evolving."
And with those words, Alejandro Escovedo succinctly explains the new levels of artistic exploration he's undertaken on his new album. It's a unique adventure into recording new versions of songs from his past, and approaching them as challenges to totally express what the music means to him today. Songs like "Bury Me" and "Castañuelas," while they were powerful in their original form several years ago, now announce themselves as highlights of Escovedo's long career. They speak to an eternal world that lives inside so much of his music, like it was formed in a way that cannot age. There is something very permanent in the career of the Texas-born artist, an inner flame that is always there. It feels like it is a part of musical history that is rarely captured at such peak performance, let alone reappears with a new life. If the life of an artist is always to push ahead, to leave what was done alone in favor of contemporary creations, then Escovedo's basic concept of Echo Dancing is a revolutionary concept of high beliefs. That the past can live again as a reborn entity.
"I was planning this record just prior to boarding a plane to Italy to record with Don Antonio and Nicola Peruch," Escovedo says. "My original idea was to record an album of new material. But then I changed my mind and thought that revisiting songs from my various past albums throughout my career would be more interesting. I have a great faith in these two artists to always create something interesting with whatever I might bring to the session. These songs were already dressed for the dance."
Everything on Echo Dancing has a feeling of absolute freshness about it, and at the same time, there is a strong link to the past. It's almost like reincarnation in the recording studio, but everything seems brand new. All the musicians are dedicated to finding the new amongst the songs' prior history. It is not something that happens often, and it surely has never occurred quite like it does on this fascinating new collection.
Alejandro Escovedo knew that an experience like the one he was embarking on needed all the freshness he could find, and off he went to Italy. Sometimes there are now choices in how to approach a new vision. It simply has to be started with total dedication. "I find that recording in a foreign country opens the creative eye in a way that working at home lacks," he says. And the way the experiment works was proof that today's approach to these songs has a rock-solid beauty to it. A new sonic world has opened. "Surprises were a daily occurance," the musician says, "and we embraced them with exuberance. Is it the beginning or the end? I feel there have always been certain songs on my albums that have guided me to new approaches in my music. That is really the goal of recording. To keep moving forward no matter what it takes. That's why I continue to work on new ways to tell these stories."
Truer words were never spoken than Alejandro Escovedo's love for exploration in the music he writes and plays. The son of a Mexican immigrant and a Texas native, the sounds that Escovedo first discovered and then performed morphed into all kinds of exciting styles of his life. A member of the first-wave punk rock group The Nuns in San Francisco, he moved to New York and joined the Judy Nylon band and experienced the total electricity of the late 1970s there. Moving then to Austin was a radical shift of geography and musical style when Escovedo helped form one of the country's first so-called Cowpunk adventurers. It often seems like the man has been on a pirate-like adventure through the kinds of music he is drawn to. Those sounds are usually new and often have a strong edge of the avant-garde in them.
Deeply embedded in the burgeoning Austin scene in the 1980s, Escovedo was a prime architect in the new band True Believers, which included his brother Javier and Jon Dee Graham. In many ways the band helped build the gateway to the whole burgeoning Americana music scene which prospers to this day, but it was also the turning point for Alejandro Escovedo to take his life in his control and record solo albums. In the thirty-plus years since that decision has come a wild roller-coaster ride of groups, spinoffs, tribute albums and even original dramatic projects and experiments. In 1998, No Depression Magazine named him Artist of the Decade. For this musician, though, that was just the start of a life that twists and turns wherever Escovedo's clearly uninhibited imagination takes him.
The 21st century has been a time of widely successful excursions that only a few American musicians are able to create. Between adventurous solo albums, continuing collaborations with other musicians, and an ever-growing sense of boundary-breaking, Alejandro Escovedo has created his own definition of what a modern rock artist can accomplish. Which is exactly why Echo Dancing comes at the perfect time for this man. While it does seem Escovedo has his own category of accomplishments, to now bring together these songs he has previously recorded and inject such exciting new and different life into them is a complete exoneration of his belief in the future.
"I said goodbye to certain phases of my life as I have grown," the musician says. "I greeted new acquaintances musically. And I was extremely surprised by the outcome. That is the thrill of being alive. I feel we have now made a beautiful collection of songs recorded in an effortless vibe of collaboration and camaraderie. I can't give Nicola and Antonio enough credit and thanks for their musicianship and wide-open approach to making this album. And I should also mention Ivano Giovedi, who incredibly engineered the recordings. He did an amazing job."
"Everyone involved has guided me to new approaches to my music, like other musicians have my whole life. I have always worked hard to discover new ways to tell the story. I've never hidden my love for Brian Eno, Roxy Music, Judy Nylon, Cluster, along with the Stooges, New York Dolls, MC5, Roky Erickson, Lightnin' Hopkins, Joe Ely, Terry Allen; you get the picture. There is always more work to be done and joy to be made. I am nowhere near finished."
Echo Dancing makes sure Alejandro Escovedo's evolving circle remains unbroken.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240719T124332Z SEQUENCE:4993733 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3594 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240802T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240802T210000 UID:8A4CA7FD-2A57-4C56-AD22-8D8D5589EAD8 SUMMARY:Darrell Scott CREATED:20240409T160514Z DTSTAMP:20240409T160514Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/darrell-scott DESCRIPTION:Multi-Instrumentalist and Singer-Songwriter Darrell Scott mines and cultivates the everyday moment, taking the rote, menial, mundane, and allowing it to be surreal, ever poignant, and candidly honest, lilting, blooming, and resonating. The words he foster sallow us to make sense of the world, what is at stake here, and our place in it. And ultimately, Darrell knows the sole truth of life is that love is all that matters, that we don’t always get it right, but that’s the instinctive and requisite circuitous allure of things, why we forever chase it, and why it is held sacred. Darrell Scott comes from a musical family with a father who had him smitten with guitars by the age of 4, alongside a brother who played Jerry Reed style as well. From there, things only ramped up with literature and poetry endeavors while a student at Tufts University, along with playing his way through life. This would never change. After recently touring with Robert Plant and Zac Brown Band (2 years with each), and producing albums for Malcolm Holcombe and Guy Clark and being named “songwriter of the year” for both ASCAP and NSAI, these days find him roaming his Tennessee wilderness acreage hiking along the small river, creating delicious meals with food raised on his property, and playing music. He often leads songwriting workshops to help people tell their own truths with their stories, and is as busy as always writing, producing, performing, and just plain fully immersing himself in life. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Multi-Instrumentalist and Singer-Songwriter Darrell Scott mines and cultivates the everyday moment, taking the rote, menial, mundane, and allowing it to be surreal, ever poignant, and candidly honest, lilting, blooming, and resonating. The words he foster sallow us to make sense of the world, what is at stake here, and our place in it. And ultimately, Darrell knows the sole truth of life is that love is all that matters, that we don’t always get it right, but that’s the instinctive and requisite circuitous allure of things, why we forever chase it, and why it is held sacred. Darrell Scott comes from a musical family with a father who had him smitten with guitars by the age of 4, alongside a brother who played Jerry Reed style as well. From there, things only ramped up with literature and poetry endeavors while a student at Tufts University, along with playing his way through life. This would never change. After recently touring with Robert Plant and Zac Brown Band (2 years with each), and producing albums for Malcolm Holcombe and Guy Clark and being named “songwriter of the year” for both ASCAP and NSAI, these days find him roaming his Tennessee wilderness acreage hiking along the small river, creating delicious meals with food raised on his property, and playing music. He often leads songwriting workshops to help people tell their own truths with their stories, and is as busy as always writing, producing, performing, and just plain fully immersing himself in life.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240418T194128Z SEQUENCE:790574 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2788 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240804T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240804T210000 UID:29EB759E-EA24-4DDA-B4A4-A177C8A33575 SUMMARY:Steve Earle CREATED:20240430T160053Z DTSTAMP:20240430T160053Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/steve-earle DESCRIPTION:Steve Earle is one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of his generation. A protege of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, he quickly became a master storyteller in his own right, with his songs being recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, The Pretenders, and countless others. 1986 saw the release of his record, Guitar Town, which shot to number one on the country charts and is now regarded as a classic of the Americana genre. \NMost recently, Earle’s 1988 hit Copperhead Road was made an official state song of Tennessee in 2023. Subsequent releases like The Revolution Starts...Now (2004), Washington Square Serenade (2007), and TOWNES (2009) received consecutive GRAMMY® Awards. His most recent album, Jerry Jeff (2022) consisted of Earle’s versions of songs written by Jerry Jeff Walker, one of his mentors. \NEarle has published both a novel I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2011) and Dog House Roses, a collection of short stories (Houghton Mifflin 2003). Earle produced albums for other artists such as Joan Baez (Day After Tomorrow)and Lucinda Williams (Car Wheels On A Gravel Road) \NAs an actor, Earle has appeared in several films and had recurring roles in the HBO series The Wire and Tremé. In 2017, Earle appeared in the off-Broadway play Samara, for which he also wrote a score that The New York Times described as “exquisitely subliminal.” Earle wrote music for and appeared in Coal Country, for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Earle is the host of the weekly show Hard Core Troubadour on Sirius Radio’s Outlaw Country channel. \NIn 2020, Earle was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. And in 2023, Steve was honored by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Steve Earle is one of the most acclaimed singer-songwriters of his generation. A protege of legendary songwriters Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark, he quickly became a master storyteller in his own right, with his songs being recorded by Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, Joan Baez, Emmylou Harris, The Pretenders, and countless others. 1986 saw the release of his record, Guitar Town, which shot to number one on the country charts and is now regarded as a classic of the Americana genre.
Most recently, Earle’s 1988 hit Copperhead Road was made an official state song of Tennessee in 2023. Subsequent releases like The Revolution Starts...Now (2004), Washington Square Serenade (2007), and TOWNES (2009) received consecutive GRAMMY® Awards. His most recent album, Jerry Jeff (2022) consisted of Earle’s versions of songs written by Jerry Jeff Walker, one of his mentors.
Earle has published both a novel I’ll Never Get Out Of This World Alive (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2011) and Dog House Roses, a collection of short stories (Houghton Mifflin 2003). Earle produced albums for other artists such as Joan Baez (Day After Tomorrow)and Lucinda Williams (Car Wheels On A Gravel Road)
As an actor, Earle has appeared in several films and had recurring roles in the HBO series The Wire and Tremé. In 2017, Earle appeared in the off-Broadway play Samara, for which he also wrote a score that The New York Times described as “exquisitely subliminal.” Earle wrote music for and appeared in Coal Country, for which he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. Earle is the host of the weekly show Hard Core Troubadour on Sirius Radio’s Outlaw Country channel.
In 2020, Earle was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame. And in 2023, Steve was honored by the Bruce Springsteen Archives & Center for American Music.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240718T162607Z SEQUENCE:6827114 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4287 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240807T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240807T210000 UID:82066AE0-4C89-40A1-8754-195EEFCA2D87 SUMMARY:The Arcadian Wild CREATED:20240611T182457Z DTSTAMP:20240611T182457Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-arcadian-wild DESCRIPTION:The Arcadian Wild is a four-piece indie folk/pop group from Nashville, TN. Led by songwriters Isaac Horn and Lincoln Mick and Bailey Warren on fiddle, The Arcadian Wild confidently inhabits and explores an intersection of genre, blending the traditional with the contemporary. Combining elements of progressive bluegrass, folk, and formal vocal music, The Arcadian Wild offer up songs of invitation; calls to come and see, to find refuge and rest, to journey and wonder, to laugh and cry, to share joy and community and sing along. \NThe band’s 2023 album Welcome marks the start of a captivating new chapter for the genre-bending trio, who returned to the studio with renewed purpose and insight after devoting the last few years to a series of critically acclaimed singles and EPs. Like much of the band’s catalog, the album blurs the lines between chamber folk and progressive bluegrass, drawing on everything from country and classical to pop and choral music with lush harmonies and dazzling fretwork, but this time around there’s a rawness to the writing, an embrace of candor and simplicity that cuts straight to the heart of things like never before. The result is perhaps the most arresting collection yet from a band known for its ability to stop listeners dead in their tracks, an exquisitely beautiful celebration of community, connection, and the power of belonging that feels tailor-made for these challenging times. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The Arcadian Wild is a four-piece indie folk/pop group from Nashville, TN. Led by songwriters Isaac Horn and Lincoln Mick and Bailey Warren on fiddle, The Arcadian Wild confidently inhabits and explores an intersection of genre, blending the traditional with the contemporary. Combining elements of progressive bluegrass, folk, and formal vocal music, The Arcadian Wild offer up songs of invitation; calls to come and see, to find refuge and rest, to journey and wonder, to laugh and cry, to share joy and community and sing along.
The band’s 2023 album Welcome marks the start of a captivating new chapter for the genre-bending trio, who returned to the studio with renewed purpose and insight after devoting the last few years to a series of critically acclaimed singles and EPs. Like much of the band’s catalog, the album blurs the lines between chamber folk and progressive bluegrass, drawing on everything from country and classical to pop and choral music with lush harmonies and dazzling fretwork, but this time around there’s a rawness to the writing, an embrace of candor and simplicity that cuts straight to the heart of things like never before. The result is perhaps the most arresting collection yet from a band known for its ability to stop listeners dead in their tracks, an exquisitely beautiful celebration of community, connection, and the power of belonging that feels tailor-made for these challenging times.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240718T162554Z SEQUENCE:3189657 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2239 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240809T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240809T210000 UID:29B1A1B2-44A7-4A96-A237-97F4118682FC SUMMARY:Danielle Nicole Band CREATED:20240430T155725Z DTSTAMP:20240430T155725Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/danielle-nicole-2 DESCRIPTION:Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, Danielle Nicole has spent her life making music and pleasing fans, domestically and abroad. Her stunning new album, The Love You Bleed on Forty Below Records, comprises twelve heartfelt tracks exploring themes of love, loss, and perseverance. The new album was produced by Tony Braunagel (Taj Mahal, Eric Burdon, Robert Cray) and co-produced by Nicole, with John Porter (B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bryan Ferry) mixing. The tight-knit quartet on the songs features Danielle on bass guitar and vocals; Brandon Miller (electric, acoustic, pedal steel, mandolin, and 12-string guitar), Damon Parker (keyboards); Go-Go Ray (drums), and Stevie Blacke (violin and cello).\NNicole was initially influenced by her parents. She recalls seeing her father playing blues guitar and her mother singing with the group Little Eva. With her two brothers, she became a member of Trampled Under Foot, which found initial popularity in the Midwest. Danielle embarked on her solo career with Wolf Den (2015), which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Blues charts and amassed 7.5 million Spotify streams. Cry No More (2018) followed; the record was nominated for a Grammy in the contemporary blues category and debuted at number one on the Billboard Blues Charts – it also boasts Spotify streams in excess of 10 million.\NNicole has been inducted into the Kansas City Hall of Fame and has been the recipient of seven Blues Music Awards. She recently did a duet with Dion on the upcoming song "I Aim To Please," and recorded the opening track in the forthcoming Peter Hutchings film Which Brings Me To You.\NThere has been no shortage of praise; Guitar World stated, "Danielle Nicole has won respect and admiration throughout the American blues scene for her soulful, inventive playing and tireless work ethic." Blues Music Magazine effused, "Nicole brings it, bakes it, and serves it up blazing on a silver soul-rocking platter." The Kansas City Star declared, "Blues and soul vocalists tend to improve as they age. Bettye LaVette is among the artists who became increasingly believable as she matured. Danielle Nicole appears to be following in her footsteps." And the legendary Koko Taylor gets right to the point: "That girl gets down to the nitty gritty!"\NAt the beginning of The Love You Bleed recording sessions, Danielle Nicole knew this new album would be different from those in the past. "Maybe that's because over half the songs are about falling in love and not falling through the destruction of it," she says. The album is full of love, loss, will, determination, and all the other things that go together with love. "Make Love" is about consciously pushing past the pain, choosing love, family, and community in life's difficult moments. It uplifts the message of love and togetherness in the face of hardship. "How Did We Get to Goodbye," with its raw and honest lyrics, documents a soured love that bears no hero or villain, asking how you get to such a place of disrepair without even knowing it. "Love On My Brain," a potent hybrid of vintage R&B and driving blues, begins as a flirty feeling inside and turns to an overpowering need and deep desire. "Right By Your Side" is a vintage soul/R&B ballad about never making the mistake of watching "the one" walk away again.\NThe Love You Bleed gives Nicole a solid place that music has always provided in dealing with love and loss. "It's been a difficult relationship listening to music outside of professional reasons since the passing of my brother Kris," she says. "But just being honest in my writing and direction, I find when I'm the truest to myself, that's when the magic happens. Not trying to find perfection in it so much, but engulfing myself in every moment and being there with the audience is when fun things can happen inside and out." Many of those feelings are captured in all the songs on the album.\NThere is a powerful sense of self in The Love You Bleed, taking the new songs to the place Nicole envisioned they could go. "I want to consciously move forward in the natural evolution of my songwriting and singing," she says. "And as I grow as a person, a woman, a mother.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Hailing from Kansas City, Missouri, Danielle Nicole has spent her life making music and pleasing fans, domestically and abroad. Her stunning new album, The Love You Bleed on Forty Below Records, comprises twelve heartfelt tracks exploring themes of love, loss, and perseverance. The new album was produced by Tony Braunagel (Taj Mahal, Eric Burdon, Robert Cray) and co-produced by Nicole, with John Porter (B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Bryan Ferry) mixing. The tight-knit quartet on the songs features Danielle on bass guitar and vocals; Brandon Miller (electric, acoustic, pedal steel, mandolin, and 12-string guitar), Damon Parker (keyboards); Go-Go Ray (drums), and Stevie Blacke (violin and cello).
Nicole was initially influenced by her parents. She recalls seeing her father playing blues guitar and her mother singing with the group Little Eva. With her two brothers, she became a member of Trampled Under Foot, which found initial popularity in the Midwest. Danielle embarked on her solo career with Wolf Den (2015), which peaked at #2 on the Billboard Blues charts and amassed 7.5 million Spotify streams. Cry No More (2018) followed; the record was nominated for a Grammy in the contemporary blues category and debuted at number one on the Billboard Blues Charts – it also boasts Spotify streams in excess of 10 million.
Nicole has been inducted into the Kansas City Hall of Fame and has been the recipient of seven Blues Music Awards. She recently did a duet with Dion on the upcoming song "I Aim To Please," and recorded the opening track in the forthcoming Peter Hutchings film Which Brings Me To You.
There has been no shortage of praise; Guitar World stated, "Danielle Nicole has won respect and admiration throughout the American blues scene for her soulful, inventive playing and tireless work ethic." Blues Music Magazine effused, "Nicole brings it, bakes it, and serves it up blazing on a silver soul-rocking platter." The Kansas City Star declared, "Blues and soul vocalists tend to improve as they age. Bettye LaVette is among the artists who became increasingly believable as she matured. Danielle Nicole appears to be following in her footsteps." And the legendary Koko Taylor gets right to the point: "That girl gets down to the nitty gritty!"
At the beginning of The Love You Bleed recording sessions, Danielle Nicole knew this new album would be different from those in the past. "Maybe that's because over half the songs are about falling in love and not falling through the destruction of it," she says. The album is full of love, loss, will, determination, and all the other things that go together with love. "Make Love" is about consciously pushing past the pain, choosing love, family, and community in life's difficult moments. It uplifts the message of love and togetherness in the face of hardship. "How Did We Get to Goodbye," with its raw and honest lyrics, documents a soured love that bears no hero or villain, asking how you get to such a place of disrepair without even knowing it. "Love On My Brain," a potent hybrid of vintage R&B and driving blues, begins as a flirty feeling inside and turns to an overpowering need and deep desire. "Right By Your Side" is a vintage soul/R&B ballad about never making the mistake of watching "the one" walk away again.
The Love You Bleed gives Nicole a solid place that music has always provided in dealing with love and loss. "It's been a difficult relationship listening to music outside of professional reasons since the passing of my brother Kris," she says. "But just being honest in my writing and direction, I find when I'm the truest to myself, that's when the magic happens. Not trying to find perfection in it so much, but engulfing myself in every moment and being there with the audience is when fun things can happen inside and out." Many of those feelings are captured in all the songs on the album.
There is a powerful sense of self in The Love You Bleed, taking the new songs to the place Nicole envisioned they could go. "I want to consciously move forward in the natural evolution of my songwriting and singing," she says. "And as I grow as a person, a woman, a mother.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20240809T232013Z SEQUENCE:8752968 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2518 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240813T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240813T210000 UID:EB2243D1-F508-4BE5-9306-85E1E803BCAF SUMMARY:The Heavy Heavy CREATED:20240605T161445Z DTSTAMP:20240605T161445Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-heavy-heavy DESCRIPTION:The Heavy Heavy create the kind of unfettered rock-and-roll that warps time and place, immediately pulling the audience into a euphoric fugue state with its own sun-soaked atmosphere. Led by lifelong musicians Will Turner and Georgie Fuller, the Brighton, UK-based band began with a shared ambition of “making records that sound like our favorite records ever,” and soon arrived at a reverb-drenched collision of psychedelia and blues, acid rock and sunshine pop. As revealed on their gloriously hazy debut EP Life and Life Only, The Heavy Heavy breathe an incandescent new energy into sounds from decades ago, transcending eras with a hypnotic ease.\NIn dreaming up Life and Life Only, The Heavy Heavy tapped into many of the musical touchstones that Turner describes as “deeply entrenched in our psyche”: Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones, British Invasion pop acts like the Hollies, folk-blues duo Delaney & Bonnie, to name just a few. Pushing past the confines of reverential pastiche, the band imbues their output with a strangely charmed quality and heady authenticity undeniably tied to their status as artists on the fringe, both philosophically and geographically. To that end, Turner hails from the remote town of Malvern, an enchanted stretch of the English countryside once frequented by the likes of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and Kate Bush. “It’s famous for the healing qualities of its water, and there are ancient trees where the Druids used to worship—there’s a sort of magical-hippie aspect to it,” he notes. Fuller, meanwhile, elevates every track with her spellbinding vocals and magnetic yet wholly unaffected presence, building upon a kaleidoscopic career that’s included performing at Montreux Jazz Festival as a teenager as well as acting in the London theater.\NRooted in their effusive harmonies and fuzzed-out guitar work, Life and Life Only contains the first track Turner and Fuller ever recorded as The Heavy Heavy, a lilting piece of psych-pop titled “Go Down River.” “I’d had this song a while and couldn’t quite finish it, but then once Georgie added her vocals it all came together,” Turner recalls. “The male-female harmonies gave it this whole new sound; it just felt like lying in the green grass on a hot sunny day.” Self-produced in a London flat, the six-track project also brings that transportive power to songs like “Miles and Miles” (a bright and jangly number whose whirlwind velocity calls to mind late-’60s/early-’70s road dramas like Easy Rider and Vanishing Point), “Man of the Hills” (a groove-heavy homage to Turner’s otherworldly hometown), and “Sleeping on Grassy Ground” (a sweetly languid epic featuring a near-operatic vocal performance from Fuller, a classically trained singer).\NWith their full-length debut due out in next year, The Heavy Heavy recently expanded their lineup to five members, allowing for an even more vast and bombastic sound now touched with heavenly four-part harmonies. A massively prolific outfit who’ve written and recorded hundreds of songs in the last two years alone, the band feels perpetually inspired by the pursuit of making music that provides a rarefied pleasure. “The driving force behind all our songwriting is to feel good, and to make other people feel good too,” Fuller points out. And thanks to their uncanny grace as sonic alchemists, The Heavy Heavy ultimately perform a certain magic with their music: eliciting a sublime daze that goes far beyond pure escapism.\NIn a little over one year The Heavy Heavy have toured relentlessly in the United States and Europe, selling out shows from London to Chicago and garnering numerous accolades from both fans and critics. The Guardian deemed the band “one to watch” and praised their “thrillingly instinctive retro rock;” NME listed them as an Essential Emerging Artist for 2023. The Heavy Heavy appeared on national television on CBS Saturday Morning, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Their singles “Miles & Miles” and “Go Down River” reached the top 5 of the Billboard AAA and Americana Radio Charts. The band also landed high profile placements, such as Netflix’s popular series Outer Banks. ATO Records released an expanded version of their EP Life and Life Only in March 2023, which includes harmony-laden covers of Father John Misty’s “Real Love Baby, CSNY’s “Guinnevere,” and Jonathan Wilson’s “Desert Raven.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The Heavy Heavy create the kind of unfettered rock-and-roll that warps time and place, immediately pulling the audience into a euphoric fugue state with its own sun-soaked atmosphere. Led by lifelong musicians Will Turner and Georgie Fuller, the Brighton, UK-based band began with a shared ambition of “making records that sound like our favorite records ever,” and soon arrived at a reverb-drenched collision of psychedelia and blues, acid rock and sunshine pop. As revealed on their gloriously hazy debut EP Life and Life Only, The Heavy Heavy breathe an incandescent new energy into sounds from decades ago, transcending eras with a hypnotic ease.
In dreaming up Life and Life Only, The Heavy Heavy tapped into many of the musical touchstones that Turner describes as “deeply entrenched in our psyche”: Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones, British Invasion pop acts like the Hollies, folk-blues duo Delaney & Bonnie, to name just a few. Pushing past the confines of reverential pastiche, the band imbues their output with a strangely charmed quality and heady authenticity undeniably tied to their status as artists on the fringe, both philosophically and geographically. To that end, Turner hails from the remote town of Malvern, an enchanted stretch of the English countryside once frequented by the likes of Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath and Kate Bush. “It’s famous for the healing qualities of its water, and there are ancient trees where the Druids used to worship—there’s a sort of magical-hippie aspect to it,” he notes. Fuller, meanwhile, elevates every track with her spellbinding vocals and magnetic yet wholly unaffected presence, building upon a kaleidoscopic career that’s included performing at Montreux Jazz Festival as a teenager as well as acting in the London theater.
Rooted in their effusive harmonies and fuzzed-out guitar work, Life and Life Only contains the first track Turner and Fuller ever recorded as The Heavy Heavy, a lilting piece of psych-pop titled “Go Down River.” “I’d had this song a while and couldn’t quite finish it, but then once Georgie added her vocals it all came together,” Turner recalls. “The male-female harmonies gave it this whole new sound; it just felt like lying in the green grass on a hot sunny day.” Self-produced in a London flat, the six-track project also brings that transportive power to songs like “Miles and Miles” (a bright and jangly number whose whirlwind velocity calls to mind late-’60s/early-’70s road dramas like Easy Rider and Vanishing Point), “Man of the Hills” (a groove-heavy homage to Turner’s otherworldly hometown), and “Sleeping on Grassy Ground” (a sweetly languid epic featuring a near-operatic vocal performance from Fuller, a classically trained singer).
With their full-length debut due out in next year, The Heavy Heavy recently expanded their lineup to five members, allowing for an even more vast and bombastic sound now touched with heavenly four-part harmonies. A massively prolific outfit who’ve written and recorded hundreds of songs in the last two years alone, the band feels perpetually inspired by the pursuit of making music that provides a rarefied pleasure. “The driving force behind all our songwriting is to feel good, and to make other people feel good too,” Fuller points out. And thanks to their uncanny grace as sonic alchemists, The Heavy Heavy ultimately perform a certain magic with their music: eliciting a sublime daze that goes far beyond pure escapism.
In a little over one year The Heavy Heavy have toured relentlessly in the United States and Europe, selling out shows from London to Chicago and garnering numerous accolades from both fans and critics. The Guardian deemed the band “one to watch” and praised their “thrillingly instinctive retro rock;” NME listed them as an Essential Emerging Artist for 2023. The Heavy Heavy appeared on national television on CBS Saturday Morning, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Their singles “Miles & Miles” and “Go Down River” reached the top 5 of the Billboard AAA and Americana Radio Charts. The band also landed high profile placements, such as Netflix’s popular series Outer Banks. ATO Records released an expanded version of their EP Life and Life Only in March 2023, which includes harmony-laden covers of Father John Misty’s “Real Love Baby, CSNY’s “Guinnevere,” and Jonathan Wilson’s “Desert Raven.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20240812T230444Z SEQUENCE:5899799 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1747 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240817T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240817T210000 UID:F9E02E4F-B93C-4CF4-BAD1-8121D5EFBD2A SUMMARY:Eddie 9V x Them Coulee Boys CREATED:20240528T144836Z DTSTAMP:20240528T144836Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/eddie-9v-x-them-coulee-boys DESCRIPTION:As far back as he can remember, Capricorn Studios was calling Eddie 9V. As a kid scanning the sleeves of his favorite vinyl records, this fabled facility in Macon, Georgia, was always the secret ingredient, adding a little grit and honey to every song born on its floor. Capricorn and the bands who blew through it urged the Atlanta guitarist to ditch school at 15, play his fingers bloody throughout the south, and turn apathy into acclaim for early albums Left My Soul in Memphis (2019) and Little Black Flies (2021).\NEddie spent his first quarter-century admiring Capricorn from afar. But in December 2021, the 26-year-old finally put his thumbprint on the studio's mythology, corralling an eleven-strong group of the American South's best roots musicians to track his third album. "There was overwhelming excitement at being in such a legendary studio," he says. "But we hugged and got right to work. Everyone was joyous, loving, and flat-out playing their asses off."\NYou don't come to Capricorn Studios for polish. Frozen in time since its opening day in 1969, the mojo from sessions by giants like the Allman Brothers and Otis Redding still hangs in the air, while the recording philosophy remains gloriously raw. That suited Eddie, whose output has been celebrated for its warts-and-all snapshot of what went down. "In a world where everyone is trying to sound the best, I'm trying to sound like me," he reasons. "I always want the listener to feel like they're in the room with us. So I'd leave it in if a drum pedal squeaked or someone laughed during a take on the Capricorn album. It's our way of putting a stamp on the song." \NEddie's old-school ethos goes way back. Born Brooks Mason in June 1996, he acquired his first guitar aged six, "One of those with the speaker in it – the most bang for your buck, y'know?", ignored the prevailing pop scene at Oak Grove High School in favor of local heroes like Sean Costello and studied "older cats" like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Freddie King, and Rory Gallagher "to see what made them groove and tick." His shoot-from-the-lip lyrics adds Eddie came from family fish fries, where his Uncle Brian "taught me to make people laugh, how to hold an audience's attention."\NWhen Eddie infiltrated his home state's live circuit – first with covers band The Smokin' Frogs, then its more adept blues-rock offshoot, The Georgia Flood – he quickly pricked up ears everywhere he played. His artistic vision became full realized when he killed Brooks Mason and adopted the solo moniker that promises an electrifying night out, “Eddie 9 Volt”. \N"There are too many Joe Schmo r&b bands," he reasons. "I was on the road with another band, and we were talking like mobsters. So we gave each other names – mine was Eddie." \NAlready, there has been massive acclaim for his early output, with Left My Soul in Memphis dubbed "fresh and life-affirming" by Rock & Blues Muse and Little Black Flies praised by Classic Rock as "the most instinctive blues you'll hear all year." But as the Capricorn sessions ticked closer, Eddie fused the nervous energy into his best songs yet. "Coming off a straight blues record, I wanted to show people we're more than that," he reflects. "I was listening to Muscle Shoals and soul, a lot of music recorded at Capricorn in the late-'60s too. So we spent way more time crafting the new tunes. Each song took a week to write, instead of five in one night like Little Black Flies."\N“Beg, Steal and Borrow” is ballsy soul with Eddie's spit flecking the mic. “Yella Alligator” is as swampy-sounding as the title, with slide guitars lapping around cardboard-box beats. Bout To “Make Me Leave Home” is a propulsive shuffle, Eddie's vocal seemingly made up in the moment. The gospel-touched “Are We Through” catches a breath before How Long drapes mellow organ over bone-dry riffs. “It's Goin' Down” fuses porch blues with psychedelic woodwind, while “Tryin' To Get By” brings brassy strut while concealing lyrics from the perspective of a man on a downward spiral, surviving on the crumbs of a love affair. "The lyrics and meanings of these new songs are way deeper," says Eddie. "Take the song “It's Goin' Down". It’s really about my struggle with alcohol, the dangerous nightlife of bars, and the drugs offered to you in the music industry. But then, one of my favorite tunes, “Yella Alligator,” is about a fictional psychedelic party in the bayou…" \NLikewise, Capricorn is an album of thrilling musical contrasts. Bob Dylan’s “Down Along the Cove” is a pugnacious blues-rocker, followed by Khristie French's gossamer lead vocal on the spiritual Mary Don't You Weep. Mellow Missouri is dusty as a great lost soul session, while brass punches through the glassy chords of “I'm Lonely”. Finally, the album ends with Eddie's laughter as he realizes he has no more to give: "I gotta come out of this room…!"\NNever meet your heroes, they say, and many young artists have been overwhelmed by walking the holy ground of their dream studios. At Capricorn, Eddie 9V breathed in the history – but the album he spat out is worthy of sharing the name, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the studio's greatest hits and taking music back to the golden age. "We made this record," he considers, "the way they would have done in 1969…" X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:As far back as he can remember, Capricorn Studios was calling Eddie 9V. As a kid scanning the sleeves of his favorite vinyl records, this fabled facility in Macon, Georgia, was always the secret ingredient, adding a little grit and honey to every song born on its floor. Capricorn and the bands who blew through it urged the Atlanta guitarist to ditch school at 15, play his fingers bloody throughout the south, and turn apathy into acclaim for early albums Left My Soul in Memphis (2019) and Little Black Flies (2021).
Eddie spent his first quarter-century admiring Capricorn from afar. But in December 2021, the 26-year-old finally put his thumbprint on the studio's mythology, corralling an eleven-strong group of the American South's best roots musicians to track his third album. "There was overwhelming excitement at being in such a legendary studio," he says. "But we hugged and got right to work. Everyone was joyous, loving, and flat-out playing their asses off."
You don't come to Capricorn Studios for polish. Frozen in time since its opening day in 1969, the mojo from sessions by giants like the Allman Brothers and Otis Redding still hangs in the air, while the recording philosophy remains gloriously raw. That suited Eddie, whose output has been celebrated for its warts-and-all snapshot of what went down. "In a world where everyone is trying to sound the best, I'm trying to sound like me," he reasons. "I always want the listener to feel like they're in the room with us. So I'd leave it in if a drum pedal squeaked or someone laughed during a take on the Capricorn album. It's our way of putting a stamp on the song."
Eddie's old-school ethos goes way back. Born Brooks Mason in June 1996, he acquired his first guitar aged six, "One of those with the speaker in it – the most bang for your buck, y'know?", ignored the prevailing pop scene at Oak Grove High School in favor of local heroes like Sean Costello and studied "older cats" like Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, Freddie King, and Rory Gallagher "to see what made them groove and tick." His shoot-from-the-lip lyrics adds Eddie came from family fish fries, where his Uncle Brian "taught me to make people laugh, how to hold an audience's attention."
When Eddie infiltrated his home state's live circuit – first with covers band The Smokin' Frogs, then its more adept blues-rock offshoot, The Georgia Flood – he quickly pricked up ears everywhere he played. His artistic vision became full realized when he killed Brooks Mason and adopted the solo moniker that promises an electrifying night out, “Eddie 9 Volt”.
"There are too many Joe Schmo r&b bands," he reasons. "I was on the road with another band, and we were talking like mobsters. So we gave each other names – mine was Eddie."
Already, there has been massive acclaim for his early output, with Left My Soul in Memphis dubbed "fresh and life-affirming" by Rock & Blues Muse and Little Black Flies praised by Classic Rock as "the most instinctive blues you'll hear all year." But as the Capricorn sessions ticked closer, Eddie fused the nervous energy into his best songs yet. "Coming off a straight blues record, I wanted to show people we're more than that," he reflects. "I was listening to Muscle Shoals and soul, a lot of music recorded at Capricorn in the late-'60s too. So we spent way more time crafting the new tunes. Each song took a week to write, instead of five in one night like Little Black Flies."
“Beg, Steal and Borrow” is ballsy soul with Eddie's spit flecking the mic. “Yella Alligator” is as swampy-sounding as the title, with slide guitars lapping around cardboard-box beats. Bout To “Make Me Leave Home” is a propulsive shuffle, Eddie's vocal seemingly made up in the moment. The gospel-touched “Are We Through” catches a breath before How Long drapes mellow organ over bone-dry riffs. “It's Goin' Down” fuses porch blues with psychedelic woodwind, while “Tryin' To Get By” brings brassy strut while concealing lyrics from the perspective of a man on a downward spiral, surviving on the crumbs of a love affair. "The lyrics and meanings of these new songs are way deeper," says Eddie. "Take the song “It's Goin' Down". It’s really about my struggle with alcohol, the dangerous nightlife of bars, and the drugs offered to you in the music industry. But then, one of my favorite tunes, “Yella Alligator,” is about a fictional psychedelic party in the bayou…"
Likewise, Capricorn is an album of thrilling musical contrasts. Bob Dylan’s “Down Along the Cove” is a pugnacious blues-rocker, followed by Khristie French's gossamer lead vocal on the spiritual Mary Don't You Weep. Mellow Missouri is dusty as a great lost soul session, while brass punches through the glassy chords of “I'm Lonely”. Finally, the album ends with Eddie's laughter as he realizes he has no more to give: "I gotta come out of this room…!"
Never meet your heroes, they say, and many young artists have been overwhelmed by walking the holy ground of their dream studios. At Capricorn, Eddie 9V breathed in the history – but the album he spat out is worthy of sharing the name, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the studio's greatest hits and taking music back to the golden age. "We made this record," he considers, "the way they would have done in 1969…"
LAST-MODIFIED:20240627T175012Z SEQUENCE:2602896 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2041 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-05-28 19:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240820T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240820T110000 UID:40EF4E25-86FE-41EE-94FE-B2A25992EF78 SUMMARY:Moms Unhinged CREATED:20240723T161530Z DTSTAMP:20240723T161530Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/moms-unhinged DESCRIPTION:Moms Unhinged is a standup comedy show with a lineup of all mom comedians (and the occasional token dad).\NWe explore everything from motherhood to midlife crisis, marriage, divorce, online dating, and other things that irritate us. Men are welcome to the show, too!\NWe do clean (ish) comedy and this is a fun night out with your girlfriends, drinking club (I mean book club), neighborhood group or your own mom.\NComedians in our repertoire are mostly Colorado-based currently, but as we expand our network nationwide, we are able to include the very best funny women in other cities. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Moms Unhinged is a standup comedy show with a lineup of all mom comedians (and the occasional token dad).
We explore everything from motherhood to midlife crisis, marriage, divorce, online dating, and other things that irritate us. Men are welcome to the show, too!
We do clean (ish) comedy and this is a fun night out with your girlfriends, drinking club (I mean book club), neighborhood group or your own mom.
Comedians in our repertoire are mostly Colorado-based currently, but as we expand our network nationwide, we are able to include the very best funny women in other cities.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240805T195732Z SEQUENCE:1136522 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1382 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240830T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240830T210000 UID:C3479F4C-8663-4891-B50A-FEAA852BC779 SUMMARY:Space Gravy CREATED:20240726T173245Z DTSTAMP:20240726T173245Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/space-gravy DESCRIPTION:Based in Zion, Space Gravy is a hippy rock & roll noise machine spewing out covers with our own gritty, thick seasoned, cosmic flavor. We rock, we groove, we’re bluesy, can get weird, and gooey. Unpolished, we shoot from the hip, color outside the lines, and go hard in the paint. Come ridin’ with us on that good time tune train to wherever the music may take us. \NWe play a fair amount of The Grateful Dead, because their music tastes good and suits us well. We also play the likes of the Phish, Allman Bros, The Meters, Tom Petty, Traffic, etc. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Based in Zion, Space Gravy is a hippy rock & roll noise machine spewing out covers with our own gritty, thick seasoned, cosmic flavor. We rock, we groove, we’re bluesy, can get weird, and gooey. Unpolished, we shoot from the hip, color outside the lines, and go hard in the paint. Come ridin’ with us on that good time tune train to wherever the music may take us.
We play a fair amount of The Grateful Dead, because their music tastes good and suits us well. We also play the likes of the Phish, Allman Bros, The Meters, Tom Petty, Traffic, etc.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240805T211017Z SEQUENCE:877052 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1939 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240906T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240906T210000 UID:8EFAB0BB-B715-4310-AFD4-FF990691DAB6 SUMMARY:Tony Holiday CREATED:20240624T220410Z DTSTAMP:20240624T220410Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/tony-holiday-2 DESCRIPTION:There’s something about Tony Holiday that draws people together. In fact, community has been at the core of Holiday’s young career from the beginning. Since relocating from Salt Lake City to Memphis in 2017, Holiday has been at the center of a soul blues revival in Memphis, anchored by a contingent of young, savvy well-schooled musicians with a “family-like” attitude and a strong belief in one another. Mentored by past legends, Holiday and this loose Memphis collective are building on the city’s rich traditions and carrying them forward. \NMotel Mississippi, Holiday’s 2nd solo album, was recorded about an hour outside Memphis in Coldwater, Mississippi, at Zebra Ranch, the studio of the late great Memphis legend Jim Dickinson (The Rolling Stones, Big Star). Combining the sounds of North Mississippi Hill Country, Delta Blues, and Memphis soul, Motel Mississippi is equal parts hypnotic blues, driving soul, and juke joint stomper. The album consists of six originals and two covers, “Rob & Steal” by Paul Wine Jones and “Nobody But You” by Asie Payton. \NLike with previous projects, Motel Mississippi began as a collaborative effort, this time between Holiday, guitarist/songwriter A.J. Fullerton and guitarist/producer Dave Gross who shared production duties with Fullerton. Rich sonic layers provide a forward-thinking quality to these productions, conjuring up a vibe that’s modern and retro at the same time. \NThe drone and drive of songs like “Rob & Steal” and “Get By” contrast with juke joint grooves like “Just As Gone” while diving into new territory with the Cajun-infused double harmonica instrumental “Yazoo River.” The album was recorded by another mainstay of recent Memphis recording, Kevin Houston (Southern Avenue, North Mississippi Allstars, G. Love). Other musicians on the album include Lee Williams Jr. on drums, Terrance Grayson on Bass, Aubrey McCrady on guitar, Jake Friel on Harmonica, and Mikey Junior on backup vocals.\NMotel Mississippi follows 2020’s Soul Service, produced by another regular collaborator, Southern Avenue’s Ori Naftaly. This followed two volumes of Tony Holiday’s Porch Sessions, which saw Holiday traveling across the United States and throughout Europe recording blues musicians on their very own front porches, in front of juke joints, in the countryside, and even on the front stoops of raucous night spots in bustling cities, resulting in two critically acclaimed albums. The guestlist struck a balance between older legends like Grammy® winners Charlie Musselwhite and Bobby Rush, former Muddy Waters guitarist John Primer and the iconic Lurie Bell, alongside some of Holiday’s peers Southern Avenue, Victor Wainwright, and John Németh. The latter two have served as important mentors for Holiday since his move to Memphis.\NThere’s something in the water in Memphis, and Tony Holiday has tapped into it to contribute to an exciting new chapter unfolding in this storied region. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:There’s something about Tony Holiday that draws people together. In fact, community has been at the core of Holiday’s young career from the beginning. Since relocating from Salt Lake City to Memphis in 2017, Holiday has been at the center of a soul blues revival in Memphis, anchored by a contingent of young, savvy well-schooled musicians with a “family-like” attitude and a strong belief in one another. Mentored by past legends, Holiday and this loose Memphis collective are building on the city’s rich traditions and carrying them forward.
Motel Mississippi, Holiday’s 2nd solo album, was recorded about an hour outside Memphis in Coldwater, Mississippi, at Zebra Ranch, the studio of the late great Memphis legend Jim Dickinson (The Rolling Stones, Big Star). Combining the sounds of North Mississippi Hill Country, Delta Blues, and Memphis soul, Motel Mississippi is equal parts hypnotic blues, driving soul, and juke joint stomper. The album consists of six originals and two covers, “Rob & Steal” by Paul Wine Jones and “Nobody But You” by Asie Payton.
Like with previous projects, Motel Mississippi began as a collaborative effort, this time between Holiday, guitarist/songwriter A.J. Fullerton and guitarist/producer Dave Gross who shared production duties with Fullerton. Rich sonic layers provide a forward-thinking quality to these productions, conjuring up a vibe that’s modern and retro at the same time.
The drone and drive of songs like “Rob & Steal” and “Get By” contrast with juke joint grooves like “Just As Gone” while diving into new territory with the Cajun-infused double harmonica instrumental “Yazoo River.” The album was recorded by another mainstay of recent Memphis recording, Kevin Houston (Southern Avenue, North Mississippi Allstars, G. Love). Other musicians on the album include Lee Williams Jr. on drums, Terrance Grayson on Bass, Aubrey McCrady on guitar, Jake Friel on Harmonica, and Mikey Junior on backup vocals.
Motel Mississippi follows 2020’s Soul Service, produced by another regular collaborator, Southern Avenue’s Ori Naftaly. This followed two volumes of Tony Holiday’s Porch Sessions, which saw Holiday traveling across the United States and throughout Europe recording blues musicians on their very own front porches, in front of juke joints, in the countryside, and even on the front stoops of raucous night spots in bustling cities, resulting in two critically acclaimed albums. The guestlist struck a balance between older legends like Grammy® winners Charlie Musselwhite and Bobby Rush, former Muddy Waters guitarist John Primer and the iconic Lurie Bell, alongside some of Holiday’s peers Southern Avenue, Victor Wainwright, and John Németh. The latter two have served as important mentors for Holiday since his move to Memphis.
There’s something in the water in Memphis, and Tony Holiday has tapped into it to contribute to an exciting new chapter unfolding in this storied region.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240725T165140Z SEQUENCE:2659650 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3554 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-06-25 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240911T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240911T210000 UID:12F9EB65-F9B6-4A11-8DAF-E052AF4ED8A8 SUMMARY:Tony Furtado Trio (feat. John Reischman & Eric Thorin) CREATED:20240802T155708Z DTSTAMP:20240802T155708Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/tony-furtado-trio-feat-john-reischman-eric-thorin DESCRIPTION:Very few musicians of any stripe so personify a musical genre as completely as Tony Furtado embodies Americana roots music.\NTony is an evocative and soulful singer, a wide-ranging songwriter and a virtuoso multi-instrumental-ist adept on banjo, cello-banjo, slide guitar and baritone ukulele who mixes and matches sounds and styles with the fl air of a master chef (he’s also an accomplished sculptor, but that’s another story). All of the music of America is in Tony’s music. Relix hit the nail on the head when writing of Tony: “True talent doesn’t need categories.\NTony is been creating sculptures and artwork in the recent years. Check out more on the “Artwork Gallery Page”.\N”A native of Pleasanton, California, who now makes his home in Portland, Oregon, Tony Furtado took up the banjo at age 12, inspired by the Beverly Hillbillies television show and a sixth-grade music report. He first attracted national attention in 1987, when he won the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship in Winfield, Kansas. Not long after that, Tony opt-ed for the life of a full-time professional musician, joining Laurie Lewis & Grant Street. A second victory at Winfield, in 1991, bookended his years with Grant Street.\NIn 1990, Tony signed a recording deal with Rounder Records, one of the country’s preeminent independent record companies. Beginning with Swamped in 1990, he recorded six critically acclaimed albums for the label, collaborating with such master musicians as Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Tim O’Brien, Stuart Duncan, Kelly Joe Phelps and Mike Marshall. During this period, Tony also performed and recorded with the band SugarBeat and the Rounder Banjo Extravaganza with Tony Trischka and Tom Adams.\NBeginning in the late 1990s – influenced by such musical heroes as Ry Cooder, David Lind-ley and Taj Mahal – Tony added slide guitar, singing and songwriting to his musical toolbox and began leading his own band. He is a tireless road musician who performs in a dizzying variety of formats: solo, in a duo or trio or with his full five-person band. He especially values the opportunities he has had to tour with such legendary musicians as Gregg Allman and with such esteemed slide guitarists as David Lindley, Derek Trucks and Sonny Landreth.\NTony has performed throughout the world at top venues and appeared at such prestigious music festivals as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, Jazz Aspen, Kerrville Folk Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Sisters Folk Festival, San Jose Jazz Festival and countless others.\N“I love playing live,” he says. “All my energy is focused on the love of playing music and rolling with the moment. It’s a give and take from the audience to the stage, and back. And the music that is created is some-thing that otherwise might not occur without that flow.” – Jon Hartley Fox X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Tony is an evocative and soulful singer, a wide-ranging songwriter and a virtuoso multi-instrumental-ist adept on banjo, cello-banjo, slide guitar and baritone ukulele who mixes and matches sounds and styles with the fl air of a master chef (he’s also an accomplished sculptor, but that’s another story). All of the music of America is in Tony’s music. Relix hit the nail on the head when writing of Tony: “True talent doesn’t need categories.
Tony is been creating sculptures and artwork in the recent years. Check out more on the “Artwork Gallery Page”.
”A native of Pleasanton, California, who now makes his home in Portland, Oregon, Tony Furtado took up the banjo at age 12, inspired by the Beverly Hillbillies television show and a sixth-grade music report. He first attracted national attention in 1987, when he won the National Bluegrass Banjo Championship in Winfield, Kansas. Not long after that, Tony opt-ed for the life of a full-time professional musician, joining Laurie Lewis & Grant Street. A second victory at Winfield, in 1991, bookended his years with Grant Street.
In 1990, Tony signed a recording deal with Rounder Records, one of the country’s preeminent independent record companies. Beginning with Swamped in 1990, he recorded six critically acclaimed albums for the label, collaborating with such master musicians as Alison Krauss, Jerry Douglas, Tim O’Brien, Stuart Duncan, Kelly Joe Phelps and Mike Marshall. During this period, Tony also performed and recorded with the band SugarBeat and the Rounder Banjo Extravaganza with Tony Trischka and Tom Adams.
Beginning in the late 1990s – influenced by such musical heroes as Ry Cooder, David Lind-ley and Taj Mahal – Tony added slide guitar, singing and songwriting to his musical toolbox and began leading his own band. He is a tireless road musician who performs in a dizzying variety of formats: solo, in a duo or trio or with his full five-person band. He especially values the opportunities he has had to tour with such legendary musicians as Gregg Allman and with such esteemed slide guitarists as David Lindley, Derek Trucks and Sonny Landreth.
Tony has performed throughout the world at top venues and appeared at such prestigious music festivals as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, High Sierra Music Festival, Jazz Aspen, Kerrville Folk Festival, Strawberry Music Festival, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Sisters Folk Festival, San Jose Jazz Festival and countless others.
“I love playing live,” he says. “All my energy is focused on the love of playing music and rolling with the moment. It’s a give and take from the audience to the stage, and back. And the music that is created is some-thing that otherwise might not occur without that flow.” – Jon Hartley Fox
LAST-MODIFIED:20240905T195916Z SEQUENCE:2952128 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2329 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-08-02 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240912T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240912T233000 UID:881A9C71-B061-499B-B1C9-49E7B276450E SUMMARY:Boot Juice CREATED:20240730T161739Z DTSTAMP:20240730T161739Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/boot-juice DESCRIPTION:Boot Juice hails from the Hills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. The band features electric and acoustic guitars, three vocalists, bass, drums, saxophone and trumpet. Inspired by the likes of The Band and Railroad Earth with an intensely energetic show reminiscent of Talking Heads, Boot Juice has been gaining buzz with their vibrant performances and party-sparking reputation. Shifting effortlessly between driving bluegrass and americana into cosmic rock’n’roll and swing. They deliver three part vocal harmonies and dynamic instrumental arrangements with a sultry dose of blues and soul. The collective effect leaves crowds little choice but to shake it down on the dance floor.\NBoot Juice has been kicking around the west since 2017, leaving audiences happy, and dance floors sticky. They have kept an ambitious tour schedule, hitting the road in their 96’ International school bus, constantly adding to their ever-growing resume of festival and club appearances. Founding members Connor Herdt (acoustic guitar and vocals) and Evan Daly (electric guitar and vocals) have been friends since childhood. The two have been playing music together since their teenage years, combining their respective passions for americana and rock’n’roll songwriting with a desire to create a big sound that feels right at home in a barroom or on a large festival stage. Brett Worley (bass wizard) not only holds down the low end, he is also Evan’s cousin and has been touring with the band since the beginning. Brett’s melodic bass style has become a signature of the Boot Juice sound. Jess Stoll (vocals and artwork) joined the band shortly after, bringing another lead and backing voice to the group for deeply layered harmonies. She wears many hats for the band, acting as the artistic director for all of the band’s design concepts and providing the vision and drive necessary for a big production. Billy D. Thompson (drums) has been a staple of the Sacramento music scene for the past decade, graduating from Sacramento State University with a degree in Jazz Drum Performance. Billy brings his soul and funk influence into the Americana realm, adding yet another dimension to the band’s sound. In 2019 Boot Juice came into it’s full current lineup with the addition of its horn section. Caleb Sanders (alto and tenor saxophone), Matt Vollmer (Trumpet and Trombone) and Micah Marmorstein (trumpet) bring an infectious energy and tight horn harmonies to the stage, making it tough not to dance. It’s not uncommon to see these guys hanging off the rafters or running into the crowd by the end of the night. \NBoot Juice plays music that will attempt to bring you to the street corner, the river side, or the open highway. They released their debut LP album, Speaking in Tones, in May 2019 and followed in March 2021 with their second record, Shifting gears. The group is currently tracking its third LP, which will be released in 2023. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Boot Juice hails from the Hills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. The band features electric and acoustic guitars, three vocalists, bass, drums, saxophone and trumpet. Inspired by the likes of The Band and Railroad Earth with an intensely energetic show reminiscent of Talking Heads, Boot Juice has been gaining buzz with their vibrant performances and party-sparking reputation. Shifting effortlessly between driving bluegrass and americana into cosmic rock’n’roll and swing. They deliver three part vocal harmonies and dynamic instrumental arrangements with a sultry dose of blues and soul. The collective effect leaves crowds little choice but to shake it down on the dance floor.
Boot Juice has been kicking around the west since 2017, leaving audiences happy, and dance floors sticky. They have kept an ambitious tour schedule, hitting the road in their 96’ International school bus, constantly adding to their ever-growing resume of festival and club appearances. Founding members Connor Herdt (acoustic guitar and vocals) and Evan Daly (electric guitar and vocals) have been friends since childhood. The two have been playing music together since their teenage years, combining their respective passions for americana and rock’n’roll songwriting with a desire to create a big sound that feels right at home in a barroom or on a large festival stage. Brett Worley (bass wizard) not only holds down the low end, he is also Evan’s cousin and has been touring with the band since the beginning. Brett’s melodic bass style has become a signature of the Boot Juice sound. Jess Stoll (vocals and artwork) joined the band shortly after, bringing another lead and backing voice to the group for deeply layered harmonies. She wears many hats for the band, acting as the artistic director for all of the band’s design concepts and providing the vision and drive necessary for a big production. Billy D. Thompson (drums) has been a staple of the Sacramento music scene for the past decade, graduating from Sacramento State University with a degree in Jazz Drum Performance. Billy brings his soul and funk influence into the Americana realm, adding yet another dimension to the band’s sound. In 2019 Boot Juice came into it’s full current lineup with the addition of its horn section. Caleb Sanders (alto and tenor saxophone), Matt Vollmer (Trumpet and Trombone) and Micah Marmorstein (trumpet) bring an infectious energy and tight horn harmonies to the stage, making it tough not to dance. It’s not uncommon to see these guys hanging off the rafters or running into the crowd by the end of the night.
Boot Juice plays music that will attempt to bring you to the street corner, the river side, or the open highway. They released their debut LP album, Speaking in Tones, in May 2019 and followed in March 2021 with their second record, Shifting gears. The group is currently tracking its third LP, which will be released in 2023.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240912T162927Z SEQUENCE:3802308 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2596 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240913T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240913T210000 UID:214B1C87-663B-405B-88B7-A3667BDDD7E1 SUMMARY:Aaron Frazer CREATED:20240506T184026Z DTSTAMP:20240506T184026Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/aaron-frazer DESCRIPTION:“Into The Blue is the clearest portrait of who I am as an artist. It’s me through and through,” says multi-instrumentalist Aaron Frazer. Following Frazerʼs lauded 2021 debut, Into the Blue is\Nexpansive- a daring blend of soul, psychedelia, spaghetti western, disco, gospel and hip-hop, representing the impressive range of Frazer's sonic talents. Frazer maintains the unmistakable falsetto and classic songwriting he’s known for, but plants Into the Blue firmly in the now with a hip-hop mentality at its core, weaving together genres and production techniques to form something new.\NThe opener, “Thinking of You,” is harmony-laden soul drawing inspiration from legendary Harlem trio Black Ivory over a bed of strings. “Lonely nights like this, still I feel your kiss,” Frazer coos nostalgically in his high register. Later, on “Time Will Tell,” he plaintively considers the end of a relationship, “trying to figure out // how love went from sweet to sour.” Into The Blue was conceived out of heartbreak. Following the end of a long relationship, Frazer moved cross-country from Brooklyn to Los Angeles and embarked on a journey that’s reflected in the album’s themes of grief, loneliness, and searching for healing. “Into The Blue really means heading into the unknown. That has been the last year of my life and I'm still in the blue,” Frazer explains. “But there are also songs here that celebrate love and the giddiness of a new relationship and all that. That's part of a breakup to me, processing the whole thing, remembering the things that were right as much as the things that were wrong.”\NThe title track, “Into The Blue”, is a haunting, resolute anthem, combining cinematic strings and tough-as-nails breakbeats as Frazer heads west. “Here I go, to a place where the broken heart knows,” he sings. “It’s all I can do. Back into the blue.” Frazer wrote on every track and played several live instruments on the album. “Payback” is an explosive dance floor heater, featuring shimmering tambourines and driving bass lines. Northern soul drums meet snarling fuzz guitar, hurtling towards its epic conclusion.\NThe album features moments of towering arrangements, recalling David Axelrod and Ennio Merricone, balanced by rawness, incorporating iPhone recordings and one-take vocals. For Into the Blue, Frazer enlisted Grammy-winner Alex Goose as co-producer, known for his crate-digging samples and collaborations with hip-hop artists like Freddie Gibbs, Madlib and Brockhampton. Frazer also experimented with samples for the first time on a record, drawing from unexpected sources like 90s R&B group Hi-Five.\NHip-hop has always inspired Frazer’s artistry. Born in 1991 in Baltimore, he started playing drums at the age of nine and remembers listening to Will Smith’s Big Willie Style in 1997 and Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life” in 1998. “That blew my mind,” he says of the latter. “I learned to play the drums studying a lot of classic rock, but my pocket developed the way it did because of rap-drumming along to Jay-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ and Nas’ ‘Illmatic’ until I knew every break on that record.” Additionally, The Roots’ ‘Tipping Point’ was particularly significant with its electrifying live instrumentation. “It was a world that I didn't know existed. You could fuse those\Ntwo elements of a live band and hip hop together?” He tinkered with creating beats on FL Studio as a teenager and pivoted into sound engineering at Indiana University. It was here that he met the musicians who would become his band Durand Jones & The Indications and discovered his signature falsetto.\NIn 2021, Frazer released Introducing..., his debut solo album with Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach. Now, says Frazer, “I’m excited to keep breaking some of the expectations around what exactly I’m supposed to be, artistically and musically.” Into The Blue is a continuation of that spirit of fearless, fun experimentation. “The distance between genres is arbitrary,” he says. “And the distance between Carole King and Westside Gunn for example, is a lot shorter than people realize.”\NThough Into the Blue was born out of heartbreak, Frazer hopes it leaves listeners with a sense of optimism. “You know, you can still laugh on a day when you're grieving,” he says. He’s excited to bring the music to life on stage, even when performing such intimate material will be both a visceral and vulnerable experience. “Oh my God, I'm gonna cry so much on stage,” he laughs. But he knows that this is all part of the process and his evolution. “There’s no peaks without valleys,” he says, but Into The Blue sees Aaron Frazer at new heights. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“Into The Blue is the clearest portrait of who I am as an artist. It’s me through and through,” says multi-instrumentalist Aaron Frazer. Following Frazerʼs lauded 2021 debut, Into the Blue is
expansive- a daring blend of soul, psychedelia, spaghetti western, disco, gospel and hip-hop, representing the impressive range of Frazer's sonic talents. Frazer maintains the unmistakable falsetto and classic songwriting he’s known for, but plants Into the Blue firmly in the now with a hip-hop mentality at its core, weaving together genres and production techniques to form something new.
The opener, “Thinking of You,” is harmony-laden soul drawing inspiration from legendary Harlem trio Black Ivory over a bed of strings. “Lonely nights like this, still I feel your kiss,” Frazer coos nostalgically in his high register. Later, on “Time Will Tell,” he plaintively considers the end of a relationship, “trying to figure out // how love went from sweet to sour.” Into The Blue was conceived out of heartbreak. Following the end of a long relationship, Frazer moved cross-country from Brooklyn to Los Angeles and embarked on a journey that’s reflected in the album’s themes of grief, loneliness, and searching for healing. “Into The Blue really means heading into the unknown. That has been the last year of my life and I'm still in the blue,” Frazer explains. “But there are also songs here that celebrate love and the giddiness of a new relationship and all that. That's part of a breakup to me, processing the whole thing, remembering the things that were right as much as the things that were wrong.”
The title track, “Into The Blue”, is a haunting, resolute anthem, combining cinematic strings and tough-as-nails breakbeats as Frazer heads west. “Here I go, to a place where the broken heart knows,” he sings. “It’s all I can do. Back into the blue.” Frazer wrote on every track and played several live instruments on the album. “Payback” is an explosive dance floor heater, featuring shimmering tambourines and driving bass lines. Northern soul drums meet snarling fuzz guitar, hurtling towards its epic conclusion.
The album features moments of towering arrangements, recalling David Axelrod and Ennio Merricone, balanced by rawness, incorporating iPhone recordings and one-take vocals. For Into the Blue, Frazer enlisted Grammy-winner Alex Goose as co-producer, known for his crate-digging samples and collaborations with hip-hop artists like Freddie Gibbs, Madlib and Brockhampton. Frazer also experimented with samples for the first time on a record, drawing from unexpected sources like 90s R&B group Hi-Five.
Hip-hop has always inspired Frazer’s artistry. Born in 1991 in Baltimore, he started playing drums at the age of nine and remembers listening to Will Smith’s Big Willie Style in 1997 and Jay-Z’s “Hard Knock Life” in 1998. “That blew my mind,” he says of the latter. “I learned to play the drums studying a lot of classic rock, but my pocket developed the way it did because of rap-drumming along to Jay-Z’s ‘Reasonable Doubt’ and Nas’ ‘Illmatic’ until I knew every break on that record.” Additionally, The Roots’ ‘Tipping Point’ was particularly significant with its electrifying live instrumentation. “It was a world that I didn't know existed. You could fuse those
two elements of a live band and hip hop together?” He tinkered with creating beats on FL Studio as a teenager and pivoted into sound engineering at Indiana University. It was here that he met the musicians who would become his band Durand Jones & The Indications and discovered his signature falsetto.
In 2021, Frazer released Introducing..., his debut solo album with Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach. Now, says Frazer, “I’m excited to keep breaking some of the expectations around what exactly I’m supposed to be, artistically and musically.” Into The Blue is a continuation of that spirit of fearless, fun experimentation. “The distance between genres is arbitrary,” he says. “And the distance between Carole King and Westside Gunn for example, is a lot shorter than people realize.”
Though Into the Blue was born out of heartbreak, Frazer hopes it leaves listeners with a sense of optimism. “You know, you can still laugh on a day when you're grieving,” he says. He’s excited to bring the music to life on stage, even when performing such intimate material will be both a visceral and vulnerable experience. “Oh my God, I'm gonna cry so much on stage,” he laughs. But he knows that this is all part of the process and his evolution. “There’s no peaks without valleys,” he says, but Into The Blue sees Aaron Frazer at new heights.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240913T222727Z SEQUENCE:11245621 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4112 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-05-07 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240914T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240914T210000 UID:BE93C6E5-CCBF-4FF4-9CDC-6E76F9ED513B SUMMARY:John Moreland CREATED:20240506T215812Z DTSTAMP:20240506T215812Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/john-moreland-2 DESCRIPTION:John Moreland doesn’t have the answers, and he’s not sure anyone does. But he’s still curious, basking in the comfort of a question, and along the way, those of us listening feel moved to ask our own. “I don’t ever want to sound like I have answers, because I don’t,” he says. “These songs are all questions. Everything I write is just trying to figure stuff out.”\NMoreland is discussing his new album Birds in the Ceiling, a nine-song collection that offers the most comprehensive insight into the thoughts and sounds swimming around in his head to date. A compelling blend of acoustic folk and avant-garde pop playfulness, Birds in the Ceiling lives confidently in a space of its own, enriched by tradition but never encumbered by it. The songwriting that has stunned fans and critics alike since 2015’s High on Tulsa Heat remains potent, while the sonic evolution that unfolds on the record feels like a natural expansion of 2020’s acclaimed LP5.\NThe New Yorker, Pitchfork, Fresh Air, Paste, GQ, and others have embraced Moreland’s meditative songs, while performances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBS This Morning, NPR Tiny Desk Concert, and more have introduced Moreland to millions. And yet, while the Tulsa-based Moreland is grateful for the respect and musical conversation he’s now having with people around the world, he is also more focused on the idea of just talking to one person– –or even himself. “Through the years, I’ve felt like I’m increasingly talking to myself in my songs, more and more,” he says. “Maybe in the past, I wasn’t aware of it, but now, I am. I think doing that has helped me be less hard on myself, which makes you more generous and compassionate in general.”\NThat helps explain why even if Moreland is reaching out to someone else, there is no judgment. “I’m in the same boat with whoever I’m talking to,” Moreland says.\NMoreland’s songs do feel intimate––like overheard conversations or solitary meditations. “I want to talk one-on-one to someone in a song,” he says. “I don’t want to address a group, really, because I think that’s when it’s easy to start pontificating––and it gets less honest.”\NOn Birds in the Ceiling, Moreland’s singing contributes to the feelings of hushed intimacy. Wielding a warm, sandpaper soul voice, Moreland got used to singing loudly as he began playing in bars, fighting to be heard over chattering crowds. “When I first started singing, I was very self- conscious about it,” he says. “I think I tried to affect my voice more. Singing loud could be a security blanket sometimes. On the new album, on a lot of the songs I was definitely making a conscious effort to sing quieter––almost whisper.”\NProduced by Matt Pence and Moreland, Birds in the Ceiling is dynamic: a folk record that refuses to stay in its lane. It’s the second album for Pence with Moreland, who sees the former––a Denton, Texas-based engineer, producer, and drummer––as an ideal musical partner. “We have a lot of the same influences, and I have been really influenced by his bands,” Moreland says. “It feels really effortless.”\Nhttps://thestateroompresents.com/1e32ae2b-c46c-4ac8-a23c-51d17f7549e4" alt="page1image45183168" width="471.200000" height="13.750000" />\NAlbum opener “Ugly Faces” establishes the new instrumental ground Moreland is covering: piano and acoustic guitar are joined by drum break and percussive electronic chirps then swells as Moreland’s familiar voice delivers questions, observations, and apologies. “I got used to shutting off parts of myself and feeling like, ‘Well, I’m this kind of artist, so this part of me and that part of me don’t fit––I’m going to leave them out,” Moreland says of the record’s arrangements. “On this album, I really just wanted to throw that rule out completely. Anything I’m into or that has moved me is fair game.” Cue 90s roots pop: Moreland mentions Sarah McLachlan and Sheryl Crow as influences, then points to the pioneering sampling from the 80s and 90s, as well as the hooks of Janet Jackson. “I feel like I’m old enough now to say, ‘I love pop,’” he says––then laughs a little.\N“Lion’s Den” underscores the pop point: A mathy electronic beat kicks off the song before Moreland’s gorgeous acoustic guitar playing, nimble but lush, sweeps listeners away. The lyrics explore feelings of displacement and connection––then disconnection. “I think most of the album lyrically is about alienation and isolation––really about what my wife and I were going through during the pandemic,” Moreland says. “Not really relating to the pandemic itself so much, but just the circumstances we were both going through with family and friends, which was all colored through this terrifying, dystopian lens.”\NCrunchy drum machine claps give way to menacing acoustic guitar on “Cheap Idols Dressed in Expensive Garbage." Moreland wrote the song after a friend introduced him to a social media account that highlights pastors wearing designer clothes. “It feels like things just continue to get harder for working people," he says. “It’s hard to afford life these days.”\NMoreland points to “Generational Dust”––a moving portrait of the complicated relationship with roots and place––as an album favorite. A gentle showcase of Moreland’s accomplished acoustic guitar playing, “Dim Little Light” taps into the bigness of universal connection and the smallness of individual perspective. While Moreland no longer considers himself religious, the concepts and language picked up during his Bible Belt upbringing emerge in his songs, recast in new, independent musings about self-acceptance, honest questions, and hope––but never as answers. ““At this point in my life, I'm quite comfortable with the mystery of it all,” Moreland says.\N“Claim Your Prize” packs a heartbreaking punch, tucked into upbeat guitar strums and a mournful chorus. Moreland’s guitar playing stands out throughout the record. “I wanted to expand my guitar playing on this album,” he says. “I played all the guitars, and I just wanted to approach it with more compositional intent.” The beautiful “Neon Middle June” explores the connection that deepened between Moreland and his wife during the pandemic, when they were “holed up together, home all the time, and it was just weird and lovely.” Pianist John Calvin Abney’s jaw-dropping arrangement and playing happened by chance: He sat down to warm up for the song in the studio, not realizing tape was rolling. The freewheeling, abstract keys perfect the song’s lovely weirdness.\NThe album’s title track is the graceful closer, pensive, breathtaking, and brimming with hope and gratitude. “The last verse is really about learning not to impose your own essences and projections onto things, and to just let things be what they are,” Moreland says.\NLetting things just be what they are is a powerful guiding force for Moreland, determining not just how he interacts with others, but how he treats himself. “When you remove boundaries and instead of holding back parts of yourself––when you say, ‘Okay, I’m going to put all of me into this,’” Moreland says, "You end up making music that nobody else could make.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:John Moreland doesn’t have the answers, and he’s not sure anyone does. But he’s still curious, basking in the comfort of a question, and along the way, those of us listening feel moved to ask our own. “I don’t ever want to sound like I have answers, because I don’t,” he says. “These songs are all questions. Everything I write is just trying to figure stuff out.”
Moreland is discussing his new album Birds in the Ceiling, a nine-song collection that offers the most comprehensive insight into the thoughts and sounds swimming around in his head to date. A compelling blend of acoustic folk and avant-garde pop playfulness, Birds in the Ceiling lives confidently in a space of its own, enriched by tradition but never encumbered by it. The songwriting that has stunned fans and critics alike since 2015’s High on Tulsa Heat remains potent, while the sonic evolution that unfolds on the record feels like a natural expansion of 2020’s acclaimed LP5.
The New Yorker, Pitchfork, Fresh Air, Paste, GQ, and others have embraced Moreland’s meditative songs, while performances on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, CBS This Morning, NPR Tiny Desk Concert, and more have introduced Moreland to millions. And yet, while the Tulsa-based Moreland is grateful for the respect and musical conversation he’s now having with people around the world, he is also more focused on the idea of just talking to one person– –or even himself. “Through the years, I’ve felt like I’m increasingly talking to myself in my songs, more and more,” he says. “Maybe in the past, I wasn’t aware of it, but now, I am. I think doing that has helped me be less hard on myself, which makes you more generous and compassionate in general.”
That helps explain why even if Moreland is reaching out to someone else, there is no judgment. “I’m in the same boat with whoever I’m talking to,” Moreland says.
Moreland’s songs do feel intimate––like overheard conversations or solitary meditations. “I want to talk one-on-one to someone in a song,” he says. “I don’t want to address a group, really, because I think that’s when it’s easy to start pontificating––and it gets less honest.”
On Birds in the Ceiling, Moreland’s singing contributes to the feelings of hushed intimacy. Wielding a warm, sandpaper soul voice, Moreland got used to singing loudly as he began playing in bars, fighting to be heard over chattering crowds. “When I first started singing, I was very self- conscious about it,” he says. “I think I tried to affect my voice more. Singing loud could be a security blanket sometimes. On the new album, on a lot of the songs I was definitely making a conscious effort to sing quieter––almost whisper.”
Produced by Matt Pence and Moreland, Birds in the Ceiling is dynamic: a folk record that refuses to stay in its lane. It’s the second album for Pence with Moreland, who sees the former––a Denton, Texas-based engineer, producer, and drummer––as an ideal musical partner. “We have a lot of the same influences, and I have been really influenced by his bands,” Moreland says. “It feels really effortless.”
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Album opener “Ugly Faces” establishes the new instrumental ground Moreland is covering: piano and acoustic guitar are joined by drum break and percussive electronic chirps then swells as Moreland’s familiar voice delivers questions, observations, and apologies. “I got used to shutting off parts of myself and feeling like, ‘Well, I’m this kind of artist, so this part of me and that part of me don’t fit––I’m going to leave them out,” Moreland says of the record’s arrangements. “On this album, I really just wanted to throw that rule out completely. Anything I’m into or that has moved me is fair game.” Cue 90s roots pop: Moreland mentions Sarah McLachlan and Sheryl Crow as influences, then points to the pioneering sampling from the 80s and 90s, as well as the hooks of Janet Jackson. “I feel like I’m old enough now to say, ‘I love pop,’” he says––then laughs a little.
“Lion’s Den” underscores the pop point: A mathy electronic beat kicks off the song before Moreland’s gorgeous acoustic guitar playing, nimble but lush, sweeps listeners away. The lyrics explore feelings of displacement and connection––then disconnection. “I think most of the album lyrically is about alienation and isolation––really about what my wife and I were going through during the pandemic,” Moreland says. “Not really relating to the pandemic itself so much, but just the circumstances we were both going through with family and friends, which was all colored through this terrifying, dystopian lens.”
Crunchy drum machine claps give way to menacing acoustic guitar on “Cheap Idols Dressed in Expensive Garbage." Moreland wrote the song after a friend introduced him to a social media account that highlights pastors wearing designer clothes. “It feels like things just continue to get harder for working people," he says. “It’s hard to afford life these days.”
Moreland points to “Generational Dust”––a moving portrait of the complicated relationship with roots and place––as an album favorite. A gentle showcase of Moreland’s accomplished acoustic guitar playing, “Dim Little Light” taps into the bigness of universal connection and the smallness of individual perspective. While Moreland no longer considers himself religious, the concepts and language picked up during his Bible Belt upbringing emerge in his songs, recast in new, independent musings about self-acceptance, honest questions, and hope––but never as answers. ““At this point in my life, I'm quite comfortable with the mystery of it all,” Moreland says.
“Claim Your Prize” packs a heartbreaking punch, tucked into upbeat guitar strums and a mournful chorus. Moreland’s guitar playing stands out throughout the record. “I wanted to expand my guitar playing on this album,” he says. “I played all the guitars, and I just wanted to approach it with more compositional intent.” The beautiful “Neon Middle June” explores the connection that deepened between Moreland and his wife during the pandemic, when they were “holed up together, home all the time, and it was just weird and lovely.” Pianist John Calvin Abney’s jaw-dropping arrangement and playing happened by chance: He sat down to warm up for the song in the studio, not realizing tape was rolling. The freewheeling, abstract keys perfect the song’s lovely weirdness.
The album’s title track is the graceful closer, pensive, breathtaking, and brimming with hope and gratitude. “The last verse is really about learning not to impose your own essences and projections onto things, and to just let things be what they are,” Moreland says.
Letting things just be what they are is a powerful guiding force for Moreland, determining not just how he interacts with others, but how he treats himself. “When you remove boundaries and instead of holding back parts of yourself––when you say, ‘Okay, I’m going to put all of me into this,’” Moreland says, "You end up making music that nobody else could make.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20240912T163056Z SEQUENCE:11125964 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3304 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-05-07 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240916T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240916T210000 UID:3B41B95A-4557-47F7-97C3-91A1D9BFCAC0 SUMMARY:Lindsay Lou CREATED:20240515T151112Z DTSTAMP:20240515T151112Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/lindsay-lou DESCRIPTION:“Guided by life experiences, Lindsay Lou's sound and songwriting continues to evolve and intertwine her sturdy Bluegrass roots with progressive Americana and Folk.” – PBS\N“I saw a literal manifestation of the sacred feminine, and had this profound sense that I was meant to embody it,” recalls celebrated singer-songwriter Lindsay Lou after journeying through a hallucinogenic ritual that would inform the way she processed waves of grief in the sea of change ahead of her. The loss of her grandmother, the end of her marriage, and the overwhelming turmoil of COVID lockdowns found the Nashville-based artist on a spiritual journey of self-knowledge and healing with this gift from the mystic swirl. On her new album Queen of Time (due September 29th from Kill Rock Stars), Lou explores that quest across ten tracks of tender, heartbreakingly beautiful music.\NWith this new vision of womanhood in mind, Lou began to see a throughline from her grandmother, to herself, to the art she was creating. Her 2018 release, Southland (recorded with her former band, The Flatbellys), felt like the first chapter to a greater story that was unfolding; with this release, the theme deepened. “It started with my grandma. She was the unattainable woman in a way,” Lou explains. “She had 12 kids and ran homeless shelters and was always taking people in. She felt that her calling was to be a mother to everyone – this communal caregiver – but it also meant that in belonging to everyone, she also belonged to no one. I realized that this is the catch-22 of anyone who is a woman unto herself. Women, first and foremost, belong to themselves, so nobody can really have them; but, there's also this element of self-sacrificing and giving to the idea of the feminine.”\NLou’s vocals are a powerful companion to her songwriting. “In an era when style and trends can become genericana, [Lou] focuses on the song,” said No Depression. “It is infectious and joyful, soulful even.” The undeniable centerpiece throughout Queen of Time, Lou’s voice is a molasses-sweet instrument equally capable of clarion ache, slicing deep into the soul. The daughter of a literal coal-miner and millwright, and the granddaughter of a teacher gone Rainbow Gathering healer, Lou honed her honest and resonant style with her bluegrass-inspired band, Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, and Michigan supergroup, Sweet Water Warblers (Rachael Davis, May Erlewine), excavating elements of bluegrass, folk, Americana, and soulful pop for their emotional depths. The Warblers’ debut album, The Dream That Holds This Child (2020), was dubbed “a testament to the trio’s range” by Billboard, running the gamut of blues, gospel, soul, and Appalachian folk.\NOn this latest record, Lou has refined those gemstones to a brilliant luster, holding the listener’s hand on the path filled with heartbreak, discovery, and resilience. On “Nothing Else Matters” (co-written by Nashville musicians Maya de Vitry and Phoebe Hunt), Lou blends those emotions into one vibrant present. The track features GRAMMY® Award winner Jerry Douglas, his immediately recognizable dobro work helping Lou tap into her bluegrass roots while she unravels this new vision of the world. “There is something incredibly iconic to Jerry’s playing; it’s unmistakable,” says Lou. “Like every touch of his bar to the string speaks exactly to the heart of the song. I feel really honored to have his musical voice among the players.”\NLou explores the continued theme of duality on lead single and album namesake “Queen of Time”, her limber, golden vocals backed by a suite of acoustic guitar, psychedelic synth and an energetic rhythm section. The song’s lyrics play out like zen koans. “I’ve spent years at this point, listening and reflecting on this record. ‘Queen of Time’ seems to embody the entire work’s theme of self-discovery in a way that almost feels like a wake up slap in the face; like if it was a snake, it would have bit me,” says Lou. “And I think that’s kinda the nature of self-discovery. It’s discovering something you knew all along.”\NOn the radiant “On Your Side (Starman)”, Lou sings to a loved one through rose-colored glasses, as if they were her hero. “You can be the starman/ The lightning in the sky/ I will be a shelter/ ‘Cause I am on your side,'' she sings, a lithe mandolin bolstering her serene offer of support. Bathed in harmonies and supported by a honeyed troupe of pedal steel, guitars, and a splashy percussion section, Lou sounds like a heroine herself, a gleaming bastion of strength and love. \NElsewhere, “Nothing’s Working” finds Lou dueting with GRAMMY®-winning guitar virtuoso Billy Strings on their co-write. (You can hear String’s version of it, accompanying Lou, on his 2020 release Renewal). “This was another track that came together over the course of a few years; it lived as the first verse alone for a long time,” recalls Lou. “A suicide in our community stirred me to finish the lyrics, and pandemic gave Billy and I some extra time at home to flush it out.”\NThe message comes through in the lyrics as Lou sings, “Take time to listen to the quiet ones/ Watch how the rain gives up a chance to swim/ Burn the broken bridges and build them up again,” the duo crying out for change in the face of the endless pain and violence in personal lives and spread across the media. String’s flat-picked guitar ripples and writhes, a deep purple smoke pervading the track. \N“I’ve been fortunate to have spent formative years surrounded by immensely talented friends and collaborators, who, like Billy, feel more like family at this point.” explains Lou. “Having them lend their voices to this record is very special to me.”\NLou’s devotion to understanding where she came from plays a central role not only in the ethos of Queen of Time, but in its sound. “I have 27 hours of conversations that I recorded with my grandma, her telling me her story and explaining how she developed her unorthodox, somewhat radical, somewhat fringe philosophy,” Lou says with a wistful smile. Snippets of those recordings are infused into the album, as in the delightfully Calypso-flecked “Love Calls”. And as the album nears its end, another call to grandma helps exorcize the pain of death. “Nothing can stay bad forever,” Grandma Nancy reminds us, and you can feel the tears being wiped aside and replaced by something new—hope and resilience.\NNamed among NPR’s “12 Best Live Performances” in 2015, Lou has long been beloved as a live performer, from Telluride Bluegrass Festival to Stagecoach, Celtic Connections to Australia’s National Folk Festival, and a “Can’t Miss Act” at AmericanaFest—not to mention acclaim from PBS, No Depression, Billboard, Holler, Paste, and The Bluegrass Situation, among other outlets. But on Queen of Time, Lou captures a new arc of haloed beauty, becoming unattainable in her own way—a vibrant, powerful woman who can share herself with the world, and yet define a mystic sense of inner self as well. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“Guided by life experiences, Lindsay Lou's sound and songwriting continues to evolve and intertwine her sturdy Bluegrass roots with progressive Americana and Folk.” – PBS
“I saw a literal manifestation of the sacred feminine, and had this profound sense that I was meant to embody it,” recalls celebrated singer-songwriter Lindsay Lou after journeying through a hallucinogenic ritual that would inform the way she processed waves of grief in the sea of change ahead of her. The loss of her grandmother, the end of her marriage, and the overwhelming turmoil of COVID lockdowns found the Nashville-based artist on a spiritual journey of self-knowledge and healing with this gift from the mystic swirl. On her new album Queen of Time (due September 29th from Kill Rock Stars), Lou explores that quest across ten tracks of tender, heartbreakingly beautiful music.
With this new vision of womanhood in mind, Lou began to see a throughline from her grandmother, to herself, to the art she was creating. Her 2018 release, Southland (recorded with her former band, The Flatbellys), felt like the first chapter to a greater story that was unfolding; with this release, the theme deepened. “It started with my grandma. She was the unattainable woman in a way,” Lou explains. “She had 12 kids and ran homeless shelters and was always taking people in. She felt that her calling was to be a mother to everyone – this communal caregiver – but it also meant that in belonging to everyone, she also belonged to no one. I realized that this is the catch-22 of anyone who is a woman unto herself. Women, first and foremost, belong to themselves, so nobody can really have them; but, there's also this element of self-sacrificing and giving to the idea of the feminine.”
Lou’s vocals are a powerful companion to her songwriting. “In an era when style and trends can become genericana, [Lou] focuses on the song,” said No Depression. “It is infectious and joyful, soulful even.” The undeniable centerpiece throughout Queen of Time, Lou’s voice is a molasses-sweet instrument equally capable of clarion ache, slicing deep into the soul. The daughter of a literal coal-miner and millwright, and the granddaughter of a teacher gone Rainbow Gathering healer, Lou honed her honest and resonant style with her bluegrass-inspired band, Lindsay Lou & The Flatbellys, and Michigan supergroup, Sweet Water Warblers (Rachael Davis, May Erlewine), excavating elements of bluegrass, folk, Americana, and soulful pop for their emotional depths. The Warblers’ debut album, The Dream That Holds This Child (2020), was dubbed “a testament to the trio’s range” by Billboard, running the gamut of blues, gospel, soul, and Appalachian folk.
On this latest record, Lou has refined those gemstones to a brilliant luster, holding the listener’s hand on the path filled with heartbreak, discovery, and resilience. On “Nothing Else Matters” (co-written by Nashville musicians Maya de Vitry and Phoebe Hunt), Lou blends those emotions into one vibrant present. The track features GRAMMY® Award winner Jerry Douglas, his immediately recognizable dobro work helping Lou tap into her bluegrass roots while she unravels this new vision of the world. “There is something incredibly iconic to Jerry’s playing; it’s unmistakable,” says Lou. “Like every touch of his bar to the string speaks exactly to the heart of the song. I feel really honored to have his musical voice among the players.”
Lou explores the continued theme of duality on lead single and album namesake “Queen of Time”, her limber, golden vocals backed by a suite of acoustic guitar, psychedelic synth and an energetic rhythm section. The song’s lyrics play out like zen koans. “I’ve spent years at this point, listening and reflecting on this record. ‘Queen of Time’ seems to embody the entire work’s theme of self-discovery in a way that almost feels like a wake up slap in the face; like if it was a snake, it would have bit me,” says Lou. “And I think that’s kinda the nature of self-discovery. It’s discovering something you knew all along.”
On the radiant “On Your Side (Starman)”, Lou sings to a loved one through rose-colored glasses, as if they were her hero. “You can be the starman/ The lightning in the sky/ I will be a shelter/ ‘Cause I am on your side,'' she sings, a lithe mandolin bolstering her serene offer of support. Bathed in harmonies and supported by a honeyed troupe of pedal steel, guitars, and a splashy percussion section, Lou sounds like a heroine herself, a gleaming bastion of strength and love.
Elsewhere, “Nothing’s Working” finds Lou dueting with GRAMMY®-winning guitar virtuoso Billy Strings on their co-write. (You can hear String’s version of it, accompanying Lou, on his 2020 release Renewal). “This was another track that came together over the course of a few years; it lived as the first verse alone for a long time,” recalls Lou. “A suicide in our community stirred me to finish the lyrics, and pandemic gave Billy and I some extra time at home to flush it out.”
The message comes through in the lyrics as Lou sings, “Take time to listen to the quiet ones/ Watch how the rain gives up a chance to swim/ Burn the broken bridges and build them up again,” the duo crying out for change in the face of the endless pain and violence in personal lives and spread across the media. String’s flat-picked guitar ripples and writhes, a deep purple smoke pervading the track.
“I’ve been fortunate to have spent formative years surrounded by immensely talented friends and collaborators, who, like Billy, feel more like family at this point.” explains Lou. “Having them lend their voices to this record is very special to me.”
Lou’s devotion to understanding where she came from plays a central role not only in the ethos of Queen of Time, but in its sound. “I have 27 hours of conversations that I recorded with my grandma, her telling me her story and explaining how she developed her unorthodox, somewhat radical, somewhat fringe philosophy,” Lou says with a wistful smile. Snippets of those recordings are infused into the album, as in the delightfully Calypso-flecked “Love Calls”. And as the album nears its end, another call to grandma helps exorcize the pain of death. “Nothing can stay bad forever,” Grandma Nancy reminds us, and you can feel the tears being wiped aside and replaced by something new—hope and resilience.
Named among NPR’s “12 Best Live Performances” in 2015, Lou has long been beloved as a live performer, from Telluride Bluegrass Festival to Stagecoach, Celtic Connections to Australia’s National Folk Festival, and a “Can’t Miss Act” at AmericanaFest—not to mention acclaim from PBS, No Depression, Billboard, Holler, Paste, and The Bluegrass Situation, among other outlets. But on Queen of Time, Lou captures a new arc of haloed beauty, becoming unattainable in her own way—a vibrant, powerful woman who can share herself with the world, and yet define a mystic sense of inner self as well.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240731T163313Z SEQUENCE:6657721 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2468 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240919T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240919T210000 UID:06117A99-9DB2-4F68-AA62-2684A47A74EF SUMMARY:Mason Jennings CREATED:20240529T160238Z DTSTAMP:20240529T160238Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/mason-jennings-2 DESCRIPTION:Minneapolis songwriter Mason Jennings shares his new video for the single, “Only Lovers Welcome” from his brand new album, Underneath The Roses out now via Loosegroove Records. Underneath The Roses is available on limited-edition colored vinyl and is available here. Watch and share the video for “Only Lovers Welcome” here. \NJennings writes that the songs from Underneath The Roses were, “Written in an unprecedented burst,” following the birth of his son, Western, in March 2022. Jennings explains, “I hadn’t written any songs in about a year. I had been dealing with the psychological after effects of the pandemic as well as the loss of my dad. So, when Western was born I didn’t expect to be writing much. But immediately he was responding to music in a very intense way. For this album, between May and November 2022, I wrote 48 songs! They certainly uplifted me and connected me with the creative spirit, and spirit in general, again. They cover all kinds of ground but, when I listen back, I think the central theme is overcoming fear with love.”\NJennings also released a video for, “No Ordinary Friend,” which he explains, “Depicts two of the most important decisions a person can make. One, whether or not they believe in a loving higher power and two, who they decide to choose as a life long romantic partner. This song is referring to both of those and the choices I’ve made.”\N"Stone Gossard and Regan Hagar from Loosegroove Records helped me edit the 48 down to 11. I then enlisted the help of my Painted Shield bandmates to record the songs.” \NJennings and Gossard are ongoing collaborators in the band Painted Shield, who released their 2021 debut album on Loosegroove, the influential indie label that Gossard founded back in 1994 issued records from acts such as Critters Buggin, Malfunkshun, Weapon of Choice and Devilhead, and was the launching point for Queens of the Stone Age’s debut album in 1998. \NJenning’s previous album ‘Real Heart’ came out in January 2022 and received Triple/Non-comm radio across KCMP Minneapolis, WFPK Louisville, WPYA Birmingham, KRCL Salt Lake City, WMMM Madison, WQKL Ann Arbor, KCSN LA, KRVB Boise, WCLZ Portland, WDSE Duluth, WRLT Nashville, WXPN Philly, WXRV Boston, & WZEW Mobile. \NPress highlights include: American Songwriter, Relix, No Depression, Grateful Web, Take Effect 9/10 review, & Jam Bands \NJennings adds “I called it Underneath The Roses because I feel like these songs are musical roses and when I look below them there are many thorns and so much dirt and soil. All of it was needed for them to come into existence and bloom. It’s been a long hard road of self-discovery and discernment for me the last few years and the roses wouldn’t be here without what lies underneath. Hope you enjoy the music!” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Minneapolis songwriter Mason Jennings shares his new video for the single, “Only Lovers Welcome” from his brand new album, Underneath The Roses out now via Loosegroove Records. Underneath The Roses is available on limited-edition colored vinyl and is available here. Watch and share the video for “Only Lovers Welcome” here.
Jennings writes that the songs from Underneath The Roses were, “Written in an unprecedented burst,” following the birth of his son, Western, in March 2022. Jennings explains, “I hadn’t written any songs in about a year. I had been dealing with the psychological after effects of the pandemic as well as the loss of my dad. So, when Western was born I didn’t expect to be writing much. But immediately he was responding to music in a very intense way. For this album, between May and November 2022, I wrote 48 songs! They certainly uplifted me and connected me with the creative spirit, and spirit in general, again. They cover all kinds of ground but, when I listen back, I think the central theme is overcoming fear with love.”
Jennings also released a video for, “No Ordinary Friend,” which he explains, “Depicts two of the most important decisions a person can make. One, whether or not they believe in a loving higher power and two, who they decide to choose as a life long romantic partner. This song is referring to both of those and the choices I’ve made.”
"Stone Gossard and Regan Hagar from Loosegroove Records helped me edit the 48 down to 11. I then enlisted the help of my Painted Shield bandmates to record the songs.”
Jennings and Gossard are ongoing collaborators in the band Painted Shield, who released their 2021 debut album on Loosegroove, the influential indie label that Gossard founded back in 1994 issued records from acts such as Critters Buggin, Malfunkshun, Weapon of Choice and Devilhead, and was the launching point for Queens of the Stone Age’s debut album in 1998.
Jenning’s previous album ‘Real Heart’ came out in January 2022 and received Triple/Non-comm radio across KCMP Minneapolis, WFPK Louisville, WPYA Birmingham, KRCL Salt Lake City, WMMM Madison, WQKL Ann Arbor, KCSN LA, KRVB Boise, WCLZ Portland, WDSE Duluth, WRLT Nashville, WXPN Philly, WXRV Boston, & WZEW Mobile.
Press highlights include: American Songwriter, Relix, No Depression, Grateful Web, Take Effect 9/10 review, & Jam Bands
Jennings adds “I called it Underneath The Roses because I feel like these songs are musical roses and when I look below them there are many thorns and so much dirt and soil. All of it was needed for them to come into existence and bloom. It’s been a long hard road of self-discovery and discernment for me the last few years and the roses wouldn’t be here without what lies underneath. Hope you enjoy the music!”
LAST-MODIFIED:20240719T175006Z SEQUENCE:4412848 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3311 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240920T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240920T233000 UID:E0B2E54D-1723-45B2-9737-099683CDAEF7 SUMMARY:Steely Dead (Night 1) CREATED:20240718T152339Z DTSTAMP:20240718T152339Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/steely-dead-2 DESCRIPTION:Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Denver, Colorado, Steely Dead is a national touring band that has satisfied the curiosity of music lovers with their unique blend of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan. Comprised of four exceptionally talented musicians – Dave Abear on guitar, Matt Abear on bass, Chris Sheldon on drums, and Dylan Teifer on keys – Steely Dead has gained a dedicated following with their electrifying performances and soulful interpretations of classic tunes.\NSteely Dead’s repertoire is a carefully crafted fusion of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan songs, between the arrangement and precision studio recordings of rock legends Steely Dan, cross-pollinated with the Grateful Dead’s free-flowing, melodic improvisation and masterful song segues. Steely Dead merges these major concepts together infusing the influence into each band, all the while creating an original jam element with the song segues. Steely Dead’s performances are a musical journey that takes audiences on a nostalgic trip through the golden era of rock and roll.\NAs a national touring band, Steely Dead has built a loyal fan base that eagerly anticipates their shows and follows them from city to city. Their performances are not just concerts, but communal gatherings where fans come together to celebrate the music they love, dance, and create lasting memories.\NSteely Dead’s performances are a testament to the power of live music, bringing people together and creating an unforgettable experience that resonates long after the last note fades.Steely Dead is not just a band; it’s a musical experience that captures the hearts and souls of music lovers everywhere. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Denver, Colorado, Steely Dead is a national touring band that has satisfied the curiosity of music lovers with their unique blend of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan. Comprised of four exceptionally talented musicians – Dave Abear on guitar, Matt Abear on bass, Chris Sheldon on drums, and Dylan Teifer on keys – Steely Dead has gained a dedicated following with their electrifying performances and soulful interpretations of classic tunes.
Steely Dead’s repertoire is a carefully crafted fusion of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan songs, between the arrangement and precision studio recordings of rock legends Steely Dan, cross-pollinated with the Grateful Dead’s free-flowing, melodic improvisation and masterful song segues. Steely Dead merges these major concepts together infusing the influence into each band, all the while creating an original jam element with the song segues. Steely Dead’s performances are a musical journey that takes audiences on a nostalgic trip through the golden era of rock and roll.
As a national touring band, Steely Dead has built a loyal fan base that eagerly anticipates their shows and follows them from city to city. Their performances are not just concerts, but communal gatherings where fans come together to celebrate the music they love, dance, and create lasting memories.
Steely Dead’s performances are a testament to the power of live music, bringing people together and creating an unforgettable experience that resonates long after the last note fades.Steely Dead is not just a band; it’s a musical experience that captures the hearts and souls of music lovers everywhere.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240718T171224Z SEQUENCE:6525 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2480 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240921T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240921T233000 UID:76F933F6-60DF-4F16-9EE1-2EEFAD96514C SUMMARY:Steely Dead (Night 2) CREATED:20240718T161256Z DTSTAMP:20240718T161256Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/steely-dead-night-2 DESCRIPTION:Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Denver, Colorado, Steely Dead is a national touring band that has satisfied the curiosity of music lovers with their unique blend of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan. Comprised of four exceptionally talented musicians – Dave Abear on guitar, Matt Abear on bass, Chris Sheldon on drums, and Dylan Teifer on keys – Steely Dead has gained a dedicated following with their electrifying performances and soulful interpretations of classic tunes.\NSteely Dead’s repertoire is a carefully crafted fusion of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan songs, between the arrangement and precision studio recordings of rock legends Steely Dan, cross-pollinated with the Grateful Dead’s free-flowing, melodic improvisation and masterful song segues. Steely Dead merges these major concepts together infusing the influence into each band, all the while creating an original jam element with the song segues. Steely Dead’s performances are a musical journey that takes audiences on a nostalgic trip through the golden era of rock and roll.\NAs a national touring band, Steely Dead has built a loyal fan base that eagerly anticipates their shows and follows them from city to city. Their performances are not just concerts, but communal gatherings where fans come together to celebrate the music they love, dance, and create lasting memories.\NSteely Dead’s performances are a testament to the power of live music, bringing people together and creating an unforgettable experience that resonates long after the last note fades.Steely Dead is not just a band; it’s a musical experience that captures the hearts and souls of music lovers everywhere. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Denver, Colorado, Steely Dead is a national touring band that has satisfied the curiosity of music lovers with their unique blend of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan. Comprised of four exceptionally talented musicians – Dave Abear on guitar, Matt Abear on bass, Chris Sheldon on drums, and Dylan Teifer on keys – Steely Dead has gained a dedicated following with their electrifying performances and soulful interpretations of classic tunes.
Steely Dead’s repertoire is a carefully crafted fusion of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan songs, between the arrangement and precision studio recordings of rock legends Steely Dan, cross-pollinated with the Grateful Dead’s free-flowing, melodic improvisation and masterful song segues. Steely Dead merges these major concepts together infusing the influence into each band, all the while creating an original jam element with the song segues. Steely Dead’s performances are a musical journey that takes audiences on a nostalgic trip through the golden era of rock and roll.
As a national touring band, Steely Dead has built a loyal fan base that eagerly anticipates their shows and follows them from city to city. Their performances are not just concerts, but communal gatherings where fans come together to celebrate the music they love, dance, and create lasting memories.
Steely Dead’s performances are a testament to the power of live music, bringing people together and creating an unforgettable experience that resonates long after the last note fades.Steely Dead is not just a band; it’s a musical experience that captures the hearts and souls of music lovers everywhere.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240718T171212Z SEQUENCE:3556 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1446 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240922T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240922T233000 UID:F59FF0BF-9DFE-4AED-BA08-F49B8F0BAED1 SUMMARY:Hoodoo Gurus CREATED:20231204T165708Z DTSTAMP:20231204T165708Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/hoodoo-gurus-2 DESCRIPTION:Formed in Sydney in 1981, the band were led by singer/songwriter Dave Faulkner, along with drummer James Baker. Ex-Scientist Rod Radalj and Kimble Rendall rounded out the group's lineup and their unique sound (three guitars, no bass). With Faulkner's infectious songs they quickly earned a record deal. After the 1982 debut single "Leilani," both Radalj and Rendall quit, replaced by guitarist Brad Shepherd and bassist Clyde Bramley. In 1983, the Hoodoo Gurus recorded their excellent debut record, Stoneage Romeos. Mark Kingsmill replaced Baker in 1985 but along came 1985's college radio smash Mars Needs Guitars! With 1987's Blow Your Cool, the Hoodoos appeared poised for the big time; their tourmates, the Bangles, even contributed to the singles "What's My Scene" and "Good Times”. In this time Bramley exited, replaced by onetime Divinyl Rick Grossman. Released in 1989, Magnum Cum Louder provided the singles "Come Anytime," and "Another World". 1991's Kinky featured "Miss Freelove '69," alongside enduring fave “1000 Miles Away”. After a three-year hiatus, the Hoodoo Gurus returned with the harder-edged Crank. Blue Cave followed in 1996. In 1998, the Gurus announced they were splitting up but two years later, Dave Faulkner, Brad Shepherd, and Mark Kingsmill were working together again as members of the garage-influenced the Persian Rugs. In 2004 the band reunited, releasing a new album, Mach Schau. In 2009 the band issued their ninth album, 2010's Purity of Essence. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Formed in Sydney in 1981, the band were led by singer/songwriter Dave Faulkner, along with drummer James Baker. Ex-Scientist Rod Radalj and Kimble Rendall rounded out the group's lineup and their unique sound (three guitars, no bass). With Faulkner's infectious songs they quickly earned a record deal. After the 1982 debut single "Leilani," both Radalj and Rendall quit, replaced by guitarist Brad Shepherd and bassist Clyde Bramley. In 1983, the Hoodoo Gurus recorded their excellent debut record, Stoneage Romeos. Mark Kingsmill replaced Baker in 1985 but along came 1985's college radio smash Mars Needs Guitars! With 1987's Blow Your Cool, the Hoodoos appeared poised for the big time; their tourmates, the Bangles, even contributed to the singles "What's My Scene" and "Good Times”. In this time Bramley exited, replaced by onetime Divinyl Rick Grossman. Released in 1989, Magnum Cum Louder provided the singles "Come Anytime," and "Another World". 1991's Kinky featured "Miss Freelove '69," alongside enduring fave “1000 Miles Away”. After a three-year hiatus, the Hoodoo Gurus returned with the harder-edged Crank. Blue Cave followed in 1996. In 1998, the Gurus announced they were splitting up but two years later, Dave Faulkner, Brad Shepherd, and Mark Kingsmill were working together again as members of the garage-influenced the Persian Rugs. In 2004 the band reunited, releasing a new album, Mach Schau. In 2009 the band issued their ninth album, 2010's Purity of Essence.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240920T204844Z SEQUENCE:25156296 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3859 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2023-12-04 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240924T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240924T210000 UID:C92D8F2F-7EAA-4256-BD73-9D5105193085 SUMMARY:Haley Heynderickx (Night 1) CREATED:20240724T144603Z DTSTAMP:20240724T144603Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/haley-heynderickx-night-1 DESCRIPTION:Indie folk singer/songwriter Haley Heynderickx draws from a wide array of influences, citing her religious Filipino-American upbringing, the folk music of the 1960s and ’70s, jazz radio, and the idiosyncratic acoustic guitar styles of Leo Kottke and John Fahey. All of those ingredients find their way into her music, which pairs deft fingerpicking with lyrics that flirt with levity but hew toward introspection. Her first album I Need to Start a Garden saw release in 2018. Following years of heavy touring, Heynderickx has new music coming this year. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Indie folk singer/songwriter Haley Heynderickx draws from a wide array of influences, citing her religious Filipino-American upbringing, the folk music of the 1960s and ’70s, jazz radio, and the idiosyncratic acoustic guitar styles of Leo Kottke and John Fahey. All of those ingredients find their way into her music, which pairs deft fingerpicking with lyrics that flirt with levity but hew toward introspection. Her first album I Need to Start a Garden saw release in 2018. Following years of heavy touring, Heynderickx has new music coming this year.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240819T180242Z SEQUENCE:2258199 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2156 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240925T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240925T210000 UID:1008ACBC-A46B-4922-9AF1-9244A5E71526 SUMMARY:Haley Heynderickx (Night 2) CREATED:20240724T144603Z DTSTAMP:20240724T144603Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/haley-heynderickx-night-2 DESCRIPTION:Indie folk singer/songwriter Haley Heynderickx draws from a wide array of influences, citing her religious Filipino-American upbringing, the folk music of the 1960s and ’70s, jazz radio, and the idiosyncratic acoustic guitar styles of Leo Kottke and John Fahey. All of those ingredients find their way into her music, which pairs deft fingerpicking with lyrics that flirt with levity but hew toward introspection. Her first album I Need to Start a Garden saw release in 2018. Following years of heavy touring, Heynderickx has new music coming this year. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Indie folk singer/songwriter Haley Heynderickx draws from a wide array of influences, citing her religious Filipino-American upbringing, the folk music of the 1960s and ’70s, jazz radio, and the idiosyncratic acoustic guitar styles of Leo Kottke and John Fahey. All of those ingredients find their way into her music, which pairs deft fingerpicking with lyrics that flirt with levity but hew toward introspection. Her first album I Need to Start a Garden saw release in 2018. Following years of heavy touring, Heynderickx has new music coming this year.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240819T180517Z SEQUENCE:2258354 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1578 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20240930T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20240930T203000 UID:6BDF2717-0607-43E0-9912-9A01B7CAE1E5 SUMMARY:Aoife O'Donovan & Hawktail CREATED:20240513T221110Z DTSTAMP:20240513T221110Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/aoife-odonovan-hawktail DESCRIPTION:UPDATE: Due to a change in flight schedules, this show will now happen on Monday Sept 30th. All tickets honored.\NAoife O’Donovan is a Grammy-award winning singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music radiates with a timeless charm and contemporary allure beyond genre. Born in Newton, Massachusetts, Aoife (pronounced EE-fa) began her musical journey at a young age, eventually blossoming into a celebrated artist known for her captivating vocals and heartfelt compositions. With a diverse range of influences, including folk, bluegrass, and indie rock, O’Donovan’s distinctive sound weaves together intricate melodies and introspective lyrics. She gained widespread recognition as a founding member of the progressive folk band Crooked Still and the folk trio I’m With Her (with bandmates Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz). \NDeemed “a vocalist of unerring instinct” by the New York Times, O’Donovan has released three critically-acclaimed and boundary-blurring solo albums: Fossils, In the Magic Hour and 2022’s boldly orchestrated and literarily crafted Age Of Apathy. The album received 3 Grammy nominations (including Best Folk Album) and includes the song “B61” - awarded Folk Alliance International’s Song Of The Year. 2024 brings the release of her 4th studio album All My Friends. Inspired by the letters and speeches of suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt (who founded the League of Women’s Voters), the album questions how much has really changed for American women a century after gaining the right to vote. Amidst a lush soundscape of brass, orchestra, girls' choir and her own compelling vocals, she explores the nations evolution through her compassionate songwriting and voice.\NO’Donovan continues to enchant audiences worldwide with her soul-stirring music and unwavering passion for storytelling through song. She is the featured vocalist on The Goat Rodeo Sessions (the group with Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile), performed with over a dozen symphonies including the National Symphony Orchestra, written for Alison Krauss and spent a decade as a regular contributor to the radio variety shows “Live From Here” and “A Prairie Home Companion”. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:UPDATE: Due to a change in flight schedules, this show will now happen on Monday Sept 30th. All tickets honored.
Aoife O’Donovan is a Grammy-award winning singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose music radiates with a timeless charm and contemporary allure beyond genre. Born in Newton, Massachusetts, Aoife (pronounced EE-fa) began her musical journey at a young age, eventually blossoming into a celebrated artist known for her captivating vocals and heartfelt compositions. With a diverse range of influences, including folk, bluegrass, and indie rock, O’Donovan’s distinctive sound weaves together intricate melodies and introspective lyrics. She gained widespread recognition as a founding member of the progressive folk band Crooked Still and the folk trio I’m With Her (with bandmates Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz).
Deemed “a vocalist of unerring instinct” by the New York Times, O’Donovan has released three critically-acclaimed and boundary-blurring solo albums: Fossils, In the Magic Hour and 2022’s boldly orchestrated and literarily crafted Age Of Apathy. The album received 3 Grammy nominations (including Best Folk Album) and includes the song “B61” - awarded Folk Alliance International’s Song Of The Year. 2024 brings the release of her 4th studio album All My Friends. Inspired by the letters and speeches of suffragist Carrie Chapman Catt (who founded the League of Women’s Voters), the album questions how much has really changed for American women a century after gaining the right to vote. Amidst a lush soundscape of brass, orchestra, girls' choir and her own compelling vocals, she explores the nations evolution through her compassionate songwriting and voice.
O’Donovan continues to enchant audiences worldwide with her soul-stirring music and unwavering passion for storytelling through song. She is the featured vocalist on The Goat Rodeo Sessions (the group with Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, and Chris Thile), performed with over a dozen symphonies including the National Symphony Orchestra, written for Alison Krauss and spent a decade as a regular contributor to the radio variety shows “Live From Here” and “A Prairie Home Companion”.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240807T151952Z SEQUENCE:7405722 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3650 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-05-14 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241002T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241002T210000 UID:1C237D7D-F35C-434B-951E-111902539D42 SUMMARY:The Bluegrass Harvest Jamboree with Sicard Hollow and The Pickpockets CREATED:20240816T161814Z DTSTAMP:20240816T161814Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/sicard-hollow-2 DESCRIPTION:Sicard Hollow is a four-piece progressive bluegrass band who formed with a mutual passion for pushing the boundaries of genre. Heavily influenced by the Grateful Dead and New Grass Revival, these young pickers bring new energy to a timeless style with a combination of fearless improvisation and instrumental prowess.\NNashville’s psychedelic punk-grass rockers, Sicard Hollow, grew up sick of any existing institution telling them who and what to be. Now, as they navigate adulthood, they’re equally tired of the music institutions telling them what their music should sound like—so they dunked it in patchouli and a skate-and-destroy ethos that brings an enduring sound into the modern age.\NBefore the band met in 2018, none of the members ever considered playing bluegrass. Matt Rennick (violin) was working on electronic music, Will Herrin (mandolin/vocals) was playing guitar in rock bands, and Alex King (guitar/vocals) was barely playing music at all. After a few jam sessions, the bluegrass just kind of happened. Since adding Parrish Gabriel (bass) in the Fall of 2019, the band has been on a journey of self discovery within the genre while challenging themselves to make it their own. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Sicard Hollow is a four-piece progressive bluegrass band who formed with a mutual passion for pushing the boundaries of genre. Heavily influenced by the Grateful Dead and New Grass Revival, these young pickers bring new energy to a timeless style with a combination of fearless improvisation and instrumental prowess.
Nashville’s psychedelic punk-grass rockers, Sicard Hollow, grew up sick of any existing institution telling them who and what to be. Now, as they navigate adulthood, they’re equally tired of the music institutions telling them what their music should sound like—so they dunked it in patchouli and a skate-and-destroy ethos that brings an enduring sound into the modern age.
Before the band met in 2018, none of the members ever considered playing bluegrass. Matt Rennick (violin) was working on electronic music, Will Herrin (mandolin/vocals) was playing guitar in rock bands, and Alex King (guitar/vocals) was barely playing music at all. After a few jam sessions, the bluegrass just kind of happened. Since adding Parrish Gabriel (bass) in the Fall of 2019, the band has been on a journey of self discovery within the genre while challenging themselves to make it their own.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240924T164430Z SEQUENCE:3371176 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1871 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241003T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241003T210000 UID:09FB0ED3-19D7-44F0-8F2D-42F1D85168F4 SUMMARY:Josh Ritter CREATED:20240806T155407Z DTSTAMP:20240806T155407Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/josh-ritter-2 DESCRIPTION:With his deep, expressive voice, keen wit, and deft poetic sense, Josh Ritter has earned a reputation as one of the most reliable and incisive singer/songwriters in folk and Americana music. Emerging in 1999 with his eponymous debut album, Ritter hit his stride in 2007 with the release of The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, which introduced elements of rock, country, and blues into the mix. What followed was a string of acclaimed outings like Beast in Its Tracks (2013), Gathering (2017), and Fever Breaks (2019) that continued to push boundaries, further bolstering Ritter's legacy as a songsmith. After a 2020 rarities EP, he returned in 2023 with Spectral Lines, his 11th album.\NBorn in Idaho, Ritter bought his first guitar after hearing the and classic "The Girl from the North Country." While attending college in Oberlin, Ohio, he got his first taste of the music of and ; he instantly fell in love with their songs and dropped his neuroscience major in favor of the pursuit of music. As home to classic folk venues like Club Passim, Boston was the place Ritter chose to follow his dream. He recorded and released his self-titled debut in 1999, but it was 2002's The Golden Age of Radio that got him noticed by both critics and folk fans. Selling copies of the disc on his own funded Ritter's touring, while successful tours in turn funded more albums, and so on. soon picked up the rights to The Golden Age of Radio; their reissue gave it exposure on a national level, and the four- and five-star reviews started rolling in. The HBO series Six Feet Under grabbed a track from the album for their end credits, while Ritter received an offer to open for on a tour of Ireland. Soon his single "Me & Jiggs" was in the Irish Top 40, a headlining tour of the country was sold-out, and a tribute band named Cork was playing nothing but Ritter material in numerous Irish pubs. Meanwhile, back home, Ritter's following was growing with sold-out shows in New York City and Boston\NIn February 2003, Ritter spent 14 days in rural France at Black Box Studios (where much of the gear originally equipped 's studio in Chicago). The result, Hello Starling, was released in September of the same year. The success of The Golden Age of Radio and Hello Starling attracted the attention of the major labels, and Ritter signed with in time for the release of 2006's The Animal Years. Ritter's tenure with was brief, and after releasing a CD/DVD concert album, In the Dark: Live at Vicar Street, through an Irish label in April 2007, he hooked up with the -distributed , which issued the rock-oriented The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter in August 2007. The hard-touring Ritter dropped two more live discs in 2008, Live at the 9:30 Club and Live at the Record Exchange, and he opted to eliminate his problems with record labels by forming one of his own, . issued the album So Runs the World Away in 2010, and when Ritter published his first novel, Bright's Passage, through Dial Press in 2012, issued a special box set of Ritter reading his own novel, accompanied by an EP of songs inspired by the book. Ritter returned to music with 2013's The Beast in Its Tracks, an album inspired by his divorce, and he traveled to New Orleans to work with producer and engineer Trina Shoemaker for his 2015 release Sermon on the Rocks. In 2017 Ritter released his ninth studio long-player, Gathering -- one of Ritter's loosest and most rewarding outings to date -- which saw teaming up Nashville's for wider exposure. The prolific artist then returned in 2019 with his tenth full-length effort, Fever Breaks, which was produced by , and backed by 's band . \NA 2020 EP, See Here, I Have Built You a Mansion, collected several rare and previously unreleased songs, along with a cover of ' "Brothers in Arms." Over the next two years, Ritter worked with collaborator Sam Kassirer on a set of songs that explored human connection, both to oneself and others. Spectral Lines saw release in April 2023 and was dedicated to the singer's mother who'd passed away during its recording. ~ David Jeffries & Mark Deming, Rovi X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:With his deep, expressive voice, keen wit, and deft poetic sense, Josh Ritter has earned a reputation as one of the most reliable and incisive singer/songwriters in folk and Americana music. Emerging in 1999 with his eponymous debut album, Ritter hit his stride in 2007 with the release of The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, which introduced elements of rock, country, and blues into the mix. What followed was a string of acclaimed outings like Beast in Its Tracks (2013), Gathering (2017), and Fever Breaks (2019) that continued to push boundaries, further bolstering Ritter's legacy as a songsmith. After a 2020 rarities EP, he returned in 2023 with Spectral Lines, his 11th album.
Born in Idaho, Ritter bought his first guitar after hearing the and classic "The Girl from the North Country." While attending college in Oberlin, Ohio, he got his first taste of the music of and ; he instantly fell in love with their songs and dropped his neuroscience major in favor of the pursuit of music. As home to classic folk venues like Club Passim, Boston was the place Ritter chose to follow his dream. He recorded and released his self-titled debut in 1999, but it was 2002's The Golden Age of Radio that got him noticed by both critics and folk fans. Selling copies of the disc on his own funded Ritter's touring, while successful tours in turn funded more albums, and so on. soon picked up the rights to The Golden Age of Radio; their reissue gave it exposure on a national level, and the four- and five-star reviews started rolling in. The HBO series Six Feet Under grabbed a track from the album for their end credits, while Ritter received an offer to open for on a tour of Ireland. Soon his single "Me & Jiggs" was in the Irish Top 40, a headlining tour of the country was sold-out, and a tribute band named Cork was playing nothing but Ritter material in numerous Irish pubs. Meanwhile, back home, Ritter's following was growing with sold-out shows in New York City and Boston
In February 2003, Ritter spent 14 days in rural France at Black Box Studios (where much of the gear originally equipped 's studio in Chicago). The result, Hello Starling, was released in September of the same year. The success of The Golden Age of Radio and Hello Starling attracted the attention of the major labels, and Ritter signed with in time for the release of 2006's The Animal Years. Ritter's tenure with was brief, and after releasing a CD/DVD concert album, In the Dark: Live at Vicar Street, through an Irish label in April 2007, he hooked up with the -distributed , which issued the rock-oriented The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter in August 2007. The hard-touring Ritter dropped two more live discs in 2008, Live at the 9:30 Club and Live at the Record Exchange, and he opted to eliminate his problems with record labels by forming one of his own, . issued the album So Runs the World Away in 2010, and when Ritter published his first novel, Bright's Passage, through Dial Press in 2012, issued a special box set of Ritter reading his own novel, accompanied by an EP of songs inspired by the book. Ritter returned to music with 2013's The Beast in Its Tracks, an album inspired by his divorce, and he traveled to New Orleans to work with producer and engineer Trina Shoemaker for his 2015 release Sermon on the Rocks. In 2017 Ritter released his ninth studio long-player, Gathering -- one of Ritter's loosest and most rewarding outings to date -- which saw teaming up Nashville's for wider exposure. The prolific artist then returned in 2019 with his tenth full-length effort, Fever Breaks, which was produced by , and backed by 's band .
A 2020 EP, See Here, I Have Built You a Mansion, collected several rare and previously unreleased songs, along with a cover of ' "Brothers in Arms." Over the next two years, Ritter worked with collaborator Sam Kassirer on a set of songs that explored human connection, both to oneself and others. Spectral Lines saw release in April 2023 and was dedicated to the singer's mother who'd passed away during its recording. ~ David Jeffries & Mark Deming, Rovi
LAST-MODIFIED:20240920T204821Z SEQUENCE:3905654 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3131 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-08-06 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241004T110000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241004T120000 UID:F17F4E42-6FB6-44EA-960C-F7CE450F3140 SUMMARY:Cameron Whitcomb CREATED:20240726T172857Z DTSTAMP:20240726T172857Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/cameron-whitcomb DESCRIPTION:Cameron Whitcomb brings a unique perspective to songwriting, deeply influenced by his own life experiences, including his battles and journey in the music industry. His approach to songwriting reflects a raw and authentic narrative style, drawing listeners into his world through vivid storytelling and emotional honesty. His latest single, "The Devil I've Seen," exemplifies this unique approach, delving into the profound and challenging topic of sexual abuse. Through his music, Whitcomb offers a glimpse into the complexities of his life and the darker aspects of human experiences, inviting audiences to connect with the more profound, often unspoken realities. His ability to weave personal tales into compelling musical narratives sets him apart in the songwriting landscape, resonating with listeners who find solace and understanding in his words.Cameron Whitcomb's journey in music is a remarkable story of unexpected discovery. From working on a pipeline after leaving home at 17, Cameron's life took a turn when he discovered singing at the age of 19, performing karaoke on weekends. His raw talent caught the attention of an American Idol executive through a video posted on Reddit, marking the beginning of his ascent in the music world X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Cameron Whitcomb brings a unique perspective to songwriting, deeply influenced by his own life experiences, including his battles and journey in the music industry. His approach to songwriting reflects a raw and authentic narrative style, drawing listeners into his world through vivid storytelling and emotional honesty. His latest single, "The Devil I've Seen," exemplifies this unique approach, delving into the profound and challenging topic of sexual abuse. Through his music, Whitcomb offers a glimpse into the complexities of his life and the darker aspects of human experiences, inviting audiences to connect with the more profound, often unspoken realities. His ability to weave personal tales into compelling musical narratives sets him apart in the songwriting landscape, resonating with listeners who find solace and understanding in his words.
Cameron Whitcomb's journey in music is a remarkable story of unexpected discovery. From working on a pipeline after leaving home at 17, Cameron's life took a turn when he discovered singing at the age of 19, performing karaoke on weekends. His raw talent caught the attention of an American Idol executive through a video posted on Reddit, marking the beginning of his ascent in the music world
CANCELLATION NOTICE // "As many of you have seen by now, our local community of Asheville, WNC, and surrounding areas have been decimated by Hurricane Helene. I have never experienced anything like this in my life - everywhere I walked around my house, trees were destroyed, power lines laying in the middle of the street, houses floating down the river. There’s no cell service, a million people without power (including me), no internet, and no water (and it is expected to take 4-5 weeks to be fixed). This means that, people are without resources AND can’t contact each other.
I luckily was able to find a way out of Asheville using back roads to get to Winston Salem today.
But we’ve only heard from our sweet drummer once in all this mess, enough to know he’s okay, but we are unsure of much more.
WNC is home to some of us, home to our family and friends, home to our houses, and it is so hard to comprehend the enormity of this loss. With that it mind, it feels impossible for us to continue on with tour. Our priority is to make sure Joshua can get to safety, that our friends and family have the resources they need, and that we can help rebuild our community. That is all very hard to figure out when communication with each other is next to impossible with the outages.
We are very sad to not be able to finish out tour - it’s been such a joy to play for you and to finish this season together with love. But, for us, finishing out this season with love means being here with each other through the struggle and decimation of our local community. We hope to pull together one last NC show, potentially even make up a few other shows if we can, but for now, our focus is here. We’ll share more when we can.
With love, David, Hayden, Graham, Joshua, Sarah, Joshua "
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Little Deaths is a nuanced, emotional and intimate step inward for the otherwise hyperbolic band The Collection, the North Carolina-based indie-pop band founded by frontman David Wimbish.
In their time together, the tightly knit, six members of The Collection have inspired listeners with their raucous, folk-based indie-pop sound, resulting in an unabashed positivity and participatory spirit of shared celebration, creating an almost congregational connection with their audience. The Collection built their familial fan base over three independent albums, 2014’s full-length debut Ars Moriendi, Listen To The River [2017] and Entropy [2018]. The latter featured “Beautiful Life,” and its 8.7 million-and-counting Spotify streams, earning the band praise from American Songwriter, Glide, Parade and more, even landing on NPR Tiny Desk Judges’ Picks This was bolstered by the band’s riotous and righteous shows touring with the likes of Oh Hello, RIPE, Tall Heights and Sammy Rae & Friends.
Their 2023 EP and first effort with Nettwerk, How to Survive an Ending was a post-pandemic roadmap of resolve and celebrating the moment.
With Little Deaths, however, Wimbish writes about the aches, joys and acceptance of deeply personal growth. The progression of the band’s sound, he says, is palpable. “Our last record was triumphant,” he says. “Little Deaths is about vulnerability.”
Key to that vulnerability was Wimbish’s decision to get sober during the pandemic. “I’d been isolated and drinking a lot, and I realized I’d lost any sense of presence in the moment,” he explains. “When I got sober, I realized the best — and worst — thing about it was that I felt all my feelings. I felt really vulnerable.”
Factor in pandemic isolation, and Wimbish was faced with an almost existential urgency writing what would become Little Deaths. “I had about 200 ideas, mostly just voice memos when I started. But if I was going to develop an idea, I had to ask myself, ‘Do I believe this in my core? You’re going to sing these songs every night and you have to be able to feel it in your soul’,” Wimbish says, adding, “Sometimes I need to write songs just to kick myself in the butt.”
And kick he did. With his five bandmates spread out all over North Carolina, The Collection’s usually collaborative writing instead fell more to Wimbish alone during lockdown, which allowed him to tap into a hardwon presence and introspection. “I wasn’t relying on everyone else - my vocals and melody had to be front and center and so the songs had to be able to stand on their own,” he explains. “Then I’d send them out to everyone to add their parts.”
“Medication,” the album’s breakout single about overcoming the stigma of needing, asking for and getting mental health help, came from a January 2023 writing retreat in a cabin in Maine. “‘Medication’ came very, very quickly. I woke up one morning, walked downstairs, made a fire,
and just recorded the line, ‘I deserve to be well.’ Then I just broke down crying. I knew when I sang it this was something I needed to believe deep in my soul,” Wimbish says. “I wrote the rest of it that morning.” “Medication” has since become a viral phenomenon, inspiring tearful reaction videos, fan art and covers.
Recording in Nashville with producer Jeremy Lutito (NEEDTOBREATHE, Joy Oladokun, Jars of Clay, etc.) and engineer Reid Leslie created the opportunity to push Little Death’s sound to match the raw vulnerability of the songs by rearranging them with unconventional instruments, from duct- taped pianos to rubber-bridged guitars, giving the songs an intimate immediacy.
The album’s titular intro “Little Deaths,” another song from the Maine writing retreat, is just Wimbish at a piano. Lutito set up an extra microphone to record the sound of Wimbish’s fingers tapping at the keys. He sings about his own transformation, the radical honesty people in recovery use to describe leaving past selves that no longer serve them, with only the faith that things will get better to guide them forward. “I’m still not the person I had hoped for/But no longer who I was/ And maybe all these little deaths are keeping me alive/Like a piece of tired wood underneath ambitious vines.”
It’s a somber, sober way to begin, but it also establishes the vulnerability that shapes the album as Wimbish’s voice at times quivering with the fragility of the moment. “I had a lot of fear recording it that way. It just felt too vulnerable to put on the record,” he admits. “But Jeremy was like, ‘No, that’s it, this is where you need to be to sing these songs.’ I’d come in with this idea that my voice needed to be clean and technically perfect, but this way, it actually feels more like my voice live.” Present, indeed.
Embracing this vulnerability also meant songs were free to take on new, thrilling shapes, as on “The Weather,” about being at an emotionally exhausted low and just hoping that this too, shall pass. “The demo version was me picking through an acoustic guitar and [guitarist Joshua Ling] on an electric, but Jeremy wanted me to play it on a rubber-bridged guitar, which sounds like a cello. Then we used a baritone guitar, which made it deeper, and recorded the bass through a vintage guitar amp,” says Wimbish. “We basically completely deconstructed it, but it was Jeremy’s way of keeping us on our toes instead of just recreating the demo.”
Likewise, “The Come Down,” which navigates a rush of highs and lows musically and thematically, finds Wimbish empathizing with being there for someone experiencing bi-polar mood swings— from the perspective of also suffering from them himself. It is thrilling and at times even jarring, featuring perfectly imperfectly distorted horns.
With its hands-in-the-air deluge of emotion, “Rain it Down” may be the most classic-sounding The Collection-esque song on Little Deaths, but it, too, finds Wimbish tapping into a deep empathy that’s more about trying to accept his flaws than simply celebrating overcoming them. “When my heart starts anticipating a majorly needed change in my life - a breakup, a move, a job - it can take a long time to express it. Fear and anxiety take over, worrying that my needs will hurt others or leave them feeling abandoned. It becomes easy to be closed off and put up walls,” he says. “But often, expressing my truth, breaking the dam, and releasing the flood brings such an intense sense of relief.”
“The Mood” started out as a demo without much of a beat, but found its groove in the studio, the track winding its way around an insistent breakbeat punctuated by horns. Wimbish details
rebounding after a break-up, even though it may not be the best idea: “Break my heart again, I’m already in the mood.”
As one of the hardest songs for the band to write on the album, “Spark of Hope” has a patient, almost timid feel to it that gives its title and message a hard-won feel. “I started to analyze how I feel about life, as someone who is often optimistic about projects, but not about my own mental state or health or future, and realized I don’t feel like someone who drowns in hope, but I’m not void of it either. I always try to at least carry a little spark of it, just enough to see in the darkness, and hope it’s enough to get me through,” he says. “I wrote this song while we were in the studio, after almost a year of trying to write it and failing. It came together in a half hour and we recorded it the next day, with the lights low, during a thunderstorm.”
“Over You” isn’t so much a break-up song as a break-down song, realizing a relationship is over but still not wanting it to be. “It took awhile for us to get this one right, “Wimbish admits. “We recorded it three different times with very different arrangements. But with Jeremy in the studio, it finally found its voice - an ever growing build of emotion that comes crashing back down into a smooth onward momentum.”
Little Deaths shows the band that once wrote songs like “You Taste Like Wine” now sober and self-searching, but even more deeply connected to listeners because of it.
“I want people to relate to the record in a way that they can feel vulnerable listening to it, because sharing that vulnerability makes it easier to talk to each other, and help each other get better,” Wimbish says.
To that end, the band hosted their own music festival, Soil & Sky, in September 2023, on 32 acres of land in rural North Carolina, with plans to make it an annual event. The band plans to include playing a series of house parties to tour in support of Little Deaths, “kind of a potluck thing,” Wimbish says. “Our community tends to have a lot of room for depth and connection, so we’re like, why don’t we create a space of intimacy and connection ourselves?”
With Little Deaths, they already have.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240930T233540Z SEQUENCE:15406717 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1899 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-04-05 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241006T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241006T110000 UID:58E790CD-735A-45D1-9EE6-3C07C2B08A89 SUMMARY:Bill Frisell x Petra Haden CREATED:20240820T162749Z DTSTAMP:20240820T162749Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/bill-frisell-x-petra-haden DESCRIPTION:Bill Frisell’s career as a guitarist and composer has spanned more than 40 years and many celebrated recordings, whose catalog has been cited by Downbeat as “the best recorded output of the decade”. \NHis latest recording titled Orchestras was released April ’24 on Blue Note. In the trio format he’s favored throughout his career, the guitarist and composer has always projected an orchestral scope — through his remarkably complete sense of harmony, a unique gift for melodies that remain with you long after a performance, and a keen feel for how dynamic range can be used to convey emotion. But on his new double album, his fourth release for Blue Note Records, he makes those symphonic evocations a reality. Produced by Lee Townsend, Orchestras documents two inspired concert-hall engagements arranged by Michael Gibbs for Frisell’s long-standing trio with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Royston: one featuring the nearly 60-piece Brussels Philharmonic, conducted by Alexander Hanson; and one with the 11-piece Umbria Jazz Orchestra, under the musical direction of Manuele Morbidini. \NIn March 2022, a biography on Frisell, entitled Beautiful Dreamer – The Guitarist Who Changed The Sound of American Music, written by Philip Watson was published by Faber and released in the UK, Europe, South, Central America & Asia. Through unprecedented access, and interviews with his close family, friends and collaborators, Philip Watson tells the story of the innovative and influential guitarist and composer. \NRecognized as one of America’s 21 most vital and productive performing artists, Frisell was named an inaugural Doris Duke Artist in 2012. He is also a recipient of grants from United States Artists and Meet the Composer, among others. From 2013 – 2015, Bill was Resident Artistic Director for Jazz at Lincoln Center for their Roots of Americana series, and in 2016, he was a beneficiary of the first FreshGrass Composition commission to preserve and support innovative grassroots music. Upon San Francisco Jazz opening their doors in 2013, he served as one of their Resident Artistic Directors. Bill is also the subject of a documentary film by director Emma Franz, entitled Bill Frisell: A Portrait, which examines his creative process in depth. He has also received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Bill Frisell’s career as a guitarist and composer has spanned more than 40 years and many celebrated recordings, whose catalog has been cited by Downbeat as “the best recorded output of the decade”.
His latest recording titled Orchestras was released April ’24 on Blue Note. In the trio format he’s favored throughout his career, the guitarist and composer has always projected an orchestral scope — through his remarkably complete sense of harmony, a unique gift for melodies that remain with you long after a performance, and a keen feel for how dynamic range can be used to convey emotion. But on his new double album, his fourth release for Blue Note Records, he makes those symphonic evocations a reality. Produced by Lee Townsend, Orchestras documents two inspired concert-hall engagements arranged by Michael Gibbs for Frisell’s long-standing trio with bassist Thomas Morgan and drummer Rudy Royston: one featuring the nearly 60-piece Brussels Philharmonic, conducted by Alexander Hanson; and one with the 11-piece Umbria Jazz Orchestra, under the musical direction of Manuele Morbidini.
In March 2022, a biography on Frisell, entitled Beautiful Dreamer – The Guitarist Who Changed The Sound of American Music, written by Philip Watson was published by Faber and released in the UK, Europe, South, Central America & Asia. Through unprecedented access, and interviews with his close family, friends and collaborators, Philip Watson tells the story of the innovative and influential guitarist and composer.
Recognized as one of America’s 21 most vital and productive performing artists, Frisell was named an inaugural Doris Duke Artist in 2012. He is also a recipient of grants from United States Artists and Meet the Composer, among others. From 2013 – 2015, Bill was Resident Artistic Director for Jazz at Lincoln Center for their Roots of Americana series, and in 2016, he was a beneficiary of the first FreshGrass Composition commission to preserve and support innovative grassroots music. Upon San Francisco Jazz opening their doors in 2013, he served as one of their Resident Artistic Directors. Bill is also the subject of a documentary film by director Emma Franz, entitled Bill Frisell: A Portrait, which examines his creative process in depth. He has also received an honorary doctorate from the Berklee College of Music.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240923T212218Z SEQUENCE:2955269 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2007 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241007T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241007T210000 UID:476CE3F5-40C3-4529-9299-6B4257D3DE0B SUMMARY:Pixel Grip CREATED:20240604T160803Z DTSTAMP:20240604T160803Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/pixel-grip DESCRIPTION:Pixel Grip is resolute in their beliefs and their dynamic exploration of the human experience. Colloquially described as "Club Pop", the band blurs the lines between avant-pop, EBM and minimal wave to construct a sound uniquely their own. Their moody songs push artistic boundaries and challenge the combative conditions of everyday life. Over the last four years, this rising Chicago-based trio has been selling-out clubs and winning over fans with their indelible live performances. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Pixel Grip is resolute in their beliefs and their dynamic exploration of the human experience. Colloquially described as "Club Pop", the band blurs the lines between avant-pop, EBM and minimal wave to construct a sound uniquely their own. Their moody songs push artistic boundaries and challenge the combative conditions of everyday life. Over the last four years, this rising Chicago-based trio has been selling-out clubs and winning over fans with their indelible live performances.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240627T161100Z SEQUENCE:1987377 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2605 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241010T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241010T210000 UID:D0243483-A605-4417-A773-F8CA5C94B651 SUMMARY:Carbon Leaf CREATED:20240507T155917Z DTSTAMP:20240507T155917Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/carbon-leaf-4 DESCRIPTION:“The Gathering series is all about building community,” says Carbon Leaf frontman Barry Privett. “It’s a call to look inwards and find what matters, an invitation to reach out and embrace the gifts of human connection.”\NThat’s no mean feat given the deep divisions that have defined much of the past few years of American life, but Carbon Leaf has always punched above their weight, defying the odds at every turn and redefining what’s possible for a modern indie band in the process. The group’s extraordinary new mini-album, Gathering 2: The Hunting Ground, is no exception. Recorded at the band’s own studio in Richmond, VA, the collection marks the second installment of the group’s four-part Gathering series, which finds the long-running quintet stripping their sound back to its organic, acoustic core as they reckon with our ever-conflicting desires for unity and independence. The songs here are gutsy and probing, grappling with grief, loss, anger, and pain, and the arrangements are aggressive and insistent to match, fueled by layers of relentlessly strummed guitars, rolling banjo, and lush fiddle. The result is a moving, cathartic collection that’s unafraid to confront darkness and doubt head on, a poignant, revelatory record all about the power of self-reflection and the ties that bind.\N“One of the big questions we found ourselves grappling with as a band was, ‘How do you actually make any kind of a difference in society today?’” says Privett. “And I don’t think you can do that without first looking inwards—to yourself, your family, your friends—and figuring out what your values truly are.”\NAnyone who’s caught a Carbon Leaf show over the past three decades probably has a pretty good idea just what those values are: brotherhood, commitment, empathy, integrity, self-reliance. Founded at Randolph-Macon College in 1992, the group evolved from a houseparty cover band into something far more profound after graduation, when they moved to Richmond and made the shift to original music. The band’s first three albums helped build a devoted cult following, but it was 2001’s Echo Echo that truly brought Carbon Leaf to national attention, with lead single “The Boxer” earning the group a performance slot in front of millions of viewers at the American Music Awards. After nearly ten years of self-releasing and grinding it out on the road (both as headliners and as guests appearing on bills alongside the likes of Dave Matthews Band, O.A.R., Jason Mraz, Blues Traveler, and Guster, among others), the band signed with Vanguard Records in 2004 for their critical and commercial breakthrough, Indian Summer, which yielded a Top 5 hit at AAA radio and garnered rave reviews everywhere from The Washington Post to WXPN. While the band would go on to release two more similarly well-received albums with Vanguard, it soon became obvious to everyone that independence wasn’t simply an ideal for Carbon Leaf, but rather an integral part of their DNA, and so in 2010, the band parted ways with the label in order to return to their DIY roots and take complete and total control of their career. Acting as their own label, distributor, and manager, the band cut new versions of all three Vanguard albums in order to regain the rights to the recordings, launched their own festival, and began releasing a successful series of direct-to-fan concert films, livestreams, and studio records leading up to the first installment of the Gathering series in 2018.\N“The initial idea for these Gathering albums was to get a bunch of our musical friends together in the studio for a weekend and make something really communal and collaborative,” explains Privett. “We had some of our pals from We Banjo 3 join in on Volume 1, but for the second installment we decided to strike out on our own because the songs just felt more personal and introspective.”\NThough Carbon Leaf had traditionally embraced a wall of sound approach in the studio, this time around they went back to the basics, focusing on raw, acoustic arrangements that placed the storytelling front and center. With guitarist Terry Clark handling engineering duties, the band—Privett, Clark, stringed instrument wizard Carter Gravatt, bassist Jon Markel, and drummer Jesse Humphrey—captured performances on and off over the course of roughly six months, experimenting with a wide variety of instruments and mic placements to generate a series of immersive, transportive sonic landscapes.\N“Space was a big thing for us when we were making these recordings,” says Clark. “Moving the microphones further away so we could really capture the room and the air helped add lot of the character and dimension these songs needed.”\NWhile some of the tracks here began life as instrumental demos from Gravatt, others first took shape as a capella lyrical or melodic ideas from Privett. Regardless of where each tune began, though, the finished product would inevitably wind up bearing the unmistakable fingerprints of all five bandmates, whose infectious chemistry consistently yields more than the sum of its parts.\N“We like to take a world-building approach in the studio,” says Privett. “We’ll stack things up and layer them on top of each other until we’ve got something that sounds way beyond just five guys in a room together.”\NThat alchemy is obvious from the outset on The Hunting Ground, which opens with the churning “Everything’s Alright Mama.” Mixing gritty Appalachian folk with lilting Celtic influences, the track begins with both feet on the ground and builds into a soaring work of bittersweet beauty, balancing the mundane and the magical in equal measure as it reaches out into the void for connection. Like much of the album, it’s a bright, uptempo tune, but dig beneath the surface and you’ll find an underlying sense of sadness that permeates the often-impressionistic lyrics. The driving “Her Father’s Pride,” for instance, grapples with division on both a personal and a communal scale, while the rollicking “Smokey Joe Of The Poconos” explores what happens to those left behind in the name of progress, and the mesmerizing “Pale Blue Dot” zooms out to contemplate our place and our purpose in the greater scheme of the universe. It’s perhaps the muscular title track, though, that best encapsulates the sense of questioning and longing that defines the collection, with Privett singing, “Is this all we have, the natural world? Is anyone around?”\N“The idea of the hunting ground is that it’s this place where you’re searching for something out in the great wild unknown,” says Privett. ”How do you process grief? How do you fix your soul in the face of losing someone you care about? How do you carry on when life doesn’t go the way you’d planned?”\NIn the end, of course, there are no easy answers to these questions, and that’s precisely the point. The hunt is an endless one, but it doesn’t need to be lonely. We’re all in the search together, and after more than a year of distance and isolation, it’s hard to think of anything we need more than a good old fashioned gathering. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“The Gathering series is all about building community,” says Carbon Leaf frontman Barry Privett. “It’s a call to look inwards and find what matters, an invitation to reach out and embrace the gifts of human connection.”
That’s no mean feat given the deep divisions that have defined much of the past few years of American life, but Carbon Leaf has always punched above their weight, defying the odds at every turn and redefining what’s possible for a modern indie band in the process. The group’s extraordinary new mini-album, Gathering 2: The Hunting Ground, is no exception. Recorded at the band’s own studio in Richmond, VA, the collection marks the second installment of the group’s four-part Gathering series, which finds the long-running quintet stripping their sound back to its organic, acoustic core as they reckon with our ever-conflicting desires for unity and independence. The songs here are gutsy and probing, grappling with grief, loss, anger, and pain, and the arrangements are aggressive and insistent to match, fueled by layers of relentlessly strummed guitars, rolling banjo, and lush fiddle. The result is a moving, cathartic collection that’s unafraid to confront darkness and doubt head on, a poignant, revelatory record all about the power of self-reflection and the ties that bind.
“One of the big questions we found ourselves grappling with as a band was, ‘How do you actually make any kind of a difference in society today?’” says Privett. “And I don’t think you can do that without first looking inwards—to yourself, your family, your friends—and figuring out what your values truly are.”
Anyone who’s caught a Carbon Leaf show over the past three decades probably has a pretty good idea just what those values are: brotherhood, commitment, empathy, integrity, self-reliance. Founded at Randolph-Macon College in 1992, the group evolved from a houseparty cover band into something far more profound after graduation, when they moved to Richmond and made the shift to original music. The band’s first three albums helped build a devoted cult following, but it was 2001’s Echo Echo that truly brought Carbon Leaf to national attention, with lead single “The Boxer” earning the group a performance slot in front of millions of viewers at the American Music Awards. After nearly ten years of self-releasing and grinding it out on the road (both as headliners and as guests appearing on bills alongside the likes of Dave Matthews Band, O.A.R., Jason Mraz, Blues Traveler, and Guster, among others), the band signed with Vanguard Records in 2004 for their critical and commercial breakthrough, Indian Summer, which yielded a Top 5 hit at AAA radio and garnered rave reviews everywhere from The Washington Post to WXPN. While the band would go on to release two more similarly well-received albums with Vanguard, it soon became obvious to everyone that independence wasn’t simply an ideal for Carbon Leaf, but rather an integral part of their DNA, and so in 2010, the band parted ways with the label in order to return to their DIY roots and take complete and total control of their career. Acting as their own label, distributor, and manager, the band cut new versions of all three Vanguard albums in order to regain the rights to the recordings, launched their own festival, and began releasing a successful series of direct-to-fan concert films, livestreams, and studio records leading up to the first installment of the Gathering series in 2018.
“The initial idea for these Gathering albums was to get a bunch of our musical friends together in the studio for a weekend and make something really communal and collaborative,” explains Privett. “We had some of our pals from We Banjo 3 join in on Volume 1, but for the second installment we decided to strike out on our own because the songs just felt more personal and introspective.”
Though Carbon Leaf had traditionally embraced a wall of sound approach in the studio, this time around they went back to the basics, focusing on raw, acoustic arrangements that placed the storytelling front and center. With guitarist Terry Clark handling engineering duties, the band—Privett, Clark, stringed instrument wizard Carter Gravatt, bassist Jon Markel, and drummer Jesse Humphrey—captured performances on and off over the course of roughly six months, experimenting with a wide variety of instruments and mic placements to generate a series of immersive, transportive sonic landscapes.
“Space was a big thing for us when we were making these recordings,” says Clark. “Moving the microphones further away so we could really capture the room and the air helped add lot of the character and dimension these songs needed.”
While some of the tracks here began life as instrumental demos from Gravatt, others first took shape as a capella lyrical or melodic ideas from Privett. Regardless of where each tune began, though, the finished product would inevitably wind up bearing the unmistakable fingerprints of all five bandmates, whose infectious chemistry consistently yields more than the sum of its parts.
“We like to take a world-building approach in the studio,” says Privett. “We’ll stack things up and layer them on top of each other until we’ve got something that sounds way beyond just five guys in a room together.”
That alchemy is obvious from the outset on The Hunting Ground, which opens with the churning “Everything’s Alright Mama.” Mixing gritty Appalachian folk with lilting Celtic influences, the track begins with both feet on the ground and builds into a soaring work of bittersweet beauty, balancing the mundane and the magical in equal measure as it reaches out into the void for connection. Like much of the album, it’s a bright, uptempo tune, but dig beneath the surface and you’ll find an underlying sense of sadness that permeates the often-impressionistic lyrics. The driving “Her Father’s Pride,” for instance, grapples with division on both a personal and a communal scale, while the rollicking “Smokey Joe Of The Poconos” explores what happens to those left behind in the name of progress, and the mesmerizing “Pale Blue Dot” zooms out to contemplate our place and our purpose in the greater scheme of the universe. It’s perhaps the muscular title track, though, that best encapsulates the sense of questioning and longing that defines the collection, with Privett singing, “Is this all we have, the natural world? Is anyone around?”
“The idea of the hunting ground is that it’s this place where you’re searching for something out in the great wild unknown,” says Privett. ”How do you process grief? How do you fix your soul in the face of losing someone you care about? How do you carry on when life doesn’t go the way you’d planned?”
In the end, of course, there are no easy answers to these questions, and that’s precisely the point. The hunt is an endless one, but it doesn’t need to be lonely. We’re all in the search together, and after more than a year of distance and isolation, it’s hard to think of anything we need more than a good old fashioned gathering.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241004T204948Z SEQUENCE:12977431 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2702 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241011T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241011T210000 UID:9F045458-2293-43BD-9D17-071149205D24 SUMMARY:The Ocean Blue (Night 1) CREATED:20240122T223805Z DTSTAMP:20240122T223805Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-ocean-blue-night-1 DESCRIPTION:In 2024, the band will be performing their first two albums in full - The Ocean Blue and Cerulean - in their entirety over two consecutive nights in cities throughout the U.S.Getting their start as teenagers in the late ‘80s in Hershey, PA, The Ocean Blue released their self-titled debut on the famed Sire Records that launched many of their musical heroes. Embraced by MTV and college radio, the band quickly made their mark on the onset of the Alternative Music scene. Their early singles “Between Something And Nothing” and “Drifting, Falling” notched them Top Ten hits on College and Modern Rock radio, setting in motion a run of four successful major label albums, followed by a string beloved independent releases from 2000 to the present. With eight albums and several EPs under their belt, the band continues to perform and record, with work underway on a new album.The Ocean Blue arrived as the 1980s drew to a close, and their debut record on the famed Sire Records label in 1989 seemed to summarize the best of the passing musical decade. With the release of The Ocean Blue, the band of four teenagers from Hershey, Pennsylvania quickly achieved widespread acclaim and radio & MTV airplay with top 10 Modern Rock/College Radio hits like Between Something and Nothing, Drifting, Falling, and Vanity Fair. They followed their debut with the dreamy and atmospheric Cerulean, which includes perhaps their most beloved song,Ballerina Out of Control. Their third Sire release and highest charting pop album Beneath the Rhythm and Sound featured the single Sublime, with a video of the band in the sublime landscape of Iceland. The band's fourth major label album on Mercury/ PolyGram, See The Ocean Blue, delved into wider 60s and 70s stylings but with the band's 80s DNA peeking through.\NThe band left the majors in the late 90s and released several independent records in the ensuing decade, including 2000's Davy Jones Locker and 2004's Waterworks. In 2013, after a long hiatus and much anticipation, the band released their first full length record in a decade, Ultramarine, on Korda Records, a label cooperative the band helped launch that same year. The record was a welcome return for both long-time fans of the band and a younger generation of like-minded fans, and it garnered widespread praise as one of their very best albums. In 2015, the band worked with Sire Records to reissue their first three albums on vinyl, and did wider touring in North America and in South America, where some of their most passionate fans reside.\NIn 2019, the band returned with the beautifully powerful Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves, and has continued to tour for this release and the newly re-issued vinyl of See The Ocean Blue (2022) and Davy Jones’ Locker (2023). The band is on tour with select dates in 2024 performing their first two albums in full. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:In 2024, the band will be performing their first two albums in full - The Ocean Blue and Cerulean - in their entirety over two consecutive nights in cities throughout the U.S.
Getting their start as teenagers in the late ‘80s in Hershey, PA, The Ocean Blue released their self-titled debut on the famed Sire Records that launched many of their musical heroes. Embraced by MTV and college radio, the band quickly made their mark on the onset of the Alternative Music scene. Their early singles “Between Something And Nothing” and “Drifting, Falling” notched them Top Ten hits on College and Modern Rock radio, setting in motion a run of four successful major label albums, followed by a string beloved independent releases from 2000 to the present. With eight albums and several EPs under their belt, the band continues to perform and record, with work underway on a new album.
The Ocean Blue arrived as the 1980s drew to a close, and their debut record on the famed Sire Records label in 1989 seemed to summarize the best of the passing musical decade. With the release of The Ocean Blue, the band of four teenagers from Hershey, Pennsylvania quickly achieved widespread acclaim and radio & MTV airplay with top 10 Modern Rock/College Radio hits like Between Something and Nothing, Drifting, Falling, and Vanity Fair. They followed their debut with the dreamy and atmospheric Cerulean, which includes perhaps their most beloved song,Ballerina Out of Control. Their third Sire release and highest charting pop album Beneath the Rhythm and Sound featured the single Sublime, with a video of the band in the sublime landscape of Iceland. The band's fourth major label album on Mercury/ PolyGram, See The Ocean Blue, delved into wider 60s and 70s stylings but with the band's 80s DNA peeking through.
The band left the majors in the late 90s and released several independent records in the ensuing decade, including 2000's Davy Jones Locker and 2004's Waterworks. In 2013, after a long hiatus and much anticipation, the band released their first full length record in a decade, Ultramarine, on Korda Records, a label cooperative the band helped launch that same year. The record was a welcome return for both long-time fans of the band and a younger generation of like-minded fans, and it garnered widespread praise as one of their very best albums. In 2015, the band worked with Sire Records to reissue their first three albums on vinyl, and did wider touring in North America and in South America, where some of their most passionate fans reside.
In 2019, the band returned with the beautifully powerful Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves, and has continued to tour for this release and the newly re-issued vinyl of See The Ocean Blue (2022) and Davy Jones’ Locker (2023). The band is on tour with select dates in 2024 performing their first two albums in full.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241003T220558Z SEQUENCE:22030073 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4638 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-01-23 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241012T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241012T210000 UID:804D76E9-B327-4615-AC40-6AF2AE99DBFF SUMMARY:The Ocean Blue (Night 2) CREATED:20240122T223805Z DTSTAMP:20240122T223805Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-ocean-blue-night-2 DESCRIPTION:In 2024, the band will be performing their first two albums in full - The Ocean Blue and Cerulean - in their entirety over two consecutive nights in cities throughout the U.S.Getting their start as teenagers in the late ‘80s in Hershey, PA, The Ocean Blue released their self-titled debut on the famed Sire Records that launched many of their musical heroes. Embraced by MTV and college radio, the band quickly made their mark on the onset of the Alternative Music scene. Their early singles “Between Something And Nothing” and “Drifting, Falling” notched them Top Ten hits on College and Modern Rock radio, setting in motion a run of four successful major label albums, followed by a string beloved independent releases from 2000 to the present. With eight albums and several EPs under their belt, the band continues to perform and record, with work underway on a new album.The Ocean Blue arrived as the 1980s drew to a close, and their debut record on the famed Sire Records label in 1989 seemed to summarize the best of the passing musical decade. With the release of The Ocean Blue, the band of four teenagers from Hershey, Pennsylvania quickly achieved widespread acclaim and radio & MTV airplay with top 10 Modern Rock/College Radio hits like Between Something and Nothing, Drifting, Falling, and Vanity Fair. They followed their debut with the dreamy and atmospheric Cerulean, which includes perhaps their most beloved song,Ballerina Out of Control. Their third Sire release and highest charting pop album Beneath the Rhythm and Sound featured the single Sublime, with a video of the band in the sublime landscape of Iceland. The band's fourth major label album on Mercury/ PolyGram, See The Ocean Blue, delved into wider 60s and 70s stylings but with the band's 80s DNA peeking through.\NThe band left the majors in the late 90s and released several independent records in the ensuing decade, including 2000's Davy Jones Locker and 2004's Waterworks. In 2013, after a long hiatus and much anticipation, the band released their first full length record in a decade, Ultramarine, on Korda Records, a label cooperative the band helped launch that same year. The record was a welcome return for both long-time fans of the band and a younger generation of like-minded fans, and it garnered widespread praise as one of their very best albums. In 2015, the band worked with Sire Records to reissue their first three albums on vinyl, and did wider touring in North America and in South America, where some of their most passionate fans reside.\NIn 2019, the band returned with the beautifully powerful Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves, and has continued to tour for this release and the newly re-issued vinyl of See The Ocean Blue (2022) and Davy Jones’ Locker (2023). The band is on tour with select dates in 2024 performing their first two albums in full. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:In 2024, the band will be performing their first two albums in full - The Ocean Blue and Cerulean - in their entirety over two consecutive nights in cities throughout the U.S.
Getting their start as teenagers in the late ‘80s in Hershey, PA, The Ocean Blue released their self-titled debut on the famed Sire Records that launched many of their musical heroes. Embraced by MTV and college radio, the band quickly made their mark on the onset of the Alternative Music scene. Their early singles “Between Something And Nothing” and “Drifting, Falling” notched them Top Ten hits on College and Modern Rock radio, setting in motion a run of four successful major label albums, followed by a string beloved independent releases from 2000 to the present. With eight albums and several EPs under their belt, the band continues to perform and record, with work underway on a new album.
The Ocean Blue arrived as the 1980s drew to a close, and their debut record on the famed Sire Records label in 1989 seemed to summarize the best of the passing musical decade. With the release of The Ocean Blue, the band of four teenagers from Hershey, Pennsylvania quickly achieved widespread acclaim and radio & MTV airplay with top 10 Modern Rock/College Radio hits like Between Something and Nothing, Drifting, Falling, and Vanity Fair. They followed their debut with the dreamy and atmospheric Cerulean, which includes perhaps their most beloved song,Ballerina Out of Control. Their third Sire release and highest charting pop album Beneath the Rhythm and Sound featured the single Sublime, with a video of the band in the sublime landscape of Iceland. The band's fourth major label album on Mercury/ PolyGram, See The Ocean Blue, delved into wider 60s and 70s stylings but with the band's 80s DNA peeking through.
The band left the majors in the late 90s and released several independent records in the ensuing decade, including 2000's Davy Jones Locker and 2004's Waterworks. In 2013, after a long hiatus and much anticipation, the band released their first full length record in a decade, Ultramarine, on Korda Records, a label cooperative the band helped launch that same year. The record was a welcome return for both long-time fans of the band and a younger generation of like-minded fans, and it garnered widespread praise as one of their very best albums. In 2015, the band worked with Sire Records to reissue their first three albums on vinyl, and did wider touring in North America and in South America, where some of their most passionate fans reside.
In 2019, the band returned with the beautifully powerful Kings and Queens / Knaves and Thieves, and has continued to tour for this release and the newly re-issued vinyl of See The Ocean Blue (2022) and Davy Jones’ Locker (2023). The band is on tour with select dates in 2024 performing their first two albums in full.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241003T220637Z SEQUENCE:22030112 LOCATION:638 South State Street\, Salt Lake City\, Utah 84111 GEO:40.75528240;-111.88872990 X-LOCATION-DISPLAYNAME:The State Room X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2888 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-01-23 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241014T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241014T210000 UID:A66E0F9C-5805-4B28-924F-89D55AAAF643 SUMMARY:Melt CREATED:20240624T214706Z DTSTAMP:20240624T214706Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/melt DESCRIPTION:Pulsing with the energy of their hometown New York City, ‘If There’s a Heaven’ (out 9/13/24) is the debut album from indie band Melt. The band formed in 2017 and cut their teeth touring on the heels of their viral single “Sour Candy” over weekends in college. Called “one groovy superorganism” by NPR, they are known for their ecstatic live set. In 2021, Melt released their ‘West Side Highway’ EP and toured nationally, further developing their intuitive connection as players as well as cementing their status as a band to watch. \N‘If There’s a Heaven’ presents Melt simultaneously at their most airtight and freewheeling – evoking the raw, communal spirit of Fleetwood Mac as well as the modern, danceable hooks of MUNA. Recorded live to tape with producer Sam Evian (Big Thief), the eleven tracks span existential, feel-good pop (“Plant the Garden”), classic love ballads (“Your Name”) and lush, soulful rockers (“Heaven”). Melt’s debut is a joyous, timeless soundtrack for coming of age and finding oneself and one’s community. As emotionally stirring as they are groovy, Melt will move listeners in every sense of the word. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Pulsing with the energy of their hometown New York City, ‘If There’s a Heaven’ (out 9/13/24) is the debut album from indie band Melt. The band formed in 2017 and cut their teeth touring on the heels of their viral single “Sour Candy” over weekends in college. Called “one groovy superorganism” by NPR, they are known for their ecstatic live set. In 2021, Melt released their ‘West Side Highway’ EP and toured nationally, further developing their intuitive connection as players as well as cementing their status as a band to watch.
‘If There’s a Heaven’ presents Melt simultaneously at their most airtight and freewheeling – evoking the raw, communal spirit of Fleetwood Mac as well as the modern, danceable hooks of MUNA. Recorded live to tape with producer Sam Evian (Big Thief), the eleven tracks span existential, feel-good pop (“Plant the Garden”), classic love ballads (“Your Name”) and lush, soulful rockers (“Heaven”). Melt’s debut is a joyous, timeless soundtrack for coming of age and finding oneself and one’s community. As emotionally stirring as they are groovy, Melt will move listeners in every sense of the word.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240724T172613Z SEQUENCE:2576347 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2194 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-06-25 15:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241015T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241015T210000 UID:6B813F2D-4C2F-43A5-9A8D-60EE041D729A SUMMARY:Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band CREATED:20240611T182206Z DTSTAMP:20240611T182206Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/rev-peytons-big-damn-band DESCRIPTION:Three time BMA nominee's The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band are "the greatest front-porch blues band in the world". They are led by Reverend Peyton, who most consider to be the premier finger picker playing today. He has earned a reputation as both a singularly compelling performer and a persuasive evangelist for the rootsy, country blues styles that captured his imagination early in life and inspired him and his band to make pilgrimages to Clarksdale, Mississippi to study under such blues masters as T-Model Ford, Robert Belfour and David “Honeyboy” Edwards. Their latest record Dance Songs For Hard Times went #1 on the Billboard, iTunes and Sirius XM Blues Charts and was produced by Grammy winner Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton). The record is critically acclaimed by Rolling Stone, Relix, Popmatters, Guitar World, American Songwriter, No Depression, Glide, Wide Open Country, Paste, American Blues Scene and many more! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Three time BMA nominee's The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band are "the greatest front-porch blues band in the world". They are led by Reverend Peyton, who most consider to be the premier finger picker playing today. He has earned a reputation as both a singularly compelling performer and a persuasive evangelist for the rootsy, country blues styles that captured his imagination early in life and inspired him and his band to make pilgrimages to Clarksdale, Mississippi to study under such blues masters as T-Model Ford, Robert Belfour and David “Honeyboy” Edwards. Their latest record Dance Songs For Hard Times went #1 on the Billboard, iTunes and Sirius XM Blues Charts and was produced by Grammy winner Vance Powell (Jack White, Chris Stapleton). The record is critically acclaimed by Rolling Stone, Relix, Popmatters, Guitar World, American Songwriter, No Depression, Glide, Wide Open Country, Paste, American Blues Scene and many more!
LAST-MODIFIED:20240916T192436Z SEQUENCE:8384550 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2499 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241018T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241018T210000 UID:C72BB6E4-1213-471D-9516-0D3FB8BC8348 SUMMARY:Bearly Dead CREATED:20240709T161222Z DTSTAMP:20240709T161222Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/bearly-dead-3 DESCRIPTION:Not just another Grateful Dead cover band. A cosmic exploration of the Grateful Dead catalog! Bearly Dead, Boston-based quintet, performs a concert-style show that celebrates the journey of the Grateful Dead from their earliest records until their final tours. The band delivers a full-spectrum concert experience filled with danceable energy and world-class musicianship. Each and every Grateful Dead member is honored through a collection of classics, b-sides, deep cuts, and exploratory jams. Holding true to the spirit of the music, Bearly Dead frequently adds to their 250+ song catalog and continues to showcase authentic, spontaneous improvisation – live and in-person – making each show a wildly unique Grateful Dead experience you do not want to miss.\NBearly Dead played their first show at Church of Boston, in 2015, marking the beginning of its hallowed Wednesday Night Residency. Over the next 5 years the phrase “Never Miss A Wednesday Show” became ubiquitous around Boston and Bearly Dead was nominated multiple times for Boston Music Awards Live Music Residency of the Year. Fans really never knew what might happen, the band never knew what might happen! Bearly Dead shows have featured notable appearances by Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Paul Wolstencroft (Slightly Stoopid), Steve Molitz (Particle/Phil Lesh & Friends), Kebbi Williams (Tedeschi Trucks Band), Rob Compa (Dopapod), Hayley Jane (Hayley Jane & The Primates), Richard James (Neighbor), and Johnny Trama (Dub Apocalypse) — and even a surprise appearance by Jerry Garcia’s “Wolf” guitar in 2018 on Jerry Garcia’s birthday!\NIn 2020, Bearly Dead began performing at other prestigious Massachusetts venues, including headline shows at Paradise Rock Club, Sinclair, Worcester Palladium, MGM Music Hall Fenway, and House of Blues Boston. After becoming a staple in the Northeast US festival community with multiple appearances at Camp Creek, Jerry Jam, Strangecreek, Wormtown, and many more, it was only a matter of time before Bearly Dead shows were being requested in all corners of the country. In October 2022, the band saddled up a new van and began touring nationally, performing their interpretation of the catalog across the United States and growing the Bearly Dead Family all along the way.\NBearly Dead is Tyler Brooks (Drums, Vocals), Dave Becker (Bass, Vocals), Nick Swift (Guitar, Vocals), Kris Yunker (Keys/Organ), and Michael Butler (Vocals/Percussion). X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Not just another Grateful Dead cover band. A cosmic exploration of the Grateful Dead catalog! Bearly Dead, Boston-based quintet, performs a concert-style show that celebrates the journey of the Grateful Dead from their earliest records until their final tours. The band delivers a full-spectrum concert experience filled with danceable energy and world-class musicianship. Each and every Grateful Dead member is honored through a collection of classics, b-sides, deep cuts, and exploratory jams. Holding true to the spirit of the music, Bearly Dead frequently adds to their 250+ song catalog and continues to showcase authentic, spontaneous improvisation – live and in-person – making each show a wildly unique Grateful Dead experience you do not want to miss.
Bearly Dead played their first show at Church of Boston, in 2015, marking the beginning of its hallowed Wednesday Night Residency. Over the next 5 years the phrase “Never Miss A Wednesday Show” became ubiquitous around Boston and Bearly Dead was nominated multiple times for Boston Music Awards Live Music Residency of the Year. Fans really never knew what might happen, the band never knew what might happen! Bearly Dead shows have featured notable appearances by Mike Campbell (Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers), Paul Wolstencroft (Slightly Stoopid), Steve Molitz (Particle/Phil Lesh & Friends), Kebbi Williams (Tedeschi Trucks Band), Rob Compa (Dopapod), Hayley Jane (Hayley Jane & The Primates), Richard James (Neighbor), and Johnny Trama (Dub Apocalypse) — and even a surprise appearance by Jerry Garcia’s “Wolf” guitar in 2018 on Jerry Garcia’s birthday!
In 2020, Bearly Dead began performing at other prestigious Massachusetts venues, including headline shows at Paradise Rock Club, Sinclair, Worcester Palladium, MGM Music Hall Fenway, and House of Blues Boston. After becoming a staple in the Northeast US festival community with multiple appearances at Camp Creek, Jerry Jam, Strangecreek, Wormtown, and many more, it was only a matter of time before Bearly Dead shows were being requested in all corners of the country. In October 2022, the band saddled up a new van and began touring nationally, performing their interpretation of the catalog across the United States and growing the Bearly Dead Family all along the way.
Bearly Dead is Tyler Brooks (Drums, Vocals), Dave Becker (Bass, Vocals), Nick Swift (Guitar, Vocals), Kris Yunker (Keys/Organ), and Michael Butler (Vocals/Percussion).
LAST-MODIFIED:20240718T173910Z SEQUENCE:782808 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:5286 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241019T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241019T210000 UID:2D489046-4D65-41AA-B1E3-F393E00F52F3 SUMMARY:Tim O’Brien with Jan Fabricius CREATED:20240710T210153Z DTSTAMP:20240710T210153Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/tim-obrien-with-jan-fabricius DESCRIPTION:Multi-Grammy award winner Tim O’Brien and his wife, Jan Fabricius, have performed together nationally and internationally, either as a duo or as part of the Tim O’Brien Band, since 2015. In a duet setting with a guitar, a mandolin, and their two voices, they bring an intimate and warm acoustic music roots repertoire that is both original and traditional.\NSinger-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist O’Brien, born in Wheeling, WV, in 1954, grew up singing and playing guitar in church and in school. After seeing Doc Watson on TV, he became a lifelong devotee of old-time and bluegrass music. Co-founder of Colorado’s Hot Rize, he toured the world with that band from 1978 until he started his solo career in 1990. His songs have been covered by Kathy Mattea, Garth Brooks, and the Dixie Chicks, and his collaborators onstage and in the recording studio include Darrell Scott, Dirk Powell, Mark Knopfler, and Sturgill Simpson. Awarded Grammys in both the Folk and Bluegrass categories, he is a member of both the West Virginia and the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. He lives with Jan Fabricius in Nashville, TN.\NJan Fabricius grew up in WaKeeney, KS, and sang from an early age in church and school, taking up the clarinet and then the mandolin. A registered nurse and mother of two, she kept her hand in music through local jams and regional bluegrass festivals while raising her family. Jan’s music with O’Brien started informally around their home as he wrote or learned new songs, and she soon found herself singing and playing mandolin in the studio and onstage. O’Brien’s 2021 release, “He Walked On,” and his upcoming release, “Cup of Sugar,” feature original songs co-written by Tim and Jan. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Multi-Grammy award winner Tim O’Brien and his wife, Jan Fabricius, have performed together nationally and internationally, either as a duo or as part of the Tim O’Brien Band, since 2015. In a duet setting with a guitar, a mandolin, and their two voices, they bring an intimate and warm acoustic music roots repertoire that is both original and traditional.
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist O’Brien, born in Wheeling, WV, in 1954, grew up singing and playing guitar in church and in school. After seeing Doc Watson on TV, he became a lifelong devotee of old-time and bluegrass music. Co-founder of Colorado’s Hot Rize, he toured the world with that band from 1978 until he started his solo career in 1990. His songs have been covered by Kathy Mattea, Garth Brooks, and the Dixie Chicks, and his collaborators onstage and in the recording studio include Darrell Scott, Dirk Powell, Mark Knopfler, and Sturgill Simpson. Awarded Grammys in both the Folk and Bluegrass categories, he is a member of both the West Virginia and the Colorado Music Hall of Fame. He lives with Jan Fabricius in Nashville, TN.
Jan Fabricius grew up in WaKeeney, KS, and sang from an early age in church and school, taking up the clarinet and then the mandolin. A registered nurse and mother of two, she kept her hand in music through local jams and regional bluegrass festivals while raising her family. Jan’s music with O’Brien started informally around their home as he wrote or learned new songs, and she soon found herself singing and playing mandolin in the studio and onstage. O’Brien’s 2021 release, “He Walked On,” and his upcoming release, “Cup of Sugar,” feature original songs co-written by Tim and Jan.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241009T183625Z SEQUENCE:7853672 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4351 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241022T090000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241022T100000 UID:388C612A-98D0-494E-88BC-E75CFA91921D SUMMARY:Rachael Yamagata CREATED:20240722T153151Z DTSTAMP:20240722T153151Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/rachael-yamagata DESCRIPTION:Rachael Yamagata would defend you in a bar fight and then invite everyone out to stargaze inthe parking lot. She’s a wilderness guide for wanderers, a galactic diplomat, a dreamscapedesigner, a heartache survivalist, a pioneer.She speaks to the misfits, the soul searchers, the silent types longing to be cracked open. Herhardcore fans find her for the major surgeries of life, finding refuge in the dissonant beauty ofher chord progressions and songwriting that cuts to the bone. A vocal shapeshifter, she deliverslive shows that spark both playful giddiness and profound catharsis. But Yamagata is not here toheal you—she's here to show you how to heal yourself.Each record has marked a graduation for pivotal life moments. ‘Happenstance’ (2004) chronicledromantic heartaches. ‘Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart’ (2008) delved deeper into loss andbroken promises, ushering in the confidence of ‘Chesapeake’ (2011). Going DIY, Yamagatafound freedom, mixing lighter love songs with deep dives into what threatens and ultimatelystrengthens us. ‘Tightrope Walker’ (2016) expanded into resilience, empowerment, andforgiveness.Her new record (yet to be titled) emerges from this lineage with a dare: sink or swim. Groundedby soul-stirring lyrics like “All of our best laid plans washed away like plastic in the sand”("Empty Houses") it also winks at new dimensions, suggesting worlds beyond our reach with“The galaxy members are waiting for us/ they learn from our failures and they’re sending uslove” (“Galaxy”). This new record sees Yamagata as an emotional archivist, chroniclingloneliness and connection and urging us to see our breaking points as opportunities to buildsomething new.Yamagata has earned her place amongst our top songwriters and vocalists, paving the way forthe whispered intimacy of Billie Eilish and intertwining her own gravel and quirk. She will stripproduction bare on one track and build a story around orchestral arrangements in the next -whatever packs the greater punch. And she does it all with a tell-it-like-it-is honesty that can meltyou in the moment and then become an anthem for life. Admirers of PJ Harvey and Fiona Applefind in Yamagata a kindred soul who dances on the line between tenderness and bold defiance,but whose sound is wholly her own. Mix in the songwriting honesty of Bruce Springsteen, thebrooding flair of Rufus Wainwright, the gritty poetry of Lucinda Williams and you might comecloser to pinning her down.Having earned wide critical acclaim and sold over 400,000 records, she has headlined worldtours and made numerous television appearances. She’s performed for President Obama andDeepak Chopra, been a featured artist on NPR, and has over 38 million streams on Spotify. She’splayed Madison Garden, Carnegie Hall and collaborated with a diverse spectrum of artistsincluding Conor Oberst, Mandy Moore, Ray Lamontagne, and Toots and the Maytals.As we collectively face a reckoning with our planet and ourselves, Yamagata has been watching.And she’s got more to say."Along with the bad-assery, Yamagata brings a world-weary passion to her singing. Her voice isa soul-baring, sultry instrument that commands center stage at all times. She has that deliberate,I’ll-sing-the-note-when-I’m-ready pacing that helped make Amy Winehouse great, and beforeher Billie Holliday.” Associated Press“Finally, an heir to Bonnie Raitt.” - NPR“Catchy and engaging, but consistently smart to boot” -- Mother Jones“Yamagata’s voice is superb at evoking languid heartache” – Uncut X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Rachael Yamagata would defend you in a bar fight and then invite everyone out to stargaze inthe parking lot. She’s a wilderness guide for wanderers, a galactic diplomat, a dreamscapedesigner, a heartache survivalist, a pioneer.She speaks to the misfits, the soul searchers, the silent types longing to be cracked open. Herhardcore fans find her for the major surgeries of life, finding refuge in the dissonant beauty ofher chord progressions and songwriting that cuts to the bone. A vocal shapeshifter, she deliverslive shows that spark both playful giddiness and profound catharsis. But Yamagata is not here toheal you—she's here to show you how to heal yourself.Each record has marked a graduation for pivotal life moments. ‘Happenstance’ (2004) chronicledromantic heartaches. ‘Elephants...Teeth Sinking Into Heart’ (2008) delved deeper into loss andbroken promises, ushering in the confidence of ‘Chesapeake’ (2011). Going DIY, Yamagatafound freedom, mixing lighter love songs with deep dives into what threatens and ultimatelystrengthens us. ‘Tightrope Walker’ (2016) expanded into resilience, empowerment, andforgiveness.Her new record (yet to be titled) emerges from this lineage with a dare: sink or swim. Groundedby soul-stirring lyrics like “All of our best laid plans washed away like plastic in the sand”("Empty Houses") it also winks at new dimensions, suggesting worlds beyond our reach with“The galaxy members are waiting for us/ they learn from our failures and they’re sending uslove” (“Galaxy”). This new record sees Yamagata as an emotional archivist, chroniclingloneliness and connection and urging us to see our breaking points as opportunities to buildsomething new.Yamagata has earned her place amongst our top songwriters and vocalists, paving the way forthe whispered intimacy of Billie Eilish and intertwining her own gravel and quirk. She will stripproduction bare on one track and build a story around orchestral arrangements in the next -whatever packs the greater punch. And she does it all with a tell-it-like-it-is honesty that can meltyou in the moment and then become an anthem for life. Admirers of PJ Harvey and Fiona Applefind in Yamagata a kindred soul who dances on the line between tenderness and bold defiance,but whose sound is wholly her own. Mix in the songwriting honesty of Bruce Springsteen, thebrooding flair of Rufus Wainwright, the gritty poetry of Lucinda Williams and you might comecloser to pinning her down.Having earned wide critical acclaim and sold over 400,000 records, she has headlined worldtours and made numerous television appearances. She’s performed for President Obama andDeepak Chopra, been a featured artist on NPR, and has over 38 million streams on Spotify. She’splayed Madison Garden, Carnegie Hall and collaborated with a diverse spectrum of artistsincluding Conor Oberst, Mandy Moore, Ray Lamontagne, and Toots and the Maytals.As we collectively face a reckoning with our planet and ourselves, Yamagata has been watching.And she’s got more to say."Along with the bad-assery, Yamagata brings a world-weary passion to her singing. Her voice isa soul-baring, sultry instrument that commands center stage at all times. She has that deliberate,I’ll-sing-the-note-when-I’m-ready pacing that helped make Amy Winehouse great, and beforeher Billie Holliday.” Associated Press“Finally, an heir to Bonnie Raitt.” - NPR“Catchy and engaging, but consistently smart to boot” -- Mother Jones“Yamagata’s voice is superb at evoking languid heartache” – Uncut
LAST-MODIFIED:20240911T201922Z SEQUENCE:4423651 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2128 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241023T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241023T210000 UID:1DC232E1-4EFA-41ED-BDEE-BC3080EB3DA7 SUMMARY:Tow'rs CREATED:20240730T161521Z DTSTAMP:20240730T161521Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/towrs DESCRIPTION:Tow'rs is a band from Flagstaff, Arizona led by husband-and-wife duo Kyle and Gretta Miller. For ten years, this group has focused on the quiet connection between a song and its creator — a connection they've shared with their grassroots following through touring and six albums.\NThis summer the band is celebrating a decade of music with a new album “Versions,” a heartfelt retrospective that weaves past songs with their present selves. This album doesn’t replace earlier works but reimagines them, showcasing the band’s artistic growth through time and experience. More than that, it’s a celebration of personal transformation, inviting listeners to reflect on their own journeys alongside Tow’rs’ evolution.\NWith refreshed arrangements and matured perspectives, fans can rediscover familiar melodies through a contemporary lens. It’s a sincere thank-you note to loyal followers who’ve witnessed and appreciated their progression and a warm welcome to new listeners discovering Tow’rs for the first time.\N“Versions” embodies Walt Whitman’s words, “I am large, I contain multitudes,” embracing the band’s multifaceted journey. It’s a testament to Tow’rs’ enduring creativity and an invitation to appreciate the wholeness of one’s path.\NLearn more about Tow'rs at www.towrsmusic.com X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Tow'rs is a band from Flagstaff, Arizona led by husband-and-wife duo Kyle and Gretta Miller. For ten years, this group has focused on the quiet connection between a song and its creator — a connection they've shared with their grassroots following through touring and six albums.
This summer the band is celebrating a decade of music with a new album “Versions,” a heartfelt retrospective that weaves past songs with their present selves. This album doesn’t replace earlier works but reimagines them, showcasing the band’s artistic growth through time and experience. More than that, it’s a celebration of personal transformation, inviting listeners to reflect on their own journeys alongside Tow’rs’ evolution.
With refreshed arrangements and matured perspectives, fans can rediscover familiar melodies through a contemporary lens. It’s a sincere thank-you note to loyal followers who’ve witnessed and appreciated their progression and a warm welcome to new listeners discovering Tow’rs for the first time.
“Versions” embodies Walt Whitman’s words, “I am large, I contain multitudes,” embracing the band’s multifaceted journey. It’s a testament to Tow’rs’ enduring creativity and an invitation to appreciate the wholeness of one’s path.
Learn more about Tow'rs at www.towrsmusic.com
LAST-MODIFIED:20241010T174538Z SEQUENCE:6226217 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1962 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241024T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241024T230000 UID:CEC8FF4A-0F44-43C3-9DF6-41B225839219 SUMMARY:John Hiatt (Night 1) CREATED:20240603T174246Z DTSTAMP:20240603T174246Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/john-hiatt DESCRIPTION:A master lyricist and satirical storyteller, John Hiatt delivers songs filled with tales of redemption, relationships and surrendering on his own terms. Hiatt's finest album is 1987's Bring the Family; other catalog highlights include the pop and rock of 1983's Riding with the King, the rough-hewn blues-rock of 2008's Same Old Man, and 2021's Leftover Feelings. His lyrics and melodies have graced more than 20 studio albums, have been recorded by Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt and scores of others, and have earned him a place in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, a BMI Troubadour award, and a lifetime achievement in songwriting designation from the Americana Music Association. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:A master lyricist and satirical storyteller, John Hiatt delivers songs filled with tales of redemption, relationships and surrendering on his own terms. Hiatt's finest album is 1987's Bring the Family; other catalog highlights include the pop and rock of 1983's Riding with the King, the rough-hewn blues-rock of 2008's Same Old Man, and 2021's Leftover Feelings. His lyrics and melodies have graced more than 20 studio albums, have been recorded by Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt and scores of others, and have earned him a place in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, a BMI Troubadour award, and a lifetime achievement in songwriting designation from the Americana Music Association.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241010T160041Z SEQUENCE:11139475 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2798 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-06-04 15:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241025T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241025T230000 UID:82860916-77B6-4846-BA95-7CEF54E27500 SUMMARY:John Hiatt (Night 2) CREATED:20240603T174246Z DTSTAMP:20240603T174246Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/john-hiatt-2 DESCRIPTION:A master lyricist and satirical storyteller, John Hiatt delivers songs filled with tales of redemption, relationships and surrendering on his own terms. Hiatt's finest album is 1987's Bring the Family; other catalog highlights include the pop and rock of 1983's Riding with the King, the rough-hewn blues-rock of 2008's Same Old Man, and 2021's Leftover Feelings. His lyrics and melodies have graced more than 20 studio albums, have been recorded by Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt and scores of others, and have earned him a place in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, a BMI Troubadour award, and a lifetime achievement in songwriting designation from the Americana Music Association. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:A master lyricist and satirical storyteller, John Hiatt delivers songs filled with tales of redemption, relationships and surrendering on his own terms. Hiatt's finest album is 1987's Bring the Family; other catalog highlights include the pop and rock of 1983's Riding with the King, the rough-hewn blues-rock of 2008's Same Old Man, and 2021's Leftover Feelings. His lyrics and melodies have graced more than 20 studio albums, have been recorded by Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, B.B. King, Willie Nelson, Bonnie Raitt and scores of others, and have earned him a place in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, a BMI Troubadour award, and a lifetime achievement in songwriting designation from the Americana Music Association.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241022T210811Z SEQUENCE:12194725 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2172 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-06-04 15:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241026T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241026T233000 UID:E52AE42B-4830-4D35-8614-E2AD781459F4 SUMMARY:The Pour Halloween! CREATED:20240924T164105Z DTSTAMP:20240924T164105Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-pour-halloween DESCRIPTION:Salt Lake City based band The Pour offers up their unique recipe of Funk, Soul, and Psychedelic Rock n’ Roll with influences ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Pink Floyd and Miles Davis to Radiohead. With over 15 years of songwriting under their belts, lead guitarist Jeremy Whitesides and vocalist/bassist Matt Calder lead the creative charge. Colorfully accompanied on keys is Jesse Howerton and driven by Nate Barkdull on the drums. Carefully crafted, tightly executed original songs provide the foundation for an energy rich live music experience full of deep grooves, tasteful solos, and open-ended improvisation. \NMembers of The Pour have had the privilege of sharing the stage with artists such as John Popper and Blues Traveler, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Karl Denson, Matisyahu, JJ Grey, John Medeski, Eric Krasno, Steve Miller, Eric McFadden, Orgone, Big Head Todd, The Mother Hips, MonoNeon, Allen Aucoin, Steve Molitz, DJ Logic and others. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Salt Lake City based band The Pour offers up their unique recipe of Funk, Soul, and Psychedelic Rock n’ Roll with influences ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Pink Floyd and Miles Davis to Radiohead. With over 15 years of songwriting under their belts, lead guitarist Jeremy Whitesides and vocalist/bassist Matt Calder lead the creative charge. Colorfully accompanied on keys is Jesse Howerton and driven by Nate Barkdull on the drums. Carefully crafted, tightly executed original songs provide the foundation for an energy rich live music experience full of deep grooves, tasteful solos, and open-ended improvisation.
Members of The Pour have had the privilege of sharing the stage with artists such as John Popper and Blues Traveler, Robby Krieger of The Doors, Karl Denson, Matisyahu, JJ Grey, John Medeski, Eric Krasno, Steve Miller, Eric McFadden, Orgone, Big Head Todd, The Mother Hips, MonoNeon, Allen Aucoin, Steve Molitz, DJ Logic and others.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241024T164421Z SEQUENCE:2592196 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2271 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241027T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241027T210000 UID:1267B560-8B05-4EA7-9D00-C7C3BC0F1F66 SUMMARY:Dopapod CREATED:20240618T170041Z DTSTAMP:20240618T170041Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/dopapod-2 DESCRIPTION:Music resides in the fourth dimension unaffected by the constraints and restrictions of this mortal coil. Instead, it occupies the ether, affecting us emotionally, physically, and spiritually without concrete form or shape. As such, Dopapod access a heightened level of cosmic harmony in their music. The quartet—Eli Winderman [keys, vocals], Rob Compa [guitar, vocals], Chuck Jones [bass], and Neal “Fro” Evans [drums]—present albums as experiences meant to be shared out of your speakers and on stage. After generating millions of streams, packing shows coast-to-coast, and earning acclaim from Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Glide Magazine, and more, the group architect an immersive and expansive vision on their self-titled seventh full-length offering, Dopapod.\N“At the end of the day, we hope we represent being yourself, being unique, and trying to do something new,” exclaims Eli. “If everyone does that, I think the world would be a much more interesting place all around.”\NDopapod have definitely done their fair share to make the world more interesting…\NThe group’s hypnotic hybrid of funk, rock, jazz, bluegrass, and electronica bloomed brilliantly on 2009’s Radar, and it continued to blossom on the likes of Never Odd Or Even [2014] and Megagem [2017]. Along the way, fan favorites such as “Present Ghosts” reeled in 2.4 million Spotify streams and counting. 2019’s Emit Time arrived to acclaim from Guitar World, Relix, Glide, Jambase, and more. Simultaneously, they sold out headline gigs and graced the bills of Electric Forest, Summer Camp, High Sierra, and Bonnaroo where Rolling Stone named them among the festival’s “best kept secrets.” After a marathon near-decade run, they enjoyed an almost year-long hiatus to realign and reenergize before reuniting with a new fire during 2019 and partaking in something of a “soft return.”\NThe guys agreed, “Taking the break felt like a necessary step for everybody to just step back and zoom out. It’s definitely a new chapter, because it allowed us to redefine our endeavor and carry on with a lot of new energy. It was a restorative thing and helped us move forward. It wasn’t even really spoken, but more like, ‘We’re back on track’.”\NThroughout 2019, the boys performed select shows as they assembled what would become Dopapod in Syracuse, NY. However, the road shutdown in the face of the Global Pandemic. So, they spent the time off wisely, using it to perfect the music.\NThey also picked up the threads of a loose “concept catalog” first introduced on Never Odd Or Even\N“We check in on this conceptual theme of time travel every once in a while,” reveals Rob. “It’s peppered on songs throughout a bunch of our albums. The storyline goes all over the place as far as the band timeline. It’s on different records from various years, but it works perfectly.”\N“In addition to tracks about time travel, we have songs about being in the present moment on every project,” continues Eli. “Those concepts are opposites. However, they’re like a binary pair—similar to Dopapod, which is a palindrome. It’s a symmetrical word, and the songs play with themes of left-right and right-wrong.”\NThey add yet another dimension to the music this time by including an actual board game as part of the vinyl’s gatefold. It further explores the theme of time travel through a retrospective journey through the band’s discography. To bring this to life, they conceptualized, designed, created, and tested the game with former tour manager, lighting director, and sound engineer Luke Stratton. Players follow a wormhole through time and arrive at Dopapod. They chose to self-title their seventh offering as a totem to the fact they’ve realized their full potential in terms of music and vision.\N“It’s genuinely four-dimensional,” observes Neal. “You can hang out with your friends and play the game or play it alone. A lot of people don’t sit around and enjoy each other’s company like this anymore. We’re often just watching screens, so it’s cool to turn Dopapod into something more than just an album.”\NAfter initially teasing Dopapod with “Think,” the single “Grow” rides an intergalactic groove punctuated by a head-nodding bassline, slick guitar, simmering cymbals, and smooth vocals.\N“The lyric ‘big things have small beginnings’ is from the movie Prometheus,” notes Eli. “Microscopic particles are the start of life. This is how we evolve. The song could be about a character time traveling back to the Big Bang.”\N“Black Holes” dives into the embrace of frenetic riffs and keys as Eli sings, “All for one and for all. You’ll never fly ‘till you learn to fall.” He elaborates, “The song continues the theme where you’re falling into black holes.”\NThe distorted groove of the instrumental “Building A Time Machine” dissolves into theatrical piano and off-kilter harmonics.\N“In theory, this is the song where the album’s story is made possible,” the frontman explains. “We’re creating the time machine here and can travel back.”\NThen, there’s “Fannie.” The guys originally crafted the song on an acoustic guitar at a campsite in Colorado. It stuck around and organically morphed into a personal favorite for the band.\N“Between Eli and I, this nice alchemy happens,” Rob goes on. “We leaned on the groove, and the lyrics sounded phonetically cool, so it all worked together.”\NThe album culminates on the upbeat “Time Is Funny.” Swaggering organ undercuts hummable melodies with lyrics inspired by Tim and Eric.\N“We’re big Phish fans, so I wanted to get it out of my system and write something unapologetically influenced by them,” adds Rob. “As far as the thematic element goes, the time traveler recognizes the irresponsibility of even inventing a time machine in the first place and thinks, ‘This is a really bad idea!’”\NOffering the deepest experience yet, Dopapod also collaborated with Tandem media on an accompanying animation project, pairing each track with a visualizer to translate the core messages on screen. These animated loops encourage further immersion, unspooling the threads of a larger cohesive mystery. It can of course be absorbed track by track or in its entirety. As always, there’s more to Dopapod’s vision with the board game, animation, and union of the physical and digital elements.\NUltimately as they continue touring and releasing music, Dopapod share an important message.\N“It all comes down to being satisfied with where you are and that you’re enough,” Eli leaves off. “No matter what state you’re in, it’s going to evolve and change. If you’re really sad, know it’s going to turn around. If you’re depressed, the storm system will pass with the blue sky behind it. Keep going.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Music resides in the fourth dimension unaffected by the constraints and restrictions of this mortal coil. Instead, it occupies the ether, affecting us emotionally, physically, and spiritually without concrete form or shape. As such, Dopapod access a heightened level of cosmic harmony in their music. The quartet—Eli Winderman [keys, vocals], Rob Compa [guitar, vocals], Chuck Jones [bass], and Neal “Fro” Evans [drums]—present albums as experiences meant to be shared out of your speakers and on stage. After generating millions of streams, packing shows coast-to-coast, and earning acclaim from Rolling Stone, Guitar World, Glide Magazine, and more, the group architect an immersive and expansive vision on their self-titled seventh full-length offering, Dopapod.
“At the end of the day, we hope we represent being yourself, being unique, and trying to do something new,” exclaims Eli. “If everyone does that, I think the world would be a much more interesting place all around.”
Dopapod have definitely done their fair share to make the world more interesting…
The group’s hypnotic hybrid of funk, rock, jazz, bluegrass, and electronica bloomed brilliantly on 2009’s Radar, and it continued to blossom on the likes of Never Odd Or Even [2014] and Megagem [2017]. Along the way, fan favorites such as “Present Ghosts” reeled in 2.4 million Spotify streams and counting. 2019’s Emit Time arrived to acclaim from Guitar World, Relix, Glide, Jambase, and more. Simultaneously, they sold out headline gigs and graced the bills of Electric Forest, Summer Camp, High Sierra, and Bonnaroo where Rolling Stone named them among the festival’s “best kept secrets.” After a marathon near-decade run, they enjoyed an almost year-long hiatus to realign and reenergize before reuniting with a new fire during 2019 and partaking in something of a “soft return.”
The guys agreed, “Taking the break felt like a necessary step for everybody to just step back and zoom out. It’s definitely a new chapter, because it allowed us to redefine our endeavor and carry on with a lot of new energy. It was a restorative thing and helped us move forward. It wasn’t even really spoken, but more like, ‘We’re back on track’.”
Throughout 2019, the boys performed select shows as they assembled what would become Dopapod in Syracuse, NY. However, the road shutdown in the face of the Global Pandemic. So, they spent the time off wisely, using it to perfect the music.
They also picked up the threads of a loose “concept catalog” first introduced on Never Odd Or Even
“We check in on this conceptual theme of time travel every once in a while,” reveals Rob. “It’s peppered on songs throughout a bunch of our albums. The storyline goes all over the place as far as the band timeline. It’s on different records from various years, but it works perfectly.”
“In addition to tracks about time travel, we have songs about being in the present moment on every project,” continues Eli. “Those concepts are opposites. However, they’re like a binary pair—similar to Dopapod, which is a palindrome. It’s a symmetrical word, and the songs play with themes of left-right and right-wrong.”
They add yet another dimension to the music this time by including an actual board game as part of the vinyl’s gatefold. It further explores the theme of time travel through a retrospective journey through the band’s discography. To bring this to life, they conceptualized, designed, created, and tested the game with former tour manager, lighting director, and sound engineer Luke Stratton. Players follow a wormhole through time and arrive at Dopapod. They chose to self-title their seventh offering as a totem to the fact they’ve realized their full potential in terms of music and vision.
“It’s genuinely four-dimensional,” observes Neal. “You can hang out with your friends and play the game or play it alone. A lot of people don’t sit around and enjoy each other’s company like this anymore. We’re often just watching screens, so it’s cool to turn Dopapod into something more than just an album.”
After initially teasing Dopapod with “Think,” the single “Grow” rides an intergalactic groove punctuated by a head-nodding bassline, slick guitar, simmering cymbals, and smooth vocals.
“The lyric ‘big things have small beginnings’ is from the movie Prometheus,” notes Eli. “Microscopic particles are the start of life. This is how we evolve. The song could be about a character time traveling back to the Big Bang.”
“Black Holes” dives into the embrace of frenetic riffs and keys as Eli sings, “All for one and for all. You’ll never fly ‘till you learn to fall.” He elaborates, “The song continues the theme where you’re falling into black holes.”
The distorted groove of the instrumental “Building A Time Machine” dissolves into theatrical piano and off-kilter harmonics.
“In theory, this is the song where the album’s story is made possible,” the frontman explains. “We’re creating the time machine here and can travel back.”
Then, there’s “Fannie.” The guys originally crafted the song on an acoustic guitar at a campsite in Colorado. It stuck around and organically morphed into a personal favorite for the band.
“Between Eli and I, this nice alchemy happens,” Rob goes on. “We leaned on the groove, and the lyrics sounded phonetically cool, so it all worked together.”
The album culminates on the upbeat “Time Is Funny.” Swaggering organ undercuts hummable melodies with lyrics inspired by Tim and Eric.
“We’re big Phish fans, so I wanted to get it out of my system and write something unapologetically influenced by them,” adds Rob. “As far as the thematic element goes, the time traveler recognizes the irresponsibility of even inventing a time machine in the first place and thinks, ‘This is a really bad idea!’”
Offering the deepest experience yet, Dopapod also collaborated with Tandem media on an accompanying animation project, pairing each track with a visualizer to translate the core messages on screen. These animated loops encourage further immersion, unspooling the threads of a larger cohesive mystery. It can of course be absorbed track by track or in its entirety. As always, there’s more to Dopapod’s vision with the board game, animation, and union of the physical and digital elements.
Ultimately as they continue touring and releasing music, Dopapod share an important message.
“It all comes down to being satisfied with where you are and that you’re enough,” Eli leaves off. “No matter what state you’re in, it’s going to evolve and change. If you’re really sad, know it’s going to turn around. If you’re depressed, the storm system will pass with the blue sky behind it. Keep going.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20241021T221303Z SEQUENCE:10818742 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2334 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-06-18 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241031T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241031T233000 UID:DEE6BCFA-5C0F-4884-90EC-50483430563A SUMMARY:The Plastic Cherries CREATED:20240903T230220Z DTSTAMP:20240903T230220Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-plastic-cherries-2 DESCRIPTION:The Plastic Cherries began as a home recording project between couple Shelby & Joe Maddock, making songs on old tape machines inspired by glam, soft rock, shoegaze, Elliott Smith, and their dog. These songs became their first album, Sunshine, available on LP & cassette.\NWith pianist Natalie Hamilton, drummer Wayne Burdick, and bassist Stephen Cox, they have grown into a charismatic act that channels the theatrics and pop sensibility of their heroes while still feeling experimental and homemade.\N“The Plastic Cherries are mesmerizing. They will take you back to the future, and to a time beyond – where rock has had a meaningful pop resurgence and everything feels new again.” - Provo Music Magazine\NEmerging from Salt Lake’s growing scene, they have shared festival stages with Pixies, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dinosaur Jr., Blonde Redhead, among others.\NTheir new album The Plastic Cherries On The Moon tells a psychedelic story of escape and return, beginning with the anthemic single Lovers On The Run. The album features collaborations with SLC producer Denney Fuller of The Mellons and guest mixing from Chris Cohen. Both playful and earnest, “…On The Moon” is an expansive sequel to their lo-fi debut inspired by Ziggy Stardust, Rocky Horror, Exile On Main Street & The B-52’s. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The Plastic Cherries began as a home recording project between couple Shelby & Joe Maddock, making songs on old tape machines inspired by glam, soft rock, shoegaze, Elliott Smith, and their dog. These songs became their first album, Sunshine, available on LP & cassette.
With pianist Natalie Hamilton, drummer Wayne Burdick, and bassist Stephen Cox, they have grown into a charismatic act that channels the theatrics and pop sensibility of their heroes while still feeling experimental and homemade.
“The Plastic Cherries are mesmerizing. They will take you back to the future, and to a time beyond – where rock has had a meaningful pop resurgence and everything feels new again.” - Provo Music Magazine
Emerging from Salt Lake’s growing scene, they have shared festival stages with Pixies, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Dinosaur Jr., Blonde Redhead, among others.
Their new album The Plastic Cherries On The Moon tells a psychedelic story of escape and return, beginning with the anthemic single Lovers On The Run. The album features collaborations with SLC producer Denney Fuller of The Mellons and guest mixing from Chris Cohen. Both playful and earnest, “…On The Moon” is an expansive sequel to their lo-fi debut inspired by Ziggy Stardust, Rocky Horror, Exile On Main Street & The B-52’s.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240909T182256Z SEQUENCE:501636 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2165 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-09-04 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241102T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241102T210000 UID:82E5B8D2-EB7B-42F9-8F3C-F51800801E07 SUMMARY:Geordie Kieffer CREATED:20240528T144352Z DTSTAMP:20240528T144352Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/geordie-kieffer-2 DESCRIPTION:Geordie Kieffer, the trailblazer of Agro Pop, has redefined the music landscape with his distinctive blend of hip hop, pop, and electronic elements. His debut album and accompanying music videos, featuring sensational tracks like "Sex Party," "Icon Killer," and "Swinger," took the world by storm. However, it was the infectious viral hit "Red Line" that propelled Geordie to unprecedented fame, accumulating over 100K sound uses on TikTok and IG reels, along with a staggering 35M global streams. This meteoric rise cultivated a devoted following, captivated by Geordie's eclectic lyrics and irresistible hooks. Recently, his latest single "Bad Boy" amassed an impressive 200K streams in less than a month, setting the stage for his forthcoming releases. Geordie has ambitious plans to release three new singles and an album before the culmination of 2024, building upon the momentum of his previous successes. Notably, his independently promoted 2023 tour, encompassing 25 cities, sold out completely and attracted fans of all generations, solidifying his reputation as a must see live show. Geordie's unparalleled energy on stage leaves the audience yearning for their next encounter with his electrifying presence. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Geordie Kieffer, the trailblazer of Agro Pop, has redefined the music landscape with his distinctive blend of hip hop, pop, and electronic elements. His debut album and accompanying music videos, featuring sensational tracks like "Sex Party," "Icon Killer," and "Swinger," took the world by storm. However, it was the infectious viral hit "Red Line" that propelled Geordie to unprecedented fame, accumulating over 100K sound uses on TikTok and IG reels, along with a staggering 35M global streams. This meteoric rise cultivated a devoted following, captivated by Geordie's eclectic lyrics and irresistible hooks. Recently, his latest single "Bad Boy" amassed an impressive 200K streams in less than a month, setting the stage for his forthcoming releases. Geordie has ambitious plans to release three new singles and an album before the culmination of 2024, building upon the momentum of his previous successes. Notably, his independently promoted 2023 tour, encompassing 25 cities, sold out completely and attracted fans of all generations, solidifying his reputation as a must see live show. Geordie's unparalleled energy on stage leaves the audience yearning for their next encounter with his electrifying presence.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241101T211735Z SEQUENCE:13588423 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:5078 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-05-28 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241108T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241108T210000 UID:2A0B8BAE-6B47-459A-8B48-CDA6C8E2F7F5 SUMMARY:ZZ Ward CREATED:20240722T153551Z DTSTAMP:20240722T153551Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/zz-ward-2 DESCRIPTION:One of the most profound lessons ZZ Ward learned from growing up listening to the blues greats was to be authentic to your story. When the LA-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist began to write new music, she found herself in the midst of one of the biggest life changes a person will ever experience: motherhood. \NThe resulting music is her truest and most blues-infused to date. Freed from the pop pressures of her previous major label, ZZ is able to fully embrace the blues, her most formative influence. Her single, “Mother,” out July 19th, is a wailing Chicago blues-styled song. The Mother EP, out October 4th, features a mix of ZZ's favorite Sun Records songs, and muddied-up versions of her well-known tracks to commemorate her blues liberation. The single and the EP were produced by multi-platinum producer Ryan Spraker (Eli “Paperboy” Reed, Weezer, In This Moment).\NZZ’s first single, “Put The Gun Down,” from her 2012 debut, Til the Casket Drops, broke into the AAA Radio Charts Top 10, and stayed there for 10 weeks. It was followed by the single, “365 Days,” which hit #2 on the charts. Til the Casket Drops also snuck into the Billboard Top 40 Alternative Chart. ZZ’s sophomore album, The Storm, released in 2017, peaked at Number 1 on the Billboard Blues Charts, highlighted by singles featuring GRAMMY-Award winners Fantastic Negrito, “Cannonball,” and Gary Clark Jr., “Ride,” which was also the end title song for Pixar’s feature film Cars 3.\N*Exclusive VIP upgrade packages available off platform HERE (Ticket NOT included with package, must be existing ticket holder)* X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:One of the most profound lessons ZZ Ward learned from growing up listening to the blues greats was to be authentic to your story. When the LA-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist began to write new music, she found herself in the midst of one of the biggest life changes a person will ever experience: motherhood.
The resulting music is her truest and most blues-infused to date. Freed from the pop pressures of her previous major label, ZZ is able to fully embrace the blues, her most formative influence. Her single, “Mother,” out July 19th, is a wailing Chicago blues-styled song. The Mother EP, out October 4th, features a mix of ZZ's favorite Sun Records songs, and muddied-up versions of her well-known tracks to commemorate her blues liberation. The single and the EP were produced by multi-platinum producer Ryan Spraker (Eli “Paperboy” Reed, Weezer, In This Moment).
ZZ’s first single, “Put The Gun Down,” from her 2012 debut, Til the Casket Drops, broke into the AAA Radio Charts Top 10, and stayed there for 10 weeks. It was followed by the single, “365 Days,” which hit #2 on the charts. Til the Casket Drops also snuck into the Billboard Top 40 Alternative Chart. ZZ’s sophomore album, The Storm, released in 2017, peaked at Number 1 on the Billboard Blues Charts, highlighted by singles featuring GRAMMY-Award winners Fantastic Negrito, “Cannonball,” and Gary Clark Jr., “Ride,” which was also the end title song for Pixar’s feature film Cars 3.
*Exclusive VIP upgrade packages available off platform HERE (Ticket NOT included with package, must be existing ticket holder)*
LAST-MODIFIED:20240726T171716Z SEQUENCE:351685 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2828 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241109T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241109T210000 UID:293DE21F-580D-447B-B0D8-01BE05F90A3F SUMMARY:Three on the Tree CREATED:20241002T161459Z DTSTAMP:20241002T161459Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/three-on-the-tree DESCRIPTION: In the Spring of 2024 the members of “Three on the Tree” (based out of Salt Lake City, North Carolina, and Australia) convened in Inkom, Idaho to create their sophomore album. Recorded and produced with local legend, Mike Sasich (Man vs Music Studios), the meat and potatoes of the album contain elements of country, western, bluegrass, and rock. Songwriting pertaining to life/love, the pursuit of happiness, existentialism in work, flying turtles, historical scalp hunters, desert ballads, and whiskey give the album all kinds of hectic flavor. Deep, grown man vocals, harmonies, creative instrumental arrangements, and sit-ins from talented members of the community provide the remaining garnishes. We can’t wait to bring these elements to life and celebrate our album "Inkom" with you during our album release show. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:In the Spring of 2024 the members of “Three on the Tree” (based out of Salt Lake City, North Carolina, and Australia) convened in Inkom, Idaho to create their sophomore album. Recorded and produced with local legend, Mike Sasich (Man vs Music Studios), the meat and potatoes of the album contain elements of country, western, bluegrass, and rock. Songwriting pertaining to life/love, the pursuit of happiness, existentialism in work, flying turtles, historical scalp hunters, desert ballads, and whiskey give the album all kinds of hectic flavor. Deep, grown man vocals, harmonies, creative instrumental arrangements, and sit-ins from talented members of the community provide the remaining garnishes. We can’t wait to bring these elements to life and celebrate our album "Inkom" with you during our album release show.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241028T222725Z SEQUENCE:2268746 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2473 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241115T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241115T233000 UID:3770A5A7-21B6-4E30-8CB9-A5C2B7265DB8 SUMMARY:Alan Braufman CREATED:20240909T230657Z DTSTAMP:20240909T230657Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/alan-braufman DESCRIPTION:in his first Salt Lake City performance of his album "Infinite Love Infinite Tears"\Nwith:\NCorey Christiansen / guitar\NParker Swenson / drums\NHarold Carr / bass\NJoe Chisholm / trombone\N \NBorn in Brooklyn in 1951, Berklee-educated saxophonist, flutist, and composer Alan Braufman was an integral part of the New York free music community in the 1970s and 1980s, recording as a sideman with significant improvisational figures including Richard Landry, Cecil McBee, Carla Bley, William Hooker, and Paul Nash, in addition to subbing for saxophonist Gary Windo in The Psychedelic Furs. At Berklee, Braufman had linked up with multi-instrumentalist Cooper-Moore (then known as Gene Ashton), saxophonist David S. Ware, bassist Chris Amberger, and drummer Marc Edwards. All but Edwards moved into a loft building at 501 Canal Street in New York in 1973; this space became a nexus of performance in lower Manhattan, hosting sessions by the cooperative Braufman/Cooper-Moore group in its storefront venue. A variation on this band with McBee and percussionists David Lee, Jr. and Yohuru Ralph Williams recorded Valley of Search, Braufman’s debut as a leader, for India Navigation in 1975.\NA 2016 Manna House performance resulted in the 2018 reissue of Valley of Search along with commemorative concerts, as well as the long-awaited follow-up The Fire Still Burns, released in 2020. The sounds you hear across Braufman's discography as a bandleader are richly detailed and forthright, embodying a range of emotions and circumstances that convey individuality, collectivity and hope. As infectious as the music is on 2024's Infinite Love Infinite Tears – this record contains several ear-worms – it is still generative and complex. Braufman observes that “the thing about this band that made it so much fun to work with is we could play with structure and within that we could go completely free and it was a seamless transition to come back. I compare it to a house; you can spend all day outside, but it’s nice to know where home is." The group is able to stretch out and reflect on optimism, beauty, and joy, finding dialogic phrases and a keening surge within the curvature of inside-outside playing. There is much history and love in this band, and in Alan Braufman’s art overall. Fifty-odd years after debuting on record, his sound-world is as vital and inviting as ever. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Born in Brooklyn in 1951, Berklee-educated saxophonist, flutist, and composer Alan Braufman was an integral part of the New York free music community in the 1970s and 1980s, recording as a sideman with significant improvisational figures including Richard Landry, Cecil McBee, Carla Bley, William Hooker, and Paul Nash, in addition to subbing for saxophonist Gary Windo in The Psychedelic Furs. At Berklee, Braufman had linked up with multi-instrumentalist Cooper-Moore (then known as Gene Ashton), saxophonist David S. Ware, bassist Chris Amberger, and drummer Marc Edwards. All but Edwards moved into a loft building at 501 Canal Street in New York in 1973; this space became a nexus of performance in lower Manhattan, hosting sessions by the cooperative Braufman/Cooper-Moore group in its storefront venue. A variation on this band with McBee and percussionists David Lee, Jr. and Yohuru Ralph Williams recorded Valley of Search, Braufman’s debut as a leader, for India Navigation in 1975.
A 2016 Manna House performance resulted in the 2018 reissue of Valley of Search along with commemorative concerts, as well as the long-awaited follow-up The Fire Still Burns, released in 2020. The sounds you hear across Braufman's discography as a bandleader are richly detailed and forthright, embodying a range of emotions and circumstances that convey individuality, collectivity and hope. As infectious as the music is on 2024's Infinite Love Infinite Tears – this record contains several ear-worms – it is still generative and complex. Braufman observes that “the thing about this band that made it so much fun to work with is we could play with structure and within that we could go completely free and it was a seamless transition to come back. I compare it to a house; you can spend all day outside, but it’s nice to know where home is." The group is able to stretch out and reflect on optimism, beauty, and joy, finding dialogic phrases and a keening surge within the curvature of inside-outside playing. There is much history and love in this band, and in Alan Braufman’s art overall. Fifty-odd years after debuting on record, his sound-world is as vital and inviting as ever.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241008T224237Z SEQUENCE:2504140 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2231 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-09-10 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241116T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241116T233000 UID:8A95ACD9-96FB-4592-88E6-5BB777C85D99 SUMMARY:Madison Ryann Ward CREATED:20240918T164251Z DTSTAMP:20240918T164251Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/madison-ryann-ward-2 DESCRIPTION:CANCELLATION // A note from Madison:\N“Hey everyone, I’m very sorry to announce that I still haven’t fully recovered from pneumonia, so unfortunately I’m having to cancel a few more shows until I am fully healed and recovered. Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Portland — I wish this weren’t the case but I’m hopeful that I’ll be back soon and can make it up to you.\NFor those of you who have already purchased a ticket, you will receive an email from the ticketing platform regarding the cancellation and your refund.I’m so grateful to everyone who’s been encouraging through this situation. Thank you so much for your support on The Purified Love Tour. I really can’t wait to be back.\N-Madison”\N——————————————\NFaith-based singer/songwriter Madison Ryann Ward writes warmhearted songs that mix mature pop and contemporary R&B with accents of gospel, blues, and folk. Previously signed to 's , for which she cut the secular Beyond Me EP (2019), she has established herself as an independent artist with her own Zelda House Records, issuing a slew of singles before making her full-length debut with A New Thing (2023), a bright showcase for her commanding and understated voice. \NWard grew up in her native Oklahoma hearing a wide range of music. Her mother played piano in church, and she soaked up blues and soul classics while working in her teens at her father's restaurant. A year-round athletic star in high school, Ward excelled in volleyball at Oklahoma University with plans of going pro. Her path changed after an informal cafeteria recording of her singing 's "Chain of Fools" went viral. This encouraged Ward to build an online following with regular uploads of covers, and she eventually devoted herself to developing her voice and budding songwriting talent, leading to a deal with producer and his label. After she made her commercial debut with the collaboration "Mirror" in 2018, Ward continued the next year with Beyond Me, a four-track EP featuring the equally lean and soulful ballad "BRKN." Ward then went independent, and from 2020 through 2022 progressed with singles such as "Higher," "Player," "Love&Adoration," and "Anchor." In 2023, she delivered A New Thing, an album over an hour in length with a few of the preceding singles placed throughout the sequence. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:CANCELLATION // A note from Madison:
“Hey everyone, I’m very sorry to announce that I still haven’t fully recovered from pneumonia, so unfortunately I’m having to cancel a few more shows until I am fully healed and recovered. Denver, Salt Lake City, Seattle and Portland — I wish this weren’t the case but I’m hopeful that I’ll be back soon and can make it up to you.
For those of you who have already purchased a ticket, you will receive an email from the ticketing platform regarding the cancellation and your refund.I’m so grateful to everyone who’s been encouraging through this situation. Thank you so much for your support on The Purified Love Tour. I really can’t wait to be back.
-Madison”
——————————————
Faith-based singer/songwriter Madison Ryann Ward writes warmhearted songs that mix mature pop and contemporary R&B with accents of gospel, blues, and folk. Previously signed to 's , for which she cut the secular Beyond Me EP (2019), she has established herself as an independent artist with her own Zelda House Records, issuing a slew of singles before making her full-length debut with A New Thing (2023), a bright showcase for her commanding and understated voice.
Ward grew up in her native Oklahoma hearing a wide range of music. Her mother played piano in church, and she soaked up blues and soul classics while working in her teens at her father's restaurant. A year-round athletic star in high school, Ward excelled in volleyball at Oklahoma University with plans of going pro. Her path changed after an informal cafeteria recording of her singing 's "Chain of Fools" went viral. This encouraged Ward to build an online following with regular uploads of covers, and she eventually devoted herself to developing her voice and budding songwriting talent, leading to a deal with producer and his label. After she made her commercial debut with the collaboration "Mirror" in 2018, Ward continued the next year with Beyond Me, a four-track EP featuring the equally lean and soulful ballad "BRKN." Ward then went independent, and from 2020 through 2022 progressed with singles such as "Higher," "Player," "Love&Adoration," and "Anchor." In 2023, she delivered A New Thing, an album over an hour in length with a few of the preceding singles placed throughout the sequence. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi
LAST-MODIFIED:20241113T225533Z SEQUENCE:4860762 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3727 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241121T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241121T210000 UID:14C34EEE-01EC-4DC9-86E9-156932513D76 SUMMARY:Mindy Smith CREATED:20240717T161346Z DTSTAMP:20240717T161346Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/mindy-smith DESCRIPTION:Good things, it’s often said, come to those who wait. And yet, as one of the great poets of our time also famously observed, the waiting is the hardest part.\NBoth truths have been proven once again on the journey to singer-songwriter Mindy Smith’s sixth studio album Quiet Town, which brings a treasured musical voice back into the spotlight.\NIn the dozen years since her previous full-length album, Mindy Smith, the Long Island-reared, longtime Nashville resident, has been anything but idle: she’s immersed herself in numerous other projects and continued writing, both on her own and with a variety of collaborators.\NBut it was the 2023 release of her song “Little Wings,” written a couple of years prior, that she cites as the trigger for moving ahead to assemble, in some cases finish, and then record the 11 songs that make Quiet Town both the logical successor to and extension of the creative path she’s charted over the past two decades since her widely acclaimed debut album One Moment More in 2004.\NThat’s when Vanguard Records, the esteemed folk-country-Americana label, won out over the Nashville major-label bidding war signing her on the strength of a four-song demo she’d written and produced with Jason Lehning that was shared with the label’s head of A&R, Steve Buckingham. “As soon as Buckingham (“Buck”) heard the songs, he called me directly,” offers Smith, “ introduced himself and exclaimed, ‘I just listened to your music, and I am blown away! I’m on the road with Dolly so please do not sign any label deals until I get back to Nashville.’\NWhat followed was an invitation to contribute to Just Because I’m a Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton, a 2003 multi-artist tribute album. Still unsigned, she was sent a list of songs to choose from and chose “Jolene,” creating a new arrangement for the song to suit her guitar-playing skills. Her distinctive and deeply haunting rendition prompted Parton to declare Smith’s interpretation her favorite of that song, her own included. Shortly after, Smith chose to sign with Vanguard with the track launching her career.\NIn a key line from “Little Wings,” Smith sings, “If I could just remember how to use these things/I might not feel so useless in my little wings.”\NThat disarmingly honest and confessional sentiment grew to some extent out of the sense of self-doubt. “The song is about all the second-guessing I was doing,” says Smith, “and how it looked from my point of view, that other folks were out there doing the things I wished I was doing but I was held back by questioning my worth.”\NOthers might struggle against or dismiss such thoughts and feelings, but Smith has built a career out of expressing the most human of vulnerabilities. In doing so, she lets listeners know it’s normal, and even healthy, to fully experience such fundamentally human feelings.\N“If I'm being honest,” she says, “and this sounds weird to say it the way I'm going to say it, but … it is kind of on-brand for me to be completely vulnerable in a song. So, I've kind of set myself up to maneuver a certain very vulnerable thing, and that’s how I work through things.\N“I started writing a few other songs, and I had a lot of songs I had written over the years that felt like they were still relevant to me that I needed to share with other people. That’s when I sat down with Neilson Hubbard [album producer], Dylan Alldredge [engineer], Heather [Moody, her manager], and the TVX Group and made it happen.”\NQuiet Town is as emotionally wide-ranging as “Jericho,” which she wrote with esteemed artist and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame songwriter Matraca Berg, giving voice to anticipation of impending life changes of monumental import, to the gently reflective title track, which is part lament and part prayer of gratitude for things gone by.\NThere’s her plea for compassion and connection in ”I’d Rather Be a Bridge,” which offers a salve to an often-contentious world: “Bridges always lead us somewhere/Walls keep us apart/Is there a way you’d open up/And let me in your heart?\NThe spiritual foundation and yearning that’s frequently been at the heart of her work shines through in many of Quiet Town’s songs, among them “Peace Eludes Me,” which she wrote with Nini Camps and Peter Groenwald:\NA defining element of her music has always been the powerful simplicity of her straight-to-the-heart vocals, rejecting so much fussiness that often characterizes so much of pop music, whether country, pop, R&B, or rock. Tellingly, she has cited jazz singer Sarah Vaughan as her favorite vocalist.\NIt’s what drew country superstar Kenny Chesney to bring her in as his singing partner on the 2018 single “Better Boat,” a song written by Nashville veterans Travis Meadows and Liz Rose. Recorded and released by Chesney in response to the destruction wreaked the previous year by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean, in particular in the Virgin Islands and a favorite spot of Chesney’s, the island of St. John. The proceeds went to Chesney’s Love for Love City Foundation’s hurricane relief efforts.\N“What’s great about having Mindy on this song,” Chesney said at the time, “if you just close your eyes and listen to her voice -- I’m speaking for me --she brings calm, she brings a sense that it’s all going to be all right. [T]o me, when I hear her voice, it’s like an angel, her voice is so--what’s the word?—‘genre-less.’ It’s bigger than all of us.”\NIndeed, Smith has carved out a niche as both torchbearer and guiding light for the walking wounded, finding acceptance, even strength, in loss. It’s been a hallmark of her career going back to the title track of One Moment More, in which she voiced a yearning for even a little more time with a departed loved one. And she anticipated Chesney’s compliment about her special gift for providing emotional solace in her 2012 song “Everything Here Will Be Fine,” a prayer of release offered to a loved one.\NAnother significant event for Smith during the period between albums was one that brought her a measure of peace in a different way: She located and met with members of the birth family she had never known after being placed for adoption as an infant.\NMost longtime fans know she was raised on Long Island by her adoptive parents: her non-denominational minister father and her mother, the choir director at their church. After her mother died of cancer when Mindy was a teen, she attended multiple community colleges for a couple of years. In 1994, she dropped out and rejoined her father, who had moved to Knoxville, TN. There, she picked up a guitar, taught herself to play, wrote her first song and became more fully immersed in Americana, folk and bluegrass music, sparking her relocation to Nashville in 1998 to pursue a music career. Too nervous and new to guitar playing, Smith would often hold the guitar and opt to sing acapella.\NAcclaim came relatively quickly.\NOf her 2004 debut, the Los Angeles Times raved, “Her voice exudes the gentility and grace of [Alison] Krauss, while musically she can evoke an electronics-drenched moodiness of latter-day Emmylou Harris, which can indeed leave a listener yearning for one moment more.”\NFlash forward to 2014, when she discovered her birth family in Southwest Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She soon learned that many members of her biological family also were also musically inclined – information that helped her make sense of her innate attraction to Americana music.\N“Nobody in my adoptive family plays guitar or wrote songs,” she says. Her adopted mother, Sharron, was a trained vocalist and choir/choral director, who had a full scholarship to Juilliard but chose to study and pursue an education and life in ministry. “She [Sharron] is my biggest musical influence, but I found out that playing guitar and writing songs was a very common occurrence for my biological family, so that’s interesting. And they would build and sell their instruments and play just about anything. So that was a really cool thing to find out, and then to meet them and learn that I have this connection to Americana music in a way that I didn’t realize and that maybe there is something in the blood, to have a deep-seated connection to a sound or a type of music.\NThat experience informs several of the songs on Quiet Town.\N“I did meet Christine, my birth mother, just a few years before she would pass on,” Smith says. “It took me a long time to do that, but I’m so thankful that I did. It gave me a deeper understanding of the limitless love she had for me. That during a very vulnerable chapter in her life, she would choose my parents to raise me. They made sure to tell me I was theirs and they loved me, but it was hard, as a child, not to have felt unwanted. That ache was eased indefinitely having met Christine. I was wanted and loved by her and my parents.”\NIt's easy to pick up on that sense of gratitude Smith invests and the reassurance she offers in “Hour of My Departure,” emotions that aren’t always in play for adopted children, their birth parents or adoptive families.\NA departure of a different kind also figured into the space between Mindy Smith in 2012 and Quiet Town: she left her home at Vanguard Records to establish her own Giant Leap record label and publishing company to assume more control over her music, in partnership with Heather Moody and TVX Group Records, who licensed the record for distribution and release.\NShe issued Mindy Smith on Giant Leap and has used it for subsequent releases, including her 2013 holiday EP Snowed In—a follow-up to her acclaimed 2007 Christmas album My Holiday—the “Little Wings” single in 2023, and now Quiet Town. Giant Leap and TVX Records have licensed Quiet Town to esteemed Nashville-based Compass Records, described by Billboard Magazine as “one of the leading independent labels” to create a trifecta of power.\NA succeeding generation of cutting-edge country artists, including Kacey Musgraves and Maren Morris, have noted her as a musical influence. “That is very sweet and humbling to me,” she says. “I looked up to folks like John Prine and Nanci Griffith. To be given respect from the younger generation of amazing artists and writers means the world to me.”\N“I'm thankful to have the ownership of the work,” she says. “I mean, there's something to that because you feel more empowered, I guess, [but] you also have to depend on your own sensibilities a little bit more.”\NFor Quiet Town, she reconnected with producer and musician Hubbard, of whom she says, “He’s so great to work with because he’s truly about the art and a master at creating a tone and sound that works for what you want, and not because he wants it to sound a certain way or thinks this or that. He really makes sure it’s about you and the music versus what he wants for it, even though he is helping guide the ship.”\NHubbard also handled drums and percussion on the recording sessions as part of a core band that also includes guitarists Will Kimbrough, Megan McCormick, and Juan Solorzano, bassist Lex Price, keyboardist and horns Danny Mitchell, and a host of acclaimed vocalists that added background and harmony vocals, including Maureen Murphy, Nickie Conley, Jodi Seyfried, Matraca Berg, and many more. \N“After Neilson and I initially met over the songs I had and picked the songs [for the album],” she says, “I got so excited, I sat down and wrote this song, ‘Light of Mine.’ I told him ‘I’m sorry, but this song has to go on the record because the record inspired it,’ and he was totally on board with it.”\NShe had previously worked with Hubbard on the 2014 benefit compilation album Songs for Shelter Me, for which Smith tapped nearly a dozen other indie artists to contribute songs reflecting the mission of the PBS TV series “Shelter Me,” which focuses on animal rescues and adoption.\NThe show’s producer, Steven Latham, sought out Smith to write a theme song for the series, which she did, and then wrote another, “Who Saved Who,” with frequent collaborator, esteemed artist, and songwriter Matthew Perryman Jones.\N“I was so excited about it that literally when I got off the phone with him, I wrote a song with the title ‘Shelter Me,’ because my first dog was from a shelter, and she was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to me. She became my best friend; she was in a couple of my videos; she met Dolly Parton. I would often say to her, ‘Who saved who?’, a question she and Jones used as the basis for their collaboration.\NWith Quiet Town, she’s included a couple of songs that are as close to political statements as she’s recorded. However, as with most of her material, they leave themselves open to metaphorical and literal interpretations: “I’d Rather Be a Bridge,” a collaboration with songwriter K.S. Rhoads, and “Jericho,” her co-write with Matraca Berg.\NBoth, she says, came “very much from a place of watching things going on in the world around us. I'm going ‘Where is our humanity? Where do we align ourselves with, you know, love and compassion?’ I was looking at how's that gone missing in so many ways. Thankfully, I get to write songs, work through it, and write with people who are like-minded and approach life in the similar way.”\NThat’s the note on which she concludes the album with the song “I Always Will,” which holds out the promise of an abiding love that can transcend whatever troubles life may bring: “When morning comes up over the hill/And brings you a new day on your windowsill/Know I love you still/Ooh and I always will.”\NAnd even though one of the lessons she’s come to embrace over time is trusting in the creative process—the knowledge that a song will reveal itself when the time and circumstances are right for it—she says she has yet to solve the central mystery of her artistry: “I write for one purpose,” she’s been quoted as saying, “and that’s to figure out how to live in the world I am in.”\N“I hope I never do figure that out,” she says, responding to her own comment from years past with a laugh, “because if I did, I don’t think I’d know what I’d write about.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Good things, it’s often said, come to those who wait. And yet, as one of the great poets of our time also famously observed, the waiting is the hardest part.
Both truths have been proven once again on the journey to singer-songwriter Mindy Smith’s sixth studio album Quiet Town, which brings a treasured musical voice back into the spotlight.
In the dozen years since her previous full-length album, Mindy Smith, the Long Island-reared, longtime Nashville resident, has been anything but idle: she’s immersed herself in numerous other projects and continued writing, both on her own and with a variety of collaborators.
But it was the 2023 release of her song “Little Wings,” written a couple of years prior, that she cites as the trigger for moving ahead to assemble, in some cases finish, and then record the 11 songs that make Quiet Town both the logical successor to and extension of the creative path she’s charted over the past two decades since her widely acclaimed debut album One Moment More in 2004.
That’s when Vanguard Records, the esteemed folk-country-Americana label, won out over the Nashville major-label bidding war signing her on the strength of a four-song demo she’d written and produced with Jason Lehning that was shared with the label’s head of A&R, Steve Buckingham. “As soon as Buckingham (“Buck”) heard the songs, he called me directly,” offers Smith, “ introduced himself and exclaimed, ‘I just listened to your music, and I am blown away! I’m on the road with Dolly so please do not sign any label deals until I get back to Nashville.’
What followed was an invitation to contribute to Just Because I’m a Woman: The Songs of Dolly Parton, a 2003 multi-artist tribute album. Still unsigned, she was sent a list of songs to choose from and chose “Jolene,” creating a new arrangement for the song to suit her guitar-playing skills. Her distinctive and deeply haunting rendition prompted Parton to declare Smith’s interpretation her favorite of that song, her own included. Shortly after, Smith chose to sign with Vanguard with the track launching her career.
In a key line from “Little Wings,” Smith sings, “If I could just remember how to use these things/I might not feel so useless in my little wings.”
That disarmingly honest and confessional sentiment grew to some extent out of the sense of self-doubt. “The song is about all the second-guessing I was doing,” says Smith, “and how it looked from my point of view, that other folks were out there doing the things I wished I was doing but I was held back by questioning my worth.”
Others might struggle against or dismiss such thoughts and feelings, but Smith has built a career out of expressing the most human of vulnerabilities. In doing so, she lets listeners know it’s normal, and even healthy, to fully experience such fundamentally human feelings.
“If I'm being honest,” she says, “and this sounds weird to say it the way I'm going to say it, but … it is kind of on-brand for me to be completely vulnerable in a song. So, I've kind of set myself up to maneuver a certain very vulnerable thing, and that’s how I work through things.
“I started writing a few other songs, and I had a lot of songs I had written over the years that felt like they were still relevant to me that I needed to share with other people. That’s when I sat down with Neilson Hubbard [album producer], Dylan Alldredge [engineer], Heather [Moody, her manager], and the TVX Group and made it happen.”
Quiet Town is as emotionally wide-ranging as “Jericho,” which she wrote with esteemed artist and Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame songwriter Matraca Berg, giving voice to anticipation of impending life changes of monumental import, to the gently reflective title track, which is part lament and part prayer of gratitude for things gone by.
There’s her plea for compassion and connection in ”I’d Rather Be a Bridge,” which offers a salve to an often-contentious world: “Bridges always lead us somewhere/Walls keep us apart/Is there a way you’d open up/And let me in your heart?
The spiritual foundation and yearning that’s frequently been at the heart of her work shines through in many of Quiet Town’s songs, among them “Peace Eludes Me,” which she wrote with Nini Camps and Peter Groenwald:
A defining element of her music has always been the powerful simplicity of her straight-to-the-heart vocals, rejecting so much fussiness that often characterizes so much of pop music, whether country, pop, R&B, or rock. Tellingly, she has cited jazz singer Sarah Vaughan as her favorite vocalist.
It’s what drew country superstar Kenny Chesney to bring her in as his singing partner on the 2018 single “Better Boat,” a song written by Nashville veterans Travis Meadows and Liz Rose. Recorded and released by Chesney in response to the destruction wreaked the previous year by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean, in particular in the Virgin Islands and a favorite spot of Chesney’s, the island of St. John. The proceeds went to Chesney’s Love for Love City Foundation’s hurricane relief efforts.
“What’s great about having Mindy on this song,” Chesney said at the time, “if you just close your eyes and listen to her voice -- I’m speaking for me --she brings calm, she brings a sense that it’s all going to be all right. [T]o me, when I hear her voice, it’s like an angel, her voice is so--what’s the word?—‘genre-less.’ It’s bigger than all of us.”
Indeed, Smith has carved out a niche as both torchbearer and guiding light for the walking wounded, finding acceptance, even strength, in loss. It’s been a hallmark of her career going back to the title track of One Moment More, in which she voiced a yearning for even a little more time with a departed loved one. And she anticipated Chesney’s compliment about her special gift for providing emotional solace in her 2012 song “Everything Here Will Be Fine,” a prayer of release offered to a loved one.
Another significant event for Smith during the period between albums was one that brought her a measure of peace in a different way: She located and met with members of the birth family she had never known after being placed for adoption as an infant.
Most longtime fans know she was raised on Long Island by her adoptive parents: her non-denominational minister father and her mother, the choir director at their church. After her mother died of cancer when Mindy was a teen, she attended multiple community colleges for a couple of years. In 1994, she dropped out and rejoined her father, who had moved to Knoxville, TN. There, she picked up a guitar, taught herself to play, wrote her first song and became more fully immersed in Americana, folk and bluegrass music, sparking her relocation to Nashville in 1998 to pursue a music career. Too nervous and new to guitar playing, Smith would often hold the guitar and opt to sing acapella.
Acclaim came relatively quickly.
Of her 2004 debut, the Los Angeles Times raved, “Her voice exudes the gentility and grace of [Alison] Krauss, while musically she can evoke an electronics-drenched moodiness of latter-day Emmylou Harris, which can indeed leave a listener yearning for one moment more.”
Flash forward to 2014, when she discovered her birth family in Southwest Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains. She soon learned that many members of her biological family also were also musically inclined – information that helped her make sense of her innate attraction to Americana music.
“Nobody in my adoptive family plays guitar or wrote songs,” she says. Her adopted mother, Sharron, was a trained vocalist and choir/choral director, who had a full scholarship to Juilliard but chose to study and pursue an education and life in ministry. “She [Sharron] is my biggest musical influence, but I found out that playing guitar and writing songs was a very common occurrence for my biological family, so that’s interesting. And they would build and sell their instruments and play just about anything. So that was a really cool thing to find out, and then to meet them and learn that I have this connection to Americana music in a way that I didn’t realize and that maybe there is something in the blood, to have a deep-seated connection to a sound or a type of music.
That experience informs several of the songs on Quiet Town.
“I did meet Christine, my birth mother, just a few years before she would pass on,” Smith says. “It took me a long time to do that, but I’m so thankful that I did. It gave me a deeper understanding of the limitless love she had for me. That during a very vulnerable chapter in her life, she would choose my parents to raise me. They made sure to tell me I was theirs and they loved me, but it was hard, as a child, not to have felt unwanted. That ache was eased indefinitely having met Christine. I was wanted and loved by her and my parents.”
It's easy to pick up on that sense of gratitude Smith invests and the reassurance she offers in “Hour of My Departure,” emotions that aren’t always in play for adopted children, their birth parents or adoptive families.
A departure of a different kind also figured into the space between Mindy Smith in 2012 and Quiet Town: she left her home at Vanguard Records to establish her own Giant Leap record label and publishing company to assume more control over her music, in partnership with Heather Moody and TVX Group Records, who licensed the record for distribution and release.
She issued Mindy Smith on Giant Leap and has used it for subsequent releases, including her 2013 holiday EP Snowed In—a follow-up to her acclaimed 2007 Christmas album My Holiday—the “Little Wings” single in 2023, and now Quiet Town. Giant Leap and TVX Records have licensed Quiet Town to esteemed Nashville-based Compass Records, described by Billboard Magazine as “one of the leading independent labels” to create a trifecta of power.
A succeeding generation of cutting-edge country artists, including Kacey Musgraves and Maren Morris, have noted her as a musical influence. “That is very sweet and humbling to me,” she says. “I looked up to folks like John Prine and Nanci Griffith. To be given respect from the younger generation of amazing artists and writers means the world to me.”
“I'm thankful to have the ownership of the work,” she says. “I mean, there's something to that because you feel more empowered, I guess, [but] you also have to depend on your own sensibilities a little bit more.”
For Quiet Town, she reconnected with producer and musician Hubbard, of whom she says, “He’s so great to work with because he’s truly about the art and a master at creating a tone and sound that works for what you want, and not because he wants it to sound a certain way or thinks this or that. He really makes sure it’s about you and the music versus what he wants for it, even though he is helping guide the ship.”
Hubbard also handled drums and percussion on the recording sessions as part of a core band that also includes guitarists Will Kimbrough, Megan McCormick, and Juan Solorzano, bassist Lex Price, keyboardist and horns Danny Mitchell, and a host of acclaimed vocalists that added background and harmony vocals, including Maureen Murphy, Nickie Conley, Jodi Seyfried, Matraca Berg, and many more.
“After Neilson and I initially met over the songs I had and picked the songs [for the album],” she says, “I got so excited, I sat down and wrote this song, ‘Light of Mine.’ I told him ‘I’m sorry, but this song has to go on the record because the record inspired it,’ and he was totally on board with it.”
She had previously worked with Hubbard on the 2014 benefit compilation album Songs for Shelter Me, for which Smith tapped nearly a dozen other indie artists to contribute songs reflecting the mission of the PBS TV series “Shelter Me,” which focuses on animal rescues and adoption.
The show’s producer, Steven Latham, sought out Smith to write a theme song for the series, which she did, and then wrote another, “Who Saved Who,” with frequent collaborator, esteemed artist, and songwriter Matthew Perryman Jones.
“I was so excited about it that literally when I got off the phone with him, I wrote a song with the title ‘Shelter Me,’ because my first dog was from a shelter, and she was probably the best thing that could have ever happened to me. She became my best friend; she was in a couple of my videos; she met Dolly Parton. I would often say to her, ‘Who saved who?’, a question she and Jones used as the basis for their collaboration.
With Quiet Town, she’s included a couple of songs that are as close to political statements as she’s recorded. However, as with most of her material, they leave themselves open to metaphorical and literal interpretations: “I’d Rather Be a Bridge,” a collaboration with songwriter K.S. Rhoads, and “Jericho,” her co-write with Matraca Berg.
Both, she says, came “very much from a place of watching things going on in the world around us. I'm going ‘Where is our humanity? Where do we align ourselves with, you know, love and compassion?’ I was looking at how's that gone missing in so many ways. Thankfully, I get to write songs, work through it, and write with people who are like-minded and approach life in the similar way.”
That’s the note on which she concludes the album with the song “I Always Will,” which holds out the promise of an abiding love that can transcend whatever troubles life may bring: “When morning comes up over the hill/And brings you a new day on your windowsill/Know I love you still/Ooh and I always will.”
And even though one of the lessons she’s come to embrace over time is trusting in the creative process—the knowledge that a song will reveal itself when the time and circumstances are right for it—she says she has yet to solve the central mystery of her artistry: “I write for one purpose,” she’s been quoted as saying, “and that’s to figure out how to live in the world I am in.”
“I hope I never do figure that out,” she says, responding to her own comment from years past with a laugh, “because if I did, I don’t think I’d know what I’d write about.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20240719T163235Z SEQUENCE:173929 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3909 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241122T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241122T233000 UID:65F29476-1A32-4786-89E0-3D04F8884489 SUMMARY:Terrapin Flyer (Night 1) CREATED:20240924T163512Z DTSTAMP:20240924T163512Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/terrapin-flyer-night-5 DESCRIPTION:For the past 25 years Terrapin Flyer has been touring with the finest in the Grateful Dead community of musicians and has become a fixture of the national music scene, playing regularly at venues around the country and appearing at music festivals. The band has a dedicated following among fans of the Grateful Dead and other jam bands, and is known for their authentic interpretations of rare and classic Dead songs. Over the years, Terrapin Flyer has toured with many notable musicians, including Melvin Seals from the Jerry Garcia Band, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten from the Grateful Dead and many other Dead-related musicians. Overall, Terrapin Flyer is a talented and highly regarded band that has made a significant impact on the national music scene.\NIt started in 1999 at the Boulevard Cafe in Chicago as a Grateful Dead jam night and soon became a touring Grateful Dead band featuring legends in the Grateful Dead. In 2001 TF began touring with final keyboardist of the Grateful Dead Vince Welnick. In 2004 touring with Melvin Seals who played Hammond organ in the Jerry Garcia Band. And then in 2006 with another of the Grateful Dead keyboardists Tom Constanten. Some of these tours included several first ever lineups with the combination of Melvin Seals, Tom Constanten and Mark Karan from Ratdog. These were not passing associations but long term bonds with these legends. For 15 years TF toured with Melvin Seals and kept a busy schedule with him as a side gig to his band Melvin Seals & the JGB. With Constanten they were mentioned in the Rolling Stone's "Guide to the Grateful Dead" for the many years of touring with him. Search through this website for many fan recorded shows of the many interesting lineups from the band's history https://archive.org/details/TerrapinFlyer\NTerrapin Flyer has been an evolution of band members over the past quarter of a century and currently features musicians that share the gravitas of having toured many years with members of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band. At it's core Terrapin Flyer is a band of deadheads who are committed to attempting to recapture the spirit and essence of the Grateful Dead by incorporating the roots music of jazz, blues and bluegrass into jams and bringing the music to new and similar places. Josh Olken is the lead guitarist, Wavy Dave on the bass, Jon Reed is the drummer, keyboardist is Michael Cole and rhythm guitarist Doug Hagman. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:For the past 25 years Terrapin Flyer has been touring with the finest in the Grateful Dead community of musicians and has become a fixture of the national music scene, playing regularly at venues around the country and appearing at music festivals. The band has a dedicated following among fans of the Grateful Dead and other jam bands, and is known for their authentic interpretations of rare and classic Dead songs. Over the years, Terrapin Flyer has toured with many notable musicians, including Melvin Seals from the Jerry Garcia Band, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten from the Grateful Dead and many other Dead-related musicians. Overall, Terrapin Flyer is a talented and highly regarded band that has made a significant impact on the national music scene.
It started in 1999 at the Boulevard Cafe in Chicago as a Grateful Dead jam night and soon became a touring Grateful Dead band featuring legends in the Grateful Dead. In 2001 TF began touring with final keyboardist of the Grateful Dead Vince Welnick. In 2004 touring with Melvin Seals who played Hammond organ in the Jerry Garcia Band. And then in 2006 with another of the Grateful Dead keyboardists Tom Constanten. Some of these tours included several first ever lineups with the combination of Melvin Seals, Tom Constanten and Mark Karan from Ratdog. These were not passing associations but long term bonds with these legends. For 15 years TF toured with Melvin Seals and kept a busy schedule with him as a side gig to his band Melvin Seals & the JGB. With Constanten they were mentioned in the Rolling Stone's "Guide to the Grateful Dead" for the many years of touring with him. Search through this website for many fan recorded shows of the many interesting lineups from the band's history https://archive.org/details/TerrapinFlyer
Terrapin Flyer has been an evolution of band members over the past quarter of a century and currently features musicians that share the gravitas of having toured many years with members of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band. At it's core Terrapin Flyer is a band of deadheads who are committed to attempting to recapture the spirit and essence of the Grateful Dead by incorporating the roots music of jazz, blues and bluegrass into jams and bringing the music to new and similar places. Josh Olken is the lead guitarist, Wavy Dave on the bass, Jon Reed is the drummer, keyboardist is Michael Cole and rhythm guitarist Doug Hagman.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241122T220558Z SEQUENCE:5117446 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2474 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241123T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241123T233000 UID:98A8D63A-EB80-4801-8AE0-CC7B36BA0F2A SUMMARY:Terrapin Flyer (Night 2) CREATED:20240924T163512Z DTSTAMP:20240924T163512Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/terrapin-flyer-night-4 DESCRIPTION:For the past 25 years Terrapin Flyer has been touring with the finest in the Grateful Dead community of musicians and has become a fixture of the national music scene, playing regularly at venues around the country and appearing at music festivals. The band has a dedicated following among fans of the Grateful Dead and other jam bands, and is known for their authentic interpretations of rare and classic Dead songs. Over the years, Terrapin Flyer has toured with many notable musicians, including Melvin Seals from the Jerry Garcia Band, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten from the Grateful Dead and many other Dead-related musicians. Overall, Terrapin Flyer is a talented and highly regarded band that has made a significant impact on the national music scene.\NIt started in 1999 at the Boulevard Cafe in Chicago as a Grateful Dead jam night and soon became a touring Grateful Dead band featuring legends in the Grateful Dead. In 2001 TF began touring with final keyboardist of the Grateful Dead Vince Welnick. In 2004 touring with Melvin Seals who played Hammond organ in the Jerry Garcia Band. And then in 2006 with another of the Grateful Dead keyboardists Tom Constanten. Some of these tours included several first ever lineups with the combination of Melvin Seals, Tom Constanten and Mark Karan from Ratdog. These were not passing associations but long term bonds with these legends. For 15 years TF toured with Melvin Seals and kept a busy schedule with him as a side gig to his band Melvin Seals & the JGB. With Constanten they were mentioned in the Rolling Stone's "Guide to the Grateful Dead" for the many years of touring with him. Search through this website for many fan recorded shows of the many interesting lineups from the band's history https://archive.org/details/TerrapinFlyer\NTerrapin Flyer has been an evolution of band members over the past quarter of a century and currently features musicians that share the gravitas of having toured many years with members of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band. At it's core Terrapin Flyer is a band of deadheads who are committed to attempting to recapture the spirit and essence of the Grateful Dead by incorporating the roots music of jazz, blues and bluegrass into jams and bringing the music to new and similar places. Josh Olken is the lead guitarist, Wavy Dave on the bass, Jon Reed is the drummer, keyboardist is Michael Cole and rhythm guitarist Doug Hagman. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:For the past 25 years Terrapin Flyer has been touring with the finest in the Grateful Dead community of musicians and has become a fixture of the national music scene, playing regularly at venues around the country and appearing at music festivals. The band has a dedicated following among fans of the Grateful Dead and other jam bands, and is known for their authentic interpretations of rare and classic Dead songs. Over the years, Terrapin Flyer has toured with many notable musicians, including Melvin Seals from the Jerry Garcia Band, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten from the Grateful Dead and many other Dead-related musicians. Overall, Terrapin Flyer is a talented and highly regarded band that has made a significant impact on the national music scene.
It started in 1999 at the Boulevard Cafe in Chicago as a Grateful Dead jam night and soon became a touring Grateful Dead band featuring legends in the Grateful Dead. In 2001 TF began touring with final keyboardist of the Grateful Dead Vince Welnick. In 2004 touring with Melvin Seals who played Hammond organ in the Jerry Garcia Band. And then in 2006 with another of the Grateful Dead keyboardists Tom Constanten. Some of these tours included several first ever lineups with the combination of Melvin Seals, Tom Constanten and Mark Karan from Ratdog. These were not passing associations but long term bonds with these legends. For 15 years TF toured with Melvin Seals and kept a busy schedule with him as a side gig to his band Melvin Seals & the JGB. With Constanten they were mentioned in the Rolling Stone's "Guide to the Grateful Dead" for the many years of touring with him. Search through this website for many fan recorded shows of the many interesting lineups from the band's history https://archive.org/details/TerrapinFlyer
Terrapin Flyer has been an evolution of band members over the past quarter of a century and currently features musicians that share the gravitas of having toured many years with members of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band. At it's core Terrapin Flyer is a band of deadheads who are committed to attempting to recapture the spirit and essence of the Grateful Dead by incorporating the roots music of jazz, blues and bluegrass into jams and bringing the music to new and similar places. Josh Olken is the lead guitarist, Wavy Dave on the bass, Jon Reed is the drummer, keyboardist is Michael Cole and rhythm guitarist Doug Hagman.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240927T170733Z SEQUENCE:261141 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1663 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241204T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241204T210000 UID:E6A4D87B-434E-45E1-B25D-4E9A80710F20 SUMMARY:Sixpence None The Richer CREATED:20240709T161609Z DTSTAMP:20240709T161609Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/sixpence-none-the-richer DESCRIPTION:Sixpence None the Richer began taking shape in New Braunfels, Texas in the early ‘90s, when guitarist Matt Slocum met vocalist Leigh Nash at a church retreat. The group recorded a demo before eventually signing with R.E.X. Records. Their debut LP, The Fatherless & the Widow, appeared in 1993 and their sophomore effort, 1995’s This Beautiful Mess won a Dove Award and was followed by the Tickets for a Prayer Wheel EP.\NIn 1997, Sixpence None the Richer released their self-titled album and two years later exploded globally when the track “Kiss Me”, from that album, was released as a single. The song has been featured in countless movies and TV shows and catapulted Sixpence None the Richer’s starpower into the mainstream, earning airplay in more than ten different countries. \NAccolades continued as the band’s rendition of the La’s “There She Goes” also became a major hit. In fall 2002, Sixpence None the Richer returned to form with Divine Discontent. The band’s cover of the Crowded House classic “Don’t Dream It’s Over” pushed Sixpence None the Richer’s name back into the charts in early 2003. Although the group quietly disbanded in 2004, they remained active as individuals and continued to release music periodically, including the albums Dawn of Grace and Lost in Transition. \NFast forward to 2024 and all-original members (Leigh Nash, Matt Slocum, Dale Baker, and Justin Cary) have reunited and are writing and recording new music and preparing for a world tour. As a taste of the new music, you can hear “The Tide” released in late 2023 as Leigh Nash + Sixpence None The Richer, which has already amassed over 2 Million views and streams across platforms. Curb Records is also celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the band’s self-titled (Kiss Me) album by re-releasing it in a collectible vinyl series that also features the new track, “The Tide”.\NSixpence None The Richer has helped shape the musical landscape across generations and are gearing up for an exciting road ahead. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Sixpence None the Richer began taking shape in New Braunfels, Texas in the early ‘90s, when guitarist Matt Slocum met vocalist Leigh Nash at a church retreat. The group recorded a demo before eventually signing with R.E.X. Records. Their debut LP, The Fatherless & the Widow, appeared in 1993 and their sophomore effort, 1995’s This Beautiful Mess won a Dove Award and was followed by the Tickets for a Prayer Wheel EP.
In 1997, Sixpence None the Richer released their self-titled album and two years later exploded globally when the track “Kiss Me”, from that album, was released as a single. The song has been featured in countless movies and TV shows and catapulted Sixpence None the Richer’s starpower into the mainstream, earning airplay in more than ten different countries.
Accolades continued as the band’s rendition of the La’s “There She Goes” also became a major hit. In fall 2002, Sixpence None the Richer returned to form with Divine Discontent. The band’s cover of the Crowded House classic “Don’t Dream It’s Over” pushed Sixpence None the Richer’s name back into the charts in early 2003. Although the group quietly disbanded in 2004, they remained active as individuals and continued to release music periodically, including the albums Dawn of Grace and Lost in Transition.
Fast forward to 2024 and all-original members (Leigh Nash, Matt Slocum, Dale Baker, and Justin Cary) have reunited and are writing and recording new music and preparing for a world tour. As a taste of the new music, you can hear “The Tide” released in late 2023 as Leigh Nash + Sixpence None The Richer, which has already amassed over 2 Million views and streams across platforms. Curb Records is also celebrating the 25th Anniversary of the band’s self-titled (Kiss Me) album by re-releasing it in a collectible vinyl series that also features the new track, “The Tide”.
Sixpence None The Richer has helped shape the musical landscape across generations and are gearing up for an exciting road ahead.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241112T220626Z SEQUENCE:10907417 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:7451 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241206T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241206T210000 UID:E0178585-4AC1-4604-B35B-5E5F3BD143A7 SUMMARY:Sungazer CREATED:20240819T230043Z DTSTAMP:20240819T230043Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/sungazer DESCRIPTION:Sungazer is an international Future Jazz duo featuring YouTuber / bassist Adam Neely and drummer Shawn Crowder. \NOriginally formed in Brooklyn, NY in July of 2014, Sungazer has brought their unique blend of hard-hitting Jazz Fusion, 8-bit, Progressive Rock and EDM to audiences in the U.S. and Europe. Sungazer explores the human element of improvisation within the context of modern electronic music. Exciting, hard-hitting, and never predictable, Sungazer creates music aimed squarely ahead into the 21st century. They released their sophomore EP entitled Sungazer, Vol. 2 in 2019.\NOn October 11, 2021 they released their debut full-length album, Perihelion. The long-awaited debut LP explores time and the liminal spaces between jazz improvisation and modern electronic music aesthetics. The album was co-produced and mixed by Simon Grove (Plini, Protest The Hero, Intervals) and features an eclectic cast of guest musicians including Joshua de la Victoria, Hannah Sumner, Jae Soto, Tom Monda (Thank You Scientist), Shubh Saran, Jared Yee, Christian Li, Zac Zinger, Brian Plautz (Aberdeen), Brian Krock (Big Heart Machine) and the Resonance Collective. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Sungazer is an international Future Jazz duo featuring YouTuber / bassist Adam Neely and drummer Shawn Crowder.
Originally formed in Brooklyn, NY in July of 2014, Sungazer has brought their unique blend of hard-hitting Jazz Fusion, 8-bit, Progressive Rock and EDM to audiences in the U.S. and Europe. Sungazer explores the human element of improvisation within the context of modern electronic music. Exciting, hard-hitting, and never predictable, Sungazer creates music aimed squarely ahead into the 21st century. They released their sophomore EP entitled Sungazer, Vol. 2 in 2019.
On October 11, 2021 they released their debut full-length album, Perihelion. The long-awaited debut LP explores time and the liminal spaces between jazz improvisation and modern electronic music aesthetics. The album was co-produced and mixed by Simon Grove (Plini, Protest The Hero, Intervals) and features an eclectic cast of guest musicians including Joshua de la Victoria, Hannah Sumner, Jae Soto, Tom Monda (Thank You Scientist), Shubh Saran, Jared Yee, Christian Li, Zac Zinger, Brian Plautz (Aberdeen), Brian Krock (Big Heart Machine) and the Resonance Collective.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241112T233757Z SEQUENCE:7346234 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3796 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-08-20 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241214T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241214T210000 UID:66E8713E-4E2A-42DF-8E22-FED21FBA975E SUMMARY:Portland Cello Project CREATED:20241001T161550Z DTSTAMP:20241001T161550Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/portland-cello-project DESCRIPTION:In the fall of 2006 a group of 9 cellists got on stage at Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge to perform western classical music in an informal setting.\NMany of the cellists that night thought that was a fun one-off gig.\NBut the energy of the night carried on, and that one-off gig became a second, and a third... almost every cellist in Portland at the time hopped on stage with the group, performing in Portland's most popular clubs at the height of Portland's acclaimed early-2000s music scene.\NThe Cello Project quickly evolved into a nationally-recognized performing, recording and educational group touring everywhere in North American, performing in every type of venue imaginable, from punk rock clubs to symphony halls, to street parties, to TED Talks and exclusive private events, \NUnder the artistic direction of Douglas Jenkins, the group grew and evolved a repertoire of over 1,700 pieces of music, working with an all-star group of cellists in the Pacific Northwest (Skip vonKuske, Diane Chaplin, Nancy Ives, Gideon Freudmann, Kevin Jackson, and Lauren McShane to name just a few...). Jenkins developed a three-part philosophy for the group that has mostly remained its unchanged north star over the years:\N1: To bring the cello places you wouldn't normally see it\N2: To perform music on the cello you wouldn't normally associate with the instrument \N3: To build bridges between different musical communities through collaborations and community outreach X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:In the fall of 2006 a group of 9 cellists got on stage at Portland’s Doug Fir Lounge to perform western classical music in an informal setting.
Many of the cellists that night thought that was a fun one-off gig.
But the energy of the night carried on, and that one-off gig became a second, and a third... almost every cellist in Portland at the time hopped on stage with the group, performing in Portland's most popular clubs at the height of Portland's acclaimed early-2000s music scene.
The Cello Project quickly evolved into a nationally-recognized performing, recording and educational group touring everywhere in North American, performing in every type of venue imaginable, from punk rock clubs to symphony halls, to street parties, to TED Talks and exclusive private events,
Under the artistic direction of Douglas Jenkins, the group grew and evolved a repertoire of over 1,700 pieces of music, working with an all-star group of cellists in the Pacific Northwest (Skip vonKuske, Diane Chaplin, Nancy Ives, Gideon Freudmann, Kevin Jackson, and Lauren McShane to name just a few...). Jenkins developed a three-part philosophy for the group that has mostly remained its unchanged north star over the years:
1: To bring the cello places you wouldn't normally see it
2: To perform music on the cello you wouldn't normally associate with the instrument
3: To build bridges between different musical communities through collaborations and community outreach
LAST-MODIFIED:20241004T165205Z SEQUENCE:261375 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3214 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241216T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241216T233000 UID:5F76BB53-3F55-4A4E-9190-5AE6B9D8E097 SUMMARY:Patterson Hood CREATED:20240917T161752Z DTSTAMP:20240917T161752Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/patterson-hood-2 DESCRIPTION:Patterson Hood is a prolific writer and performer, best known as the frontman, singer, songwriter, and guitarist for the critically acclaimed rock and roll band Drive-By Truckers. His work is characterized by vivid, character-driven stories infused with political subtext. In addition to his work with the band, Hood is also a writer of essays, columns, and short stories, as well as a solo performer and producer.\NIn recent years, Hood has penned an op-ed on the controversies surrounding the Confederate flag for The New York Times Magazine, a piece on Vic Chesnutt for The Oxford American’s annual music issue, and retrospectives on David Bowie for American Songwriter and Merle Haggard for NPR. In October 2016, he published his first short story, featured in The Highway Kind, a car-themed crime fiction anthology.\NWith Drive-By Truckers, Hood has released 14 studio albums and played over 2,500 shows in the past 28 years. In 2015, they released a 35-song, career-spanning box set recorded live at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Their trilogy of albums—American Band (2016), The Unraveling (2020), and The New OK (2020)—brought the band into more direct political and topical songwriting, garnering praise from critics and fans worldwide. In 2022, they released Welcome 2 Club XIII, reflecting on their formative years and juxtaposing the follies of youth with the joys and challenges of raising children.\NHood’s work has received critical acclaim from NPR, Rolling Stone, The Independent, UNCUT, MOJO, Pitchfork, Chicago Tribune, and The Guardian. He and bandmate Mike Cooley appeared on CNN’s Reliable Sources, interviewed by John Avlon. The Unraveling reached #1 on the Americana charts in the UK and topped several charts in the U.S., including the Independent, Americana/Folk, and Vinyl charts. They are currently set to release a deluxe reissue of their breakthrough album Southern Rock Opera and embark on a U.S. tour, performing the album in full for the first time in 22 years.\NHood has also released three solo albums and is currently completing a fourth, slated for release in early 2025. His collaborations include producing or playing on albums by Jerry Joseph, Bettye LaVette, Booker T. Jones, and The Dexateens. As a speaker and lecturer, Hood has taught at Princeton, Indiana University, the University of Georgia, and the University of Alabama. Notably, he delivered the commencement address for the graduating class of 2015 at the University of Northern Alabama and spoke at the Frank and Kula Lumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.\NA native of Florence, Alabama, Hood was raised in the Muscle Shoals area, a region renowned for its rich musical history. His father, David Hood, co-founded Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and was a bassist in the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers. David Hood’s career includes collaborations with iconic artists like Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Percy Sledge, and Bob Seger, to name a few. Patterson credits his father and the Muscle Shoals music scene for shaping his worldview, noting the duality of being proud of the region’s musical legacy while being critical of its political history—a theme explored in Drive-By Truckers’ seminal album Southern Rock Opera.\NIn 2015, Hood and his family relocated to Portland, Oregon, where they have been restoring a 100-year-old house. In addition to writing, recording, and touring, Hood has ventured into acting with roles in The Dark Divide (starring David Cross) and the indie film Ragged Heart. He also recently completed filming a small role in the upcoming indie film Sweetwater Road, slated for release in 2025. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Patterson Hood is a prolific writer and performer, best known as the frontman, singer, songwriter, and guitarist for the critically acclaimed rock and roll band Drive-By Truckers. His work is characterized by vivid, character-driven stories infused with political subtext. In addition to his work with the band, Hood is also a writer of essays, columns, and short stories, as well as a solo performer and producer.
In recent years, Hood has penned an op-ed on the controversies surrounding the Confederate flag for The New York Times Magazine, a piece on Vic Chesnutt for The Oxford American’s annual music issue, and retrospectives on David Bowie for American Songwriter and Merle Haggard for NPR. In October 2016, he published his first short story, featured in The Highway Kind, a car-themed crime fiction anthology.
With Drive-By Truckers, Hood has released 14 studio albums and played over 2,500 shows in the past 28 years. In 2015, they released a 35-song, career-spanning box set recorded live at The Fillmore in San Francisco. Their trilogy of albums—American Band (2016), The Unraveling (2020), and The New OK (2020)—brought the band into more direct political and topical songwriting, garnering praise from critics and fans worldwide. In 2022, they released Welcome 2 Club XIII, reflecting on their formative years and juxtaposing the follies of youth with the joys and challenges of raising children.
Hood’s work has received critical acclaim from NPR, Rolling Stone, The Independent, UNCUT, MOJO, Pitchfork, Chicago Tribune, and The Guardian. He and bandmate Mike Cooley appeared on CNN’s Reliable Sources, interviewed by John Avlon. The Unraveling reached #1 on the Americana charts in the UK and topped several charts in the U.S., including the Independent, Americana/Folk, and Vinyl charts. They are currently set to release a deluxe reissue of their breakthrough album Southern Rock Opera and embark on a U.S. tour, performing the album in full for the first time in 22 years.
Hood has also released three solo albums and is currently completing a fourth, slated for release in early 2025. His collaborations include producing or playing on albums by Jerry Joseph, Bettye LaVette, Booker T. Jones, and The Dexateens. As a speaker and lecturer, Hood has taught at Princeton, Indiana University, the University of Georgia, and the University of Alabama. Notably, he delivered the commencement address for the graduating class of 2015 at the University of Northern Alabama and spoke at the Frank and Kula Lumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center in Little Rock, Arkansas.
A native of Florence, Alabama, Hood was raised in the Muscle Shoals area, a region renowned for its rich musical history. His father, David Hood, co-founded Muscle Shoals Sound Studio and was a bassist in the legendary Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, also known as The Swampers. David Hood’s career includes collaborations with iconic artists like Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett, Etta James, Percy Sledge, and Bob Seger, to name a few. Patterson credits his father and the Muscle Shoals music scene for shaping his worldview, noting the duality of being proud of the region’s musical legacy while being critical of its political history—a theme explored in Drive-By Truckers’ seminal album Southern Rock Opera.
In 2015, Hood and his family relocated to Portland, Oregon, where they have been restoring a 100-year-old house. In addition to writing, recording, and touring, Hood has ventured into acting with roles in The Dark Divide (starring David Cross) and the indie film Ragged Heart. He also recently completed filming a small role in the upcoming indie film Sweetwater Road, slated for release in 2025.
LAST-MODIFIED:20240920T203002Z SEQUENCE:274330 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3199 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20241221T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20241221T233000 UID:A21F5AB9-F0BC-4EE4-BFEC-643963B2F727 SUMMARY:LOOM CREATED:20241122T000057Z DTSTAMP:20241122T000057Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/loom-2 DESCRIPTION:Loom is fast becoming a powerhouse in Salt Lake City’s live music scene, captivating audiences with a fresh, genre-blending style and electrifying improvisations. In just a year, they’ve left their mark alongside acclaimed acts like Tauk and Polyrhythmics, proving they have the chops to ignite any stage they set foot on. With additional show-stopping sets at places like Powder Mountain, the Snowbasin Summer Concert Series, and Snowbird’s Grand Oktoberfest, Loom has been steadily expanding its fanbase, drawing in audiences who crave musical spontaneity and unfiltered creativity. Their shows have become community gatherings where new fans unite to experience an exhilarating mix of intricate melodies, jaw-dropping jams, and a spirit of adventure that invites fans to become part of the magic. Rooted in the commitment to a vibrant feedback loop with their audience, Loom's shows are never replicated, offering a distinct and communal celebration of the present moment. Prepare to be transported as Loom crafts a live soundscape incorporating fusions of funk, cinematic landscapes, rock, disco and jazz, pushing the boundaries with every beat. Fans can expect an immersive journey – a night that celebrates the art of live music and leaves an impact that lingers long after the lights go down. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Loom is fast becoming a powerhouse in Salt Lake City’s live music scene, captivating audiences with a fresh, genre-blending style and electrifying improvisations. In just a year, they’ve left their mark alongside acclaimed acts like Tauk and Polyrhythmics, proving they have the chops to ignite any stage they set foot on. With additional show-stopping sets at places like Powder Mountain, the Snowbasin Summer Concert Series, and Snowbird’s Grand Oktoberfest, Loom has been steadily expanding its fanbase, drawing in audiences who crave musical spontaneity and unfiltered creativity. Their shows have become community gatherings where new fans unite to experience an exhilarating mix of intricate melodies, jaw-dropping jams, and a spirit of adventure that invites fans to become part of the magic. Rooted in the commitment to a vibrant feedback loop with their audience, Loom's shows are never replicated, offering a distinct and communal celebration of the present moment. Prepare to be transported as Loom crafts a live soundscape incorporating fusions of funk, cinematic landscapes, rock, disco and jazz, pushing the boundaries with every beat. Fans can expect an immersive journey – a night that celebrates the art of live music and leaves an impact that lingers long after the lights go down.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241205T222847Z SEQUENCE:1204070 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2044 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-11-22 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250115T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250115T233000 UID:9DBE12EB-A383-41BB-9F82-02647544B913 SUMMARY:Raynes CREATED:20241203T161325Z DTSTAMP:20241203T161325Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/raynes DESCRIPTION:British-American trio Raynes have wasted no time making themselves heard. Signing with Sony Music Publishing less than a year after their inception, the group has since released six singles and two EPs and performed at sold-out venues across the US and the UK. Now, their singular blend of pop, folk, and world music is being featured on television shows, commercials, and tastemakers’ playlists, earning them hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners and millions of streams across platforms.\NMat Charley and Joe Berger, both born and raised in North Dakota, met in college, where Mat––the band’s producer and multi-instrumentalist––was usually skipping class to write songs.\N“Joe introduced himself to me because I ‘looked cool,’ as he put it, and off-handedly mentioned that he played guitar. Within a week or so we were spending most nights in my room working on songs,” recalls Mat. Before long, the two had recorded a handful of demos and realized that the songs were good enough to build a band around.\NKnowing that they would need a strong vocalist, they took to the internet to find the missing piece of their project. “We were looking for a needle in an enormous haystack,” says Mat. “To be honest, we didn’t think our chances were very good at all.”\NAfter months of searching, they finally struck gold when they came across a video of Mark Race, a native of Durham, UK. “We loved everything about him––his look, his voice, his guitar playing, he was the whole package. We didn’t think there was any way he would actually be willing to drop everything and fly across the ocean to be in a band with us,” reveals Joe.\NBut just ten days later, after a Facebook message and a few phone calls, Mark was on a flight to LA to meet Mat and Joe.\N“It was a big risk for me, for sure, but it was really a risk for all of us,” admits Mark. “We all come from pretty different musical backgrounds, and none of us were sure at the beginning if we would even be on the same page creatively.”\NBut the trio’s differences have proven to be a winning combination. As Raynes, they combine their diverse influences to form a group whose taste spans the globe, incorporating elements of folk, Americana, and baroque pop with Celtic and world music to create a wholly original sound. “We’re musical omnivores,” they state. “There are so many instruments and sounds and traditions in the world, and we just want to explore as much as we can.”\NFor a band with such an eclectic sonic appetite, assigning a genre to Raynes can be a challenge. “We tend to build a lot of our songs on acoustic guitars and pianos, but once we start adding synths and accordions and dulcimers the whole concept of genre sort of goes out the window,” says Mark. “The closest we’ve come to defining our sound is just calling it ‘expensive folk.’”\NEven with the band’s refusal to limit themselves to the boundaries of any particular genre, there are certain unmistakable hallmarks of a Raynes song: a soaring ear-worm of a chorus, usually supported by multi-part vocal harmonies; richly layered acoustic instrumentation; thunderous percussion; and, more often than not, the sound of something surprising––a bouzouki, perhaps, or a harmonium, or an ensemble of djembes and taikos. The subject matter of their songs is as expansive as their sonic palette, ranging from the classic (love, loneliness, regret) to the unorthodox (mental illness, Samson and Delilah, the London Blitz of WWII), and their lyrics are insightful, affecting, and keenly honed.\NRaynes’ latest project, a five-song EP entitled ‘49, was released in November, 2024. Inspired by the American gold rush of 1849, the EP employs this historical event as the backdrop against which the songs are set. For Raynes, this thematic concept shares many similarities with their own journey as a band—leaving their hometowns and loved ones, traveling across the globe, and enduring the risks and uncertainties of the music industry as they try to stake their own claim and “strike gold.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:British-American trio Raynes have wasted no time making themselves heard. Signing with Sony Music Publishing less than a year after their inception, the group has since released six singles and two EPs and performed at sold-out venues across the US and the UK. Now, their singular blend of pop, folk, and world music is being featured on television shows, commercials, and tastemakers’ playlists, earning them hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners and millions of streams across platforms.
Mat Charley and Joe Berger, both born and raised in North Dakota, met in college, where Mat––the band’s producer and multi-instrumentalist––was usually skipping class to write songs.
“Joe introduced himself to me because I ‘looked cool,’ as he put it, and off-handedly mentioned that he played guitar. Within a week or so we were spending most nights in my room working on songs,” recalls Mat. Before long, the two had recorded a handful of demos and realized that the songs were good enough to build a band around.
Knowing that they would need a strong vocalist, they took to the internet to find the missing piece of their project. “We were looking for a needle in an enormous haystack,” says Mat. “To be honest, we didn’t think our chances were very good at all.”
After months of searching, they finally struck gold when they came across a video of Mark Race, a native of Durham, UK. “We loved everything about him––his look, his voice, his guitar playing, he was the whole package. We didn’t think there was any way he would actually be willing to drop everything and fly across the ocean to be in a band with us,” reveals Joe.
But just ten days later, after a Facebook message and a few phone calls, Mark was on a flight to LA to meet Mat and Joe.
“It was a big risk for me, for sure, but it was really a risk for all of us,” admits Mark. “We all come from pretty different musical backgrounds, and none of us were sure at the beginning if we would even be on the same page creatively.”
But the trio’s differences have proven to be a winning combination. As Raynes, they combine their diverse influences to form a group whose taste spans the globe, incorporating elements of folk, Americana, and baroque pop with Celtic and world music to create a wholly original sound. “We’re musical omnivores,” they state. “There are so many instruments and sounds and traditions in the world, and we just want to explore as much as we can.”
For a band with such an eclectic sonic appetite, assigning a genre to Raynes can be a challenge. “We tend to build a lot of our songs on acoustic guitars and pianos, but once we start adding synths and accordions and dulcimers the whole concept of genre sort of goes out the window,” says Mark. “The closest we’ve come to defining our sound is just calling it ‘expensive folk.’”
Even with the band’s refusal to limit themselves to the boundaries of any particular genre, there are certain unmistakable hallmarks of a Raynes song: a soaring ear-worm of a chorus, usually supported by multi-part vocal harmonies; richly layered acoustic instrumentation; thunderous percussion; and, more often than not, the sound of something surprising––a bouzouki, perhaps, or a harmonium, or an ensemble of djembes and taikos. The subject matter of their songs is as expansive as their sonic palette, ranging from the classic (love, loneliness, regret) to the unorthodox (mental illness, Samson and Delilah, the London Blitz of WWII), and their lyrics are insightful, affecting, and keenly honed.
Raynes’ latest project, a five-song EP entitled ‘49, was released in November, 2024. Inspired by the American gold rush of 1849, the EP employs this historical event as the backdrop against which the songs are set. For Raynes, this thematic concept shares many similarities with their own journey as a band—leaving their hometowns and loved ones, traveling across the globe, and enduring the risks and uncertainties of the music industry as they try to stake their own claim and “strike gold.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20250110T170018Z SEQUENCE:3286013 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3100 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250116T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250116T233000 UID:471FE374-5FCC-498A-99D7-7D485C2AEDB7 SUMMARY:Theoretical Blonde CREATED:20241204T170545Z DTSTAMP:20241204T170545Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/theoretical-blonde DESCRIPTION:Formed in 2023, Theoretical Blonde is a 5-piece bluegrass-adjacent band from Salt Lake City with a sound that feels both familiar and refreshingly unexpected. Its members include Peter Cain (mandolin, vocals), Ford Huntington (Guitar, vocals), Grayson Wickel (Fiddle, Banjo, vocals), Patrick McNally (Bass, vocals), and Daniel McNally (Keys). Despite the name, none of the band members are actually blonde, which seems to be a fun little misdirect. What is true is that their music takes cues from bluegrass, jazz, americana, country, jam band, and singer-songwriter traditions, blending these styles into a dynamic and energetic mix. With the addition of keys and electric bass, they expand the traditional bluegrass palette, creating a fuller sound that’s as comfortable with intricate picking as it is with laid-back, groove-driven jams. The group doesn’t try to be tied to one sound or genre; instead, they focus on making music that’s genuine, without worrying about where it fits in the larger landscape.\NAt the heart of Theoretical Blonde is a group of best friends who’ve forged a deep connection both on stage and off. It’s this camaraderie that brings something special to the music. The moments of unspoken telepathy during their live shows—the way they anticipate each other’s next move—create an energy that’s impossible to fake. The band’s vibe is one of effortless collaboration, where the chemistry between the members elevates everything they play, making even the most complex arrangements feel natural and unforced.\NCome out to hear Theoretical Blonde on January 16th for their EP Release Show, with support from 1006! This band has already taken the SLC scene by storm, and you will not want to miss their premier show at the State Room!\NShow in partnership with Trash Moon Collective. EP Released under Hot House West 501(c)(3) record label, Westmoon Records. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Formed in 2023, Theoretical Blonde is a 5-piece bluegrass-adjacent band from Salt Lake City with a sound that feels both familiar and refreshingly unexpected. Its members include Peter Cain (mandolin, vocals), Ford Huntington (Guitar, vocals), Grayson Wickel (Fiddle, Banjo, vocals), Patrick McNally (Bass, vocals), and Daniel McNally (Keys). Despite the name, none of the band members are actually blonde, which seems to be a fun little misdirect. What is true is that their music takes cues from bluegrass, jazz, americana, country, jam band, and singer-songwriter traditions, blending these styles into a dynamic and energetic mix. With the addition of keys and electric bass, they expand the traditional bluegrass palette, creating a fuller sound that’s as comfortable with intricate picking as it is with laid-back, groove-driven jams. The group doesn’t try to be tied to one sound or genre; instead, they focus on making music that’s genuine, without worrying about where it fits in the larger landscape.
At the heart of Theoretical Blonde is a group of best friends who’ve forged a deep connection both on stage and off. It’s this camaraderie that brings something special to the music. The moments of unspoken telepathy during their live shows—the way they anticipate each other’s next move—create an energy that’s impossible to fake. The band’s vibe is one of effortless collaboration, where the chemistry between the members elevates everything they play, making even the most complex arrangements feel natural and unforced.
Come out to hear Theoretical Blonde on January 16th for their EP Release Show, with support from 1006! This band has already taken the SLC scene by storm, and you will not want to miss their premier show at the State Room!
Show in partnership with Trash Moon Collective. EP Released under Hot House West 501(c)(3) record label, Westmoon Records.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241210T170422Z SEQUENCE:518317 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3259 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250117T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250117T233000 UID:B43C5422-997C-4184-9EB2-3E340D047002 SUMMARY:All-Star Weezer Tribute: Pinkerton & The Blue Album CREATED:20241213T204444Z DTSTAMP:20241213T204444Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/all-star-weezer-tribute-pinkerton-the-blue-album DESCRIPTION:Come celebrate the 30th birthday of Weezer’s classic debut album (unofficially The Blue Album) played and sung by some of the best talent in Utah. Oh, and why don’t we play Weezer’s second album, Pinkerton, all the way through while we’re at it? An all-star house band made up of members of Fictionist, Pinguin Mofex, Parlor Hawk, and The Madison Arm will back an equally all-star roster of incredible singers: Joshua James, Scott Shepard (Book On Tape Worm), Stuart Maxfield (Fictionist), Nate Pyfer (Pinguin Mofex), Debra Fotheringham, Allred, Chance Clift (House of Lewis), The Mellons, Whisperhawk, Paul Jacobsen, Stephanie Mabey, Karl Strange (The StrangeLove), Mick Rudolph (Seaslak), Dominic Moore, Talin Everett, and more. You’ll hear huge hits from 1994 like “Say It Ain’t So” and “Buddy Holly” as well as deep cuts from Weezer’s two best albums—all brought to you by the same people who put together tributes to Tom Petty, Neil Young, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, and more. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Come celebrate the 30th birthday of Weezer’s classic debut album (unofficially The Blue Album) played and sung by some of the best talent in Utah. Oh, and why don’t we play Weezer’s second album, Pinkerton, all the way through while we’re at it? An all-star house band made up of members of Fictionist, Pinguin Mofex, Parlor Hawk, and The Madison Arm will back an equally all-star roster of incredible singers: Joshua James, Scott Shepard (Book On Tape Worm), Stuart Maxfield (Fictionist), Nate Pyfer (Pinguin Mofex), Debra Fotheringham, Allred, Chance Clift (House of Lewis), The Mellons, Whisperhawk, Paul Jacobsen, Stephanie Mabey, Karl Strange (The StrangeLove), Mick Rudolph (Seaslak), Dominic Moore, Talin Everett, and more. You’ll hear huge hits from 1994 like “Say It Ain’t So” and “Buddy Holly” as well as deep cuts from Weezer’s two best albums—all brought to you by the same people who put together tributes to Tom Petty, Neil Young, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, and more.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241213T231704Z SEQUENCE:9140 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4874 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250125T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250125T233000 UID:8D8F7784-F481-498D-9BAD-DC683AD604F6 SUMMARY:Max McNown (Night 1) CREATED:20240913T164058Z DTSTAMP:20240913T164058Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/max-mcnown DESCRIPTION:Max McNown creates the kind of songs that perfectly soundtrack our most intimate moments: times of intense heartache and tremendous loss, immense upheaval and life-changing revelation. Within just a year of teaching himself to play guitar, the Oregon-bred, Nashville-based musician turned out three EPs spotlighting his emotionally potent yet nuanced lyrics—an element beautifully displayed on his breakout single “A Lot More Free,” a track that landed on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart and greatly expanded his grassroots following. Anchored in the charmingly warm vocal presence he partly honed by busking at the beach in Southern California, McNown’s debut album Wandering brings an even deeper sense of purpose to his songwriting—and, in turn, reveals his extraordinary capacity to ease the mind and strengthen the soul.\NAt 22, McNown has already been on a storied musical journey. Taking control of his future and drawing inspiration from his brother who was bravely fighting cancer, McNown packed his bags and drove from remote Oregon to Southern California. From there, videos of him busking on a pier made an impact online and eventually grew into a legion of supporters on TikTok.\NAfter attracting interest from major TV talent shows, McNown auditioned for one and then decided it wasn't for him, and gracefully turned them down as he knew he needed to walk his own path. His loyal fanbase then helped McNown amass 80 million streams and a spot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart with his breakout single, “A Lot More Free,” which was recently #1 on the TikTok Breakthrough USA chart.\NWhen wrestling with inevitable moments of self-doubt in the creative process and his fast moving career, McNown looks back to insight shared by his mother. “When I was younger I sang around the house all the time—I’d sing in the shower or before I went to bed, I’d always sing in the car,” he says. “My mom used to tell us growing up that singing means you have a happy heart. Even if the song’s about something difficult or painful, I still have a happy heart when I sing. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Max McNown creates the kind of songs that perfectly soundtrack our most intimate moments: times of intense heartache and tremendous loss, immense upheaval and life-changing revelation. Within just a year of teaching himself to play guitar, the Oregon-bred, Nashville-based musician turned out three EPs spotlighting his emotionally potent yet nuanced lyrics—an element beautifully displayed on his breakout single “A Lot More Free,” a track that landed on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart and greatly expanded his grassroots following. Anchored in the charmingly warm vocal presence he partly honed by busking at the beach in Southern California, McNown’s debut album Wandering brings an even deeper sense of purpose to his songwriting—and, in turn, reveals his extraordinary capacity to ease the mind and strengthen the soul.
At 22, McNown has already been on a storied musical journey. Taking control of his future and drawing inspiration from his brother who was bravely fighting cancer, McNown packed his bags and drove from remote Oregon to Southern California. From there, videos of him busking on a pier made an impact online and eventually grew into a legion of supporters on TikTok.
After attracting interest from major TV talent shows, McNown auditioned for one and then decided it wasn't for him, and gracefully turned them down as he knew he needed to walk his own path. His loyal fanbase then helped McNown amass 80 million streams and a spot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart with his breakout single, “A Lot More Free,” which was recently #1 on the TikTok Breakthrough USA chart.
When wrestling with inevitable moments of self-doubt in the creative process and his fast moving career, McNown looks back to insight shared by his mother. “When I was younger I sang around the house all the time—I’d sing in the shower or before I went to bed, I’d always sing in the car,” he says. “My mom used to tell us growing up that singing means you have a happy heart. Even if the song’s about something difficult or painful, I still have a happy heart when I sing.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241220T193250Z SEQUENCE:8477512 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:5942 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-09-13 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250126T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250126T233000 UID:8335B958-8108-4247-A977-CBA5A0236A61 SUMMARY:Max McNown (Night 2) CREATED:20240913T164058Z DTSTAMP:20240913T164058Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/max-mcnown-2 DESCRIPTION:Max McNown creates the kind of songs that perfectly soundtrack our most intimate moments: times of intense heartache and tremendous loss, immense upheaval and life-changing revelation. Within just a year of teaching himself to play guitar, the Oregon-bred, Nashville-based musician turned out three EPs spotlighting his emotionally potent yet nuanced lyrics—an element beautifully displayed on his breakout single “A Lot More Free,” a track that landed on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart and greatly expanded his grassroots following. Anchored in the charmingly warm vocal presence he partly honed by busking at the beach in Southern California, McNown’s debut album Wandering brings an even deeper sense of purpose to his songwriting—and, in turn, reveals his extraordinary capacity to ease the mind and strengthen the soul.\NAt 22, McNown has already been on a storied musical journey. Taking control of his future and drawing inspiration from his brother who was bravely fighting cancer, McNown packed his bags and drove from remote Oregon to Southern California. From there, videos of him busking on a pier made an impact online and eventually grew into a legion of supporters on TikTok.\NAfter attracting interest from major TV talent shows, McNown auditioned for one and then decided it wasn't for him, and gracefully turned them down as he knew he needed to walk his own path. His loyal fanbase then helped McNown amass 80 million streams and a spot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart with his breakout single, “A Lot More Free,” which was recently #1 on the TikTok Breakthrough USA chart.\NWhen wrestling with inevitable moments of self-doubt in the creative process and his fast moving career, McNown looks back to insight shared by his mother. “When I was younger I sang around the house all the time—I’d sing in the shower or before I went to bed, I’d always sing in the car,” he says. “My mom used to tell us growing up that singing means you have a happy heart. Even if the song’s about something difficult or painful, I still have a happy heart when I sing. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Max McNown creates the kind of songs that perfectly soundtrack our most intimate moments: times of intense heartache and tremendous loss, immense upheaval and life-changing revelation. Within just a year of teaching himself to play guitar, the Oregon-bred, Nashville-based musician turned out three EPs spotlighting his emotionally potent yet nuanced lyrics—an element beautifully displayed on his breakout single “A Lot More Free,” a track that landed on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart and greatly expanded his grassroots following. Anchored in the charmingly warm vocal presence he partly honed by busking at the beach in Southern California, McNown’s debut album Wandering brings an even deeper sense of purpose to his songwriting—and, in turn, reveals his extraordinary capacity to ease the mind and strengthen the soul.
At 22, McNown has already been on a storied musical journey. Taking control of his future and drawing inspiration from his brother who was bravely fighting cancer, McNown packed his bags and drove from remote Oregon to Southern California. From there, videos of him busking on a pier made an impact online and eventually grew into a legion of supporters on TikTok.
After attracting interest from major TV talent shows, McNown auditioned for one and then decided it wasn't for him, and gracefully turned them down as he knew he needed to walk his own path. His loyal fanbase then helped McNown amass 80 million streams and a spot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists chart with his breakout single, “A Lot More Free,” which was recently #1 on the TikTok Breakthrough USA chart.
When wrestling with inevitable moments of self-doubt in the creative process and his fast moving career, McNown looks back to insight shared by his mother. “When I was younger I sang around the house all the time—I’d sing in the shower or before I went to bed, I’d always sing in the car,” he says. “My mom used to tell us growing up that singing means you have a happy heart. Even if the song’s about something difficult or painful, I still have a happy heart when I sing.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241220T193304Z SEQUENCE:8477526 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3165 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-09-13 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250127T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250127T210000 UID:167A0870-9C6F-42D2-9993-D5A617F3DD87 SUMMARY:The Wild Feathers CREATED:20241025T173543Z DTSTAMP:20241025T173543Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-wild-feathers DESCRIPTION:Making it ten years as a band is no small feat. And maintaining the raw passion of those early days hustling, playing small rooms and cramming into the back of an old van is even rarer still. For the Wild Feathers, though, that passion has only grown with time, stronger now than when the beloved band first formed in 2010. Since then, the band has released three critically acclaimed studio albums, one live album and toured with major acts like Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, all while continuously honing their singular blend of Southern rock, Americana roots and heartland pop.\NNow, the Wild Feathers are ready to pull back the curtain on their decade together with Medium Rarities, an eleven-song collection of previously unreleased music spanning each incarnation of their still-evolving career. Dave Cobb and Jay Joyce both feature as producers on the collection, with the Feathers themselves serving as co-producers for much of the album. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Making it ten years as a band is no small feat. And maintaining the raw passion of those early days hustling, playing small rooms and cramming into the back of an old van is even rarer still. For the Wild Feathers, though, that passion has only grown with time, stronger now than when the beloved band first formed in 2010. Since then, the band has released three critically acclaimed studio albums, one live album and toured with major acts like Bob Dylan and Willie Nelson, all while continuously honing their singular blend of Southern rock, Americana roots and heartland pop.
Now, the Wild Feathers are ready to pull back the curtain on their decade together with Medium Rarities, an eleven-song collection of previously unreleased music spanning each incarnation of their still-evolving career. Dave Cobb and Jay Joyce both feature as producers on the collection, with the Feathers themselves serving as co-producers for much of the album.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250107T185655Z SEQUENCE:6398472 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1855 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250128T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250128T233000 UID:0BFDC160-4F83-4BA0-A4D7-3EFBED0A1F16 SUMMARY:Dogs In A Pile CREATED:20241119T173639Z DTSTAMP:20241119T173639Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/dogs-in-a-pile DESCRIPTION:The sandy shores of Asbury Park, New Jersey are hallowed ground in the northeast; the rolling waves have ushered generations of venerated musicians to worldwide acclaim. Dogs in a Pile, an eclectic quintet, has emerged as the heir apparent to the town’s rich musical legacy. Merging funk, jazz, and rock and roll with psychedelia, the quintet presents a completely original vibe built on kaleidoscopic soundscapes eerily reminiscent of the days of yesteryear.\NThe Dogs employ a unified approach to performance and songwriting, crafting aural mosaics through adept instrumentation and humble precocity. As avid storytellers, they draw inspiration from personal experiences, balancing life’s foibles with ever-present youthful sanguinity.\NDogs began when Philadelphia University of the Arts guitar gun-slinger Jimmy Law began playing with young Joe Babick (drums), a student at the Count Basie Theater program in Red Bank, NJ. Lightning struck when they were introduced to Berklee School of Music student and bass player Sam Lucid, who immediately suggested fellow Berklee student and keyboard player Jeremy Kaplan. The addition of fellow Berklee student Brian Murray (guitar) in 2019 made for the quintessential final piece in the Dogs’ puzzle. \NA string of successful local shows drove the development of a massive northeast fan base, affectionately known as the Dog Pound. The band’s astronomical growth culminated in an epic, sold-out performance at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park during the summer of 2021. Armed with a fresh batch of new material, Dogs in a Pile is taking its perpetually evolving testament to the Great American Songbook on tour in 2022, visiting plenty of new cities and spreading good music and good energy to good people along the way. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The sandy shores of Asbury Park, New Jersey are hallowed ground in the northeast; the rolling waves have ushered generations of venerated musicians to worldwide acclaim. Dogs in a Pile, an eclectic quintet, has emerged as the heir apparent to the town’s rich musical legacy. Merging funk, jazz, and rock and roll with psychedelia, the quintet presents a completely original vibe built on kaleidoscopic soundscapes eerily reminiscent of the days of yesteryear.
The Dogs employ a unified approach to performance and songwriting, crafting aural mosaics through adept instrumentation and humble precocity. As avid storytellers, they draw inspiration from personal experiences, balancing life’s foibles with ever-present youthful sanguinity.
Dogs began when Philadelphia University of the Arts guitar gun-slinger Jimmy Law began playing with young Joe Babick (drums), a student at the Count Basie Theater program in Red Bank, NJ. Lightning struck when they were introduced to Berklee School of Music student and bass player Sam Lucid, who immediately suggested fellow Berklee student and keyboard player Jeremy Kaplan. The addition of fellow Berklee student Brian Murray (guitar) in 2019 made for the quintessential final piece in the Dogs’ puzzle.
A string of successful local shows drove the development of a massive northeast fan base, affectionately known as the Dog Pound. The band’s astronomical growth culminated in an epic, sold-out performance at the legendary Stone Pony in Asbury Park during the summer of 2021. Armed with a fresh batch of new material, Dogs in a Pile is taking its perpetually evolving testament to the Great American Songbook on tour in 2022, visiting plenty of new cities and spreading good music and good energy to good people along the way.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250128T000926Z SEQUENCE:5985167 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2538 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-11-19 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250130T173000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250130T233000 UID:FC0D1E69-2AD0-4963-9EFD-E2582B068E85 SUMMARY:LIVE from Phish Mexico! CREATED:20250128T183255Z DTSTAMP:20250128T183255Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/live-from-phish-mexico DESCRIPTION:Join us this Thursday as we livestream Night 2 of Phish from Riviera Maya!\NWe’re combining our streaming efforts with a food drive: please bring minimum one non-perishable can for entry.\NBecause Riviera Maya is two time zones ahead of us, doors will be at 5 PM and the livestream will start at 5:30 PM.\NBe sure to RSVP ✨ and we’ll catch you on Thursday! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Join us this Thursday as we livestream Night 2 of Phish from Riviera Maya!
We’re combining our streaming efforts with a food drive: please bring minimum one non-perishable can for entry.
Because Riviera Maya is two time zones ahead of us, doors will be at 5 PM and the livestream will start at 5:30 PM.
Be sure to RSVP ✨ and we’ll catch you on Thursday!
LAST-MODIFIED:20250128T212329Z SEQUENCE:10234 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:474 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250131T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250131T210000 UID:591FC6FC-8598-4CAB-8F79-F0BB373B6152 SUMMARY:Brett Dennen & Jackie Greene (Night 1) CREATED:20241211T182506Z DTSTAMP:20241211T182506Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/brett-dennen-jackie-greene-n1 DESCRIPTION:Brett Dennen’s beloved Lift Series is back this winter. In its eight year, the annual tour visits a handful of Brett’s favorite ski towns. When asked why Brett continues to play winters in the mountains, he responds, “Because mountain people are my favorite people. They know the secret to making the best kind of community that is centered around their love of the mountains and stoke. It gives me a chance to connect with amazing people and ski in some thrilling and maybe even some dangerous terrain. It is a source of inspiration for me to be a better person and make more music.” The concerts will be intimate solo acoustic sets of songs and stories that are sure to be heartwarming and funny. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Brett Dennen’s beloved Lift Series is back this winter. In its eight year, the annual tour visits a handful of Brett’s favorite ski towns. When asked why Brett continues to play winters in the mountains, he responds, “Because mountain people are my favorite people. They know the secret to making the best kind of community that is centered around their love of the mountains and stoke. It gives me a chance to connect with amazing people and ski in some thrilling and maybe even some dangerous terrain. It is a source of inspiration for me to be a better person and make more music.” The concerts will be intimate solo acoustic sets of songs and stories that are sure to be heartwarming and funny.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241212T180036Z SEQUENCE:84930 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1965 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-12-11 19:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250201T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250201T210000 UID:2A9E3135-B1DE-4AA3-8EE7-3715B13874E6 SUMMARY:Brett Dennen & Jackie Greene (Night 2) CREATED:20241211T182506Z DTSTAMP:20241211T182506Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/brett-dennen-jackie-greene-n1-2 DESCRIPTION:Brett Dennen’s beloved Lift Series is back this winter. In its eight year, the annual tour visits a handful of Brett’s favorite ski towns. When asked why Brett continues to play winters in the mountains, he responds, “Because mountain people are my favorite people. They know the secret to making the best kind of community that is centered around their love of the mountains and stoke. It gives me a chance to connect with amazing people and ski in some thrilling and maybe even some dangerous terrain. It is a source of inspiration for me to be a better person and make more music.” The concerts will be intimate solo acoustic sets of songs and stories that are sure to be heartwarming and funny. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Brett Dennen’s beloved Lift Series is back this winter. In its eight year, the annual tour visits a handful of Brett’s favorite ski towns. When asked why Brett continues to play winters in the mountains, he responds, “Because mountain people are my favorite people. They know the secret to making the best kind of community that is centered around their love of the mountains and stoke. It gives me a chance to connect with amazing people and ski in some thrilling and maybe even some dangerous terrain. It is a source of inspiration for me to be a better person and make more music.” The concerts will be intimate solo acoustic sets of songs and stories that are sure to be heartwarming and funny.
LAST-MODIFIED:20241212T180052Z SEQUENCE:84946 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1152 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-12-11 19:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250207T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250207T233000 UID:58A2BD53-8CEB-44B1-8DF1-F20B80439F5C SUMMARY:The Breakfast Club: 40th Anniversary with the Discographers CREATED:20241008T160120Z DTSTAMP:20241008T160120Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-breakfast-club-40th-anniversary-with-the-discographers DESCRIPTION:In celebration of the Breakfast Club's 40th anniversary, The Discographers bring their chameleon-like musicianship to all your favorite 1980's teen movie soundtracks, performed in sync with video. Expect songs from all the John Hughes teen flicks plus a few other choice films, with artists covered ranging from the obvious Simple Minds to Tears for Fears, Whitney Houston, Oingo Boingo, The Cars, The Go-Gos, Van Halen, Kenny Loggins, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, and the ever popular MORE. Hold those boomboxes up in the air, y'all! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:In celebration of the Breakfast Club's 40th anniversary, The Discographers bring their chameleon-like musicianship to all your favorite 1980's teen movie soundtracks, performed in sync with video. Expect songs from all the John Hughes teen flicks plus a few other choice films, with artists covered ranging from the obvious Simple Minds to Tears for Fears, Whitney Houston, Oingo Boingo, The Cars, The Go-Gos, Van Halen, Kenny Loggins, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, and the ever popular MORE. Hold those boomboxes up in the air, y'all!
LAST-MODIFIED:20250203T200312Z SEQUENCE:10209712 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:5973 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250212T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250212T233000 UID:2401A5C9-6F6A-424E-84BB-CFE6F0FAD800 SUMMARY:Crash Test Dummies CREATED:20241119T234501Z DTSTAMP:20241119T234501Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/crash-test-dummies DESCRIPTION:With one of the most recognizable voices in Canadian music history, alternative rock band Crash Test Dummies are a three-time Grammy nominated and JUNO award-winning group, who soared to the top of the worldwide charts in the early 1990’s with hits “Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm” and “Superman’s Song”. Their cover of “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” was a highlight of the soundtrack to the blockbuster film, “Dumb and Dumber”, while simultaneously reaching #4 on the US Top 100 album charts. All of their releases keep the same folk-hued, alternative spirit of their early sound, centering around the distinct baritone of frontman Brad Roberts and Ellen Reid’s folk-rock fusion.\NAfter a twenty-year hiatus, the Crash Test Dummies reunited in 2018 for a two-week tour to celebrate their most successful album “God Shuffled His Feet”. The overwhelming reception to these shows has since led to continuous touring across two continents, with sold-out shows across the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.\N“Touring again was not something we’d planned on, but surprisingly– at least to me – there are lots of people who many years later, still want to come and hear us,” says lead singer and principal songwriter Brad Roberts. “It’s humbling, being in the confidence of so many people.” The band is returning to Europe and the UK in the fall of 2024 for an extensive tour before heading down under for sold-out shows in Australia and New Zealand in early 2025.\NThe dynamic and high-energy stage show features the band’s most iconic songs, performed by original members Brad Roberts, Ellen Reid, Dan Roberts and Mitch Dorge. Joining them are long-standing guitarist Stuart Cameron and relative newcomer Leith Fleming-Smith, Canada’s keyboard whiz-kid. \N2025 will also see the band release a “Greatest Hits” double vinyl, which includes their first two new songs in fifteen years - ‘Sacred Alphabet’ and ‘When First the Heart’ - along with and a live version of showstopper and fan favorite “Heart of Stone”. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:With one of the most recognizable voices in Canadian music history, alternative rock band Crash Test Dummies are a three-time Grammy nominated and JUNO award-winning group, who soared to the top of the worldwide charts in the early 1990’s with hits “Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, Mmm” and “Superman’s Song”. Their cover of “The Ballad of Peter Pumpkinhead” was a highlight of the soundtrack to the blockbuster film, “Dumb and Dumber”, while simultaneously reaching #4 on the US Top 100 album charts. All of their releases keep the same folk-hued, alternative spirit of their early sound, centering around the distinct baritone of frontman Brad Roberts and Ellen Reid’s folk-rock fusion.
After a twenty-year hiatus, the Crash Test Dummies reunited in 2018 for a two-week tour to celebrate their most successful album “God Shuffled His Feet”. The overwhelming reception to these shows has since led to continuous touring across two continents, with sold-out shows across the US, Canada, the UK, Germany, Austria and the Netherlands.
“Touring again was not something we’d planned on, but surprisingly– at least to me – there are lots of people who many years later, still want to come and hear us,” says lead singer and principal songwriter Brad Roberts. “It’s humbling, being in the confidence of so many people.” The band is returning to Europe and the UK in the fall of 2024 for an extensive tour before heading down under for sold-out shows in Australia and New Zealand in early 2025.
The dynamic and high-energy stage show features the band’s most iconic songs, performed by original members Brad Roberts, Ellen Reid, Dan Roberts and Mitch Dorge. Joining them are long-standing guitarist Stuart Cameron and relative newcomer Leith Fleming-Smith, Canada’s keyboard whiz-kid.
2025 will also see the band release a “Greatest Hits” double vinyl, which includes their first two new songs in fifteen years - ‘Sacred Alphabet’ and ‘When First the Heart’ - along with and a live version of showstopper and fan favorite “Heart of Stone”.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250210T202145Z SEQUENCE:7159004 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3960 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-11-20 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250213T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250213T233000 UID:AAEA4761-AF0D-4DB2-B3DD-1AD28A2363A8 SUMMARY:Madeline Hawthorne CREATED:20241121T143332Z DTSTAMP:20241121T143332Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/madeline-hawthorne DESCRIPTION:The miles we travel make up the stories we tell.\NThe soles of your favorite boots or the tread on your prized car’s tires soak up the experiences and wisdom of the road under your feet. Born in New England, based in Bozeman Montana, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Madeline Hawthorne pens the kind of tunes you listen to on a cross-country trek to start anew or in the dead of night when you just need a reminder that somebody’s listening.\NIn this respect, her 2024 independent album, Tales From Late Nights & Long Drives, serves as a fitting soundtrack to life’s trip.\N“It’s the perfect road trip record,” she affirms. “It was mostly written while I was on tour. If the songs were written at home in Montana, I took inspiration from journal entries and memories of my travels. This is me stepping onto the stage with more miles under my boots. I’m giving into the moment and the melody to tell a story. It’s like eleven different versions of me—a woman I could have been, a woman I perhaps thought I was, and a woman I hope to be someday.”\NObsessed with music since her childhood on the East Coast, Madeline planted roots in Bozeman, MT during college and never turned back. She honed her talents through countless backup and band gigs before going solo amid the Global Pandemic. Balancing Americana, roots, folk, and rock, she introduced herself on the 2021 LP, Boots, co-produced by Brad Parsons and Tyler Thompson in Pittsburgh. In between, she shared the stage with everyone from Jason Isbell, Lukas Nelson, Josh Turner, and Kip Moore to Sierra Hull, John Craigie, and Nathaniel Rateliff. Plus, she wowed audiences at festivals such as Treefort Music Festival (ID), Americanafest (TN), WinterWonderGrass (CO), Pak City Song Summit (UT), Roseberry Music Festival, (ID), and more. Earning acclaim for tracks like 2023’s “Neon Wasteland,” Relix applauded her “vibrant and buzzing.” Hawthorne has also caught the eye of CMT, who featured her “Neon Wasteland” video at CMT.com and she has received praise from tastemakers such as No Depression who says, “She’s been crushing rootsy tunes.”\NEventually, she decamped to Bear Creek Studios for ten days to record Tales From Late Nights & Long Drives alongside producer Ryan Hadlock [Zach Bryan, The Lumineers].\N“I was fully immersed in the experience,” she recalls. “I went for a walk every day, wrote in my journal, and spent a nice amount of time with the spirits of artists who have worked there before me. I appreciate that Ryan put my acoustic guitar first in the arrangement. He felt it was important for listeners to hear the songs with the instruments of origin driving the vibe and feel of the music.”\NYou can hear this energy loud and clear on the first single “Chasing The Moon.” Bright acoustic guitar underlines pensive lyrics uplifted by piano and a steady beat. Her words resound with excitement as she observes, “That lonesome highway is my Hollywood Boulevard.” On the hook, she exhales, “You can’t change the way things are, but I’ll try again. I’ve got nothing left to lose chasing the moon.” \N“I wrote “Chasing the Moon” about my many late nights driving through Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado,” she notes. “It was born driving down Highway 191, going from Big Sky to West Yellowstone. Sometimes, I’ll pull over, get out of my car, and look up at the night sky. It’s powerful to stand in the quiet of the night and listen with your heart.”\NLoose slide guitar mirrors the sway of her vocals on “Where Did I Go Wrong.” Her reflections ripple with raw emotion, “Pushed you away for the sake of a song, I need a drink, a moment to think, where did I go wrong?”\N“The words you hear are the first words that came out of my mouth,” she goes on. “There are no edits. Although I’m happily married, I’d be lying if I told you this career path doesn’t challenge even the strongest of relationships. I never want to be that woman sitting alone at a bar wondering where she went wrong. It’s a good reminder to nurture a loving relationship.”\NOn the other end of the spectrum, “Night Ride” instantly intoxicates as she urges, “Roll me up like a joint and smoke me.” She remembers, “It’s about the time I had with my husband during the pandemic. It’s rare we get that much time together without a million things to do. It was a silver lining to an incredibly challenging period.”\NThe opener “Cold Shoulder” culminates on a wild guitar solo laced with organ. “The record starts off hot and heavy,” she goes on. “It’s a sequel to Boots, which ends with my songwriter character leaving her old self behind to step into a new form. It’s a sassy statement about where I am and how I feel as an artist and a woman.”\NThe LP concludes with the pensive and poetic “Long Drive To Bozeman,” which traces a map of her life so far. “It’s about my journey to Montana from New Hampshire when I was 18-years-old,” she notes. “I met a boy. We both had aspirations to move to Montana for school, so I drove him to college. Driving into Bozeman still stops my breath to this day. I wound up marrying that man and now we have a house in Bozeman with two cats, two dogs, and a garden. I followed my heart and it brought me home.” \NIn the end, Madeline is here for you on your journey.\N“I’d suggest playing this in your car this summer on a long drive,” she smiles. “Sip your favorite beverage and spin the vinyl in your listening room—or turn it up to 11 and dance wildly around your kitchen. Wherever you are, I hope it gives you what you need. This is an album for the lovers, the wild children, and the ones who refuse to grow up too much. Adventure is always out there. Go on and take the leap.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The miles we travel make up the stories we tell.
The soles of your favorite boots or the tread on your prized car’s tires soak up the experiences and wisdom of the road under your feet. Born in New England, based in Bozeman Montana, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Madeline Hawthorne pens the kind of tunes you listen to on a cross-country trek to start anew or in the dead of night when you just need a reminder that somebody’s listening.
In this respect, her 2024 independent album, Tales From Late Nights & Long Drives, serves as a fitting soundtrack to life’s trip.
“It’s the perfect road trip record,” she affirms. “It was mostly written while I was on tour. If the songs were written at home in Montana, I took inspiration from journal entries and memories of my travels. This is me stepping onto the stage with more miles under my boots. I’m giving into the moment and the melody to tell a story. It’s like eleven different versions of me—a woman I could have been, a woman I perhaps thought I was, and a woman I hope to be someday.”
Obsessed with music since her childhood on the East Coast, Madeline planted roots in Bozeman, MT during college and never turned back. She honed her talents through countless backup and band gigs before going solo amid the Global Pandemic. Balancing Americana, roots, folk, and rock, she introduced herself on the 2021 LP, Boots, co-produced by Brad Parsons and Tyler Thompson in Pittsburgh. In between, she shared the stage with everyone from Jason Isbell, Lukas Nelson, Josh Turner, and Kip Moore to Sierra Hull, John Craigie, and Nathaniel Rateliff. Plus, she wowed audiences at festivals such as Treefort Music Festival (ID), Americanafest (TN), WinterWonderGrass (CO), Pak City Song Summit (UT), Roseberry Music Festival, (ID), and more. Earning acclaim for tracks like 2023’s “Neon Wasteland,” Relix applauded her “vibrant and buzzing.” Hawthorne has also caught the eye of CMT, who featured her “Neon Wasteland” video at CMT.com and she has received praise from tastemakers such as No Depression who says, “She’s been crushing rootsy tunes.”
Eventually, she decamped to Bear Creek Studios for ten days to record Tales From Late Nights & Long Drives alongside producer Ryan Hadlock [Zach Bryan, The Lumineers].
“I was fully immersed in the experience,” she recalls. “I went for a walk every day, wrote in my journal, and spent a nice amount of time with the spirits of artists who have worked there before me. I appreciate that Ryan put my acoustic guitar first in the arrangement. He felt it was important for listeners to hear the songs with the instruments of origin driving the vibe and feel of the music.”
You can hear this energy loud and clear on the first single “Chasing The Moon.” Bright acoustic guitar underlines pensive lyrics uplifted by piano and a steady beat. Her words resound with excitement as she observes, “That lonesome highway is my Hollywood Boulevard.” On the hook, she exhales, “You can’t change the way things are, but I’ll try again. I’ve got nothing left to lose chasing the moon.”
“I wrote “Chasing the Moon” about my many late nights driving through Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado,” she notes. “It was born driving down Highway 191, going from Big Sky to West Yellowstone. Sometimes, I’ll pull over, get out of my car, and look up at the night sky. It’s powerful to stand in the quiet of the night and listen with your heart.”
Loose slide guitar mirrors the sway of her vocals on “Where Did I Go Wrong.” Her reflections ripple with raw emotion, “Pushed you away for the sake of a song, I need a drink, a moment to think, where did I go wrong?”
“The words you hear are the first words that came out of my mouth,” she goes on. “There are no edits. Although I’m happily married, I’d be lying if I told you this career path doesn’t challenge even the strongest of relationships. I never want to be that woman sitting alone at a bar wondering where she went wrong. It’s a good reminder to nurture a loving relationship.”
On the other end of the spectrum, “Night Ride” instantly intoxicates as she urges, “Roll me up like a joint and smoke me.” She remembers, “It’s about the time I had with my husband during the pandemic. It’s rare we get that much time together without a million things to do. It was a silver lining to an incredibly challenging period.”
The opener “Cold Shoulder” culminates on a wild guitar solo laced with organ. “The record starts off hot and heavy,” she goes on. “It’s a sequel to Boots, which ends with my songwriter character leaving her old self behind to step into a new form. It’s a sassy statement about where I am and how I feel as an artist and a woman.”
The LP concludes with the pensive and poetic “Long Drive To Bozeman,” which traces a map of her life so far. “It’s about my journey to Montana from New Hampshire when I was 18-years-old,” she notes. “I met a boy. We both had aspirations to move to Montana for school, so I drove him to college. Driving into Bozeman still stops my breath to this day. I wound up marrying that man and now we have a house in Bozeman with two cats, two dogs, and a garden. I followed my heart and it brought me home.”
In the end, Madeline is here for you on your journey.
“I’d suggest playing this in your car this summer on a long drive,” she smiles. “Sip your favorite beverage and spin the vinyl in your listening room—or turn it up to 11 and dance wildly around your kitchen. Wherever you are, I hope it gives you what you need. This is an album for the lovers, the wild children, and the ones who refuse to grow up too much. Adventure is always out there. Go on and take the leap.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20241217T180106Z SEQUENCE:2258854 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1859 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250214T210000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250214T233000 UID:24AC5E90-8C8E-4883-998F-B492B09DDAED SUMMARY:Stupid Cupid CREATED:20241202T172531Z DTSTAMP:20241202T172531Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/stupid-cupid DESCRIPTION:“There are some people who were simply born to be the life of the party, and nightclub fixture Lady Bunny appears to be one of them,” wrote Vogue magazine. The internationally known drag icon, comedian, recording artist and jet-set DJ is as famous for her big-banged bouffant and her notoriously naughty wit as for her ability to get a dancefloor jumping. A Manhattan gal since the early 80s, Lady Bunny shares Atlanta roots with fellow drag star and former roommate, RuPaul, and is most famous for co-founding and emceeing Wigstock, the annual New York City Labor Day outdoor drag festival that ran for nearly 20 years.\NWigstock featured performances by a parade of exotic nightlife stars including Amanda Lepore, Kevin Aviance, Lypsinka, Joey Arias, The Voluptuous Horror Of Karen Black, as well superstars such as Debbie Harry, Boy George, and Neil Patrick Harris and John Cameron Mitchel (both as Hedwig). Considered by many the second and far hipper Pride celebration, and drawing thousands, Wigstock marked the end of the summer for the LGBTQ community and remains a landmark chapter in New York City’s queer cultural history.\NSince Wigstock and the days of cutting her comic teeth reducing even the toughest New York City crowds to shrieking hysterics, Lady Bunny’s fame has gone global. She tours constantly, taking her bodaciously bawdy brand of humor to audiences from Cincinnati to Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, London, Marrakesh and Sydney.\NFrom headlining clubs to Pride events worldwide, Bunny has been lucky enough to share the stage or screen with many of her idols including Patti Labelle, Joan Rivers, Bea Arthur, Charo, Elvira, Lynda Carter, Chaka Khan, Grace Jones, Loleatta Holloway, Jocelyn Brown, Martha Wash, Margaret Cho and Christina Aguilera at Radio City Music Hall, who tweeted, “Upstaged at my own show! #Diva.”\NA psychedelic whirl of thigh-skimming op art prints, frosted lips, double false eyelashes and “pounds of paint” beneath a thunderhead of blonde wigs, Lady Bunny is not only gloriously glamorous and devastatingly funny, but a firmly established comic queen in a league of her own. \NOne-woman show titles like “That Ain’t No Lady!,” “Trans-Jester,” “Pig In A Wig,” “Clowns Syndrome,” and most recently, “Cuntageous,” offer a not-so-subtle hint as to what to expect, but few are prepared for the shocking brilliance of Lady Bunny live. From riotously risqué to vividly vulgar, Lady Bunny gleefully delivers full-strength, downright dirty, gobsmackingly un-P.C. adult humor. Accompanied by a retro groovy soundtrack, she pivots and shimmies between racy rapid-fire jokes, stinging social commentary, one-line zingers, self-deprecating snorts, and her trademark potty-mouthed pop song parodies. “Lady Bunny made me weep with laughter, often while groaning with disgust,” the New York Times raved, “And isn’t that what the best low comedy is all about?”\NWhile her mind may be in the gutter, Lady Bunny’s quick-witted humor is authentic, smart, irreverent, and topical. In her disarming honeyed drawl, she astutely skewers political correctness, calls out gentrification outrage, spit-roasts politicians, taunts vaunted celebrities, and schools audiences on the unique legacy of New York City drag.\NLady Bunny’s comic genius can also be seen in films and television, most recently in “Wig,” the HBO Wigstock documentary made with Neil Patrick Harris, and the feature film, “Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate.” She was the “Dean of Drag” on three seasons of “RuPaul’s Drag U,” has been roasted by Joan Rivers, roasted Pam on “The Comedy Central Roast Of Pamela Anderson,” and emceed the LGBT prom in one of the most popular episodes of “Sex and the City.”\NBunny DJs lavish fashion week affairs, corporate bashes, and private parties as well as–yes!–gay weddings and bar mitzvahs. Her specialty is nailing what your crowd wants to hear. As she always says, “Please give me requests because I’m spinning for your party and my goal is to get your ass the dance floor; I can play what I want at home!”\NGuests go crazy when Bunny twirls from the DJ booth to join them on dance floor for an impromptu lip sync number. “So you’re basically hiring a DJ and a clown for the price of one!” she cracks. The annual Hamptons Charity Tea Dance for the LGBT Center latched onto Bunny as their regular DJ for over a decade, claiming that, “We’d been doing this event for years but Bunny was the first DJ to get our crowd to dance!”\NAs the in-house DJ for Visionaire and V magazine, Bunny has travelled the globe, spinning atop the Eiffel Tower, Tokyo’s Mori Tower, the Fendi Showroom in Milan, London’s Harvey Nichols, Van Cleef & Arpel’s 40th birthday bash in Paris. She even made history as the first DJ to ever spin at Paris’s palatial L’Opera Garnier. Of that night Bunny says, “I often giggle that even though I was the first, I was opening for a famous main floor DJ: He went on, and the dancefloor walked!” Back in New York City, Lady Bunny can be found DJing her long-running boogie in the basement, the “Disco Sundays” tea dance at The Monster.\NLike many DJs, Bunny moved into songwriting and recording. In addition to writing and producing her outrageously funny pop song parodies, she has released several solo singles, including “Take Me Up High,” which hit #18 on the Billboard Dance Club Song Chart, and two duets with RuPaul—Throw Ya Hands Up” and “Lick it Lollipop.” Bunny’s currently in the studio working on new music.\NFrom the dancefloor it was just a hooker-heeled hop to the art world. Lady Bunny performed original music and commentary in “The Tyranny of Consciousness (The Waning of Justice),” a scene-stealing installation by pioneering video artist Charles Atlas at the 2017 Venice Biennale. Art stars assume astro vivid focus chose Bunny to DJ in the center of their pop art roller boogie disco installation celebrating the 10th anniversary of the luxurious Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires. And after New York City home décor guru Jonathan Adler designed a Lady Bunny pitcher (“My mug’s on a jug!”) a few years ago, she was thrilled to be chosen as one of his muses for his original “Inspiration Points” AOL web series.\NLady Bunny has been photographed by Andy Warhol and many of the world’s most influential fashion photographers, including Francesco Scavullo, Mario Testino, Ellen Von Unwerth and most recently the duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin for V Magazine’s October 2020 “Thought Leaders” issue.\NV, along with The Daily News and Time Out NY named Bunny as one of the most stylish New Yorkers. She has been featured in the glossiest of fashion magazines, from Vogue to W, Pop, Another and Luis Venegas’s Candy. Her shows have elicited rave reviews from The New Yorker and The New York Times. A writer herself, Bunny penned quips for Star Magazine’s “Worst of the Week” column for eight years and has interviewed numerous stars, including Scarlett Johansson, Marc Jacobs, Anohni (of Antony And The Johnsons fame) and Leigh Bowery for bygone gay fanzine Pansy Beat.\NLady Bunny can be seen co-starring with Flotilla DeBarge in “DAP,” the duo’s video parody of Cardi B’s “WAP.” Their relentlessly filthy version racked up over 100,000 views in its first week and cheered by fellow comedians Margaret Cho and Jenifer Lewis.\NSince COVID-19, Bunny has appeared virtually at Boulder’s Fringe Festival, the Palm Springs International Comedy Festival and participated in Amazon Prime’s virtual LGBT “Pride Inside” Festival. She also launched her on-demand 35-minute comedy special, “Cuntageous,” in which she unveiled new parodies of Lizzo and Madonna hits and performed an insane cover of the Peggy Lee 1969 classic “Is That All There Is?” with punk drag rapper Christeene.\NUp next, a new podcast with RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 winner Monet X Change called “Ebony and Irony,” a new on-demand duet special with Bianca del Rio called “HHN: Hateful Hags Network,” and a deliciously demented holiday special downloadable starting December 2020.\NA living drag legend, international sensation, razor-witted comic, fab DJ, and one kooky queen, the Lady Bunny experience can be summed up in her own words from V Magazine’s “Thought Leaders” issue: “My humor is outrageous, my look is over the top, and my politics are in your face. That’s just the way I am!” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“There are some people who were simply born to be the life of the party, and nightclub fixture Lady Bunny appears to be one of them,” wrote Vogue magazine. The internationally known drag icon, comedian, recording artist and jet-set DJ is as famous for her big-banged bouffant and her notoriously naughty wit as for her ability to get a dancefloor jumping. A Manhattan gal since the early 80s, Lady Bunny shares Atlanta roots with fellow drag star and former roommate, RuPaul, and is most famous for co-founding and emceeing Wigstock, the annual New York City Labor Day outdoor drag festival that ran for nearly 20 years.
Wigstock featured performances by a parade of exotic nightlife stars including Amanda Lepore, Kevin Aviance, Lypsinka, Joey Arias, The Voluptuous Horror Of Karen Black, as well superstars such as Debbie Harry, Boy George, and Neil Patrick Harris and John Cameron Mitchel (both as Hedwig). Considered by many the second and far hipper Pride celebration, and drawing thousands, Wigstock marked the end of the summer for the LGBTQ community and remains a landmark chapter in New York City’s queer cultural history.
Since Wigstock and the days of cutting her comic teeth reducing even the toughest New York City crowds to shrieking hysterics, Lady Bunny’s fame has gone global. She tours constantly, taking her bodaciously bawdy brand of humor to audiences from Cincinnati to Los Angeles, Buenos Aires, London, Marrakesh and Sydney.
From headlining clubs to Pride events worldwide, Bunny has been lucky enough to share the stage or screen with many of her idols including Patti Labelle, Joan Rivers, Bea Arthur, Charo, Elvira, Lynda Carter, Chaka Khan, Grace Jones, Loleatta Holloway, Jocelyn Brown, Martha Wash, Margaret Cho and Christina Aguilera at Radio City Music Hall, who tweeted, “Upstaged at my own show! #Diva.”
A psychedelic whirl of thigh-skimming op art prints, frosted lips, double false eyelashes and “pounds of paint” beneath a thunderhead of blonde wigs, Lady Bunny is not only gloriously glamorous and devastatingly funny, but a firmly established comic queen in a league of her own.
One-woman show titles like “That Ain’t No Lady!,” “Trans-Jester,” “Pig In A Wig,” “Clowns Syndrome,” and most recently, “Cuntageous,” offer a not-so-subtle hint as to what to expect, but few are prepared for the shocking brilliance of Lady Bunny live. From riotously risqué to vividly vulgar, Lady Bunny gleefully delivers full-strength, downright dirty, gobsmackingly un-P.C. adult humor. Accompanied by a retro groovy soundtrack, she pivots and shimmies between racy rapid-fire jokes, stinging social commentary, one-line zingers, self-deprecating snorts, and her trademark potty-mouthed pop song parodies. “Lady Bunny made me weep with laughter, often while groaning with disgust,” the New York Times raved, “And isn’t that what the best low comedy is all about?”
While her mind may be in the gutter, Lady Bunny’s quick-witted humor is authentic, smart, irreverent, and topical. In her disarming honeyed drawl, she astutely skewers political correctness, calls out gentrification outrage, spit-roasts politicians, taunts vaunted celebrities, and schools audiences on the unique legacy of New York City drag.
Lady Bunny’s comic genius can also be seen in films and television, most recently in “Wig,” the HBO Wigstock documentary made with Neil Patrick Harris, and the feature film, “Hurricane Bianca: From Russia with Hate.” She was the “Dean of Drag” on three seasons of “RuPaul’s Drag U,” has been roasted by Joan Rivers, roasted Pam on “The Comedy Central Roast Of Pamela Anderson,” and emceed the LGBT prom in one of the most popular episodes of “Sex and the City.”
Bunny DJs lavish fashion week affairs, corporate bashes, and private parties as well as–yes!–gay weddings and bar mitzvahs. Her specialty is nailing what your crowd wants to hear. As she always says, “Please give me requests because I’m spinning for your party and my goal is to get your ass the dance floor; I can play what I want at home!”
Guests go crazy when Bunny twirls from the DJ booth to join them on dance floor for an impromptu lip sync number. “So you’re basically hiring a DJ and a clown for the price of one!” she cracks. The annual Hamptons Charity Tea Dance for the LGBT Center latched onto Bunny as their regular DJ for over a decade, claiming that, “We’d been doing this event for years but Bunny was the first DJ to get our crowd to dance!”
As the in-house DJ for Visionaire and V magazine, Bunny has travelled the globe, spinning atop the Eiffel Tower, Tokyo’s Mori Tower, the Fendi Showroom in Milan, London’s Harvey Nichols, Van Cleef & Arpel’s 40th birthday bash in Paris. She even made history as the first DJ to ever spin at Paris’s palatial L’Opera Garnier. Of that night Bunny says, “I often giggle that even though I was the first, I was opening for a famous main floor DJ: He went on, and the dancefloor walked!” Back in New York City, Lady Bunny can be found DJing her long-running boogie in the basement, the “Disco Sundays” tea dance at The Monster.
Like many DJs, Bunny moved into songwriting and recording. In addition to writing and producing her outrageously funny pop song parodies, she has released several solo singles, including “Take Me Up High,” which hit #18 on the Billboard Dance Club Song Chart, and two duets with RuPaul—Throw Ya Hands Up” and “Lick it Lollipop.” Bunny’s currently in the studio working on new music.
From the dancefloor it was just a hooker-heeled hop to the art world. Lady Bunny performed original music and commentary in “The Tyranny of Consciousness (The Waning of Justice),” a scene-stealing installation by pioneering video artist Charles Atlas at the 2017 Venice Biennale. Art stars assume astro vivid focus chose Bunny to DJ in the center of their pop art roller boogie disco installation celebrating the 10th anniversary of the luxurious Faena Hotel in Buenos Aires. And after New York City home décor guru Jonathan Adler designed a Lady Bunny pitcher (“My mug’s on a jug!”) a few years ago, she was thrilled to be chosen as one of his muses for his original “Inspiration Points” AOL web series.
Lady Bunny has been photographed by Andy Warhol and many of the world’s most influential fashion photographers, including Francesco Scavullo, Mario Testino, Ellen Von Unwerth and most recently the duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin for V Magazine’s October 2020 “Thought Leaders” issue.
V, along with The Daily News and Time Out NY named Bunny as one of the most stylish New Yorkers. She has been featured in the glossiest of fashion magazines, from Vogue to W, Pop, Another and Luis Venegas’s Candy. Her shows have elicited rave reviews from The New Yorker and The New York Times. A writer herself, Bunny penned quips for Star Magazine’s “Worst of the Week” column for eight years and has interviewed numerous stars, including Scarlett Johansson, Marc Jacobs, Anohni (of Antony And The Johnsons fame) and Leigh Bowery for bygone gay fanzine Pansy Beat.
Lady Bunny can be seen co-starring with Flotilla DeBarge in “DAP,” the duo’s video parody of Cardi B’s “WAP.” Their relentlessly filthy version racked up over 100,000 views in its first week and cheered by fellow comedians Margaret Cho and Jenifer Lewis.
Since COVID-19, Bunny has appeared virtually at Boulder’s Fringe Festival, the Palm Springs International Comedy Festival and participated in Amazon Prime’s virtual LGBT “Pride Inside” Festival. She also launched her on-demand 35-minute comedy special, “Cuntageous,” in which she unveiled new parodies of Lizzo and Madonna hits and performed an insane cover of the Peggy Lee 1969 classic “Is That All There Is?” with punk drag rapper Christeene.
Up next, a new podcast with RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars 4 winner Monet X Change called “Ebony and Irony,” a new on-demand duet special with Bianca del Rio called “HHN: Hateful Hags Network,” and a deliciously demented holiday special downloadable starting December 2020.
A living drag legend, international sensation, razor-witted comic, fab DJ, and one kooky queen, the Lady Bunny experience can be summed up in her own words from V Magazine’s “Thought Leaders” issue: “My humor is outrageous, my look is over the top, and my politics are in your face. That’s just the way I am!”
LAST-MODIFIED:20250214T185103Z SEQUENCE:6398732 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2381 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250222T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250222T233000 UID:C1F67C7C-36B5-4BC2-A9AD-D954F00CCF56 SUMMARY:Ronnie Baker Brooks CREATED:20241015T155808Z DTSTAMP:20241015T155808Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/ronnie-baker-brooks DESCRIPTION:Ronnie Baker Brooks is Blues royalty– the son of Chicago Blues legend Lonnie Brooks– Ronnie has performed with some of the greatest Blues artists of our time, BB King, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Koko Taylor as well as Blues rock legend Eric Clapton. Ronnie was the headliner at the Chicago Blues Festival and plays major Festivals around the world. Ronnie recently teamed up with the legendary Chicago Blues label Alligator Records in a licensing deal to market and distribute his future recordings. Ronnie penned all of the songs on the new record and worked with legendary producer Jim Gaines (Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Miller). His newest album "Blues In My DNA" was released on October 11, 2024.\NHis history also includes being a special guest member of Big Head Todd & the Monsters on recording and tours over the past several years. They often write and perform together and they released a fantastic video single — “Remedy” as a duet with Big Head Todd & The Monsters.\NRonnie’s 2017 CD ‘ Times Have Changed’ is produced by Steve Jordan (John Mayer, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Stevie Wonder) and was recorded in Memphis at Royal Studios – home of Al Green and Hi Records.\NHe also is a featured artist on ‘Chicago Plays the Stones’ – a special ‘answer’ recording to the Rolling Stones ‘Blue & Lonesome’– that Mick Jagger & Keith Richards liked so much– they joined in the sessions as guests on their own classic songs! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Ronnie Baker Brooks is Blues royalty– the son of Chicago Blues legend Lonnie Brooks– Ronnie has performed with some of the greatest Blues artists of our time, BB King, Buddy Guy, Albert Collins, Koko Taylor as well as Blues rock legend Eric Clapton. Ronnie was the headliner at the Chicago Blues Festival and plays major Festivals around the world. Ronnie recently teamed up with the legendary Chicago Blues label Alligator Records in a licensing deal to market and distribute his future recordings. Ronnie penned all of the songs on the new record and worked with legendary producer Jim Gaines (Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Steve Miller). His newest album "Blues In My DNA" was released on October 11, 2024.
His history also includes being a special guest member of Big Head Todd & the Monsters on recording and tours over the past several years. They often write and perform together and they released a fantastic video single — “Remedy” as a duet with Big Head Todd & The Monsters.
Ronnie’s 2017 CD ‘ Times Have Changed’ is produced by Steve Jordan (John Mayer, Eric Clapton, Keith Richards, Stevie Wonder) and was recorded in Memphis at Royal Studios – home of Al Green and Hi Records.
He also is a featured artist on ‘Chicago Plays the Stones’ – a special ‘answer’ recording to the Rolling Stones ‘Blue & Lonesome’– that Mick Jagger & Keith Richards liked so much– they joined in the sessions as guests on their own classic songs!
LAST-MODIFIED:20250206T201555Z SEQUENCE:9865067 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2478 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-10-15 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250226T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250226T233000 UID:5C64E69A-6994-40DC-9392-0FFBE68268C6 SUMMARY:Eggy CREATED:20241112T172848Z DTSTAMP:20241112T172848Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/eggy-2 DESCRIPTION:Song by timeless song Eggy reaches out a hand, inviting you along as a great story unfolds. Eggy’s music traces the full spectrum of emotions, evoked by a life well-lived alongside friends well-loved.\NEggy formed from a high school dream into a full-fledged reality. Aligning together in 2016, the lineup of Alex Bailey (drums, vocals), Jake Brownstein (guitar, vocals), Mike Goodman (bass, vocals) and Dani Battat (keys, vocals) has captured the ears of listeners across the USA and beyond.\NFollowing the release of their 2019 debut record, Watercolor Days, the band has toured constantly, performing in over 40 states. Amidst their travels in 2021, Eggy stopped in Nashville to record two singles, released as Nashville Tapes the following year. Highlights from the band’s many eclectic shows have been handpicked by the band for consumption, including the most recent “Eggy Selects: Spring Tour 2023, Vol. 1).\NEggy’s upcoming record, “Waiting Game,” is set to arrive on September 6, 2024. Three singles (“A Moment’s Notice”, “Laurel” and “Gentle Clown”) have been released thus far. Co-produced by White Denim’s James Petralli, “Waiting Game” showcases the band’s artistry through a concentrated and refined studio approach as a compliment to their exploratory live shows. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Song by timeless song Eggy reaches out a hand, inviting you along as a great story unfolds. Eggy’s music traces the full spectrum of emotions, evoked by a life well-lived alongside friends well-loved.
Eggy formed from a high school dream into a full-fledged reality. Aligning together in 2016, the lineup of Alex Bailey (drums, vocals), Jake Brownstein (guitar, vocals), Mike Goodman (bass, vocals) and Dani Battat (keys, vocals) has captured the ears of listeners across the USA and beyond.
Following the release of their 2019 debut record, Watercolor Days, the band has toured constantly, performing in over 40 states. Amidst their travels in 2021, Eggy stopped in Nashville to record two singles, released as Nashville Tapes the following year. Highlights from the band’s many eclectic shows have been handpicked by the band for consumption, including the most recent “Eggy Selects: Spring Tour 2023, Vol. 1).
Eggy’s upcoming record, “Waiting Game,” is set to arrive on September 6, 2024. Three singles (“A Moment’s Notice”, “Laurel” and “Gentle Clown”) have been released thus far. Co-produced by White Denim’s James Petralli, “Waiting Game” showcases the band’s artistry through a concentrated and refined studio approach as a compliment to their exploratory live shows.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250214T185824Z SEQUENCE:8126976 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2954 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-11-12 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250228T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250228T233000 UID:A7D2C5A2-EA0C-4A34-A180-6325C36461A1 SUMMARY:Justin Townes Earle Tribute Show CREATED:20250122T230136Z DTSTAMP:20250122T230136Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/justin-townes-earle-tribute-show DESCRIPTION:"I think a lot of men are afraid of pretty things, I’m not, I like pretty songs." -Justin Townes Earle\NJustin Townes Earle was a singer, musician, entertainer and music historian. But the job title that meant the most to Earle was songwriter. Over the course of eight-full length albums and one E.P. that the Nashville-raised singer released during his lifetime, Earle wrote songs that explored the dark frailties and vulnerabilities of the human condition with an unrivaled honesty. It was Earle’s unsparing honesty that helped place the singer at the center of the next generation of artists surrounding the growing Americana and roots genres in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s.\NAs singer-songwriters ourselves, we want you to help celebrate an artist who always stayed true to himself no matter any cost. Justin was the pinnacle of the outlaw movement that couldn’t be controlled by the industry. He cultivated his art the way he saw it should be, and gained the respect of artists around the world. We wanted to celebrate him for being a guiding light in a dark world of industry control. So join us in honoring his legacy with songs from “Yuma” to “Saint Of Lost Causes” and songs from Sammy Brue’s upcoming record “The Journals” an album of songs Sammy has found and helped finish using Justin’s journals, gifted to him by his wife Jenn. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:"I think a lot of men are afraid of pretty things, I’m not, I like pretty songs." -Justin Townes Earle
Justin Townes Earle was a singer, musician, entertainer and music historian. But the job title that meant the most to Earle was songwriter. Over the course of eight-full length albums and one E.P. that the Nashville-raised singer released during his lifetime, Earle wrote songs that explored the dark frailties and vulnerabilities of the human condition with an unrivaled honesty. It was Earle’s unsparing honesty that helped place the singer at the center of the next generation of artists surrounding the growing Americana and roots genres in the late 2000’s and early 2010’s.
As singer-songwriters ourselves, we want you to help celebrate an artist who always stayed true to himself no matter any cost. Justin was the pinnacle of the outlaw movement that couldn’t be controlled by the industry. He cultivated his art the way he saw it should be, and gained the respect of artists around the world. We wanted to celebrate him for being a guiding light in a dark world of industry control. So join us in honoring his legacy with songs from “Yuma” to “Saint Of Lost Causes” and songs from Sammy Brue’s upcoming record “The Journals” an album of songs Sammy has found and helped finish using Justin’s journals, gifted to him by his wife Jenn.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250124T172122Z SEQUENCE:152386 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3018 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250305T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250305T233000 UID:A35071EE-F6AF-44EF-8BE2-06B1B104BFDB SUMMARY:The Handsome Family CREATED:20250115T160313Z DTSTAMP:20250115T160313Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-handsome-family DESCRIPTION:THE HANDSOME FAMILY (songwriting and marriage partners Brett and Rennie Sparks) have been defining the dark end of Americana for over 30 years. Brett writes the music and Rennie writes the words. Their work has been covered by many artists including Jeff Tweedy, Andrew Bird and Phoebe Bridgers. Their song “Far From Any Road” was the opening theme for HBO’s True Detective (season one) and still receives thousands of Shazams every week from all over the world.\NAsked to describe their music Brett says, “Western gothic” — music inspired by the abandoned strip malls of desert America where thorny weeds slowly reclaim the land. Handsome Family songs may be dark, but there’s always laughter on stage. Rennie sings as well as plays banjo and bass. She often introduces songs with seemingly unrelated stories. Brett, with his deep baritone and stentorian presence, is the undeniable center of stage. The two are joined on-stage by multi-instrumentalists Alex McMahon (electric guitar, pedal steel) and Jason Toth (percussion and Omnichord).\NThe Handsome Family’s latest record Hollow (Sept, 2023) began with a scream in the night. “One night around 4 a.m.,” Brett says. “Rennie started screaming in her sleep. She screamed, ‘Come into the circle Joseph! There’s no moon tonight.’ Scary as it was, I thought, man, that’s a good chorus!”\NHollow delves into the natural world at the edges of the man-made. It is a record lush with leaves and shadows and occult mystery. The dream-inspired “Joseph”is followed by the haunting “Two Black Shoes” which filters a Portishead groove through the highway motels, homeless encampments and McMansions of post-pandemic America. The album closes with “Good Night,” a lullaby that at once soothes and threatens. Brett sings, “Time for Santa to sharpen his claws / Time for skin walkers / Time for the saw…” \N“My proudest musical moments,” says Brett. “Are the check Richard Starkey wrote to buy all our cds and the words, “The Handsome Family” written in David Bowie’s last notebook. “There’s been a lot of smashed coffee cups in our house over the years,” Rennie says, “but we’re still unable to resist the urge to make music.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:THE HANDSOME FAMILY (songwriting and marriage partners Brett and Rennie Sparks) have been defining the dark end of Americana for over 30 years. Brett writes the music and Rennie writes the words. Their work has been covered by many artists including Jeff Tweedy, Andrew Bird and Phoebe Bridgers. Their song “Far From Any Road” was the opening theme for HBO’s True Detective (season one) and still receives thousands of Shazams every week from all over the world.
Asked to describe their music Brett says, “Western gothic” — music inspired by the abandoned strip malls of desert America where thorny weeds slowly reclaim the land. Handsome Family songs may be dark, but there’s always laughter on stage. Rennie sings as well as plays banjo and bass. She often introduces songs with seemingly unrelated stories. Brett, with his deep baritone and stentorian presence, is the undeniable center of stage. The two are joined on-stage by multi-instrumentalists Alex McMahon (electric guitar, pedal steel) and Jason Toth (percussion and Omnichord).
The Handsome Family’s latest record Hollow (Sept, 2023) began with a scream in the night. “One night around 4 a.m.,” Brett says. “Rennie started screaming in her sleep. She screamed, ‘Come into the circle Joseph! There’s no moon tonight.’ Scary as it was, I thought, man, that’s a good chorus!”
Hollow delves into the natural world at the edges of the man-made. It is a record lush with leaves and shadows and occult mystery. The dream-inspired “Joseph”is followed by the haunting “Two Black Shoes” which filters a Portishead groove through the highway motels, homeless encampments and McMansions of post-pandemic America. The album closes with “Good Night,” a lullaby that at once soothes and threatens. Brett sings, “Time for Santa to sharpen his claws / Time for skin walkers / Time for the saw…”
“My proudest musical moments,” says Brett. “Are the check Richard Starkey wrote to buy all our cds and the words, “The Handsome Family” written in David Bowie’s last notebook. “There’s been a lot of smashed coffee cups in our house over the years,” Rennie says, “but we’re still unable to resist the urge to make music.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20250128T231550Z SEQUENCE:1149157 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3752 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250312T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250312T210000 UID:2AFC02DF-AA68-4E91-8A2C-5FDAD1902DA8 SUMMARY:G. Love & Special Sauce CREATED:20241029T163521Z DTSTAMP:20241029T163521Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/g-love-special-sauce-2 DESCRIPTION:"I've been in the game a long time, but I've always considered myself a student," says G. Love. "Finishing this album with Keb Mo' felt like graduation."\NRecorded in Nashville with a slew of special guests including Robert Randolph, Marcus King, and Roosevelt Collier, 'The Juice' is indeed diploma-worthy. Co-produced and co-written with GRAMMY-winning icon Keb Mo,' it's an electrifying collection, one that tips its cap to more than a century of blues greats even as it offers its own distinctly modern pop spin on the genre, mixing programmed beats and hip-hop grooves with blistering guitar and sacred steel. G. Love's lyrics are both personal and political here, artfully balancing his appreciation for the simple joys in life with his obligation to speak out for justice and equality, and his performances are suitably riotous and rousing to match, with infectious call-and-response hooks and funky sing-along choruses at every turn. Easy as it is to succumb to cynicism these days, the songs on 'The Juice' refuse, insisting instead on hope and determination in the face of doubt and despair.\N"I've always tried to make music that's a force for positivity," G. Love explains. "It was important to me that this album be something that could empower the folks who are out there fighting the good fight every day. I wanted to make a rallying cry for empathy and unity."\NBorn Garrett Dutton in Philadelphia, PA, G. Love grew up equally enthralled with folk, blues, and rap, devouring everything from Lead Belly and Run D.M.C. to John Hammond and the Beastie Boys. After migrating to Boston, he and his band, Special Sauce, broke out in 1994 with their Gold-selling self-titled debut, which earned widespread critical acclaim for its bold vision and adventurous production. Over the next twenty-five years, G. Love would go on to release seven more similarly lauded studio studios albums with Special Sauce (plus four solo albums on his own), solidifying his place in music history as a genre-bending pioneer with a sound The New York Times described as "a new and urgent hybrid" and NPR called a "musical melting pot." G. Love's magnetic stage presence, meanwhile, made him a fixture on festival lineups from Bonnaroo to Lollapalooza, and his relentless appetite for tour and collaboration landed him on the road and in the studio with artists as diverse as Lucinda Williams, Dave Matthews, The Avett Brothers, Jack Johnson, and DJ Logic.\NWhile G. Love has covered considerable sonic ground during his prolific career, he's always found himself drawn back to the blues, and to one bluesman in particular.\N"Keb Mo' and I got signed to the same label at the same time back when I first started out, and we toured together early on in my career," G. Love remembers. "He used to introduce me onstage as 'a true American original,' and I could tell that he got a kick out of what I did. We didn't see each other for a while after that, but a few years ago we reconnected and did a co-headline tour, which was really special for me."\NTwo decades after they'd first hit the road together, the unlikely duo picked up right where they left off, and after a couple late-night jam sessions, G. Love pitched Keb Mo' on producing his next album. The pair decided to test the waters with a writing session first, teaming up with GRAMMY-winner Gary Nicholson (famed for his work with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Willie Nelson, and Ringo Starr among others) for a week in Nashville, where they penned a handful of tunes based on phrases G. Love had saved in his phone or rough demos he'd recorded at home on Cape Cod. Those tracks quickly became fan favorites on the road, and G. Love knew he was on to something special.\N"I got wrapped up in touring and in my Jamtown project with Donovan Frankenreiter and Cicso Adler after that first session, and even though I really enjoyed working with Keb Mo' and Gary, it was a year-and-a-half before I was able to get back down to Nashville to finish writing the album with them."\NWhen it came time to record, Keb Mo' was meticulous, working closely with G. Love in the studio on nearly every aspect of his performances. While G. Love was used to creating raw, loose albums by the seat of his pants, Keb Mo' worked in a much more deliberate, methodical fashion, building songs up like a hip-hop producer. He'd create a beat on his keyboard, lay down a bass line, and then coach G. Love through the tracks sometimes line-by-line.\N"He was always impressing on me where to place the emphasis and how to phrase my lyrics and guitar playing in relation to the beat," G. Love explains. "He'd tell me to sing like I had a shovel in my hands and I was digging on the one."\NThe resulting mix of G. Love's idiosyncratic style and Keb Mo's old-school influence proves intoxicating on 'The Juice,' which opens with the shuffling, anthemic title track. "We got the juice / We got the love / We got the dreams / We had enough," G. Love sings, setting the stage for an album all about recognizing your power to impact the world around you in ways both big and small. The infectious "Birmingham," for instance, is an ode to perseverance when , while the funky "Go Crazy" cuts loose in the face of our maddening 24-hour news cycle, and the relentless "Shake Your Hair" rattles off a head-spinning list of modern ills before declaring "donate, don't wait, spread love don't hate."\N"I've never been the kind of guy who thinks he's going to change the world with his guitar," reflects G. Love. "But maybe I can write the kind of songs that give strength and encouragement to the people who are out there doing the work to make this planet a better place. Those are the people I want to lift up with my music."\NWhen G. Love sings about making the world a better place, he's not just singing about politics, though, and 'The Juice' serves as a beautiful exploration of the ways we can brighten our own little worlds and the worlds of those we care about on a daily basis. The gritty "SoulBQue" is a celebration of community and friendship, while the rootsy "She's The Rock" pays tribute to all the little ways lovers can lift each other up, and the breezy "Diggin' Roots" spins cultivating a garden into a metaphor for the importance of tending to your home and family and neighbors.\N"I was going through a tough time in my life when I met my fiancé, but my whole world seemed to turn around after that," says G. Love. "I started meditating, we had a son, and we moved out to the Cape. That's when I stopped writing breakup songs and started writing love songs and family songs and friendship songs."\NLife is good for G. Love these days, and he's not taking a moment of it for granted. In fact, in just the past few years alone he's launched his own beer collaboration with Oregon's Good Life Brewery (The Juice IPA), started his own festival in Massachusetts (The Cape Cod Roots & Blues Festival), and founded his own record label, Philadelphonic, which he aims to use as an outlet for curating both music and visual art (the cover of 'The Juice' features a brand new work G. Love commissioned from renowned painter Greg Haberny).\N"I'm more inspired right now than I've ever been before," G. Love reflects. "I feel more thoughtful, seasoned, marinated, confident. I'm making the records I've always wanted to make."\NCue "Pomp and Circumstance." X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:"I've been in the game a long time, but I've always considered myself a student," says G. Love. "Finishing this album with Keb Mo' felt like graduation."
Recorded in Nashville with a slew of special guests including Robert Randolph, Marcus King, and Roosevelt Collier, 'The Juice' is indeed diploma-worthy. Co-produced and co-written with GRAMMY-winning icon Keb Mo,' it's an electrifying collection, one that tips its cap to more than a century of blues greats even as it offers its own distinctly modern pop spin on the genre, mixing programmed beats and hip-hop grooves with blistering guitar and sacred steel. G. Love's lyrics are both personal and political here, artfully balancing his appreciation for the simple joys in life with his obligation to speak out for justice and equality, and his performances are suitably riotous and rousing to match, with infectious call-and-response hooks and funky sing-along choruses at every turn. Easy as it is to succumb to cynicism these days, the songs on 'The Juice' refuse, insisting instead on hope and determination in the face of doubt and despair.
"I've always tried to make music that's a force for positivity," G. Love explains. "It was important to me that this album be something that could empower the folks who are out there fighting the good fight every day. I wanted to make a rallying cry for empathy and unity."
Born Garrett Dutton in Philadelphia, PA, G. Love grew up equally enthralled with folk, blues, and rap, devouring everything from Lead Belly and Run D.M.C. to John Hammond and the Beastie Boys. After migrating to Boston, he and his band, Special Sauce, broke out in 1994 with their Gold-selling self-titled debut, which earned widespread critical acclaim for its bold vision and adventurous production. Over the next twenty-five years, G. Love would go on to release seven more similarly lauded studio studios albums with Special Sauce (plus four solo albums on his own), solidifying his place in music history as a genre-bending pioneer with a sound The New York Times described as "a new and urgent hybrid" and NPR called a "musical melting pot." G. Love's magnetic stage presence, meanwhile, made him a fixture on festival lineups from Bonnaroo to Lollapalooza, and his relentless appetite for tour and collaboration landed him on the road and in the studio with artists as diverse as Lucinda Williams, Dave Matthews, The Avett Brothers, Jack Johnson, and DJ Logic.
While G. Love has covered considerable sonic ground during his prolific career, he's always found himself drawn back to the blues, and to one bluesman in particular.
"Keb Mo' and I got signed to the same label at the same time back when I first started out, and we toured together early on in my career," G. Love remembers. "He used to introduce me onstage as 'a true American original,' and I could tell that he got a kick out of what I did. We didn't see each other for a while after that, but a few years ago we reconnected and did a co-headline tour, which was really special for me."
Two decades after they'd first hit the road together, the unlikely duo picked up right where they left off, and after a couple late-night jam sessions, G. Love pitched Keb Mo' on producing his next album. The pair decided to test the waters with a writing session first, teaming up with GRAMMY-winner Gary Nicholson (famed for his work with B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Willie Nelson, and Ringo Starr among others) for a week in Nashville, where they penned a handful of tunes based on phrases G. Love had saved in his phone or rough demos he'd recorded at home on Cape Cod. Those tracks quickly became fan favorites on the road, and G. Love knew he was on to something special.
"I got wrapped up in touring and in my Jamtown project with Donovan Frankenreiter and Cicso Adler after that first session, and even though I really enjoyed working with Keb Mo' and Gary, it was a year-and-a-half before I was able to get back down to Nashville to finish writing the album with them."
When it came time to record, Keb Mo' was meticulous, working closely with G. Love in the studio on nearly every aspect of his performances. While G. Love was used to creating raw, loose albums by the seat of his pants, Keb Mo' worked in a much more deliberate, methodical fashion, building songs up like a hip-hop producer. He'd create a beat on his keyboard, lay down a bass line, and then coach G. Love through the tracks sometimes line-by-line.
"He was always impressing on me where to place the emphasis and how to phrase my lyrics and guitar playing in relation to the beat," G. Love explains. "He'd tell me to sing like I had a shovel in my hands and I was digging on the one."
The resulting mix of G. Love's idiosyncratic style and Keb Mo's old-school influence proves intoxicating on 'The Juice,' which opens with the shuffling, anthemic title track. "We got the juice / We got the love / We got the dreams / We had enough," G. Love sings, setting the stage for an album all about recognizing your power to impact the world around you in ways both big and small. The infectious "Birmingham," for instance, is an ode to perseverance when , while the funky "Go Crazy" cuts loose in the face of our maddening 24-hour news cycle, and the relentless "Shake Your Hair" rattles off a head-spinning list of modern ills before declaring "donate, don't wait, spread love don't hate."
"I've never been the kind of guy who thinks he's going to change the world with his guitar," reflects G. Love. "But maybe I can write the kind of songs that give strength and encouragement to the people who are out there doing the work to make this planet a better place. Those are the people I want to lift up with my music."
When G. Love sings about making the world a better place, he's not just singing about politics, though, and 'The Juice' serves as a beautiful exploration of the ways we can brighten our own little worlds and the worlds of those we care about on a daily basis. The gritty "SoulBQue" is a celebration of community and friendship, while the rootsy "She's The Rock" pays tribute to all the little ways lovers can lift each other up, and the breezy "Diggin' Roots" spins cultivating a garden into a metaphor for the importance of tending to your home and family and neighbors.
"I was going through a tough time in my life when I met my fiancé, but my whole world seemed to turn around after that," says G. Love. "I started meditating, we had a son, and we moved out to the Cape. That's when I stopped writing breakup songs and started writing love songs and family songs and friendship songs."
Life is good for G. Love these days, and he's not taking a moment of it for granted. In fact, in just the past few years alone he's launched his own beer collaboration with Oregon's Good Life Brewery (The Juice IPA), started his own festival in Massachusetts (The Cape Cod Roots & Blues Festival), and founded his own record label, Philadelphonic, which he aims to use as an outlet for curating both music and visual art (the cover of 'The Juice' features a brand new work G. Love commissioned from renowned painter Greg Haberny).
"I'm more inspired right now than I've ever been before," G. Love reflects. "I feel more thoughtful, seasoned, marinated, confident. I'm making the records I've always wanted to make."
Cue "Pomp and Circumstance."
LAST-MODIFIED:20250304T171253Z SEQUENCE:10888652 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3691 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-10-29 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250314T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250314T233000 UID:2FC76029-5AF2-4AF9-96A7-2D2B2A9A1F9D SUMMARY:Exes and O's Live with Shannon Beveridge CREATED:20241119T171324Z DTSTAMP:20241119T171324Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/exes-and-os-live-with-shannon-beveridge DESCRIPTION:Recognizing the need for diverse representation in entertainment, Shannon has made it her mission as a storyteller to represent the LGBTQIA+ community through her work. Shannon hosts a weekly video podcast called exes & o's where she talks about queer relationships and sex with a rotating influential queer guest. While she loves creating her own content, she also directs and produces music videos for artists like Joy Oladokun, Alyson Stoner, and Fletcher, and photographs artists like Ariana Grande, The Beaches, and Zolita. She's also produced some stunning narrative shorts and has received several awards for her work. Shannon hopes to continue her mission to foster an inclusive future for everyone. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Recognizing the need for diverse representation in entertainment, Shannon has made it her mission as a storyteller to represent the LGBTQIA+ community through her work. Shannon hosts a weekly video podcast called exes & o's where she talks about queer relationships and sex with a rotating influential queer guest. While she loves creating her own content, she also directs and produces music videos for artists like Joy Oladokun, Alyson Stoner, and Fletcher, and photographs artists like Ariana Grande, The Beaches, and Zolita. She's also produced some stunning narrative shorts and has received several awards for her work. Shannon hopes to continue her mission to foster an inclusive future for everyone.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250227T230133Z SEQUENCE:8660889 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3314 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250315T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250315T233000 UID:E61AC56D-DABB-4BA2-9494-CF22BCBD08C0 SUMMARY:Sue Foley CREATED:20241216T233653Z DTSTAMP:20241216T233653Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/sue-foley DESCRIPTION:Save the date! The Canadian blues ingenue turned Texas axe slinger brings over 35 years of professional talent to The State stage. 2025 Grammy® nominee, Sue Foley delivers her own brand of high energy, guitar driven Texas blues along with her band. Foley’s seasoned rhythm section responds to her every move as she sways, rocks, and digs in deep with equal parts ease and intensity. In May 2024, Foley was awarded the Blues Music Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist (Koko Taylor Award) in Memphis - an award she also won consecutively in 2023, 2022 and 2020. She was also honored with Guitarist of the Year and Blues Act of the Year at the 2023 Austin Music Awards, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Maple Blues Awards. Her album, Pinky’s Blues, took home Best Traditional Blues Album at the 2022 Blues Music Awards. "Foley continues to cement her place as one of the leading torchbearers of the blues tradition. Male or female." –Nick Cristiano, Rock and Blues Muse “Sue Foley has a way of making the blues explode from the bandstand, no matter the song or style. She imbues everything she plays with the living truth.”–Bill Bentley, Americana Highways “Lively it is!...Straight from the hip and from the heart groovaliciousness. Rock on!”–Billy F Gibbons, ZZ TOP “Canada’s greatest blues guitarist.”–Brad Wheeler, Toronto Globe and Mail X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Save the date! The Canadian blues ingenue turned Texas axe slinger brings over 35 years of professional talent to The State stage. 2025 Grammy® nominee, Sue Foley delivers her own brand of high energy, guitar driven Texas blues along with her band. Foley’s seasoned rhythm section responds to her every move as she sways, rocks, and digs in deep with equal parts ease and intensity. In May 2024, Foley was awarded the Blues Music Award for Traditional Blues Female Artist (Koko Taylor Award) in Memphis - an award she also won consecutively in 2023, 2022 and 2020. She was also honored with Guitarist of the Year and Blues Act of the Year at the 2023 Austin Music Awards, and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Maple Blues Awards. Her album, Pinky’s Blues, took home Best Traditional Blues Album at the 2022 Blues Music Awards. "Foley continues to cement her place as one of the leading torchbearers of the blues tradition. Male or female." –Nick Cristiano, Rock and Blues Muse “Sue Foley has a way of making the blues explode from the bandstand, no matter the song or style. She imbues everything she plays with the living truth.”–Bill Bentley, Americana Highways “Lively it is!...Straight from the hip and from the heart groovaliciousness. Rock on!”–Billy F Gibbons, ZZ TOP “Canada’s greatest blues guitarist.”–Brad Wheeler, Toronto Globe and Mail
LAST-MODIFIED:20241220T173839Z SEQUENCE:324106 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3212 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-12-17 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250321T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250321T233000 UID:79048054-F330-4A56-836D-70BEF972B354 SUMMARY:WIA PechaKucha CREATED:20250210T205437Z DTSTAMP:20250210T205437Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/wia-pechakucha DESCRIPTION:PechaKucha is a free online and offline global storytelling platform that celebrates people, passion, and creative thought. Our users share ideas and connect with others visually, concisely and memorably. We are redefining authentic human connectivity through inclusive social engagement and technology. The PechaKucha 20x20 presentation format is a slide show of 20 images, each auto-advancing after 20 seconds. It’s non-stop and you've got 400 seconds to tell your story, with visuals guiding the way. PechaKucha was created in Japan in 2003 by renowned architects, Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham. The word “PechaKucha” is Japanese for “chit chat.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:PechaKucha is a free online and offline global storytelling platform that celebrates people, passion, and creative thought. Our users share ideas and connect with others visually, concisely and memorably. We are redefining authentic human connectivity through inclusive social engagement and technology. The PechaKucha 20x20 presentation format is a slide show of 20 images, each auto-advancing after 20 seconds. It’s non-stop and you've got 400 seconds to tell your story, with visuals guiding the way. PechaKucha was created in Japan in 2003 by renowned architects, Astrid Klein and Mark Dytham. The word “PechaKucha” is Japanese for “chit chat.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20250303T181532Z SEQUENCE:1804855 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1831 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-02-11 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250323T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250323T233000 UID:C3F19ED4-31FE-4517-B7EF-404F3F907301 SUMMARY:Big Richard CREATED:20241205T173814Z DTSTAMP:20241205T173814Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/big-richard-3 DESCRIPTION:The world-class musicians in Big Richard initially convened in 2021 for a festival date, the quartet showed up to the one-off like it had been together for years and quickly graduated to club shows and dates. The musicians siphon from bluegrass, old time, classical, country, and pop. Bursting with jaw-dropping virtuosity; playfully irreverent stage banter; stunning four-part harmony; imaginative arrangements; a refreshingly eclectic repertoire; and a healthy dose of lady rage, Big Richard is poised to penetrate the Americana music world and beyond. \NTo date, the quartet has issued 3 singles, the Live from Telluride album, and it has new music on the way. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The world-class musicians in Big Richard initially convened in 2021 for a festival date, the quartet showed up to the one-off like it had been together for years and quickly graduated to club shows and dates. The musicians siphon from bluegrass, old time, classical, country, and pop. Bursting with jaw-dropping virtuosity; playfully irreverent stage banter; stunning four-part harmony; imaginative arrangements; a refreshingly eclectic repertoire; and a healthy dose of lady rage, Big Richard is poised to penetrate the Americana music world and beyond.
To date, the quartet has issued 3 singles, the Live from Telluride album, and it has new music on the way.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250312T220856Z SEQUENCE:8397042 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3157 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-12-06 19:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250327T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250327T233000 UID:8567826C-C514-45C3-B47F-103729D9606E SUMMARY:Jake Xerxes Fussell CREATED:20250122T233306Z DTSTAMP:20250122T233306Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jake-xerxes-fussell DESCRIPTION:Jake Xerxes Fussell is a singer, guitarist, and composer based in Durham, NC. His intuitive creative process often draws from traditional music and archival field recordings - incorporating elements of songs from the past into new work. He is, according to Ann Powers of NPR, "maybe the leading interpreter of American folk music right now..." \NFussell’s most recent album When I’m Called was released to critical acclaim by Fat Possum Records in the summer of 2024. The album was produced by James Elkington and features Blake Mills (guitars), Ben Whiteley (bass), and Joe Westerlund (drums), along with additional vocals from Joan Shelley and Robin Holcomb.\NFussell and Elkington also wrote and recorded the music for Rebuilding, a new feature film directed by Max Walker-Silverman that is set to premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. \N“Fussell’s music often comes with complex citations; he is a folksinger in the truest sense, collecting ideas and melodies and lyrics from distant and disparate traditions, looking for the things that unite us in our humanity.” - The New Yorker\N“(Fussell) is one of the great magpies of American song, collecting forgotten, tarnished gems with a folklorist’s zeal… his renditions aren’t so much cover versions as composites…” – The Guardian X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Jake Xerxes Fussell is a singer, guitarist, and composer based in Durham, NC. His intuitive creative process often draws from traditional music and archival field recordings - incorporating elements of songs from the past into new work. He is, according to Ann Powers of NPR, "maybe the leading interpreter of American folk music right now..."
Fussell’s most recent album When I’m Called was released to critical acclaim by Fat Possum Records in the summer of 2024. The album was produced by James Elkington and features Blake Mills (guitars), Ben Whiteley (bass), and Joe Westerlund (drums), along with additional vocals from Joan Shelley and Robin Holcomb.
Fussell and Elkington also wrote and recorded the music for Rebuilding, a new feature film directed by Max Walker-Silverman that is set to premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
“Fussell’s music often comes with complex citations; he is a folksinger in the truest sense, collecting ideas and melodies and lyrics from distant and disparate traditions, looking for the things that unite us in our humanity.” - The New Yorker
“(Fussell) is one of the great magpies of American song, collecting forgotten, tarnished gems with a folklorist’s zeal… his renditions aren’t so much cover versions as composites…” – The Guardian
LAST-MODIFIED:20250305T224618Z SEQUENCE:3625992 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1916 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250328T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250328T233000 UID:E0F04880-7DF7-4C05-AD8B-0B8595D6EA74 SUMMARY:Vincent Neil Emerson CREATED:20241213T213629Z DTSTAMP:20241213T213629Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/vincent-neil-emerson-2 DESCRIPTION:Vincent Neil Emerson has become a staple among folk and country music fans nationwide, celebrated for his honest tales of life on the road, heartbreak, and struggles of all sorts. His first LP, Fried Chicken & Evil Women, from 2019, established him as a refreshing voice in the modern country music landscape. The songs from that first album were charming and playful songs, but didn't reveal the entirety of Emerson's story.\NOn his brilliant new album, The Golden Crystal Kingdom, Emerson transcends the role of a honky-tonk country singer and becomes a chronicler of his history. The album is a bold continuation of the story he tells on Vincent Neil Emerson, with songs like the title track exploring the feelings he was left with after his days spent playing in Texas honky-tonks and dancehalls, and the track "The Time of The Rambler," inspired by the early days of living in his car and busking on the streets.\NHe was born and partly raised in East Texas, around his Choctaw-Apache family, and spent most of his life moving around the state. Raised by a single mother, he lost his father to suicide when he was nine. Emerson dealt with those feelings of abandonment and loss on his self-titled album, with the track "Learning to Drown" in particular.\NHis grandmother and grandfather brought the family to Texas when Emerson's mother was a child, leaving their ancestral Choctaw-Apache homelands in Louisiana behind to try and build a better life for themselves and their children. Emerson always identified with his Native American roots, but it wasn't until 2021's self-titled album that he examined and tried to shed light on the devastating history of his tribe with the song "Ballad of the Choctaw Apache."\NSonically, The Golden Crystal Kingdom finds Emerson expanding his scope into rock and roll territory, tapping into the storied sounds of folk music gone electric, and following in the footsteps of artists like Bob Dylan and Neil Young. On the album, Emerson retains his diamond-sharp storytelling while imbuing the work with a freewheeling rock and roll aesthetic, creating an album as fun as his live shows and as cathartic as his previous work.\NWith production from Shooter Jennings, Emerson wanted to establish some sounds as touchstones but emphasized following his own intuition for the aesthetics of his record. "I didn't really want to model this record after anybody else's music, but I've been heavily influenced by a lot of old rock and roll music from the sixties and seventies singer-songwriter music," Emerson explains.\NThe album wasn't necessarily created as an opposing force to the country and folk sounds his fans have come to expect, but he did want to make a record that showcased another side of himself as a writer. He also leaned on friends and collaborators like Jennings, Steve Earle, and Rodney Crowell to help him flesh out this album.\NEmerson has been able to call these one-time heroes friends and mentors, and it is these relationships that have helped the songwriter find his confidence in writing about his personal history and standing up for the causes he believes in. Emerson wrote "Man From Uvalde" after the horrific and tragic mass shooting in the city of Uvalde, Texas, and he was initially hesitant to include the track on The Golden Crystal Kingdom. "It's a daunting thing to try to dive into social issues in songwriting because I wasn't sure how people would really take it," Emerson says. "I recorded a rough demo version of the song, and I sent it to Steve [Earle]. I just wanted to get his thoughts on it and see if it was worth anything. He got back to me, and he said he really liked the song and thought it was great. He gave me a few ideas and ways to look at the subject differently, and it really helped me finish the song. That encouragement gave me the confidence to include it on the album."\NThe Golden Crystal Kingdom also pays tribute to some of the peers Emerson cut his teeth with in the music scene. He covers the Charley Crockett song, "Time of the Cottonwood Trees," and is quick to pay tribute to his labelmate and dear friend Colter Wall. "Those two had my back since day one. They've been some of my biggest supporters, and they've always inspired me to write better songs and encouraged me to pursue this," Emerson reflects. "Especially at a time when I was starting out and I didn't really have a lot of encouragement or even self-confidence to do this, they were always there for me."\NAs a kid who grew up in a trailer with a single mother, went through bouts of homelessness as a young man, and grinded through countless shows to get where he's at, Vincent Neil Emerson is never quick to praise his own work ethic. He always refers to the friends, family members, and collaborators who have shown their faith in his vision.\NBut humility doesn't mean Emerson isn't one of the hardest working, most talented songwriters to emerge from the alt-country underground in years. His style is one of a kind, and his ability to blend tales of the everyman with tributes to his past, present, and future make him a peerless songwriter. On The Golden Crystal Kingdom, Vincent Neil Emerson carries on the torch of his singer-songwriter forebears while infusing the legacy with his unique and thrilling point of view. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Vincent Neil Emerson has become a staple among folk and country music fans nationwide, celebrated for his honest tales of life on the road, heartbreak, and struggles of all sorts. His first LP, Fried Chicken & Evil Women, from 2019, established him as a refreshing voice in the modern country music landscape. The songs from that first album were charming and playful songs, but didn't reveal the entirety of Emerson's story.
On his brilliant new album, The Golden Crystal Kingdom, Emerson transcends the role of a honky-tonk country singer and becomes a chronicler of his history. The album is a bold continuation of the story he tells on Vincent Neil Emerson, with songs like the title track exploring the feelings he was left with after his days spent playing in Texas honky-tonks and dancehalls, and the track "The Time of The Rambler," inspired by the early days of living in his car and busking on the streets.
He was born and partly raised in East Texas, around his Choctaw-Apache family, and spent most of his life moving around the state. Raised by a single mother, he lost his father to suicide when he was nine. Emerson dealt with those feelings of abandonment and loss on his self-titled album, with the track "Learning to Drown" in particular.
His grandmother and grandfather brought the family to Texas when Emerson's mother was a child, leaving their ancestral Choctaw-Apache homelands in Louisiana behind to try and build a better life for themselves and their children. Emerson always identified with his Native American roots, but it wasn't until 2021's self-titled album that he examined and tried to shed light on the devastating history of his tribe with the song "Ballad of the Choctaw Apache."
Sonically, The Golden Crystal Kingdom finds Emerson expanding his scope into rock and roll territory, tapping into the storied sounds of folk music gone electric, and following in the footsteps of artists like Bob Dylan and Neil Young. On the album, Emerson retains his diamond-sharp storytelling while imbuing the work with a freewheeling rock and roll aesthetic, creating an album as fun as his live shows and as cathartic as his previous work.
With production from Shooter Jennings, Emerson wanted to establish some sounds as touchstones but emphasized following his own intuition for the aesthetics of his record. "I didn't really want to model this record after anybody else's music, but I've been heavily influenced by a lot of old rock and roll music from the sixties and seventies singer-songwriter music," Emerson explains.
The album wasn't necessarily created as an opposing force to the country and folk sounds his fans have come to expect, but he did want to make a record that showcased another side of himself as a writer. He also leaned on friends and collaborators like Jennings, Steve Earle, and Rodney Crowell to help him flesh out this album.
Emerson has been able to call these one-time heroes friends and mentors, and it is these relationships that have helped the songwriter find his confidence in writing about his personal history and standing up for the causes he believes in. Emerson wrote "Man From Uvalde" after the horrific and tragic mass shooting in the city of Uvalde, Texas, and he was initially hesitant to include the track on The Golden Crystal Kingdom. "It's a daunting thing to try to dive into social issues in songwriting because I wasn't sure how people would really take it," Emerson says. "I recorded a rough demo version of the song, and I sent it to Steve [Earle]. I just wanted to get his thoughts on it and see if it was worth anything. He got back to me, and he said he really liked the song and thought it was great. He gave me a few ideas and ways to look at the subject differently, and it really helped me finish the song. That encouragement gave me the confidence to include it on the album."
The Golden Crystal Kingdom also pays tribute to some of the peers Emerson cut his teeth with in the music scene. He covers the Charley Crockett song, "Time of the Cottonwood Trees," and is quick to pay tribute to his labelmate and dear friend Colter Wall. "Those two had my back since day one. They've been some of my biggest supporters, and they've always inspired me to write better songs and encouraged me to pursue this," Emerson reflects. "Especially at a time when I was starting out and I didn't really have a lot of encouragement or even self-confidence to do this, they were always there for me."
As a kid who grew up in a trailer with a single mother, went through bouts of homelessness as a young man, and grinded through countless shows to get where he's at, Vincent Neil Emerson is never quick to praise his own work ethic. He always refers to the friends, family members, and collaborators who have shown their faith in his vision.
But humility doesn't mean Emerson isn't one of the hardest working, most talented songwriters to emerge from the alt-country underground in years. His style is one of a kind, and his ability to blend tales of the everyman with tributes to his past, present, and future make him a peerless songwriter. On The Golden Crystal Kingdom, Vincent Neil Emerson carries on the torch of his singer-songwriter forebears while infusing the legacy with his unique and thrilling point of view.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250325T191223Z SEQUENCE:8804154 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3437 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-12-16 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250329T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250329T233000 UID:F7BFE708-F4F1-4D2C-8EA3-86AC9C076027 SUMMARY:50 Years of Bob Dylan 'Blood On The Tracks' CREATED:20250127T203553Z DTSTAMP:20250127T203553Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/50-years-of-bob-dylan-blood-on-the-tracks DESCRIPTION:It's been half a century since Bob Dylan released his landmark album Blood On The Tracks. Come celebrate by hearing an all-star band (members of Neon Trees, The Hollering Pines, The Lower Lights, The Madison Arm) with a roster of fantastic Americana and indie rock singers—Sammy Brue, Michelle Moonshine, Robert Loud, Cory Mon, Morgan Snow, Marcus Bently, M Horton Smith, Julianne Brough, Paul Jacobsen, and more— play the whole album start-to-finish (plus nearly a dozen other Dylan hits). Brought to you by the same folks who put together the Tom Petty/Wildflowers, Neil Young/Harvest, Weezer/Blue Album tribute shows. Don’t miss this chance to hear the album Rolling Stone magazine called one of the top 10 albums of all time. How does it feeeeeeeee-eeeee-eeeel? X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:It's been half a century since Bob Dylan released his landmark album Blood On The Tracks. Come celebrate by hearing an all-star band (members of Neon Trees, The Hollering Pines, The Lower Lights, The Madison Arm) with a roster of fantastic Americana and indie rock singers—Sammy Brue, Michelle Moonshine, Robert Loud, Cory Mon, Morgan Snow, Marcus Bently, M Horton Smith, Julianne Brough, Paul Jacobsen, and more— play the whole album start-to-finish (plus nearly a dozen other Dylan hits). Brought to you by the same folks who put together the Tom Petty/Wildflowers, Neil Young/Harvest, Weezer/Blue Album tribute shows. Don’t miss this chance to hear the album Rolling Stone magazine called one of the top 10 albums of all time. How does it feeeeeeeee-eeeee-eeeel?
LAST-MODIFIED:20250205T202353Z SEQUENCE:776880 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4963 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-01-28 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250330T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250330T233000 UID:01FCBA80-8975-45D2-8E4B-96272E099F19 SUMMARY:Faetooth CREATED:20250121T161533Z DTSTAMP:20250121T161533Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/faetooth DESCRIPTION:Faetooth is a three-piece “fairy doom” band hailing from Los Angeles, CA. The group comprises Ari May as guitarist and vocalist, Jenna Garcia as bassist and vocalist, and Rah Kanan on drums. Formed in 2019, the group sought to navigate personal vulnerability and musical experimentation by delving deep into the nature of self, the beauty inherent in the natural world, and the captivating mysteries surrounding us.\NDrawing inspiration from doom metal, black metal, shoegaze, and sludge, the term “fairy-doom” aptly characterizes their distinctive fusion of sounds. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Faetooth is a three-piece “fairy doom” band hailing from Los Angeles, CA. The group comprises Ari May as guitarist and vocalist, Jenna Garcia as bassist and vocalist, and Rah Kanan on drums. Formed in 2019, the group sought to navigate personal vulnerability and musical experimentation by delving deep into the nature of self, the beauty inherent in the natural world, and the captivating mysteries surrounding us.
Drawing inspiration from doom metal, black metal, shoegaze, and sludge, the term “fairy-doom” aptly characterizes their distinctive fusion of sounds.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250303T174850Z SEQUENCE:3547997 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3170 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-01-21 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250401T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250401T233000 UID:44019425-F745-4BD9-8F98-4F57C1094C4B SUMMARY:True Loves CREATED:20250107T170804Z DTSTAMP:20250107T170804Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/true-loves DESCRIPTION:Listening to the abundant sounds of the Seattle-based funk & soul group, True Loves, is like walking down a favorite neighborhood street, slapping five with friends, checking up with clerks in their stores, and smelling the familiar scents of your most cherished locale. The band is its own block party.\NWhat began in 2014 as a jam session between three of the city’s best - drummer David McGraw, bassist Bryant Moore, and guitarist Jimmy James - has since blossomed into a global force that features percussionist Iván Galvez, trombonist Greg Kramer, and saxophonists Gordon Brown and Skerik. Together, the group’s live performances have garnered them much acclaim and millions of streams on YouTube.\NIn 2017, True Loves recorded their debut instrumental LP, Famous Last Words, which received worldwide adulation, earning them performances at coveted music festivals. In 2018, the group released the "Dapper Derp/Kabuki" 45' on WeCoast Records followed by 2019's Colemine Records "Famous Last Words/Mary Pop Poppins" 45 single. The band released their sophomore album "Sunday Afternoon" in 2021, on Color Red Music. 2024 saw the band release their latest "Good Weed and Red Wine" followed by their second European tour. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Listening to the abundant sounds of the Seattle-based funk & soul group, True Loves, is like walking down a favorite neighborhood street, slapping five with friends, checking up with clerks in their stores, and smelling the familiar scents of your most cherished locale. The band is its own block party.
What began in 2014 as a jam session between three of the city’s best - drummer David McGraw, bassist Bryant Moore, and guitarist Jimmy James - has since blossomed into a global force that features percussionist Iván Galvez, trombonist Greg Kramer, and saxophonists Gordon Brown and Skerik. Together, the group’s live performances have garnered them much acclaim and millions of streams on YouTube.
In 2017, True Loves recorded their debut instrumental LP, Famous Last Words, which received worldwide adulation, earning them performances at coveted music festivals. In 2018, the group released the "Dapper Derp/Kabuki" 45' on WeCoast Records followed by 2019's Colemine Records "Famous Last Words/Mary Pop Poppins" 45 single. The band released their sophomore album "Sunday Afternoon" in 2021, on Color Red Music. 2024 saw the band release their latest "Good Weed and Red Wine" followed by their second European tour.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250312T182117Z SEQUENCE:5533993 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3980 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250404T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250404T233000 UID:0F24B243-FD73-416E-8DDB-E75CE4F9CE7B SUMMARY:Rhythm Future Quartet CREATED:20250123T153821Z DTSTAMP:20250123T153821Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/rhythm-future-quartet DESCRIPTION:“Rhythm Future Quartet breaks new ground for Gypsy jazz” –The Boston Globe"\NRhythm Future Quartet and Friends highlights each member’s dazzling technique and improvisational profundity, as well as the group’s equally rapt interplay" -JazzTimes\N“…worthiest current day successors to the legacy of the great Django” -The Wall Street Journal\NThe acoustic jazz ensemble, Rhythm Future Quartet has a straightforward agenda: to keep the spirit of Gypsy jazz alive and expanding in today’s musical universe. The virtuosic foursome, named for a Django Reinhardt tune, offers up a newly minted sound, influenced by the classic Hot Club of France, yet wholly contemporary. Founded by violinist Jason Anick, the quartet performs dynamic and lyrical arrangements of both Gypsy jazz standards and original compositions that draw upon diverse international rhythms and musical idioms. With Max O’Rourke, Henry Acker, and Greg Loughman rounding out the quartet, Rhythm Future is dedicated to expanding the boundaries of a vital musical genre.The Fall of 2018 marked the release of their newest album, “Rhythm Future Quartet and Friends”, which features the critically acclaimed singer Cyrille Aimée, brazil’s top bandolimist Hamilton de Holanda, and world-renowned guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg. While maintaining the effervescent lilt, virtuosic musicianship and adventurous musical leanings of their previous recordings, Rhythm Future Quartet and Travels (picked as one of the best jazz albums of 2016 by All About Jazz and the Huffington Post), RFQ and Friends brings vibrant new colors to the mix. JazzTimes Magazine stated, "RFQ and Friends is packed to the gills with feeling and remains consistently dynamic, full of virtuosity and swing." With its arresting blend of Hot Club of France styled string jazz, Brazilian and East European idioms, original compositions and hints of classical music, the album marks a significant moment in the growth of a continually evolving ensemble. (And one with continually increasing popularity: the quartet’s version of Django’s "Minor Swing" has over four million views on YouTube, while their video clip of "Bushwick Stomp" from Travels has over three million Facebook views.)Jason Anick, an award-winning composer and violin professor at the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston, has shared the stage with an array of artists including Grammy award winning guitarist John Jorgenson, Stevie Wonder, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and Tommy Emmanuel. Henry Acker is a young powerhouse jazz guitarist who performs both in the style of Django Reinhardt as well as traditional jazz. A child prodigy who began playing at age 8 and performing professionally at age 9, his talent and abilities have developed into nothing short of astonishing. Henry has already shared the stage with jazz greats Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola, Julian Lage, Bireli Lagrene and Vic Juris. He is a five-time winner of the Downbeat Magazine Student Award for jazz guitar soloist. Guitarist Max O’Rourke, was the winner of the 2015 Saga Award from DjangoFest Northwest and at 22 has already toured/recorded with many of the top American Gypsy Jazz musicians including John Jorgenson and Gonzalo Bergara. Greg Loughman is a top call bassist in Boston and has been heard with such luminaries as Sheila Jordan, Curtis Fuller and George Garzone. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“Rhythm Future Quartet breaks new ground for Gypsy jazz” –The Boston Globe"
Rhythm Future Quartet and Friends highlights each member’s dazzling technique and improvisational profundity, as well as the group’s equally rapt interplay" -JazzTimes
“…worthiest current day successors to the legacy of the great Django” -The Wall Street Journal
The acoustic jazz ensemble, Rhythm Future Quartet has a straightforward agenda: to keep the spirit of Gypsy jazz alive and expanding in today’s musical universe. The virtuosic foursome, named for a Django Reinhardt tune, offers up a newly minted sound, influenced by the classic Hot Club of France, yet wholly contemporary. Founded by violinist Jason Anick, the quartet performs dynamic and lyrical arrangements of both Gypsy jazz standards and original compositions that draw upon diverse international rhythms and musical idioms. With Max O’Rourke, Henry Acker, and Greg Loughman rounding out the quartet, Rhythm Future is dedicated to expanding the boundaries of a vital musical genre.The Fall of 2018 marked the release of their newest album, “Rhythm Future Quartet and Friends”, which features the critically acclaimed singer Cyrille Aimée, brazil’s top bandolimist Hamilton de Holanda, and world-renowned guitarist Stochelo Rosenberg. While maintaining the effervescent lilt, virtuosic musicianship and adventurous musical leanings of their previous recordings, Rhythm Future Quartet and Travels (picked as one of the best jazz albums of 2016 by All About Jazz and the Huffington Post), RFQ and Friends brings vibrant new colors to the mix. JazzTimes Magazine stated, "RFQ and Friends is packed to the gills with feeling and remains consistently dynamic, full of virtuosity and swing." With its arresting blend of Hot Club of France styled string jazz, Brazilian and East European idioms, original compositions and hints of classical music, the album marks a significant moment in the growth of a continually evolving ensemble. (And one with continually increasing popularity: the quartet’s version of Django’s "Minor Swing" has over four million views on YouTube, while their video clip of "Bushwick Stomp" from Travels has over three million Facebook views.)Jason Anick, an award-winning composer and violin professor at the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston, has shared the stage with an array of artists including Grammy award winning guitarist John Jorgenson, Stevie Wonder, The Jim Kweskin Jug Band, and Tommy Emmanuel. Henry Acker is a young powerhouse jazz guitarist who performs both in the style of Django Reinhardt as well as traditional jazz. A child prodigy who began playing at age 8 and performing professionally at age 9, his talent and abilities have developed into nothing short of astonishing. Henry has already shared the stage with jazz greats Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola, Julian Lage, Bireli Lagrene and Vic Juris. He is a five-time winner of the Downbeat Magazine Student Award for jazz guitar soloist. Guitarist Max O’Rourke, was the winner of the 2015 Saga Award from DjangoFest Northwest and at 22 has already toured/recorded with many of the top American Gypsy Jazz musicians including John Jorgenson and Gonzalo Bergara. Greg Loughman is a top call bassist in Boston and has been heard with such luminaries as Sheila Jordan, Curtis Fuller and George Garzone.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250127T195710Z SEQUENCE:361129 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2388 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250408T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250408T233000 UID:56C15D21-7AF0-4313-A831-5D64EAB33924 SUMMARY:Ghost-Note CREATED:20241029T164418Z DTSTAMP:20241029T164418Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/ghost-note DESCRIPTION:Ghost-Note’s new album Mustard N’ Onions is due out April 19, 2024, via Artistry Music/Mack Avenue Music Group.\NHeaded by Snarky Puppy’s multi-GRAMMY–winning percussion duo of Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth, Ghost-Note is an explosion of sound. With an expansive roster of next-level musicians—featuring members of Prince, Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock, Kendrick Lamar, Marcus Miller, Toto, Justin Timberlake, and more—the band is pushing funk music into the future. Building on the uplifting, pioneering foundations laid out by the likes of James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone, Ghost-Note infuses their fresh take with tastes of Afrobeat, hip-hop, psychedelia, world folklore, and beyond.\NAfter forming in 2015, Ghost-Note has already begun to take the world by storm. The group’s two studio albums—Swagism (2018) and Fortified (2015)—have earned critical acclaim and popular success worldwide, with both albums hitting the #1 spot on the iTunes Jazz charts. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Ghost-Note’s new album Mustard N’ Onions is due out April 19, 2024, via Artistry Music/Mack Avenue Music Group.
Headed by Snarky Puppy’s multi-GRAMMY–winning percussion duo of Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth, Ghost-Note is an explosion of sound. With an expansive roster of next-level musicians—featuring members of Prince, Snoop Dogg, Erykah Badu, Herbie Hancock, Kendrick Lamar, Marcus Miller, Toto, Justin Timberlake, and more—the band is pushing funk music into the future. Building on the uplifting, pioneering foundations laid out by the likes of James Brown and Sly & The Family Stone, Ghost-Note infuses their fresh take with tastes of Afrobeat, hip-hop, psychedelia, world folklore, and beyond.
After forming in 2015, Ghost-Note has already begun to take the world by storm. The group’s two studio albums—Swagism (2018) and Fortified (2015)—have earned critical acclaim and popular success worldwide, with both albums hitting the #1 spot on the iTunes Jazz charts.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250401T020957Z SEQUENCE:13253139 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2933 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-10-29 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250411T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250411T233000 UID:F06A0B6A-0DD5-4614-8434-9AF5E54DBEB0 SUMMARY:Jim Bone & The Dig CREATED:20250210T211132Z DTSTAMP:20250210T211132Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jim-bone-the-dig-cd-release DESCRIPTION:Jim Bone, born in Little Rock, Arkansas, spent four years in Germany due to his father's role as an Army doctor. He is an eclectic and genre-bending musician who has explored various styles including Rock, Bluegrass, Country, Jazz Punk, Funkadelic, Gospel, and all forms of Americana. After relocating to Salt Lake City for Winter Olympics ski training, Jim moved to the Sierras of Northern California, where he immersed himself in the vibrant West Coast psychedelic and punk rock scene. Upon returning to Salt Lake City, his musical career flourished as he co-founded bands like Burial Benefits and Skin N' Bones before joining Little Women as a drummer. Jim later formed the Jackmormons with fellow songwriter Jerry Joseph, contributing to their legacy of captivating performances and diverse musical influences. Jerry Joseph once remarked, "Jim Bone is one of the most bad ass humans I've known, and I have known a few." While maintaining a thriving social work practice, Jim's passion for music never waned. He formed Purdymouth and produced three records with friends such as Derrek Wright. Currently, with his band, the Dig, Jim Bone continues to captivate audiences nationwide with their multi-generational Americana-rooted sound. In addition to his performances, Jim is currently producing and composing on five albums that include collaborations with Mel Soul and other local Salt Lake City musicians. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Jim Bone, born in Little Rock, Arkansas, spent four years in Germany due to his father's role as an Army doctor. He is an eclectic and genre-bending musician who has explored various styles including Rock, Bluegrass, Country, Jazz Punk, Funkadelic, Gospel, and all forms of Americana. After relocating to Salt Lake City for Winter Olympics ski training, Jim moved to the Sierras of Northern California, where he immersed himself in the vibrant West Coast psychedelic and punk rock scene. Upon returning to Salt Lake City, his musical career flourished as he co-founded bands like Burial Benefits and Skin N' Bones before joining Little Women as a drummer. Jim later formed the Jackmormons with fellow songwriter Jerry Joseph, contributing to their legacy of captivating performances and diverse musical influences. Jerry Joseph once remarked, "Jim Bone is one of the most bad ass humans I've known, and I have known a few." While maintaining a thriving social work practice, Jim's passion for music never waned. He formed Purdymouth and produced three records with friends such as Derrek Wright. Currently, with his band, the Dig, Jim Bone continues to captivate audiences nationwide with their multi-generational Americana-rooted sound. In addition to his performances, Jim is currently producing and composing on five albums that include collaborations with Mel Soul and other local Salt Lake City musicians.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250218T180512Z SEQUENCE:680020 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2767 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-02-11 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250412T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250412T233000 UID:8A36F6F9-6EDF-488B-94B4-9C6E45319D4E SUMMARY:Vieux Farka Touré CREATED:20241119T174316Z DTSTAMP:20241119T174316Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/vieux-farka-toure DESCRIPTION:Often referred to as “The Hendrix of the Sahara”, Vieux Farka Touré was born in Niafunké, Mali in 1981. He is the son of legendary Malian guitar player Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006. Ali Farka Touré came from a historical tribe of soldiers, and defied his parents in becoming a musician. When Vieux was in his teens, he declared that he also wanted to be a musician. His father disapproved due to the pressures he had experienced being a musician. Rather, he wanted Vieux to become a soldier. But with help from family friend the kora maestro Toumani Diabaté, Vieux eventually convinced his father to give him his blessing to become a musician shortly before Ali passed.\NVieux was initially a drummer / calabash player at Mali’s Institut National des Arts, but secretly began playing guitar in 2001. Ali Farka Touré was weakened with cancer when Vieux announced that he was going to record an album. Ali recorded a couple of tracks with him, and these recordings, which can be heard on Vieux’s debut CD, were amongst his final ones. It has been said that the senior Touré played rough mixes of these songs when people visited him in his final days, at peace with, and proud of, his son’s talent as a musician.\NIn 2005, Eric Herman (still Vieux’s manager today) of Modiba Productions expressed an interest in producing an album for Vieux; this led to Vieux’s self-titled debut album, released by World Village in 2007. Ali Farka Touré’s work to tackle the problem of malaria is continued as 10% of proceeds are donated to Modiba’s “Fight Malaria” campaign in Niafunké through which over 3000 mosquito nets have been delivered to children and pregnant women in the Timbuktu region of Mali. On this first album, Vieux pays homage to his father and follows Ali’s musical tradition, giving new versions of the West African music that is echoed in the American blues. The album features Toumani Diabaté, as well as his late father.\NOn his second record, Fondo on Six Degrees (2009), Vieux branched out and presented his own sound: while remaining true to the roots of his father’s music he uses elements of rock, Latin music, and other African influences. The album received a great deal of critical acclaim from across the globe, and Vieux was clearly moving out of his father’s shadow.\NBy June 2010, Vieux was performing at the opening concert for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. That month Vieux also released his first live album, LIVE. His live performances are highly energized and Vieux is known for dazzling crowds with his speed and dexterity on the guitar, as well as his palpable charisma and luminous smile, both of which captivate audiences from all audiences in spite of any language barriers (though Vieux does speak 8 languages).\NIn 2011 Vieux released his 3rd studio album, The Secret, so named because the listener will hear the secret of the blues with a blend of generations from father to son. It was produced by guitarist Eric Krasno (of the Soulive trio) and features South African-born vocalist Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks on electric slide guitar and jazz guitarist John Scofield. The title track is the last collaboration between Vieux and his late father. With the heralded release of The Secret, Vieux Farka Touré has clearly established himself as one of the world’s rare musical talents and guitar virtuosos with a distinct style that always pays homage to the past while looking towards the future.\NVieux released The Tel Aviv Session (Cumbancha) in April 2012, a collaborative project with Israeli superstar Idan Raichel dubbed ‘The Touré-Raichel Collective’ that has been hailed by fans and critics alike as a masterpiece and one of the best collaborative albums in the history of international music, drawing comparisons to Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder’s legendary Talking Timbuktu album.\NIn 2013, Vieux Farka Touré’s beautiful and critically acclaimed album Mon Pays was released as an homage to his homeland. Being that his native Mali had recently been splintered by territorial fighting between Tuareg and Islamic rebels since January 2012, Mon Pays was devoted to reminding the world about the beauty and culture of his native Mali. Translated as ‘My Country,’ this predominantly acoustic undertaking transformed into an artifact of cultural preservation. Two songs on the project - ‘Future’ and ‘Peace’ feature Sidiki Diabate’s kora leading an emotional charge complemented by Touré’s spectacular guitar work. Both tracks represent an important generational “passing of the torch” as Sidiki’s father, Toumani is considered one of the greatest living kora masters and was a close friend of Vieux’s father Ali. Mon Pays has been widely hailed as the most mature and lovely record yet from one of this generation’s most exciting artists to come out of Mali and one of world music’s true rising stars.\NVieux reunited with Idan Raichel in Paris to record, release and subsequently tour their 2nd collaborative album as The Touré-Raichel Collective in 2014. The result was yet another musical and critical triumph, titled 'The Paris Session' (Cumbancha) revered by many as not just a musical gem for the ages, but a powerful testimonial to the power of art and fraternity to transcend vast cultural and political divides. In 2015, Vieux released another unexpected, genre-bending collaborative album, this time with New York-based singer Julia Easterlin, aptly titled 'Touristes'. The album shot to the top of the iTunes World chart and earned critical acclaim, including that of John Schaefer (NPR) who called it "brilliant." On April 7, 2017, Vieux released his next album 'Samba', recorded live in front of a small audience at Applehead Studio in Woodstock, NY.\NWhen the COVID pandemic hit in 2020 and all touring ground to a halt, Vieux stayed focussed on his craft at home. He worked tirelessly in the studio he built at his family's compound (which he named 'Studio Ali Farka Toure' in honor of his late father) to record his debut album for World Circuit Records/BMG, the prestigious UK-based record label with whom his father recorded and released most of his own work. The resulting album, 'Les Racines' (released June 2022), sees Vieux masterfully return to the deep roots of the Desert Blues music that his father introduced to the world and Vieux spent most of his career to date exploring, experimenting with, and expanding. 2022 also saw the release of a long-awaited collaborative album between Vieux and Houston-based psych-rock superstars Khruangbin called ‘Ali’ - an album on which the artists join forces to pay homage to Ali Farka Toure by reimagining eight of his songs together. The album was an instant hit around the globe, immediately getting millions of streams, enormous critical acclaim and even earning the praise of Sir Elton John who called it "one of the albums of the year - absolutely wonderful music." With each new project Vieux broadens his horizons, embraces new challenges and further entrenches his reputation as one of the world’s most talented and innovative musicians.\NAs a passionate champion for the people of Mali and The Sahel, Vieux founded the charity Amahrec Sahel in 2012. As part of Amahrec Sahel’s mission to support humanitarian reconstruction and culture, the charity has provided school supplies for children, supported an orphanage in Bamako and provided musical instruments for young musicians in Mali. Vieux is also the director of The Ali Farka Touré Foundation, an international organization dedicated to the preservation of Ali’s legacy and the cultural growth of Mali. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Often referred to as “The Hendrix of the Sahara”, Vieux Farka Touré was born in Niafunké, Mali in 1981. He is the son of legendary Malian guitar player Ali Farka Touré, who died in 2006. Ali Farka Touré came from a historical tribe of soldiers, and defied his parents in becoming a musician. When Vieux was in his teens, he declared that he also wanted to be a musician. His father disapproved due to the pressures he had experienced being a musician. Rather, he wanted Vieux to become a soldier. But with help from family friend the kora maestro Toumani Diabaté, Vieux eventually convinced his father to give him his blessing to become a musician shortly before Ali passed.
Vieux was initially a drummer / calabash player at Mali’s Institut National des Arts, but secretly began playing guitar in 2001. Ali Farka Touré was weakened with cancer when Vieux announced that he was going to record an album. Ali recorded a couple of tracks with him, and these recordings, which can be heard on Vieux’s debut CD, were amongst his final ones. It has been said that the senior Touré played rough mixes of these songs when people visited him in his final days, at peace with, and proud of, his son’s talent as a musician.
In 2005, Eric Herman (still Vieux’s manager today) of Modiba Productions expressed an interest in producing an album for Vieux; this led to Vieux’s self-titled debut album, released by World Village in 2007. Ali Farka Touré’s work to tackle the problem of malaria is continued as 10% of proceeds are donated to Modiba’s “Fight Malaria” campaign in Niafunké through which over 3000 mosquito nets have been delivered to children and pregnant women in the Timbuktu region of Mali. On this first album, Vieux pays homage to his father and follows Ali’s musical tradition, giving new versions of the West African music that is echoed in the American blues. The album features Toumani Diabaté, as well as his late father.
On his second record, Fondo on Six Degrees (2009), Vieux branched out and presented his own sound: while remaining true to the roots of his father’s music he uses elements of rock, Latin music, and other African influences. The album received a great deal of critical acclaim from across the globe, and Vieux was clearly moving out of his father’s shadow.
By June 2010, Vieux was performing at the opening concert for the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. That month Vieux also released his first live album, LIVE. His live performances are highly energized and Vieux is known for dazzling crowds with his speed and dexterity on the guitar, as well as his palpable charisma and luminous smile, both of which captivate audiences from all audiences in spite of any language barriers (though Vieux does speak 8 languages).
In 2011 Vieux released his 3rd studio album, The Secret, so named because the listener will hear the secret of the blues with a blend of generations from father to son. It was produced by guitarist Eric Krasno (of the Soulive trio) and features South African-born vocalist Dave Matthews, Derek Trucks on electric slide guitar and jazz guitarist John Scofield. The title track is the last collaboration between Vieux and his late father. With the heralded release of The Secret, Vieux Farka Touré has clearly established himself as one of the world’s rare musical talents and guitar virtuosos with a distinct style that always pays homage to the past while looking towards the future.
Vieux released The Tel Aviv Session (Cumbancha) in April 2012, a collaborative project with Israeli superstar Idan Raichel dubbed ‘The Touré-Raichel Collective’ that has been hailed by fans and critics alike as a masterpiece and one of the best collaborative albums in the history of international music, drawing comparisons to Ali Farka Touré and Ry Cooder’s legendary Talking Timbuktu album.
In 2013, Vieux Farka Touré’s beautiful and critically acclaimed album Mon Pays was released as an homage to his homeland. Being that his native Mali had recently been splintered by territorial fighting between Tuareg and Islamic rebels since January 2012, Mon Pays was devoted to reminding the world about the beauty and culture of his native Mali. Translated as ‘My Country,’ this predominantly acoustic undertaking transformed into an artifact of cultural preservation. Two songs on the project - ‘Future’ and ‘Peace’ feature Sidiki Diabate’s kora leading an emotional charge complemented by Touré’s spectacular guitar work. Both tracks represent an important generational “passing of the torch” as Sidiki’s father, Toumani is considered one of the greatest living kora masters and was a close friend of Vieux’s father Ali. Mon Pays has been widely hailed as the most mature and lovely record yet from one of this generation’s most exciting artists to come out of Mali and one of world music’s true rising stars.
Vieux reunited with Idan Raichel in Paris to record, release and subsequently tour their 2nd collaborative album as The Touré-Raichel Collective in 2014. The result was yet another musical and critical triumph, titled 'The Paris Session' (Cumbancha) revered by many as not just a musical gem for the ages, but a powerful testimonial to the power of art and fraternity to transcend vast cultural and political divides. In 2015, Vieux released another unexpected, genre-bending collaborative album, this time with New York-based singer Julia Easterlin, aptly titled 'Touristes'. The album shot to the top of the iTunes World chart and earned critical acclaim, including that of John Schaefer (NPR) who called it "brilliant." On April 7, 2017, Vieux released his next album 'Samba', recorded live in front of a small audience at Applehead Studio in Woodstock, NY.
When the COVID pandemic hit in 2020 and all touring ground to a halt, Vieux stayed focussed on his craft at home. He worked tirelessly in the studio he built at his family's compound (which he named 'Studio Ali Farka Toure' in honor of his late father) to record his debut album for World Circuit Records/BMG, the prestigious UK-based record label with whom his father recorded and released most of his own work. The resulting album, 'Les Racines' (released June 2022), sees Vieux masterfully return to the deep roots of the Desert Blues music that his father introduced to the world and Vieux spent most of his career to date exploring, experimenting with, and expanding. 2022 also saw the release of a long-awaited collaborative album between Vieux and Houston-based psych-rock superstars Khruangbin called ‘Ali’ - an album on which the artists join forces to pay homage to Ali Farka Toure by reimagining eight of his songs together. The album was an instant hit around the globe, immediately getting millions of streams, enormous critical acclaim and even earning the praise of Sir Elton John who called it "one of the albums of the year - absolutely wonderful music." With each new project Vieux broadens his horizons, embraces new challenges and further entrenches his reputation as one of the world’s most talented and innovative musicians.
As a passionate champion for the people of Mali and The Sahel, Vieux founded the charity Amahrec Sahel in 2012. As part of Amahrec Sahel’s mission to support humanitarian reconstruction and culture, the charity has provided school supplies for children, supported an orphanage in Bamako and provided musical instruments for young musicians in Mali. Vieux is also the director of The Ali Farka Touré Foundation, an international organization dedicated to the preservation of Ali’s legacy and the cultural growth of Mali.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250408T212541Z SEQUENCE:12109345 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4652 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-11-19 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250418T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250418T233000 UID:D9357E58-7F0A-4044-A111-3346A2D29A45 SUMMARY:Petty Theft CREATED:20250203T200007Z DTSTAMP:20250203T200007Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/petty-theft-4 DESCRIPTION:San Francisco's Ultimate Tribute to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers\NAt the forefront of classic and contemporary American Rock and Roll you are sure to find Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.\NIf you love great songs and rock n’ roll music, you can’t possibly help but be a huge fan of Tom Petty’s musical catalog. If so, then you will love PETTY THEFT!\NPetty Theft is comprised of six professional Bay Area musicians that have come together to pay tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Petty Theft delivers Petty’s songs true to the originals and in the spirit of his legendary bands live shows, performing everything from his revered classics to his most current hits.\NSince the bands inception in 2003, Petty Theft has been entertaining audiences all over the greater Bay Area and beyond in clubs, at private parties and on large festival stages with an electrifying live show. No matter where they play, it’s a guaranteed sing along. Audiences everywhere know these classic radio hits and when performed by Petty Theft, it sounds like you are hearing the real deal!\NPetty Theft is not an average cover band but an ultimate tribute to one of America’s most endearing rock n’ roll legends… It’s not about costumes and get up’s, it’s all about the music!\NPetty Theft continues to build a strong reputation and following as one of the Bay Area’s premier tribute bands.\NIf you want to hear the greatest Tom Petty and the heartbreaker’s band in the world live, go see Tom Petty and the heartbreakers! If you can’t do that, go see Petty Theft!\NPetty Theft has built a strong reputation and loyal following as one of the Bay Area’s premier tribute bands. In 2011, 2012, and again in 2013 Petty Theft was voted best band in Marin County by readers of the North Bay Bohemian. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:San Francisco's Ultimate Tribute to Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers
At the forefront of classic and contemporary American Rock and Roll you are sure to find Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.
If you love great songs and rock n’ roll music, you can’t possibly help but be a huge fan of Tom Petty’s musical catalog. If so, then you will love PETTY THEFT!
Petty Theft is comprised of six professional Bay Area musicians that have come together to pay tribute to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Petty Theft delivers Petty’s songs true to the originals and in the spirit of his legendary bands live shows, performing everything from his revered classics to his most current hits.
Since the bands inception in 2003, Petty Theft has been entertaining audiences all over the greater Bay Area and beyond in clubs, at private parties and on large festival stages with an electrifying live show. No matter where they play, it’s a guaranteed sing along. Audiences everywhere know these classic radio hits and when performed by Petty Theft, it sounds like you are hearing the real deal!
Petty Theft is not an average cover band but an ultimate tribute to one of America’s most endearing rock n’ roll legends… It’s not about costumes and get up’s, it’s all about the music!
Petty Theft continues to build a strong reputation and following as one of the Bay Area’s premier tribute bands.
If you want to hear the greatest Tom Petty and the heartbreaker’s band in the world live, go see Tom Petty and the heartbreakers! If you can’t do that, go see Petty Theft!
Petty Theft has built a strong reputation and loyal following as one of the Bay Area’s premier tribute bands. In 2011, 2012, and again in 2013 Petty Theft was voted best band in Marin County by readers of the North Bay Bohemian.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250418T155715Z SEQUENCE:6379028 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2772 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-02-04 17:00:50 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250419T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250419T233000 UID:FBB07B84-F6D5-4120-AE48-EE646FEEBED5 SUMMARY:Talia Keys CREATED:20250214T221214Z DTSTAMP:20250214T221214Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/talia-keys-2 DESCRIPTION:Talia Keys is back! Having worked on her latest album all last year, Talia and her band The Love are releasing a new record called "From The Ashes."\NOn April 19th at The State Room they will be playing the new record just for you. Songs of love, loss, loneliness and as always triumph, "From The Ashes" is nothing like the band has done before. Beautiful and haunting arrangements, accompanied with heartfelt lyrics, this album is a fresh sound for The Love!\NJoin us for a night of community, dancing and big feelings! State Room attendees will be the first to hear these new songs and have a chance to get the new vinyl Record.\NIn a move to change how fans interact with new music, Talia is a part of a collective called Midtopia, they are doing something really special called "Buy Before You Stream." A way for fans to truly support the recorded music before it hits streaming platforms a month later.\NTalia has played all over the US the last couple years, touring with Lukas Nelson and Orgōne, and is more than excited to share her new album with her dedicated and new fans.\NAfter they play the new record they will take you on a journey through the last three albums as well. Playing oldies, goodies and fan favorites! See you on the dance floor! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Talia Keys is back! Having worked on her latest album all last year, Talia and her band The Love are releasing a new record called "From The Ashes."
On April 19th at The State Room they will be playing the new record just for you. Songs of love, loss, loneliness and as always triumph, "From The Ashes" is nothing like the band has done before. Beautiful and haunting arrangements, accompanied with heartfelt lyrics, this album is a fresh sound for The Love!
Join us for a night of community, dancing and big feelings! State Room attendees will be the first to hear these new songs and have a chance to get the new vinyl Record.
In a move to change how fans interact with new music, Talia is a part of a collective called Midtopia, they are doing something really special called "Buy Before You Stream." A way for fans to truly support the recorded music before it hits streaming platforms a month later.
Talia has played all over the US the last couple years, touring with Lukas Nelson and Orgōne, and is more than excited to share her new album with her dedicated and new fans.
After they play the new record they will take you on a journey through the last three albums as well. Playing oldies, goodies and fan favorites! See you on the dance floor!
LAST-MODIFIED:20250221T170715Z SEQUENCE:586501 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:5 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-02-18 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250423T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250423T233000 UID:81601782-6C70-4839-890B-BF8E5CAC096A SUMMARY:Butcher Brown CREATED:20241217T223725Z DTSTAMP:20241217T223725Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/butcher-brown DESCRIPTION:“So, what kind of music do you make?”\NThis question is the bane of every musician’s existence because it requires that they shrink down the wide expanse of their creativity to an easily (mis)understood genre description. No matter how vivid or elaborate the description, “show” will always be more powerful than “tell.” The words we use to describe music don’t encapsulate what the listener experiences as much as give context clues.\NThat’s why Butcher Brown – the multifaceted band from Richmond, Virginia – call their sound, and their follow-up to 2020’s #KingButch and their second release on Concord Jazz, Solar Music.\N“Solar music” is not simply a description; it’s an invitation to listen and an invitation to feel. Friends and bandmates Corey Fonville (drums), Andrew Randazzo (bass), Morgan Burrs (guitar), Marcus “Tennishu” Tenney (trumpet, saxophone, vocals), and Devonne “DJ Harrison” Harris (multi-instrumentalist) make music that is as diverse as their own varied tastes and backgrounds. It’s a seamlessly blended amalgam of sounds, including jazz, hip-hop, rock, funk, R&B, alternative, soul, country, house, bossa nova, pop, and more.\N“We are the melting pot. We are the mix,” says Devonne. “I feel like that's what we represent, and that's what this album represents.”\NBut Butcher Brown’s eclecticism isn’t for the sake of musical masturbation or to impress chin-stroking critics. Theirs is music of, and for, the people. “It’s music for everybody," says Tennishu, reflecting on how well-received they’ve been on stages across the globe. “You can see it on all kinds of different faces – young, old, big, small, short, tall – they all start dancing eventually. It’s literally music for the whole solar system.”\NSo how did this band of brothers make the sun come out on this new album? They challenged themselves to break from routine and old formulas. “[In the past] we'd make a record, like [2014’s] All Purpose Music, and put constraints on what we do in the studio with the thought of the live show, thinking ‘let's make this something that we can recreate at the show,’” explains Andrew. “We did that for a few records, but then #KingButch was the one where we kind of departed from that idea and took more of a Sgt. Pepper approach of, ‘let's just explore what we can present in the studio, even if it's not something that we can pull off live.’”\NRealizing that listening to their albums and their live show are two distinct experiences unlocked a new level of creativity for the band. Now Butcher Brown could allow themselves to explore new sounds and approaches to songwriting and production. This unbridled creativity informed their approach to making Solar Music over the course of many sessions in 2021 and 2022 at go-to studios Montrose Recording, Minimum Wage Studios, and their home base Jellowstone.\NOf course, the sun is at the center of the solar system, giving us warmth, lighting our days, and keeping the planet revolving around it. Similarly, when it came time to create Solar Music, the band saw themselves at the center of their sound, drawing in other like-minded musicians with gravitational pull.\NWhat could have been an insular musical conversation between the five became a collaboration with some of their friends and faves, including Oakland-bred wordsmith Nappy Nina (“Half of It”), hip-hop iconoclast Pink Siifu (“Eye Never Know,” “Run It Up”), East London rapper Jay Prince (“Move”), real-life guitar hero Charlie Hunter (“Espionage”), and more.\NOn the new album, Butcher Brown flexes their musicianship not only as players but also as songwriters, producers, and composers collaborating with guests. “We can do everything on our own, sure, and we have done that for forever, but it's also cool to have other people come in and get their perspectives,” explains Morgan. “Butcher Brown is evolving, maturing, and we’re growing as people,” adds Corey, reflecting on the making of Solar Music.\NThe results of these collabs are extraordinary. Take the album’s first single, “I Can Say To You,” for instance. “You’ll find your way / tomorrow or today / there’s nothing else I can say to you ...,” sings guest Vanisha Gould in a voice that sounds both angelic and ancestral. “She has a voice that almost sounds like a sample, almost like Billie Holiday or something,” says Corey, who sought her out to feature on the song. “It’s got that warmth, like somebody’s mama singing to you.”\NWarmth, light, and connection through a sound that, like the sun itself, is for everyone.\NWelcome to Solar Music. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“So, what kind of music do you make?”
This question is the bane of every musician’s existence because it requires that they shrink down the wide expanse of their creativity to an easily (mis)understood genre description. No matter how vivid or elaborate the description, “show” will always be more powerful than “tell.” The words we use to describe music don’t encapsulate what the listener experiences as much as give context clues.
That’s why Butcher Brown – the multifaceted band from Richmond, Virginia – call their sound, and their follow-up to 2020’s #KingButch and their second release on Concord Jazz, Solar Music.
“Solar music” is not simply a description; it’s an invitation to listen and an invitation to feel. Friends and bandmates Corey Fonville (drums), Andrew Randazzo (bass), Morgan Burrs (guitar), Marcus “Tennishu” Tenney (trumpet, saxophone, vocals), and Devonne “DJ Harrison” Harris (multi-instrumentalist) make music that is as diverse as their own varied tastes and backgrounds. It’s a seamlessly blended amalgam of sounds, including jazz, hip-hop, rock, funk, R&B, alternative, soul, country, house, bossa nova, pop, and more.
“We are the melting pot. We are the mix,” says Devonne. “I feel like that's what we represent, and that's what this album represents.”
But Butcher Brown’s eclecticism isn’t for the sake of musical masturbation or to impress chin-stroking critics. Theirs is music of, and for, the people. “It’s music for everybody," says Tennishu, reflecting on how well-received they’ve been on stages across the globe. “You can see it on all kinds of different faces – young, old, big, small, short, tall – they all start dancing eventually. It’s literally music for the whole solar system.”
So how did this band of brothers make the sun come out on this new album? They challenged themselves to break from routine and old formulas. “[In the past] we'd make a record, like [2014’s] All Purpose Music, and put constraints on what we do in the studio with the thought of the live show, thinking ‘let's make this something that we can recreate at the show,’” explains Andrew. “We did that for a few records, but then #KingButch was the one where we kind of departed from that idea and took more of a Sgt. Pepper approach of, ‘let's just explore what we can present in the studio, even if it's not something that we can pull off live.’”
Realizing that listening to their albums and their live show are two distinct experiences unlocked a new level of creativity for the band. Now Butcher Brown could allow themselves to explore new sounds and approaches to songwriting and production. This unbridled creativity informed their approach to making Solar Music over the course of many sessions in 2021 and 2022 at go-to studios Montrose Recording, Minimum Wage Studios, and their home base Jellowstone.
Of course, the sun is at the center of the solar system, giving us warmth, lighting our days, and keeping the planet revolving around it. Similarly, when it came time to create Solar Music, the band saw themselves at the center of their sound, drawing in other like-minded musicians with gravitational pull.
What could have been an insular musical conversation between the five became a collaboration with some of their friends and faves, including Oakland-bred wordsmith Nappy Nina (“Half of It”), hip-hop iconoclast Pink Siifu (“Eye Never Know,” “Run It Up”), East London rapper Jay Prince (“Move”), real-life guitar hero Charlie Hunter (“Espionage”), and more.
On the new album, Butcher Brown flexes their musicianship not only as players but also as songwriters, producers, and composers collaborating with guests. “We can do everything on our own, sure, and we have done that for forever, but it's also cool to have other people come in and get their perspectives,” explains Morgan. “Butcher Brown is evolving, maturing, and we’re growing as people,” adds Corey, reflecting on the making of Solar Music.
The results of these collabs are extraordinary. Take the album’s first single, “I Can Say To You,” for instance. “You’ll find your way / tomorrow or today / there’s nothing else I can say to you ...,” sings guest Vanisha Gould in a voice that sounds both angelic and ancestral. “She has a voice that almost sounds like a sample, almost like Billie Holiday or something,” says Corey, who sought her out to feature on the song. “It’s got that warmth, like somebody’s mama singing to you.”
Warmth, light, and connection through a sound that, like the sun itself, is for everyone.
Welcome to Solar Music.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250408T222347Z SEQUENCE:9675982 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4252 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-12-18 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250425T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250425T233000 UID:21598725-3433-4C7B-8F37-29E8BEAEEA31 SUMMARY:Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers CREATED:20241023T175431Z DTSTAMP:20241023T175431Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/roger-clyne-the-peacemakers-2 DESCRIPTION:“Here’s to life!” Fans around the world can be found singing the chorus of the Roger Clyne-penned fan favorite “Mekong” and toasting their glasses in unison to celebrate life through rock-n-roll. But the inspiration for the song dates back to the time Roger went to Taipei, Taiwan, as a college student to teach English during the day and busk with his guitar at night for money.\NToday, as Clyne prepares to record his 11th studio album, he continues to transform his life experiences, inspirations, observations and his own muses into timeless music. And whether he’s wearing his Converse high tops, boots or sandals, Clyne’s blend of punk rock, country-western and mariachi influences have made him, drummer PH Naffah, guitarist Jim Dalton and bassist Nick Scropos – collectively known as Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers – one of America’s best live rock-n-roll bands.\NStarting with the seminal Tempe quartet, The Refreshments, Clyne and Naffah put the fun in rock during the 90s grunge era with a sense of humor. They also started what would become a trademark sound on all future albums by adding mariachi horns, something Clyne was influenced by while in college studying Cultural Anthropology with an ethnography study of mariachis during a three month immersion stay with a local family in Ensenada, Mexico. \NThe Refreshments’ debut album, “Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy,” became a cult classic. It produced the alternative radio hit “Banditos” which also had significant airplay on MTV and earned The Freshies an appearance on The Conan O’Brien Show. Clyne then penned and performed the theme song for the Mike Judge animated TV series, King of Hill. In 2017, Here’s to Life: The story of The Refreshments, was released. The feature-length documentary was a hit with fans and critics alike.\NChanges within their record label and internal band issues resulted in Clyne and Naffah going on a vision quest of sorts in the Whetstone Mountains near the Clyne Ranch in Southeastern Arizona. It was there that Clyne found inspiration in the rolling hills and the jukeboxes of small town taverns that still played Marty Robbins and Johnny Cash – music he had shed from his youth in favor of bands like Camper Van Beethoven & They Might Be Giants. But after reconnecting with those old country records, Clyne and Naffah wrote and recorded under a new moniker what would become Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers’ debut album, “Honky Tonk Union.”\NThe album was the perfect combination of classic rock and twang, and fans immediately connected with it. Their independent release, “Honky Tonk Union,” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s internet sales chart in 1999 prompting a call from a Billboard exec to their Manager demanding, “ Who the hell is Roger Clyne and why is he #1 on my chart?!” beating out much better known artists\NRCPM released eight more albums that landed in the top ten of Billboard’s Internet Sales Chart, including a No. 1 debut for their third album, “Americano!” – all without the backing of a major record label and while flying under the radar of commercial radio.\NIn 2019, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers were inducted into the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, joining the likes of fellow Arizona legends Alice Cooper, Buck Owens, Glen Campbell, Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt and Waylon Jennings.\NLater that fall, RCPM was invited by a man who, like Roger, also knows a little something about tequila and throwing big parties in Mexico. The band headlined Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina on the eve of Hagar’s weekend birthday celebration.\NRoger Clyne & The Peacemakers have curated their own annual music festival, Circus Mexicus, in the sleepy beach town of Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, which draws thousands of fans from around the world. The festival not only has a major impact on the local economy, but charity events hosted by the band and fans alike help raise money for a local orphanage, support local youth sports and help feed shelter animals. \NClyne not only sings about life in the border-lands, he also produces his own ultra-premium spirit, Mexican Moonshine Tequila (soon to be re-named Canción Tequila). Owned by the entire band, it was the official tequila at the Arizona Diamondbacks Chase stadium in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Started in 2011, the award-winning spirit is distributed in multiple states as well as Sonora, Mexico. \NRoger Clyne & The Peacemakers have toured all over the US and achieved a faithful following through hard work and great music. They have done this all while being independent, without the safety net of a label or a label’s radio promotion department. Dubbed “The Springsteen of the Southwest,” by the Asbury Park Press. The band delivers exciting live performances that garner declarations like the one from emcee Jay Peterman of the Seinfeld TV show at Alice Cooper’s annual Christmas Pudding event, “Young man, you light that stage a-flame!” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“Here’s to life!” Fans around the world can be found singing the chorus of the Roger Clyne-penned fan favorite “Mekong” and toasting their glasses in unison to celebrate life through rock-n-roll. But the inspiration for the song dates back to the time Roger went to Taipei, Taiwan, as a college student to teach English during the day and busk with his guitar at night for money.
Today, as Clyne prepares to record his 11th studio album, he continues to transform his life experiences, inspirations, observations and his own muses into timeless music. And whether he’s wearing his Converse high tops, boots or sandals, Clyne’s blend of punk rock, country-western and mariachi influences have made him, drummer PH Naffah, guitarist Jim Dalton and bassist Nick Scropos – collectively known as Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers – one of America’s best live rock-n-roll bands.
Starting with the seminal Tempe quartet, The Refreshments, Clyne and Naffah put the fun in rock during the 90s grunge era with a sense of humor. They also started what would become a trademark sound on all future albums by adding mariachi horns, something Clyne was influenced by while in college studying Cultural Anthropology with an ethnography study of mariachis during a three month immersion stay with a local family in Ensenada, Mexico.
The Refreshments’ debut album, “Fizzy, Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy,” became a cult classic. It produced the alternative radio hit “Banditos” which also had significant airplay on MTV and earned The Freshies an appearance on The Conan O’Brien Show. Clyne then penned and performed the theme song for the Mike Judge animated TV series, King of Hill. In 2017, Here’s to Life: The story of The Refreshments, was released. The feature-length documentary was a hit with fans and critics alike.
Changes within their record label and internal band issues resulted in Clyne and Naffah going on a vision quest of sorts in the Whetstone Mountains near the Clyne Ranch in Southeastern Arizona. It was there that Clyne found inspiration in the rolling hills and the jukeboxes of small town taverns that still played Marty Robbins and Johnny Cash – music he had shed from his youth in favor of bands like Camper Van Beethoven & They Might Be Giants. But after reconnecting with those old country records, Clyne and Naffah wrote and recorded under a new moniker what would become Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers’ debut album, “Honky Tonk Union.”
The album was the perfect combination of classic rock and twang, and fans immediately connected with it. Their independent release, “Honky Tonk Union,” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s internet sales chart in 1999 prompting a call from a Billboard exec to their Manager demanding, “ Who the hell is Roger Clyne and why is he #1 on my chart?!” beating out much better known artists
RCPM released eight more albums that landed in the top ten of Billboard’s Internet Sales Chart, including a No. 1 debut for their third album, “Americano!” – all without the backing of a major record label and while flying under the radar of commercial radio.
In 2019, Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers were inducted into the Arizona Music and Entertainment Hall of Fame, joining the likes of fellow Arizona legends Alice Cooper, Buck Owens, Glen Campbell, Stevie Nicks, Linda Ronstadt and Waylon Jennings.
Later that fall, RCPM was invited by a man who, like Roger, also knows a little something about tequila and throwing big parties in Mexico. The band headlined Sammy Hagar’s Cabo Wabo Cantina on the eve of Hagar’s weekend birthday celebration.
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers have curated their own annual music festival, Circus Mexicus, in the sleepy beach town of Puerto Peñasco, Mexico, which draws thousands of fans from around the world. The festival not only has a major impact on the local economy, but charity events hosted by the band and fans alike help raise money for a local orphanage, support local youth sports and help feed shelter animals.
Clyne not only sings about life in the border-lands, he also produces his own ultra-premium spirit, Mexican Moonshine Tequila (soon to be re-named Canción Tequila). Owned by the entire band, it was the official tequila at the Arizona Diamondbacks Chase stadium in 2016, 2017 and 2018. Started in 2011, the award-winning spirit is distributed in multiple states as well as Sonora, Mexico.
Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers have toured all over the US and achieved a faithful following through hard work and great music. They have done this all while being independent, without the safety net of a label or a label’s radio promotion department. Dubbed “The Springsteen of the Southwest,” by the Asbury Park Press. The band delivers exciting live performances that garner declarations like the one from emcee Jay Peterman of the Seinfeld TV show at Alice Cooper’s annual Christmas Pudding event, “Young man, you light that stage a-flame!”
LAST-MODIFIED:20250425T185453Z SEQUENCE:15901222 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2704 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-10-23 18:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250426T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250426T210000 UID:685AE652-4D6D-47CC-B67F-2697A1B34FCF SUMMARY:John Splithoff CREATED:20241216T232551Z DTSTAMP:20241216T232551Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/john-splithoff-2 DESCRIPTION:John Splithoff is a songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist who splices together throwback soul, modern production, and laid-back pop. A native of Chicago, Splithoff began gaining momentum following the independent release of his breakout single, "Sing to You.” Driven by a hypnotic howl, breezy guitar, and an unbreakable bounce, the track generated over 100 million streams, occupied coveted real estate on noted Spotify playlists and reached the top 8 at ACRadio, paving the way for Splithoff to continue to releasing music to an a growing fanbase. Splithoff has toured globally as a headliner with appearances at renowned festivals such as Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo. Most recently, Splithoff collaborated with renowned jazz trumpeter, Chris Botti, penning the David Foster produced single, “Paris,” out fall 2023 on BlueNote Records. 2024 sees Splithoff on a global tour with stops from San Francisco to Singapore and putting touches on his sophomore album, due out spring 2025 via Virgin. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:John Splithoff is a songwriter, singer, and multi-instrumentalist who splices together throwback soul, modern production, and laid-back pop. A native of Chicago, Splithoff began gaining momentum following the independent release of his breakout single, "Sing to You.” Driven by a hypnotic howl, breezy guitar, and an unbreakable bounce, the track generated over 100 million streams, occupied coveted real estate on noted Spotify playlists and reached the top 8 at ACRadio, paving the way for Splithoff to continue to releasing music to an a growing fanbase. Splithoff has toured globally as a headliner with appearances at renowned festivals such as Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo. Most recently, Splithoff collaborated with renowned jazz trumpeter, Chris Botti, penning the David Foster produced single, “Paris,” out fall 2023 on BlueNote Records. 2024 sees Splithoff on a global tour with stops from San Francisco to Singapore and putting touches on his sophomore album, due out spring 2025 via Virgin.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250421T193823Z SEQUENCE:10872752 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3505 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2024-12-17 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250501T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250501T233000 UID:E8C3B9DB-54E8-490C-983D-C7F90C40FA61 SUMMARY:Robyn Hitchcock CREATED:20250221T180038Z DTSTAMP:20250221T180038Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/robyn-hitchcock-2 DESCRIPTION:With a career now spanning six decades, Robyn Hitchcock remains a truly one-of-a-kind artist – surrealist rock ‘n’ roller, iconic troubadour, guitarist, poet, painter, and performer. An unparalleled, deeply individualistic songwriter and stylist, Hitchcock has traversed many genres with humor, intelligence and originality over 30 albums and seemingly infinite live performances. \NFrom The Soft Boys’ proto-psych-punk and The Egyptians’ Dadaist pop to solo masterpieces like 1984’s milestone I Often Dream of Trains and 1990’s Eye, Hitchcock has crafted a strikingly original oeuvre rife with sagacious observation, astringent wit, recurring marine life, mechanized rail services, cheese, Clint Eastwood, and innumerable finely drawn characters, real and imagined.\NBorn in London in 1953, Hitchcock attended Winchester College before moving to Cambridge in 1974. He began playing in a series of bands, including Dennis and the Experts, which became The Soft Boys in 1976. Though light years away from first-wave punk’s revolutionary clatter, the band still manifested the era’s spirit of DIY independence with their breakneck reimagining of British psychedelia. During their (first) lifetime, The Soft Boys released two albums, among them 1980’s landmark second LP, Underwater Moonlight. “The term ‘classic’ is almost as overused as ‘genius’ and ‘influential,’” declared Rolling Stone upon the album’s 2001 reissue. “But Underwater Moonlight remains all three of those descriptions.”\NHitchcock began his solo career with 1981’s Black Snake Diamond Röle, affirming his knack for eccentric insight and surrealist lyrical hijinks. 1984’s I Often Dream of Trains fused that approach with autumnal acoustic arrangements, deepening the emotional range of his songcraft. Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians were born that same year and immediately lit up college rock playlists with albums like 1986’s Element of Light. He signed to A&M Records in 1987 and earned early alternative hits with “Balloon Man” and “Madonna of the Wasps.” Hitchcock returned to his dark acoustic palette with 1990’s equally masterful Eye before joining the Warner Bros label for a succession of acclaimed albums, including 1996’s Moss Elixir and 1999’s Jewels For Sophia.\NHaving first reunited for a brief run of shows in 1994, The Soft Boys came together for a second go-around in 2001, releasing Nextdoorland to universal applause. Hitchcock joined the Yep Roc label in 2004, embracing collaboration with friends and like-minded artists such as The Venus 3 (Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin), Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings (2004’s Spooked) and legendary producer Joe Boyd (2014’s The Man Upstairs). \NHitchcock moved to Nashville in 2015, where he quickly found a place among the Music City community, recording 2017’s self-titled Robyn Hitchcock and 2022’s Shufflemania! Indeed, Hitchcock has proven an irrepressible collaborator throughout his long career, teaming with a boundless series of fellow artists over the years, including R.E.M., Andy Partridge, Brendan Benson, Johnny Marr, Sean Ono Lennon, Grant-Lee Phillips, Jon Brion, The Decemberists, Norwegian pop combo I Was A King and Yo La Tengo to name but a few.\NAlong with his musical efforts, Hitchcock has appeared in several films, among them collaborations with the late Jonathan Demme on 1998’s concert documentary Storefront Hitchcock and roles in 2004’s The Manchurian Candidate and 2008’s Rachel Getting Married.\NAn inveterate traveller and live performer, Hitchcock has toured nearly constantly for the past four decades, playing countless shows worldwide, from Africa to the Arctic. \NLocked down in Nashville and London by the global pandemic of 2020, Hitchcock and his partner Emma Swift began their Live From Sweet Home Quarantine livestream series, performing weekly sets joined by their two cats, Ringo and Tubby. 2021 saw the publication of Hitchcock’s first book of lyrics, Somewhere Apart: Selected Lyrics 1977-1997, featuring 73 songs and 34 illustrations in a beautiful cloth-bound edition from Tiny Ghost Press.\NHis memoir 1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left will be published on June 28, 2024. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:With a career now spanning six decades, Robyn Hitchcock remains a truly one-of-a-kind artist – surrealist rock ‘n’ roller, iconic troubadour, guitarist, poet, painter, and performer. An unparalleled, deeply individualistic songwriter and stylist, Hitchcock has traversed many genres with humor, intelligence and originality over 30 albums and seemingly infinite live performances.
From The Soft Boys’ proto-psych-punk and The Egyptians’ Dadaist pop to solo masterpieces like 1984’s milestone I Often Dream of Trains and 1990’s Eye, Hitchcock has crafted a strikingly original oeuvre rife with sagacious observation, astringent wit, recurring marine life, mechanized rail services, cheese, Clint Eastwood, and innumerable finely drawn characters, real and imagined.
Born in London in 1953, Hitchcock attended Winchester College before moving to Cambridge in 1974. He began playing in a series of bands, including Dennis and the Experts, which became The Soft Boys in 1976. Though light years away from first-wave punk’s revolutionary clatter, the band still manifested the era’s spirit of DIY independence with their breakneck reimagining of British psychedelia. During their (first) lifetime, The Soft Boys released two albums, among them 1980’s landmark second LP, Underwater Moonlight. “The term ‘classic’ is almost as overused as ‘genius’ and ‘influential,’” declared Rolling Stone upon the album’s 2001 reissue. “But Underwater Moonlight remains all three of those descriptions.”
Hitchcock began his solo career with 1981’s Black Snake Diamond Röle, affirming his knack for eccentric insight and surrealist lyrical hijinks. 1984’s I Often Dream of Trains fused that approach with autumnal acoustic arrangements, deepening the emotional range of his songcraft. Robyn Hitchcock and The Egyptians were born that same year and immediately lit up college rock playlists with albums like 1986’s Element of Light. He signed to A&M Records in 1987 and earned early alternative hits with “Balloon Man” and “Madonna of the Wasps.” Hitchcock returned to his dark acoustic palette with 1990’s equally masterful Eye before joining the Warner Bros label for a succession of acclaimed albums, including 1996’s Moss Elixir and 1999’s Jewels For Sophia.
Having first reunited for a brief run of shows in 1994, The Soft Boys came together for a second go-around in 2001, releasing Nextdoorland to universal applause. Hitchcock joined the Yep Roc label in 2004, embracing collaboration with friends and like-minded artists such as The Venus 3 (Peter Buck, Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin), Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings (2004’s Spooked) and legendary producer Joe Boyd (2014’s The Man Upstairs).
Hitchcock moved to Nashville in 2015, where he quickly found a place among the Music City community, recording 2017’s self-titled Robyn Hitchcock and 2022’s Shufflemania! Indeed, Hitchcock has proven an irrepressible collaborator throughout his long career, teaming with a boundless series of fellow artists over the years, including R.E.M., Andy Partridge, Brendan Benson, Johnny Marr, Sean Ono Lennon, Grant-Lee Phillips, Jon Brion, The Decemberists, Norwegian pop combo I Was A King and Yo La Tengo to name but a few.
Along with his musical efforts, Hitchcock has appeared in several films, among them collaborations with the late Jonathan Demme on 1998’s concert documentary Storefront Hitchcock and roles in 2004’s The Manchurian Candidate and 2008’s Rachel Getting Married.
An inveterate traveller and live performer, Hitchcock has toured nearly constantly for the past four decades, playing countless shows worldwide, from Africa to the Arctic.
Locked down in Nashville and London by the global pandemic of 2020, Hitchcock and his partner Emma Swift began their Live From Sweet Home Quarantine livestream series, performing weekly sets joined by their two cats, Ringo and Tubby. 2021 saw the publication of Hitchcock’s first book of lyrics, Somewhere Apart: Selected Lyrics 1977-1997, featuring 73 songs and 34 illustrations in a beautiful cloth-bound edition from Tiny Ghost Press.
His memoir 1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left will be published on June 28, 2024.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250325T160017Z SEQUENCE:2757579 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2376 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-02-25 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250502T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250502T230000 UID:4FB9C560-81B7-4BA6-A948-02FBB34457F7 SUMMARY:Sister Wives CREATED:20250214T234700Z DTSTAMP:20250214T234700Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/sister-wives DESCRIPTION:This five-person band is a rockin’ assortment of blues musicians, each with a diverse musical background. The Wives started in January 2003 playing numerous regional festivals, clubs, live television, and private shows in Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada.\NThe band was named one of the Best New Bands of the Year in the SLAMMy’s (Salt Lake Music Awards) voted by the readers of Salt Lake's City Weekly newspaper. Sister Wives appears regularly at local and regional venues.\NThe Wives two studio and one live CD’s are also played by many of the programmers on 90.9 FM KRCL radio station in Salt Lake, KZMU in Moab and KPFT in Houston, as well as regionally in Oregon and Washington. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:This five-person band is a rockin’ assortment of blues musicians, each with a diverse musical background. The Wives started in January 2003 playing numerous regional festivals, clubs, live television, and private shows in Utah, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, California and Nevada.
The band was named one of the Best New Bands of the Year in the SLAMMy’s (Salt Lake Music Awards) voted by the readers of Salt Lake's City Weekly newspaper. Sister Wives appears regularly at local and regional venues.
The Wives two studio and one live CD’s are also played by many of the programmers on 90.9 FM KRCL radio station in Salt Lake, KZMU in Moab and KPFT in Houston, as well as regionally in Oregon and Washington.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250425T185509Z SEQUENCE:6030489 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3258 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-02-18 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250503T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250503T233000 UID:CCE2074F-A91A-4B72-A4D0-1B61F23D5D7D SUMMARY:Triggers and Slips CREATED:20250129T205306Z DTSTAMP:20250129T205306Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/tony-holiday-x-triggers-and-slips DESCRIPTION:Existing somewhere between country, folk, and roots rock, Triggers & Slips have been making music, blurring the lines of genre for over a decade. Breaking these rules and proverbial boundaries has resulted in a fiercely loyal following akin to other genre-benders like Lucero and Frank Turner in their hometown of Salt Lake City. With their 2012 debut EP and two albums under their belt, the band is now set to share their most fully formed and emotionally mature work to date, What Do You Feed Your Darkness?\NWhile the music is unabashedly honky-tonk in its origins – piano, twangy electric/acoustic guitar work, and lead singer/songwriter Morgan Snow’s country drawl that belies his roots as a sixth-generation Utah native – the songs themselves subvert classic country storylines of love, loss, and substance abuse by viewing them through a gritty, real-world lens. Snow has lived every line and every phrase within.\NThere's a lot of heartache in country music, and Triggers & Slips aren’t afraid to lean into those traditional themes in their songwriting. What sets them apart is their ability to find hope and resilience in their work, rather than a punchline (as so much modern country music does). It’s meant to be a light in the darkness. In fact, Snow credits his foray into songwriting and performing as the very thing that saved him from himself over a decade ago, and it remains the rock on which he leans — the band’s name itself being a reminder of the constant struggles we all face as individuals. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Existing somewhere between country, folk, and roots rock, Triggers & Slips have been making music, blurring the lines of genre for over a decade. Breaking these rules and proverbial boundaries has resulted in a fiercely loyal following akin to other genre-benders like Lucero and Frank Turner in their hometown of Salt Lake City. With their 2012 debut EP and two albums under their belt, the band is now set to share their most fully formed and emotionally mature work to date, What Do You Feed Your Darkness?
While the music is unabashedly honky-tonk in its origins – piano, twangy electric/acoustic guitar work, and lead singer/songwriter Morgan Snow’s country drawl that belies his roots as a sixth-generation Utah native – the songs themselves subvert classic country storylines of love, loss, and substance abuse by viewing them through a gritty, real-world lens. Snow has lived every line and every phrase within.
There's a lot of heartache in country music, and Triggers & Slips aren’t afraid to lean into those traditional themes in their songwriting. What sets them apart is their ability to find hope and resilience in their work, rather than a punchline (as so much modern country music does). It’s meant to be a light in the darkness. In fact, Snow credits his foray into songwriting and performing as the very thing that saved him from himself over a decade ago, and it remains the rock on which he leans — the band’s name itself being a reminder of the constant struggles we all face as individuals.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250428T170748Z SEQUENCE:7676082 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2162 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250504T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250504T233000 UID:F5864FFF-FDB5-4112-99F8-EA7A27D3226B SUMMARY:Levitation Room x Los Blenders CREATED:20250128T184606Z DTSTAMP:20250128T184606Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/levitation-room-x-los-blenders DESCRIPTION:In Los Angeles, where the weight and pressure of the city’s fast paced culture can make your legs feel like pillars, emerges psychedelic quartet, Levitation Room, to break the bonds of gravity with their cosmic wall of sound and thought provoking lyrics. “Just as their name suggests, Levitation Room’s music instills the listeners ears with a light feeling of floating. The dreamy guitar and Lo-Fi projections of psychedelic rock and garage are reminiscent of a deep 1960’s era, but still grounded in an alternative dreamgaze flavor that permeates modern indie music today.” - OC Weekly. Their decidedly hallucinogenic songs whisper and hum the same gentle refrain of their summer of love influences, conjuring up the cognitive imagery of sunny days at the park, spent with friends in a euphoric haze along with lyrical and sonic meditations on life, love, society and self-awareness. \NIn tradition, and much like the bands and musical troubadours that inspired them, Levitation Room started out with late night jam sessions in a dimly lit garage between fellow musicians and long time friends, Julian Porte and Gabriel Fernandez. Julian, a dedicated street musician who felt he needed a broader platform, found chemistry with Gabriel, who he knew as a guitar player in various teenage punk and garage bands around town. Coming together in 2012, they bonded over a shared love of British Invasion groups (The Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones) and 1960’s psychedelic outfits like The Grateful Dead, Electric Prunes, The Pretty Things and began drafting their earliest tunes. It wasn’t until the late summer of 2012, that the band came to fruition when they found a rhythm section in two individuals with almost identical names; drummer, Johnathan Martin, and bassist, Jonathathan Martin. The four began writing songs, playing gigs and recording music out of a quaint studio in East LA. \NAfter the release of their self recorded demo “Levitation Room Vol. 1”, they quickly began gaining momentum and performing at local music venues throughout Southern California. 2015 saw the release of their first official debut EP “Minds Of Our Own” released on Burger Records. Later in the spring of 2016, they released their first full length album, “Ethos”, with the help of their friend and new keyboardist, Glenn Brigman, who recorded and helped produce the record. Since 2014, Levitation Room has participated in various shows, tours and music festivals across the US and Europe and continues to see the growth in listeners and followers on YouTube, Soundcloud and Spotify (with nearly 2 million plays on their song “Friends”). With the promise of a potentially bright future, Levitation Room has begun to mix and finalize their second album that they hope will display their process of maturity in sound and song- writing, exploring new territories of influence in music and instrumentation, combining folk, jazz, raga, soul, pop and of course… psychedelia. Stay tuned! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:In Los Angeles, where the weight and pressure of the city’s fast paced culture can make your legs feel like pillars, emerges psychedelic quartet, Levitation Room, to break the bonds of gravity with their cosmic wall of sound and thought provoking lyrics. “Just as their name suggests, Levitation Room’s music instills the listeners ears with a light feeling of floating. The dreamy guitar and Lo-Fi projections of psychedelic rock and garage are reminiscent of a deep 1960’s era, but still grounded in an alternative dreamgaze flavor that permeates modern indie music today.” - OC Weekly. Their decidedly hallucinogenic songs whisper and hum the same gentle refrain of their summer of love influences, conjuring up the cognitive imagery of sunny days at the park, spent with friends in a euphoric haze along with lyrical and sonic meditations on life, love, society and self-awareness.
In tradition, and much like the bands and musical troubadours that inspired them, Levitation Room started out with late night jam sessions in a dimly lit garage between fellow musicians and long time friends, Julian Porte and Gabriel Fernandez. Julian, a dedicated street musician who felt he needed a broader platform, found chemistry with Gabriel, who he knew as a guitar player in various teenage punk and garage bands around town. Coming together in 2012, they bonded over a shared love of British Invasion groups (The Beatles, The Kinks, The Rolling Stones) and 1960’s psychedelic outfits like The Grateful Dead, Electric Prunes, The Pretty Things and began drafting their earliest tunes. It wasn’t until the late summer of 2012, that the band came to fruition when they found a rhythm section in two individuals with almost identical names; drummer, Johnathan Martin, and bassist, Jonathathan Martin. The four began writing songs, playing gigs and recording music out of a quaint studio in East LA.
After the release of their self recorded demo “Levitation Room Vol. 1”, they quickly began gaining momentum and performing at local music venues throughout Southern California. 2015 saw the release of their first official debut EP “Minds Of Our Own” released on Burger Records. Later in the spring of 2016, they released their first full length album, “Ethos”, with the help of their friend and new keyboardist, Glenn Brigman, who recorded and helped produce the record. Since 2014, Levitation Room has participated in various shows, tours and music festivals across the US and Europe and continues to see the growth in listeners and followers on YouTube, Soundcloud and Spotify (with nearly 2 million plays on their song “Friends”). With the promise of a potentially bright future, Levitation Room has begun to mix and finalize their second album that they hope will display their process of maturity in sound and song- writing, exploring new territories of influence in music and instrumentation, combining folk, jazz, raga, soul, pop and of course… psychedelia. Stay tuned!
LAST-MODIFIED:20250428T201134Z SEQUENCE:7781128 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2526 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250508T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250508T233000 UID:22AB6129-ADA0-4599-95E4-9C5DE06682E2 SUMMARY:Through the Dark - ALS Film Screening Fundraiser CREATED:20250422T161839Z DTSTAMP:20250422T161839Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/through-the-dark-als-film-screening-fundraiser DESCRIPTION:An Evening of Film, Friends & Fundraising for ALS\NJoin us for the Utah premiere of “tara”—a powerful short film that follows ultrarunner Tara Warren as she takes on the Rocky Mountain Slam in honor of her mother, who was lost to ALS.\NThe night will include a photography auction, live music, a screening of the film, and a panel discussion with the filmmakers and special guests.\NAll proceeds will support ALS research and advocacy. Come be part of a night that celebrates resilience, community, and the power of storytelling. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:An Evening of Film, Friends & Fundraising for ALS
Join us for the Utah premiere of “tara”—a powerful short film that follows ultrarunner Tara Warren as she takes on the Rocky Mountain Slam in honor of her mother, who was lost to ALS.
The night will include a photography auction, live music, a screening of the film, and a panel discussion with the filmmakers and special guests.
All proceeds will support ALS research and advocacy. Come be part of a night that celebrates resilience, community, and the power of storytelling.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250423T160550Z SEQUENCE:85631 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1197 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-04-22 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250509T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250509T233000 UID:F6A44E3D-5FA1-4FB3-B8FB-3A8002E0EDCC SUMMARY:The Garcia Project (Night 1) CREATED:20250214T182838Z DTSTAMP:20250214T182838Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-garcia-project-night-1 DESCRIPTION:The Garcia Project is the only nationally touring tribute that performs classic Jerry Garcia Band set lists from 1976-1995. \NThe Garcia Project’s performances are based on actual set lists performed by The Jerry Garcia Band. All of their shows are classic recreations of a Jerry Garcia Band set list from 1976 to 1995. For anyone that never had a chance to experience the Jerry Garcia Band or for fans that want to relive a classic show, The Garcia Project delivers With precise arrangements and the proper instrumentation and feel for the various eras, The Garcia Project faithfully channels and projects the feelings, emotions and music that propelled the Jerry Garcia Band and the fans through many years of musical bliss. It’s about family, soul searching, rejoicing, contemplating, celebrating, seeking truth and loving one another. \NFor our nationally touring Jerry Garcia Band tribute, we wanted to recreate the “sounds” that were heard when one would go to see The Jerry Garcia Band. To do this we have invested time, sweat, money, patience and love into recreating the identical instrumentation and electronics that The Jerry Garcia Band performed with.\NCheck out the gear here\N X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The Garcia Project is the only nationally touring tribute that performs classic Jerry Garcia Band set lists from 1976-1995.
The Garcia Project’s performances are based on actual set lists performed by The Jerry Garcia Band. All of their shows are classic recreations of a Jerry Garcia Band set list from 1976 to 1995. For anyone that never had a chance to experience the Jerry Garcia Band or for fans that want to relive a classic show, The Garcia Project delivers With precise arrangements and the proper instrumentation and feel for the various eras, The Garcia Project faithfully channels and projects the feelings, emotions and music that propelled the Jerry Garcia Band and the fans through many years of musical bliss. It’s about family, soul searching, rejoicing, contemplating, celebrating, seeking truth and loving one another.
For our nationally touring Jerry Garcia Band tribute, we wanted to recreate the “sounds” that were heard when one would go to see The Jerry Garcia Band. To do this we have invested time, sweat, money, patience and love into recreating the identical instrumentation and electronics that The Jerry Garcia Band performed with.
Check out the gear here
LAST-MODIFIED:20250221T171043Z SEQUENCE:600125 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4245 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-02-18 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250510T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250510T233000 UID:60BF9BC3-FA31-49C0-8B8B-95571B20B325 SUMMARY:The Garcia Project (Night 2) CREATED:20250214T182842Z DTSTAMP:20250214T182842Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-garcia-project-night-3 DESCRIPTION:The Garcia Project is the only nationally touring tribute that performs classic Jerry Garcia Band set lists from 1976-1995. \NThe Garcia Project’s performances are based on actual set lists performed by The Jerry Garcia Band. All of their shows are classic recreations of a Jerry Garcia Band set list from 1976 to 1995. For anyone that never had a chance to experience the Jerry Garcia Band or for fans that want to relive a classic show, The Garcia Project delivers With precise arrangements and the proper instrumentation and feel for the various eras, The Garcia Project faithfully channels and projects the feelings, emotions and music that propelled the Jerry Garcia Band and the fans through many years of musical bliss. It’s about family, soul searching, rejoicing, contemplating, celebrating, seeking truth and loving one another. \NFor our nationally touring Jerry Garcia Band tribute, we wanted to recreate the “sounds” that were heard when one would go to see The Jerry Garcia Band. To do this we have invested time, sweat, money, patience and love into recreating the identical instrumentation and electronics that The Jerry Garcia Band performed with.\NCheck out the gear here\N X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:
The Garcia Project is the only nationally touring tribute that performs classic Jerry Garcia Band set lists from 1976-1995.
The Garcia Project’s performances are based on actual set lists performed by The Jerry Garcia Band. All of their shows are classic recreations of a Jerry Garcia Band set list from 1976 to 1995. For anyone that never had a chance to experience the Jerry Garcia Band or for fans that want to relive a classic show, The Garcia Project delivers With precise arrangements and the proper instrumentation and feel for the various eras, The Garcia Project faithfully channels and projects the feelings, emotions and music that propelled the Jerry Garcia Band and the fans through many years of musical bliss. It’s about family, soul searching, rejoicing, contemplating, celebrating, seeking truth and loving one another.
For our nationally touring Jerry Garcia Band tribute, we wanted to recreate the “sounds” that were heard when one would go to see The Jerry Garcia Band. To do this we have invested time, sweat, money, patience and love into recreating the identical instrumentation and electronics that The Jerry Garcia Band performed with.
Check out the gear here
LAST-MODIFIED:20250221T171100Z SEQUENCE:600138 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1995 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-02-18 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250515T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250515T233000 UID:0CA35253-BE7B-4708-B8B3-49DCF89C4E67 SUMMARY:LOOM CREATED:20250326T163719Z DTSTAMP:20250326T163719Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/loom-3 DESCRIPTION:Loom is a Salt Lake City, UT based improvisational rock band that weaves together the imagery of cinematic landscapes with the novelty of auditory experimentalism into their live performances. Their music embodies a fusion of funk, jazz, disco, and world influences, captivating audiences and electrifying dance floors. Rooted in the commitment to a vibrant feedback loop with their audience, Loom's shows are never replicated, offering a distinct and communal celebration of the present moment. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:
Loom is a Salt Lake City, UT based improvisational rock band that weaves together the imagery of cinematic landscapes with the novelty of auditory experimentalism into their live performances. Their music embodies a fusion of funk, jazz, disco, and world influences, captivating audiences and electrifying dance floors. Rooted in the commitment to a vibrant feedback loop with their audience, Loom's shows are never replicated, offering a distinct and communal celebration of the present moment.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250421T202708Z SEQUENCE:2260189 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2479 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-03-26 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250516T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250516T233000 UID:F2E10C82-0923-4D02-88DC-37477F5C29EA SUMMARY:Badfeather CREATED:20250401T021430Z DTSTAMP:20250401T021430Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/badfeather DESCRIPTION:Badfeather was born from the mind of Rick Gerber of Tanglewood, and Labcoat, on piano, guitar, harmonica and vocals, and Jeremy Whitesides of the Pour, on lead guitar. With their shared ambition and songwriting prowess, there was a desire to fuse the gap between songwriting, rock, soul, and the essence of jamming to the threshold of the Salt Lake City music scene.\NWhen David Mealey of Stonefed on bass joined the band, there was no stopping this act from achieving that goal.\NAfter a long run of touring, recording and playing the scene, they disbanded to seek other avenues of music. \NThis long awaited reunion will be adding Jessie Howerton of the Pour on keys, and Dave Brogan of ALO on drums. These two indomitable players are a welcome addition, and will add new zest to the bands repertoire.\NPerforming songs from their first record Flight Pattern, and their unfinished album , Mala Pluma, as well as deep cuts, this power house of a band never disappoints with raw and honest rock and roll, blended with the elements of soul, funk, southern feels, and visceral jam band styles that will leave you wanting much much more… X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Badfeather was born from the mind of Rick Gerber of Tanglewood, and Labcoat, on piano, guitar, harmonica and vocals, and Jeremy Whitesides of the Pour, on lead guitar. With their shared ambition and songwriting prowess, there was a desire to fuse the gap between songwriting, rock, soul, and the essence of jamming to the threshold of the Salt Lake City music scene.
When David Mealey of Stonefed on bass joined the band, there was no stopping this act from achieving that goal.
After a long run of touring, recording and playing the scene, they disbanded to seek other avenues of music.
This long awaited reunion will be adding Jessie Howerton of the Pour on keys, and Dave Brogan of ALO on drums. These two indomitable players are a welcome addition, and will add new zest to the bands repertoire.
Performing songs from their first record Flight Pattern, and their unfinished album , Mala Pluma, as well as deep cuts, this power house of a band never disappoints with raw and honest rock and roll, blended with the elements of soul, funk, southern feels, and visceral jam band styles that will leave you wanting much much more…
LAST-MODIFIED:20250408T205308Z SEQUENCE:671918 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2047 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-04-01 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250517T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250517T233000 UID:B4212F97-7081-49D1-B581-87B2DA2D1F21 SUMMARY:The War and Treaty CREATED:20241206T171845Z DTSTAMP:20241206T171845Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-war-and-treaty-2 DESCRIPTION:Founded in 2014 by the husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter,The War And Treaty has emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. They were nominated for the Best New Artist and Best American Roots Song at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards, and have also been nominated for Duo of the Year at the CMA Awards two years in a row and for Vocal Duo of the Year at the ACM Awards. They have won two Americana Music Awards (both for Duo/Group of the Year) and have received additional nominations and recognition from CMT Music Awards, Folk Alliance International, People’s Choice CountryAwards, as well as from the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Grand Ole Opry. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Founded in 2014 by the husband-and-wife duo Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter,The War And Treaty has emerged as one of the most electrifying new acts in American music. They were nominated for the Best New Artist and Best American Roots Song at the 2024 GRAMMY Awards, and have also been nominated for Duo of the Year at the CMA Awards two years in a row and for Vocal Duo of the Year at the ACM Awards. They have won two Americana Music Awards (both for Duo/Group of the Year) and have received additional nominations and recognition from CMT Music Awards, Folk Alliance International, People’s Choice CountryAwards, as well as from the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and the Grand Ole Opry.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250515T173623Z SEQUENCE:13825058 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3433 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250521T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250521T233000 UID:C84AC3AA-192B-4B59-8D21-F74467E7DAF2 SUMMARY:Daniel Rodriguez CREATED:20250303T173529Z DTSTAMP:20250303T173529Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/daniel-rodriguez DESCRIPTION:Daniel Rodriguez is a dynamic figure in the Americana psychedelic folk rock scene, crafting songs that resonate with depth, authenticity, and a touch of magic. Originally a founding member and key songwriter for Elephant Revival, he has since established a prolific solo career that transcends the roots of his musical beginnings. Known for penning Elephant Revival classics like "Birds and Stars”, Daniel embarked on a solo journey following the band's dissolution in 2018. His solo debut, the EP *Your Heart The Stars The Milky Way*, was released in 2019, marking a new chapter in his artistic journey. This was followed by his first full-length album, *Sojourn of a Burning Sun*, in 2020 under BMG Records, earning acclaim for its introspective songwriting and emotional depth.Beyond the studio, Daniel has captivated audiences across North America, opening for The Lumineers during their BRIGHTSIDE World Tour in 2022, performing in sold-out arenas including a memorable homecoming in Denver before 40,000 fans. His collaborations have spanned genres and generations, sharing stages with notable artists such as Gregory Alan Isakov, Ben Harper, Jim James, Dispatch and John Craigie.In December 2021, The Lumineers released a rendition of one of Daniel’s original songs as the darkly humorous Christmas song, "This is Life (Merry Christmas)," featuring Daniel Rodriguez. His latest album, *Vast Nothing*, released in March 2023, explores new dimensions of his sound, blending Americana folk with layers of psychedelic rock, creating an ethereal yet profoundly grounded experience. His lyrics weave a magical realism within the human experience, themes that resonate deeply with listeners.Daniel’s sound is often likened to artists such as Iron & Wine, Josh Ritter, Jose Gonzalez and Gregory Alan Isakov, with whom he shares a commitment to lyrical depth and evocative storytelling. Today, Daniel leads his band, known for their unique blend of psychedelic folk rock and Americana, and continues to tour solo, offering intimate concerts that highlight his lyrical prowess and storytelling. Based in Colorado, his music echoes the untamed spirit of the Rocky Mountains—chill, humorous, and imbued with a gentle yet powerful essence that defines his style. Daniel Rodriguez's music is not just heard; it's experienced, creating unforgettable moments of connection and transformation.Primarily celebrated for his artistry, Daniel has also ventured into music production, working with a select group of artists. His involvement in production, while more recent, showcases his ability to assemble skilled teams and guide the creative process to finely tune each project's sound. Daniel's thoughtful approach to production, focusing on enhancing and aligning with each artist’s vision, has gradually made him a respected figure in the production community. His contributions, though selective, reflect his deep understanding of music and his commitment to quality in every endeavor. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Daniel Rodriguez is a dynamic figure in the Americana psychedelic folk rock scene, crafting songs that resonate with depth, authenticity, and a touch of magic. Originally a founding member and key songwriter for Elephant Revival, he has since established a prolific solo career that transcends the roots of his musical beginnings. Known for penning Elephant Revival classics like "Birds and Stars”, Daniel embarked on a solo journey following the band's dissolution in 2018. His solo debut, the EP *Your Heart The Stars The Milky Way*, was released in 2019, marking a new chapter in his artistic journey. This was followed by his first full-length album, *Sojourn of a Burning Sun*, in 2020 under BMG Records, earning acclaim for its introspective songwriting and emotional depth.Beyond the studio, Daniel has captivated audiences across North America, opening for The Lumineers during their BRIGHTSIDE World Tour in 2022, performing in sold-out arenas including a memorable homecoming in Denver before 40,000 fans. His collaborations have spanned genres and generations, sharing stages with notable artists such as Gregory Alan Isakov, Ben Harper, Jim James, Dispatch and John Craigie.In December 2021, The Lumineers released a rendition of one of Daniel’s original songs as the darkly humorous Christmas song, "This is Life (Merry Christmas)," featuring Daniel Rodriguez. His latest album, *Vast Nothing*, released in March 2023, explores new dimensions of his sound, blending Americana folk with layers of psychedelic rock, creating an ethereal yet profoundly grounded experience. His lyrics weave a magical realism within the human experience, themes that resonate deeply with listeners.Daniel’s sound is often likened to artists such as Iron & Wine, Josh Ritter, Jose Gonzalez and Gregory Alan Isakov, with whom he shares a commitment to lyrical depth and evocative storytelling. Today, Daniel leads his band, known for their unique blend of psychedelic folk rock and Americana, and continues to tour solo, offering intimate concerts that highlight his lyrical prowess and storytelling. Based in Colorado, his music echoes the untamed spirit of the Rocky Mountains—chill, humorous, and imbued with a gentle yet powerful essence that defines his style. Daniel Rodriguez's music is not just heard; it's experienced, creating unforgettable moments of connection and transformation.Primarily celebrated for his artistry, Daniel has also ventured into music production, working with a select group of artists. His involvement in production, while more recent, showcases his ability to assemble skilled teams and guide the creative process to finely tune each project's sound. Daniel's thoughtful approach to production, focusing on enhancing and aligning with each artist’s vision, has gradually made him a respected figure in the production community. His contributions, though selective, reflect his deep understanding of music and his commitment to quality in every endeavor.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250520T161041Z SEQUENCE:6734112 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2945 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-03-05 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250530T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250530T233000 UID:60FD3450-BE9E-4F76-881A-B58156355AA9 SUMMARY:The Jauntee x Lapdog CREATED:20250317T163718Z DTSTAMP:20250317T163718Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-jauntee-x-lapdog DESCRIPTION:The Jauntee is an electrifying and genre-blending musical ensemble that has captivated audiences with their unique and dynamic sound. Formed in 2010, the band has been pushing the boundaries of improvisational music, combining elements of jazz, funk, rock, and psychedelic jams to create a sonic experience like no other.\NWith a deep-rooted passion for exploration and improvisation, The Jauntee is known for their spellbinding live performances. Each show is a journey into uncharted musical territory, where the band members fearlessly navigate through intricate compositions, soaring guitar solos, and tight-knit improvisational segments. Their ability to seamlessly transition between different moods and genres has earned them a devoted and diverse fan base.\NHailing from Boston, The Jauntee consists of four extraordinarily talented musicians who share a profound musical chemistry. Their lineup includes Caton Sollenberger (guitar/vocals), Scott Ferber (drums/vocals) Tyler Adams (keys/vocals), and John Loland (bass). Together, they create a musical synergy that is both captivating and exhilarating, always leaving audiences craving for more.\NThe Jauntee has developed a reputation as a touring powerhouse. They have performed at renowned venues and festivals across the country, mesmerizing audiences with their infectious energy and undeniable talent. Their commitment to crafting unique and unforgettable live experiences has earned them a dedicated following that eagerly awaits their next musical adventure.\NIn an era where genres are constantly evolving, The Jauntee stands out as a boundary-pushing force, fearlessly exploring new sonic territories and captivating listeners with their mesmerizing performances. With their infectious enthusiasm for musical creativity, The Jauntee continues to redefine the boundaries of improvisational music, leaving an indelible mark on the musical landscape. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The Jauntee is an electrifying and genre-blending musical ensemble that has captivated audiences with their unique and dynamic sound. Formed in 2010, the band has been pushing the boundaries of improvisational music, combining elements of jazz, funk, rock, and psychedelic jams to create a sonic experience like no other.
With a deep-rooted passion for exploration and improvisation, The Jauntee is known for their spellbinding live performances. Each show is a journey into uncharted musical territory, where the band members fearlessly navigate through intricate compositions, soaring guitar solos, and tight-knit improvisational segments. Their ability to seamlessly transition between different moods and genres has earned them a devoted and diverse fan base.
Hailing from Boston, The Jauntee consists of four extraordinarily talented musicians who share a profound musical chemistry. Their lineup includes Caton Sollenberger (guitar/vocals), Scott Ferber (drums/vocals) Tyler Adams (keys/vocals), and John Loland (bass). Together, they create a musical synergy that is both captivating and exhilarating, always leaving audiences craving for more.
The Jauntee has developed a reputation as a touring powerhouse. They have performed at renowned venues and festivals across the country, mesmerizing audiences with their infectious energy and undeniable talent. Their commitment to crafting unique and unforgettable live experiences has earned them a dedicated following that eagerly awaits their next musical adventure.
In an era where genres are constantly evolving, The Jauntee stands out as a boundary-pushing force, fearlessly exploring new sonic territories and captivating listeners with their mesmerizing performances. With their infectious enthusiasm for musical creativity, The Jauntee continues to redefine the boundaries of improvisational music, leaving an indelible mark on the musical landscape.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250417T160133Z SEQUENCE:2676255 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3252 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-03-19 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250606T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250606T233000 UID:F1E7FC1E-6329-4733-9868-5D04E731447E SUMMARY:The Pickpockets CREATED:20250417T204647Z DTSTAMP:20250417T204647Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-pickpockets DESCRIPTION:As bluegrass continues to grow and bend as a genre, The Pickpockets are at the forefront, pushing the roots of bluegrass into new territories. The five-piece string band from Salt Lake City takes you into an inviting world of heartfelt lyrics, catchy melodies and gripping solos. Using an expansive repertoire and ever-growing sound, they continue to immerse audiences in new styles, new genres, and unforgettable grooves. With traditional instruments and future outlooks, The Pickpockets are breathing new life into a timeless tradition: bluegrass. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:As bluegrass continues to grow and bend as a genre, The Pickpockets are at the forefront, pushing the roots of bluegrass into new territories. The five-piece string band from Salt Lake City takes you into an inviting world of heartfelt lyrics, catchy melodies and gripping solos. Using an expansive repertoire and ever-growing sound, they continue to immerse audiences in new styles, new genres, and unforgettable grooves. With traditional instruments and future outlooks, The Pickpockets are breathing new life into a timeless tradition: bluegrass.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250521T205015Z SEQUENCE:2937808 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2109 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-04-22 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250607T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250607T233000 UID:7A99DA7E-39F2-46A1-9E8C-106D4F4C8019 SUMMARY:Dead Floyd CREATED:20250221T175210Z DTSTAMP:20250221T175210Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/dead-floyd-3 DESCRIPTION:Dead Floyd is a celebration of the music of two of rock and roll’s greatest bands, The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd, mashed together into one high-energy, unpredictable show. Drawing from both extensive catalogs of music, the Dead Floyd performances include early rarities to modern classics and everything in between. The love of the music of both bands inspires Dead Floyd to uniquely interpret the songs in a way that allows the music to timelessly live on and the legacy of both bands to stay alive to the next generation of fans. The excitement, creativity, and improvisation that went into both bands live shows of so many years is brought back for old and new fans to enjoy today.\NBecause the number of songs available from both bands is so large, the question that is heard at every Dead Floyd show is “What will they play next?” The unpredictability of the set list and the modern translation of classic, beloved songs bring an element of surprise to every Dead Floyd show. That is what has kept fans captivated and why their legacy as a tribute band continues to grow.\NDead Floyd is based out of Fort Collins, Colorado and, since forming in summer 2009, they have performed at renowned venues such as The Fox Theater, Aggie Theatre, Boulder Theater, Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Belly Up Aspen, and more. In addition, the band has been consistently voted one of the top tribute bands in Colorado.\NThe members of the band draw on their roots in jazz, funk, and rock to bring a high level of musicianship to the music and close attention to detail. The current lineup of the band is made up of Charlie Humphreys (guitar, vocals), Dana Giove (bass), Stu Crair (drums, vocals), Laniece Schleicher (vocals), and Matt Goldberg (keys, synth). This group of players has combined to perform over 1000 shows across the country in various original projects including JJ Grey & Mofro, Derek Trucks Band, Mama Lenny and the Remedy, The Grippe, Musketeer Gripweed, Hot Gazpacho, The Maji, Wooleye, Holy Moses and the High Rollers, Orooni, and many more.\NThe audience response to Dead Floyd has been overwhelming for everyone involved and the fans’ love of the music pushes this project to new heights. Come to the next show and find out why… X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Dead Floyd is a celebration of the music of two of rock and roll’s greatest bands, The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd, mashed together into one high-energy, unpredictable show. Drawing from both extensive catalogs of music, the Dead Floyd performances include early rarities to modern classics and everything in between. The love of the music of both bands inspires Dead Floyd to uniquely interpret the songs in a way that allows the music to timelessly live on and the legacy of both bands to stay alive to the next generation of fans. The excitement, creativity, and improvisation that went into both bands live shows of so many years is brought back for old and new fans to enjoy today.
Because the number of songs available from both bands is so large, the question that is heard at every Dead Floyd show is “What will they play next?” The unpredictability of the set list and the modern translation of classic, beloved songs bring an element of surprise to every Dead Floyd show. That is what has kept fans captivated and why their legacy as a tribute band continues to grow.
Dead Floyd is based out of Fort Collins, Colorado and, since forming in summer 2009, they have performed at renowned venues such as The Fox Theater, Aggie Theatre, Boulder Theater, Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Belly Up Aspen, and more. In addition, the band has been consistently voted one of the top tribute bands in Colorado.
The members of the band draw on their roots in jazz, funk, and rock to bring a high level of musicianship to the music and close attention to detail. The current lineup of the band is made up of Charlie Humphreys (guitar, vocals), Dana Giove (bass), Stu Crair (drums, vocals), Laniece Schleicher (vocals), and Matt Goldberg (keys, synth). This group of players has combined to perform over 1000 shows across the country in various original projects including JJ Grey & Mofro, Derek Trucks Band, Mama Lenny and the Remedy, The Grippe, Musketeer Gripweed, Hot Gazpacho, The Maji, Wooleye, Holy Moses and the High Rollers, Orooni, and many more.
The audience response to Dead Floyd has been overwhelming for everyone involved and the fans’ love of the music pushes this project to new heights. Come to the next show and find out why…
LAST-MODIFIED:20250228T180936Z SEQUENCE:605846 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3705 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-02-25 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250610T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250610T233000 UID:607011C5-E719-4F00-B774-4FAE083E80D7 SUMMARY:GONG CREATED:20250313T215519Z DTSTAMP:20250313T215519Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/gong DESCRIPTION:Gong began in 1969 when Daevid Allen was inspired by a profound psychedelic vision. A founder member of Soft Machine, Allen incorporated his spiritual and metaphysical leanings into an evolving collective. More a mythology than a band in the conventional sense, Gong established itself as one of the most unique, innovative and experimental rock groups of the seventies, through an exploratory mix of rock, jazz and psychedelia with elements of mysticism and surrealism. The current incarnation of Kavus Torabi, Dave Sturt, Fabio Golfetti, Ian East and Cheb Nettles is the most stable in Gong's illustrious history, having written, recorded and toured together for eight years since Allen's passing. This collective honours Daevid's intention that Gong do not die with him, urging the band to “carry it on into new unknown heights and depths far beyond anything I could ever imagine myself”. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Gong began in 1969 when Daevid Allen was inspired by a profound psychedelic vision. A founder member of Soft Machine, Allen incorporated his spiritual and metaphysical leanings into an evolving collective. More a mythology than a band in the conventional sense, Gong established itself as one of the most unique, innovative and experimental rock groups of the seventies, through an exploratory mix of rock, jazz and psychedelia with elements of mysticism and surrealism. The current incarnation of Kavus Torabi, Dave Sturt, Fabio Golfetti, Ian East and Cheb Nettles is the most stable in Gong's illustrious history, having written, recorded and toured together for eight years since Allen's passing. This collective honours Daevid's intention that Gong do not die with him, urging the band to “carry it on into new unknown heights and depths far beyond anything I could ever imagine myself”.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250605T155805Z SEQUENCE:7236166 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2379 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-03-18 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250614T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250614T233000 UID:6A7A78D5-4432-4076-A17F-54BE771EAA5B SUMMARY:Dave Alvin & Jimmie Dale Gilmore with The Guilty Ones CREATED:20250303T221158Z DTSTAMP:20250303T221158Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/dave-alvin-and-jimmie-dale-gilmore DESCRIPTION:When Grammy winner Dave Alvin and Grammy nominee Jimmie Dale Gilmore made the album Downey To Lubbock together in 2018, they wrote the title track as a sort of mission statement. “I know someday this old highway’s gonna come to an end,” Alvin sings near the song’s conclusion. Gilmore answers: “But I know when it does you’re going to be my friend.” \NSix years later, they’re serving notice that the old highway hasn’t ended yet. “We’re still standing, no matter what you might hear,” they sing on “We’re Still Here,” the final track to their new album Texicali. Due out Jun 21, 2024 on Yep Roc Records, Texicali continues to bridge the distance between the two troubadours’ respective home bases of California (Alvin) and Texas (Gilmore). \NThe album’s geographic theme reflects Alvin’s repeated journeys to record in Central Texas with Gilmore and the Austin-based backing band that has toured with the duo for the past few years. The 11 songs on Texicali also connect the duo’s shared fondness for a broad range of American \Nmusic forms. On their own, both have been prominent artists for decades. A philosophical songwriter with a captivating, almost mystical voice, Gilmore co-founded influential Lubbock group the Flatlanders in the early 1970s. Alvin first drew attention as a firebrand guitarist and budding young songwriter with Los Angeles roots-rockers the Blasters in the early 1980s. \NGilmore is primarily known for left-of-center country music, while Alvin’s compass points largely toward old-school blues. But there’s a lot of ground to cover beyond those foundations, and both artists also are well-known for transcending genre limitations. So it’s not surprising that they’ve spiked Texicali with cosmic folk narratives, deep R&B grooves and even swinging reggae rhythms. “There’s such a strange variety through the whole thing,” Gilmore says. “And I love that.” \NThey’re both quick to credit the musicians who joined them in the studio as crucial to the sound and spirit of the album. On Downey To Lubbock, they recorded primarily in Los Angeles with a crew that included ringers such as the late Don Heffington on drums and Van Dyke Parks on accordion. This time, though, Alvin’s longtime rhythm section of drummer Lisa Pankratz and bassist Brad Fordham played a larger role, along with guitarist Chris Miller and keyboardist Bukka Allen. “After the time we spent touring, Jimmie and I became members of this band,” Alvin says. “The band can play just about anything, which the album shows off.” \NTexicali also found Alvin and Gilmore increasingly focusing on original songs. Among them are “Trying To Be Free,” which Gilmore wrote more than 50 years ago; “Southwest Chief,” a collaboration between Alvin and the late Bill Morrissey; and “Death of the Last Stripper,” which Alvin wrote with Terry Allen and his wife Jo Harvey Allen. \NJust as important, however, are the choices they made for non-original material. The covers on Texicali include “Roll Around” by Gilmore’s longtime friend Butch Hancock; “Broke Down Engine” and “Betty And Dupree” from blues greats Blind Willie McTell and Brownie McGhee, respectively; and Stonewall Jackson’s “That’s Why I’m Walking,” which marries Gilmore’s country croon to a New Orleans R&B arrangement. Gilmore says he loves New Orleans music, “but it’s not the music I play.” Dave slyly counters: “It is now!” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:When Grammy winner Dave Alvin and Grammy nominee Jimmie Dale Gilmore made the album Downey To Lubbock together in 2018, they wrote the title track as a sort of mission statement. “I know someday this old highway’s gonna come to an end,” Alvin sings near the song’s conclusion. Gilmore answers: “But I know when it does you’re going to be my friend.”
Six years later, they’re serving notice that the old highway hasn’t ended yet. “We’re still standing, no matter what you might hear,” they sing on “We’re Still Here,” the final track to their new album Texicali. Due out Jun 21, 2024 on Yep Roc Records, Texicali continues to bridge the distance between the two troubadours’ respective home bases of California (Alvin) and Texas (Gilmore).
The album’s geographic theme reflects Alvin’s repeated journeys to record in Central Texas with Gilmore and the Austin-based backing band that has toured with the duo for the past few years. The 11 songs on Texicali also connect the duo’s shared fondness for a broad range of American
music forms. On their own, both have been prominent artists for decades. A philosophical songwriter with a captivating, almost mystical voice, Gilmore co-founded influential Lubbock group the Flatlanders in the early 1970s. Alvin first drew attention as a firebrand guitarist and budding young songwriter with Los Angeles roots-rockers the Blasters in the early 1980s.
Gilmore is primarily known for left-of-center country music, while Alvin’s compass points largely toward old-school blues. But there’s a lot of ground to cover beyond those foundations, and both artists also are well-known for transcending genre limitations. So it’s not surprising that they’ve spiked Texicali with cosmic folk narratives, deep R&B grooves and even swinging reggae rhythms. “There’s such a strange variety through the whole thing,” Gilmore says. “And I love that.”
They’re both quick to credit the musicians who joined them in the studio as crucial to the sound and spirit of the album. On Downey To Lubbock, they recorded primarily in Los Angeles with a crew that included ringers such as the late Don Heffington on drums and Van Dyke Parks on accordion. This time, though, Alvin’s longtime rhythm section of drummer Lisa Pankratz and bassist Brad Fordham played a larger role, along with guitarist Chris Miller and keyboardist Bukka Allen. “After the time we spent touring, Jimmie and I became members of this band,” Alvin says. “The band can play just about anything, which the album shows off.”
Texicali also found Alvin and Gilmore increasingly focusing on original songs. Among them are “Trying To Be Free,” which Gilmore wrote more than 50 years ago; “Southwest Chief,” a collaboration between Alvin and the late Bill Morrissey; and “Death of the Last Stripper,” which Alvin wrote with Terry Allen and his wife Jo Harvey Allen.
Just as important, however, are the choices they made for non-original material. The covers on Texicali include “Roll Around” by Gilmore’s longtime friend Butch Hancock; “Broke Down Engine” and “Betty And Dupree” from blues greats Blind Willie McTell and Brownie McGhee, respectively; and Stonewall Jackson’s “That’s Why I’m Walking,” which marries Gilmore’s country croon to a New Orleans R&B arrangement. Gilmore says he loves New Orleans music, “but it’s not the music I play.” Dave slyly counters: “It is now!”
LAST-MODIFIED:20250611T173411Z SEQUENCE:8623333 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2819 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-03-05 17:00:34 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250615T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250615T233000 UID:11E5A5D6-1A48-48DD-ACCB-5BC46FCA87F9 SUMMARY:Waylon Jennings Tribute Show CREATED:20250415T062232Z DTSTAMP:20250415T062232Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/waylon-jennings-tribute-show-2 DESCRIPTION:Special Guests: J-Rad Cooley, Dylan Schorer, Kate LeDeuce, Jerry Cochran, Rick Gerber, Michelle Moonshine, Megan Blue, and more X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Special Guests: J-Rad Cooley, Dylan Schorer, Kate LeDeuce, Jerry Cochran, Rick Gerber, Michelle Moonshine, Megan Blue, and more
LAST-MODIFIED:20250421T181550Z SEQUENCE:561198 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2550 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-04-15 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250619T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250619T233000 UID:30AB3C64-2E15-4693-83DA-DE250A804CEF SUMMARY:The English Beat CREATED:20250417T205619Z DTSTAMP:20250417T205619Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-english-beat-2 DESCRIPTION:The English Beat is a band with an energetic mix of musical styles and a sound like no other. The band's unique sound has allowed it to endure for nearly four decades and appeal to fans, young and old, all over the world. When The English Beat (known as The Beat in their native England) rushed on to the music scene in 1979, it was a time of massive social and political unrest and economic and musical upheaval. This set the stage for a period of unbridled musical creativity, and thanks in large part to the Punk movement and it's DIY approach to making music, artists like The Beat were able to speak out and speak their mind on the news of the day, as in “Stand Down Margaret”, things that mattered to them and the youth culture, as in “Get A Job”, and universal matters of the heart and soul, as in their classic hits “I Confess” and “Save It For Later”. The Beat first came to prominence as founding members of the British Two Tone Ska movement, with their classic first album “Just Can't Stop It” fitting squarely in that genre. Along with their contemporaries The Specials, The Selecter, and Madness, the band became an overnight sensation and one of the most popular and influential bands of that movement. However, band leader Dave Wakeling never felt constrained by the movement. The band crossed over fluidly between soul, reggae, pop and punk, and from these disparate pieces they created an infectious dance rhythm. The band's sound continued to evolve over their three studio albums, through the General Public era (a band formed by Dave with The Beat’s toaster, Ranking Roger), and it has continued its evolution with the forthcoming English Beat album “Here We Go Love”, a PledgeMusic crowd-funded album set for a 2016 release, the band's first new album since 1982's “Special Beat Service”. Consummate showman that he is, Dave Wakeling continues to keep The Beat alive and strong, touring the world as The English Beat with an amazing all-star ska backing band playing all the hits of The Beat, General Public, and songs from his new album “Here We Go Love”. You just can’t stop The English Beat! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The English Beat is a band with an energetic mix of musical styles and a sound like no other. The band's unique sound has allowed it to endure for nearly four decades and appeal to fans, young and old, all over the world. When The English Beat (known as The Beat in their native England) rushed on to the music scene in 1979, it was a time of massive social and political unrest and economic and musical upheaval. This set the stage for a period of unbridled musical creativity, and thanks in large part to the Punk movement and it's DIY approach to making music, artists like The Beat were able to speak out and speak their mind on the news of the day, as in “Stand Down Margaret”, things that mattered to them and the youth culture, as in “Get A Job”, and universal matters of the heart and soul, as in their classic hits “I Confess” and “Save It For Later”. The Beat first came to prominence as founding members of the British Two Tone Ska movement, with their classic first album “Just Can't Stop It” fitting squarely in that genre. Along with their contemporaries The Specials, The Selecter, and Madness, the band became an overnight sensation and one of the most popular and influential bands of that movement. However, band leader Dave Wakeling never felt constrained by the movement. The band crossed over fluidly between soul, reggae, pop and punk, and from these disparate pieces they created an infectious dance rhythm. The band's sound continued to evolve over their three studio albums, through the General Public era (a band formed by Dave with The Beat’s toaster, Ranking Roger), and it has continued its evolution with the forthcoming English Beat album “Here We Go Love”, a PledgeMusic crowd-funded album set for a 2016 release, the band's first new album since 1982's “Special Beat Service”. Consummate showman that he is, Dave Wakeling continues to keep The Beat alive and strong, touring the world as The English Beat with an amazing all-star ska backing band playing all the hits of The Beat, General Public, and songs from his new album “Here We Go Love”. You just can’t stop The English Beat!
LAST-MODIFIED:20250709T164016Z SEQUENCE:7155837 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3513 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-04-23 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250627T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250627T233000 UID:D3FC575C-9254-464D-BD56-4804474430CB SUMMARY:Kaleb Austin CREATED:20250408T163555Z DTSTAMP:20250408T163555Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/kaleb-austin-2 DESCRIPTION:Nashville recording artist and social media star, Kaleb Austin, has risen to become one of the most promising new faces in country music. Austin has shared the stage with the likes of JoDee Messina, Billy Currington, Dan+Shay, Brantley Gilbert, Joe Nichols and many others. He found the fast track to success when his wife Cheyenne began posting short videos of him singing to his kids, swiftly gaining a following of over 3 million people. Since early 2021, he has had several chart topping hits like “Sound of the South” and “Turn the Night On” that have earned him the title “TikTok Country Artist of the Year.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Nashville recording artist and social media star, Kaleb Austin, has risen to become one of the most promising new faces in country music. Austin has shared the stage with the likes of JoDee Messina, Billy Currington, Dan+Shay, Brantley Gilbert, Joe Nichols and many others. He found the fast track to success when his wife Cheyenne began posting short videos of him singing to his kids, swiftly gaining a following of over 3 million people. Since early 2021, he has had several chart topping hits like “Sound of the South” and “Turn the Night On” that have earned him the title “TikTok Country Artist of the Year.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20250602T161945Z SEQUENCE:4751030 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:5168 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-04-09 16:00:24 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250628T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250628T233000 UID:24D81D04-B99E-4E32-84F8-96A818E1B0E1 SUMMARY:Polyrhythmics CREATED:20250417T210756Z DTSTAMP:20250417T210756Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/polyrhythmics-2 DESCRIPTION:Seattle-based Polyrhythmics are celebrating 15 years of sonic exploration with the release of their highly anticipated new album, Life from Below (2025). Since forming in 2010, this seven-piece powerhouse has redefined instrumental music with a sound that blends funk, soul, psychedelic rock, R&B, and Afrobeat into a kaleidoscope of rhythm and groove. Known for their dynamic live performances and innovative compositions, the band has earned a reputation as one of the most captivating acts on the contemporary music scene.\NPolyrhythmics emerged from the rich creative soil of Seattle’s eclectic music community, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2011. Since then, their discography has grown to include fan-favorite albums such as Octagon (2015), Caldera (2017), and Man from the Future (2020). Each release showcases their fearless exploration of genre boundaries and their commitment to crafting vibrant, deeply textured soundscapes.\NThis year’s Life from Below marks an exciting new chapter for Polyrhythmics, delivering a fresh collection of grooves infused with the bold creativity and signature tight-knit musicianship that fans have come to expect. As they celebrate their 15th anniversary, the band reflects on a decade and a half of musical evolution, countless miles on the road, and a loyal community of listeners that continues to grow.\NOver the years, Polyrhythmics have graced stages at major festivals and renowned venues across the United States and internationally, sharing bills with legendary artists while carving out a distinct space in the global funk and soul scene. Their music—equal parts danceable, thoughtful, and immersive—offers a rich listening experience that draws from the roots of American funk and soul while incorporating global influences.\NWith Life from Below, Polyrhythmics look forward to the next chapter of their journey—pushing boundaries, creating new grooves, and bringing their celebrated live energy to audiences around the world.\N\NBen Bloom – Guitar\NGrant Schroff – Drums\NNathan Spicer – Keyboards\NJason Gray – Bass\NScott Morning – Trumpet\NElijah Clark – Trombone\NArt Brown – Saxophone & Flute\N X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Seattle-based Polyrhythmics are celebrating 15 years of sonic exploration with the release of their highly anticipated new album, Life from Below (2025). Since forming in 2010, this seven-piece powerhouse has redefined instrumental music with a sound that blends funk, soul, psychedelic rock, R&B, and Afrobeat into a kaleidoscope of rhythm and groove. Known for their dynamic live performances and innovative compositions, the band has earned a reputation as one of the most captivating acts on the contemporary music scene.
Polyrhythmics emerged from the rich creative soil of Seattle’s eclectic music community, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2011. Since then, their discography has grown to include fan-favorite albums such as Octagon (2015), Caldera (2017), and Man from the Future (2020). Each release showcases their fearless exploration of genre boundaries and their commitment to crafting vibrant, deeply textured soundscapes.
This year’s Life from Below marks an exciting new chapter for Polyrhythmics, delivering a fresh collection of grooves infused with the bold creativity and signature tight-knit musicianship that fans have come to expect. As they celebrate their 15th anniversary, the band reflects on a decade and a half of musical evolution, countless miles on the road, and a loyal community of listeners that continues to grow.
Over the years, Polyrhythmics have graced stages at major festivals and renowned venues across the United States and internationally, sharing bills with legendary artists while carving out a distinct space in the global funk and soul scene. Their music—equal parts danceable, thoughtful, and immersive—offers a rich listening experience that draws from the roots of American funk and soul while incorporating global influences.
With Life from Below, Polyrhythmics look forward to the next chapter of their journey—pushing boundaries, creating new grooves, and bringing their celebrated live energy to audiences around the world.
CINEMA CLUB: MOVIES ON THE 'TURF
This summer, we’re flipping the script — by turning down the amps and rolling out the astroturf. Yes, you heard us correctly... Dance floor astroturf. Welcome to Cinema Club — our new summertime $5 film series! Where the vibes are chill, the popcorn is bottomless, and the seating is B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Chair... or beanbag... or inflatable pool toy... we're not ones to judge).
IMPORTANT DETAILS: Scoop your own popcorn (yes, you can go back for thirds) Bring your most comfortable chair (personally, we love the Kelty triple-seaters) Watch cult classics, deep cuts, and cinematic gems under Utah's largest disco ball. It’s cheap, charming, and a little chaotic — just how we like it.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250627T235428Z SEQUENCE:1478413 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1505 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-06-11 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250713T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250713T233000 UID:BA075832-36BE-435C-A1B7-DEB141A68C0F SUMMARY:CINEMA CLUB: X CREATED:20250611T154640Z DTSTAMP:20250611T154640Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/x DESCRIPTION:Presenting: 'X'\NA group of actors sets out to make an adult film in rural Texas under the noses of their reclusive hosts, but when the elderly couple catches their young guests in the act, the cast finds themselves in a desperate fight for their lives.\NCINEMA CLUB: MOVIES ON THE 'TURF \NThis summer, we’re flipping the script — by turning down the amps and rolling out the astroturf. Yes, you heard us correctly... Dance floor astroturf. Welcome to Cinema Club — our new summertime $5 film series! Where the vibes are chill, the popcorn is bottomless, and the seating is B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Chair... or beanbag... or inflatable pool toy... we're not ones to judge).\NIMPORTANT DETAILS: Scoop your own popcorn (yes, you can go back for thirds) Bring your most comfortable chair (personally, we love the Kelty triple-seaters) Watch cult classics, deep cuts, and cinematic gems under Utah's largest disco ball. It’s cheap, charming, and a little chaotic — just how we like it. CINEMA CLUB: where the dance floor is fake grass and the popcorn never ends.\N X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Presenting: 'X'
A group of actors sets out to make an adult film in rural Texas under the noses of their reclusive hosts, but when the elderly couple catches their young guests in the act, the cast finds themselves in a desperate fight for their lives.
CINEMA CLUB: MOVIES ON THE 'TURF
This summer, we’re flipping the script — by turning down the amps and rolling out the astroturf. Yes, you heard us correctly... Dance floor astroturf. Welcome to Cinema Club — our new summertime $5 film series! Where the vibes are chill, the popcorn is bottomless, and the seating is B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Chair... or beanbag... or inflatable pool toy... we're not ones to judge).
IMPORTANT DETAILS: Scoop your own popcorn (yes, you can go back for thirds) Bring your most comfortable chair (personally, we love the Kelty triple-seaters) Watch cult classics, deep cuts, and cinematic gems under Utah's largest disco ball. It’s cheap, charming, and a little chaotic — just how we like it. CINEMA CLUB: where the dance floor is fake grass and the popcorn never ends.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250710T045532Z SEQUENCE:2466532 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1518 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-06-11 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250727T203000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250727T210000 UID:D766073C-3A8D-487B-82DB-166FCF1CDFA4 SUMMARY:CINEMA CLUB: Bottle Rocket CREATED:20250611T155747Z DTSTAMP:20250611T155747Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/bottle-rocket DESCRIPTION:Presenting: 'Bottle Rocket'\NWes Anderson's first feature film, Anthony (Luke Wilson) has just been released from a mental hospital, only to find his wacky friend Dignan (Owen C. Wilson) determined to begin an outrageous crime spree. After recruiting their neighbor, Bob (Robert Musgrave), the team embarks on a road trip in search of Dignan's previous boss, Mr. Henry (James Caan). But the more they learn, the more they realize that they do not know the first thing about crime.\NCINEMA CLUB: MOVIES ON THE 'TURF \NThis summer, we’re flipping the script — by turning down the amps and rolling out the astroturf. Yes, you heard us correctly... Dance floor astroturf. Welcome to Cinema Club — our new summertime $5 film series! Where the vibes are chill, the popcorn is bottomless, and the seating is B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Chair... or beanbag... or inflatable pool toy... we're not ones to judge).\NIMPORTANT DETAILS: Scoop your own popcorn (yes, you can go back for thirds) Bring your most comfortable chair (personally, we love the Kelty triple-seaters) Watch cult classics, deep cuts, and cinematic gems under Utah's largest disco ball. It’s cheap, charming, and a little chaotic — just how we like it. CINEMA CLUB: where the dance floor is fake grass and the popcorn never ends. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:
Presenting: 'Bottle Rocket'
Wes Anderson's first feature film, Anthony (Luke Wilson) has just been released from a mental hospital, only to find his wacky friend Dignan (Owen C. Wilson) determined to begin an outrageous crime spree. After recruiting their neighbor, Bob (Robert Musgrave), the team embarks on a road trip in search of Dignan's previous boss, Mr. Henry (James Caan). But the more they learn, the more they realize that they do not know the first thing about crime.
CINEMA CLUB: MOVIES ON THE 'TURF
This summer, we’re flipping the script — by turning down the amps and rolling out the astroturf. Yes, you heard us correctly... Dance floor astroturf. Welcome to Cinema Club — our new summertime $5 film series! Where the vibes are chill, the popcorn is bottomless, and the seating is B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Chair... or beanbag... or inflatable pool toy... we're not ones to judge).
IMPORTANT DETAILS: Scoop your own popcorn (yes, you can go back for thirds) Bring your most comfortable chair (personally, we love the Kelty triple-seaters) Watch cult classics, deep cuts, and cinematic gems under Utah's largest disco ball. It’s cheap, charming, and a little chaotic — just how we like it. CINEMA CLUB: where the dance floor is fake grass and the popcorn never ends.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250710T045627Z SEQUENCE:2465920 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1417 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-06-11 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250801T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250801T233000 UID:461E96E1-0CCD-4F56-AAE6-3CA148D1B600 SUMMARY:Karlie McKinnon CREATED:20250602T175207Z DTSTAMP:20250602T175207Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/karlie-mckinnon DESCRIPTION:Karlie McKinnon is a bluesy singer with a timeless voice that captivates audiences. Passionate about the blues, Karlie delivers an intimate and connective atmosphere, covering both well-known hits and undiscovered B-sides. As a master storyteller, her performances seamlessly blend raw emotion and rhythmic soulfulness, creating an unforgettable experience for any event. Take a journey into the heart of music with Karlie, where every note becomes a thread weaving stories of the timeless human experience. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Karlie McKinnon is a bluesy singer with a timeless voice that captivates audiences. Passionate about the blues, Karlie delivers an intimate and connective atmosphere, covering both well-known hits and undiscovered B-sides. As a master storyteller, her performances seamlessly blend raw emotion and rhythmic soulfulness, creating an unforgettable experience for any event. Take a journey into the heart of music with Karlie, where every note becomes a thread weaving stories of the timeless human experience.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250610T150002Z SEQUENCE:680875 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1566 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-06-03 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250802T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250802T233000 UID:C8FD9100-7535-4B8E-A790-4E6C5DFC8AE0 SUMMARY:Dead & Co 60 Streaming Party! [SATURDAY] CREATED:20250729T223631Z DTSTAMP:20250729T223631Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/dead-co-60-streaming-party DESCRIPTION:- Due to the early start times, you are welcome to BYO food + snacks (although no re-entry still applies)!\N- Please come with a couple of canned goods or other nonperishable food items for our Utah Food Bank drive!\N \NIt's about to be a FREE Dead & Co 60th Anniversary Streaming Weekend at The State Room!\NThis weekend, we’re bringing the magic of Golden Gate Park to SLC with two FREE streaming parties, celebrating 60 years of the Grateful Dead — live from the heart of San Francisco, where it all began.\NWhy Golden Gate Park? It’s sacred ground for Deadheads — the site of the band’s earliest free shows, where Jerry Garcia once jammed for a crowd of thousands, well before they ever had a record deal. It’s where counterculture met community (and the music never stopped...).\NSAT. 8/03 – Opening set by Sturgill Simpson\NSUN. 8/04 – Opening set by Trey Anastasio Band. (Did you know Trey once played Jerry Garcia’s legendary Wolf guitar during the 2015 'Dead 50' reunion? The full-circle energy continues one decade later.)\NAnd of course, it wouldn’t be a Dead celebration without a nod to the man himself. Jerry Garcia was born just blocks from Golden Gate Park. Come celebrate six decades of improvisation, community, and multi-generationally cosmic exploration. We'll have an open bar, big screens, and even bigger vibes ready for you. No ticket required, just show up and get on the bus, man !!! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:- Due to the early start times, you are welcome to BYO food + snacks (although no re-entry still applies)!
- Please come with a couple of canned goods or other nonperishable food items for our Utah Food Bank drive!
It's about to be a FREE Dead & Co 60th Anniversary Streaming Weekend at The State Room!
This weekend, we’re bringing the magic of Golden Gate Park to SLC with two FREE streaming parties, celebrating 60 years of the Grateful Dead — live from the heart of San Francisco, where it all began.
Why Golden Gate Park? It’s sacred ground for Deadheads — the site of the band’s earliest free shows, where Jerry Garcia once jammed for a crowd of thousands, well before they ever had a record deal. It’s where counterculture met community (and the music never stopped...).
SAT. 8/03 – Opening set by Sturgill Simpson
SUN. 8/04 – Opening set by Trey Anastasio Band. (Did you know Trey once played Jerry Garcia’s legendary Wolf guitar during the 2015 'Dead 50' reunion? The full-circle energy continues one decade later.)
And of course, it wouldn’t be a Dead celebration without a nod to the man himself. Jerry Garcia was born just blocks from Golden Gate Park. Come celebrate six decades of improvisation, community, and multi-generationally cosmic exploration. We'll have an open bar, big screens, and even bigger vibes ready for you. No ticket required, just show up and get on the bus, man !!!
LAST-MODIFIED:20250802T212516Z SEQUENCE:341325 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:764 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250803T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250803T233000 UID:EC4E8DAC-1A23-4FF0-B90E-4E053E8226BF SUMMARY:Dead & Co 60 Streaming Party! [SUNDAY] CREATED:20250729T223803Z DTSTAMP:20250729T223803Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/dead-co-60-streaming-party-sunday DESCRIPTION:- Due to the early start times, you are welcome to BYO food + snacks (although no re-entry still applies)!\N- Please come with a couple of canned goods or other nonperishable food items for our Utah Food Bank drive!\N \NIt's about to be a FREE Dead & Co 60th Anniversary Streaming Weekend at The State Room!\NThis weekend, we’re bringing the magic of Golden Gate Park to SLC with two FREE streaming parties, celebrating 60 years of the Grateful Dead — live from the heart of San Francisco, where it all began.\NWhy Golden Gate Park? It’s sacred ground for Deadheads — the site of the band’s earliest free shows, where Jerry Garcia once jammed for a crowd of thousands, well before they ever had a record deal. It’s where counterculture met community (and the music never stopped...).\NSAT. 8/03 – Opening set by Sturgill Simpson\NSUN. 8/04 – Opening set by Trey Anastasio Band. (Did you know Trey once played Jerry Garcia’s legendary Wolf guitar during the 2015 'Dead 50' reunion? The full-circle energy continues one decade later.)\NAnd of course, it wouldn’t be a Dead celebration without a nod to the man himself. Jerry Garcia was born just blocks from Golden Gate Park. Come celebrate six decades of improvisation, community, and multi-generationally cosmic exploration. We'll have an open bar, big screens, and even bigger vibes ready for you. No ticket required, just show up and get on the bus, man !!! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:- Due to the early start times, you are welcome to BYO food + snacks (although no re-entry still applies)!
- Please come with a couple of canned goods or other nonperishable food items for our Utah Food Bank drive!
It's about to be a FREE Dead & Co 60th Anniversary Streaming Weekend at The State Room!
This weekend, we’re bringing the magic of Golden Gate Park to SLC with two FREE streaming parties, celebrating 60 years of the Grateful Dead — live from the heart of San Francisco, where it all began.
Why Golden Gate Park? It’s sacred ground for Deadheads — the site of the band’s earliest free shows, where Jerry Garcia once jammed for a crowd of thousands, well before they ever had a record deal. It’s where counterculture met community (and the music never stopped...).
SAT. 8/03 – Opening set by Sturgill Simpson
SUN. 8/04 – Opening set by Trey Anastasio Band. (Did you know Trey once played Jerry Garcia’s legendary Wolf guitar during the 2015 'Dead 50' reunion? The full-circle energy continues one decade later.)
And of course, it wouldn’t be a Dead celebration without a nod to the man himself. Jerry Garcia was born just blocks from Golden Gate Park. Come celebrate six decades of improvisation, community, and multi-generationally cosmic exploration. We'll have an open bar, big screens, and even bigger vibes ready for you. No ticket required, just show up and get on the bus, man !!!
LAST-MODIFIED:20250802T212523Z SEQUENCE:341240 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:557 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250804T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250804T233000 UID:7E76A8F0-34A1-4E45-A39B-1F204B1E840C SUMMARY:Leo Kottke x Julian Lage CREATED:20250523T193535Z DTSTAMP:20250523T193535Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/leo-kottke-x-julian-lage DESCRIPTION:Acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke was born in Athens, Georgia, but left town after a year and a half. Raised in 12 different states, he absorbed a variety of musical influences as a child, flirting with both violin and trombone, before abandoning Stravinsky for the guitar at age 11.\NAfter adding a love for the country-blues of Mississippi John Hurt to the music of John Phillip Sousa and Preston Epps, Kottke joined the Navy underage, to be underwater, and eventually lost some hearing shooting at lightbulbs in the Atlantic while serving on the USS Halfbeak, a diesel submarine.\NKottke had previously entered college at the U of Missouri, dropping out after a year to hitchhike across the country to South Carolina, then to New London and into the Navy, with his twelve string. "The trip was not something I enjoyed," he has said, "I was broke and met too many interesting people."\NDischarged in 1964, he settled in the Twin Cities area and became a fixture at Minneapolis' Scholar Coffeehouse, which had been home to Bob Dylan and John Koerner. He issued his 1968 recording debut LP Twelve String Blues, recorded on a Viking quarter-inch tape recorder, for the Scholar's tiny Oblivion label. (The label released one other LP by The Langston Hughes Memorial Eclectic Jazz Band.)\NAfter sending tapes to guitarist John Fahey, Kottke was signed to Fahey's Takoma label, releasing what has come to be called the Armadillo record. Fahey and his manager Denny Bruce soon secured a production deal for Kottke with Capitol Records.\NKottke's 1971 major-label debut, "Mudlark," positioned him somewhat uneasily in the singer/songwriter vein, despite his own wishes to remain an instrumental performer. Still, despite arguments with label heads as well as with Bruce, Kottke flourished during his tenure on Capitol, as records like 1972's "Greenhouse" and 1973's live "My Feet Are Smiling" and "Ice Water" found him branching out with guest musicians and honing his guitar technique.\NWith 1975's Chewing Pine, Kottke reached the U.S. Top 30 for the second time; he also gained an international following thanks to his continuing tours in Europe and Australia.\NHis collaboration with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, "Clone," caught audiences' attention in 2002. Kottke and Gordon followed with a recording in the Bahamas called "Sixty Six Steps," produced by Leo's old friend and Prince producer David Z.\NKottke has been awarded two Grammy nominations; a Doctorate in Music Performance by the Peck School of Music at the U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and a Certificate of Significant Achievement in Not Playing the Trombone from the U of Texas at Brownsville with Texas Southmost College. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke was born in Athens, Georgia, but left town after a year and a half. Raised in 12 different states, he absorbed a variety of musical influences as a child, flirting with both violin and trombone, before abandoning Stravinsky for the guitar at age 11.
After adding a love for the country-blues of Mississippi John Hurt to the music of John Phillip Sousa and Preston Epps, Kottke joined the Navy underage, to be underwater, and eventually lost some hearing shooting at lightbulbs in the Atlantic while serving on the USS Halfbeak, a diesel submarine.
Kottke had previously entered college at the U of Missouri, dropping out after a year to hitchhike across the country to South Carolina, then to New London and into the Navy, with his twelve string. "The trip was not something I enjoyed," he has said, "I was broke and met too many interesting people."
Discharged in 1964, he settled in the Twin Cities area and became a fixture at Minneapolis' Scholar Coffeehouse, which had been home to Bob Dylan and John Koerner. He issued his 1968 recording debut LP Twelve String Blues, recorded on a Viking quarter-inch tape recorder, for the Scholar's tiny Oblivion label. (The label released one other LP by The Langston Hughes Memorial Eclectic Jazz Band.)
After sending tapes to guitarist John Fahey, Kottke was signed to Fahey's Takoma label, releasing what has come to be called the Armadillo record. Fahey and his manager Denny Bruce soon secured a production deal for Kottke with Capitol Records.
Kottke's 1971 major-label debut, "Mudlark," positioned him somewhat uneasily in the singer/songwriter vein, despite his own wishes to remain an instrumental performer. Still, despite arguments with label heads as well as with Bruce, Kottke flourished during his tenure on Capitol, as records like 1972's "Greenhouse" and 1973's live "My Feet Are Smiling" and "Ice Water" found him branching out with guest musicians and honing his guitar technique.
With 1975's Chewing Pine, Kottke reached the U.S. Top 30 for the second time; he also gained an international following thanks to his continuing tours in Europe and Australia.
His collaboration with Phish bassist Mike Gordon, "Clone," caught audiences' attention in 2002. Kottke and Gordon followed with a recording in the Bahamas called "Sixty Six Steps," produced by Leo's old friend and Prince producer David Z.
Kottke has been awarded two Grammy nominations; a Doctorate in Music Performance by the Peck School of Music at the U of Wisconsin, Milwaukee; and a Certificate of Significant Achievement in Not Playing the Trombone from the U of Texas at Brownsville with Texas Southmost College.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250711T190619Z SEQUENCE:4231844 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3050 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-05-27 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250806T203000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250806T210000 UID:2BDA9E7D-BA79-4686-8456-47E040BEF7C5 SUMMARY:CINEMA CLUB: Bodies Bodies Bodies CREATED:20250611T155923Z DTSTAMP:20250611T155923Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/strange-darling DESCRIPTION:Presenting: 'Bodies Bodies Bodies'\NWhen a group of 20-somethings gets stuck at a remote mansion during a hurricane, a party game gone very, very wrong ends with a dead body on the ground and fake friends at every turn as they try to find the killer among them.\NCINEMA CLUB: MOVIES ON THE 'TURF \NThis summer, we’re flipping the script — by turning down the amps and rolling out the astroturf. Yes, you heard us correctly... Dance floor astroturf. Welcome to Cinema Club — our new summertime $5 film series! Where the vibes are chill, the popcorn is bottomless, and the seating is B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Chair... or beanbag... or inflatable pool toy... we're not ones to judge).\NIMPORTANT DETAILS: Scoop your own popcorn (yes, you can go back for thirds) Bring your most comfortable chair (personally, we love the Kelty triple-seaters) Watch cult classics, deep cuts, and cinematic gems under Utah's largest disco ball. It’s cheap, charming, and a little chaotic — just how we like it. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Presenting: 'Bodies Bodies Bodies'
When a group of 20-somethings gets stuck at a remote mansion during a hurricane, a party game gone very, very wrong ends with a dead body on the ground and fake friends at every turn as they try to find the killer among them.
CINEMA CLUB: MOVIES ON THE 'TURF
This summer, we’re flipping the script — by turning down the amps and rolling out the astroturf. Yes, you heard us correctly... Dance floor astroturf. Welcome to Cinema Club — our new summertime $5 film series! Where the vibes are chill, the popcorn is bottomless, and the seating is B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Chair... or beanbag... or inflatable pool toy... we're not ones to judge).
IMPORTANT DETAILS: Scoop your own popcorn (yes, you can go back for thirds) Bring your most comfortable chair (personally, we love the Kelty triple-seaters) Watch cult classics, deep cuts, and cinematic gems under Utah's largest disco ball. It’s cheap, charming, and a little chaotic — just how we like it.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250710T045619Z SEQUENCE:2465816 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1301 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-06-11 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250809T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250809T233000 UID:383AC20E-CBC5-493F-A11A-EEAA9F110CCB SUMMARY:Say She She CREATED:20250417T203644Z DTSTAMP:20250417T203644Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/say-she-she-2 DESCRIPTION:Say She She, the soulful female-led group, stand rock solid on their disco-delic duty with their boundary-breaking sophomore album Silver (released September 29 on Colemine/Karma Chief Records). The voices of Piya Malik (El Michels Affair, Chicano Batman), Sabrina Mileo Cunningham and Nya Gazelle Brown (79.5) front the band.\NSilver was written and recorded live to tape at Killion Sound studio in North Hollywood in early 2023, and produced by Sergio Rios (Orgone, Neal Francis, Alicia Keys). While these analog recording techniques help root Say She She’s sound in a bedrock of tonal warmth that only tape can achieve, it is also their process of cutting the track in the moment and capturing the magic of communal creativity that have critics reeling. Musical inspirations include Rotary Connection, Asha Puthli, Liquid Liquid, Grace Jones, and Tom Tom Club.\NDescribed as “a glorious overload of joyful elation and spiritual elevation” (MOJO) and “infused with the wonky post-disco spirit of early 80s NYC” (The Guardian), the band consistently tops the radio charts of tastemaker station KCRW and BBC’s Radio 6 Music. Sold out shows from London to Los Angeles are a testament to a rapidly growing fan base. Say She She has toured with the likes of Thee Sacred Souls, and have already played iconic festivals like Glastonbury, Central Park Summerstage, and more. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Say She She, the soulful female-led group, stand rock solid on their disco-delic duty with their boundary-breaking sophomore album Silver (released September 29 on Colemine/Karma Chief Records). The voices of Piya Malik (El Michels Affair, Chicano Batman), Sabrina Mileo Cunningham and Nya Gazelle Brown (79.5) front the band.
Silver was written and recorded live to tape at Killion Sound studio in North Hollywood in early 2023, and produced by Sergio Rios (Orgone, Neal Francis, Alicia Keys). While these analog recording techniques help root Say She She’s sound in a bedrock of tonal warmth that only tape can achieve, it is also their process of cutting the track in the moment and capturing the magic of communal creativity that have critics reeling. Musical inspirations include Rotary Connection, Asha Puthli, Liquid Liquid, Grace Jones, and Tom Tom Club.
Described as “a glorious overload of joyful elation and spiritual elevation” (MOJO) and “infused with the wonky post-disco spirit of early 80s NYC” (The Guardian), the band consistently tops the radio charts of tastemaker station KCRW and BBC’s Radio 6 Music. Sold out shows from London to Los Angeles are a testament to a rapidly growing fan base. Say She She has toured with the likes of Thee Sacred Souls, and have already played iconic festivals like Glastonbury, Central Park Summerstage, and more.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250808T231002Z SEQUENCE:9772398 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3165 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-04-23 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250810T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250810T233000 UID:79AAB5F2-50A6-4B77-AF48-D6F8E6156385 SUMMARY:Dale Watson & His Lone Stars CREATED:20250404T220803Z DTSTAMP:20250404T220803Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/dale-watson-his-lone-stars-2 DESCRIPTION:Dale Watson is an award-winning hardest working real country music musician and producer who has been creating music and performing live for over 40 years. He has shared the stage with such icons as Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson, just to name a few. He has been seen on David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, and Austin City Limits, but most of the time, he is touring the world, killing it for his fans, keeping the country music roots sound alive. With over 30 albums and singles, Dale knows his way around the recording studio, which is why he built Watsun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, complete with the 1937 board from Sun Studio.\NMost known for his classic anthem-like hit "I Lie When I Drink" Dale's music ranges from swing to Honky Tonk and Rockabilly, and even scored the movie "Yellow Rose." His instrumental album "Memphians" was recorded at the Wat-Sun Studio for that most authentic sound. \NAs an actor, he was honored to work with Stephen King and John Mellencamp on the Musical Ghost Brothers of Starkland County, starred in the film Yellow Rose, and appeared in and contributed his voice to multiple nationwide commercials. \NHis lifelong respect and love of original country music are the foundation for all his music and his Ameripolitan Awards, which celebrate young up-and-coming country artists and legends. The Awards focus on Honky Tonk, Rockabilly, Western Swing, and Outlaw Country Music. Awards go to singer-songwriters, DJs, venues, Festivals, and musicians from those genres. Voting is comprised of fans and industry professionals, resulting in a much anticipated evening for over 10 years. \NCurrently, Dale continues to do what he loves... tour his ass off, write music, be in the studio, and spend time with friends and his wife, Celine. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Dale Watson is an award-winning hardest working real country music musician and producer who has been creating music and performing live for over 40 years. He has shared the stage with such icons as Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, and Kris Kristofferson, just to name a few. He has been seen on David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, and Austin City Limits, but most of the time, he is touring the world, killing it for his fans, keeping the country music roots sound alive. With over 30 albums and singles, Dale knows his way around the recording studio, which is why he built Watsun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, complete with the 1937 board from Sun Studio.
Most known for his classic anthem-like hit "I Lie When I Drink" Dale's music ranges from swing to Honky Tonk and Rockabilly, and even scored the movie "Yellow Rose." His instrumental album "Memphians" was recorded at the Wat-Sun Studio for that most authentic sound.
As an actor, he was honored to work with Stephen King and John Mellencamp on the Musical Ghost Brothers of Starkland County, starred in the film Yellow Rose, and appeared in and contributed his voice to multiple nationwide commercials.
His lifelong respect and love of original country music are the foundation for all his music and his Ameripolitan Awards, which celebrate young up-and-coming country artists and legends. The Awards focus on Honky Tonk, Rockabilly, Western Swing, and Outlaw Country Music. Awards go to singer-songwriters, DJs, venues, Festivals, and musicians from those genres. Voting is comprised of fans and industry professionals, resulting in a much anticipated evening for over 10 years.
Currently, Dale continues to do what he loves... tour his ass off, write music, be in the studio, and spend time with friends and his wife, Celine.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250417T160315Z SEQUENCE:1101312 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2484 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-04-08 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250815T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250815T233000 UID:3521FAFF-3C20-442F-BE0D-3F6FF5541BF6 SUMMARY:Defmoe CREATED:20250708T155135Z DTSTAMP:20250708T155135Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/defmoe DESCRIPTION:Jamming together since 2018, DEFMOE seamlessly blends rock, indie pop, grunge, jam band, and reggae music to create unique records and electrifying live performances. Releasing their debut full length record “Precariously Stacked” in2025, DEFMOE is eager to share their music with listeners and audiences. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Jamming together since 2018, DEFMOE seamlessly blends rock, indie pop, grunge, jam band, and reggae music to create unique records and electrifying live performances. Releasing their debut full length record “Precariously Stacked” in2025, DEFMOE is eager to share their music with listeners and audiences.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250714T182126Z SEQUENCE:527391 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1489 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-07-08 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250816T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250816T233000 UID:6CCE9189-6E78-47CB-9B81-81FD53A7EA05 SUMMARY:Seize The Fire CREATED:20250609T150642Z DTSTAMP:20250609T150642Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/seize-the-fire DESCRIPTION:Seize The Fire is a rising alternative band from Salt Lake City, formed by Marcus Augenstein and Dalan Davenport in 2024. Blending acoustic warmth with cinematic synths and raw emotion, their sound lands somewhere between Ed Sheeran and The Script—personal, powerful, and unafraid to burn bright. Their debut EP, Aurora Borealis, is a moody and luminous reflection on nearly a decade of lived experience, with standout track “Rumination” leading the way. Catch them live for the very first time on August 16th at The State Room. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Seize The Fire is a rising alternative band from Salt Lake City, formed by Marcus Augenstein and Dalan Davenport in 2024. Blending acoustic warmth with cinematic synths and raw emotion, their sound lands somewhere between Ed Sheeran and The Script—personal, powerful, and unafraid to burn bright. Their debut EP, Aurora Borealis, is a moody and luminous reflection on nearly a decade of lived experience, with standout track “Rumination” leading the way. Catch them live for the very first time on August 16th at The State Room.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250617T162854Z SEQUENCE:696132 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1272 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-06-10 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250817T203000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250817T210000 UID:098D0342-C387-44B3-9874-752FBF2D1AA1 SUMMARY:CINEMA CLUB: American Graffiti CREATED:20250611T160205Z DTSTAMP:20250611T160205Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/bodies-bodies-bodies DESCRIPTION:Presenting: 'American Graffiti'\NOn the last day of summer vacation in 1962, friends Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), Steve (Ronny Howard), Terry (Charles Martin Smith) and John (Paul Le Mat) cruise the streets of small-town California while a mysterious disc jockey (Wolfman Jack) spins classic rock'n'roll tunes. It's the last night before their grown-up lives begin, and Steve's high-school sweetheart, a hot-to-trot blonde, a bratty adolescent and a disappearing angel in a Thunderbird provide all the excitement they can handle.\NCINEMA CLUB: MOVIES ON THE 'TURF \NThis summer, we’re flipping the script — by turning down the amps and rolling out the astroturf. Yes, you heard us correctly... Dance floor astroturf. Welcome to Cinema Club — our new summertime $5 film series! Where the vibes are chill, the popcorn is bottomless, and the seating is B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Chair... or beanbag... or inflatable pool toy... we're not ones to judge).\NIMPORTANT DETAILS: Scoop your own popcorn (yes, you can go back for thirds) Bring your most comfortable chair (personally, we love the Kelty triple-seaters) Watch cult classics, deep cuts, and cinematic gems under Utah's largest disco ball. It’s cheap, charming, and a little chaotic — just how we like it. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Presenting: 'American Graffiti'
On the last day of summer vacation in 1962, friends Curt (Richard Dreyfuss), Steve (Ronny Howard), Terry (Charles Martin Smith) and John (Paul Le Mat) cruise the streets of small-town California while a mysterious disc jockey (Wolfman Jack) spins classic rock'n'roll tunes. It's the last night before their grown-up lives begin, and Steve's high-school sweetheart, a hot-to-trot blonde, a bratty adolescent and a disappearing angel in a Thunderbird provide all the excitement they can handle.
CINEMA CLUB: MOVIES ON THE 'TURF
This summer, we’re flipping the script — by turning down the amps and rolling out the astroturf. Yes, you heard us correctly... Dance floor astroturf. Welcome to Cinema Club — our new summertime $5 film series! Where the vibes are chill, the popcorn is bottomless, and the seating is B.Y.O.C. (Bring Your Own Chair... or beanbag... or inflatable pool toy... we're not ones to judge).
IMPORTANT DETAILS: Scoop your own popcorn (yes, you can go back for thirds) Bring your most comfortable chair (personally, we love the Kelty triple-seaters) Watch cult classics, deep cuts, and cinematic gems under Utah's largest disco ball. It’s cheap, charming, and a little chaotic — just how we like it.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250710T045611Z SEQUENCE:2465646 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1171 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250821T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250821T233000 UID:62F0B802-2FAA-41F0-8129-4708EDF789F7 SUMMARY:'For The Love' Camp4 Film Premier CREATED:20250728T152918Z DTSTAMP:20250728T152918Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/for-the-love-camp4-film-premier DESCRIPTION:Presented by Rab and Camp4 Collective. All proceeds benefit the Salt Lake Climbers Association X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Presented by Rab and Camp4 Collective. All proceeds benefit the Salt Lake Climbers Association
LAST-MODIFIED:20250821T192956Z SEQUENCE:2088038 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1878 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250822T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250822T233000 UID:8C74514E-5A3C-4F07-9EE7-E81B74F90857 SUMMARY:Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs CREATED:20250313T214853Z DTSTAMP:20250313T214853Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/pigs-pigs-pigs-pigs-pigs-pigs-pigs DESCRIPTION:When they formed in 2012, Newcastle’s Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs hardly imagined they’d make it all the way to album number five. For a while, it looked as though they wouldn’t make it out of the pub. Since that debut did come out, the psychedelic metal outfit have been on an extraordinary roll. 2017’s three-song monsterpiece Feed The Rats was followed promptly by the next year’s rollicking King Of Cowards. A smorgasbord of heavy styles, Viscerals maintained the momentum, in spite of its coinciding with the 2020 lockdown. Back on the road for 2023’s Land Of Sleeper, Pigs saw their audience grow and grow, with the territories they’re able to play expanding likewise.\NWhereas Land Of Sleeper was conceived as an immersive headphones experience, this time around Pigs strove for something more directly hostile with 2025’s Death Hilarious. “We wanted it to be a slap in the face. There’s a lot of aggro in it. It’s very angular and direct.” That came, in part, from playing so many gigs over the last couple of years. The band felt well-oiled and ripe to give listeners at home the kind of pummelling their audiences receive.\NDeath Hilarious is a diversely punishing record which shapeshifts through Sabbathian doom, grotesquely minimalist noise rock and cyclical post-metal fortissimos. Pigs continue to push themselves, too. Incongruous synthesiser solos appear where guitar histrionics would usually fit. Piano tracks lurk in the mix, adding near-subliminal depth to the maelstrom. ‘Stitches’ is like Motörhead trying to perform glam rock with a tipsy keyboardist.\NThe record also contains the latest moment that’s caused the quintet to pinch themselves in disbelief: ‘Glib Tongued’ has guest bars by El-P from Run The Jewels. When they unwittingly wrote what they considered their equivalent of a hip-hop number, Pigs set their sights high and secured a blistering contribution from one of the world’s greatest rappers.\NDeath Hilarious: two singularly evocative words that don’t obviously belong together. This signifies the gravity of life as well as its inherent and undeniable absurdity. Pigs have always toyed with contradictions and juxtapositions in their art, so the title fits perfectly. They play dark, heavy and aggressive music, and they do it in an uplifting way, smiles beaming across their faces. They are seriously and sincerely committed, yet they remain forever and wisely grounded by the ridiculous band name they chose over a decade ago, possibly while more than a little half-cut, when they really should’ve been rehearsing.\N“They embody the theatre, camp, and sheer fun of all the best heavy music” - Pitchfork\N“Doom metal mavericks” - Uncut\N“A taut, well-honed machine that doesn’t fuck around” - Loud & Quiet X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:When they formed in 2012, Newcastle’s Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs hardly imagined they’d make it all the way to album number five. For a while, it looked as though they wouldn’t make it out of the pub. Since that debut did come out, the psychedelic metal outfit have been on an extraordinary roll. 2017’s three-song monsterpiece Feed The Rats was followed promptly by the next year’s rollicking King Of Cowards. A smorgasbord of heavy styles, Viscerals maintained the momentum, in spite of its coinciding with the 2020 lockdown. Back on the road for 2023’s Land Of Sleeper, Pigs saw their audience grow and grow, with the territories they’re able to play expanding likewise.
Whereas Land Of Sleeper was conceived as an immersive headphones experience, this time around Pigs strove for something more directly hostile with 2025’s Death Hilarious. “We wanted it to be a slap in the face. There’s a lot of aggro in it. It’s very angular and direct.” That came, in part, from playing so many gigs over the last couple of years. The band felt well-oiled and ripe to give listeners at home the kind of pummelling their audiences receive.
Death Hilarious is a diversely punishing record which shapeshifts through Sabbathian doom, grotesquely minimalist noise rock and cyclical post-metal fortissimos. Pigs continue to push themselves, too. Incongruous synthesiser solos appear where guitar histrionics would usually fit. Piano tracks lurk in the mix, adding near-subliminal depth to the maelstrom. ‘Stitches’ is like Motörhead trying to perform glam rock with a tipsy keyboardist.
The record also contains the latest moment that’s caused the quintet to pinch themselves in disbelief: ‘Glib Tongued’ has guest bars by El-P from Run The Jewels. When they unwittingly wrote what they considered their equivalent of a hip-hop number, Pigs set their sights high and secured a blistering contribution from one of the world’s greatest rappers.
Death Hilarious: two singularly evocative words that don’t obviously belong together. This signifies the gravity of life as well as its inherent and undeniable absurdity. Pigs have always toyed with contradictions and juxtapositions in their art, so the title fits perfectly. They play dark, heavy and aggressive music, and they do it in an uplifting way, smiles beaming across their faces. They are seriously and sincerely committed, yet they remain forever and wisely grounded by the ridiculous band name they chose over a decade ago, possibly while more than a little half-cut, when they really should’ve been rehearsing.
“They embody the theatre, camp, and sheer fun of all the best heavy music” - Pitchfork
“Doom metal mavericks” - Uncut
“A taut, well-honed machine that doesn’t fuck around” - Loud & Quiet
LAST-MODIFIED:20250728T172514Z SEQUENCE:11820981 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3264 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-03-18 14:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250826T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250826T233000 UID:B626C431-43C8-402F-BED3-B277A41184D2 SUMMARY:KRCL Presents 50 Years of 'Blood on the Tracks' CREATED:20250721T154105Z DTSTAMP:20250721T154105Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/50-years-of-blood-on-the-tracks DESCRIPTION:Back again by popular demand, with an extended list of local musicians! It's been half a century since Bob Dylan released his landmark album Blood On The Tracks. Celebrate with KRCL by hearing an all-star band (members of Neon Trees, The Hollering Pines, The Lower Lights, The Madison Arm) with a roster of fantastic Americana and indie rock singers—Brady Parks (The National Parks), Joshua James, Michelle Moonshine, Robert Loud (Fictionist, The Killers), Mindy Gledhill, Morgan Snow, Ryan Innes, Marie Bradshaw (The Hollering Pines), Peter Breinholt, Marcus Bently, Debra Fotheringham, M Horton Smith, Julianne Brough, Jordan Moyes, Daniel Young, Paul Jacobsen, Dominic Moore, Andrew Wiscombe, Ryan Tanner, and more— play the whole album start-to-finish (plus nearly a dozen other Dylan hits). Brought to you by the same folks who put together the Tom Petty/Wildflowers, Neil Young/Harvest, Weezer/Blue Album tribute shows. Don’t miss this chance to hear the album Rolling Stone magazine called one of the top 10 albums of all time (plus a whole second set of classic Dylan songs). How does it feeeeeeeee-eeeee-eeeel? X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Back again by popular demand, with an extended list of local musicians! It's been half a century since Bob Dylan released his landmark album Blood On The Tracks. Celebrate with KRCL by hearing an all-star band (members of Neon Trees, The Hollering Pines, The Lower Lights, The Madison Arm) with a roster of fantastic Americana and indie rock singers—Brady Parks (The National Parks), Joshua James, Michelle Moonshine, Robert Loud (Fictionist, The Killers), Mindy Gledhill, Morgan Snow, Ryan Innes, Marie Bradshaw (The Hollering Pines), Peter Breinholt, Marcus Bently, Debra Fotheringham, M Horton Smith, Julianne Brough, Jordan Moyes, Daniel Young, Paul Jacobsen, Dominic Moore, Andrew Wiscombe, Ryan Tanner, and more— play the whole album start-to-finish (plus nearly a dozen other Dylan hits). Brought to you by the same folks who put together the Tom Petty/Wildflowers, Neil Young/Harvest, Weezer/Blue Album tribute shows. Don’t miss this chance to hear the album Rolling Stone magazine called one of the top 10 albums of all time (plus a whole second set of classic Dylan songs). How does it feeeeeeeee-eeeee-eeeel?
LAST-MODIFIED:20250722T173320Z SEQUENCE:93135 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3724 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-07-22 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250827T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250827T233000 UID:089D6FA4-F309-46B8-AC4F-D718AEED35B6 SUMMARY:The Droptines CREATED:20250401T220809Z DTSTAMP:20250401T220809Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-droptines DESCRIPTION:The Droptines are an alternative country band born in Concan, Texas. Established in 2019 by frontman/songwriter/musician, Conner Arthur, also known as “The King of Concan”. This band puts in the work taking none of the traditional or convenient routes when crafting songs.\NBlending a multitude of genres, while tethering each song together with a specific vernacular native to the Texas Hill Country, results in a broad range of authentic, versatile melodies. Add Conner’s rich voice and layered lyrics, and you have storytelling at its finest. From biblical themes, raunchy truths, and primitive questions to one’s existence, it is clear, Shakespeare has made his way to the trailer park.\NFrom the hard-hitting anthem “New Girl” to the heart wrenching melody “As Your Heart Breaks” to the opulent masterpiece “Raining Where You Are”, combined with a down to earth yet captivating stage presence, this band takes you on quite the ride.\N“Once every decade or so someone comes along, takes the bar and sets it way higher than any of us could dream of. Conner is the new gold standard of songwriting. He’s witty, visceral and ties it all up with an unshakable knack for melody. It’s an honor to be alive at the same time as this generational talent.” - David Beck\N“Conner‘s ability to write songs that meld raw emotion with detailed imagery is something I feel only few songwriters have. His songs make you think long after you’ve stopped listening, and the characters he writes about live in your mind forever.” - William Beckmann\NWhat is a Droptine you might ask? It’s a rare downward pointing antler found on a white tail deer, the one to watch for, and a nod to the environment and upbringing of the group.\NThe Droptines are:\NConner Arthur, front man\NDillon Sampson, bass\NDonny Parkinson, lead guitar\NJohnny Sheets, drums\NTony Rincon, Pedal Steel\NThese guys have enjoyed sharing a stage with many popular artists including Turnpike Troubadours, Chris Stapleton and Zach Bryan.\NThey have recorded 1 full length album, 3 EP’s and multiple singles that can be found on Spotify and Apple Music. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The Droptines are an alternative country band born in Concan, Texas. Established in 2019 by frontman/songwriter/musician, Conner Arthur, also known as “The King of Concan”. This band puts in the work taking none of the traditional or convenient routes when crafting songs.
Blending a multitude of genres, while tethering each song together with a specific vernacular native to the Texas Hill Country, results in a broad range of authentic, versatile melodies. Add Conner’s rich voice and layered lyrics, and you have storytelling at its finest. From biblical themes, raunchy truths, and primitive questions to one’s existence, it is clear, Shakespeare has made his way to the trailer park.
From the hard-hitting anthem “New Girl” to the heart wrenching melody “As Your Heart Breaks” to the opulent masterpiece “Raining Where You Are”, combined with a down to earth yet captivating stage presence, this band takes you on quite the ride.
“Once every decade or so someone comes along, takes the bar and sets it way higher than any of us could dream of. Conner is the new gold standard of songwriting. He’s witty, visceral and ties it all up with an unshakable knack for melody. It’s an honor to be alive at the same time as this generational talent.” - David Beck
“Conner‘s ability to write songs that meld raw emotion with detailed imagery is something I feel only few songwriters have. His songs make you think long after you’ve stopped listening, and the characters he writes about live in your mind forever.” - William Beckmann
What is a Droptine you might ask? It’s a rare downward pointing antler found on a white tail deer, the one to watch for, and a nod to the environment and upbringing of the group.
The Droptines are:
Conner Arthur, front man
Dillon Sampson, bass
Donny Parkinson, lead guitar
Johnny Sheets, drums
Tony Rincon, Pedal Steel
These guys have enjoyed sharing a stage with many popular artists including Turnpike Troubadours, Chris Stapleton and Zach Bryan.
They have recorded 1 full length album, 3 EP’s and multiple singles that can be found on Spotify and Apple Music.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250819T175848Z SEQUENCE:12081039 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2411 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-04-02 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250903T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250903T233000 UID:FF2725E9-7280-47FA-B8BA-7B2B7536F9A2 SUMMARY:Them Dirty Roses CREATED:20250512T162140Z DTSTAMP:20250512T162140Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/them-dirty-roses DESCRIPTION:Born and raised in the Bama clay, these boys are as authentic as they come. Taught how to bend a string and break a heart by Skynyrd and Hank, brothers James and Frank Ford along with their hometown friends Andrew Davis and Ben Crain formed the southern rock band known as Them Dirty Roses. Piling into an RV with their belongings and instruments they made their way from Gadsden, AL to Nashville, TN. All living all under one roof, Them Dirty Roses are a living example of the quintessential rock and roll American Dream. If you've had the pleasure of experiencing a Them Dirty Roses live show, then you know firsthand just how impressive and energetic they can be. These Southern rockers know how to bring the heat, and their high-energy performances are a testament to their talent and passion for music. One of the standout qualities of a Them Dirty Roses live performance is their ability to engage with the audience. From the moment they take the stage, lead vocalist and guitarist James Ford commands the attention of the crowd with his powerful voice and infectious stage presence. The band's dynamic stage presence and interaction with the audience keeps the energy high throughout the entire show. In addition to their stage presence, Them Dirty Roses also impress with their musical prowess. Each member of the band is a seasoned musician and it shows in their performances. The band's classic rock, blues, and southern rock influences are on full display in their live shows, and their tight musicianship is a testament to the hours they've spent honing their craft. Them Dirty Roses have a dedicated fan base and have garnered a reputation as a rising force in the Southern Rock scene. With their catchy riffs, powerful vocals, and energetic live shows, they are sure to continue making a mark in the world of Rock music for years to come. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Born and raised in the Bama clay, these boys are as authentic as they come. Taught how to bend a string and break a heart by Skynyrd and Hank, brothers James and Frank Ford along with their hometown friends Andrew Davis and Ben Crain formed the southern rock band known as Them Dirty Roses. Piling into an RV with their belongings and instruments they made their way from Gadsden, AL to Nashville, TN. All living all under one roof, Them Dirty Roses are a living example of the quintessential rock and roll American Dream. If you've had the pleasure of experiencing a Them Dirty Roses live show, then you know firsthand just how impressive and energetic they can be. These Southern rockers know how to bring the heat, and their high-energy performances are a testament to their talent and passion for music. One of the standout qualities of a Them Dirty Roses live performance is their ability to engage with the audience. From the moment they take the stage, lead vocalist and guitarist James Ford commands the attention of the crowd with his powerful voice and infectious stage presence. The band's dynamic stage presence and interaction with the audience keeps the energy high throughout the entire show. In addition to their stage presence, Them Dirty Roses also impress with their musical prowess. Each member of the band is a seasoned musician and it shows in their performances. The band's classic rock, blues, and southern rock influences are on full display in their live shows, and their tight musicianship is a testament to the hours they've spent honing their craft. Them Dirty Roses have a dedicated fan base and have garnered a reputation as a rising force in the Southern Rock scene. With their catchy riffs, powerful vocals, and energetic live shows, they are sure to continue making a mark in the world of Rock music for years to come.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250808T171806Z SEQUENCE:7606586 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3301 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-05-13 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250904T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250904T233000 UID:CD724B1B-A291-4FD2-A412-EB6545D53FE1 SUMMARY:Dexter and the Moonrocks CREATED:20250728T161400Z DTSTAMP:20250728T161400Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/dexter-and-the-moonrocks-2 DESCRIPTION:Dexter and The Moonrocks didn’t set out to change rock music - but that’s exactly what they’re doing. A fry cook, an oil field operator, a concrete surface decorator, and a kids’ baseball coach came together in West Texas, blending the country and western of their childhoods with the grunge they fell in love with as teenagers. That fusion became Western Space Grunge—a genre of their own making that turned them from a grassroots phenomenon into a force to be reckoned with.\NThey first broke through in 2021 with "Couch," a melancholy slow-burn that resonated deeply with fans and set the foundation for what was to come. That early momentum caught the attention of Severance Records, an imprint of Big Loud Rock, looking to make a statement with its first signing. Together, they released "Western Space Grunge" in July 2024, solidifying the band’s identity and introducing their most defining songs yet. The breakout single "Sad in Carolina" took them from small-town bars to seven weeks at No. 1 on U.S. Alternative radio, proving their DIY grit and fearless sound could go head-to-head with the biggest names in rock.\NNow, with “Ritalin”—a stadium-ready anthem already climbing the charts—the record captures a band fully coming into their own. From viral covers to festival stages, they’re proving they’re not just next up: they’re inevitable. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Dexter and The Moonrocks didn’t set out to change rock music - but that’s exactly what they’re doing. A fry cook, an oil field operator, a concrete surface decorator, and a kids’ baseball coach came together in West Texas, blending the country and western of their childhoods with the grunge they fell in love with as teenagers. That fusion became Western Space Grunge—a genre of their own making that turned them from a grassroots phenomenon into a force to be reckoned with.
They first broke through in 2021 with "Couch," a melancholy slow-burn that resonated deeply with fans and set the foundation for what was to come. That early momentum caught the attention of Severance Records, an imprint of Big Loud Rock, looking to make a statement with its first signing. Together, they released "Western Space Grunge" in July 2024, solidifying the band’s identity and introducing their most defining songs yet. The breakout single "Sad in Carolina" took them from small-town bars to seven weeks at No. 1 on U.S. Alternative radio, proving their DIY grit and fearless sound could go head-to-head with the biggest names in rock.
Now, with “Ritalin”—a stadium-ready anthem already climbing the charts—the record captures a band fully coming into their own. From viral covers to festival stages, they’re proving they’re not just next up: they’re inevitable.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250731T174608Z SEQUENCE:264728 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1325 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250905T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250905T233000 UID:C48B8BDD-3565-412A-970D-D29D9AD8CCB3 SUMMARY:Wade Forster CREATED:20250604T160025Z DTSTAMP:20250604T160025Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/wade-forster DESCRIPTION:Born and raised in outback Queensland, Wade was raised on both a cowboy lifestyle and country music. He would often sing along to songs while travelling around the professional rodeo circuit and praised for having a good voice but didn’t pursue music until later in his life. In 2017, He left his hometown of Winton to pursue a career opportunity in refrigeration in Mount Isa. He bought his first guitar from Facebook for $50 and spent his free time learning how to play. By the end of his time in Mount Isa, he was playing for people at rodeos and Facebook viewers. In 2021 he realised music might be more than a hobby after releasing a cover of a Tyler Childers song “Oneida” online which gained attention and listeners asking for original songs. He invested his pay and recorded a country album, The Beginning, at Simon Johnson’s Hillbilly Hut Studio and began building a fanbase of national and international cowboys and cowgirls. In January 2023, Wade graduated from The Senior Academy of Country Music. He plays at gigs and rodeos in and around Western Queensland and played at Winton’s Way-Out West festival, before playing at the 2023 Savannah In The Round and playing with Cody Johnson on the Luke Combs Tour. With the demand online and listeners eagerly wanting more, Wade has a lot more music yet to be released. His passion for music and rodeo inspires his writing process and will continue to influence his continuation in both rodeo and the music industry. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Born and raised in outback Queensland, Wade was raised on both a cowboy lifestyle and country music. He would often sing along to songs while travelling around the professional rodeo circuit and praised for having a good voice but didn’t pursue music until later in his life. In 2017, He left his hometown of Winton to pursue a career opportunity in refrigeration in Mount Isa. He bought his first guitar from Facebook for $50 and spent his free time learning how to play. By the end of his time in Mount Isa, he was playing for people at rodeos and Facebook viewers. In 2021 he realised music might be more than a hobby after releasing a cover of a Tyler Childers song “Oneida” online which gained attention and listeners asking for original songs. He invested his pay and recorded a country album, The Beginning, at Simon Johnson’s Hillbilly Hut Studio and began building a fanbase of national and international cowboys and cowgirls. In January 2023, Wade graduated from The Senior Academy of Country Music. He plays at gigs and rodeos in and around Western Queensland and played at Winton’s Way-Out West festival, before playing at the 2023 Savannah In The Round and playing with Cody Johnson on the Luke Combs Tour. With the demand online and listeners eagerly wanting more, Wade has a lot more music yet to be released. His passion for music and rodeo inspires his writing process and will continue to influence his continuation in both rodeo and the music industry.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250825T170704Z SEQUENCE:7088799 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3058 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250906T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250906T233000 UID:ED712C56-4DBA-4DCE-9EE1-132232791A97 SUMMARY:Walter Trout CREATED:20250523T185216Z DTSTAMP:20250523T185216Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/walter-trout-3 DESCRIPTION:All of us are broken. But no-one is beyond repair. It’s a philosophy that WALTER TROUT has lived by during seven volatile decades at the heart of America’s society and blues-rock scene. Even now, with the world more fractured than ever – by politics, economics, social media and culture wars – the fabled US bluesman’s latest album, Broken, chronicles the bitter schisms of modern life but refuses to succumb to them.\N“I’ve always tried to write positive songs, and this album is not quite that,” considers the 72-year-old of an all-original tracklisting that rages and soothes. “But I always hold on to hope. I think that’s why I wrote this album.”\NFor the last half-century, however rocky his path, hope has always lit the way. The beats of Trout’s unbelievable story are well-known: the traumatic childhood in Ocean City, New Jersey; the audacious move to the West Coast in ’74; the auspicious but chaotic sideman shifts with John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thornton; the raging addictions that somehow never stopped the boogie when he was with Canned Heat in the early-’80s. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:All of us are broken. But no-one is beyond repair. It’s a philosophy that WALTER TROUT has lived by during seven volatile decades at the heart of America’s society and blues-rock scene. Even now, with the world more fractured than ever – by politics, economics, social media and culture wars – the fabled US bluesman’s latest album, Broken, chronicles the bitter schisms of modern life but refuses to succumb to them.
“I’ve always tried to write positive songs, and this album is not quite that,” considers the 72-year-old of an all-original tracklisting that rages and soothes. “But I always hold on to hope. I think that’s why I wrote this album.”
For the last half-century, however rocky his path, hope has always lit the way. The beats of Trout’s unbelievable story are well-known: the traumatic childhood in Ocean City, New Jersey; the audacious move to the West Coast in ’74; the auspicious but chaotic sideman shifts with John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thornton; the raging addictions that somehow never stopped the boogie when he was with Canned Heat in the early-’80s.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250904T192327Z SEQUENCE:8987471 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1636 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-05-27 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250912T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250912T233000 UID:6BFE8103-C782-456B-9635-4BC4734CB6BD SUMMARY:WITCH CREATED:20250317T170228Z DTSTAMP:20250317T170228Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/witch DESCRIPTION:Zamrock, the Afro-rock genre that swept southern Africa in the 1970s, was born in the Copperbelt region of northern Zambia, and WITCH was at the center of it all. In the beginning, lead singer Emmanuel ‘Jagari’ Chanda and the band looked for a name to match edgy rock sounds coming from Europe and America. First they tried Kingston Market, which sounded too reggae-ish, then they tried Footswitch, but there was a local artist called Dr Footswitch, so they shortened it to Switch, and then finally WITCH. “The posters were handwritten,” Jagari recalled, “so we would draw somebody on a broomstick.” Hot out of the gate, WITCH signed to Teal Records and began touring in a truck with a canopy emblazoned with the words: “Trespassers will be eaten” The graphic artist who wrote those words also gave the band its enduring acronym: We Intend To Cause Havoc. Jagari recalls, “There was no hesitation. Everyone agreed” And the rest is history.\NFast forward four decades, and Jagari, along with veteran keyboardist/composer Patrick Mwondela, now lead a new, multi-national formation of the band. Sogolo is their second 21st century release. It’s the follow up to Zango (2021), which was recorded against all odds in the same Lusaka studio that WITCH frequented in the ‘70s—funky and dilapidated, but with a vibe that heralded a reawakening for the band.\NAll this came as a surprise to Jagari, who had been trying his hand at gemstone mining when filmmaker Gio Arlotta arrived in 2014 - during Zambia’s jubilee independence celebration - to begin work on his 2019 documentary WITCH (We Intend to Cause Havoc). The gemstone quest was a bust, but Jagari recalls, “Sometimes when one door closes, another will open, and that turns out to be WITCH resurrected. Amazing! It has given me a new lease of life.”\NSogolo was tracked in Berlin, during a 10-day break in the band’s 2024 tour schedule. The lineup included Cuban-Dominican percussionist Charlie Garmendia, guitarist Stefan Lilov, Jacco Gardner on bass, Nicola Mauskovic on drums, and two singers from Zambia, Hannah Tembo and Theresa Ng'ambi. “Sometimes we just jammed,” says Jagari. “But we tolerated one another and trusted their contributions. Fortunately, what has come out seems to be good. Each one feels they have contributed something.” \NSogolo means “future, or front” echoing a longstanding ethic of the band, going back to their 1980 disco album, Moving On. Jacco Gardner produced Sogolo. “The studio for Zango wasn't in use for bands for decades, so we had to really make it work,” he recalls. A more “practical” option turned out to be Big Snuff Studio in Berlin. “We would all be together, and in shape because we're on tour, playing every night. So we had a good dynamic going as a band.” The studio was well-tooled but small, and time was tight. Jacco felt the pressure. “This was a big deal,” he says. “We were contributing to the legacy of a legendary band with a dense discography and history.” \NJagari’s song “Kamusale” punches with crunchy guitar, crying vocals and a “Helter Skelter” vibe, but it’s based on a Bemba children’s game song. “Children gather under the moonlight in the village and pretend to be preparing themselves for marriage,” says Jagari. “So we are saying as kids, be careful who you pick. Don't follow the beauty of the face or body. Go deeper into the character and make sure you are marrying the right person.” Funky and urgent, Jagari’s “Queenless King,” also deals with the perils of marriage, specifically what happens when family pressure forces a bad decision. “You are enticed to marry someone because of her beauty, not knowing that her true colors are very cunning. In the end you discover her wicked ways. You end up being a queenless king.” \NThe elders of WITCH strive to nurture younger musicians. “At this stage in our life,” says Patrick, “We would love to empower young musicians to use our platform. For us, it's not about chasing fame and fortune; it's making sure the legacy continues.” That’s how singers Theresa Ng'ambi and Hanna Tembo got recruited into the band during the Zango session.\N“Machiriso,” a loping, groovy Afro-rap number, grew out of a duo bass jam between Jacco and Jagari during a lunch break. “We were doing two basses,” recalls Jagari, “and then Theresa came in to sing randomly. She's saying, ‘We have gathered together as WITCH to give you the message of love and peace.’” The rolling ternary rhythms of “Nibani” come from a sound check jam among the musicians. “We didn't even know it was being recorded,” says Jacco. “Nadi” is the hardest rocking track on the album. “With that song,” says Jacco, “we tried to reference the heavy Zamrock sound.” That’s the garage band style that WITCH began with before verging into more complex progressive rock, then traditional rhythms, Afrobeat vibes, and in the early ‘80s, disco. As Jacco put it, “We had a lot to reference.”\N“Tiponde Madzi,” another track born from a hotel room jam, veers mback and forth between a ritualistic slow march and a rollicking 6/8 groove. Jagari explains that the words tell an old story in which animals gather looking for water by stomping on the earth. They compete for success, but in the end, it’s the humble tortoise who finds the water. “The tortoise is the one they belittled. ‘What can you do? You have no strength.’ So there’s a moral lesson: don't underestimate anyone.”\NPatrick says the essence of WITCH’s sound is emotion. “This is how music touches people. It could be love, it could be war, it could be anything, but music is emotional.” Patrick’s reggae/gospel song “Totally Devoted” takes words from the Bible’s Psalm 23. “We can go through problems, we can go through the valley of the shadow of death, but I fear no evil because God is with me.” Jagari notes that this song was inspired by Patrick’s traumatic experience. “While we were on tour in Chicago, Patrick fell ill,” he recalls. “He had bloodclots in his lungs, so it was a threat to his life, and he didn't finish the tour. So he is saying thank you to the Lord Jesus Christ.”\NAfter the hurried sessions in Berlin, Jacco had work to do rounding out and finishing the songs. He and Charlie added percussion overdubs and cosmic ambient sonics. “The studio had a lot of analog electronic instruments,” says Jacco, “and I have a weak spot for German electronic music from the ‘70s, flavors that had Zambian vibes. This is a more futuristic album than Zango, and they trusted me in the creative process. I felt honored to be allowed to experiment.”\NTrue to that futuristic spirit, Jagari and Patrick are looking ahead, not back. “The Rolling Stones?” says Jagari. “How long have they been together? A long, long time. They have money, but they're still doing something they love. I think it's the same thing with us. My hope is that the longer we stay together, whether with the young ones, the old ones, whoever can fit into the genre, they're welcome.” Patrick concurs, “There's more to come, and more songs to share with the world.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Zamrock, the Afro-rock genre that swept southern Africa in the 1970s, was born in the Copperbelt region of northern Zambia, and WITCH was at the center of it all. In the beginning, lead singer Emmanuel ‘Jagari’ Chanda and the band looked for a name to match edgy rock sounds coming from Europe and America. First they tried Kingston Market, which sounded too reggae-ish, then they tried Footswitch, but there was a local artist called Dr Footswitch, so they shortened it to Switch, and then finally WITCH. “The posters were handwritten,” Jagari recalled, “so we would draw somebody on a broomstick.” Hot out of the gate, WITCH signed to Teal Records and began touring in a truck with a canopy emblazoned with the words: “Trespassers will be eaten” The graphic artist who wrote those words also gave the band its enduring acronym: We Intend To Cause Havoc. Jagari recalls, “There was no hesitation. Everyone agreed” And the rest is history.
Fast forward four decades, and Jagari, along with veteran keyboardist/composer Patrick Mwondela, now lead a new, multi-national formation of the band. Sogolo is their second 21st century release. It’s the follow up to Zango (2021), which was recorded against all odds in the same Lusaka studio that WITCH frequented in the ‘70s—funky and dilapidated, but with a vibe that heralded a reawakening for the band.
All this came as a surprise to Jagari, who had been trying his hand at gemstone mining when filmmaker Gio Arlotta arrived in 2014 - during Zambia’s jubilee independence celebration - to begin work on his 2019 documentary WITCH (We Intend to Cause Havoc). The gemstone quest was a bust, but Jagari recalls, “Sometimes when one door closes, another will open, and that turns out to be WITCH resurrected. Amazing! It has given me a new lease of life.”
Sogolo was tracked in Berlin, during a 10-day break in the band’s 2024 tour schedule. The lineup included Cuban-Dominican percussionist Charlie Garmendia, guitarist Stefan Lilov, Jacco Gardner on bass, Nicola Mauskovic on drums, and two singers from Zambia, Hannah Tembo and Theresa Ng'ambi. “Sometimes we just jammed,” says Jagari. “But we tolerated one another and trusted their contributions. Fortunately, what has come out seems to be good. Each one feels they have contributed something.”
Sogolo means “future, or front” echoing a longstanding ethic of the band, going back to their 1980 disco album, Moving On. Jacco Gardner produced Sogolo. “The studio for Zango wasn't in use for bands for decades, so we had to really make it work,” he recalls. A more “practical” option turned out to be Big Snuff Studio in Berlin. “We would all be together, and in shape because we're on tour, playing every night. So we had a good dynamic going as a band.” The studio was well-tooled but small, and time was tight. Jacco felt the pressure. “This was a big deal,” he says. “We were contributing to the legacy of a legendary band with a dense discography and history.”
Jagari’s song “Kamusale” punches with crunchy guitar, crying vocals and a “Helter Skelter” vibe, but it’s based on a Bemba children’s game song. “Children gather under the moonlight in the village and pretend to be preparing themselves for marriage,” says Jagari. “So we are saying as kids, be careful who you pick. Don't follow the beauty of the face or body. Go deeper into the character and make sure you are marrying the right person.” Funky and urgent, Jagari’s “Queenless King,” also deals with the perils of marriage, specifically what happens when family pressure forces a bad decision. “You are enticed to marry someone because of her beauty, not knowing that her true colors are very cunning. In the end you discover her wicked ways. You end up being a queenless king.”
The elders of WITCH strive to nurture younger musicians. “At this stage in our life,” says Patrick, “We would love to empower young musicians to use our platform. For us, it's not about chasing fame and fortune; it's making sure the legacy continues.” That’s how singers Theresa Ng'ambi and Hanna Tembo got recruited into the band during the Zango session.
“Machiriso,” a loping, groovy Afro-rap number, grew out of a duo bass jam between Jacco and Jagari during a lunch break. “We were doing two basses,” recalls Jagari, “and then Theresa came in to sing randomly. She's saying, ‘We have gathered together as WITCH to give you the message of love and peace.’” The rolling ternary rhythms of “Nibani” come from a sound check jam among the musicians. “We didn't even know it was being recorded,” says Jacco. “Nadi” is the hardest rocking track on the album. “With that song,” says Jacco, “we tried to reference the heavy Zamrock sound.” That’s the garage band style that WITCH began with before verging into more complex progressive rock, then traditional rhythms, Afrobeat vibes, and in the early ‘80s, disco. As Jacco put it, “We had a lot to reference.”
“Tiponde Madzi,” another track born from a hotel room jam, veers mback and forth between a ritualistic slow march and a rollicking 6/8 groove. Jagari explains that the words tell an old story in which animals gather looking for water by stomping on the earth. They compete for success, but in the end, it’s the humble tortoise who finds the water. “The tortoise is the one they belittled. ‘What can you do? You have no strength.’ So there’s a moral lesson: don't underestimate anyone.”
Patrick says the essence of WITCH’s sound is emotion. “This is how music touches people. It could be love, it could be war, it could be anything, but music is emotional.” Patrick’s reggae/gospel song “Totally Devoted” takes words from the Bible’s Psalm 23. “We can go through problems, we can go through the valley of the shadow of death, but I fear no evil because God is with me.” Jagari notes that this song was inspired by Patrick’s traumatic experience. “While we were on tour in Chicago, Patrick fell ill,” he recalls. “He had bloodclots in his lungs, so it was a threat to his life, and he didn't finish the tour. So he is saying thank you to the Lord Jesus Christ.”
After the hurried sessions in Berlin, Jacco had work to do rounding out and finishing the songs. He and Charlie added percussion overdubs and cosmic ambient sonics. “The studio had a lot of analog electronic instruments,” says Jacco, “and I have a weak spot for German electronic music from the ‘70s, flavors that had Zambian vibes. This is a more futuristic album than Zango, and they trusted me in the creative process. I felt honored to be allowed to experiment.”
True to that futuristic spirit, Jagari and Patrick are looking ahead, not back. “The Rolling Stones?” says Jagari. “How long have they been together? A long, long time. They have money, but they're still doing something they love. I think it's the same thing with us. My hope is that the longer we stay together, whether with the young ones, the old ones, whoever can fit into the genre, they're welcome.” Patrick concurs, “There's more to come, and more songs to share with the world.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T151604Z SEQUENCE:15286416 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:5550 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-03-19 15:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250916T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250916T233000 UID:156DD948-BE4A-4251-A422-8A0D1EF940B2 SUMMARY:Hot Tuna CREATED:20250303T172415Z DTSTAMP:20250303T172415Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/hot-tuna DESCRIPTION:Hot Tuna, an iconic American blues rock band, has been delivering a profound musical experience to audiences pushing six decades. With founding members Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady at its helm, the band has constantly evolved, continually injecting fresh energy and improvisation into their sound.\NThe story of Hot Tuna begins with Jefferson Airplane, a pioneering psychedelic rock band of the 1960s. Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady were at the heart of Jefferson Airplane, contributing to its distinctive sound and monumental success. As members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Grammy recipients, Kaukonen and Casady helped shape the musical landscape of the era, leaving an indelible mark on the history of rock and roll.\NIn the late 1960s, amidst the turbulence and creativity of the counterculture movement, Kaukonen and Casady sought a new musical outlet. This desire led to the formation of Hot Tuna, a band that allowed them to explore their deep-rooted passion for blues and American roots music. Hot Tuna’s early performances were characterized by a raw, acoustic sound that highlighted Kaukonen’s intricate guitar work and Casady’s innovative bass lines. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1970, captured the essence of these performances and set the stage for the band’s enduring legacy.\NHot Tuna has consistently evolved throughout their career, experimenting with different styles and sounds while staying true to their blues roots. The band’s discography, spanning over two dozen records, showcases their versatility and creativity. From the acoustic blues of their early years to the electric rock-infused albums of the 1970s and beyond, Hot Tuna has continually pushed the boundaries of their music.\NCasady, long considered one of rock’s first bass heroes, has been a driving force behind this evolution. His creativity is evidenced by his continually evolving bass solos in his extensive library of songs and live performances. At almost 85 years of age, Kaukonen remains at the apex of his skills, captivating audiences with his husky voice and proficient blues licks that rival the iconic leads of many blues rock masters. Together, they are well-seasoned musicians and musical treasures.\NHot Tuna’s live performances are legendary and known for their spontaneity and energy. The band’s ability to improvise and create unique musical moments on stage has garnered them a dedicated following. Each concert is a testament to their musicianship and deep connection with the audience.\NTo some fans, Hot Tuna reminds them of wild and happy times. To others, the name will forever be linked to their discovery of the power and depth of American Blues music. To newer fans, Hot Tuna is a band on the cutting edge of music. This multifaceted appeal has allowed Hot Tuna to remain relevant and influential across generations. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Hot Tuna, an iconic American blues rock band, has been delivering a profound musical experience to audiences pushing six decades. With founding members Jorma Kaukonen and Jack Casady at its helm, the band has constantly evolved, continually injecting fresh energy and improvisation into their sound.
The story of Hot Tuna begins with Jefferson Airplane, a pioneering psychedelic rock band of the 1960s. Guitarist Jorma Kaukonen and bassist Jack Casady were at the heart of Jefferson Airplane, contributing to its distinctive sound and monumental success. As members of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Grammy recipients, Kaukonen and Casady helped shape the musical landscape of the era, leaving an indelible mark on the history of rock and roll.
In the late 1960s, amidst the turbulence and creativity of the counterculture movement, Kaukonen and Casady sought a new musical outlet. This desire led to the formation of Hot Tuna, a band that allowed them to explore their deep-rooted passion for blues and American roots music. Hot Tuna’s early performances were characterized by a raw, acoustic sound that highlighted Kaukonen’s intricate guitar work and Casady’s innovative bass lines. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1970, captured the essence of these performances and set the stage for the band’s enduring legacy.
Hot Tuna has consistently evolved throughout their career, experimenting with different styles and sounds while staying true to their blues roots. The band’s discography, spanning over two dozen records, showcases their versatility and creativity. From the acoustic blues of their early years to the electric rock-infused albums of the 1970s and beyond, Hot Tuna has continually pushed the boundaries of their music.
Casady, long considered one of rock’s first bass heroes, has been a driving force behind this evolution. His creativity is evidenced by his continually evolving bass solos in his extensive library of songs and live performances. At almost 85 years of age, Kaukonen remains at the apex of his skills, captivating audiences with his husky voice and proficient blues licks that rival the iconic leads of many blues rock masters. Together, they are well-seasoned musicians and musical treasures.
Hot Tuna’s live performances are legendary and known for their spontaneity and energy. The band’s ability to improvise and create unique musical moments on stage has garnered them a dedicated following. Each concert is a testament to their musicianship and deep connection with the audience.
To some fans, Hot Tuna reminds them of wild and happy times. To others, the name will forever be linked to their discovery of the power and depth of American Blues music. To newer fans, Hot Tuna is a band on the cutting edge of music. This multifaceted appeal has allowed Hot Tuna to remain relevant and influential across generations.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250903T180928Z SEQUENCE:15900313 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3604 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-03-03 15:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250917T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250917T233000 UID:4DD2537B-97E4-4220-B3DA-8AA901D2520B SUMMARY:VOLA CREATED:20250417T201248Z DTSTAMP:20250417T201248Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/vola DESCRIPTION:Mirroring the mysterious allure surrounding their latest creative phase, VOLA has continued to captivate audiences with their blend of intense rhythmic complexity and poignant lyrical narratives. Known for their innovative approach to progressive metal, the band transcends genre boundaries, delivering music as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally resonant. Over the years, VOLA's discography has showcased their bold fusion of styles. Their debut,"In mazes," introduced a sound characterized by ambient textures and heavy riffs, which evolved into more intricate musical landscapes in subsequent releases like "Applause of a Distant Crowd." These albums have earned critical acclaim and bolstered their reputation in the metal scene, attracting a dedicated following with their unique blend of electronic elements and profound musical narratives. The 2021 release, "Witness," further deepened their exploration of dark themes and complex rhythms, solidifying their position as genre pioneers. As 2023 dawned, VOLA signaled the beginning of a new chapter in their musical journey with the release of their evocative single "Paper Wolf," showcasing their continued ability to evolve and redefine their sound. This ongoing exploration delves into the spectral presences of belief and conviction that shape personal and collective existence. VOLA's journey embodies artistic evolution and the deep, introspective paths they invite their listeners to embark upon. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Mirroring the mysterious allure surrounding their latest creative phase, VOLA has continued to captivate audiences with their blend of intense rhythmic complexity and poignant lyrical narratives. Known for their innovative approach to progressive metal, the band transcends genre boundaries, delivering music as intellectually stimulating as it is emotionally resonant. Over the years, VOLA's discography has showcased their bold fusion of styles. Their debut,"In mazes," introduced a sound characterized by ambient textures and heavy riffs, which evolved into more intricate musical landscapes in subsequent releases like "Applause of a Distant Crowd." These albums have earned critical acclaim and bolstered their reputation in the metal scene, attracting a dedicated following with their unique blend of electronic elements and profound musical narratives. The 2021 release, "Witness," further deepened their exploration of dark themes and complex rhythms, solidifying their position as genre pioneers. As 2023 dawned, VOLA signaled the beginning of a new chapter in their musical journey with the release of their evocative single "Paper Wolf," showcasing their continued ability to evolve and redefine their sound. This ongoing exploration delves into the spectral presences of belief and conviction that shape personal and collective existence. VOLA's journey embodies artistic evolution and the deep, introspective paths they invite their listeners to embark upon.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250808T172836Z SEQUENCE:9753348 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3047 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-04-22 14:00:40 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250919T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250919T233000 UID:B0B91A7F-4FCD-499E-91E4-B677E5ED90C1 SUMMARY:Pink Talking Fish CREATED:20250512T161156Z DTSTAMP:20250512T161156Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/pink-talking-fish-2 DESCRIPTION:Pink Talking Fish is a Hybrid Tribute Fusion Act that takes the music from three of the world's most beloved bands and creates a special treat for fans of the music.Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish are all more than just bands... they are Phenomenons. Their creations have artistically inspired people and their mind-blowing live performances have brought people together to form a sense of community around the love for their favorite bands.Although the music from each act is different, Pink Talking Fish has discovered that fusing the material together writes an amazing new story. The epic emotion of Pink Floyd... The funky, danceable layerings of Talking Heads... The multitude of styles, unique compositional structures and pure fun of Phish... to merge these three acts into one gives music lovers an experience like no other.Pink Talking Fish features Eric Gould on bass, Richard James/Stephen Learson on keyboards, Zack Burwick on drums and Cal Kehoe on guitar. This is a band created by musicians who love the music of these iconic bands. Its purpose is to heighten people's passion for this music by creating something fresh and exciting for fans. Discovering connections is part of the fun: Pink Floyd's "On The Run" seamlessly fitting in the middle of the composition of Phish's "You Enjoy Myself". Perfectly placing Phish's "Sand" into the groove of Talking Head's "Slippery People". Segued collections from all three acts such as Run Like Hell > Making Flippy Floppy > Piper > Run Like Hell or Mike's Song > Have A Cigar > Once In A Lifetime > Weekapaug Groove. These ideas are the spirit behind Pink Talking Fish.The story is ever evolving. The experience is always thrilling. No two shows are ever the same. Come join Pink Talking Fish for the ultimate fusion tribute and celebrate the love of this music in unmatched fashion. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Pink Talking Fish is a Hybrid Tribute Fusion Act that takes the music from three of the world's most beloved bands and creates a special treat for fans of the music.Pink Floyd, Talking Heads and Phish are all more than just bands... they are Phenomenons. Their creations have artistically inspired people and their mind-blowing live performances have brought people together to form a sense of community around the love for their favorite bands.Although the music from each act is different, Pink Talking Fish has discovered that fusing the material together writes an amazing new story. The epic emotion of Pink Floyd... The funky, danceable layerings of Talking Heads... The multitude of styles, unique compositional structures and pure fun of Phish... to merge these three acts into one gives music lovers an experience like no other.Pink Talking Fish features Eric Gould on bass, Richard James/Stephen Learson on keyboards, Zack Burwick on drums and Cal Kehoe on guitar. This is a band created by musicians who love the music of these iconic bands. Its purpose is to heighten people's passion for this music by creating something fresh and exciting for fans. Discovering connections is part of the fun: Pink Floyd's "On The Run" seamlessly fitting in the middle of the composition of Phish's "You Enjoy Myself". Perfectly placing Phish's "Sand" into the groove of Talking Head's "Slippery People". Segued collections from all three acts such as Run Like Hell > Making Flippy Floppy > Piper > Run Like Hell or Mike's Song > Have A Cigar > Once In A Lifetime > Weekapaug Groove. These ideas are the spirit behind Pink Talking Fish.The story is ever evolving. The experience is always thrilling. No two shows are ever the same. Come join Pink Talking Fish for the ultimate fusion tribute and celebrate the love of this music in unmatched fashion.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250516T205815Z SEQUENCE:362779 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1971 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-05-13 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250921T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250921T233000 UID:879BCAB8-25FD-4265-B5BF-B0BCCBA6F919 SUMMARY:Moon Hooch CREATED:20250602T205538Z DTSTAMP:20250602T205538Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/moon-hooch-4 DESCRIPTION:“I‘m realizing more and more every day that you can make anything happen for yourself if you really want to,” says Moon Hooch horn player Mike Wilbur. “You can change your existence by just going out and doing it, by taking simple actions every day.”\NIf any band is a poster child for turning the power of positive thoughts and intentions into reality, it’s the explosive horn-and-percussion trio Moon Hooch. In just a few short years, the group— Wilbur, fellow horn player Wenzl McGowen—has gone from playing on New York City subway platforms to touring with the likes of Beats Antique, They Might Be Giants, and Lotus, as well as selling out their own headline shows in major venues around the country. \NThough the band—whose members initially met as students at the New School—turned heads in the music industry as relative unknowns with a charismatic, unconventional sound (they play with unique tonguing techniques and utilize found objects like traffic cones attached to the bells of their horns to manipulate tone, for instance), they were already a familiar and beloved sight to strangers in New York, who would react with such joy and fervor to their impromptu subway platform sets that the NYPD had to ban them from locations that couldn’t handle the crowds. NY Mag once referred to their sound as “Jay Gatsby on ecstasy,” while the NY Post fell for their “catchy melodic hooks and funky rhythms,” saying they had “the power to make you secretly wish that the short [subway] wait becomes an indefinite delay.”\NWhile the band’s busking days are behind them now, the lessons they learned from all those platform parties helped guide their approach to recording ‘Life on Other Planets.’\N“What we discovered playing in the subway,” McGowen explains, “is that the more focus and the more energy you put into the music, and the more you listen to everything around you and integrate everything around you into your expression, the more the music becomes this captivating force for people.”\N“When we were playing in the subways, we were playing entirely acoustic,” explains Wilbur. “It was just two saxes and a drum set. Then Wenzl acquired a baritone sax and we all started getting into music production and incorporating electronic music into our live shows.” At their performances, the band now plays through what they call a Reverse DJ setup, in which the live sound from their horns runs through Ableton software on their laptops to process recorded effects onto the output. In addition, to flesh out their sound on the road, the band began utilizing Moog synthesizers, an EWI (an electronic wind instrument that responds to breath in addition to touch), and other exotic woodwinds like the contrabass clarinet and bass saxophone. Wilbur has even added vocals to his repertoire on some tracks (something the subway never allowed him to do). \NThe band members all speak reverently of meditation and consciousness and the role it plays in their music (McGowen believes his introduction to it, spurred on in part by Wilbur and former member, Muschler, saved his life), but equally close to their hearts are the environmental causes they champion. Moon Hooch tries to live up to their green ideals while traveling as much as possible, playing benefit shows, organizing action days to support local farmers and co-ops, participating in river cleanups, planting trees, filming informative videos for their fans, and more. The band even runs a food blog, Cooking In The Cave, in which they highlight the healthy, sustainable, organic recipes they utilize with their mobile kitchen setup on tour.\NFor the members of Moon Hooch, commitments to consciousness, environmentalism, veganism, philosophy, and peace aren’t separate from their commitment to music, but actually integral parts of it. It’s all tied into that same core approach that led to their discovery on the subway platform: try, even if it’s just a little bit every day, even if it’s just with the power of your mind, to make the world less like it is and more like you wish it could be.\N“I’d say all of our songs express the essence of that kind of energy,” concludes McGowen, “because before you can even think any thoughts, there exists the energy that drives those thoughts, and that energy is intention. I feel like we’re putting the intention of positive change constantly into our music. While we’re playing, I often see the future emerging: skyscrapers getting covered in plants, frowns turning into smiles, fistfights into hugs. I can see the energy of love and collaboration and trust replace the energy of fear, hatred and violence.” It’s an ambitious vision, to be sure, but considering the band’s track record at turning their thoughts and dreams into action and reality, perhaps it’s only a matter of time. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“I‘m realizing more and more every day that you can make anything happen for yourself if you really want to,” says Moon Hooch horn player Mike Wilbur. “You can change your existence by just going out and doing it, by taking simple actions every day.”
If any band is a poster child for turning the power of positive thoughts and intentions into reality, it’s the explosive horn-and-percussion trio Moon Hooch. In just a few short years, the group— Wilbur, fellow horn player Wenzl McGowen—has gone from playing on New York City subway platforms to touring with the likes of Beats Antique, They Might Be Giants, and Lotus, as well as selling out their own headline shows in major venues around the country.
Though the band—whose members initially met as students at the New School—turned heads in the music industry as relative unknowns with a charismatic, unconventional sound (they play with unique tonguing techniques and utilize found objects like traffic cones attached to the bells of their horns to manipulate tone, for instance), they were already a familiar and beloved sight to strangers in New York, who would react with such joy and fervor to their impromptu subway platform sets that the NYPD had to ban them from locations that couldn’t handle the crowds. NY Mag once referred to their sound as “Jay Gatsby on ecstasy,” while the NY Post fell for their “catchy melodic hooks and funky rhythms,” saying they had “the power to make you secretly wish that the short [subway] wait becomes an indefinite delay.”
While the band’s busking days are behind them now, the lessons they learned from all those platform parties helped guide their approach to recording ‘Life on Other Planets.’
“What we discovered playing in the subway,” McGowen explains, “is that the more focus and the more energy you put into the music, and the more you listen to everything around you and integrate everything around you into your expression, the more the music becomes this captivating force for people.”
“When we were playing in the subways, we were playing entirely acoustic,” explains Wilbur. “It was just two saxes and a drum set. Then Wenzl acquired a baritone sax and we all started getting into music production and incorporating electronic music into our live shows.” At their performances, the band now plays through what they call a Reverse DJ setup, in which the live sound from their horns runs through Ableton software on their laptops to process recorded effects onto the output. In addition, to flesh out their sound on the road, the band began utilizing Moog synthesizers, an EWI (an electronic wind instrument that responds to breath in addition to touch), and other exotic woodwinds like the contrabass clarinet and bass saxophone. Wilbur has even added vocals to his repertoire on some tracks (something the subway never allowed him to do).
The band members all speak reverently of meditation and consciousness and the role it plays in their music (McGowen believes his introduction to it, spurred on in part by Wilbur and former member, Muschler, saved his life), but equally close to their hearts are the environmental causes they champion. Moon Hooch tries to live up to their green ideals while traveling as much as possible, playing benefit shows, organizing action days to support local farmers and co-ops, participating in river cleanups, planting trees, filming informative videos for their fans, and more. The band even runs a food blog, Cooking In The Cave, in which they highlight the healthy, sustainable, organic recipes they utilize with their mobile kitchen setup on tour.
For the members of Moon Hooch, commitments to consciousness, environmentalism, veganism, philosophy, and peace aren’t separate from their commitment to music, but actually integral parts of it. It’s all tied into that same core approach that led to their discovery on the subway platform: try, even if it’s just a little bit every day, even if it’s just with the power of your mind, to make the world less like it is and more like you wish it could be.
“I’d say all of our songs express the essence of that kind of energy,” concludes McGowen, “because before you can even think any thoughts, there exists the energy that drives those thoughts, and that energy is intention. I feel like we’re putting the intention of positive change constantly into our music. While we’re playing, I often see the future emerging: skyscrapers getting covered in plants, frowns turning into smiles, fistfights into hugs. I can see the energy of love and collaboration and trust replace the energy of fear, hatred and violence.” It’s an ambitious vision, to be sure, but considering the band’s track record at turning their thoughts and dreams into action and reality, perhaps it’s only a matter of time.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250610T150148Z SEQUENCE:669970 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2823 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-06-05 15:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250930T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250930T233000 UID:53F3ECA7-8D13-4521-98E9-E420D9858490 SUMMARY:The Bones of J.R. Jones CREATED:20250519T163759Z DTSTAMP:20250519T163759Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-bones-of-j-r-jones DESCRIPTION:Growing up, Jonathon Linaberry was obsessed with the radio.\N*I remember sitting there at night, glued to the boombox, cassette player ready to record whenever my favorite songs came on," he recalls. "There was something so thrilling about it, something romantic that I think we've lost now that everything's available at our fingertips. I wanted to find a way to get back to that place, to recapture those feelings of excitement and anticipation and possibility."\NLinaberry does precisely that on Radio Waves, his sixth studio album as The Bones Of J.R. Jones.\NRecorded in Toronto with producer Robbie Lackritz (Feist, Bahamas), the collection is moody and hypnotic, steeped in the sonic landscape of the '80s and '90s as it excavates the past with equal parts nostalgia and curiosity. The arrangements are utterly entrancing here, built on the tension between acoustic instruments and retro synthesizers, and Linaberry's performances are raw and visceral, at times aching in their vulnerability. Put it all together and you've got a poignant exploration of memory and longing delivered by a relentless searcher, a revelatory work of personal reflection steeped in the endless beauty, pain, and chaos of youth.\N"I've never really resonated with the idea of 'the good old days," Linaberry reflects. "Your understanding of the past and your relationship with it change as you get older, and I've always been more interested in the evolution of those feelings than in wearing any kind of rose-colored glasses."\NBorn and raised in central New York, Linaberry got his start playing in hardcore and punk bands before becoming enamored with the field recordings of Alan Lomax, who documented rural American blues, folk, and gospel musicians throughout the 1930s and '40s. Inspired by the unvarnished honesty of those vintage performances, Linaberry launched The Bones of J.R.\NJones in 2012 and, operating as a fully independent artist, began releasing a series of critically acclaimed albums and EPs that would land his songs in a slew of films and television shows (including True Detective, Suits, Daredevil, Longmire, and Graceland) and lead to countless tours across the US and Europe (including stops everywhere from Telluride Blues to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass). Along the way, Linaberry also shared bills with the likes of The Wallflowers, G. Love, and The Devil Makes Three, soundtracked an Amazon commercial helmed by Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi, and earned praise from Billboard, American Songwriter, Under the Radar, and more.\N"After a dozen years of touring and recording, I found myself getting burnt out by the constant barrage of new music that's out there," Linaberry reflects. "In some ways, it's great to have that kind of access, but it can also be numbing, and I found myself missing what it felt like to have an album change your life, to listen to your cassette of Born in The USA so many times you have to wind the tape back up with a pencil." X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Growing up, Jonathon Linaberry was obsessed with the radio.
*I remember sitting there at night, glued to the boombox, cassette player ready to record whenever my favorite songs came on," he recalls. "There was something so thrilling about it, something romantic that I think we've lost now that everything's available at our fingertips. I wanted to find a way to get back to that place, to recapture those feelings of excitement and anticipation and possibility."
Linaberry does precisely that on Radio Waves, his sixth studio album as The Bones Of J.R. Jones.
Recorded in Toronto with producer Robbie Lackritz (Feist, Bahamas), the collection is moody and hypnotic, steeped in the sonic landscape of the '80s and '90s as it excavates the past with equal parts nostalgia and curiosity. The arrangements are utterly entrancing here, built on the tension between acoustic instruments and retro synthesizers, and Linaberry's performances are raw and visceral, at times aching in their vulnerability. Put it all together and you've got a poignant exploration of memory and longing delivered by a relentless searcher, a revelatory work of personal reflection steeped in the endless beauty, pain, and chaos of youth.
"I've never really resonated with the idea of 'the good old days," Linaberry reflects. "Your understanding of the past and your relationship with it change as you get older, and I've always been more interested in the evolution of those feelings than in wearing any kind of rose-colored glasses."
Born and raised in central New York, Linaberry got his start playing in hardcore and punk bands before becoming enamored with the field recordings of Alan Lomax, who documented rural American blues, folk, and gospel musicians throughout the 1930s and '40s. Inspired by the unvarnished honesty of those vintage performances, Linaberry launched The Bones of J.R.
Jones in 2012 and, operating as a fully independent artist, began releasing a series of critically acclaimed albums and EPs that would land his songs in a slew of films and television shows (including True Detective, Suits, Daredevil, Longmire, and Graceland) and lead to countless tours across the US and Europe (including stops everywhere from Telluride Blues to Hardly Strictly Bluegrass). Along the way, Linaberry also shared bills with the likes of The Wallflowers, G. Love, and The Devil Makes Three, soundtracked an Amazon commercial helmed by Oscar-winning director Taika Waititi, and earned praise from Billboard, American Songwriter, Under the Radar, and more.
"After a dozen years of touring and recording, I found myself getting burnt out by the constant barrage of new music that's out there," Linaberry reflects. "In some ways, it's great to have that kind of access, but it can also be numbing, and I found myself missing what it felt like to have an album change your life, to listen to your cassette of Born in The USA so many times you have to wind the tape back up with a pencil."
LAST-MODIFIED:20250820T172108Z SEQUENCE:8037789 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2868 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-05-20 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251002T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251002T233000 UID:EA16D400-84FB-418F-8348-DD6C0242B9E1 SUMMARY:Liam St. John CREATED:20250616T152101Z DTSTAMP:20250616T152101Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/liam-st-john DESCRIPTION:At the crossroads of Americana and rock & roll, Liam St. John commands his truest form by combining piercing and painfully true lyrics that embody the blues while delivering a captivating and electrifying performance with a chip-on-the-shoulder attitude true to the spirit of rock and roll. Hailed as a “genre-fusing crooner [with] emphatic, striking style” (Holler) who’s “bluesy, raspy vocals are always commanding” (Indie Shuffle), St. John has garnered millions of streams worldwide and dropped several chart-topping releases, including his fiery 2021 hit “Dipped in Bleach.” Raised by a tenacious single mother who instilled the values of strength and perseverance, toughness is one of many traits that has defined St. John throughout the countless trials he has endured. He is a star for all the dreamers, a guiding light for following the things that give you life even when all the signs are neon bright and emphatically suggesting to stop, turn around, and quit.\N2025 promises to be a breakout year for the Spokane-born, Nashville-based artist as he joins the Big Loud family and gears up for his debut full-length studio album, due out later this year. St. John has already unveiled a couple early peeks at the project, including the hauntingly poignant “Devil In Disguise” featuring Houndmouth and the rowdy, rockin and rollin “Greyhound Bus Blues” featuring GRAMMY-award winning artist Molly Tuttle. With confirmed appearances at CMA Fest, Americana Festival and a full North American Headline Tour slated for this fall as well as a AAA / Americana Radio Campaign for his single “Believer,” St. John is ready to make his mark. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:At the crossroads of Americana and rock & roll, Liam St. John commands his truest form by combining piercing and painfully true lyrics that embody the blues while delivering a captivating and electrifying performance with a chip-on-the-shoulder attitude true to the spirit of rock and roll. Hailed as a “genre-fusing crooner [with] emphatic, striking style” (Holler) who’s “bluesy, raspy vocals are always commanding” (Indie Shuffle), St. John has garnered millions of streams worldwide and dropped several chart-topping releases, including his fiery 2021 hit “Dipped in Bleach.” Raised by a tenacious single mother who instilled the values of strength and perseverance, toughness is one of many traits that has defined St. John throughout the countless trials he has endured. He is a star for all the dreamers, a guiding light for following the things that give you life even when all the signs are neon bright and emphatically suggesting to stop, turn around, and quit.
2025 promises to be a breakout year for the Spokane-born, Nashville-based artist as he joins the Big Loud family and gears up for his debut full-length studio album, due out later this year. St. John has already unveiled a couple early peeks at the project, including the hauntingly poignant “Devil In Disguise” featuring Houndmouth and the rowdy, rockin and rollin “Greyhound Bus Blues” featuring GRAMMY-award winning artist Molly Tuttle. With confirmed appearances at CMA Fest, Americana Festival and a full North American Headline Tour slated for this fall as well as a AAA / Americana Radio Campaign for his single “Believer,” St. John is ready to make his mark.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T190946Z SEQUENCE:7444125 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1736 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-06-16 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251003T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251003T233000 UID:03B39611-6774-4E65-8E94-A27A9035C0D5 SUMMARY:S.G. Goodman CREATED:20250417T202721Z DTSTAMP:20250417T202721Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/s-g-goodman-2 DESCRIPTION:S.G. Goodman returns from the Western Kentucky bottomland with her latest full-length album, Planting by the Signs, Available June 20, 2025 on her very own Slough Water Records via Thirty Tigers. Composed of songs inspired by love, loss, reconciliation, and the aforementioned ancient practice. Eleven tracks highlighted by the critically-acclaimed and award-winning artist’s singular voice and her penchant for juxtaposing vulnerable folk music with punchy rock ‘n roll, replete with chiming guitars, ethereal atmospherics, and her DIY ethos. Goodman provides a timely reminder that the only way forward is together, and that we must always take into account humanity’s dependence on and responsibility to the natural world. \NBack in the early hours of 2023, Goodman told her late friend Mike Harmon and his wife Therese that she wanted to base her next album around the concept of planting by the signs, which she had heard about growing up, and recently rediscovered while reading a volume of Foxfire. She remembered general points from her rural southern childhood - how planting a garden, or weaning a baby, or getting a haircut are best timed in accordance with the cycle of the moon. A concept diametrically opposed to the tech-obsessed, profit margin-driven mania swirling around her. Through exploring themes related to planting by the signs, Goodman hoped to help herself and others reconcile this jarring disconnect, as well to pass along the story of the practice to her nieces and nephews - the latter being a role she took very seriously.\NBut it wasn’t an easy path to writing Planting by the Signs or to the recording studio. 2023 saw the passing of her beloved dog, Howard, as well as the tragic death of Harmon, a father figure and mentor. Mike was mentioned in Goodman’s song, “Red Bird Morning” on Old Time Feeling, her debut. Her band used to practice in the quonset hut behind his house. He would check on her house while she toured. Often, Goodman would call him for advice from the road. A few days before he died, he advised her about putting chains on her van during a snow storm. He once drove that same van from Boston to Chicago so the band could play a one-off in the middle of a tour. He was a rock for Goodman, and a rock star in his own right.\NHarmon’s death led to Goodman reconciling with her longtime collaborator and guitarist, Matthew Rowan, who had become estranged from her following a year of grueling live shows in 2021. Rowan and Goodman had met in their early 20s while at college in the Murray, KY, indie rock scene, and eventually began playing music together. His idiosyncratic guitar work became an essential part of her production. He wrote most of the guitar parts on her first two records, and their creative relationship stretched for nearly 10 years. But life on the road isn’t for all, one thing led to another, and Rowan decided to step away. After Harmon passed, Matt was one of the first people Goodman called. From there they began to mend their relationship, and eventually, once she started working on her new album, S.G. asked Rowan to be her co-producer. The album would not exist in its current form without their reconciliation.\NWith over 150 performances on the books in ‘23, including headlining sold out tours and opening for the likes of Tyler Childers and Jason Isbell from Red Rocks to the Grand Ole’ Opry, there was also little time for songwriting, much less recording. As she sings on “Fire Sign,” S.G. was working like “the sun don’t shine on the same dog’s ass everyday.” So, after a restful, somewhat celebratory winter in the beginning months of 2024, she began writing and demo-ing a new album, eventually Drew Vandenberg, who also co-produced and engineered Teeth Marks, to join he and Rowan as co-producers.\NFinally, after nearly three years of promoting her critically-acclaimed and award winning album, Teeth Marks, with a touring schedule that would make the most seasoned road-dog wince, Goodman decamped to the Nutt House in Sheffield, AL, in the fall of 2024. Alongside co-producer Drew Vandenberg, Rowan, and a cast of musical characters, Goodman tracked what is by no exaggeration her best record to date. With songs like “Fire Sign,” “Satellite,” “Snapping Turtle,” “Michael Told Me,” “Heaven” and “I’m In Love,” Planting by the Signs finds Goodman exploring this old story and other themes in the only way she knows; with a fresh musical and lyrical perspective, vivid, incisive detail, and a heaping dose of empathy and compassion. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:S.G. Goodman returns from the Western Kentucky bottomland with her latest full-length album, Planting by the Signs, Available June 20, 2025 on her very own Slough Water Records via Thirty Tigers. Composed of songs inspired by love, loss, reconciliation, and the aforementioned ancient practice. Eleven tracks highlighted by the critically-acclaimed and award-winning artist’s singular voice and her penchant for juxtaposing vulnerable folk music with punchy rock ‘n roll, replete with chiming guitars, ethereal atmospherics, and her DIY ethos. Goodman provides a timely reminder that the only way forward is together, and that we must always take into account humanity’s dependence on and responsibility to the natural world.
Back in the early hours of 2023, Goodman told her late friend Mike Harmon and his wife Therese that she wanted to base her next album around the concept of planting by the signs, which she had heard about growing up, and recently rediscovered while reading a volume of Foxfire. She remembered general points from her rural southern childhood - how planting a garden, or weaning a baby, or getting a haircut are best timed in accordance with the cycle of the moon. A concept diametrically opposed to the tech-obsessed, profit margin-driven mania swirling around her. Through exploring themes related to planting by the signs, Goodman hoped to help herself and others reconcile this jarring disconnect, as well to pass along the story of the practice to her nieces and nephews - the latter being a role she took very seriously.
But it wasn’t an easy path to writing Planting by the Signs or to the recording studio. 2023 saw the passing of her beloved dog, Howard, as well as the tragic death of Harmon, a father figure and mentor. Mike was mentioned in Goodman’s song, “Red Bird Morning” on Old Time Feeling, her debut. Her band used to practice in the quonset hut behind his house. He would check on her house while she toured. Often, Goodman would call him for advice from the road. A few days before he died, he advised her about putting chains on her van during a snow storm. He once drove that same van from Boston to Chicago so the band could play a one-off in the middle of a tour. He was a rock for Goodman, and a rock star in his own right.
Harmon’s death led to Goodman reconciling with her longtime collaborator and guitarist, Matthew Rowan, who had become estranged from her following a year of grueling live shows in 2021. Rowan and Goodman had met in their early 20s while at college in the Murray, KY, indie rock scene, and eventually began playing music together. His idiosyncratic guitar work became an essential part of her production. He wrote most of the guitar parts on her first two records, and their creative relationship stretched for nearly 10 years. But life on the road isn’t for all, one thing led to another, and Rowan decided to step away. After Harmon passed, Matt was one of the first people Goodman called. From there they began to mend their relationship, and eventually, once she started working on her new album, S.G. asked Rowan to be her co-producer. The album would not exist in its current form without their reconciliation.
With over 150 performances on the books in ‘23, including headlining sold out tours and opening for the likes of Tyler Childers and Jason Isbell from Red Rocks to the Grand Ole’ Opry, there was also little time for songwriting, much less recording. As she sings on “Fire Sign,” S.G. was working like “the sun don’t shine on the same dog’s ass everyday.” So, after a restful, somewhat celebratory winter in the beginning months of 2024, she began writing and demo-ing a new album, eventually Drew Vandenberg, who also co-produced and engineered Teeth Marks, to join he and Rowan as co-producers.
Finally, after nearly three years of promoting her critically-acclaimed and award winning album, Teeth Marks, with a touring schedule that would make the most seasoned road-dog wince, Goodman decamped to the Nutt House in Sheffield, AL, in the fall of 2024. Alongside co-producer Drew Vandenberg, Rowan, and a cast of musical characters, Goodman tracked what is by no exaggeration her best record to date. With songs like “Fire Sign,” “Satellite,” “Snapping Turtle,” “Michael Told Me,” “Heaven” and “I’m In Love,” Planting by the Signs finds Goodman exploring this old story and other themes in the only way she knows; with a fresh musical and lyrical perspective, vivid, incisive detail, and a heaping dose of empathy and compassion.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250425T160453Z SEQUENCE:675452 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2985 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-04-22 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251004T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251004T233000 UID:4A4DED3A-5CE7-49EB-974B-50060E7A2C77 SUMMARY:Mokie Night 1 CREATED:20250819T151722Z DTSTAMP:20250819T151722Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/mokie-3 DESCRIPTION:Mokie was forged by a shared love for the master jam bands and the spontaneous musical conversations they conjure. That's what we're shootin' for. C'mon out and dance with us!\N"Utah's #1 Jam Band" -Reverbnation\N"Plan on a night of dancing and partying when you see one of their shows. These guys really know how to jam" --D. Manning X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Mokie was forged by a shared love for the master jam bands and the spontaneous musical conversations they conjure. That's what we're shootin' for. C'mon out and dance with us!
"Utah's #1 Jam Band" -Reverbnation
"Plan on a night of dancing and partying when you see one of their shows. These guys really know how to jam" --D. Manning
LAST-MODIFIED:20250919T181332Z SEQUENCE:2688970 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2775 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-08-19 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251005T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251005T233000 UID:091A9B48-B9B6-4B84-8E62-E9C2E32F2142 SUMMARY:Mokie Night 2 CREATED:20250819T151722Z DTSTAMP:20250819T151722Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/mokie-4 DESCRIPTION:Mokie was forged by a shared love for the master jam bands and the spontaneous musical conversations they conjure. That's what we're shootin' for. C'mon out and dance with us!\N"Utah's #1 Jam Band" -Reverbnation\N"Plan on a night of dancing and partying when you see one of their shows. These guys really know how to jam" --D. Manning X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Mokie was forged by a shared love for the master jam bands and the spontaneous musical conversations they conjure. That's what we're shootin' for. C'mon out and dance with us!
"Utah's #1 Jam Band" -Reverbnation
"Plan on a night of dancing and partying when you see one of their shows. These guys really know how to jam" --D. Manning
LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T185645Z SEQUENCE:1913963 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1161 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-09-05 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251006T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251006T233000 UID:AE81A879-4396-4ADA-A22C-9A42BDAD6F31 SUMMARY:Mo Lowda & the Humble CREATED:20250521T222553Z DTSTAMP:20250521T222553Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/mo-lowda-the-humble-2 DESCRIPTION:Mo Lowda & the Humble are an indie rock band hailing from Philadelphia, PA. The band is set to release its 5th studio album on June 20th, 2025, entitled: Tailing the Ghost; recorded entirely on the road, with the majority of the songs being cut live. It is Mo Lowda's most cohesive, yet explorative album to date. Since releasing their debut album in 2013, they’ve vastly expanded the sonic palette of their recorded material whilst developing a dialed-in, yet energetic live show through persistent touring. In turn, they’ve built a ravenous and loyal following across the country, selling out clubs and theaters throughout the US each year. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Mo Lowda & the Humble are an indie rock band hailing from Philadelphia, PA. The band is set to release its 5th studio album on June 20th, 2025, entitled: Tailing the Ghost; recorded entirely on the road, with the majority of the songs being cut live. It is Mo Lowda's most cohesive, yet explorative album to date. Since releasing their debut album in 2013, they’ve vastly expanded the sonic palette of their recorded material whilst developing a dialed-in, yet energetic live show through persistent touring. In turn, they’ve built a ravenous and loyal following across the country, selling out clubs and theaters throughout the US each year.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250930T161727Z SEQUENCE:11382694 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2808 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-05-22 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251007T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251007T210000 UID:EBD61889-DA5B-4ECC-92E0-6420E4A69644 SUMMARY:Birdtalker CREATED:20250506T152148Z DTSTAMP:20250506T152148Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/birdtalker-2 DESCRIPTION:Birdtalker's third full-length effort, All Means, No End finds Nashville-based quartet teaming up with a new collaborator, Louis Johnson (LONAS), who produced, engineered, and helped co-write the album. The new release's official single “Season of Charade” is enjoying early support from Sirius XM's The Spectrum, WNRN and WFPK, as well as John Mayer on his SiriusXM Show, who says "the whole thing is fantastic."\NFronted by Zack and Dani Green along with Brian Seligman and Chris Wilson, Birdtalker made their whirlwind debut in 2018 with One featuring their breakout single "Heavy" (now over 95 million streams worldwide). Rolling Stone hailed it as “infectious and sprightly” and NPR Music called it “such a beautiful record” while also earning similar praises from Billboard, World Cafe, American Songwriter, and Relix among others. The release led to non-stop touring, festival appearances, and even their debut performance at the Grand Ole Opry. They followed that up in 2021 with a highly anticipated self-titled sophomore album Birdtalker, which was met with further critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Paste, Relix, PopMatters, The Boot, The Bluegrass Situation, Americana Highways, American Songwriter, Under The Radar, and more. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Birdtalker's third full-length effort, All Means, No End finds Nashville-based quartet teaming up with a new collaborator, Louis Johnson (LONAS), who produced, engineered, and helped co-write the album. The new release's official single “Season of Charade” is enjoying early support from Sirius XM's The Spectrum, WNRN and WFPK, as well as John Mayer on his SiriusXM Show, who says "the whole thing is fantastic."
Fronted by Zack and Dani Green along with Brian Seligman and Chris Wilson, Birdtalker made their whirlwind debut in 2018 with One featuring their breakout single "Heavy" (now over 95 million streams worldwide). Rolling Stone hailed it as “infectious and sprightly” and NPR Music called it “such a beautiful record” while also earning similar praises from Billboard, World Cafe, American Songwriter, and Relix among others. The release led to non-stop touring, festival appearances, and even their debut performance at the Grand Ole Opry. They followed that up in 2021 with a highly anticipated self-titled sophomore album Birdtalker, which was met with further critical acclaim from Rolling Stone, Paste, Relix, PopMatters, The Boot, The Bluegrass Situation, Americana Highways, American Songwriter, Under The Radar, and more.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250923T161459Z SEQUENCE:12099191 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1894 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-05-06 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251008T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251008T233000 UID:AEF478AA-C6E2-445A-AE94-F02BFB0D3477 SUMMARY:Eric Hutchinson CREATED:20250501T170745Z DTSTAMP:20250501T170745Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/eric-hutchinson DESCRIPTION:Eric Hutchinson is an international platinum-selling singer, songwriter and seasoned touring artist. He has performed in all 50 states and has shared the stage with acts such as Kelly Clarkson, OneRepublic, Jason Mraz, Amos Lee, O.A.R., and Lawrence. His single “Rock & Roll” earned him his first platinum record in the United States and the song became a #1 hit in several countries. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Eric Hutchinson is an international platinum-selling singer, songwriter and seasoned touring artist. He has performed in all 50 states and has shared the stage with acts such as Kelly Clarkson, OneRepublic, Jason Mraz, Amos Lee, O.A.R., and Lawrence. His single “Rock & Roll” earned him his first platinum record in the United States and the song became a #1 hit in several countries.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250819T152947Z SEQUENCE:9498122 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2166 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-05-06 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251009T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251009T233000 UID:A68A6F67-97BD-4DF1-8C16-0A1F9918E962 SUMMARY:Carbon Leaf CREATED:20250519T162824Z DTSTAMP:20250519T162824Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/carbon-leaf-5 DESCRIPTION:Carbon Leaf’s fifteenth studio album, Time is the Playground is both a call to action and an embrace of the moment. Marrying nostalgic storytelling to nuanced, folk-infused indie rock, the Richmond, Virginia band embroiders heartfelt melody and harmony with acoustic and electric instrumentation to create a 12-song rumination on time, love and personal growth that’s equal parts urgent epiphany and contented exhalation. “Everybody says people don’t listen to albums anymore,” mulled Carbon Leaf frontman Barry Privett, holed up in a coastal cottage. “So, the challenge for us was to make something that felt good to get through from beginning to end … to listen to like a story.” Originally formed as a college cover band in 1992 and with over 3,500 famously enthused live shows together, Carbon Leaf helped to define the aughts indie rock that they ultimately outgrew and outlasted. They first earned national recognition with “The Boxer,” a song that won the American Music Awards 2002 New Music Award and made Carbon Leaf the first unsigned band to perform before millions on the AMAs. “The Boxer” entered regular radio rotation, Carbon Leaf’s tours grew bigger and better, and within a couple of years they quit their day jobs and inked a record deal. The band’s fanbase snowballed, drawn to their infectious spirit of commitment, empathy, communion, and self- reliance – not to mention supremely crafted songs with ultra-relatable, thought-provoking lyrics. After a trio of charting albums for Vanguard Records, multiple songwriting awards and headlining shows, Carbon Leaf opted to return to the complete creative control of their indie roots. Guitarist Terry Clark, who co-founded the band with Privett and multi-instrumentalist Carter Gravatt, converted his garage into the band’s Two-Car Studio, where they’ve recorded releases for their own Constant Ivy imprint ever since. Carbon Leaf’s DIY spirit even extended to re-recording their three Vanguard albums in order to regain the rights. Due in September, Time is the Playground is Carbon Leaf’s first full-length album in a decade, during which they released two EPS and a 27-song live performance album and Blu-ray. Time is the Playground gathers the best of songs written, in fits and starts, over 15 years, alongside brand new ideas. Privett dusted off old demos and shut himself away for months to finish their stories, while also honing recent compositions. With Clark engineering, Carbon Leaf – completed by longtime bassist Jon Markel and drummer Jesse Humphrey – spent a year and a half recording and mixing the resulting songs. “Thinking about these disparate pieces of music, I began ruminating on time itself,” Privett recalled. “The band’s been together a long time. You mature a bit and see yourself in place on the timeline … rolling around the scenes of love and growth.” Masterfully melding saturated AC/DC guitar and squelchy Cars synth, “Backmask 1983” is a fun flipbook of evocative era emblems – Farah Fawcett, “Satanic Panic,” Time Life Books, Bigfoot and more – that traverses the simultaneous nexus of Privett’s childhood/adolescence and theworld’s analog/digital ages. It’s about morphing into a new person and a new planet with wide-eyed wonder and a longing to believe. “Without a whole lot of information, the mystery of things felt so heightened,” recalled Privett of growing up pre-Internet. “I wanted to capture some of that but also have fun with it.” “I want what we create to resonate with ourselves, to the level that we want to play it for a long time to come, and where we want others to hear it and experience it,” Privett concluded. “Hopefully, listeners can glean the pieces from it that they identify with.” Time is the Playground will be accompanied by the tireless touring almost synonymous with Carbon Leaf, who’ve become a model for self-managing bands in the digital landscape. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Carbon Leaf’s fifteenth studio album, Time is the Playground is both a call to action and an embrace of the moment. Marrying nostalgic storytelling to nuanced, folk-infused indie rock, the Richmond, Virginia band embroiders heartfelt melody and harmony with acoustic and electric instrumentation to create a 12-song rumination on time, love and personal growth that’s equal parts urgent epiphany and contented exhalation. “Everybody says people don’t listen to albums anymore,” mulled Carbon Leaf frontman Barry Privett, holed up in a coastal cottage. “So, the challenge for us was to make something that felt good to get through from beginning to end … to listen to like a story.” Originally formed as a college cover band in 1992 and with over 3,500 famously enthused live shows together, Carbon Leaf helped to define the aughts indie rock that they ultimately outgrew and outlasted. They first earned national recognition with “The Boxer,” a song that won the American Music Awards 2002 New Music Award and made Carbon Leaf the first unsigned band to perform before millions on the AMAs. “The Boxer” entered regular radio rotation, Carbon Leaf’s tours grew bigger and better, and within a couple of years they quit their day jobs and inked a record deal. The band’s fanbase snowballed, drawn to their infectious spirit of commitment, empathy, communion, and self- reliance – not to mention supremely crafted songs with ultra-relatable, thought-provoking lyrics. After a trio of charting albums for Vanguard Records, multiple songwriting awards and headlining shows, Carbon Leaf opted to return to the complete creative control of their indie roots. Guitarist Terry Clark, who co-founded the band with Privett and multi-instrumentalist Carter Gravatt, converted his garage into the band’s Two-Car Studio, where they’ve recorded releases for their own Constant Ivy imprint ever since. Carbon Leaf’s DIY spirit even extended to re-recording their three Vanguard albums in order to regain the rights. Due in September, Time is the Playground is Carbon Leaf’s first full-length album in a decade, during which they released two EPS and a 27-song live performance album and Blu-ray. Time is the Playground gathers the best of songs written, in fits and starts, over 15 years, alongside brand new ideas. Privett dusted off old demos and shut himself away for months to finish their stories, while also honing recent compositions. With Clark engineering, Carbon Leaf – completed by longtime bassist Jon Markel and drummer Jesse Humphrey – spent a year and a half recording and mixing the resulting songs. “Thinking about these disparate pieces of music, I began ruminating on time itself,” Privett recalled. “The band’s been together a long time. You mature a bit and see yourself in place on the timeline … rolling around the scenes of love and growth.” Masterfully melding saturated AC/DC guitar and squelchy Cars synth, “Backmask 1983” is a fun flipbook of evocative era emblems – Farah Fawcett, “Satanic Panic,” Time Life Books, Bigfoot and more – that traverses the simultaneous nexus of Privett’s childhood/adolescence and theworld’s analog/digital ages. It’s about morphing into a new person and a new planet with wide-eyed wonder and a longing to believe. “Without a whole lot of information, the mystery of things felt so heightened,” recalled Privett of growing up pre-Internet. “I wanted to capture some of that but also have fun with it.” “I want what we create to resonate with ourselves, to the level that we want to play it for a long time to come, and where we want others to hear it and experience it,” Privett concluded. “Hopefully, listeners can glean the pieces from it that they identify with.” Time is the Playground will be accompanied by the tireless touring almost synonymous with Carbon Leaf, who’ve become a model for self-managing bands in the digital landscape.
LAST-MODIFIED:20251008T191743Z SEQUENCE:12278959 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3018 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-05-20 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251010T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251010T233000 UID:A7C7AE38-F882-4986-9273-20E369E76B62 SUMMARY:Hell's Belles CREATED:20250811T162938Z DTSTAMP:20250811T162938Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/hells-belles-3 DESCRIPTION:HELL'S BELLES are first and foremost dedicated AC/DC fanatics. This is what we all have in common. We're all part of a huge community of devotees to one of the greatest rock-n-roll bands in the world. This is who we all are, and this is what HELL'S BELLES strives to deliver with mechanical precision and passionate fury. Endorsed by AngusYoung himself (Blender Magazine,) HELL'S BELLES are the closest one can get without actually moving to Australia and joining AC/DC's road crew. HELL'S BELLES are indeed ALL female, all the way to their rock-n-roll cores, all the time and without exception. Representing for a whole new generation of women that won't be intimidated, HELL'S BELLES actively encourage our legions of lady fans to stand up and be counted, and collaborate with women musicians and causes as a part of the mission towards rock and roll inclusion. Not some down-your-throat feminism, but a proactive support and action spirit towards the continued march towards balancing of the gender scales.\NThe thousands of shows HELL'S BELLES have played around the world, including Jordan, Singapore, Japan, Canada, and the good ol' USA (including Alaska), have become legendary nights of epic proportions. Consistently sexy and sold-out shows - there's not a HELL'S BELLES audience that hasn't been blown away by the raw power, attention to AC/DC details, and undeniable appeal that these bad ass belles deliver with undying devotion. From the Angus stripping “Bad Boy Boogie" to “Dirty Deeds" to"TNT", not to mention AC/DC's landmark hits "Highway to Hell", "Thunderstruck", and "Back in Black". The marathon set lists change to include a fresh variety of classics, but the perfection and passion of the show never dies.\NIt's an all out rock-n-roll assault that leaves you both satisfied and begging for more.And, more you'll get as HELL'S BELLES keep conquering new cities, new states, and new countries. They'll be in your back yard bringing AC/DC in sound and spirit to you with their recording VOL. II, so you can always count on taking a little piece of HELL'S BELLES home with ya.\NHELL'S BELLES - committed, ferocious, meticulous women rock musicians delivering authentic AC/DC to the unbelievably supportive and wicked awesome fans. All day and all night long, all over the world, pitch perfect AC/ DC delivered with a highly charged vigor. Let there be rock! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:HELL'S BELLES are first and foremost dedicated AC/DC fanatics. This is what we all have in common. We're all part of a huge community of devotees to one of the greatest rock-n-roll bands in the world. This is who we all are, and this is what HELL'S BELLES strives to deliver with mechanical precision and passionate fury. Endorsed by AngusYoung himself (Blender Magazine,) HELL'S BELLES are the closest one can get without actually moving to Australia and joining AC/DC's road crew. HELL'S BELLES are indeed ALL female, all the way to their rock-n-roll cores, all the time and without exception. Representing for a whole new generation of women that won't be intimidated, HELL'S BELLES actively encourage our legions of lady fans to stand up and be counted, and collaborate with women musicians and causes as a part of the mission towards rock and roll inclusion. Not some down-your-throat feminism, but a proactive support and action spirit towards the continued march towards balancing of the gender scales.
The thousands of shows HELL'S BELLES have played around the world, including Jordan, Singapore, Japan, Canada, and the good ol' USA (including Alaska), have become legendary nights of epic proportions. Consistently sexy and sold-out shows - there's not a HELL'S BELLES audience that hasn't been blown away by the raw power, attention to AC/DC details, and undeniable appeal that these bad ass belles deliver with undying devotion. From the Angus stripping “Bad Boy Boogie" to “Dirty Deeds" to"TNT", not to mention AC/DC's landmark hits "Highway to Hell", "Thunderstruck", and "Back in Black". The marathon set lists change to include a fresh variety of classics, but the perfection and passion of the show never dies.
It's an all out rock-n-roll assault that leaves you both satisfied and begging for more.And, more you'll get as HELL'S BELLES keep conquering new cities, new states, and new countries. They'll be in your back yard bringing AC/DC in sound and spirit to you with their recording VOL. II, so you can always count on taking a little piece of HELL'S BELLES home with ya.
HELL'S BELLES - committed, ferocious, meticulous women rock musicians delivering authentic AC/DC to the unbelievably supportive and wicked awesome fans. All day and all night long, all over the world, pitch perfect AC/ DC delivered with a highly charged vigor. Let there be rock!
LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T190232Z SEQUENCE:2601174 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1498 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-08-12 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251011T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251011T233000 UID:5DE7618C-A36A-4960-8324-92C58FEB5940 SUMMARY:Poor Mans Whiskey CREATED:20250806T184351Z DTSTAMP:20250806T184351Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/poor-mans-whiskey DESCRIPTION:Poor Man's Whiskey is an Americana band originating in the San Francisco area in 2001. The music is rooted around the songwriting talents of Josh Brough and Jason Beard (who met in 1993 at the University of California, Santa Barbara). Poor Man's Whiskey's live show and sound is a blend of high octane old time/bluegrass music (often done on traditional acoustic instruments of banjo, guitar, fiddle, and mandolin) and a more psychedelic blues/jam rock style that calls upon their earlier influences such as Pink Floyd, Allman Brothers Band, and the Grateful Dead. Poor Man's Whiskey seamlessly transitions between acoustic and electric styles with a carefully crafted commitment that revolves around well written songs and stories...while maintaining an exciting element of improvisation and the openness to let a song expand. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Poor Man's Whiskey is an Americana band originating in the San Francisco area in 2001. The music is rooted around the songwriting talents of Josh Brough and Jason Beard (who met in 1993 at the University of California, Santa Barbara). Poor Man's Whiskey's live show and sound is a blend of high octane old time/bluegrass music (often done on traditional acoustic instruments of banjo, guitar, fiddle, and mandolin) and a more psychedelic blues/jam rock style that calls upon their earlier influences such as Pink Floyd, Allman Brothers Band, and the Grateful Dead. Poor Man's Whiskey seamlessly transitions between acoustic and electric styles with a carefully crafted commitment that revolves around well written songs and stories...while maintaining an exciting element of improvisation and the openness to let a song expand.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T190323Z SEQUENCE:3025172 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3765 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251015T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251015T233000 UID:4E167215-F6F9-4294-A782-343A8DFBC990 SUMMARY:Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears CREATED:20250721T153808Z DTSTAMP:20250721T153808Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/black-joe-lewis-the-honeybears DESCRIPTION:Black Joe Lewis is the realest motherfucker there is. When Covid sidelined his touring, he started laying concrete to help support his baby mama and his kid. That’s fuckin’ real. When Joe and his band, the Honeybears, popped onto the national stage over a decade ago, many critics embraced him but still, there were some that maintained that they hadn’t paid their dues. Joe’s still here. Still going. Still cashing checks and snapping necks. The dues of hard work; the delirious heights of the industry as well as the disappointments and low hanging fruit. Through this all, Joe’s only honed his mastery over gut bucket blues guitar and his true voice. It’s a vital and distinctly American voice that never anticipated the attention he wound up receiving, never went looking for it either. It just started happening. The garage, the blues, the propulsive and synergistic live performances that inhabit the spaces of James Brown, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and the MC5...those things happened naturally from the very beginning and could only be accurately communicated in the live experience, not a press release or a slick brand campaign. Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Cedric Burnside and Lightnin' Malcolm, The Dirtbombs, Detroit Cobras, the Strange Boys; these are some of the artists that Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears shared countless bills with; almost a roll call of the most influential soul and garage bands of the last twenty five years. Has the soul blues garage explosion from that era been commodified or worked into the overall template of pop rock? Sure. But the ground floor was a vital space for people that like guitars and grease and at this point Black Joe Lewis is one of the last standing that was there. Last of a dying breed. Or maybe a missing link. Does this make him a throwback? A throwback to a throwback? It’d be tempting and easy for Joe to go along with that but nah, we don’t think so. We know that Joe Lewis is genuinely doing his thing and that he’d do it regardless of what’s coming down the pipe. A stone cold original and a veteran at that. If you like whistling in your music and some floppy hat, quaky kneed dudes cloyingly singing at you, then you might not “get it” but whatever...there are enough intrepid, degenerate weirdos that do. Those are the folks Joe cares about. Not the glad handing set. Not the fair-weather friend set getting down with the flavor of the month. Like the title of his last album says, “the difference between me and you” is Joe defining for himself that there’s the belabored wannabes and then there’s dudes that actually “HAVE the blues”...whatever the hell THAT is! Joe’s concrete pouring boss is going to miss him X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Black Joe Lewis is the realest motherfucker there is. When Covid sidelined his touring, he started laying concrete to help support his baby mama and his kid. That’s fuckin’ real. When Joe and his band, the Honeybears, popped onto the national stage over a decade ago, many critics embraced him but still, there were some that maintained that they hadn’t paid their dues. Joe’s still here. Still going. Still cashing checks and snapping necks. The dues of hard work; the delirious heights of the industry as well as the disappointments and low hanging fruit. Through this all, Joe’s only honed his mastery over gut bucket blues guitar and his true voice. It’s a vital and distinctly American voice that never anticipated the attention he wound up receiving, never went looking for it either. It just started happening. The garage, the blues, the propulsive and synergistic live performances that inhabit the spaces of James Brown, Lightnin’ Hopkins, and the MC5...those things happened naturally from the very beginning and could only be accurately communicated in the live experience, not a press release or a slick brand campaign. Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Cedric Burnside and Lightnin' Malcolm, The Dirtbombs, Detroit Cobras, the Strange Boys; these are some of the artists that Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears shared countless bills with; almost a roll call of the most influential soul and garage bands of the last twenty five years. Has the soul blues garage explosion from that era been commodified or worked into the overall template of pop rock? Sure. But the ground floor was a vital space for people that like guitars and grease and at this point Black Joe Lewis is one of the last standing that was there. Last of a dying breed. Or maybe a missing link. Does this make him a throwback? A throwback to a throwback? It’d be tempting and easy for Joe to go along with that but nah, we don’t think so. We know that Joe Lewis is genuinely doing his thing and that he’d do it regardless of what’s coming down the pipe. A stone cold original and a veteran at that. If you like whistling in your music and some floppy hat, quaky kneed dudes cloyingly singing at you, then you might not “get it” but whatever...there are enough intrepid, degenerate weirdos that do. Those are the folks Joe cares about. Not the glad handing set. Not the fair-weather friend set getting down with the flavor of the month. Like the title of his last album says, “the difference between me and you” is Joe defining for himself that there’s the belabored wannabes and then there’s dudes that actually “HAVE the blues”...whatever the hell THAT is! Joe’s concrete pouring boss is going to miss him
LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T190558Z SEQUENCE:4418870 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2124 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-07-22 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251018T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251018T233000 UID:1C95BC9A-827E-4E5E-A4E3-D24F61F073C4 SUMMARY:Willi Carlisle CREATED:20250404T212508Z DTSTAMP:20250404T212508Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/willi-carlisle DESCRIPTION:Folksinger Willi Carlisle holds tight the conviction that love is bigger than hate, and no-one is expendable. Carlisle’s music has always been a dance between absurdity, spectacle, and philosophy. On his fourth studio album, Winged Victory, Carlisle returns with his signature blend of traditionally-rooted folk music and kaleidoscope of oddball characters to confer with his core tenets in more overt and provocative ways.\NCarlisle delivers Victory as the next chapter in his long-running direct address to the hope that by understanding our collective suffering we might be free of it. He’s intent on creating art and a well-rounded life in a broken world. The idea began with 2022’s Peculiar, Missouri when Carlisle proclaimed “your heart’s a big tent, everybody gets in.” After gathering together all the world’s weirdos and misfits under the big tent, with 2024’s Critterland, Carlisle let them loose into the world. Now, on Winged Victory, they speak for themselves, unencumbered by social expectations. \NVictory, Carlisle’s first self-produced album, will be released June 27 via Signature Sounds. It both indulges a few of his wildest dreams (including a version of Richard Thompson’s “Beeswing,” among several traditional folk song covers), and feels like the inevitable sequel to Critterland’s charismatic menagerie of chaos. Though occasionally raunchy, and routinely provocative, Victory is not afraid to make a spectacle for the sake of a point. Victory should be understood as a reflection. It revels in the beauty of tiny, monetarily-worthless moments and things, offering with them a consideration of our innate humanity. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Folksinger Willi Carlisle holds tight the conviction that love is bigger than hate, and no-one is expendable. Carlisle’s music has always been a dance between absurdity, spectacle, and philosophy. On his fourth studio album, Winged Victory, Carlisle returns with his signature blend of traditionally-rooted folk music and kaleidoscope of oddball characters to confer with his core tenets in more overt and provocative ways.
Carlisle delivers Victory as the next chapter in his long-running direct address to the hope that by understanding our collective suffering we might be free of it. He’s intent on creating art and a well-rounded life in a broken world. The idea began with 2022’s Peculiar, Missouri when Carlisle proclaimed “your heart’s a big tent, everybody gets in.” After gathering together all the world’s weirdos and misfits under the big tent, with 2024’s Critterland, Carlisle let them loose into the world. Now, on Winged Victory, they speak for themselves, unencumbered by social expectations.
Victory, Carlisle’s first self-produced album, will be released June 27 via Signature Sounds. It both indulges a few of his wildest dreams (including a version of Richard Thompson’s “Beeswing,” among several traditional folk song covers), and feels like the inevitable sequel to Critterland’s charismatic menagerie of chaos. Though occasionally raunchy, and routinely provocative, Victory is not afraid to make a spectacle for the sake of a point. Victory should be understood as a reflection. It revels in the beauty of tiny, monetarily-worthless moments and things, offering with them a consideration of our innate humanity.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250717T170141Z SEQUENCE:8969793 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2736 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-04-08 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251022T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251022T233000 UID:98276C46-EA34-491E-BA42-8F99491837E4 SUMMARY:Pachyman x MNDSGN CREATED:20250409T212000Z DTSTAMP:20250409T212000Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/pachyman-x-mndsgn DESCRIPTION:Over the course of four albums under his Pachyman moniker, Pachy Garcia has proven himself a dedicated craftsman working in the lineage of dub reggae. In a way, the Puerto Rico-born, Los Angeles-based musician had mastered the methodology of genre masters like King Tubby and The Scientist, using vintage gear, constructing glorious walls of sound, and developing an intuitive understanding of the power of repetition. \NAs the cult around his music grew, Pachy began to seek new motivation. \N“I was thinking, How do I feel and how do I evolve with this project? How do I inject excitement and spontaneity in this process? I needed to break out of this formalist dub reggae purist mindset to find a more personal sound, create my own niche.” \NIf his past work, while indelibly Pachy’s own, was indebted to the masters of dub reggae, Another Place — his fifth album for ATO Records recorded, as ever, in his basement studio 333 House — is the moment when all of those debts are paid off. He leans into the idiosyncratic elements of past projects, synthesizing the myriad scenes that have recontextualized the methods and aesthetics of dub, from pioneering synth-pop weirdos like William Onyeabor and Yellow Magic Orchestra to Basic Channel’s amniotic dub techno. \N“I was trying to understand who I am as a musician — not just operating in a distinct lineage but how I’ve metabolized and expanded upon it,” Pachy elaborates. “Who am I behind all of this? It’s a very personal, vulnerable journey. I wanted to build my own world and create these new connections in my brain, incorporating everything: vaporwave, chillwave, soul-jazz, James Brown, Kosmiche musik and krautrock, the driving repetition of drum n bass.” \NThroughout Another Place, Pachyman delivers on this far-reaching vision — sonic easter eggs abound. “Berlin” pairs a pastoral, Boards Of Canada-cribbing organ sound with the kind of obscured, textural percussion that might suit a Berghain techno night. “In Love” is a joyful, egg-melting-on-the-sidewalk haze in the vein of Washed Out or Neon Indian. Meanwhile the cowbell-driven “Hard To Part” recalls the skeletal drone-funk of ESG — it’s an early contender for 2025’s best one note guitar riff. \NIt’s an alchemical mix, one that leans into Pachy’s unconventional musical journey, from playing in reggae and experimental rock bands in Puerto Rico to playing shows in and around the late, great LA noise-pop mecca The Smell as the drummer / vocalist for Prettiest Eyes. \NAnother element that deepens the album’s distinct personality is Pachy’s growing confidence and capability as a vocalist. Throughout Another Place, he implements a mantra-like repetition of improvised thoughts and snippets, tapping into unconscious anxieties and preoccupations that are bolstered with added harmonies and layers that wax and wane.\NOn the Slits-inspired “False Moves” (“I’ve always been into post-punk — it shares a working class, anti-establishment DNA with dub reggae”), the dystopian, introspective build is heightened by lyrics improvised in the alienating backdrop of the genocide in Gaza. It’s a fascinating, darker moment that refuses to hold anything back. \NLet’s not get it twisted: while the experimental edges of Pachyman’s past work bleed through a little more boldly on Another Place, the anchoring energy is still very much dub reggae. “I journal a lot,” Pachy explains, “so I’m starting to realize that I get into cycles. Every December or January, at the turn of the year, I get back on trying to recreate the Channel One studio sound. Once the cold weather comes in, it’s always Reggae Christmas.” \NThe album opener “Calor Ahora” is the bountiful fruit of this yearly tradition. “The words were taken from a journal entry I made when I was on the verge of an anxiety attack and felt this oppressive cold,” he shares about the track. (He clarifies: “I know LA isn’t cold, but I’m from the Caribbean.”) \NParadoxically, Pachyman, despite his demonstrated and well-publicized love of repetition, hates repeating himself. With Another Place, he’s avoided that trap entirely: While tethered to his past work, the weird and vulnerable elements of his artistry come through loud and clear. Pachyman has, intentionally or not, made a record thoroughly in tune with the vision of early dub, tapping \Ninto a sense of wonder at the endless possibility of sound and rhythm with an unmistakably personal perspective. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Over the course of four albums under his Pachyman moniker, Pachy Garcia has proven himself a dedicated craftsman working in the lineage of dub reggae. In a way, the Puerto Rico-born, Los Angeles-based musician had mastered the methodology of genre masters like King Tubby and The Scientist, using vintage gear, constructing glorious walls of sound, and developing an intuitive understanding of the power of repetition.
As the cult around his music grew, Pachy began to seek new motivation.
“I was thinking, How do I feel and how do I evolve with this project? How do I inject excitement and spontaneity in this process? I needed to break out of this formalist dub reggae purist mindset to find a more personal sound, create my own niche.”
If his past work, while indelibly Pachy’s own, was indebted to the masters of dub reggae, Another Place — his fifth album for ATO Records recorded, as ever, in his basement studio 333 House — is the moment when all of those debts are paid off. He leans into the idiosyncratic elements of past projects, synthesizing the myriad scenes that have recontextualized the methods and aesthetics of dub, from pioneering synth-pop weirdos like William Onyeabor and Yellow Magic Orchestra to Basic Channel’s amniotic dub techno.
“I was trying to understand who I am as a musician — not just operating in a distinct lineage but how I’ve metabolized and expanded upon it,” Pachy elaborates. “Who am I behind all of this? It’s a very personal, vulnerable journey. I wanted to build my own world and create these new connections in my brain, incorporating everything: vaporwave, chillwave, soul-jazz, James Brown, Kosmiche musik and krautrock, the driving repetition of drum n bass.”
Throughout Another Place, Pachyman delivers on this far-reaching vision — sonic easter eggs abound. “Berlin” pairs a pastoral, Boards Of Canada-cribbing organ sound with the kind of obscured, textural percussion that might suit a Berghain techno night. “In Love” is a joyful, egg-melting-on-the-sidewalk haze in the vein of Washed Out or Neon Indian. Meanwhile the cowbell-driven “Hard To Part” recalls the skeletal drone-funk of ESG — it’s an early contender for 2025’s best one note guitar riff.
It’s an alchemical mix, one that leans into Pachy’s unconventional musical journey, from playing in reggae and experimental rock bands in Puerto Rico to playing shows in and around the late, great LA noise-pop mecca The Smell as the drummer / vocalist for Prettiest Eyes.
Another element that deepens the album’s distinct personality is Pachy’s growing confidence and capability as a vocalist. Throughout Another Place, he implements a mantra-like repetition of improvised thoughts and snippets, tapping into unconscious anxieties and preoccupations that are bolstered with added harmonies and layers that wax and wane.
On the Slits-inspired “False Moves” (“I’ve always been into post-punk — it shares a working class, anti-establishment DNA with dub reggae”), the dystopian, introspective build is heightened by lyrics improvised in the alienating backdrop of the genocide in Gaza. It’s a fascinating, darker moment that refuses to hold anything back.
Let’s not get it twisted: while the experimental edges of Pachyman’s past work bleed through a little more boldly on Another Place, the anchoring energy is still very much dub reggae. “I journal a lot,” Pachy explains, “so I’m starting to realize that I get into cycles. Every December or January, at the turn of the year, I get back on trying to recreate the Channel One studio sound. Once the cold weather comes in, it’s always Reggae Christmas.”
The album opener “Calor Ahora” is the bountiful fruit of this yearly tradition. “The words were taken from a journal entry I made when I was on the verge of an anxiety attack and felt this oppressive cold,” he shares about the track. (He clarifies: “I know LA isn’t cold, but I’m from the Caribbean.”)
Paradoxically, Pachyman, despite his demonstrated and well-publicized love of repetition, hates repeating himself. With Another Place, he’s avoided that trap entirely: While tethered to his past work, the weird and vulnerable elements of his artistry come through loud and clear. Pachyman has, intentionally or not, made a record thoroughly in tune with the vision of early dub, tapping
into a sense of wonder at the endless possibility of sound and rhythm with an unmistakably personal perspective.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250731T191308Z SEQUENCE:9755588 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3231 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-05-06 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251024T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251024T233000 UID:CB8BF3E4-F14C-4203-AC1B-DA5347FFE806 SUMMARY:Jeffrey Martin CREATED:20250721T164228Z DTSTAMP:20250721T164228Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jeffrey-martin-2 DESCRIPTION:As a babe Jeffrey Martin sought out solitude as often as he could find it. He’s always been that way, and he has never understood the whole phenomenon of smiling in pictures, although he is a very happy guy. One night in middle school he stayed up under the covers with a flashlight and a DiscMan, listening to Reba McEntire’s 'That’s the Night that the Lights Went Out in Georgia' on repeat until the DiscMan ran out of batteries. That night he became a songwriter, although he didn’t actually write a song until years later. After high school he spent a few years distracting himself from having to gather up the courage to do what he knew he had to do.\NEventually he found his way to a writing degree, and then a teaching degree. He wrote most days like his life depended on it, all sorts of things, not just songs, but songs too. He fell in love with teaching high school English, which was fantastic because he never thought he’d actually come to truly love it. His students were fierce and unstoppable forces of noise and curiosity, and for all that they took from him in sleep and sense, they gave him a hundred times back in sparks and humility. \NAll the while he was also playing truckloads of music. There was one weekend where he flew to LA while grading essays on the plane, played two shows, and then flew back home, still grading essays, and woke up to teach at 5 am on Monday morning. It was around this time he started wondering if such a life was sustainable.\NAlas, music, the tour life, was a constant raccoon scratching at the back door. Jeffrey spent nights on end sitting up in bed, and then sitting on the front porch, staring off into the dark, wondering if he could bear to leave teaching to go on tour full time. Eventually his brain caught up with what his guts had known for months. With tears in his eyes he announced to his students that he wouldn’t be back the following year, and that he didn’t feel right hollering at them to chase their dreams at all cost if he wasn’t going to do the same.\NJeffrey Martin tours full time now. He is always making music, and he is always coming through your town. He misses teaching like you might miss a good old friend who you know you’ll meet again. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:As a babe Jeffrey Martin sought out solitude as often as he could find it. He’s always been that way, and he has never understood the whole phenomenon of smiling in pictures, although he is a very happy guy. One night in middle school he stayed up under the covers with a flashlight and a DiscMan, listening to Reba McEntire’s 'That’s the Night that the Lights Went Out in Georgia' on repeat until the DiscMan ran out of batteries. That night he became a songwriter, although he didn’t actually write a song until years later. After high school he spent a few years distracting himself from having to gather up the courage to do what he knew he had to do.
Eventually he found his way to a writing degree, and then a teaching degree. He wrote most days like his life depended on it, all sorts of things, not just songs, but songs too. He fell in love with teaching high school English, which was fantastic because he never thought he’d actually come to truly love it. His students were fierce and unstoppable forces of noise and curiosity, and for all that they took from him in sleep and sense, they gave him a hundred times back in sparks and humility.
All the while he was also playing truckloads of music. There was one weekend where he flew to LA while grading essays on the plane, played two shows, and then flew back home, still grading essays, and woke up to teach at 5 am on Monday morning. It was around this time he started wondering if such a life was sustainable.
Alas, music, the tour life, was a constant raccoon scratching at the back door. Jeffrey spent nights on end sitting up in bed, and then sitting on the front porch, staring off into the dark, wondering if he could bear to leave teaching to go on tour full time. Eventually his brain caught up with what his guts had known for months. With tears in his eyes he announced to his students that he wouldn’t be back the following year, and that he didn’t feel right hollering at them to chase their dreams at all cost if he wasn’t going to do the same.
Jeffrey Martin tours full time now. He is always making music, and he is always coming through your town. He misses teaching like you might miss a good old friend who you know you’ll meet again.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250910T190547Z SEQUENCE:4414999 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2104 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-07-23 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251025T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251025T233000 UID:77EC02B0-654D-41A5-9E7C-2B649D8BAAEE SUMMARY:Pixel Grip CREATED:20250501T165929Z DTSTAMP:20250501T165929Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/pixel-grip-2 DESCRIPTION:Formed in 2019 Rita Lukea (Vocals)・Jonathon Freund (Synth) ・Tyler Ommen (Drums)Pixel Grip’s sound is both seductive and confrontational – a dark, club-driven sound that blends elements of synth-pop, EBM (electronic body music), house, and industrial into their own edgy, danceable, and immersive ethos. Pixel Grip is known for their high-energy live performances and moody, avant-garde aesthetic. In 2024 they toured as direct support to noise-rock contemporaries, HEALTH. Followed by a (sold out) North American headline run of their own, which included a stop at the iconic punk festival RIOT Fest. Often exploring themes of desire, power, and liberation, underground cult classics such as “ALPHAPUSSY” & “Demon Chaser” have been used in campaigns by fashion powerhouses such as VERSACE & Alexander Vauthier. Relentless touring and placements with major brands have helped push Pixel Grip to the forefront of indie music. Pixel Grip’s ensuing LP (Summer 2025) arrives as they prepare to expand their reach into the EU & UK for the first time. On their third album, Percepticide the Death of Reality, the Chicago-trio looks within and around at a shifting landscape of fragmented perceptions and social disengagement. The album marks an important part in each of their lives, both musically and personally. Recorded over three years in Los Angeles & Chicago, each member privately faced their own demons, including betrayal, addiction, and neglect. "Percepticide" a portmanteau – a term that originates from – "percipere" (to perceive) and -cide (to kill)– in essence "the killing of perception. "‘Percepticide’ is a cognitive distortion and a symptom of trauma – beliefs you hold to be true are shattered – as you question everyone and everything around you. My dream is that the expression of my rage can help someone else feel empowered and at the very least, less alone. You’re never stuck, and you’re never alone, say Lukea. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Formed in 2019 Rita Lukea (Vocals)・Jonathon Freund (Synth) ・Tyler Ommen (Drums)Pixel Grip’s sound is both seductive and confrontational – a dark, club-driven sound that blends elements of synth-pop, EBM (electronic body music), house, and industrial into their own edgy, danceable, and immersive ethos. Pixel Grip is known for their high-energy live performances and moody, avant-garde aesthetic. In 2024 they toured as direct support to noise-rock contemporaries, HEALTH. Followed by a (sold out) North American headline run of their own, which included a stop at the iconic punk festival RIOT Fest. Often exploring themes of desire, power, and liberation, underground cult classics such as “ALPHAPUSSY” & “Demon Chaser” have been used in campaigns by fashion powerhouses such as VERSACE & Alexander Vauthier. Relentless touring and placements with major brands have helped push Pixel Grip to the forefront of indie music. Pixel Grip’s ensuing LP (Summer 2025) arrives as they prepare to expand their reach into the EU & UK for the first time. On their third album, Percepticide the Death of Reality, the Chicago-trio looks within and around at a shifting landscape of fragmented perceptions and social disengagement. The album marks an important part in each of their lives, both musically and personally. Recorded over three years in Los Angeles & Chicago, each member privately faced their own demons, including betrayal, addiction, and neglect. "Percepticide" a portmanteau – a term that originates from – "percipere" (to perceive) and -cide (to kill)– in essence "the killing of perception. "‘Percepticide’ is a cognitive distortion and a symptom of trauma – beliefs you hold to be true are shattered – as you question everyone and everything around you. My dream is that the expression of my rage can help someone else feel empowered and at the very least, less alone. You’re never stuck, and you’re never alone, say Lukea.
LAST-MODIFIED:20250728T150909Z SEQUENCE:7596580 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4368 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-05-06 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251026T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251026T233000 UID:56359C7C-6699-4AAF-8B63-5DE558C63718 SUMMARY:Spafford CREATED:20250707T153412Z DTSTAMP:20250707T153412Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/spafford-2 DESCRIPTION:Spafford is known for their astonishing improvisational ability and off-the-cuff extended jams, Spafford paints a picture in real-time each night with a musical palette known only to each other. It’s a private language comprised of both their talent as musicians as well as their formidable catalog of influences, spanning 90’s alt-rock radio hits to Steely Dan and The Crystal Method. Each Spafford show is a sonic pilgrimage, the journey of a team of musicians so in tune with each other that a single note communicates intent and purpose. Spafford is amongst the most creative and hard-traveling bands on the contemporary jam scene, performing countless sold-out headline dates along with high profile festival sets at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Firefly Music Festival, and many others. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Spafford is known for their astonishing improvisational ability and off-the-cuff extended jams, Spafford paints a picture in real-time each night with a musical palette known only to each other. It’s a private language comprised of both their talent as musicians as well as their formidable catalog of influences, spanning 90’s alt-rock radio hits to Steely Dan and The Crystal Method. Each Spafford show is a sonic pilgrimage, the journey of a team of musicians so in tune with each other that a single note communicates intent and purpose. Spafford is amongst the most creative and hard-traveling bands on the contemporary jam scene, performing countless sold-out headline dates along with high profile festival sets at Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Firefly Music Festival, and many others.
LAST-MODIFIED:20251027T012715Z SEQUENCE:9625983 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2571 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-07-08 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251030T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251030T233000 UID:C7C3DA50-303B-496B-A000-5D430E6B99F4 SUMMARY:Nolan Taylor CREATED:20250721T161836Z DTSTAMP:20250721T161836Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/nolan-taylor DESCRIPTION:The backroads of America tell its truest stories. The heartbreak and heartbeat of the country thumps the loudest in the cracks between its big cities. A 2021 census in Blanchester, OH registers the village's population at around 4,230 people. Nolan Taylor isn't quite sure of the exact number, but he knows it's small from growing up in this place with his dad and older brother. His father managed plants and factories, yet money was scarce and the winters were brutal. Mom battled addiction and mental struggles, eventually estranging her from the boys. When he could finally afford a left-handed guitar, he started to write and record music of his own, grafting hard-earned wisdom, heart-wrenching memories, and hypnotic melodies to rustic and ruddy acoustic phrasing. As a kid, he found solace in music. He discovered The Grateful Dead through his dad and developed an appreciation for Pinegrove. Throughout junior high, he studied classic MTV Unplugged concerts by the likes of Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. Even though he primarily focused on wrestling, working out, football, and basketball, he finally picked up a left-handed guitar in high school. After graduating, he spent years gigging around West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky, playing anywhere and everywhere. In 2023, a video of Nolan performing “68” in the woods went viral with 2.6 million YouTube views on the Radio WV YouTube Channel. Achieving virality from obscurity and gathering millions of streams, he tells a true story all his own via a series of2023 singles for Atlantic Records, beginning with "Wicked Ways." X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The backroads of America tell its truest stories. The heartbreak and heartbeat of the country thumps the loudest in the cracks between its big cities. A 2021 census in Blanchester, OH registers the village's population at around 4,230 people. Nolan Taylor isn't quite sure of the exact number, but he knows it's small from growing up in this place with his dad and older brother. His father managed plants and factories, yet money was scarce and the winters were brutal. Mom battled addiction and mental struggles, eventually estranging her from the boys. When he could finally afford a left-handed guitar, he started to write and record music of his own, grafting hard-earned wisdom, heart-wrenching memories, and hypnotic melodies to rustic and ruddy acoustic phrasing. As a kid, he found solace in music. He discovered The Grateful Dead through his dad and developed an appreciation for Pinegrove. Throughout junior high, he studied classic MTV Unplugged concerts by the likes of Alice In Chains, Pearl Jam, and Nirvana. Even though he primarily focused on wrestling, working out, football, and basketball, he finally picked up a left-handed guitar in high school. After graduating, he spent years gigging around West Virginia, Virginia, and Kentucky, playing anywhere and everywhere. In 2023, a video of Nolan performing “68” in the woods went viral with 2.6 million YouTube views on the Radio WV YouTube Channel. Achieving virality from obscurity and gathering millions of streams, he tells a true story all his own via a series of2023 singles for Atlantic Records, beginning with "Wicked Ways."
LAST-MODIFIED:20251030T183828Z SEQUENCE:8734792 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1735 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-07-22 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251031T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251031T233000 UID:FAB95B10-6F82-4219-A11F-2968B391E310 SUMMARY:Dead Man’s Dance Party with The Discographers CREATED:20250915T154521Z DTSTAMP:20250915T154521Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/dead-mans-dance-party-with-the-discographers DESCRIPTION:Celebrate Halloween with the latest visual concert experience from The Discographers, following up their Breakfast Club and Pink Floyd shows with a night of danceable terrors! Classic tunes from Oingo Boingo, The Cranberries, The Doors, The Smiths, Kate Bush, Talking Heads, Garbage, Radiohead, Metallica and more paired up with footage from Halloween and horror films. One creepy night only! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Celebrate Halloween with the latest visual concert experience from The Discographers, following up their Breakfast Club and Pink Floyd shows with a night of danceable terrors! Classic tunes from Oingo Boingo, The Cranberries, The Doors, The Smiths, Kate Bush, Talking Heads, Garbage, Radiohead, Metallica and more paired up with footage from Halloween and horror films. One creepy night only!
LAST-MODIFIED:20251030T183847Z SEQUENCE:3898406 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4407 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-09-16 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251105T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251105T233000 UID:53F12716-984D-4E4D-9EFF-20A68D1F4201 SUMMARY:Thunderpussy CREATED:20250811T164149Z DTSTAMP:20250811T164149Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/thunderpussy DESCRIPTION:What is fire? From a scientific standpoint, many still aren’t sure. Heat and light, dancing and flare. We can describe its chemical reaction, but why—yes, why—it looks as it does, that’s still a deep curiosity. Fire, with its impossible to predict form, is a mystery. Fire is also West, the new studio album from the Seattle-born rock and roll group Thunderpussy. The band breathes it. Cultivates, tames and scorches with it.\NFire, in the contemporary linguistic sense, is also a sign of all that is good. It’s that good burn. So, in that way, listeners of West are in for a titillating treat. The new LP begins with a promise. An internal affirmation, a hopeful prayer. Lithe lead singer Molly Sides declares, her voice like flame on the track, “I can do better.” Her sound, like her literal body onstage, bends and shifts. Incandescent. As lead guitar player Whitney Petty performs a rumbling echo, like felled timber.\NFire is the sign of sustenance. It's no wonder, then, why Thunderpussy has earned attention from the important outlets in music culture. Yes, Rolling Stone has called the band “classic-rock muscle” focusing on the all-female group’s “soulful vocals and punk energy.” NPR Music has gone as far to dub the outfit “everything you want in rock,” noting that Thunderpussy is “raw, spontaneous, bombastic, outrageous” and that they will “take your breath away.”\NLike flame, itself, Thunderpussy is all consuming and knowingly so. The second song on the new record, “Firebreather” is an aptly titled rage. The kind of roar that begins with both crackle and spark before it becomes an entire reality. An inferno of dynamism. But not all fires must swallow you whole. Some alight and twinkle. The band’s new album includes the third track, “Put Your Hands On Me,” a bluesy offering that hearkens back to hearths of older histories.\NThe nine-track vinyl record (the band’s second studio album) continues—somehow not melting under the heat of the sexy, smoldering four-piece—with “Sallie Mae,” a song that recalls party rock tunes from the past. Thunderpussy, which won a recent case in the Supreme Court over its name and trademark, is a “revelation, if not quite a revolution,” writes The Guardian. Indeed, the wheels of regeneration turn via steam and electricity. These are all functions of fire. All of which the Seattle-born rock band can assume in the blink of a glinting eye.\NShimmer and symphony meet on the album’s titular track, “West,” an elegant respite from the sweat-inducing four leading up to it. “West” is a small prop plane crossing the sky, nearly unnoticed. Mountains endangering its existence. But little do we know its precious cargo. Unleashed, each note, each pulled string, allows the energy of the gods to unfurl. Ra, Nyambe, Zhurong, Agneya, Amaterasu, Turgman, Hestia and Prometheus are all its passengers.\NThunderpussy is acquainted with the greats, from the mythological to the living and breathing. The band, which is championed by Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready, among many others, can part the clouds to let the sunlight through like a smile. The LP’s sixth song, “Misty Morning,” is proof. It’s tribal, a call to the horizon. Like Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” it’s devotion forged in rhythm and melody. The great star beats down. Thunderpussy mirrors it back up.\NThen “N.E.D.” breaks everything. A wrecking ball of flame. The world, at times, needs to fall to its knees. Thunderpussy obliges. But then people need resilience, rejuvenation. Enter: “In Your Honor,” a reflective, nostalgic number with an incandescent, incessant drumbeat reminiscent of purposeful ‘80s rock bands. Some topography cannot be scorched asunder. In the end, the album concludes with “Setting Sail.” The listener is left to reconcile with what just happened. The song reminds of the Beatles had they continued their musical journey into the next decade. But alas Thunderpussy is gone, too. Only trails of smoke to shape your sunset remain.\NFor the independent rock band, which was formerly signed to Stardog/Republic Records, millions of streams has never been the goal, though they have amassed well into the eight-figures. Yes, for Thunderpussy, streams are the opposite of fire. Tempting temperatures, perspiration and char—these are the signs of accomplishment. These are the building blocks of West. Swallow it, if you dare. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:What is fire? From a scientific standpoint, many still aren’t sure. Heat and light, dancing and flare. We can describe its chemical reaction, but why—yes, why—it looks as it does, that’s still a deep curiosity. Fire, with its impossible to predict form, is a mystery. Fire is also West, the new studio album from the Seattle-born rock and roll group Thunderpussy. The band breathes it. Cultivates, tames and scorches with it.
Fire, in the contemporary linguistic sense, is also a sign of all that is good. It’s that good burn. So, in that way, listeners of West are in for a titillating treat. The new LP begins with a promise. An internal affirmation, a hopeful prayer. Lithe lead singer Molly Sides declares, her voice like flame on the track, “I can do better.” Her sound, like her literal body onstage, bends and shifts. Incandescent. As lead guitar player Whitney Petty performs a rumbling echo, like felled timber.
Fire is the sign of sustenance. It's no wonder, then, why Thunderpussy has earned attention from the important outlets in music culture. Yes, Rolling Stone has called the band “classic-rock muscle” focusing on the all-female group’s “soulful vocals and punk energy.” NPR Music has gone as far to dub the outfit “everything you want in rock,” noting that Thunderpussy is “raw, spontaneous, bombastic, outrageous” and that they will “take your breath away.”
Like flame, itself, Thunderpussy is all consuming and knowingly so. The second song on the new record, “Firebreather” is an aptly titled rage. The kind of roar that begins with both crackle and spark before it becomes an entire reality. An inferno of dynamism. But not all fires must swallow you whole. Some alight and twinkle. The band’s new album includes the third track, “Put Your Hands On Me,” a bluesy offering that hearkens back to hearths of older histories.
The nine-track vinyl record (the band’s second studio album) continues—somehow not melting under the heat of the sexy, smoldering four-piece—with “Sallie Mae,” a song that recalls party rock tunes from the past. Thunderpussy, which won a recent case in the Supreme Court over its name and trademark, is a “revelation, if not quite a revolution,” writes The Guardian. Indeed, the wheels of regeneration turn via steam and electricity. These are all functions of fire. All of which the Seattle-born rock band can assume in the blink of a glinting eye.
Shimmer and symphony meet on the album’s titular track, “West,” an elegant respite from the sweat-inducing four leading up to it. “West” is a small prop plane crossing the sky, nearly unnoticed. Mountains endangering its existence. But little do we know its precious cargo. Unleashed, each note, each pulled string, allows the energy of the gods to unfurl. Ra, Nyambe, Zhurong, Agneya, Amaterasu, Turgman, Hestia and Prometheus are all its passengers.
Thunderpussy is acquainted with the greats, from the mythological to the living and breathing. The band, which is championed by Pearl Jam lead guitarist Mike McCready, among many others, can part the clouds to let the sunlight through like a smile. The LP’s sixth song, “Misty Morning,” is proof. It’s tribal, a call to the horizon. Like Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir,” it’s devotion forged in rhythm and melody. The great star beats down. Thunderpussy mirrors it back up.
Then “N.E.D.” breaks everything. A wrecking ball of flame. The world, at times, needs to fall to its knees. Thunderpussy obliges. But then people need resilience, rejuvenation. Enter: “In Your Honor,” a reflective, nostalgic number with an incandescent, incessant drumbeat reminiscent of purposeful ‘80s rock bands. Some topography cannot be scorched asunder. In the end, the album concludes with “Setting Sail.” The listener is left to reconcile with what just happened. The song reminds of the Beatles had they continued their musical journey into the next decade. But alas Thunderpussy is gone, too. Only trails of smoke to shape your sunset remain.
For the independent rock band, which was formerly signed to Stardog/Republic Records, millions of streams has never been the goal, though they have amassed well into the eight-figures. Yes, for Thunderpussy, streams are the opposite of fire. Tempting temperatures, perspiration and char—these are the signs of accomplishment. These are the building blocks of West. Swallow it, if you dare.
LAST-MODIFIED:20251103T215009Z SEQUENCE:7276100 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2791 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-08-12 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251106T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251106T233000 UID:CBE6AA03-5BBF-41FD-B290-728E32842315 SUMMARY:Dean Johnson CREATED:20250616T154929Z DTSTAMP:20250616T154929Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/dean-johnson DESCRIPTION:Not long after crossing beyond the neon into Al’s Tavern, one might catch murmurs drifting up and down the bar during Dean Johnson’s bartending shifts – nudges and whispers that he might just be the best songwriter in town. “Wait ’til you hear him sing. Just don’t ask him to do it, because he won’t. He might do another show this year, but probably not.” Al’s regulars, howsoever biased, speak of his talent like a family secret – Seattle folklore. How many times, and for how many years, has Dean elusively replied to some variation of the question, “When will there be a record?”\NThe phrase “hidden gem” would seem appropriate here, but it’s a misnomer when talking about Dean Johnson. He shines bright, in plain sight, and it was only a matter of time before people stopped to take a look. Dean’s gentle and passionate approach to songwriting has inspired many, and his work provides the listener the opportunity to believe once more that a song can be more than the sum of its parts. If you catch even a phrase of his melodies or the sobering tone of his voice, it waltzes its way into your heart like a letter written, signed, sealed, and delivered just for you.\NHis debut album Nothing for Me, Please was recorded at Mashed Potato Records in New Orleans with the help of Sam Gelband and Charlie Meyer, Dean’s bandmates in The Sons of Rainier; as well as Mashed Potato regulars Sam Doores, Duff Thompson and Steph Green. The record is a hazy, relaxed daydream – anthems for those who know the sweetness and coldness of quiet moments, the power and the pain of love. Whether you’ve been waiting patiently these many for Dean to release these songs, or you’re just now coming across his work for the first time, the name Dean Johnson, much like his songs, won’t soon leave your mind.\NNothing for Me, Please is out now on Mama Bird Recording Co. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Not long after crossing beyond the neon into Al’s Tavern, one might catch murmurs drifting up and down the bar during Dean Johnson’s bartending shifts – nudges and whispers that he might just be the best songwriter in town. “Wait ’til you hear him sing. Just don’t ask him to do it, because he won’t. He might do another show this year, but probably not.” Al’s regulars, howsoever biased, speak of his talent like a family secret – Seattle folklore. How many times, and for how many years, has Dean elusively replied to some variation of the question, “When will there be a record?”
The phrase “hidden gem” would seem appropriate here, but it’s a misnomer when talking about Dean Johnson. He shines bright, in plain sight, and it was only a matter of time before people stopped to take a look. Dean’s gentle and passionate approach to songwriting has inspired many, and his work provides the listener the opportunity to believe once more that a song can be more than the sum of its parts. If you catch even a phrase of his melodies or the sobering tone of his voice, it waltzes its way into your heart like a letter written, signed, sealed, and delivered just for you.
His debut album Nothing for Me, Please was recorded at Mashed Potato Records in New Orleans with the help of Sam Gelband and Charlie Meyer, Dean’s bandmates in The Sons of Rainier; as well as Mashed Potato regulars Sam Doores, Duff Thompson and Steph Green. The record is a hazy, relaxed daydream – anthems for those who know the sweetness and coldness of quiet moments, the power and the pain of love. Whether you’ve been waiting patiently these many for Dean to release these songs, or you’re just now coming across his work for the first time, the name Dean Johnson, much like his songs, won’t soon leave your mind.
Nothing for Me, Please is out now on Mama Bird Recording Co.
LAST-MODIFIED:20251030T183920Z SEQUENCE:11760591 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3653 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-06-17 13:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251107T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251107T233000 UID:3144832D-B0C9-4470-9378-1A25C981D9AA SUMMARY:Tony Holiday CREATED:20250929T195426Z DTSTAMP:20250929T195426Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/tony-holiday-3 DESCRIPTION:There’s something about Tony Holiday that draws people together. In fact, community has been at the core of Holiday’s young career from the beginning. Since relocating from Salt Lake City to Memphis in 2017, Holiday has been at the center of a soul blues revival in Memphis, anchored by a contingent of young, savvy well-schooled musicians with a “family-like” attitude and a strong belief in one another. Mentored by past legends, Holiday and this loose Memphis collective are building on the city’s rich traditions and carrying them forward.\NMotel Mississippi, Holiday’s 2nd solo album, was recorded about an hour outside Memphis in Coldwater, Mississippi, at Zebra Ranch, the studio of the late great Memphis legend Jim Dickinson (The Rolling Stones, Big Star). Combining the sounds of North Mississippi Hill Country, Delta Blues, and Memphis soul, Motel Mississippi is equal parts hypnotic blues, driving soul, and juke joint stomper. The album consists of six originals and two covers, “Rob & Steal” by Paul Wine Jones and “Nobody But You” by Asie Payton.\NLike with previous projects, Motel Mississippi began as a collaborative effort, this time between Holiday, guitarist/songwriter A.J. Fullerton and guitarist/producer Dave Gross who shared production duties with Fullerton. Rich sonic layers provide a forward-thinking quality to these productions, conjuring up a vibe that’s modern and retro at the same time.\NThe drone and drive of songs like “Rob & Steal” and “Get By” contrast with juke joint grooves like “Just As Gone” while diving into new territory with the Cajun-infused double harmonica instrumental “Yazoo River.” The album was recorded by another mainstay of recent Memphis recording, Kevin Houston (Southern Avenue, North Mississippi Allstars, G. Love). Other musicians on the album include Lee Williams Jr. on drums, Terrance Grayson on Bass, Aubrey McCrady on guitar, Jake Friel on Harmonica, and Mikey Junior on backup vocals.\NMotel Mississippi follows 2020’s Soul Service, produced by another regular collaborator, Southern Avenue’s Ori Naftaly. This followed two volumes of Tony Holiday’s Porch Sessions, which saw Holiday traveling across the United States and throughout Europe recording blues musicians on their very own front porches, in front of juke joints, in the countryside, and even on the front stoops of raucous night spots in bustling cities, resulting in two critically acclaimed albums. The guestlist struck a balance between older legends like Grammy® winners Charlie Musselwhite and Bobby Rush, former Muddy Waters guitarist John Primer and the iconic Lurie Bell, alongside some of Holiday’s peers Southern Avenue, Victor Wainwright, and John Németh. The latter two have served as important mentors for Holiday since his move to Memphis.\NThere’s something in the water in Memphis, and Tony Holiday has tapped into it to contribute to an exciting new chapter unfolding in this storied region. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:There’s something about Tony Holiday that draws people together. In fact, community has been at the core of Holiday’s young career from the beginning. Since relocating from Salt Lake City to Memphis in 2017, Holiday has been at the center of a soul blues revival in Memphis, anchored by a contingent of young, savvy well-schooled musicians with a “family-like” attitude and a strong belief in one another. Mentored by past legends, Holiday and this loose Memphis collective are building on the city’s rich traditions and carrying them forward.
Motel Mississippi, Holiday’s 2nd solo album, was recorded about an hour outside Memphis in Coldwater, Mississippi, at Zebra Ranch, the studio of the late great Memphis legend Jim Dickinson (The Rolling Stones, Big Star). Combining the sounds of North Mississippi Hill Country, Delta Blues, and Memphis soul, Motel Mississippi is equal parts hypnotic blues, driving soul, and juke joint stomper. The album consists of six originals and two covers, “Rob & Steal” by Paul Wine Jones and “Nobody But You” by Asie Payton.
Like with previous projects, Motel Mississippi began as a collaborative effort, this time between Holiday, guitarist/songwriter A.J. Fullerton and guitarist/producer Dave Gross who shared production duties with Fullerton. Rich sonic layers provide a forward-thinking quality to these productions, conjuring up a vibe that’s modern and retro at the same time.
The drone and drive of songs like “Rob & Steal” and “Get By” contrast with juke joint grooves like “Just As Gone” while diving into new territory with the Cajun-infused double harmonica instrumental “Yazoo River.” The album was recorded by another mainstay of recent Memphis recording, Kevin Houston (Southern Avenue, North Mississippi Allstars, G. Love). Other musicians on the album include Lee Williams Jr. on drums, Terrance Grayson on Bass, Aubrey McCrady on guitar, Jake Friel on Harmonica, and Mikey Junior on backup vocals.
Motel Mississippi follows 2020’s Soul Service, produced by another regular collaborator, Southern Avenue’s Ori Naftaly. This followed two volumes of Tony Holiday’s Porch Sessions, which saw Holiday traveling across the United States and throughout Europe recording blues musicians on their very own front porches, in front of juke joints, in the countryside, and even on the front stoops of raucous night spots in bustling cities, resulting in two critically acclaimed albums. The guestlist struck a balance between older legends like Grammy® winners Charlie Musselwhite and Bobby Rush, former Muddy Waters guitarist John Primer and the iconic Lurie Bell, alongside some of Holiday’s peers Southern Avenue, Victor Wainwright, and John Németh. The latter two have served as important mentors for Holiday since his move to Memphis.
There’s something in the water in Memphis, and Tony Holiday has tapped into it to contribute to an exciting new chapter unfolding in this storied region.
LAST-MODIFIED:20251030T183929Z SEQUENCE:2673903 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3188 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-09-30 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251113T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251113T233000 UID:6DF9E965-333C-4ECA-9669-BF29948DBDCE SUMMARY:Agriculture CREATED:20250707T154259Z DTSTAMP:20250707T154259Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/agriculture-2 DESCRIPTION:Agriculture is a Los Angeles–based band channeling ecstatic black metal into something spiritual, grounded, and definitely present. Emerging from the city’s noise scene, the band coalesced into its current form with Dan Meyer, Leah Levinson, Richard Chowenhill, and Kern Haug. Their music fuses the searing intensity of black metal with Zen Buddhist thought, queer history, and devotional songwriting. The result is a sound that resists algorithmic flattening and demands full attention. Their process is rooted in community and persistence: songs are written, dismantled, and rebuilt together. The Spiritual Sound, their new full-length, builds on the radiant extremity of their previous releases and pushes further: music not for escapism, but for confrontation and catharsis. This is not a vibe. It’s a demand. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Agriculture is a Los Angeles–based band channeling ecstatic black metal into something spiritual, grounded, and definitely present. Emerging from the city’s noise scene, the band coalesced into its current form with Dan Meyer, Leah Levinson, Richard Chowenhill, and Kern Haug. Their music fuses the searing intensity of black metal with Zen Buddhist thought, queer history, and devotional songwriting. The result is a sound that resists algorithmic flattening and demands full attention. Their process is rooted in community and persistence: songs are written, dismantled, and rebuilt together. The Spiritual Sound, their new full-length, builds on the radiant extremity of their previous releases and pushes further: music not for escapism, but for confrontation and catharsis. This is not a vibe. It’s a demand.
LAST-MODIFIED:20251110T182752Z SEQUENCE:10896293 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2214 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-07-09 13:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251114T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251114T233000 UID:C0429289-A4C8-413F-B03C-2DD1E2A225AA SUMMARY:Megan Blue CD Release CREATED:20250902T171743Z DTSTAMP:20250902T171743Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/megan-blue-cd-release DESCRIPTION:MEGAN BLUE'S POWERFUL VOCALS, STORY-TELLING SONGS, AND FUNKY-BLUESY VIBE WILL HAVE YOU LAUGHING, DANCING, AND LEAVE YOU WANTING MORE. HER BAND IS A MIX OF VETERAN SLC PLAYERS, INCLUDING MARK CHANEY ON DRUMS, KEVIN STOUT ON BASS, NICK CHAMBERLAIN ON KEYS, AND MAX WEBB ON GUITAR. IF YOU LIKE ARETHA FRANKLIN, BONNIE RAITT, AND GETTING DOWN AND FUNKY, YOU WILL LOVE THIS BAND! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:MEGAN BLUE'S POWERFUL VOCALS, STORY-TELLING SONGS, AND FUNKY-BLUESY VIBE WILL HAVE YOU LAUGHING, DANCING, AND LEAVE YOU WANTING MORE. HER BAND IS A MIX OF VETERAN SLC PLAYERS, INCLUDING MARK CHANEY ON DRUMS, KEVIN STOUT ON BASS, NICK CHAMBERLAIN ON KEYS, AND MAX WEBB ON GUITAR. IF YOU LIKE ARETHA FRANKLIN, BONNIE RAITT, AND GETTING DOWN AND FUNKY, YOU WILL LOVE THIS BAND!
LAST-MODIFIED:20251030T184113Z SEQUENCE:5016210 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1737 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251203T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251203T233000 UID:885EBD11-5D32-4888-B6DD-45907542C315 SUMMARY:CINEMA CLUB: Sister Act / Almost Famous CREATED:20251125T140513Z DTSTAMP:20251125T140513Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/cinema-club-sister-act-almost-famous DESCRIPTION:Who says December has to be all jingles and holly?\NFor three nights in December, skip the holiday chaos and dive into iconic comedies—from musical mockumentaries to 90s & 2000s favorites. See your favorite local music venue in a whole new way!\NOur astroturfed dance floor is back—BYO picnics encouraged, blankets/chairs optional, and yes, endless popcorn (after your first bucket). Make the cold, dark evenings worth it. Admission is free with a Utah Food Bank donation. Double features, double the laughs… holiday stress sold separately.\NTSRP CINEMA CLUB PRESENTS: Sister Act\NWhen lively lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg) sees her mobster beau, Vince LaRocca (Harvey Keitel), commit murder, she is relocated for her protection. Set up in the guise of a nun in a California convent, Deloris proceeds to upend the quiet lives of the resident sisters. In an effort to keep her out of trouble, they assign Deloris to the convent's choir, an ensemble that she soon turns into a vibrant and soulful act that gains widespread attention.\N21+ only X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Who says December has to be all jingles and holly?
For three nights in December, skip the holiday chaos and dive into iconic comedies—from musical mockumentaries to 90s & 2000s favorites. See your favorite local music venue in a whole new way!
Our astroturfed dance floor is back—BYO picnics encouraged, blankets/chairs optional, and yes, endless popcorn (after your first bucket). Make the cold, dark evenings worth it. Admission is free with a Utah Food Bank donation. Double features, double the laughs… holiday stress sold separately.
TSRP CINEMA CLUB PRESENTS: Sister Act
When lively lounge singer Deloris Van Cartier (Whoopi Goldberg) sees her mobster beau, Vince LaRocca (Harvey Keitel), commit murder, she is relocated for her protection. Set up in the guise of a nun in a California convent, Deloris proceeds to upend the quiet lives of the resident sisters. In an effort to keep her out of trouble, they assign Deloris to the convent's choir, an ensemble that she soon turns into a vibrant and soulful act that gains widespread attention.
21+ only
LAST-MODIFIED:20251125T143956Z SEQUENCE:2083 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:369 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-11-25 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251204T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251204T233000 UID:110212E5-4D54-4559-AD4E-A31679638251 SUMMARY:Jackie Greene CREATED:20250908T161553Z DTSTAMP:20250908T161553Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jackie-greene-2 DESCRIPTION:Americana and roots singer-songwriter Jackie Greene is a jack-of-all-trades, and an artist who can croon over soulful piano ballads as much as he can shred a bluesy guitar solo (like he did as the lead guitarist for The Black Crowes in 2013). A road warrior and musician's musician, Greene's new EP 'The Modern Lives - Vol 2' (out October 2018 on Blue Rose Music) finds him at a new chapter in his life: his first months of fatherhood, time off his relentless touring circuit, and a cross-country move from Brooklyn to his birthplace of Northern California. This new collection of six original songs is a thematic extension of 'The Modern Lives - Vol 1' EP (released in 2017 on Blue Rose Music), imbued with a Brooklyn basement DIY feel and ethos. He is a student of American music, transfixed upon its progression through time, as well as how regional sounds fit in a contemporary context. Whereas 'Vol 1' saw Greene experiment with the Delta blues as a canvas for his examinations of modern society, 'Vol 2' sees Greene embrace the sounds of the bluegrass and folk tapes of his youth.\NLead single "Crazy Comes Easy" showcases Greene's dynamic, multi-instrumental range as he plays slide guitar, organ, bass, and percussion, the guitar licks an appreciative nod to his time in The Black Crowes. Meanwhile, "Good Old Bad Times" highlights Greene as the songwriter as he rattles off lines like "How can somebody find a future? / If they ain't got a foothold in the past?" while taking a critical eye to the idea of nostalgia. Piano ballad "Victim Of The Crime" was one of Jackie's oldest demos up until the feel of these sessions gave him the tools to finish a song that, in his words, was written for his wife before she was his wife. While the title possesses a kind of melodrama, the song itself is tender and heartfelt as he details love's trials and tribulations. Greene partnered with Academy Award-nominated "king of indie animation" Bill Plympton for a series of music videos for 'The Modern Lives - Vol 1' that would eventually become an animated short film titled 'The Modern Lives'. The film is currently making the rounds at film festivals where it has already won the Jury Award at the USA Film Festival in Dallas, TX, and the Grand Remi Award / Best in Show at WorldFest in Houstin, TX. The short is also being exhibited at the 71st Festival de Cannes/Court Metrage, Melbourne International Animation Festival, and ASIFA- East Festival, amongst others. \NSince the release of his critically-acclaimed debut album 'Gone Wanderin’', Greene has built an enduring audience through a relentless touring schedule with the likes of BB King, Mark Knopfler, Susan Tedeschi, and Taj Mahal. He played lead guitar with The Black Crowes on their Layin’ Down With #13 World Tour, recorded and toured with Trigger Hippy - his supergroup with Joan Osborne - and in the last four years performed over 300 shows of his own, all while continuing to record and release his solo work. Greene is a frequent member of Phil Lesh & Friends, and sits in with countless other artists including Tedeschi Trucks Band, Govt Mule, Mississippi All-Stars, Amy Helm, Steve Earle, and Bob Weir. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Americana and roots singer-songwriter Jackie Greene is a jack-of-all-trades, and an artist who can croon over soulful piano ballads as much as he can shred a bluesy guitar solo (like he did as the lead guitarist for The Black Crowes in 2013). A road warrior and musician's musician, Greene's new EP 'The Modern Lives - Vol 2' (out October 2018 on Blue Rose Music) finds him at a new chapter in his life: his first months of fatherhood, time off his relentless touring circuit, and a cross-country move from Brooklyn to his birthplace of Northern California. This new collection of six original songs is a thematic extension of 'The Modern Lives - Vol 1' EP (released in 2017 on Blue Rose Music), imbued with a Brooklyn basement DIY feel and ethos. He is a student of American music, transfixed upon its progression through time, as well as how regional sounds fit in a contemporary context. Whereas 'Vol 1' saw Greene experiment with the Delta blues as a canvas for his examinations of modern society, 'Vol 2' sees Greene embrace the sounds of the bluegrass and folk tapes of his youth.
Lead single "Crazy Comes Easy" showcases Greene's dynamic, multi-instrumental range as he plays slide guitar, organ, bass, and percussion, the guitar licks an appreciative nod to his time in The Black Crowes. Meanwhile, "Good Old Bad Times" highlights Greene as the songwriter as he rattles off lines like "How can somebody find a future? / If they ain't got a foothold in the past?" while taking a critical eye to the idea of nostalgia. Piano ballad "Victim Of The Crime" was one of Jackie's oldest demos up until the feel of these sessions gave him the tools to finish a song that, in his words, was written for his wife before she was his wife. While the title possesses a kind of melodrama, the song itself is tender and heartfelt as he details love's trials and tribulations. Greene partnered with Academy Award-nominated "king of indie animation" Bill Plympton for a series of music videos for 'The Modern Lives - Vol 1' that would eventually become an animated short film titled 'The Modern Lives'. The film is currently making the rounds at film festivals where it has already won the Jury Award at the USA Film Festival in Dallas, TX, and the Grand Remi Award / Best in Show at WorldFest in Houstin, TX. The short is also being exhibited at the 71st Festival de Cannes/Court Metrage, Melbourne International Animation Festival, and ASIFA- East Festival, amongst others.
Since the release of his critically-acclaimed debut album 'Gone Wanderin’', Greene has built an enduring audience through a relentless touring schedule with the likes of BB King, Mark Knopfler, Susan Tedeschi, and Taj Mahal. He played lead guitar with The Black Crowes on their Layin’ Down With #13 World Tour, recorded and toured with Trigger Hippy - his supergroup with Joan Osborne - and in the last four years performed over 300 shows of his own, all while continuing to record and release his solo work. Greene is a frequent member of Phil Lesh & Friends, and sits in with countless other artists including Tedeschi Trucks Band, Govt Mule, Mississippi All-Stars, Amy Helm, Steve Earle, and Bob Weir.
LAST-MODIFIED:20251121T182031Z SEQUENCE:6401078 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2923 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-09-09 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251205T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251205T233000 UID:BAF309F7-8F5D-4ECB-B0CC-054A6AA89417 SUMMARY:Theoretical Blonde CREATED:20251021T210215Z DTSTAMP:20251021T210215Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/theoretical-blonde-2 DESCRIPTION:Formed in 2023, Theoretical Blonde is a 5-piece bluegrass-adjacent band from Salt Lake City with a sound that feels both familiar and refreshingly unexpected. Its members include Peter Cain (mandolin, vocals), Ford Huntington (Guitar, vocals), Grayson Wickel (Fiddle, Banjo, vocals), Patrick McNally (Bass, vocals), and Daniel McNally (Keys). Despite the name, none of the band members are actually blonde, which seems to be a fun little misdirect. What is true is that their music takes cues from bluegrass, jazz, americana, country, jam band, and singer-songwriter traditions, blending these styles into a dynamic and energetic mix. With the addition of keys and electric bass, they expand the traditional bluegrass palette, creating a fuller sound that’s as comfortable with intricate picking as it is with laid-back, groove-driven jams. The group doesn’t try to be tied to one sound or genre; instead, they focus on making music that’s genuine, without worrying about where it fits in the larger landscape. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Formed in 2023, Theoretical Blonde is a 5-piece bluegrass-adjacent band from Salt Lake City with a sound that feels both familiar and refreshingly unexpected. Its members include Peter Cain (mandolin, vocals), Ford Huntington (Guitar, vocals), Grayson Wickel (Fiddle, Banjo, vocals), Patrick McNally (Bass, vocals), and Daniel McNally (Keys). Despite the name, none of the band members are actually blonde, which seems to be a fun little misdirect. What is true is that their music takes cues from bluegrass, jazz, americana, country, jam band, and singer-songwriter traditions, blending these styles into a dynamic and energetic mix. With the addition of keys and electric bass, they expand the traditional bluegrass palette, creating a fuller sound that’s as comfortable with intricate picking as it is with laid-back, groove-driven jams. The group doesn’t try to be tied to one sound or genre; instead, they focus on making music that’s genuine, without worrying about where it fits in the larger landscape.
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T233402Z SEQUENCE:3897107 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2533 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-10-22 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251206T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251206T233000 UID:184DDD84-9171-4CD0-9DAC-61AAA6F1A85B SUMMARY:Jim Bone & The Dig x Fat Paw CREATED:20251006T172451Z DTSTAMP:20251006T172451Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jim-bone-the-dig-x-fat-paw DESCRIPTION:Jim Bone, born in Little Rock, Arkansas, spent four years in Germany due to his father's role as an Army doctor. He is an eclectic and genre-bending musician who has explored various styles including Rock, Bluegrass, Country, Jazz Punk, Funkadelic, Gospel, and all forms of Americana. After relocating to Salt Lake City for Winter Olympics ski training, Jim moved to the Sierras of Northern California, where he immersed himself in the vibrant West Coast psychedelic and punk rock scene. Upon returning to Salt Lake City, his musical career flourished as he co-founded bands like Burial Benefits and Skin N' Bones before joining Little Women as a drummer. Jim later formed the Jackmormons with fellow songwriter Jerry Joseph, contributing to their legacy of captivating performances and diverse musical influences. Jerry Joseph once remarked, "Jim Bone is one of the most bad ass humans I've known, and I have known a few." While maintaining a thriving social work practice, Jim's passion for music never waned. He formed Purdymouth and produced three records with friends such as Derrek Wright. Currently, with his band, the Dig, Jim Bone continues to captivate audiences nationwide with their multi-generational Americana-rooted sound. In addition to his performances, Jim is currently producing and composing on five albums that include collaborations with Mel Soul and other local Salt Lake City musicians. He is also in the process of creating a new band, further expanding his musical repertoire as well as producing 5 albums and sustaining his commitment to innovative artistry within the Salt Lake City music scene. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Jim Bone, born in Little Rock, Arkansas, spent four years in Germany due to his father's role as an Army doctor. He is an eclectic and genre-bending musician who has explored various styles including Rock, Bluegrass, Country, Jazz Punk, Funkadelic, Gospel, and all forms of Americana. After relocating to Salt Lake City for Winter Olympics ski training, Jim moved to the Sierras of Northern California, where he immersed himself in the vibrant West Coast psychedelic and punk rock scene. Upon returning to Salt Lake City, his musical career flourished as he co-founded bands like Burial Benefits and Skin N' Bones before joining Little Women as a drummer. Jim later formed the Jackmormons with fellow songwriter Jerry Joseph, contributing to their legacy of captivating performances and diverse musical influences. Jerry Joseph once remarked, "Jim Bone is one of the most bad ass humans I've known, and I have known a few." While maintaining a thriving social work practice, Jim's passion for music never waned. He formed Purdymouth and produced three records with friends such as Derrek Wright. Currently, with his band, the Dig, Jim Bone continues to captivate audiences nationwide with their multi-generational Americana-rooted sound. In addition to his performances, Jim is currently producing and composing on five albums that include collaborations with Mel Soul and other local Salt Lake City musicians. He is also in the process of creating a new band, further expanding his musical repertoire as well as producing 5 albums and sustaining his commitment to innovative artistry within the Salt Lake City music scene.
LAST-MODIFIED:20251121T182046Z SEQUENCE:3977755 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2109 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-10-07 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251210T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251210T233000 UID:A46B8929-CF09-471B-BC2A-ACD1A4009A95 SUMMARY:CINEMA CLUB: High Fidelity / A Mighty Wind CREATED:20251125T142929Z DTSTAMP:20251125T142929Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/cinema-club-high-fidelity-a-mighty-wind DESCRIPTION:Who says December has to be all jingles and holly?\NFor three nights in December, skip the holiday chaos and dive into iconic comedies—from musical mockumentaries to 90s & 2000s favorites. See your favorite local music venue in a whole new way!\NOur astroturfed dance floor is back—BYO picnics encouraged, blankets/chairs optional, and yes, endless popcorn (after your first bucket). Make the cold, dark evenings worth it. Admission is free with a Utah Food Bank donation. Double features, double the laughs… holiday stress sold separately.\NTSRP CINEMA CLUB PRESENTS: High Fidelity\NRob Gordon (John Cusack) is the owner of a failing record store in Chicago, where he sells music the old-fashioned way -- on vinyl. Although they have an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music and are consumed by the music scene, it's of no help to Rob, whose needle skips the love groove when his long-time girlfriend, Laura (Iben Hjejle), walks out on him. As he examines his failed attempts at romance and happiness, the process finds him being dragged, kicking and screaming, into adulthood.\N21+ only X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Who says December has to be all jingles and holly?
For three nights in December, skip the holiday chaos and dive into iconic comedies—from musical mockumentaries to 90s & 2000s favorites. See your favorite local music venue in a whole new way!
Our astroturfed dance floor is back—BYO picnics encouraged, blankets/chairs optional, and yes, endless popcorn (after your first bucket). Make the cold, dark evenings worth it. Admission is free with a Utah Food Bank donation. Double features, double the laughs… holiday stress sold separately.
TSRP CINEMA CLUB PRESENTS: High Fidelity
Rob Gordon (John Cusack) is the owner of a failing record store in Chicago, where he sells music the old-fashioned way -- on vinyl. Although they have an encyclopedic knowledge of pop music and are consumed by the music scene, it's of no help to Rob, whose needle skips the love groove when his long-time girlfriend, Laura (Iben Hjejle), walks out on him. As he examines his failed attempts at romance and happiness, the process finds him being dragged, kicking and screaming, into adulthood.
21+ only
LAST-MODIFIED:20251125T144005Z SEQUENCE:636 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:468 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-11-25 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251212T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251212T233000 UID:22AF3761-B9EF-49DA-A101-C359B212BCE3 SUMMARY:Honky Tonkin' Holidays CREATED:20251103T204521Z DTSTAMP:20251103T204521Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/honky-tonkin-holidays DESCRIPTION:Salt Lake City’s Honky Tonk Heroes return to The State Room on December 12 to bring you a special Honky Tonk Holidays joined by Kate LeDeuce and Highball Train. Dress in your favorite cowboy hats, pearl snaps, and two-steppin’ boots for a night of some of the best locally grown country music Utah has to offer. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Salt Lake City’s Honky Tonk Heroes return to The State Room on December 12 to bring you a special Honky Tonk Holidays joined by Kate LeDeuce and Highball Train. Dress in your favorite cowboy hats, pearl snaps, and two-steppin’ boots for a night of some of the best locally grown country music Utah has to offer.
LAST-MODIFIED:20251205T224919Z SEQUENCE:2772238 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2142 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-11-04 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20251217T180000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20251217T233000 UID:05E69F1E-624A-4F9F-8571-F87F71AD2842 SUMMARY:CINEMA CLUB: BILL & TEDS EXCELLENT ADVENTURE / SCHOOL OF ROCK CREATED:20251125T143941Z DTSTAMP:20251125T143941Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/cinema-club-bill-teds-excellent-adventure-school-of-rock DESCRIPTION:Who says December has to be all jingles and holly?\NFor three nights in December, skip the holiday chaos and dive into iconic comedies—from musical mockumentaries to 90s & 2000s favorites. See your favorite local music venue in a whole new way!\NOur astroturfed dance floor is back—BYO picnics encouraged, blankets/chairs optional, and yes, endless popcorn (after your first bucket). Make the cold, dark evenings worth it. Admission is free with a Utah Food Bank donation. Double features, double the laughs… holiday stress sold separately.\NTSRP CINEMA CLUB PRESENTS: Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure\NBill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are high school buddies starting a band. However, they are about to fail their history class, which means Ted would be sent to military school. They receive help from Rufus (George Carlin), a traveler from a future where their band is the foundation for a perfect society. With the use of Rufus' time machine, Bill and Ted travel to various points in history, returning with important figures to help them complete their final history presentation.\N21+ only X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Who says December has to be all jingles and holly?
For three nights in December, skip the holiday chaos and dive into iconic comedies—from musical mockumentaries to 90s & 2000s favorites. See your favorite local music venue in a whole new way!
Our astroturfed dance floor is back—BYO picnics encouraged, blankets/chairs optional, and yes, endless popcorn (after your first bucket). Make the cold, dark evenings worth it. Admission is free with a Utah Food Bank donation. Double features, double the laughs… holiday stress sold separately.
TSRP CINEMA CLUB PRESENTS: Bill & Teds Excellent Adventure
Bill (Alex Winter) and Ted (Keanu Reeves) are high school buddies starting a band. However, they are about to fail their history class, which means Ted would be sent to military school. They receive help from Rufus (George Carlin), a traveler from a future where their band is the foundation for a perfect society. With the use of Rufus' time machine, Bill and Ted travel to various points in history, returning with important figures to help them complete their final history presentation.
21+ only
X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:406 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-11-25 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260110T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260110T233000 UID:178234AC-55D8-49C7-BED2-2462EE601798 SUMMARY:David Bowie: Ten Years w/ The Discographers CREATED:20251113T164759Z DTSTAMP:20251113T164759Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/david-bowie-ten-years-w-the-discographers DESCRIPTION:Believe it or not, it's been ten years since David Bowie passed away. In his honor, the Discographers present their latest multimedia concert experience - a career retrospective featuring songs from his breakthrough to the final album, all played live in sync with video of the man himself through the years. If you're a Bowie fan, you'll know every song and their backstories, and this show may just leave you in tears. If you're only casually aware of his music and have seen the Discographers' prior shows tributing Pink Floyd, The Breakfast Club, and all things Halloween, you know you're in for an audiovisual treat from a killer band. So come one, come all, and LET'S DANCE.\NAlso featuring an appearance by local Bowie tribute icon Major Tom. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Believe it or not, it's been ten years since David Bowie passed away. In his honor, the Discographers present their latest multimedia concert experience - a career retrospective featuring songs from his breakthrough to the final album, all played live in sync with video of the man himself through the years. If you're a Bowie fan, you'll know every song and their backstories, and this show may just leave you in tears. If you're only casually aware of his music and have seen the Discographers' prior shows tributing Pink Floyd, The Breakfast Club, and all things Halloween, you know you're in for an audiovisual treat from a killer band. So come one, come all, and LET'S DANCE.
Also featuring an appearance by local Bowie tribute icon Major Tom.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260106T231311Z SEQUENCE:4688712 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2895 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260114T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260114T203000 UID:7E9F2251-D976-4232-ADBA-5807F1C8A3E8 SUMMARY:Madison Cunningham CREATED:20250909T205711Z DTSTAMP:20250909T205711Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/madison-cunningham DESCRIPTION:Depending on the game, an Ace can be the highest or lowest card, zero or infinity. A breakup feels similar—one path crumbles, while all others remain infinitely possible. How do you write about heartbreak when you’re going through it? Ace, Grammy award-winner Madison Cunningham’s third record for Verve Forecast, tracks every part of it: falling out of love, having your heart broken, and then falling in love again. It’s about betrayal and betraying yourself. It is a stunning record and some of Cunningham’s best songwriting to date. It showcases her at the height of her powers.\NAce had to simmer. It follows Revealer, a darkly funny portrait of an artist that won Cunningham her Grammy. Cunningham has long been an artist’s artist, having been working as a songwriter for over a decade. “Early on, I was advised against going to college and going straight to where the music was happening,” says Cunningham, “Instead, I learned by listening and observing some of my favorite artists at work.” On Revealer, she cemented herself as not only a favorite musician of collaborators like John Mayer and Robin Pecknold, but also as a critically lauded artist with a deep fan base.\NAce builds off of the success of Revealer, but itis a different record. A slow burn until it wasn’t. It follows a period of writer’s block. Of not knowing how to quite put feelings into words. And the way to put feelings into words was to wait. On Revealer and her debut album Who Are You Now, Cunningham says that she was writing songs about heartbreak, but they weren’t about her heartbreak. They were sketches, observations. Cunningham wanted Ace to be emotions first. Heartbreaking and lush and bold. She wanted it to be candid but to also maintain autonomy over her story, for it to always feel like it belonged to her and no one else. It felt scary to write music like that, almost impossible. And it took months for it to click. But then it did. “I shattered and became a new shape,” she says. She moved apartments. The summer was ending. She sat down and writing suddenly felt easy again. She wrote almost every song on Ace in the month of August, 2024.\NEach song on Ace is a direct address. It is non linear, but it does have a clear beginning and end, as breakups do. “You think you’re on the verge of true healing but something scares you,” she says, “And you have to start all over.” So the songs are love letters and goodbyes. They ask questions that are impossible to answer. “How do I forgive myself, liberate myself, love myself?” Cunningham shares. It is fitting that one of those songs is called “My Full Name.” It is one of the first songs she wrote for the record, initially written for someone Cunningham was falling in love with. But then it morphed. It became its own little world. “I love it when you say my full name,” sings Cunningham in the song’s opening moments. Then the lyrics grow more impressionistic. Water leaks are compared to the city Berlin. Images of wildflowers and a plane crash. The composition is sparse: it’s Cunningham and her piano. Woodwinds and soft brushes of percussion.\NCunningham rose to fame as a songwriter and a guitarist. She’s collaborated as a guitarist and as a vocalist with countless artists: Lucy Dacus, Remi Wolf, Mumford & Sons, and Andrew Bird, among others. Her guitar is perhaps what she is best known for. On Ace, which Cunningham serves as co-producer,she wanted to ever so slightly move away from that notion. Sonically, the piano is in the foreground. And Cunningham’s piano playing here is beautiful. Look no further than opener “Shatter Into Form,” and how it unspools so gently into “Shore.” The piano here is soft and searching. It feels like swimming in the sea in August. Like looking out the window of a train in June. “Nervous girl / In the third person / How words escape her,” sings Cunningham. It’s a line that is as playful as it is reflective. All of it swirls together, creating a stunningly intimate portrait of a woman growing and rebuilding.\NThe record also features a collaboration from Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, who lends his vocals to “Wake.” Pecknold sings alongside Cunningham, as she plays intricate finger picked guitar. Her bandmates are musicians she has worked with for years, and they help sharpen her vision. They follow her lead with upright bass and stomps. It is wooly and warm. “Wake,” like the rest of Ace, is anensemble effort, produced alongside Robbie Lackritz (Feist, Rilo Kiley, Bahamas, Peach Pit). “She’s a force of nature,” says Lackritz of their collaboration, “An unreal musical talent. When we worked, we would work all day. We would start a song and finish it that evening. We fueled off of each other’s energy. It felt like a snowball of energy and creativity.”\N“I wanted it to feel like a mountain peak,” says Cunningham, “I wanted Ace to feel like a mountain we built together.” “Best of Us,” Ace’s final track, might be the summit. It is some of Cunningham’s most exciting writing, her most poetic wordplay. “The kingdom has fallen,” she sings, “two bedroom apartment / holding up the broken arm.” Ace is a record that feels alive and lush in all the ways Cunningham hoped for when she started writing. It is a record of mastery and honesty. Cunningham loves every single song on it. You can tell. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Depending on the game, an Ace can be the highest or lowest card, zero or infinity. A breakup feels similar—one path crumbles, while all others remain infinitely possible. How do you write about heartbreak when you’re going through it? Ace, Grammy award-winner Madison Cunningham’s third record for Verve Forecast, tracks every part of it: falling out of love, having your heart broken, and then falling in love again. It’s about betrayal and betraying yourself. It is a stunning record and some of Cunningham’s best songwriting to date. It showcases her at the height of her powers.
Ace had to simmer. It follows Revealer, a darkly funny portrait of an artist that won Cunningham her Grammy. Cunningham has long been an artist’s artist, having been working as a songwriter for over a decade. “Early on, I was advised against going to college and going straight to where the music was happening,” says Cunningham, “Instead, I learned by listening and observing some of my favorite artists at work.” On Revealer, she cemented herself as not only a favorite musician of collaborators like John Mayer and Robin Pecknold, but also as a critically lauded artist with a deep fan base.
Ace builds off of the success of Revealer, but itis a different record. A slow burn until it wasn’t. It follows a period of writer’s block. Of not knowing how to quite put feelings into words. And the way to put feelings into words was to wait. On Revealer and her debut album Who Are You Now, Cunningham says that she was writing songs about heartbreak, but they weren’t about her heartbreak. They were sketches, observations. Cunningham wanted Ace to be emotions first. Heartbreaking and lush and bold. She wanted it to be candid but to also maintain autonomy over her story, for it to always feel like it belonged to her and no one else. It felt scary to write music like that, almost impossible. And it took months for it to click. But then it did. “I shattered and became a new shape,” she says. She moved apartments. The summer was ending. She sat down and writing suddenly felt easy again. She wrote almost every song on Ace in the month of August, 2024.
Each song on Ace is a direct address. It is non linear, but it does have a clear beginning and end, as breakups do. “You think you’re on the verge of true healing but something scares you,” she says, “And you have to start all over.” So the songs are love letters and goodbyes. They ask questions that are impossible to answer. “How do I forgive myself, liberate myself, love myself?” Cunningham shares. It is fitting that one of those songs is called “My Full Name.” It is one of the first songs she wrote for the record, initially written for someone Cunningham was falling in love with. But then it morphed. It became its own little world. “I love it when you say my full name,” sings Cunningham in the song’s opening moments. Then the lyrics grow more impressionistic. Water leaks are compared to the city Berlin. Images of wildflowers and a plane crash. The composition is sparse: it’s Cunningham and her piano. Woodwinds and soft brushes of percussion.
Cunningham rose to fame as a songwriter and a guitarist. She’s collaborated as a guitarist and as a vocalist with countless artists: Lucy Dacus, Remi Wolf, Mumford & Sons, and Andrew Bird, among others. Her guitar is perhaps what she is best known for. On Ace, which Cunningham serves as co-producer,she wanted to ever so slightly move away from that notion. Sonically, the piano is in the foreground. And Cunningham’s piano playing here is beautiful. Look no further than opener “Shatter Into Form,” and how it unspools so gently into “Shore.” The piano here is soft and searching. It feels like swimming in the sea in August. Like looking out the window of a train in June. “Nervous girl / In the third person / How words escape her,” sings Cunningham. It’s a line that is as playful as it is reflective. All of it swirls together, creating a stunningly intimate portrait of a woman growing and rebuilding.
The record also features a collaboration from Robin Pecknold of Fleet Foxes, who lends his vocals to “Wake.” Pecknold sings alongside Cunningham, as she plays intricate finger picked guitar. Her bandmates are musicians she has worked with for years, and they help sharpen her vision. They follow her lead with upright bass and stomps. It is wooly and warm. “Wake,” like the rest of Ace, is anensemble effort, produced alongside Robbie Lackritz (Feist, Rilo Kiley, Bahamas, Peach Pit). “She’s a force of nature,” says Lackritz of their collaboration, “An unreal musical talent. When we worked, we would work all day. We would start a song and finish it that evening. We fueled off of each other’s energy. It felt like a snowball of energy and creativity.”
“I wanted it to feel like a mountain peak,” says Cunningham, “I wanted Ace to feel like a mountain we built together.” “Best of Us,” Ace’s final track, might be the summit. It is some of Cunningham’s most exciting writing, her most poetic wordplay. “The kingdom has fallen,” she sings, “two bedroom apartment / holding up the broken arm.” Ace is a record that feels alive and lush in all the ways Cunningham hoped for when she started writing. It is a record of mastery and honesty. Cunningham loves every single song on it. You can tell.
LAST-MODIFIED:20251229T200325Z SEQUENCE:9587174 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3285 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-09-12 14:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260115T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260115T233000 UID:DC934D51-0505-477F-A01B-9044BF20B7C1 SUMMARY:Ana Popovic CREATED:20251013T223801Z DTSTAMP:20251013T223801Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/ana-popovic DESCRIPTION:“In the 25 years since the release of her debut record, Hometown, tail-gunning blues virtuoso Ana Popovic has proved herself a force of nature with a vintage Strat in hand.” – Guitar World\N“Ana Popovic Melds Rock, Blues, and Jazz for Fiery Power” – No Depression\N“A badass with a silver Strat, she performs the heck out of this song [“Worked Up”], owning it with swagger and grace. … “Worked Up” captures her love of funky grooves plus the edginess of rocking guitar power. – Rock & Blues Muse\NLos Angeles-based and critically acclaimed guitarist and singer Ana Popovic is set to release her highly anticipated album Dance To The Rhythm (Electric Heel Records) on September 26, 2025. Produced by Popovic and Buthel, the album showcases a groundbreaking fusion of groove, blues, funk, and soul.\NBuilding on the success of her previous work, Dance To The Rhythm pushes boundaries, seamlessly blending infectious dance grooves (“Dance To The Rhythm” / “Sho Nuff”) with raw blues guitar and powerful lyrics. From the soulful "Soul’ution" to the funky "Hottest Ticket In Town" and the bluesy “Dwell On The Feeling”, "California Chase," the album weaves a rich tapestry of musical styles, reflecting Popovic's masterful versatility. The track “Sisters and Brothers” channels a Steely Dan-like arrangement, while “Hurt So Good” brings a contemporary mainstream flair. The ultimate jam comes in the form of a clever reimagining of Paul Simon’s "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover."\N Ana says: “One of my biggest strengths on stage is my ability to make people dance. Music should take you to a place where you can let go, feel the groove, and move. You want music to grab you, to have a pocket that you can’t resist. —everything else revolves around it. Blues guitar has never really been part of dance music before, and in that way, it’s revolutionary. Guitar plays a central role in these tracks, breaking down the boundaries created by time, culture, and musical traditions. With this album, I’m pushing those boundaries.” For Ana, blues guitar is the foundation of everything in her music. Yet, she masterfully blends genres, effortlessly shifting from blues to dance, jam band, funk, pop, and even gospel—it's all part of her evolving sound.\NA true pioneer, Ana combines her blues guitar roots with bold experimentation, redefining the intersection of blues and dance music. Her live performances, whether with her six-piece or eleven-piece funk band FUNTASTAFUNK, are electrifying, blending fierce guitar work with irresistible rhythms that compel audiences to move.\NA multi-award-winning artist, Popovic has earned recognition from major outlets and industry figures, including Bruce Springsteen, who called her "one helluva guitar player." She’s been nominated for seven Blues Music Awards, and her latest album POWER hit #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart. Ana has shared stages with legends such as B.B. King, Joe Bonamassa, Warren Haynes, Robert Plant, and Gary Clark Jr., and is an endorsee of Fender, D'Angelico, Jim Dunlop, and DR Strings.\NPopovic's commitment to her craft and fearless boundary-pushing ensures she remains one of the most dynamic forces in contemporary blues and beyo X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“In the 25 years since the release of her debut record, Hometown, tail-gunning blues virtuoso Ana Popovic has proved herself a force of nature with a vintage Strat in hand.” – Guitar World
“Ana Popovic Melds Rock, Blues, and Jazz for Fiery Power” – No Depression
“A badass with a silver Strat, she performs the heck out of this song [“Worked Up”], owning it with swagger and grace. … “Worked Up” captures her love of funky grooves plus the edginess of rocking guitar power. – Rock & Blues Muse
Los Angeles-based and critically acclaimed guitarist and singer Ana Popovic is set to release her highly anticipated album Dance To The Rhythm (Electric Heel Records) on September 26, 2025. Produced by Popovic and Buthel, the album showcases a groundbreaking fusion of groove, blues, funk, and soul.
Building on the success of her previous work, Dance To The Rhythm pushes boundaries, seamlessly blending infectious dance grooves (“Dance To The Rhythm” / “Sho Nuff”) with raw blues guitar and powerful lyrics. From the soulful "Soul’ution" to the funky "Hottest Ticket In Town" and the bluesy “Dwell On The Feeling”, "California Chase," the album weaves a rich tapestry of musical styles, reflecting Popovic's masterful versatility. The track “Sisters and Brothers” channels a Steely Dan-like arrangement, while “Hurt So Good” brings a contemporary mainstream flair. The ultimate jam comes in the form of a clever reimagining of Paul Simon’s "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover."
Ana says: “One of my biggest strengths on stage is my ability to make people dance. Music should take you to a place where you can let go, feel the groove, and move. You want music to grab you, to have a pocket that you can’t resist. —everything else revolves around it. Blues guitar has never really been part of dance music before, and in that way, it’s revolutionary. Guitar plays a central role in these tracks, breaking down the boundaries created by time, culture, and musical traditions. With this album, I’m pushing those boundaries.” For Ana, blues guitar is the foundation of everything in her music. Yet, she masterfully blends genres, effortlessly shifting from blues to dance, jam band, funk, pop, and even gospel—it's all part of her evolving sound.
A true pioneer, Ana combines her blues guitar roots with bold experimentation, redefining the intersection of blues and dance music. Her live performances, whether with her six-piece or eleven-piece funk band FUNTASTAFUNK, are electrifying, blending fierce guitar work with irresistible rhythms that compel audiences to move.
A multi-award-winning artist, Popovic has earned recognition from major outlets and industry figures, including Bruce Springsteen, who called her "one helluva guitar player." She’s been nominated for seven Blues Music Awards, and her latest album POWER hit #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart. Ana has shared stages with legends such as B.B. King, Joe Bonamassa, Warren Haynes, Robert Plant, and Gary Clark Jr., and is an endorsee of Fender, D'Angelico, Jim Dunlop, and DR Strings.
Popovic's commitment to her craft and fearless boundary-pushing ensures she remains one of the most dynamic forces in contemporary blues and beyo
LAST-MODIFIED:20260109T184124Z SEQUENCE:7589003 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2488 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-10-14 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260116T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260116T233000 UID:A6D67F06-0EE8-4367-9D8C-0B5D2F873832 SUMMARY:Steely Dead (Night 1) CREATED:20251117T195200Z DTSTAMP:20251117T195200Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/steely-dead-night-4 DESCRIPTION:Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Denver, Colorado, Steely Dead is a national touring band that has satisfied the curiosity of music lovers with their unique blend of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan. Comprised of four exceptionally talented musicians – Dave Abear on guitar, Matt Abear on bass, Chris Sheldon on drums, and Dylan Teifer on keys – Steely Dead has gained a dedicated following with their electrifying performances and soulful interpretations of classic tunes.\NSteely Dead’s repertoire is a carefully crafted fusion of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan songs, between the arrangement and precision studio recordings of rock legends Steely Dan, cross-pollinated with the Grateful Dead’s free-flowing, melodic improvisation and masterful song segues. Steely Dead merges these major concepts together infusing the influence into each band, all the while creating an original jam element with the song segues. Steely Dead’s performances are a musical journey that takes audiences on a nostalgic trip through the golden era of rock and roll.\NAs a national touring band, Steely Dead has built a loyal fan base that eagerly anticipates their shows and follows them from city to city. Their performances are not just concerts, but communal gatherings where fans come together to celebrate the music they love, dance, and create lasting memories.\NSteely Dead’s performances are a testament to the power of live music, bringing people together and creating an unforgettable experience that resonates long after the last note fades.Steely Dead is not just a band; it’s a musical experience that captures the hearts and souls of music lovers everywhere X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Denver, Colorado, Steely Dead is a national touring band that has satisfied the curiosity of music lovers with their unique blend of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan. Comprised of four exceptionally talented musicians – Dave Abear on guitar, Matt Abear on bass, Chris Sheldon on drums, and Dylan Teifer on keys – Steely Dead has gained a dedicated following with their electrifying performances and soulful interpretations of classic tunes.
Steely Dead’s repertoire is a carefully crafted fusion of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan songs, between the arrangement and precision studio recordings of rock legends Steely Dan, cross-pollinated with the Grateful Dead’s free-flowing, melodic improvisation and masterful song segues. Steely Dead merges these major concepts together infusing the influence into each band, all the while creating an original jam element with the song segues. Steely Dead’s performances are a musical journey that takes audiences on a nostalgic trip through the golden era of rock and roll.
As a national touring band, Steely Dead has built a loyal fan base that eagerly anticipates their shows and follows them from city to city. Their performances are not just concerts, but communal gatherings where fans come together to celebrate the music they love, dance, and create lasting memories.
Steely Dead’s performances are a testament to the power of live music, bringing people together and creating an unforgettable experience that resonates long after the last note fades.Steely Dead is not just a band; it’s a musical experience that captures the hearts and souls of music lovers everywhere
LAST-MODIFIED:20260116T193451Z SEQUENCE:5182971 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2399 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-11-18 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260117T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260117T233000 UID:F9124496-F877-4F02-8731-DDCC5025CFC7 SUMMARY:Steely Dead (Night 2) CREATED:20251117T195200Z DTSTAMP:20251117T195200Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/steely-dead-night-5 DESCRIPTION:Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Denver, Colorado, Steely Dead is a national touring band that has satisfied the curiosity of music lovers with their unique blend of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan. Comprised of four exceptionally talented musicians – Dave Abear on guitar, Matt Abear on bass, Chris Sheldon on drums, and Dylan Teifer on keys – Steely Dead has gained a dedicated following with their electrifying performances and soulful interpretations of classic tunes.\NSteely Dead’s repertoire is a carefully crafted fusion of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan songs, between the arrangement and precision studio recordings of rock legends Steely Dan, cross-pollinated with the Grateful Dead’s free-flowing, melodic improvisation and masterful song segues. Steely Dead merges these major concepts together infusing the influence into each band, all the while creating an original jam element with the song segues. Steely Dead’s performances are a musical journey that takes audiences on a nostalgic trip through the golden era of rock and roll.\NAs a national touring band, Steely Dead has built a loyal fan base that eagerly anticipates their shows and follows them from city to city. Their performances are not just concerts, but communal gatherings where fans come together to celebrate the music they love, dance, and create lasting memories.\NSteely Dead’s performances are a testament to the power of live music, bringing people together and creating an unforgettable experience that resonates long after the last note fades.Steely Dead is not just a band; it’s a musical experience that captures the hearts and souls of music lovers everywhere X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Hailing from the vibrant music scene of Denver, Colorado, Steely Dead is a national touring band that has satisfied the curiosity of music lovers with their unique blend of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan. Comprised of four exceptionally talented musicians – Dave Abear on guitar, Matt Abear on bass, Chris Sheldon on drums, and Dylan Teifer on keys – Steely Dead has gained a dedicated following with their electrifying performances and soulful interpretations of classic tunes.
Steely Dead’s repertoire is a carefully crafted fusion of Grateful Dead and Steely Dan songs, between the arrangement and precision studio recordings of rock legends Steely Dan, cross-pollinated with the Grateful Dead’s free-flowing, melodic improvisation and masterful song segues. Steely Dead merges these major concepts together infusing the influence into each band, all the while creating an original jam element with the song segues. Steely Dead’s performances are a musical journey that takes audiences on a nostalgic trip through the golden era of rock and roll.
As a national touring band, Steely Dead has built a loyal fan base that eagerly anticipates their shows and follows them from city to city. Their performances are not just concerts, but communal gatherings where fans come together to celebrate the music they love, dance, and create lasting memories.
Steely Dead’s performances are a testament to the power of live music, bringing people together and creating an unforgettable experience that resonates long after the last note fades.Steely Dead is not just a band; it’s a musical experience that captures the hearts and souls of music lovers everywhere
LAST-MODIFIED:20260116T193501Z SEQUENCE:5182981 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1261 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-11-18 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260122T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260122T233000 UID:EF416561-DAC6-4489-B8A6-727EE6F55E47 SUMMARY:This Is Spinal Tap CREATED:20251218T225203Z DTSTAMP:20251218T225203Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/this-is-spinal-tap DESCRIPTION:FREE EVENT - KRCL Accepting Donations\NTurn it up to 11 to remember Rob Reiner. KRCL and The State Room join forces for a Free Screening of the mockumentary that rocks harder than all music films in the entire world. \NThis is Spinal Tap is Rob Riner’s directorial debut. It features Riner as filmmaker Martin "Marty" Di Bergi as he films a documentary about English rock band Spina Tap's 1982 United States concert tour to promote their new album, Smell the Glove. The band comprises childhood friends David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) on vocals and guitar along with bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer). X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:FREE EVENT - KRCL Accepting Donations
Turn it up to 11 to remember Rob Reiner. KRCL and The State Room join forces for a Free Screening of the mockumentary that rocks harder than all music films in the entire world.
This is Spinal Tap is Rob Riner’s directorial debut. It features Riner as filmmaker Martin "Marty" Di Bergi as he films a documentary about English rock band Spina Tap's 1982 United States concert tour to promote their new album, Smell the Glove. The band comprises childhood friends David St. Hubbins (Michael McKean) and Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) on vocals and guitar along with bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer).
LAST-MODIFIED:20260105T163658Z SEQUENCE:1532695 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1215 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-19 17:00:12 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260123T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260123T233000 UID:F497478A-8817-470B-8844-1CC7F6870B24 SUMMARY:Local Music Food Drive! CREATED:20251209T212741Z DTSTAMP:20251209T212741Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/musor DESCRIPTION:Salt Lake City based psychedelic band, ‘MUSOR’, with its four members representing Peru, Guatemala and the US have been performing together for 10 years, adventuring to the US in search of that perfect rock and roll tone. In addition to this safari, Javier Catalan (bass) and Pearl (keys/synth) stand ready to play an unearthly experience of dynamic musical psychedelia and story in their native tongue, Castellano.\NMusor has been playing many local shows, trying to expand their tune and tones, with two Studio EPs and a single they had managed to be invited to events such as Kilby Block Party 2023, Psych Lake City 2021, 2023, 2024, DIY Fest 2022, 2023, Revival Fest 2023, 2024 and many more. Opening shows for bands like Hoover iii, Spoonbenders, The Thing, El Shirota (Mex), Ulrika Spacek (UK), Acid Mother Temple (Japan), Orua (Brazil), Combo Chimbita among many more. It makes us one of the most active bands in Salt Lake City, appearing in articles in local magazines such as Slug Magazine - "Localized 2022" and Cityweekly Music Picks. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Salt Lake City based psychedelic band, ‘MUSOR’, with its four members representing Peru, Guatemala and the US have been performing together for 10 years, adventuring to the US in search of that perfect rock and roll tone. In addition to this safari, Javier Catalan (bass) and Pearl (keys/synth) stand ready to play an unearthly experience of dynamic musical psychedelia and story in their native tongue, Castellano.
Musor has been playing many local shows, trying to expand their tune and tones, with two Studio EPs and a single they had managed to be invited to events such as Kilby Block Party 2023, Psych Lake City 2021, 2023, 2024, DIY Fest 2022, 2023, Revival Fest 2023, 2024 and many more. Opening shows for bands like Hoover iii, Spoonbenders, The Thing, El Shirota (Mex), Ulrika Spacek (UK), Acid Mother Temple (Japan), Orua (Brazil), Combo Chimbita among many more. It makes us one of the most active bands in Salt Lake City, appearing in articles in local magazines such as Slug Magazine - "Localized 2022" and Cityweekly Music Picks.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260121T212816Z SEQUENCE:3715235 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1332 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-09 20:31:36 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260124T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260124T233000 UID:FCA59844-82F3-41F0-B439-32F3D0B313DF SUMMARY:Talia Keys & The Love CREATED:20250214T221214Z DTSTAMP:20250214T221214Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/talia-keys DESCRIPTION:An electrifying, genre-defying firebrand, Salt Lake City sensation Talia Keys blasts back with the seven-song From The Ashes, released May 2025 via Wichita based label Midtopia. Another courageous chapter in a career full of defiant documents, Talia’s latest ambitious solo offering deals potent doses of her patented searing songcraft.\NBacked by members of The Love, the veteran singer/songwriter confidently explores fresh characters and fertile topography - while still digging into knowledge of self, paying tribute to heroes, and addressing our increasingly-fractured society. Styled in syrupy neo-soul, first single “Matchstick” is an intensely personal homage to dearly-departed activist/artist Psarah Johnson; second drop “Glowin’ Golden” a buoyantly-countrified bop. From the Ashes reveals a liberating batch, unveiling untapped wells of urgency, diversity, sensuality, and consciousness from the ever-evolving Keys’ canon\NAn electrifying, genre-defying firebrand, Salt Lake City sensation Talia Keys blasts back with the seven-song From The Ashes, released May 2025 via Wichita based label Midtopia. Another courageous chapter in a career full of defiant documents, Talia’s latest ambitious solo offering deals potent doses of her patented searing songcraft.\NBacked by members of The Love, the veteran singer/songwriter confidently explores fresh characters and fertile topography - while still digging into knowledge of self, paying tribute to heroes, and addressing our increasingly-fractured society. Styled in syrupy neo-soul, first single “Matchstick” is an intensely personal homage to dearly-departed activist/artist Psarah Johnson; second drop “Glowin’ Golden” a buoyantly-countrified bop. From the Ashes reveals a liberating batch, unveiling untapped wells of urgency, diversity, sensuality, and consciousness from the ever-evolving Keys’ canon. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:An electrifying, genre-defying firebrand, Salt Lake City sensation Talia Keys blasts back with the seven-song From The Ashes, released May 2025 via Wichita based label Midtopia. Another courageous chapter in a career full of defiant documents, Talia’s latest ambitious solo offering deals potent doses of her patented searing songcraft.
Backed by members of The Love, the veteran singer/songwriter confidently explores fresh characters and fertile topography - while still digging into knowledge of self, paying tribute to heroes, and addressing our increasingly-fractured society. Styled in syrupy neo-soul, first single “Matchstick” is an intensely personal homage to dearly-departed activist/artist Psarah Johnson; second drop “Glowin’ Golden” a buoyantly-countrified bop. From the Ashes reveals a liberating batch, unveiling untapped wells of urgency, diversity, sensuality, and consciousness from the ever-evolving Keys’ canon
An electrifying, genre-defying firebrand, Salt Lake City sensation Talia Keys blasts back with the seven-song From The Ashes, released May 2025 via Wichita based label Midtopia. Another courageous chapter in a career full of defiant documents, Talia’s latest ambitious solo offering deals potent doses of her patented searing songcraft.
Backed by members of The Love, the veteran singer/songwriter confidently explores fresh characters and fertile topography - while still digging into knowledge of self, paying tribute to heroes, and addressing our increasingly-fractured society. Styled in syrupy neo-soul, first single “Matchstick” is an intensely personal homage to dearly-departed activist/artist Psarah Johnson; second drop “Glowin’ Golden” a buoyantly-countrified bop. From the Ashes reveals a liberating batch, unveiling untapped wells of urgency, diversity, sensuality, and consciousness from the ever-evolving Keys’ canon.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260112T221051Z SEQUENCE:28684717 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3763 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-02 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260130T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260130T230000 UID:A286C943-3570-4ED6-BC75-817BE50CA35C SUMMARY:The Plastic Cherries CREATED:20251219T235256Z DTSTAMP:20251219T235256Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-plastic-cherries-state-room DESCRIPTION:The Plastic Cherries began as a home recording project between couple Shelby & Joe Maddock, making songs on old tape machines inspired by glam, soft rock, shoegaze, Elliott Smith, and their dog. These songs became their first album, Sunshine, available on LP & cassette.\NWith pianist Natalie Hamilton, drummer Wayne Burdick, and bassist Stephen Cox, they have grown into a charismatic act that channels the theatrics and pop sensibility of their heroes while still feeling experimental and homemade.\N“The Plastic Cherries are mesmerizing. They will take you back to the future, and to a time beyond – where rock has had a meaningful pop resurgence and everything feels new again.” - Provo Music Magazine X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The Plastic Cherries began as a home recording project between couple Shelby & Joe Maddock, making songs on old tape machines inspired by glam, soft rock, shoegaze, Elliott Smith, and their dog. These songs became their first album, Sunshine, available on LP & cassette.
With pianist Natalie Hamilton, drummer Wayne Burdick, and bassist Stephen Cox, they have grown into a charismatic act that channels the theatrics and pop sensibility of their heroes while still feeling experimental and homemade.
“The Plastic Cherries are mesmerizing. They will take you back to the future, and to a time beyond – where rock has had a meaningful pop resurgence and everything feels new again.” - Provo Music Magazine
LAST-MODIFIED:20260127T185050Z SEQUENCE:3351474 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1294 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260131T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260131T233000 UID:54B0176B-E2C6-4242-991F-01DA84168046 SUMMARY:Sammy Brue 'The Journals' Album Release Show CREATED:20251103T203731Z DTSTAMP:20251103T203731Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/sammy-brue DESCRIPTION:Sammy Brue pays tribute to his mentor by writing, finishing, or re-imagining never-before-recorded songs found in Earle’s journals, entrusted to Sammy by Justin’s widow. Some of the songs on the album are based on lyric sheets Brue found. Others are co-writes or songs Brue wrote based on compilations of ideas and little paragraphs Earle wrote. Fans of Justin Townes Earle will be grateful to Brue for this lovingly crafted album and will become more familiar again with a singer and songwriter dedicated to bringing the beauty of folk to the world.\NA 21st-century troubadour who spins layered story songs that deal with the sunlight and shadows of the human condition, Sammy Brue follows in the authentic outlaw songwriter lineage of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Rodney Crowell, and Justin Townes Earle. Brue's new album, The Journals, pays tribute to his mentor by writing, finishing, or re-imagining never-before-recorded songs taken directly from Earle’s journals, entrusted to Sammy by Justin’s widow. Some of the songs on the album are based on lyric sheets Brue found. Others are co-writes or songs Brue wrote based on compilations of ideas and little paragraphs Earle wrote. Sammy Brue showcases his lyrical ingenuity, his musical versatility, his innovative songwriting style, and his ringing vocal style on his new album. Like a poet, he commands attention with a vibrant opening chord and a vivid lyric; Brue pulls listeners into his story world, and they’re transfixed by his sometimes playful, always perceptive readings of the human heart. Fans of Justin Towne Earle will be grateful to Brue for this lovingly crafted album and will become more familiar again with a singer and songwriter dedicated to bringing the beauty of folk to the world.\NSammy first came on the radar of Rolling Stone Magazine at the age of 13. Recognized for his songwriting, Sammy started making waves in the Americana scene and was signed to New West Records for 2 studio records "I Am Nice" and "Crash Test Kid" and independently released his latest album "Nocturnal Country" Sammy started touring and making friends with some of the biggest names around. Starting with a full national tour with his friend and mentor Justin Townes Earle, to touring internationally with The Marcus King Band, Sammy graced stages all around the world by the age of 18. Rooted firmly in his folk style of writing, Sammy was named one of six teenagers changing music by the New Yorker Magazine. he has defined himself as being a working musician and songwriter at his core.\NSammy has opened and toured with artists like Billy Strings, Mike Campbell, Lindsey Buckingham, The Marcus King Band, Justin Townes Earle, Steve Earle, Michael Kiwanuka, John Paul White, Lucinda Williams, Rodriguez, Iron and Wine, John Moreland, Margo Price, Hayes Carll, Asleep at the wheel, and many more.\NSammy has played festivals and events such as Newport Folk Festival, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Moab Folk Fest, Twilight Series (Ogden), and Americana Fest. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Sammy Brue pays tribute to his mentor by writing, finishing, or re-imagining never-before-recorded songs found in Earle’s journals, entrusted to Sammy by Justin’s widow. Some of the songs on the album are based on lyric sheets Brue found. Others are co-writes or songs Brue wrote based on compilations of ideas and little paragraphs Earle wrote. Fans of Justin Townes Earle will be grateful to Brue for this lovingly crafted album and will become more familiar again with a singer and songwriter dedicated to bringing the beauty of folk to the world.
A 21st-century troubadour who spins layered story songs that deal with the sunlight and shadows of the human condition, Sammy Brue follows in the authentic outlaw songwriter lineage of Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Rodney Crowell, and Justin Townes Earle. Brue's new album, The Journals, pays tribute to his mentor by writing, finishing, or re-imagining never-before-recorded songs taken directly from Earle’s journals, entrusted to Sammy by Justin’s widow. Some of the songs on the album are based on lyric sheets Brue found. Others are co-writes or songs Brue wrote based on compilations of ideas and little paragraphs Earle wrote. Sammy Brue showcases his lyrical ingenuity, his musical versatility, his innovative songwriting style, and his ringing vocal style on his new album. Like a poet, he commands attention with a vibrant opening chord and a vivid lyric; Brue pulls listeners into his story world, and they’re transfixed by his sometimes playful, always perceptive readings of the human heart. Fans of Justin Towne Earle will be grateful to Brue for this lovingly crafted album and will become more familiar again with a singer and songwriter dedicated to bringing the beauty of folk to the world.
Sammy first came on the radar of Rolling Stone Magazine at the age of 13. Recognized for his songwriting, Sammy started making waves in the Americana scene and was signed to New West Records for 2 studio records "I Am Nice" and "Crash Test Kid" and independently released his latest album "Nocturnal Country" Sammy started touring and making friends with some of the biggest names around. Starting with a full national tour with his friend and mentor Justin Townes Earle, to touring internationally with The Marcus King Band, Sammy graced stages all around the world by the age of 18. Rooted firmly in his folk style of writing, Sammy was named one of six teenagers changing music by the New Yorker Magazine. he has defined himself as being a working musician and songwriter at his core.
Sammy has opened and toured with artists like Billy Strings, Mike Campbell, Lindsey Buckingham, The Marcus King Band, Justin Townes Earle, Steve Earle, Michael Kiwanuka, John Paul White, Lucinda Williams, Rodriguez, Iron and Wine, John Moreland, Margo Price, Hayes Carll, Asleep at the wheel, and many more.
Sammy has played festivals and events such as Newport Folk Festival, Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, Moab Folk Fest, Twilight Series (Ogden), and Americana Fest.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260127T223417Z SEQUENCE:7351006 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3972 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-11-04 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260203T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260203T203000 UID:1B5A9949-7A60-4756-9443-FD33AE7B85B6 SUMMARY:Briscoe CREATED:20251013T222416Z DTSTAMP:20251013T222416Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/briscoe-2 DESCRIPTION:If Briscoe's debut album was a coming-of-age soundtrack set against the backdrop of the Texas Hill Country, then its follow-up, Heat of July, is the sound of a fully-formed duo chasing down a broader horizon.\NInspired by the cross-country tours that took the band across America, these new songs expand Briscoe's folk-rock sound in all directions. There are bigger arrangements, sharper harmonies, and enough top-tier guest musicians to form their own supergroup. The result is a cinematic, widescreen version of American roots music, created by two lifelong friends who've learned to distill the thrill of the open road — and the challenges of growing up — into an ever-evolving soundtrack.\NHot asphalt. Spinning wheels. Mile markers. For Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman, those hallmarks of the American highway system have become the only constants in a period filled with change. Signed by ATO Records while still pursuing undergraduate degrees at UT Austin, the two Texas natives recorded Briscoe's debut album, West Of It All, during their final months as college students. Once graduation arrived, they left town and hit the road, spending a dizzying year crisscrossing the country — particularly the southwest — in a van packed with gear and bandmates. Seated up front, Philip and Truett found themselves in awe of the canyons, mountains, and mesas that unfolded just outside the windshield. New songs began to arrive during those long drives across the desert, dreamt into existence at 80 miles per hour, as eclectic and evocative as the landscape that inspired them.\N"We learned how to write music from behind the wheel," Philip says, thinking back to the show-filled schedule that helped transform Briscoe from Texas' best-kept secret into national torchbearers of timeless Americana. "Coming up with melodies in our heads, without a guitar or piano nearby, was a necessity for us during those tours. We were on the road so much that we had to become more mobile with the creative process."\N"There are so many beautiful parts of America, but the southwest is something we really gravitate toward," adds Truett. "There's something about that area that makes us want to write songs. During the past year, though, it became the new norm to write songs on the go, drawing inspiration from wherever we were."\NThe guys drew inspiration from home, too. Philip and Truett both married their longtime partners in the wake of West Of It All's success — whose accolades included a Top 40 hit on the Triple A chart with "The Well," as well as offers to tour alongside acts like Noah Kahan and Dave Matthews Band — and thoughts of family lingered as they traveled across North America, playing everywhere from Canada to Cancun. By the time Briscoe arrived in North Carolina to record Heat of July with Brad Cook — the Grammy-nominated producer behind albums by Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, as well as Briscoe's debut — they'd written another batch of songs that celebrated not only the great outdoors, but also their flesh-and-blood roots as husbands and family men. Heat of July makes room for all of it, showcasing a pair of songwriters who've learned to grow without leaving their foundations behind.\NOn "Adeline" — a blast of roadhouse rock & roll, punctuated by harmonica, upright piano, and a lushly harmonized chorus — Truett serenades his wife while Houndmouth's Matt Myers chimes in on electric guitar. Philip delivers snapshots of his own marriage with songs like "Mexican Eagles" and "Blue Eyes and Red Wine," filling his lyrics with the rugged imagery of West Texas, singing in a voice that's the folky foil to his bandmate's croon. Those entwined voices have been Briscoe's calling card for years, even since the two singers first crossed paths while attending the same summer camp at 14 years old. Here, their harmonies lead the charge on nearly every track. They come together on acoustic anthems like "Roughnecks," written about Truett's great-grandfather (who left Oklahoma to work in the Texas oil fields during the early 20th century) and laced with traditional bluegrass instrumentation. They do the same on "Arizona Shining," inspired by one of the group's many road trips through the desert; "Saving Grace," with its anthemic chorus and love-story narrative; and the haunted, harrowing "Flashlights in the Canyon," which tells the story of a border-bound woman hoping to escape to America.\N"Flashlights in the Canyon is a story inspired by an experience I had along the Texas-Mexico border and the conversations I had with locals in the area afterward.” Philip says, adding, “Having seen firsthand the humanity on both sides of the border crisis, I was inspired to create a narrative that doesn’t advocate for any one agenda, but rather focuses on the real people who are living the conflict. I hope this song helps to shed light on the fact that there is gray area between what so many people believe is black and white"\N \NBriscoe's songwriting isn't the only thing that's grown since West Of It All's release. Thanks in part to an expanded guest list that includes drummer Matthew McCaughan (Bon Iver), fiddle player Libby Rodenbough (Mipso), mandolinist Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse, formerly know as Mandolin Orange), multi-instrumentalist Phil Cook (Hiss Golden Messenger), and electric guitarist Matt Myers (Houndmouth), Heat of July sounds bigger and bolder than its predecessor. "Free," with its country-funk groove and soulful stomp, marks new territory for the band, while the album's title track — with its intro of syncopated banjo and booming percussion — nods to a group willing to electrify and enlarge its sound.\N"I studied geology, so driving through Arizona is like me being a kid in a candy store," says Philip. "We'll always write songs inspired by that landscape, but we've learned how to tell more personal stories with our music, too. We're talking about our wives, our relationships, and our family trees. We're really wearing our hearts on our sleeves when we're writing."\N"It felt like home to be back in the studio with Brad," Truett adds. "He already understood our dynamic, so he felt comfortable pushing us as songwriters and lyricists. He helped us grow. And whenever we'd say, 'It would be real nice to have a flatpicking guitar here' or 'Maybe this song needs a fiddle,' Brad would say, 'What about so-and-so from this band?' He'd reach out to them, and before we knew it, we had this crazy roster of artists playing with us. It was like a big folk supergroup."\NThere's more touring up ahead, of course. More commitments that will take Briscoe away from the lives they've built in Texas. Heat of July may be the band's next ticket out of town, but it's also a love letter to the landscape that first inspired Truett and Philip to write songs. The road goes on forever… but for Briscoe, the road always leads back home, too.\N"Growing up in the heat taught me to savor the cooler moments: those fifteen minutes of soft\Nblue light just after the sun dips below the horizon," Philip explains. "That feeling is something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. Memories like long drives to reach any city of significance, the smell of rain on hot asphalt, and the fleeting nature of a summer fling — these are the moments I wove into 'Heat of July,' which feels like a personal theme song. They’ve left a lasting impression, and no matter where life takes me, I’ll never leave behind the heat of July. You take it with you all year long, and you learn how to appreciate the cool when it does come."\NFor Briscoe, there's a lot to appreciate these days. As they fuel up the van for another year of heavy touring, they're grateful for everything that's brought them here, whittling their songwriting into sharp shape, turning them into touring veterans. The heat of July certainly doesn't bother them. But when another season arrives, they'll be ready. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:If Briscoe's debut album was a coming-of-age soundtrack set against the backdrop of the Texas Hill Country, then its follow-up, Heat of July, is the sound of a fully-formed duo chasing down a broader horizon.
Inspired by the cross-country tours that took the band across America, these new songs expand Briscoe's folk-rock sound in all directions. There are bigger arrangements, sharper harmonies, and enough top-tier guest musicians to form their own supergroup. The result is a cinematic, widescreen version of American roots music, created by two lifelong friends who've learned to distill the thrill of the open road — and the challenges of growing up — into an ever-evolving soundtrack.
Hot asphalt. Spinning wheels. Mile markers. For Philip Lupton and Truett Heintzelman, those hallmarks of the American highway system have become the only constants in a period filled with change. Signed by ATO Records while still pursuing undergraduate degrees at UT Austin, the two Texas natives recorded Briscoe's debut album, West Of It All, during their final months as college students. Once graduation arrived, they left town and hit the road, spending a dizzying year crisscrossing the country — particularly the southwest — in a van packed with gear and bandmates. Seated up front, Philip and Truett found themselves in awe of the canyons, mountains, and mesas that unfolded just outside the windshield. New songs began to arrive during those long drives across the desert, dreamt into existence at 80 miles per hour, as eclectic and evocative as the landscape that inspired them.
"We learned how to write music from behind the wheel," Philip says, thinking back to the show-filled schedule that helped transform Briscoe from Texas' best-kept secret into national torchbearers of timeless Americana. "Coming up with melodies in our heads, without a guitar or piano nearby, was a necessity for us during those tours. We were on the road so much that we had to become more mobile with the creative process."
"There are so many beautiful parts of America, but the southwest is something we really gravitate toward," adds Truett. "There's something about that area that makes us want to write songs. During the past year, though, it became the new norm to write songs on the go, drawing inspiration from wherever we were."
The guys drew inspiration from home, too. Philip and Truett both married their longtime partners in the wake of West Of It All's success — whose accolades included a Top 40 hit on the Triple A chart with "The Well," as well as offers to tour alongside acts like Noah Kahan and Dave Matthews Band — and thoughts of family lingered as they traveled across North America, playing everywhere from Canada to Cancun. By the time Briscoe arrived in North Carolina to record Heat of July with Brad Cook — the Grammy-nominated producer behind albums by Bon Iver, Waxahatchee, and Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, as well as Briscoe's debut — they'd written another batch of songs that celebrated not only the great outdoors, but also their flesh-and-blood roots as husbands and family men. Heat of July makes room for all of it, showcasing a pair of songwriters who've learned to grow without leaving their foundations behind.
On "Adeline" — a blast of roadhouse rock & roll, punctuated by harmonica, upright piano, and a lushly harmonized chorus — Truett serenades his wife while Houndmouth's Matt Myers chimes in on electric guitar. Philip delivers snapshots of his own marriage with songs like "Mexican Eagles" and "Blue Eyes and Red Wine," filling his lyrics with the rugged imagery of West Texas, singing in a voice that's the folky foil to his bandmate's croon. Those entwined voices have been Briscoe's calling card for years, even since the two singers first crossed paths while attending the same summer camp at 14 years old. Here, their harmonies lead the charge on nearly every track. They come together on acoustic anthems like "Roughnecks," written about Truett's great-grandfather (who left Oklahoma to work in the Texas oil fields during the early 20th century) and laced with traditional bluegrass instrumentation. They do the same on "Arizona Shining," inspired by one of the group's many road trips through the desert; "Saving Grace," with its anthemic chorus and love-story narrative; and the haunted, harrowing "Flashlights in the Canyon," which tells the story of a border-bound woman hoping to escape to America.
"Flashlights in the Canyon is a story inspired by an experience I had along the Texas-Mexico border and the conversations I had with locals in the area afterward.” Philip says, adding, “Having seen firsthand the humanity on both sides of the border crisis, I was inspired to create a narrative that doesn’t advocate for any one agenda, but rather focuses on the real people who are living the conflict. I hope this song helps to shed light on the fact that there is gray area between what so many people believe is black and white"
Briscoe's songwriting isn't the only thing that's grown since West Of It All's release. Thanks in part to an expanded guest list that includes drummer Matthew McCaughan (Bon Iver), fiddle player Libby Rodenbough (Mipso), mandolinist Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse, formerly know as Mandolin Orange), multi-instrumentalist Phil Cook (Hiss Golden Messenger), and electric guitarist Matt Myers (Houndmouth), Heat of July sounds bigger and bolder than its predecessor. "Free," with its country-funk groove and soulful stomp, marks new territory for the band, while the album's title track — with its intro of syncopated banjo and booming percussion — nods to a group willing to electrify and enlarge its sound.
"I studied geology, so driving through Arizona is like me being a kid in a candy store," says Philip. "We'll always write songs inspired by that landscape, but we've learned how to tell more personal stories with our music, too. We're talking about our wives, our relationships, and our family trees. We're really wearing our hearts on our sleeves when we're writing."
"It felt like home to be back in the studio with Brad," Truett adds. "He already understood our dynamic, so he felt comfortable pushing us as songwriters and lyricists. He helped us grow. And whenever we'd say, 'It would be real nice to have a flatpicking guitar here' or 'Maybe this song needs a fiddle,' Brad would say, 'What about so-and-so from this band?' He'd reach out to them, and before we knew it, we had this crazy roster of artists playing with us. It was like a big folk supergroup."
There's more touring up ahead, of course. More commitments that will take Briscoe away from the lives they've built in Texas. Heat of July may be the band's next ticket out of town, but it's also a love letter to the landscape that first inspired Truett and Philip to write songs. The road goes on forever… but for Briscoe, the road always leads back home, too.
"Growing up in the heat taught me to savor the cooler moments: those fifteen minutes of soft
blue light just after the sun dips below the horizon," Philip explains. "That feeling is something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. Memories like long drives to reach any city of significance, the smell of rain on hot asphalt, and the fleeting nature of a summer fling — these are the moments I wove into 'Heat of July,' which feels like a personal theme song. They’ve left a lasting impression, and no matter where life takes me, I’ll never leave behind the heat of July. You take it with you all year long, and you learn how to appreciate the cool when it does come."
For Briscoe, there's a lot to appreciate these days. As they fuel up the van for another year of heavy touring, they're grateful for everything that's brought them here, whittling their songwriting into sharp shape, turning them into touring veterans. The heat of July certainly doesn't bother them. But when another season arrives, they'll be ready.
LAST-MODIFIED:20251229T195749Z SEQUENCE:6644013 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2595 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-10-14 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260207T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260207T233000 UID:84FD483C-A837-4F94-928B-58EA794EC542 SUMMARY:Flamingosis CREATED:20251203T221214Z DTSTAMP:20251203T221214Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/flamingosis DESCRIPTION:Flamingosis makes the soundtrack to being your best self. Under the spell of Aaron Velasquez, the New Jersey-raised and Brooklyn-based artist and producer, handcrafted electronic beats meet live instrumentation spiked with funk in the center of the dancefloor (right underneath the disco ball). The ensuing overflow of energy might just inspire you to get up and move, fall in love, or even change your life. Extending a creative arc without comparison, he strikes a deep emotional chord on his 2024 full-length album, Better Will Come.\N“Everyone wants to get better in some way,” he states. “The album highlights my own personal experience of growing, and you can potentially relate your story to what I went through. I learned a lot of hard lessons, but I made a conscious effort to grow in every way—not just musically, but physically, mentally, and spiritually. I did a lot of inner work, and I channeled these experiences into the music. If you pursue self-improvement, life improves around you too.”\NArtistically, he has continued to progress at an impressive pace. Piling up over 100 million streams and counting, he has dropped one fan favorite project after another, including Pleasure Palette [2015], Kahunastyle [2016], Bright Moments [2016], Daymaker [2021] and collaborative album Bliss Station [2023]. Of the latter, ThisSongIsSick raved, “This is the perfect album to rinse outside by the pool, at the park, in your backyard, or wherever you have a space to move around,” and EARMILK christened it “an electronic journey through time and space.” Along the way, he teamed up with everyone from Big Gigantic, GRiZ and Tokimonsta to Matoma for collaborations. Simultaneously, he notably shined at festivals, including Austin City Limits, Electric Forest, Okeechobee, Holy Ship!, Voodoo Music + Arts, and more. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Flamingosis makes the soundtrack to being your best self. Under the spell of Aaron Velasquez, the New Jersey-raised and Brooklyn-based artist and producer, handcrafted electronic beats meet live instrumentation spiked with funk in the center of the dancefloor (right underneath the disco ball). The ensuing overflow of energy might just inspire you to get up and move, fall in love, or even change your life. Extending a creative arc without comparison, he strikes a deep emotional chord on his 2024 full-length album, Better Will Come.
“Everyone wants to get better in some way,” he states. “The album highlights my own personal experience of growing, and you can potentially relate your story to what I went through. I learned a lot of hard lessons, but I made a conscious effort to grow in every way—not just musically, but physically, mentally, and spiritually. I did a lot of inner work, and I channeled these experiences into the music. If you pursue self-improvement, life improves around you too.”
Artistically, he has continued to progress at an impressive pace. Piling up over 100 million streams and counting, he has dropped one fan favorite project after another, including Pleasure Palette [2015], Kahunastyle [2016], Bright Moments [2016], Daymaker [2021] and collaborative album Bliss Station [2023]. Of the latter, ThisSongIsSick raved, “This is the perfect album to rinse outside by the pool, at the park, in your backyard, or wherever you have a space to move around,” and EARMILK christened it “an electronic journey through time and space.” Along the way, he teamed up with everyone from Big Gigantic, GRiZ and Tokimonsta to Matoma for collaborations. Simultaneously, he notably shined at festivals, including Austin City Limits, Electric Forest, Okeechobee, Holy Ship!, Voodoo Music + Arts, and more.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260204T161552Z SEQUENCE:5421818 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1932 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-04 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260213T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260213T233000 UID:1E8072BC-4D81-48F2-90B1-7BA359CBD218 SUMMARY:Cyril Neville CREATED:20260109T182947Z DTSTAMP:20260109T182947Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/cyril-neville-2 DESCRIPTION:CYRIL NEVILLE with Omari Neville & The Fuel, bring a lifetime of dreams come true. This two-time grammy winning icon is brilliant and beautiful on stage and in his recorded work. In this new chapter of his creative life, Cyril levels up even more with new songs, a fresh perspective on his decades of performance worldwide and a determined eye on the future. As Quint Davis, fonder and head of the new Orleans Jazz andHeritage Festival watching Mr. Neville perform at the 2025 JazzFest Congo Square Stage said,” He’s still got it.” \NCyril Neville is one of the founding fathers of the New Orleans signature funky soul, rock jazz sound that has influenced countless artists and entertained millions of fans over his 5-decade career. Mr. Neville is a vocalist, songwriter, percussionist, painter, cultural icon and activist who richly deserves his Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.\NBorn in 1948 in New Orleans, the youngest of the Neville Brothers was raised in a musical household, with his brothers Aaron, Art and Charles all making waves on the local musical scene. Their uncle George Landry was Big Chief Jolly of the Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indian Tribe, and young Cyril cut his teeth singing and playing percussion with the group. At 19, he joined his brother’s band, Art Neville and the Neville Sounds, and released his first single a year later.\NArt’s band soon merged into the seminal group, The Meters, with Cyril, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassistGeorge Porter, Jr. and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste. Their early releases – the singles “Sissy Strut, “Look-A-Py-Py” and “Sophisticated Sissy,” as well as the CabbageAlley and the Neville Brothers Fire on the Bayou have become classics, and their funky grooves built a foundation for a large swath of today’s American popular music. The Meter’s reputation was cemented when the Rolling Stones offered them an opening spot on their 1975 world tour.\NArt and Cyril left The Meters in 1977, and with Aaron and Charles formed the Neville Brothers. For 35 years the group rocked audiences from Tipitinas in New Orleans to Taipei playing venues all over the world with their imminently danceable funk rock. Their recordings such as the Grammy-winning Yellow Moon and equally successful follow-up Brother’s Keeper have entered the canon of classic American Music. The Neville Brothers have received four nominations to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and hopefully one day will receive their long overdue flowers there.\NOne of Cyril’s current projects includes touring with his son’s band, Omari Neville and the Fuel, but he can also be heard performing with fellow Meter Goerge Porter, Jr, Trombone Shorty and his nephew Ivan Neville’s band Dumpstafunk.\NMr. Neville has had a number of other musical projects over the years, including The Endangered Species Band, and the Uptown All Stars as well as Swamp Funk. After Hurricane Katrina, bluesman Tab Benoit formed the supergroup Voice of the Wetlands to advocate for coastal protections with Cyril Neville front and center stage. Mr. Neville has also has also toured singing with the funk powerhouse Galactic. In 2011 Mr. Neville formed his own supergroup, Royal Southern Brotherhood, with Devon Allman, Mike Zito, Charlie Wooten and Yonrico Scott.\NMr. Neville has recorded with a Who’s Who of the rock world including Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Dr.John, Willie Nelson, Branford Marsalis, and Carlos Santana. He is a prolific writer, co-authoring songs with Bono, Allen Toussant, Trombone Shorty and Taj Mahal among many. Mr. Neville has made a number of television appearances including Saturday Night Live, NCIS: New Orleans and HBO’s Treme. For many years he also operated his own Endangered Species record label. Now he works closely with senior manager Lara Lavi and her production company Dreaming In Color Entertainment to release new music including his latest single “Lemonade,” co-written with and produced by renowned trumpet player Shamarr Allen releasing in July 2025.\NCyril Neville has collected many accolades over the course of his 50 years plus career, including a Grammy award for the song, “Healing Chant” from the 1989 album, Yellow Moon produced by Daniel Lanois. In 2017, The Neville Brothers received the Austin City Limits Lifetime Achievement Award and a year later, The Meters were honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.\NPerhaps Mr. Neville’s greatest joy is singing, recording and performing with his son Omari Neville whose band Omari Neville and the Fuel tours as Omari’s backup band. With refreshed management and talent agency, Cyril Neville is highly prolific and unstoppable in this next phase of his career with new music releasing monthly for the army of fans of the Wild Tchoupitoulas, Meters, UptownRuler, Neville Brothers and fans of New Orleans music and culture. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:CYRIL NEVILLE with Omari Neville & The Fuel, bring a lifetime of dreams come true. This two-time grammy winning icon is brilliant and beautiful on stage and in his recorded work. In this new chapter of his creative life, Cyril levels up even more with new songs, a fresh perspective on his decades of performance worldwide and a determined eye on the future. As Quint Davis, fonder and head of the new Orleans Jazz andHeritage Festival watching Mr. Neville perform at the 2025 JazzFest Congo Square Stage said,” He’s still got it.”
Cyril Neville is one of the founding fathers of the New Orleans signature funky soul, rock jazz sound that has influenced countless artists and entertained millions of fans over his 5-decade career. Mr. Neville is a vocalist, songwriter, percussionist, painter, cultural icon and activist who richly deserves his Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Born in 1948 in New Orleans, the youngest of the Neville Brothers was raised in a musical household, with his brothers Aaron, Art and Charles all making waves on the local musical scene. Their uncle George Landry was Big Chief Jolly of the Wild Tchoupitoulas Mardi Gras Indian Tribe, and young Cyril cut his teeth singing and playing percussion with the group. At 19, he joined his brother’s band, Art Neville and the Neville Sounds, and released his first single a year later.
Art’s band soon merged into the seminal group, The Meters, with Cyril, guitarist Leo Nocentelli, bassistGeorge Porter, Jr. and drummer Zigaboo Modeliste. Their early releases – the singles “Sissy Strut, “Look-A-Py-Py” and “Sophisticated Sissy,” as well as the CabbageAlley and the Neville Brothers Fire on the Bayou have become classics, and their funky grooves built a foundation for a large swath of today’s American popular music. The Meter’s reputation was cemented when the Rolling Stones offered them an opening spot on their 1975 world tour.
Art and Cyril left The Meters in 1977, and with Aaron and Charles formed the Neville Brothers. For 35 years the group rocked audiences from Tipitinas in New Orleans to Taipei playing venues all over the world with their imminently danceable funk rock. Their recordings such as the Grammy-winning Yellow Moon and equally successful follow-up Brother’s Keeper have entered the canon of classic American Music. The Neville Brothers have received four nominations to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and hopefully one day will receive their long overdue flowers there.
One of Cyril’s current projects includes touring with his son’s band, Omari Neville and the Fuel, but he can also be heard performing with fellow Meter Goerge Porter, Jr, Trombone Shorty and his nephew Ivan Neville’s band Dumpstafunk.
Mr. Neville has had a number of other musical projects over the years, including The Endangered Species Band, and the Uptown All Stars as well as Swamp Funk. After Hurricane Katrina, bluesman Tab Benoit formed the supergroup Voice of the Wetlands to advocate for coastal protections with Cyril Neville front and center stage. Mr. Neville has also has also toured singing with the funk powerhouse Galactic. In 2011 Mr. Neville formed his own supergroup, Royal Southern Brotherhood, with Devon Allman, Mike Zito, Charlie Wooten and Yonrico Scott.
Mr. Neville has recorded with a Who’s Who of the rock world including Bob Dylan, Jimmy Buffett, Dr.John, Willie Nelson, Branford Marsalis, and Carlos Santana. He is a prolific writer, co-authoring songs with Bono, Allen Toussant, Trombone Shorty and Taj Mahal among many. Mr. Neville has made a number of television appearances including Saturday Night Live, NCIS: New Orleans and HBO’s Treme. For many years he also operated his own Endangered Species record label. Now he works closely with senior manager Lara Lavi and her production company Dreaming In Color Entertainment to release new music including his latest single “Lemonade,” co-written with and produced by renowned trumpet player Shamarr Allen releasing in July 2025.
Cyril Neville has collected many accolades over the course of his 50 years plus career, including a Grammy award for the song, “Healing Chant” from the 1989 album, Yellow Moon produced by Daniel Lanois. In 2017, The Neville Brothers received the Austin City Limits Lifetime Achievement Award and a year later, The Meters were honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.
Perhaps Mr. Neville’s greatest joy is singing, recording and performing with his son Omari Neville whose band Omari Neville and the Fuel tours as Omari’s backup band. With refreshed management and talent agency, Cyril Neville is highly prolific and unstoppable in this next phase of his career with new music releasing monthly for the army of fans of the Wild Tchoupitoulas, Meters, UptownRuler, Neville Brothers and fans of New Orleans music and culture.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260210T173539Z SEQUENCE:2761552 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2634 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-13 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260219T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260219T233000 UID:BE8B498A-2914-420B-AA00-526DDED5A9AB SUMMARY:Steve Forbert CREATED:20251103T214121Z DTSTAMP:20251103T214121Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/steve-forbert DESCRIPTION:Steve Forbert is a true American musical treasure, underscored by the new album, Daylight Savings Time. Like all his albums, it's saturated with what venerated rock journalist Robert Christgau discerned as his "omnivorously observant" songwriting, marked by Steve's gift for finding the more profound meaning and magic within everyday moments, as well as his abundant melodic and poetic enchantment. \N"Like Warren Zevon, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen, Steve Forbert has left his unmistakable imprint on the landscape of American music," says American Songwriter. As with other esteemed creative souls, his work is marked by his own distinctive qualities, and he speaks genuinely to his listeners.\NAs Forbert approaches the milestone of his 70th birthday, Daylight Savings Time contemplates and celebrates the proverbial 'extra hour of daylight' that comes with the time change. "Yeah, to chirping crickets and to daylight savings time!" he sings on the album's first single, "Sound Existence," "The best ain't yet to come, but you could still get by just fine."\NDaylight Savings Time is Forbert's third album helmed by producer/engineer Steve Greenwell. Its core components were cut at Greenwell's studio in Asbury, NJ, with drummer Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors) and keyboard player Rob Clores (Jesse Malin, The Black Crowes, Tom Jones.) Supple bass lines were contributed by Byron House (Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Al Green, and more.) Gurf Morlix, whose guitar and production gifts were elemental in launching Lucinda Williams into the spotlight, tracked his note-perfect six-string contributions at his home studio just outside Austin, Texas.\NWhen Steve arrived in New York City from his Meridian, Mississippi hometown in 1976, his aim was establishing a lifetime of creating, performing, and recording the songs he'd started writing at age 17 after cutting his teeth as a teen in local rock bands. He slotted seamlessly into the "new folk" revival in such Manhattan clubs as Folk City, The Bitter End, and Kenny's Castaways, yet at the same time took the stage at CBGB, ground zero of the burgeoning punk/new wave movement. He also busked on the streets of Greenwich Village and in the elegant confines of Grand Central Station.\NForbert chose his solo approach of voice, acoustic guitar, and harmonica, accented by foot stomps, to best approximate the melodic fullness and drive of a band. It inevitably caused him to be tagged as one of the numerous "new Dylans" that emerged in the 1970s. "Evoking the young Dylan has become a cliché for artists of this sort," observed The New York Times, "but, in this case, Mr. Forbert deserves the evocation." However, Steve focused on refining his singular musical voice and personality.\NHe quickly won a major label deal with Nemperor/CBS Records and released his heralded debut, Alive on Arrival, in 1978. His next album, Jackrabbit Slim, won similar acclaim and brought wider renown to Forbert with its #11 pop chart hit "Romeo's Tune." It provided the stature for his troubadour existence, which has kept him active ever since as "a striking performer, very much worth seeing and hearing," according to The New York Times.\NSteve has released 20 studio albums featuring his songwriting gifts. His live show is markedly different and genuinely of the moment. It has yielded four live album releases on record labels, plus 14 more concert recordings available exclusively on his website. His oeuvre is further rounded out by a tribute album to his fellow Meridian native, country music founding father Jimmie Rodgers, Any Old Time (nominated for a Best Folk Album Grammy award), Steve's 2020 LP of interpretations of favorite songs by other talents that have inspired him, Early Morning Rain, and collections of outtakes and early recordings.\NVenerable Milwaukee concert promoter Peter Jest perhaps best encapsulated Forbert's creative presence. "His ability to craft songs that capture the essence of the human spirit is nothing short of remarkable. His voice is a beacon of authenticity in a world saturated with noise." X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Steve Forbert is a true American musical treasure, underscored by the new album, Daylight Savings Time. Like all his albums, it's saturated with what venerated rock journalist Robert Christgau discerned as his "omnivorously observant" songwriting, marked by Steve's gift for finding the more profound meaning and magic within everyday moments, as well as his abundant melodic and poetic enchantment.
"Like Warren Zevon, Gram Parsons, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Bruce Springsteen, Steve Forbert has left his unmistakable imprint on the landscape of American music," says American Songwriter. As with other esteemed creative souls, his work is marked by his own distinctive qualities, and he speaks genuinely to his listeners.
As Forbert approaches the milestone of his 70th birthday, Daylight Savings Time contemplates and celebrates the proverbial 'extra hour of daylight' that comes with the time change. "Yeah, to chirping crickets and to daylight savings time!" he sings on the album's first single, "Sound Existence," "The best ain't yet to come, but you could still get by just fine."
Daylight Savings Time is Forbert's third album helmed by producer/engineer Steve Greenwell. Its core components were cut at Greenwell's studio in Asbury, NJ, with drummer Aaron Comess (Spin Doctors) and keyboard player Rob Clores (Jesse Malin, The Black Crowes, Tom Jones.) Supple bass lines were contributed by Byron House (Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris, Johnny Cash, Al Green, and more.) Gurf Morlix, whose guitar and production gifts were elemental in launching Lucinda Williams into the spotlight, tracked his note-perfect six-string contributions at his home studio just outside Austin, Texas.
When Steve arrived in New York City from his Meridian, Mississippi hometown in 1976, his aim was establishing a lifetime of creating, performing, and recording the songs he'd started writing at age 17 after cutting his teeth as a teen in local rock bands. He slotted seamlessly into the "new folk" revival in such Manhattan clubs as Folk City, The Bitter End, and Kenny's Castaways, yet at the same time took the stage at CBGB, ground zero of the burgeoning punk/new wave movement. He also busked on the streets of Greenwich Village and in the elegant confines of Grand Central Station.
Forbert chose his solo approach of voice, acoustic guitar, and harmonica, accented by foot stomps, to best approximate the melodic fullness and drive of a band. It inevitably caused him to be tagged as one of the numerous "new Dylans" that emerged in the 1970s. "Evoking the young Dylan has become a cliché for artists of this sort," observed The New York Times, "but, in this case, Mr. Forbert deserves the evocation." However, Steve focused on refining his singular musical voice and personality.
He quickly won a major label deal with Nemperor/CBS Records and released his heralded debut, Alive on Arrival, in 1978. His next album, Jackrabbit Slim, won similar acclaim and brought wider renown to Forbert with its #11 pop chart hit "Romeo's Tune." It provided the stature for his troubadour existence, which has kept him active ever since as "a striking performer, very much worth seeing and hearing," according to The New York Times.
Steve has released 20 studio albums featuring his songwriting gifts. His live show is markedly different and genuinely of the moment. It has yielded four live album releases on record labels, plus 14 more concert recordings available exclusively on his website. His oeuvre is further rounded out by a tribute album to his fellow Meridian native, country music founding father Jimmie Rodgers, Any Old Time (nominated for a Best Folk Album Grammy award), Steve's 2020 LP of interpretations of favorite songs by other talents that have inspired him, Early Morning Rain, and collections of outtakes and early recordings.
Venerable Milwaukee concert promoter Peter Jest perhaps best encapsulated Forbert's creative presence. "His ability to craft songs that capture the essence of the human spirit is nothing short of remarkable. His voice is a beacon of authenticity in a world saturated with noise."
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T192015Z SEQUENCE:9322734 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1995 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260220T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260220T230000 UID:01F866AE-1A62-4FE2-BF53-208FF64BBE6E SUMMARY:Debra Fotheringham x Lonlark & Mideau CREATED:20251216T154358Z DTSTAMP:20251216T154358Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/debra-fotheringham-state-room DESCRIPTION:Debra Fotheringham is a seasoned singer-songwriter, guitarist, percussionist, writer, and poet whose voice has long been a quietly powerful force in the Utah music scene. Based in Salt Lake City, she’s spent over two decades crafting songs that balance soul-baring vulnerability with refined musicianship. With three acclaimed studio albums already under her belt, Debra is preparing to release her fourth, Valley of Annihilation, this October—her most ambitious and daring work to date.\NShe’s a recurring collaborator with electronic music luminary Kaskade, contributing to multiple albums including his Grammy-nominated Atmosphere. A founding member of the beloved roots/gospel collective The Lower Lights, Debra’s voice carries both the warmth of tradition and the spark of innovation. Her haunting vocal work has been featured on television networks like PBS, AMC, The CW, video games by Blizzard, and the 2025 motion picture Truth & Treason. She was a finalist at the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriting Competition.\N X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Debra Fotheringham is a seasoned singer-songwriter, guitarist, percussionist, writer, and poet whose voice has long been a quietly powerful force in the Utah music scene. Based in Salt Lake City, she’s spent over two decades crafting songs that balance soul-baring vulnerability with refined musicianship. With three acclaimed studio albums already under her belt, Debra is preparing to release her fourth, Valley of Annihilation, this October—her most ambitious and daring work to date.
She’s a recurring collaborator with electronic music luminary Kaskade, contributing to multiple albums including his Grammy-nominated Atmosphere. A founding member of the beloved roots/gospel collective The Lower Lights, Debra’s voice carries both the warmth of tradition and the spark of innovation. Her haunting vocal work has been featured on television networks like PBS, AMC, The CW, video games by Blizzard, and the 2025 motion picture Truth & Treason. She was a finalist at the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriting Competition.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T192103Z SEQUENCE:5629025 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1670 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-16 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260221T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260221T233000 UID:161A911E-9A73-4FE1-ADB4-B5F99727FAFC SUMMARY:The Breakfast Club: 41st Anniversary with The Discographers CREATED:20251218T231855Z DTSTAMP:20251218T231855Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-breakfast-club-41st-anniversary-with-the-discographers DESCRIPTION:Back by popular demand!! In celebration of the Breakfast Club's 41st anniversary, The Discographers bring their chameleon-like musicianship to all your favorite 1980's teen movie soundtracks, performed in sync with video. Expect songs from all the John Hughes teen flicks plus a few other choice films, with artists covered ranging from the obvious Simple Minds to Tears for Fears, Whitney Houston, Oingo Boingo, The Cars, The Go-Gos, Van Halen, Kenny Loggins, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, and the ever popular MORE. Hold those boomboxes up in the air, y'all! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:
Back by popular demand!! In celebration of the Breakfast Club's 41st anniversary, The Discographers bring their chameleon-like musicianship to all your favorite 1980's teen movie soundtracks, performed in sync with video. Expect songs from all the John Hughes teen flicks plus a few other choice films, with artists covered ranging from the obvious Simple Minds to Tears for Fears, Whitney Houston, Oingo Boingo, The Cars, The Go-Gos, Van Halen, Kenny Loggins, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, and the ever popular MORE. Hold those boomboxes up in the air, y'all!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T192113Z SEQUENCE:5428938 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2151 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-18 23:21:23 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260302T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260302T233000 UID:0A9D53CE-A6E1-4C67-AE03-52AA69C5A834 SUMMARY:Brett Dennen (Night 1) CREATED:20251120T185840Z DTSTAMP:20251120T185840Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/brett-dennen-night-3 DESCRIPTION:Across his career, Brett Dennen has established himself as the kind of singer-songwriter who finds inspiration by digging into the nooks and crannies of the human condition—exploring pain, joy, sadness, and all points in between. If It Takes Forever (Mick Music), the California native’s eighth solo album and first full-length since 2021’s See the World, is no exception. The warm, immersive collection boasts deeply felt sentiments, underpinned by rich acoustic guitars and Dennen’s earnest vocals, in the vein of dusky Americana (“Golden State of Mind”), harmonica-driven blues (the Tom Petty-esque “Careful What You Wish For”), rootsy indie (“Don’t Go Talking”), and meditative folk-rock (highlight “Time To Wake Up”).\NIf It Takes Forever emerged out of a tough 2023 for Dennen, as he was dealing with the death of his dad. “He was such a strong figure in my life that I depended on so much as both a dad and a best friend,” he said. “And I knew immediately in order for me to deal with his death, the best thing I could do was to make an album about it.”\NUnderstandably, Dennen took his time coming up with song ideas for If It Takes Forever, and spent the bulk of a year simply thinking about “what kind of album I was going to make and what kinds of songs were going to be on the album,” he says. “I jotted down ideas on paper, made little voice memos with ideas of songs, melodies and choruses, or sometimes even just talked into a voice recorder.”\NWith these ideas as a foundation, Dennen was well-prepared by the time he hunkered down in late 2023 to formalize his rough ideas into songs. “Making them a reality all happened very fast,” he says. “These songs were in my head and came out when I had the guitar in my hand. I would record one, put it away and then come back a few days or a few weeks later and listen to it: ‘Okay, I think that's done. That's good enough. Move on, move on, move on.’”\NDennen naturally wrote some songs directly about his dad. But he also wanted If It Takes Forever to tackle his new reality going forward. “It was evaluating life—like, what did this person mean to me?” he says. “What did they inspire in me? What do I think life is about now? Who's the person I really want to be?” But he also found himself turning to broader philosophical questions. “I was also thinking about the state of life: What is life? What does it mean? What's it all about?”\NThis lent itself to lyrics full of vibrant imagery with multiple layers of meaning. Among his favorite songs is the gentle, folksy “In the Garden,” which was indirectly inspired by his parents and the impressive vegetable garden they tended. “I don't necessarily think it's a song about my dad—or a song about him speaking to my mom, per se—but I think it's a song about love and putting your intention into something,” Dennen explains. “Metaphorically, it’s about taking care of something and creating something beautiful, but it’s also a literal place for beautiful things to grow, and a calm place to find solace in.”\NAnother favorite is “Wood Canoe,” a narrative-driven story of humble man who has a knack for building a canoe out of wood, with lyrics speaking to the idea of metaphorically taking somebody away to a better place, he explains. “It feels like a Cat Stevens song and has a little bit of Latin rhythm to it.” Dennen also loves “Another Day in Babylon” because of its rumbling groove—and the fact it’s very literal, as he based the lyrics on things that happened in his own life. The easygoing opening track, “Chipping Away,” meanwhile, touches on resilience and the importance of persevering even when things might not be falling into place the way you’d like. “There's so many things I want to do and so many things I haven't done—and I'm the one holding myself back from doing those things,” he explains. “But that's just life, I guess—and here's an opportunity to celebrate that.”\NDennen recorded If It Takes Forever quickly, “in a whirlwind five days” in Los Angeles with the musicians in his live band and another long-time collaborator serving as producer, Jon Solo. This full-band configuration gave the album a distinct feeling of immediacy but also lends itself to depth-filled arrangements. Organ courses through the standout “Dharma Baby” while plaintive piano adds sharp melancholy to the meditative “Star Surfer.”\N“We haven't recorded an album together before now,” he notes. “But it was easy to trust everyone and get excited about what we were creating together. We felt like a team; I've never had that feeling before. That’s why I think it was easy to get so much done in a short amount of time.”\NIn general, Dennen prefers recording live with a band anyway. But the bond he had formed with his bandmates across years of traveling around together on the road made the If It Takes Forever experience especially seamless—namely because everyone contributed parts and ideas in the studio during the process. “I was really impressed with everybody's ability to help me get to a place where I was feeling good about the direction it was going,’ he says. “It wasn't me or the producer saying, ‘I want you to do this. I was hoping you would do this.’ It wasn't like ‘This is Brett’s album’—it was like, let's just make this music the best that the four of us can make it.”\NSince debuting in 2004 with a self-titled album, Dennen has amassed a loyal fanbase thanks to a steady touring schedule, including alongside artists like John Mayer, Jason Mraz and G Love and Special Sauce, as well as multiple song placements in the TV show Parenthood. Another tune, "Comeback Kid (That's My Dog)," became the theme song for the TV adaptation About A Boy. Along the way, Dennen has also had multiple top 10 hits on the AAA radio charts, with the keening title track of See the World, an encouraging song about growing up and forging your own path in life, landing at No. 4 in 2021.\NWith If It Takes Forever, Dennen plans to hit the road once again, but he possesses additional perspective on—and gratitude for—the solace provided by art and music. “To really boil it down, this is life,” he says. “Life is full of things that get complicated and make you busy, and are really hard to deal with. But if you write songs about it, and put it into art, then it makes it a lot more relevant and meaningful and worthy of celebration.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Across his career, Brett Dennen has established himself as the kind of singer-songwriter who finds inspiration by digging into the nooks and crannies of the human condition—exploring pain, joy, sadness, and all points in between. If It Takes Forever (Mick Music), the California native’s eighth solo album and first full-length since 2021’s See the World, is no exception. The warm, immersive collection boasts deeply felt sentiments, underpinned by rich acoustic guitars and Dennen’s earnest vocals, in the vein of dusky Americana (“Golden State of Mind”), harmonica-driven blues (the Tom Petty-esque “Careful What You Wish For”), rootsy indie (“Don’t Go Talking”), and meditative folk-rock (highlight “Time To Wake Up”).
If It Takes Forever emerged out of a tough 2023 for Dennen, as he was dealing with the death of his dad. “He was such a strong figure in my life that I depended on so much as both a dad and a best friend,” he said. “And I knew immediately in order for me to deal with his death, the best thing I could do was to make an album about it.”
Understandably, Dennen took his time coming up with song ideas for If It Takes Forever, and spent the bulk of a year simply thinking about “what kind of album I was going to make and what kinds of songs were going to be on the album,” he says. “I jotted down ideas on paper, made little voice memos with ideas of songs, melodies and choruses, or sometimes even just talked into a voice recorder.”
With these ideas as a foundation, Dennen was well-prepared by the time he hunkered down in late 2023 to formalize his rough ideas into songs. “Making them a reality all happened very fast,” he says. “These songs were in my head and came out when I had the guitar in my hand. I would record one, put it away and then come back a few days or a few weeks later and listen to it: ‘Okay, I think that's done. That's good enough. Move on, move on, move on.’”
Dennen naturally wrote some songs directly about his dad. But he also wanted If It Takes Forever to tackle his new reality going forward. “It was evaluating life—like, what did this person mean to me?” he says. “What did they inspire in me? What do I think life is about now? Who's the person I really want to be?” But he also found himself turning to broader philosophical questions. “I was also thinking about the state of life: What is life? What does it mean? What's it all about?”
This lent itself to lyrics full of vibrant imagery with multiple layers of meaning. Among his favorite songs is the gentle, folksy “In the Garden,” which was indirectly inspired by his parents and the impressive vegetable garden they tended. “I don't necessarily think it's a song about my dad—or a song about him speaking to my mom, per se—but I think it's a song about love and putting your intention into something,” Dennen explains. “Metaphorically, it’s about taking care of something and creating something beautiful, but it’s also a literal place for beautiful things to grow, and a calm place to find solace in.”
Another favorite is “Wood Canoe,” a narrative-driven story of humble man who has a knack for building a canoe out of wood, with lyrics speaking to the idea of metaphorically taking somebody away to a better place, he explains. “It feels like a Cat Stevens song and has a little bit of Latin rhythm to it.” Dennen also loves “Another Day in Babylon” because of its rumbling groove—and the fact it’s very literal, as he based the lyrics on things that happened in his own life. The easygoing opening track, “Chipping Away,” meanwhile, touches on resilience and the importance of persevering even when things might not be falling into place the way you’d like. “There's so many things I want to do and so many things I haven't done—and I'm the one holding myself back from doing those things,” he explains. “But that's just life, I guess—and here's an opportunity to celebrate that.”
Dennen recorded If It Takes Forever quickly, “in a whirlwind five days” in Los Angeles with the musicians in his live band and another long-time collaborator serving as producer, Jon Solo. This full-band configuration gave the album a distinct feeling of immediacy but also lends itself to depth-filled arrangements. Organ courses through the standout “Dharma Baby” while plaintive piano adds sharp melancholy to the meditative “Star Surfer.”
“We haven't recorded an album together before now,” he notes. “But it was easy to trust everyone and get excited about what we were creating together. We felt like a team; I've never had that feeling before. That’s why I think it was easy to get so much done in a short amount of time.”
In general, Dennen prefers recording live with a band anyway. But the bond he had formed with his bandmates across years of traveling around together on the road made the If It Takes Forever experience especially seamless—namely because everyone contributed parts and ideas in the studio during the process. “I was really impressed with everybody's ability to help me get to a place where I was feeling good about the direction it was going,’ he says. “It wasn't me or the producer saying, ‘I want you to do this. I was hoping you would do this.’ It wasn't like ‘This is Brett’s album’—it was like, let's just make this music the best that the four of us can make it.”
Since debuting in 2004 with a self-titled album, Dennen has amassed a loyal fanbase thanks to a steady touring schedule, including alongside artists like John Mayer, Jason Mraz and G Love and Special Sauce, as well as multiple song placements in the TV show Parenthood. Another tune, "Comeback Kid (That's My Dog)," became the theme song for the TV adaptation About A Boy. Along the way, Dennen has also had multiple top 10 hits on the AAA radio charts, with the keening title track of See the World, an encouraging song about growing up and forging your own path in life, landing at No. 4 in 2021.
With If It Takes Forever, Dennen plans to hit the road once again, but he possesses additional perspective on—and gratitude for—the solace provided by art and music. “To really boil it down, this is life,” he says. “Life is full of things that get complicated and make you busy, and are really hard to deal with. But if you write songs about it, and put it into art, then it makes it a lot more relevant and meaningful and worthy of celebration.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T203841Z SEQUENCE:7868401 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2660 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-09 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260303T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260303T233000 UID:6CF72015-8E6B-46E1-AADB-18A2C1C70EF7 SUMMARY:Brett Dennen (Night 2) CREATED:20251120T185840Z DTSTAMP:20251120T185840Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/brett-dennen-night-4 DESCRIPTION:Across his career, Brett Dennen has established himself as the kind of singer-songwriter who finds inspiration by digging into the nooks and crannies of the human condition—exploring pain, joy, sadness, and all points in between. If It Takes Forever (Mick Music), the California native’s eighth solo album and first full-length since 2021’s See the World, is no exception. The warm, immersive collection boasts deeply felt sentiments, underpinned by rich acoustic guitars and Dennen’s earnest vocals, in the vein of dusky Americana (“Golden State of Mind”), harmonica-driven blues (the Tom Petty-esque “Careful What You Wish For”), rootsy indie (“Don’t Go Talking”), and meditative folk-rock (highlight “Time To Wake Up”).\NIf It Takes Forever emerged out of a tough 2023 for Dennen, as he was dealing with the death of his dad. “He was such a strong figure in my life that I depended on so much as both a dad and a best friend,” he said. “And I knew immediately in order for me to deal with his death, the best thing I could do was to make an album about it.”\NUnderstandably, Dennen took his time coming up with song ideas for If It Takes Forever, and spent the bulk of a year simply thinking about “what kind of album I was going to make and what kinds of songs were going to be on the album,” he says. “I jotted down ideas on paper, made little voice memos with ideas of songs, melodies and choruses, or sometimes even just talked into a voice recorder.”\NWith these ideas as a foundation, Dennen was well-prepared by the time he hunkered down in late 2023 to formalize his rough ideas into songs. “Making them a reality all happened very fast,” he says. “These songs were in my head and came out when I had the guitar in my hand. I would record one, put it away and then come back a few days or a few weeks later and listen to it: ‘Okay, I think that's done. That's good enough. Move on, move on, move on.’”\NDennen naturally wrote some songs directly about his dad. But he also wanted If It Takes Forever to tackle his new reality going forward. “It was evaluating life—like, what did this person mean to me?” he says. “What did they inspire in me? What do I think life is about now? Who's the person I really want to be?” But he also found himself turning to broader philosophical questions. “I was also thinking about the state of life: What is life? What does it mean? What's it all about?”\NThis lent itself to lyrics full of vibrant imagery with multiple layers of meaning. Among his favorite songs is the gentle, folksy “In the Garden,” which was indirectly inspired by his parents and the impressive vegetable garden they tended. “I don't necessarily think it's a song about my dad—or a song about him speaking to my mom, per se—but I think it's a song about love and putting your intention into something,” Dennen explains. “Metaphorically, it’s about taking care of something and creating something beautiful, but it’s also a literal place for beautiful things to grow, and a calm place to find solace in.”\NAnother favorite is “Wood Canoe,” a narrative-driven story of humble man who has a knack for building a canoe out of wood, with lyrics speaking to the idea of metaphorically taking somebody away to a better place, he explains. “It feels like a Cat Stevens song and has a little bit of Latin rhythm to it.” Dennen also loves “Another Day in Babylon” because of its rumbling groove—and the fact it’s very literal, as he based the lyrics on things that happened in his own life. The easygoing opening track, “Chipping Away,” meanwhile, touches on resilience and the importance of persevering even when things might not be falling into place the way you’d like. “There's so many things I want to do and so many things I haven't done—and I'm the one holding myself back from doing those things,” he explains. “But that's just life, I guess—and here's an opportunity to celebrate that.”\NDennen recorded If It Takes Forever quickly, “in a whirlwind five days” in Los Angeles with the musicians in his live band and another long-time collaborator serving as producer, Jon Solo. This full-band configuration gave the album a distinct feeling of immediacy but also lends itself to depth-filled arrangements. Organ courses through the standout “Dharma Baby” while plaintive piano adds sharp melancholy to the meditative “Star Surfer.”\N“We haven't recorded an album together before now,” he notes. “But it was easy to trust everyone and get excited about what we were creating together. We felt like a team; I've never had that feeling before. That’s why I think it was easy to get so much done in a short amount of time.”\NIn general, Dennen prefers recording live with a band anyway. But the bond he had formed with his bandmates across years of traveling around together on the road made the If It Takes Forever experience especially seamless—namely because everyone contributed parts and ideas in the studio during the process. “I was really impressed with everybody's ability to help me get to a place where I was feeling good about the direction it was going,’ he says. “It wasn't me or the producer saying, ‘I want you to do this. I was hoping you would do this.’ It wasn't like ‘This is Brett’s album’—it was like, let's just make this music the best that the four of us can make it.”\NSince debuting in 2004 with a self-titled album, Dennen has amassed a loyal fanbase thanks to a steady touring schedule, including alongside artists like John Mayer, Jason Mraz and G Love and Special Sauce, as well as multiple song placements in the TV show Parenthood. Another tune, "Comeback Kid (That's My Dog)," became the theme song for the TV adaptation About A Boy. Along the way, Dennen has also had multiple top 10 hits on the AAA radio charts, with the keening title track of See the World, an encouraging song about growing up and forging your own path in life, landing at No. 4 in 2021.\NWith If It Takes Forever, Dennen plans to hit the road once again, but he possesses additional perspective on—and gratitude for—the solace provided by art and music. “To really boil it down, this is life,” he says. “Life is full of things that get complicated and make you busy, and are really hard to deal with. But if you write songs about it, and put it into art, then it makes it a lot more relevant and meaningful and worthy of celebration.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Across his career, Brett Dennen has established himself as the kind of singer-songwriter who finds inspiration by digging into the nooks and crannies of the human condition—exploring pain, joy, sadness, and all points in between. If It Takes Forever (Mick Music), the California native’s eighth solo album and first full-length since 2021’s See the World, is no exception. The warm, immersive collection boasts deeply felt sentiments, underpinned by rich acoustic guitars and Dennen’s earnest vocals, in the vein of dusky Americana (“Golden State of Mind”), harmonica-driven blues (the Tom Petty-esque “Careful What You Wish For”), rootsy indie (“Don’t Go Talking”), and meditative folk-rock (highlight “Time To Wake Up”).
If It Takes Forever emerged out of a tough 2023 for Dennen, as he was dealing with the death of his dad. “He was such a strong figure in my life that I depended on so much as both a dad and a best friend,” he said. “And I knew immediately in order for me to deal with his death, the best thing I could do was to make an album about it.”
Understandably, Dennen took his time coming up with song ideas for If It Takes Forever, and spent the bulk of a year simply thinking about “what kind of album I was going to make and what kinds of songs were going to be on the album,” he says. “I jotted down ideas on paper, made little voice memos with ideas of songs, melodies and choruses, or sometimes even just talked into a voice recorder.”
With these ideas as a foundation, Dennen was well-prepared by the time he hunkered down in late 2023 to formalize his rough ideas into songs. “Making them a reality all happened very fast,” he says. “These songs were in my head and came out when I had the guitar in my hand. I would record one, put it away and then come back a few days or a few weeks later and listen to it: ‘Okay, I think that's done. That's good enough. Move on, move on, move on.’”
Dennen naturally wrote some songs directly about his dad. But he also wanted If It Takes Forever to tackle his new reality going forward. “It was evaluating life—like, what did this person mean to me?” he says. “What did they inspire in me? What do I think life is about now? Who's the person I really want to be?” But he also found himself turning to broader philosophical questions. “I was also thinking about the state of life: What is life? What does it mean? What's it all about?”
This lent itself to lyrics full of vibrant imagery with multiple layers of meaning. Among his favorite songs is the gentle, folksy “In the Garden,” which was indirectly inspired by his parents and the impressive vegetable garden they tended. “I don't necessarily think it's a song about my dad—or a song about him speaking to my mom, per se—but I think it's a song about love and putting your intention into something,” Dennen explains. “Metaphorically, it’s about taking care of something and creating something beautiful, but it’s also a literal place for beautiful things to grow, and a calm place to find solace in.”
Another favorite is “Wood Canoe,” a narrative-driven story of humble man who has a knack for building a canoe out of wood, with lyrics speaking to the idea of metaphorically taking somebody away to a better place, he explains. “It feels like a Cat Stevens song and has a little bit of Latin rhythm to it.” Dennen also loves “Another Day in Babylon” because of its rumbling groove—and the fact it’s very literal, as he based the lyrics on things that happened in his own life. The easygoing opening track, “Chipping Away,” meanwhile, touches on resilience and the importance of persevering even when things might not be falling into place the way you’d like. “There's so many things I want to do and so many things I haven't done—and I'm the one holding myself back from doing those things,” he explains. “But that's just life, I guess—and here's an opportunity to celebrate that.”
Dennen recorded If It Takes Forever quickly, “in a whirlwind five days” in Los Angeles with the musicians in his live band and another long-time collaborator serving as producer, Jon Solo. This full-band configuration gave the album a distinct feeling of immediacy but also lends itself to depth-filled arrangements. Organ courses through the standout “Dharma Baby” while plaintive piano adds sharp melancholy to the meditative “Star Surfer.”
“We haven't recorded an album together before now,” he notes. “But it was easy to trust everyone and get excited about what we were creating together. We felt like a team; I've never had that feeling before. That’s why I think it was easy to get so much done in a short amount of time.”
In general, Dennen prefers recording live with a band anyway. But the bond he had formed with his bandmates across years of traveling around together on the road made the If It Takes Forever experience especially seamless—namely because everyone contributed parts and ideas in the studio during the process. “I was really impressed with everybody's ability to help me get to a place where I was feeling good about the direction it was going,’ he says. “It wasn't me or the producer saying, ‘I want you to do this. I was hoping you would do this.’ It wasn't like ‘This is Brett’s album’—it was like, let's just make this music the best that the four of us can make it.”
Since debuting in 2004 with a self-titled album, Dennen has amassed a loyal fanbase thanks to a steady touring schedule, including alongside artists like John Mayer, Jason Mraz and G Love and Special Sauce, as well as multiple song placements in the TV show Parenthood. Another tune, "Comeback Kid (That's My Dog)," became the theme song for the TV adaptation About A Boy. Along the way, Dennen has also had multiple top 10 hits on the AAA radio charts, with the keening title track of See the World, an encouraging song about growing up and forging your own path in life, landing at No. 4 in 2021.
With If It Takes Forever, Dennen plans to hit the road once again, but he possesses additional perspective on—and gratitude for—the solace provided by art and music. “To really boil it down, this is life,” he says. “Life is full of things that get complicated and make you busy, and are really hard to deal with. But if you write songs about it, and put it into art, then it makes it a lot more relevant and meaningful and worthy of celebration.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20260223T163455Z SEQUENCE:8199375 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1036 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-09 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260305T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260305T233000 UID:83870A9A-872E-4D40-B47F-6D11F314B68E SUMMARY:Sam Greenfield CREATED:20251008T173203Z DTSTAMP:20251008T173203Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/sam-greenfield DESCRIPTION:Multi-instrumentalist and artist Sam Greenfield has made a name for himself in the music industry playing alongside some of the biggest names in the biz. He has toured extensively with Vulfpeck’s Cory Wong, Joss Stone, Dave Koz, and Thank You Scientist.\NBut he's not just a hired gun - Sam made waves with his latest release “Sam Greenfield Rules,” blending the sophistication of jazz with the lively spirit of pop and funk to create a sound that is uniquely his own. He has built a loyal following, drawing in listeners with his irresistible melodies, grooves, vibrant energy and infectious personality.\NAnd he's no stranger to the recording studio either, having worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran, John Legend, Mariah Carey, Queen Latifah, and more. With his fourth album on the horizon for early 2025, Sam Greenfield is sure to cement his place as one of the most exciting musicians on the scene today. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Multi-instrumentalist and artist Sam Greenfield has made a name for himself in the music industry playing alongside some of the biggest names in the biz. He has toured extensively with Vulfpeck’s Cory Wong, Joss Stone, Dave Koz, and Thank You Scientist.
But he's not just a hired gun - Sam made waves with his latest release “Sam Greenfield Rules,” blending the sophistication of jazz with the lively spirit of pop and funk to create a sound that is uniquely his own. He has built a loyal following, drawing in listeners with his irresistible melodies, grooves, vibrant energy and infectious personality.
And he's no stranger to the recording studio either, having worked with the likes of Ed Sheeran, John Legend, Mariah Carey, Queen Latifah, and more. With his fourth album on the horizon for early 2025, Sam Greenfield is sure to cement his place as one of the most exciting musicians on the scene today.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260223T204510Z SEQUENCE:11934787 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2061 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-10-09 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260306T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260306T233000 UID:29433CAA-DF1A-49D2-BDA5-F3C235559950 SUMMARY:WIA PechaKucha Night CREATED:20260217T191843Z DTSTAMP:20260217T191843Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/wia-pechakucha-night-2 DESCRIPTION:Women in Architecture SLC (WIA SLC) was organized in 2012. The goal of the organization is gender parity in the professional field of architecture, and seeks to achieve that goal through community, mentorship and advocacy.\NStudies show that architecture is a profession that struggles to retain women. Although nationally women graduating with professional degrees in architecture make up nearly 50% of the graduating class, less than 20% go on to get licensed. Women in roles of leadership within a firm are less than 8% nationally. Unfortunately these are national statistics, and the percentages in our local community in Utah are even lower than that.\NWIA SLC supports the local community of women architects in a number of different ways, such as holding community events, sponsoring licensing exams for women architectural interns, providing mentoring opportunities and by sponsoring design competitions that benefit the community X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Women in Architecture SLC (WIA SLC) was organized in 2012. The goal of the organization is gender parity in the professional field of architecture, and seeks to achieve that goal through community, mentorship and advocacy.
Studies show that architecture is a profession that struggles to retain women. Although nationally women graduating with professional degrees in architecture make up nearly 50% of the graduating class, less than 20% go on to get licensed. Women in roles of leadership within a firm are less than 8% nationally. Unfortunately these are national statistics, and the percentages in our local community in Utah are even lower than that.
WIA SLC supports the local community of women architects in a number of different ways, such as holding community events, sponsoring licensing exams for women architectural interns, providing mentoring opportunities and by sponsoring design competitions that benefit the community
LAST-MODIFIED:20260223T163337Z SEQUENCE:508494 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:576 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260307T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260307T233000 UID:650A69D4-D518-4C64-96C5-34CB8809B6D6 SUMMARY:Ronnie Baker Brooks CREATED:20260107T164119Z DTSTAMP:20260107T164119Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/ronnie-baker-brooks-2 DESCRIPTION:Chicago guitarist, vocalist and songwriter and multiple Blues Music Award-winner Ronnie Baker Brooks is one of the city’s—and the world’s—most undeniably talented and electrifying bluesmen. Ronnie was born into Chicago blues royalty as the son of legendary multiple GRAMMY Award nominee, Blues Hall Of Famer, and longtime Alligator Records recording star Lonnie Brooks. He is among the few contemporary blues artists who learned his craft directly from many of the genre’s icons, including Albert Collins, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor and, most significantly, his father. “I’m blessed to have played with and learned from the best. I’m carrying them within me,” he says of all the legends he knew growing up and the journey he’s been on.\NWith his new Blues Music Award-winning Alligator Records debut, Blues In My DNA, Ronnie delivers an up-to-the-minute, organic masterpiece. The album, the fifth of his career, is firmly rooted in the blues with Ronnie incorporating his own brand of rock, funk and soul to the mix. “I just play what I feel,” he says. “It’s all from the heart.” Produced by famed studio wizard Jim Gaines (who has produced Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lonnie Brooks, Luther Allison and many others), Blues In My DNA is a career-defining statement from Baker Brooks, with each of the 11 original songs its own chapter in his ever-evolving story. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Chicago guitarist, vocalist and songwriter and multiple Blues Music Award-winner Ronnie Baker Brooks is one of the city’s—and the world’s—most undeniably talented and electrifying bluesmen. Ronnie was born into Chicago blues royalty as the son of legendary multiple GRAMMY Award nominee, Blues Hall Of Famer, and longtime Alligator Records recording star Lonnie Brooks. He is among the few contemporary blues artists who learned his craft directly from many of the genre’s icons, including Albert Collins, B.B. King, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor and, most significantly, his father. “I’m blessed to have played with and learned from the best. I’m carrying them within me,” he says of all the legends he knew growing up and the journey he’s been on.
With his new Blues Music Award-winning Alligator Records debut, Blues In My DNA, Ronnie delivers an up-to-the-minute, organic masterpiece. The album, the fifth of his career, is firmly rooted in the blues with Ronnie incorporating his own brand of rock, funk and soul to the mix. “I just play what I feel,” he says. “It’s all from the heart.” Produced by famed studio wizard Jim Gaines (who has produced Santana, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Lonnie Brooks, Luther Allison and many others), Blues In My DNA is a career-defining statement from Baker Brooks, with each of the 11 original songs its own chapter in his ever-evolving story.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260223T163409Z SEQUENCE:4060370 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1751 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-13 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260311T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260311T233000 UID:2F32035B-20E1-41E4-8177-0A8F7E76A384 SUMMARY:Sugaray Rayford CREATED:20260107T165641Z DTSTAMP:20260107T165641Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/sugaray-rayford DESCRIPTION:Sugaray Rayford is a man with a message and a larger than life personality and voice to deliver it. Working with producer, songwriter Eric Corne for the past 3 albums, the soul-blues powerhouse has crafted an incendiary sound and narrative, combining classic soul melodies and funky R & B grooves with raw blues power.\NThe pair's first collaboration, Somebody Save Me, earned Rayford a 2020 Grammy nomination. Later that year he took home Blues Music Awards for 'Soul Blues Male Artist' and 'B.B. King Entertainer of the Year.' Rayford’s follow up In Too Deep won a plethora of awards including the Blues Music Award for ‘Soul Blues Album of the Year’.\NRayford’s new release is entitled ‘Human Decency’. The title track is a simple reminder that our similarities are stronger than our differences and in the end, there is no black or white or left or right, there are only hearts and minds. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Sugaray Rayford is a man with a message and a larger than life personality and voice to deliver it. Working with producer, songwriter Eric Corne for the past 3 albums, the soul-blues powerhouse has crafted an incendiary sound and narrative, combining classic soul melodies and funky R & B grooves with raw blues power.
The pair's first collaboration, Somebody Save Me, earned Rayford a 2020 Grammy nomination. Later that year he took home Blues Music Awards for 'Soul Blues Male Artist' and 'B.B. King Entertainer of the Year.' Rayford’s follow up In Too Deep won a plethora of awards including the Blues Music Award for ‘Soul Blues Album of the Year’.
Rayford’s new release is entitled ‘Human Decency’. The title track is a simple reminder that our similarities are stronger than our differences and in the end, there is no black or white or left or right, there are only hearts and minds.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260302T171826Z SEQUENCE:4666905 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1078 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-13 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260312T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260312T233000 UID:F1B2F474-76FE-4AE0-B1C9-7ECA46A6C182 SUMMARY:AJ Lee & Blue Summit CREATED:20251020T163204Z DTSTAMP:20251020T163204Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/aj-lee-blue-summit-3 DESCRIPTION:AJ Lee & Blue Summit are an award-winning, energetic, charming, and technically jaw-dropping bluegrass band quickly rising on the national roots music scene. Based in Santa Cruz, California, the group met as teenagers, picking and jamming together as kids at local bluegrass festivals until one day, they decided they would be a band.\NCity of Glass is a slow burn album, remarkable when considered alongside records released by their peers in recent years. Lee & Blue Summit seem unconcerned with mimicking or emulating other successful groups in their scenes. Instead, they’re most interested in discovering themselves, their own music, and sonics and textures truly their own. And, they’re most interested in doing so with their musical and Californian communities.\NCity of Glass, as a result, is an album that’s just as much country soul and gritty, bluesy Americana as it is rock club and festival-ready string band fare, all framed through a California folk lens while clearly primed for a much wider audience.\NAJ Lee & Blue Summit are an exemplary band so unconcerned with being remembered, with being enshrined, that they have gone about making a set of songs that will surely be held onto and cherished forever. City of Glass may one day crumble, but this music will never fade away. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:AJ Lee & Blue Summit are an award-winning, energetic, charming, and technically jaw-dropping bluegrass band quickly rising on the national roots music scene. Based in Santa Cruz, California, the group met as teenagers, picking and jamming together as kids at local bluegrass festivals until one day, they decided they would be a band.
City of Glass is a slow burn album, remarkable when considered alongside records released by their peers in recent years. Lee & Blue Summit seem unconcerned with mimicking or emulating other successful groups in their scenes. Instead, they’re most interested in discovering themselves, their own music, and sonics and textures truly their own. And, they’re most interested in doing so with their musical and Californian communities.
City of Glass, as a result, is an album that’s just as much country soul and gritty, bluesy Americana as it is rock club and festival-ready string band fare, all framed through a California folk lens while clearly primed for a much wider audience.
AJ Lee & Blue Summit are an exemplary band so unconcerned with being remembered, with being enshrined, that they have gone about making a set of songs that will surely be held onto and cherished forever. City of Glass may one day crumble, but this music will never fade away.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260312T213443Z SEQUENCE:12373359 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2261 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-10-21 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260313T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260313T233000 UID:46BB111C-7898-42AD-953E-7B482CDA496B SUMMARY:Micky & The Motorcars CREATED:20260122T200040Z DTSTAMP:20260122T200040Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/micky-the-motorcars DESCRIPTION:For a handful of summers about 30 years ago, tourists who wandered into a large dancehall in Stanley, Idaho, witnessed a family tradition finding new life. Young and old sat shoulder-to-shoulder, taking a break from the town’s mountain hikes and river campgrounds to take in Muzzie Braun and the Boys––a local family band who’d made it to the Grand Ole Opry, effortlessly spouted cowboy poetry and Western swing at gatherings around the country, and featured Muzzie’s four young sons––precocious boys with rock-and-roll futures.\N“There were kids running around, people dancing,” says Micky Braun, the youngest brother who first climbed on stage to join the family when he was about five years-old. “Gary and I’d get up and play a couple of songs, then we’d get off and the older brothers would stay up and play a couple more. It’s pretty funny, looking back on it.” He laughs a little, then adds, still smiling, “That’s how we got started playing.”\NThe Braun brothers never stopped. Big brothers Cody and Willy started Reckless Kelly, and Micky and Gary left Idaho for Austin and started Micky and the Motorcars, a road-dogging favorite whose nonstop tour for the last 17 years has defined not just the lives of the brothers, but also shaped Austin’s roots-rock resurgence that has played out over the last two decades. With their anticipated new album Long Time Comin’, the Motorcars cement their place as elder statesmen of that alt-country scene who have managed to master that ever-elusive blend of artistic familiarity and surprise.\N“I hope people take the time to hear the album as a whole, and I hope they like it,” Gary says from his home in Austin. “I think this one is a little bit better.” He pauses and laughs as he drawls, “So I hope they like it a little more.”\NFor the Motorcars, the question is never really whether to tour but where to play next. Gary––who handles guitar, mandolin, harmonica, harmonies, and occasionally lead vocals––and Micky, lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist, are joined in the Motorcars by Andy Carrell on bass, Bobby Paugh on drums and percussion, and new bandmate Pablo Trujillo on guitar. The combination of familiar and fresh players has reinvigorated the Motorcars’ live show, which buzzes through a low-key rock-and-roll rapture built on grooves and the Brauns’ signature harmonies.\NA mix of new and old also shaped the Long Time Comin’ recording process. Produced by Keith Gattis, the 11-song album relied in part on Gattis’ go-to Nashville studio players––a first for the Motorcars. “It still sounds like Micky and the Motorcars, but it was fun working with different guys who we’d never worked with before,” Micky says. “They’ve been Keith’s band for 15 years. He can say, ‘Give me a shuffle with a boom-chuck,’ and they know what he’s talking about.”\NThe band isn’t the only change on Long Time Comin’. Gary, who has always contributed a song or two to Motorcar records, wrote or co-wrote six of the album’s tracks and sings every tune he penned. “I don’t think I decided to really write more––I think I just got better at it and worked a little harder at it the past couple of years,” Gary says. “In the past, I just let Micky do it because he was good at it. It was easy for me not to do it.”\NMicky loves the shift. “It’s almost a split album between the two of us on lead vocal––very different from our normal,” he says. “I think our fans will enjoy it. They always love the songs Gary sings live. They always want him to sing more.”\NThe album kicks off with the ambling “Road to You.” Written by Micky and Courtney Patton, the rollicking singalong is classic Motorcars and an ideal welcome mat for the collection. Sauntering “Rodeo Girl” swings and punches up the pace, before “Alone Again Tonight”––a Gary track written with Gattis––watches loneliness with empathetic ache.\NSeveral tracks take note of the universal search for comfort––even when it’s not the stuff of fairytales or even particularly dignified. Over crunchy guitars, “Stranger Tonight” captures an evening’s quest for no-strings companionship. “It was an idea I had just watching people at bars––that lonely girl I saw time and time again but with a different set of glasses, over and over,” Gary says. “It seems like everybody can relate to that––out looking for something new that doesn’t have to be love.”\NSweet and sad, “Break My Heart,” another track penned by Gary with Jeff Crosby, looks back after the end of a relationship. “You’re not mad anymore but you’re thankful of the good times,” Gary says. “It’s also about finding yourself again. It’s a moving-on song.” Quiet and sparse, the Gary-penned “Run into You” details a longing to cross paths with an ex-lover who’s moved on with heartbreaking clarity.\NAnchored by crying B-3 organ, “Hold This Town Together” explores the struggle to enjoy what once was easy after the loss of someone who’ll never come back. After years of trying, Micky wrote the song for Mark, a friend and the Motorcars’ first bassist, who passed away. “Hold This Town,” written by Micky and Jeff Crosby, muses over the hometown faces and places that never change. “There are the same people at the same bars, the same people working at the grocery stores,” Micky says, then adds with a laugh, “It’s kind of a depressing party song.” Another Jeff Crosby-Micky collaboration, “Thank My Mother’s God” pays beautiful tribute to moms and their devotion to their black sheep, running wild.\NTwo album standouts stand tall: “Lions of Kandahar,” written by Gary alone, and the title track, which Micky penned with master songwriter Bruce Robison. Over instrumentation that evokes the tense hum of Middle Eastern military activity, “Lions of Kandahar” follows a deployment from a first-person perspective. The result is jarring, compelling, and deeply human––a breathtaking piece of songwriting that took five years to complete. Winsome “Long Time Comin’” is an ode to the satisfaction of patience and perseverance rewarded in different forms––a stunning tapestry that also reflects the road to the album itself.\NGuitars and songs at the ready, Micky and Gary hope most of all that their sprawling cross-continental fanbase connect with Long Time Comin’, a collection four years in the making. “If you can put your heart on your sleeve and say it, it’s the best medicine for people,” Micky says, reflecting on the album. “They can lock into it and enjoy the ride.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:For a handful of summers about 30 years ago, tourists who wandered into a large dancehall in Stanley, Idaho, witnessed a family tradition finding new life. Young and old sat shoulder-to-shoulder, taking a break from the town’s mountain hikes and river campgrounds to take in Muzzie Braun and the Boys––a local family band who’d made it to the Grand Ole Opry, effortlessly spouted cowboy poetry and Western swing at gatherings around the country, and featured Muzzie’s four young sons––precocious boys with rock-and-roll futures.
“There were kids running around, people dancing,” says Micky Braun, the youngest brother who first climbed on stage to join the family when he was about five years-old. “Gary and I’d get up and play a couple of songs, then we’d get off and the older brothers would stay up and play a couple more. It’s pretty funny, looking back on it.” He laughs a little, then adds, still smiling, “That’s how we got started playing.”
The Braun brothers never stopped. Big brothers Cody and Willy started Reckless Kelly, and Micky and Gary left Idaho for Austin and started Micky and the Motorcars, a road-dogging favorite whose nonstop tour for the last 17 years has defined not just the lives of the brothers, but also shaped Austin’s roots-rock resurgence that has played out over the last two decades. With their anticipated new album Long Time Comin’, the Motorcars cement their place as elder statesmen of that alt-country scene who have managed to master that ever-elusive blend of artistic familiarity and surprise.
“I hope people take the time to hear the album as a whole, and I hope they like it,” Gary says from his home in Austin. “I think this one is a little bit better.” He pauses and laughs as he drawls, “So I hope they like it a little more.”
For the Motorcars, the question is never really whether to tour but where to play next. Gary––who handles guitar, mandolin, harmonica, harmonies, and occasionally lead vocals––and Micky, lead vocalist and acoustic guitarist, are joined in the Motorcars by Andy Carrell on bass, Bobby Paugh on drums and percussion, and new bandmate Pablo Trujillo on guitar. The combination of familiar and fresh players has reinvigorated the Motorcars’ live show, which buzzes through a low-key rock-and-roll rapture built on grooves and the Brauns’ signature harmonies.
A mix of new and old also shaped the Long Time Comin’ recording process. Produced by Keith Gattis, the 11-song album relied in part on Gattis’ go-to Nashville studio players––a first for the Motorcars. “It still sounds like Micky and the Motorcars, but it was fun working with different guys who we’d never worked with before,” Micky says. “They’ve been Keith’s band for 15 years. He can say, ‘Give me a shuffle with a boom-chuck,’ and they know what he’s talking about.”
The band isn’t the only change on Long Time Comin’. Gary, who has always contributed a song or two to Motorcar records, wrote or co-wrote six of the album’s tracks and sings every tune he penned. “I don’t think I decided to really write more––I think I just got better at it and worked a little harder at it the past couple of years,” Gary says. “In the past, I just let Micky do it because he was good at it. It was easy for me not to do it.”
Micky loves the shift. “It’s almost a split album between the two of us on lead vocal––very different from our normal,” he says. “I think our fans will enjoy it. They always love the songs Gary sings live. They always want him to sing more.”
The album kicks off with the ambling “Road to You.” Written by Micky and Courtney Patton, the rollicking singalong is classic Motorcars and an ideal welcome mat for the collection. Sauntering “Rodeo Girl” swings and punches up the pace, before “Alone Again Tonight”––a Gary track written with Gattis––watches loneliness with empathetic ache.
Several tracks take note of the universal search for comfort––even when it’s not the stuff of fairytales or even particularly dignified. Over crunchy guitars, “Stranger Tonight” captures an evening’s quest for no-strings companionship. “It was an idea I had just watching people at bars––that lonely girl I saw time and time again but with a different set of glasses, over and over,” Gary says. “It seems like everybody can relate to that––out looking for something new that doesn’t have to be love.”
Sweet and sad, “Break My Heart,” another track penned by Gary with Jeff Crosby, looks back after the end of a relationship. “You’re not mad anymore but you’re thankful of the good times,” Gary says. “It’s also about finding yourself again. It’s a moving-on song.” Quiet and sparse, the Gary-penned “Run into You” details a longing to cross paths with an ex-lover who’s moved on with heartbreaking clarity.
Anchored by crying B-3 organ, “Hold This Town Together” explores the struggle to enjoy what once was easy after the loss of someone who’ll never come back. After years of trying, Micky wrote the song for Mark, a friend and the Motorcars’ first bassist, who passed away. “Hold This Town,” written by Micky and Jeff Crosby, muses over the hometown faces and places that never change. “There are the same people at the same bars, the same people working at the grocery stores,” Micky says, then adds with a laugh, “It’s kind of a depressing party song.” Another Jeff Crosby-Micky collaboration, “Thank My Mother’s God” pays beautiful tribute to moms and their devotion to their black sheep, running wild.
Two album standouts stand tall: “Lions of Kandahar,” written by Gary alone, and the title track, which Micky penned with master songwriter Bruce Robison. Over instrumentation that evokes the tense hum of Middle Eastern military activity, “Lions of Kandahar” follows a deployment from a first-person perspective. The result is jarring, compelling, and deeply human––a breathtaking piece of songwriting that took five years to complete. Winsome “Long Time Comin’” is an ode to the satisfaction of patience and perseverance rewarded in different forms––a stunning tapestry that also reflects the road to the album itself.
Guitars and songs at the ready, Micky and Gary hope most of all that their sprawling cross-continental fanbase connect with Long Time Comin’, a collection four years in the making. “If you can put your heart on your sleeve and say it, it’s the best medicine for people,” Micky says, reflecting on the album. “They can lock into it and enjoy the ride.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205024Z SEQUENCE:2422184 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1198 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-27 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260320T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260320T233000 UID:D27DE44E-F762-414D-BBAE-ED662FFE4870 SUMMARY:Dead Floyd (Night 1) CREATED:20250221T175210Z DTSTAMP:20250221T175210Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/dead-floyd-state-room DESCRIPTION:Dead Floyd is a celebration of the music of two of rock and roll’s greatest bands, The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd, mashed together into one high-energy, unpredictable show. Drawing from both extensive catalogs of music, the Dead Floyd performances include early rarities to modern classics and everything in between. The love of the music of both bands inspires Dead Floyd to uniquely interpret the songs in a way that allows the music to timelessly live on and the legacy of both bands to stay alive to the next generation of fans. The excitement, creativity, and improvisation that went into both bands live shows of so many years is brought back for old and new fans to enjoy today.\NBecause the number of songs available from both bands is so large, the question that is heard at every Dead Floyd show is “What will they play next?” The unpredictability of the set list and the modern translation of classic, beloved songs bring an element of surprise to every Dead Floyd show. That is what has kept fans captivated and why their legacy as a tribute band continues to grow.\NDead Floyd is based out of Fort Collins, Colorado and, since forming in summer 2009, they have performed at renowned venues such as The Fox Theater, Aggie Theatre, Boulder Theater, Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Belly Up Aspen, and more. In addition, the band has been consistently voted one of the top tribute bands in Colorado.\NThe members of the band draw on their roots in jazz, funk, and rock to bring a high level of musicianship to the music and close attention to detail. The current lineup of the band is made up of Charlie Humphreys (guitar, vocals), Dana Giove (bass), Stu Crair (drums, vocals), Laniece Schleicher (vocals), and Matt Goldberg (keys, synth). This group of players has combined to perform over 1000 shows across the country in various original projects including JJ Grey & Mofro, Derek Trucks Band, Mama Lenny and the Remedy, The Grippe, Musketeer Gripweed, Hot Gazpacho, The Maji, Wooleye, Holy Moses and the High Rollers, Orooni, and many more.\NThe audience response to Dead Floyd has been overwhelming for everyone involved and the fans’ love of the music pushes this project to new heights. Come to the next show and find out why… X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Dead Floyd is a celebration of the music of two of rock and roll’s greatest bands, The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd, mashed together into one high-energy, unpredictable show. Drawing from both extensive catalogs of music, the Dead Floyd performances include early rarities to modern classics and everything in between. The love of the music of both bands inspires Dead Floyd to uniquely interpret the songs in a way that allows the music to timelessly live on and the legacy of both bands to stay alive to the next generation of fans. The excitement, creativity, and improvisation that went into both bands live shows of so many years is brought back for old and new fans to enjoy today.
Because the number of songs available from both bands is so large, the question that is heard at every Dead Floyd show is “What will they play next?” The unpredictability of the set list and the modern translation of classic, beloved songs bring an element of surprise to every Dead Floyd show. That is what has kept fans captivated and why their legacy as a tribute band continues to grow.
Dead Floyd is based out of Fort Collins, Colorado and, since forming in summer 2009, they have performed at renowned venues such as The Fox Theater, Aggie Theatre, Boulder Theater, Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Belly Up Aspen, and more. In addition, the band has been consistently voted one of the top tribute bands in Colorado.
The members of the band draw on their roots in jazz, funk, and rock to bring a high level of musicianship to the music and close attention to detail. The current lineup of the band is made up of Charlie Humphreys (guitar, vocals), Dana Giove (bass), Stu Crair (drums, vocals), Laniece Schleicher (vocals), and Matt Goldberg (keys, synth). This group of players has combined to perform over 1000 shows across the country in various original projects including JJ Grey & Mofro, Derek Trucks Band, Mama Lenny and the Remedy, The Grippe, Musketeer Gripweed, Hot Gazpacho, The Maji, Wooleye, Holy Moses and the High Rollers, Orooni, and many more.
The audience response to Dead Floyd has been overwhelming for everyone involved and the fans’ love of the music pushes this project to new heights. Come to the next show and find out why…
LAST-MODIFIED:20260317T205210Z SEQUENCE:33620400 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2570 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-16 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260321T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260321T233000 UID:C3E2E2C0-EF4F-49B2-97A0-D5DD8DEA818B SUMMARY:Dead Floyd (Night 2) CREATED:20250221T175210Z DTSTAMP:20250221T175210Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/dead-floyd-state-room-2 DESCRIPTION:Dead Floyd is a celebration of the music of two of rock and roll’s greatest bands, The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd, mashed together into one high-energy, unpredictable show. Drawing from both extensive catalogs of music, the Dead Floyd performances include early rarities to modern classics and everything in between. The love of the music of both bands inspires Dead Floyd to uniquely interpret the songs in a way that allows the music to timelessly live on and the legacy of both bands to stay alive to the next generation of fans. The excitement, creativity, and improvisation that went into both bands live shows of so many years is brought back for old and new fans to enjoy today.\NBecause the number of songs available from both bands is so large, the question that is heard at every Dead Floyd show is “What will they play next?” The unpredictability of the set list and the modern translation of classic, beloved songs bring an element of surprise to every Dead Floyd show. That is what has kept fans captivated and why their legacy as a tribute band continues to grow.\NDead Floyd is based out of Fort Collins, Colorado and, since forming in summer 2009, they have performed at renowned venues such as The Fox Theater, Aggie Theatre, Boulder Theater, Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Belly Up Aspen, and more. In addition, the band has been consistently voted one of the top tribute bands in Colorado.\NThe members of the band draw on their roots in jazz, funk, and rock to bring a high level of musicianship to the music and close attention to detail. The current lineup of the band is made up of Charlie Humphreys (guitar, vocals), Dana Giove (bass), Stu Crair (drums, vocals), Laniece Schleicher (vocals), and Matt Goldberg (keys, synth). This group of players has combined to perform over 1000 shows across the country in various original projects including JJ Grey & Mofro, Derek Trucks Band, Mama Lenny and the Remedy, The Grippe, Musketeer Gripweed, Hot Gazpacho, The Maji, Wooleye, Holy Moses and the High Rollers, Orooni, and many more.\NThe audience response to Dead Floyd has been overwhelming for everyone involved and the fans’ love of the music pushes this project to new heights. Come to the next show and find out why… X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Dead Floyd is a celebration of the music of two of rock and roll’s greatest bands, The Grateful Dead and Pink Floyd, mashed together into one high-energy, unpredictable show. Drawing from both extensive catalogs of music, the Dead Floyd performances include early rarities to modern classics and everything in between. The love of the music of both bands inspires Dead Floyd to uniquely interpret the songs in a way that allows the music to timelessly live on and the legacy of both bands to stay alive to the next generation of fans. The excitement, creativity, and improvisation that went into both bands live shows of so many years is brought back for old and new fans to enjoy today.
Because the number of songs available from both bands is so large, the question that is heard at every Dead Floyd show is “What will they play next?” The unpredictability of the set list and the modern translation of classic, beloved songs bring an element of surprise to every Dead Floyd show. That is what has kept fans captivated and why their legacy as a tribute band continues to grow.
Dead Floyd is based out of Fort Collins, Colorado and, since forming in summer 2009, they have performed at renowned venues such as The Fox Theater, Aggie Theatre, Boulder Theater, Mishawaka Amphitheatre, Belly Up Aspen, and more. In addition, the band has been consistently voted one of the top tribute bands in Colorado.
The members of the band draw on their roots in jazz, funk, and rock to bring a high level of musicianship to the music and close attention to detail. The current lineup of the band is made up of Charlie Humphreys (guitar, vocals), Dana Giove (bass), Stu Crair (drums, vocals), Laniece Schleicher (vocals), and Matt Goldberg (keys, synth). This group of players has combined to perform over 1000 shows across the country in various original projects including JJ Grey & Mofro, Derek Trucks Band, Mama Lenny and the Remedy, The Grippe, Musketeer Gripweed, Hot Gazpacho, The Maji, Wooleye, Holy Moses and the High Rollers, Orooni, and many more.
The audience response to Dead Floyd has been overwhelming for everyone involved and the fans’ love of the music pushes this project to new heights. Come to the next show and find out why…
LAST-MODIFIED:20260317T205222Z SEQUENCE:33620412 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1206 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-16 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260324T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260324T233000 UID:963DC5AE-1774-4E15-82AD-13AABDC01F83 SUMMARY:Lespecial CREATED:20260109T183733Z DTSTAMP:20260109T183733Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/lespecial-2 DESCRIPTION:Lespecial is redefining the term “power trio”. The multi-instrumentalists from Connecticut continue to push the boundaries of what a three-piece band is capable of both live and in the studio ahead of their latest album, “Odd Times”. The band’s signature blend of “heavy future groove” combines head banging metal riff age and surgical rhythmic precision with bone shaking 808s, sub synths and ethereal vocal stylings for a dance floor that welcomes moshing, dancing and hip swaying alike. Listeners are taken on a journey to the musical netherworld through esoteric soundscapes punctuated by raw, primal power.Odd Times, lespecial’s darkest and heaviest record to date, is an enigmatic and compelling musical project that explores the ever-changing nature of time amidst isolation. With heavy riffs, tribal drumming, and hints of levity, it's a captivating journey crafted in collaboration with Havok's David Sanchez. An intriguing blend of old-school metal and modern djent-inspired riffage awaits in this haunting sonic experience. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Lespecial is redefining the term “power trio”. The multi-instrumentalists from Connecticut continue to push the boundaries of what a three-piece band is capable of both live and in the studio ahead of their latest album, “Odd Times”. The band’s signature blend of “heavy future groove” combines head banging metal riff age and surgical rhythmic precision with bone shaking 808s, sub synths and ethereal vocal stylings for a dance floor that welcomes moshing, dancing and hip swaying alike. Listeners are taken on a journey to the musical netherworld through esoteric soundscapes punctuated by raw, primal power.Odd Times, lespecial’s darkest and heaviest record to date, is an enigmatic and compelling musical project that explores the ever-changing nature of time amidst isolation. With heavy riffs, tribal drumming, and hints of levity, it's a captivating journey crafted in collaboration with Havok's David Sanchez. An intriguing blend of old-school metal and modern djent-inspired riffage awaits in this haunting sonic experience.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260302T183216Z SEQUENCE:4492483 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1391 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-12 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260325T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260325T233000 UID:B8C52D83-40A7-4B7E-B338-44C092BBF97B SUMMARY:A Taste of Treefort CREATED:20260116T211102Z DTSTAMP:20260116T211102Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/a-taste-of-treefort DESCRIPTION:The State Room, Treefort, and Midtopia are coming together to put on a showcase style night on 3/25! Featuring artists from all over the country, playing on the the Blayne Tucker/Midtopia stage at Treefort Music Fest in Boise, ID! \NTICKETS ARE FREE UNTIL DOS\N——————————————————\NRudy Love & The Encore\NRudy Love & The Encore is comprised of Rudy Love Jr. (vocals & keys), MarrqueNunley (drums), Rachelle Love (percussion), Mariel Jacoda (vocals), Sherdeill (DJ) Breathett (bass), and Willy Simms (guitar).\NThe band members have played together for most of their lives, and formally introduced the band Rudy Love & The Encore early last year. Rudy Love Jr.’s late father, renowned musician Rudy Love Sr., was a musical mentor to the band members. The band’s name is in honor of Love Sr., based on the idea that this grouping of musicians is Rudy Love Sr.’s legacy — his encore.\NIn 2023, the band released their debut EP, The Beauty of Burdens, followed quickly by two more singles, “Broken Angel” and “Grey.” They have been busy since the band’s inception, performing and collaborating with Elise Trouw, performing at Black & Loud Fest in Seattle, opening for notable acts like Teddy Swims and The B-52’s, and playing multiple tours across the nation.They traded the hyper-competitive hustle of the Los Angeles show business scene, and are now working together from their hometown of Wichita, Kan. to build a dream they all hold — to make music with people they love, and to share it with the world.\NWebsite | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The State Room, Treefort, and Midtopia are coming together to put on a showcase style night on 3/25! Featuring artists from all over the country, playing on the the Blayne Tucker/Midtopia stage at Treefort Music Fest in Boise, ID!
TICKETS ARE FREE UNTIL DOS
——————————————————
Rudy Love & The Encore
Rudy Love & The Encore is comprised of Rudy Love Jr. (vocals & keys), MarrqueNunley (drums), Rachelle Love (percussion), Mariel Jacoda (vocals), Sherdeill (DJ) Breathett (bass), and Willy Simms (guitar).
The band members have played together for most of their lives, and formally introduced the band Rudy Love & The Encore early last year. Rudy Love Jr.’s late father, renowned musician Rudy Love Sr., was a musical mentor to the band members. The band’s name is in honor of Love Sr., based on the idea that this grouping of musicians is Rudy Love Sr.’s legacy — his encore.
In 2023, the band released their debut EP, The Beauty of Burdens, followed quickly by two more singles, “Broken Angel” and “Grey.” They have been busy since the band’s inception, performing and collaborating with Elise Trouw, performing at Black & Loud Fest in Seattle, opening for notable acts like Teddy Swims and The B-52’s, and playing multiple tours across the nation.They traded the hyper-competitive hustle of the Los Angeles show business scene, and are now working together from their hometown of Wichita, Kan. to build a dream they all hold — to make music with people they love, and to share it with the world.
Website | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube
LAST-MODIFIED:20260325T182443Z SEQUENCE:5865221 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1420 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-22 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260326T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260326T230000 UID:906EF84C-49D3-4F82-88F0-6D2007A9A2BB SUMMARY:Eddie 9V x The Steel Wheels CREATED:20240528T144836Z DTSTAMP:20240528T144836Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/eddie-9v-x-steel-wheels-state-room DESCRIPTION:Eddie 9V has an endless stockpile of cool stories – and you’ll find twelve of them on his most recent studio album Saratoga, released in November 2024 on the fabled Ruf Records label. A thrilling mix of Southern soul, blues, rock, and funk, Saratoga proved to be a gamechanger: a road trip-ready record filled with razor-sharp observations, vintage textures, and raw humanity. It also marked a major career milestone: Eddie 9V’s soulful sound began reaching hundreds of thousands of new fans across the globe.\NNow signed to Easy Eye Sound — the Nashville-based label founded by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys — Eddie 9V is preparing to release a brand-new album in 2026. And the momentum keeps growing. Since Saratoga dropped, Eddie’s monthly listeners on Spotify have exploded from 8,000 to peaking at over 800,000.. Songs like “Halo,” “Saratoga” and “Love Moves Slow” have become SiriusXM Spectrum-certified tracks, gaining steady spins and major audience love.\NThe Steel Wheels - 2025 Album Short bio\NAfter two decades on the road and nine studio albums, The Steel Wheels mark their 20th anniversary with a self-titled record that captures the band at a creative peak. Since their formation, the group—which includes Trent Wagler (vocals, banjo, guitar), Eric Brubaker (fiddle), Jay Lapp (mandolin, guitar), Kevin Garcia (drums, percussion), and Jeremy Darrow (bass)—has grown from a harmony-driven acoustic ensemble into a dynamic folk rock band. Blending those roots with a spirit of exploration, The Steel Wheels combine energy, humor, and tender restraint into a cohesive, deeply personal work.\NThe journey began close to home. At their 2024 Red Wing Roots Festival in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Wagler connected with producer D. James Goodwin (Goose, Bonny Light Horseman, I’m With Her), who had recently relocated to the area. He invited the band to his new studio, The Isokon, where they recorded live in one room during a snowy winter. That immediacy is felt throughout the album—from the sunlit hooks of “Easy,” which questions the cost of constant convenience, to “Go Back,” which explores joy and sadness as intertwined emotions, and “Keep On Dancing,” a gentle reminder to slow down and be present.\NTwenty years in, The Steel Wheels remain driven by curiosity and craft. They are a band still growing, still pushing forward, and still finding new ways to connect through song. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Eddie 9V has an endless stockpile of cool stories – and you’ll find twelve of them on his most recent studio album Saratoga, released in November 2024 on the fabled Ruf Records label. A thrilling mix of Southern soul, blues, rock, and funk, Saratoga proved to be a gamechanger: a road trip-ready record filled with razor-sharp observations, vintage textures, and raw humanity. It also marked a major career milestone: Eddie 9V’s soulful sound began reaching hundreds of thousands of new fans across the globe.
Now signed to Easy Eye Sound — the Nashville-based label founded by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys — Eddie 9V is preparing to release a brand-new album in 2026. And the momentum keeps growing. Since Saratoga dropped, Eddie’s monthly listeners on Spotify have exploded from 8,000 to peaking at over 800,000.. Songs like “Halo,” “Saratoga” and “Love Moves Slow” have become SiriusXM Spectrum-certified tracks, gaining steady spins and major audience love.
The Steel Wheels - 2025 Album Short bio
After two decades on the road and nine studio albums, The Steel Wheels mark their 20th anniversary with a self-titled record that captures the band at a creative peak. Since their formation, the group—which includes Trent Wagler (vocals, banjo, guitar), Eric Brubaker (fiddle), Jay Lapp (mandolin, guitar), Kevin Garcia (drums, percussion), and Jeremy Darrow (bass)—has grown from a harmony-driven acoustic ensemble into a dynamic folk rock band. Blending those roots with a spirit of exploration, The Steel Wheels combine energy, humor, and tender restraint into a cohesive, deeply personal work.
The journey began close to home. At their 2024 Red Wing Roots Festival in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Wagler connected with producer D. James Goodwin (Goose, Bonny Light Horseman, I’m With Her), who had recently relocated to the area. He invited the band to his new studio, The Isokon, where they recorded live in one room during a snowy winter. That immediacy is felt throughout the album—from the sunlit hooks of “Easy,” which questions the cost of constant convenience, to “Go Back,” which explores joy and sadness as intertwined emotions, and “Keep On Dancing,” a gentle reminder to slow down and be present.
Twenty years in, The Steel Wheels remain driven by curiosity and craft. They are a band still growing, still pushing forward, and still finding new ways to connect through song.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205238Z SEQUENCE:54626642 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1750 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-16 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260327T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260327T233000 UID:C3270479-EBEC-4575-B2D3-0602B0760741 SUMMARY:Cat Clyde CREATED:20251216T201055Z DTSTAMP:20251216T201055Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/cat-clyde DESCRIPTION:Cat Clyde is a singer/songwriter based out of rural Ontario, Canada. A combination of driven, soulful blues and sweet, folk-tinged, dulcet tones that carry a particular sense of familiarity provide the structure on which she creates her unique sound. With influences ranging from Patsy Cline and Lead Belly to Karen Dalton and Bobbie Gentry, this patchwork of musical significance, when stitched to her modern approach, fits like a well-tailored, corduroy-road cloth.\NCat's latest album Down Rounder is a wonder of deeply felt songwriting, a record that finds her marveling at what's around her while considering her own place within it all. Cat joined produced Tony Burg in Los Angeles' famed Sound City studios to lay down the entirety of Down Rounder in six days flat. The record sounds both lively and lived-in, with Clyde's malleable singing voice--spanning an appealing twang to a lovely, plaintive croon and anywhere in between--espousing an essential connection between our spiritual center and the natural world that surrounds us. "The album is an exploration and expression of self, patterns in the natural and unnatural world, connecting to nature, the turning wheel of life, shedding old selves, embracing new selves, and the ever changing, expanding and contracting nature of love and life." Cat explains.\NAfter racking up millions of streams across multiple platforms with previous releases, Down Rounder sounds like the work of someone who's found themselves artistically and holistically, while extending a hand to any listener who wants to follow Clyde on her singular and thrilling path. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Cat Clyde is a singer/songwriter based out of rural Ontario, Canada. A combination of driven, soulful blues and sweet, folk-tinged, dulcet tones that carry a particular sense of familiarity provide the structure on which she creates her unique sound. With influences ranging from Patsy Cline and Lead Belly to Karen Dalton and Bobbie Gentry, this patchwork of musical significance, when stitched to her modern approach, fits like a well-tailored, corduroy-road cloth.
Cat's latest album Down Rounder is a wonder of deeply felt songwriting, a record that finds her marveling at what's around her while considering her own place within it all. Cat joined produced Tony Burg in Los Angeles' famed Sound City studios to lay down the entirety of Down Rounder in six days flat. The record sounds both lively and lived-in, with Clyde's malleable singing voice--spanning an appealing twang to a lovely, plaintive croon and anywhere in between--espousing an essential connection between our spiritual center and the natural world that surrounds us. "The album is an exploration and expression of self, patterns in the natural and unnatural world, connecting to nature, the turning wheel of life, shedding old selves, embracing new selves, and the ever changing, expanding and contracting nature of love and life." Cat explains.
After racking up millions of streams across multiple platforms with previous releases, Down Rounder sounds like the work of someone who's found themselves artistically and holistically, while extending a hand to any listener who wants to follow Clyde on her singular and thrilling path.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260224T172910Z SEQUENCE:6038295 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2158 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260328T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260328T233000 UID:AC15F9DD-B8CB-4796-8912-6A9437B6B06D SUMMARY:The Nude Party CREATED:20251020T161158Z DTSTAMP:20251020T161158Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-nude-party-2 DESCRIPTION:The Nude Party, a well-oiled love machine of choogling rock‘n roll, have pulled back into the station with their fourth album Look Who’s Back. The band got their start ripping through basement house shows at their small college in Boone North Carolina. They were soon ditching class to play SXSW and go on DIY tours across America with their raucous brand of swingin’ 60’s garage rock. Riding an upward trajectory, the whole band set sail for New York. They played a summer residency at Brooklyn’s iconic Baby’s All Right, signed a record deal, and embarked upon multiple world tours and high profile festival runs. The bright and busy time saw a pair of studio albums - their debut self-titled LP The Nude Party (2018) and Midnight Manor (2020) - putting a shine on their rising star, a tight melodic rock band churning out big hooks with staying power. In the wake of the pandemic, they built a studio in the Catskills to record Rides On (2023), that carried the band further up the road of success as they sharpened their Stonesian orbit as eclectic explorers of their field, navigating stripped down country, electro pop, and everything in between.\NTen years is a long time - and this decade plus of all original bandmates have demonstrated themselves to be a dedicated brotherhood. How many 7-piece touring bands have stayed together for over 12 years? In this economy?? The Nude Party is a true enigma. Their latest effort is a return to roots, opting for the independent route after the conclusion of a three album deal with New West Records. Before the bright lights shone, back in 2013, the band tracked their first EP Hot Tub live in a ragtag basement studio in Asheville NC. This latest release sees them getting back to the DIY in their DNA. Upon becoming free agents again, they swiftly whisked themselves deep into the desert - Joshua Tree California- and got to work in their pal Michael Rault’s living room recording studio.\NLook Who’s Back took shape in a homegrown, late-night party atmosphere - playfully debaucherous sessions ran late into the night, the cozy room as crowded with mics, cables, and recording equipment as it was with friends, pizza boxes, and beer cans. The joy on the record is palpable - ripe with beachside boogie and slick 70’s groovers that reflect its storied Joshua Tree surroundings, kicking up the dust in the land of cowboys & UFOs, and landing on the sunny side for their happiest sounding record to date. Where others might dry out, The Nude Party’s wellspring continues to run over. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The Nude Party, a well-oiled love machine of choogling rock‘n roll, have pulled back into the station with their fourth album Look Who’s Back. The band got their start ripping through basement house shows at their small college in Boone North Carolina. They were soon ditching class to play SXSW and go on DIY tours across America with their raucous brand of swingin’ 60’s garage rock. Riding an upward trajectory, the whole band set sail for New York. They played a summer residency at Brooklyn’s iconic Baby’s All Right, signed a record deal, and embarked upon multiple world tours and high profile festival runs. The bright and busy time saw a pair of studio albums - their debut self-titled LP The Nude Party (2018) and Midnight Manor (2020) - putting a shine on their rising star, a tight melodic rock band churning out big hooks with staying power. In the wake of the pandemic, they built a studio in the Catskills to record Rides On (2023), that carried the band further up the road of success as they sharpened their Stonesian orbit as eclectic explorers of their field, navigating stripped down country, electro pop, and everything in between.
Ten years is a long time - and this decade plus of all original bandmates have demonstrated themselves to be a dedicated brotherhood. How many 7-piece touring bands have stayed together for over 12 years? In this economy?? The Nude Party is a true enigma. Their latest effort is a return to roots, opting for the independent route after the conclusion of a three album deal with New West Records. Before the bright lights shone, back in 2013, the band tracked their first EP Hot Tub live in a ragtag basement studio in Asheville NC. This latest release sees them getting back to the DIY in their DNA. Upon becoming free agents again, they swiftly whisked themselves deep into the desert - Joshua Tree California- and got to work in their pal Michael Rault’s living room recording studio.
Look Who’s Back took shape in a homegrown, late-night party atmosphere - playfully debaucherous sessions ran late into the night, the cozy room as crowded with mics, cables, and recording equipment as it was with friends, pizza boxes, and beer cans. The joy on the record is palpable - ripe with beachside boogie and slick 70’s groovers that reflect its storied Joshua Tree surroundings, kicking up the dust in the land of cowboys & UFOs, and landing on the sunny side for their happiest sounding record to date. Where others might dry out, The Nude Party’s wellspring continues to run over.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205404Z SEQUENCE:10557726 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:5523 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260329T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260329T233000 UID:90616DCF-E223-4235-AEA9-2B745920C314 SUMMARY:Silverada CREATED:20260105T171749Z DTSTAMP:20260105T171749Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/silverada DESCRIPTION:Mike Harmeier was still in his early 20s when he formed the band now known as Silverada. From the start, they were the definition of a workingman's country band, cutting their teeth with five-hour sets on Austin's dancehall circuit before spreading their music to the rest of America. By the early 2020s, they'd become global ambassadors of homegrown Texas music, flying their flag everywhere from Abbey Road Studios (where they recorded 2019's Cheap Silver & Solid Country Gold with help from the London Symphony Orchestra) to the Grand Ole Opry.\NThe band's newest self-titled album, 'Silverada', marks a new chapter in the band's history. It's not just the title of the boldest release of the group's critically-acclaimed career; it's also the name of the reinvigorated band itself.\N"Back in the day, all we wanted to do was play the Broken Spoke," says Harmeier, nodding to the hometown honky-tonk in Austin, TX, where Silverada began sowing the seeds for a sound that mixed timeless twang with modern-day dynamics. "We had different aspirations back then. We were still figuring out what kind of band we were gonna be, and that took a lot of time and a lot of records."\NA lot of records, indeed. Silverada marks the group's ninth release, and it balances the strengths they've accumulated along the way - sharp, detailed songwriting that bounces between autobiographical sketches and character studies; gorgeous swells of pedal steel that drift through the songs like weather; a rhythm section capable of country shuffles, hard-charging rock & roll tempos, and everything in between - with a willingness to break old rules and open new doors. "Radio Wave" is a roots-rock anthem for the highway and the heartland, peppered with Springsteen-worthy hooks and War On Drugs-inspired atmospherics. "Eagle Rare" launches the band into outer space during its explosive middle section, which the band improvised in the recording studio. "Stay By My Side" showcases Silverada's road-warrior credentials - the band recorded the track live during a tour across the American Southeast, capturing it in a single take at Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon, Georgia - while "Wallflower" blends the organic with the otherworldly, finding room for harmonized guitar solos, driving disco beats, and 808 percussion.\N"Going into the studio, everybody in the band felt inspired to do something bigger than what they'd done before," Harmeier explains. "We all knew we were at a precipice, and we wanted to jump. I brought in some songs that were metaphorical and not always straightforward, and that showed the guys that I wanted to take this music somewhere new... so they threw their own rule books out the window, too."\NHarmeier wrote the bulk of Silverada in his backyard studio, surrounded by dozens of books he'd picked up at a local Goodwill. "We'd been on tour for so long, playing the same set for almost two years, and I wanted to write something that was a departure," he remembers. Jeff Tweedy's books on songwriting were a big help, but Harmeier pushed himself to get weird, too, finding inspiration in everything from astronomy texts to sci-ti novels. "I would read some, work a little bit, read some more, and work a little more," he says of the creative process. "I spent a full month in that studio, going there every night, making word ladders and highlighting lines and learning to free write."\NRecorded at Yellow Dog Studios with longtime producer/collaborator Adam Odor, Silverada propels the band forward without losing sight of their roots. "Stubborn Son" - a loving, unsparing sketch of the family patriarch who set Harmeier's creativity in motion - unfolds like a close cousin to Steak Night at the Prairie Rose's title track, laced with fiddle solos from longtime George Strait collaborator Gene Elders. "Doing It Right" channels the same throwback, slow-dance ambiance that informed 2019's "You Look Good in Neon." "Load Out," which chronicles the grind of blue-collar jobs both on and off the road, could've found a home on 2021's One To Grow On.\NThere's a smart sense of history here - a celebration not only of where the band is headed, where they've been, too. Even so, Silverada doesn't spend much time looking in the rearview mirror. Instead, it keeps its gaze focused on the road ahead. This is a snapshot of a band in motion, chasing down the next horizon, writing the soundtrack to some new discovery. It's the sound of alchemy, of some new metal being forged. And like silver itself, Silverada shines brightly.\N"We spent the first part of our career figuring out who we are and what we're good at," says Harmeier. "Now we want to evolve not only the sound of the band, but the dynamic of the live show, too. Silverada is us setting the stage for the next leg of the journey." X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Mike Harmeier was still in his early 20s when he formed the band now known as Silverada. From the start, they were the definition of a workingman's country band, cutting their teeth with five-hour sets on Austin's dancehall circuit before spreading their music to the rest of America. By the early 2020s, they'd become global ambassadors of homegrown Texas music, flying their flag everywhere from Abbey Road Studios (where they recorded 2019's Cheap Silver & Solid Country Gold with help from the London Symphony Orchestra) to the Grand Ole Opry.
The band's newest self-titled album, 'Silverada', marks a new chapter in the band's history. It's not just the title of the boldest release of the group's critically-acclaimed career; it's also the name of the reinvigorated band itself.
"Back in the day, all we wanted to do was play the Broken Spoke," says Harmeier, nodding to the hometown honky-tonk in Austin, TX, where Silverada began sowing the seeds for a sound that mixed timeless twang with modern-day dynamics. "We had different aspirations back then. We were still figuring out what kind of band we were gonna be, and that took a lot of time and a lot of records."
A lot of records, indeed. Silverada marks the group's ninth release, and it balances the strengths they've accumulated along the way - sharp, detailed songwriting that bounces between autobiographical sketches and character studies; gorgeous swells of pedal steel that drift through the songs like weather; a rhythm section capable of country shuffles, hard-charging rock & roll tempos, and everything in between - with a willingness to break old rules and open new doors. "Radio Wave" is a roots-rock anthem for the highway and the heartland, peppered with Springsteen-worthy hooks and War On Drugs-inspired atmospherics. "Eagle Rare" launches the band into outer space during its explosive middle section, which the band improvised in the recording studio. "Stay By My Side" showcases Silverada's road-warrior credentials - the band recorded the track live during a tour across the American Southeast, capturing it in a single take at Capricorn Sound Studios in Macon, Georgia - while "Wallflower" blends the organic with the otherworldly, finding room for harmonized guitar solos, driving disco beats, and 808 percussion.
"Going into the studio, everybody in the band felt inspired to do something bigger than what they'd done before," Harmeier explains. "We all knew we were at a precipice, and we wanted to jump. I brought in some songs that were metaphorical and not always straightforward, and that showed the guys that I wanted to take this music somewhere new... so they threw their own rule books out the window, too."
Harmeier wrote the bulk of Silverada in his backyard studio, surrounded by dozens of books he'd picked up at a local Goodwill. "We'd been on tour for so long, playing the same set for almost two years, and I wanted to write something that was a departure," he remembers. Jeff Tweedy's books on songwriting were a big help, but Harmeier pushed himself to get weird, too, finding inspiration in everything from astronomy texts to sci-ti novels. "I would read some, work a little bit, read some more, and work a little more," he says of the creative process. "I spent a full month in that studio, going there every night, making word ladders and highlighting lines and learning to free write."
Recorded at Yellow Dog Studios with longtime producer/collaborator Adam Odor, Silverada propels the band forward without losing sight of their roots. "Stubborn Son" - a loving, unsparing sketch of the family patriarch who set Harmeier's creativity in motion - unfolds like a close cousin to Steak Night at the Prairie Rose's title track, laced with fiddle solos from longtime George Strait collaborator Gene Elders. "Doing It Right" channels the same throwback, slow-dance ambiance that informed 2019's "You Look Good in Neon." "Load Out," which chronicles the grind of blue-collar jobs both on and off the road, could've found a home on 2021's One To Grow On.
There's a smart sense of history here - a celebration not only of where the band is headed, where they've been, too. Even so, Silverada doesn't spend much time looking in the rearview mirror. Instead, it keeps its gaze focused on the road ahead. This is a snapshot of a band in motion, chasing down the next horizon, writing the soundtrack to some new discovery. It's the sound of alchemy, of some new metal being forged. And like silver itself, Silverada shines brightly.
"We spent the first part of our career figuring out who we are and what we're good at," says Harmeier. "Now we want to evolve not only the sound of the band, but the dynamic of the live show, too. Silverada is us setting the stage for the next leg of the journey."
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205412Z SEQUENCE:3900983 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1276 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260331T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260331T233000 UID:BEBFE201-809C-4945-9C79-CCE0479AC370 SUMMARY:Tom Hamilton Band CREATED:20251113T171119Z DTSTAMP:20251113T171119Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/tom-hamilton DESCRIPTION:Tom Hamilton has spent the last 30 years fronting several bands over a handful of genres-including Brothers Past, American Babies, Ghost Light, and he also sings and plays lead guitar in Joe Russo’s Almost Dead.\NIt wasn’t until a series of personal and societal crises compelled the Philadelphia based musician/songwriter/producer to reconsider his approach and finally forge ahead under his own name.\N“When you're in a van on the road for 20 years, you live in your bubble, you think that your world is one way—and it's not. The pandemic break gave me the time to see that. Then my band broke up and my dad got sick. The only refuge I had was the studio.”\NI’m Your Vampire, Hamilton’s most personal effort yet is a 10-song suite wreathed in tattered-flannel rock & roll that encapsulates Hamilton’s salvation in isolation, as he sorts through the darkness to find a pinpoint of light.\N“It takes effort to not just be jaded as we age—to not look at the world in a hardened way,”Hamilton says. “Yeah, it's a dark, dark fucking time, let's make some lemonade.”\NHis forthcoming album I’m Your Vampire co-produced by Hamilton and Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman/Wednesday) is due out on January 23 via AWAL/Relix. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Tom Hamilton has spent the last 30 years fronting several bands over a handful of genres-including Brothers Past, American Babies, Ghost Light, and he also sings and plays lead guitar in Joe Russo’s Almost Dead.
It wasn’t until a series of personal and societal crises compelled the Philadelphia based musician/songwriter/producer to reconsider his approach and finally forge ahead under his own name.
“When you're in a van on the road for 20 years, you live in your bubble, you think that your world is one way—and it's not. The pandemic break gave me the time to see that. Then my band broke up and my dad got sick. The only refuge I had was the studio.”
I’m Your Vampire, Hamilton’s most personal effort yet is a 10-song suite wreathed in tattered-flannel rock & roll that encapsulates Hamilton’s salvation in isolation, as he sorts through the darkness to find a pinpoint of light.
“It takes effort to not just be jaded as we age—to not look at the world in a hardened way,”Hamilton says. “Yeah, it's a dark, dark fucking time, let's make some lemonade.”
His forthcoming album I’m Your Vampire co-produced by Hamilton and Alex Farrar (MJ Lenderman/Wednesday) is due out on January 23 via AWAL/Relix.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T132350Z SEQUENCE:10613551 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1778 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260401T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260401T233000 UID:78A45771-ADD8-465C-8324-6CD9011B9B7F SUMMARY:Westerman CREATED:20250924T161618Z DTSTAMP:20250924T161618Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/westerman DESCRIPTION:Somewhere on the road in Minnesota, Will Westerman saw something that shouldn’t exist. “There was a break in a thunderstorm and sun shining through it,” he recalls with measured awe. “It seemed impossible.” A sunshower is a peculiar phenomenon, captivating people long enough for there to be an array of folkloric associations with the surreal beauty of its implausible contrast. From Asia to Africa, it’s been described as a “wedding” for a trickster animal — a fox, a monkey, a jackal. Suddenly, Westerman had a name for the music he was working on, material as otherworldly as the strange games our sun plays on us. His third album, A Jackal’s Wedding, became a document of leaving and arriving, ongoing transformation, the liminal spaces between shadows and the lights that cast them. \NWhen Westerman released his sophomore album An Inbuilt Fault in May of 2023, he had already nearly completed A Jackal’s Wedding. The albums gestated in a time of transition amidst, basically, constant transition. Amidst making sense of his adopted home in Greece, A Jackal’s Wedding arrives as an album deeply influenced by place, the sensation of being a newcomer again and again. “A lot of the textures on the album emerged from how the light works in Athens,” Westerman explains. “When the light changes here, there’s this oversaturated brilliance to everything. I wanted to make something where there were heavier textures punctured by these iridescent shards, both in individual tracks and in the overall shape of the record. It’s not hyperreal, but it's mimicking something hyperreal.” \NMoving across Europe provided Westerman with a rich new environment and a new set of themes and concerns for A Jackal’s Wedding. Though some things in his life changed, he didn’t find them seismic, or anything so loud as the final settling down many of us expect to find as we make our way into our thirties. Rarely a confessional writer, he instead drew upon his unfamiliar surroundings to work his way into A Jackal’s Wedding’s central concept: We can never really hit pause on real life, and things never get so predictable or stable as we’d like to think. Instead, it is all flux, forever punctuated by tiny moments of stillness, awe, harmony. Like a sunshower, like an Athens sunset. “There isn’t one single personal touchstone,” Westerman explains. “It’s more the general feeling of learning to enjoy motion.” \NWhile sitting in on Marta Salogni’s mixing sessions for An Inbuilt Fault, Westerman asked if she’d want to work on something new together. Within two days, they’d crafted a hypnotic, slow-burn meditation called “Weak Hands,” which ended up being the skeleton key for A Jackal’s Wedding. Six months later, Salogni joined as producer for an intense five-week session on the Greek island of Hydra. She and Westerman holed up at the Old Carpet Factory, a 17th century mansion converted into an arts space and studio. “I don’t know how to make stuff in extremely clipped and sleek places,” Westerman jokes drily. “There’s a ramshackle, beautiful element to the Old Carpet Factory. It’s a bit chaotic.” Ahead of time, he and Salogni decided to embrace it fully, setting parameters on the recording process by using the space itself. They arrived equipped only with a drum machine, instead relying on the studio’s extensive backline to craft A Jackal’s Wedding’s mesmerizing array of synth sounds. The environment of Hydra itself imposed limitations as well. Given it was 110 degrees, they had to keep the windows open at all times; daytime recordings still bear the hum of the cicadas outside, and otherwise they had to toil through the sweltering quiet of the night. “Allowing the restrictions of the place, it becomes an elemental part of what you’re doing,” Westerman says. “The record is authentic by necessity.” \NAs a result, A Jackal’s Wedding is a humid, nocturnal record. It is woozier and dreamier than the organic, percussive aesthetic Westerman favored on An Inbuilt Fault, but it is not intended as a severe departure from his past work. Rather, A Jackal’s Wedding achieves evolution by way of synthesis. “I feel like the difference between Your Hero Is Not Dead and An Inbuilt Fault was reasonably abrupt,” Westerman reflects. “For A Jackal’s Wedding, I thought it would be nice to thread the two together in an uncontrived way.” There are spare guitar songs like “Agnus Dei” and “Nature Of A Language” that go all the way back to Westerman’s folkier roots, but in many ways A Jackal’s Wedding melds the dexterous, live rhythms of An Inbuilt Fault with the alien textures of Your Hero Is Not Dead. Keys and synths lead the way more than guitar or drums this time, all of it having the sound of the album Westerman was meant to make but had to weave his way toward.\NThere are songs that feel like mature, weathered explorations of Westerman’s pre-established palette, the trademark idiosyncrasy with which his voice wraps around a track in full effect on the album’s reflective-yet-propulsive mission statement “About Leaving.” “Mosquito,” written while Westerman was homebound with a leg injury during the peak of Athens summer, feels like one of his singer-songwriter inversions grown hazier and more languid after being left outside to melt. His voice is as crystalline-raspy and transfixing as ever on “Spring,” but the delicacy of its piano and the empathy of its lyrics — he characterizes it as a “love songs for broken adults” — feels like something he could only have reached now, several albums in. \NElsewhere, though, the light shifts and the sounds warp. Across A Jackal’s Wedding, Westerman also experiments with whole new moods and atmospheres, most strikingly on the synth-drenched “Adriatic” and “PSFN” — one an off-kilter journey on an unpredictable sea, one floating through the skies to new horizons. \N“This album is more open,” Westerman explains. “It’s less desperate and more optimistic. There’s a romance to it.” Though fragments are drawn from his own experience, he wraps them in characters, some trepidatious of unknown possibilities and some invigorated. And as each of these characters embark on their own voyages, so too do the snapshots sketch an arc for Westerman himself, growing to a newfound sense of comfort with the ground constantly shifting beneath our feet, the idea that everything is always changing around us out of our control. “I see this as a process of continually learning,” he says. Everything is in motion, Westerman leaving and revisiting farflung homes, evolving then evolving again, seeing things that shouldn’t exist, returning with an album that could only exist from him. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Somewhere on the road in Minnesota, Will Westerman saw something that shouldn’t exist. “There was a break in a thunderstorm and sun shining through it,” he recalls with measured awe. “It seemed impossible.” A sunshower is a peculiar phenomenon, captivating people long enough for there to be an array of folkloric associations with the surreal beauty of its implausible contrast. From Asia to Africa, it’s been described as a “wedding” for a trickster animal — a fox, a monkey, a jackal. Suddenly, Westerman had a name for the music he was working on, material as otherworldly as the strange games our sun plays on us. His third album, A Jackal’s Wedding, became a document of leaving and arriving, ongoing transformation, the liminal spaces between shadows and the lights that cast them.
When Westerman released his sophomore album An Inbuilt Fault in May of 2023, he had already nearly completed A Jackal’s Wedding. The albums gestated in a time of transition amidst, basically, constant transition. Amidst making sense of his adopted home in Greece, A Jackal’s Wedding arrives as an album deeply influenced by place, the sensation of being a newcomer again and again. “A lot of the textures on the album emerged from how the light works in Athens,” Westerman explains. “When the light changes here, there’s this oversaturated brilliance to everything. I wanted to make something where there were heavier textures punctured by these iridescent shards, both in individual tracks and in the overall shape of the record. It’s not hyperreal, but it's mimicking something hyperreal.”
Moving across Europe provided Westerman with a rich new environment and a new set of themes and concerns for A Jackal’s Wedding. Though some things in his life changed, he didn’t find them seismic, or anything so loud as the final settling down many of us expect to find as we make our way into our thirties. Rarely a confessional writer, he instead drew upon his unfamiliar surroundings to work his way into A Jackal’s Wedding’s central concept: We can never really hit pause on real life, and things never get so predictable or stable as we’d like to think. Instead, it is all flux, forever punctuated by tiny moments of stillness, awe, harmony. Like a sunshower, like an Athens sunset. “There isn’t one single personal touchstone,” Westerman explains. “It’s more the general feeling of learning to enjoy motion.”
While sitting in on Marta Salogni’s mixing sessions for An Inbuilt Fault, Westerman asked if she’d want to work on something new together. Within two days, they’d crafted a hypnotic, slow-burn meditation called “Weak Hands,” which ended up being the skeleton key for A Jackal’s Wedding. Six months later, Salogni joined as producer for an intense five-week session on the Greek island of Hydra. She and Westerman holed up at the Old Carpet Factory, a 17th century mansion converted into an arts space and studio. “I don’t know how to make stuff in extremely clipped and sleek places,” Westerman jokes drily. “There’s a ramshackle, beautiful element to the Old Carpet Factory. It’s a bit chaotic.” Ahead of time, he and Salogni decided to embrace it fully, setting parameters on the recording process by using the space itself. They arrived equipped only with a drum machine, instead relying on the studio’s extensive backline to craft A Jackal’s Wedding’s mesmerizing array of synth sounds. The environment of Hydra itself imposed limitations as well. Given it was 110 degrees, they had to keep the windows open at all times; daytime recordings still bear the hum of the cicadas outside, and otherwise they had to toil through the sweltering quiet of the night. “Allowing the restrictions of the place, it becomes an elemental part of what you’re doing,” Westerman says. “The record is authentic by necessity.”
As a result, A Jackal’s Wedding is a humid, nocturnal record. It is woozier and dreamier than the organic, percussive aesthetic Westerman favored on An Inbuilt Fault, but it is not intended as a severe departure from his past work. Rather, A Jackal’s Wedding achieves evolution by way of synthesis. “I feel like the difference between Your Hero Is Not Dead and An Inbuilt Fault was reasonably abrupt,” Westerman reflects. “For A Jackal’s Wedding, I thought it would be nice to thread the two together in an uncontrived way.” There are spare guitar songs like “Agnus Dei” and “Nature Of A Language” that go all the way back to Westerman’s folkier roots, but in many ways A Jackal’s Wedding melds the dexterous, live rhythms of An Inbuilt Fault with the alien textures of Your Hero Is Not Dead. Keys and synths lead the way more than guitar or drums this time, all of it having the sound of the album Westerman was meant to make but had to weave his way toward.
There are songs that feel like mature, weathered explorations of Westerman’s pre-established palette, the trademark idiosyncrasy with which his voice wraps around a track in full effect on the album’s reflective-yet-propulsive mission statement “About Leaving.” “Mosquito,” written while Westerman was homebound with a leg injury during the peak of Athens summer, feels like one of his singer-songwriter inversions grown hazier and more languid after being left outside to melt. His voice is as crystalline-raspy and transfixing as ever on “Spring,” but the delicacy of its piano and the empathy of its lyrics — he characterizes it as a “love songs for broken adults” — feels like something he could only have reached now, several albums in.
Elsewhere, though, the light shifts and the sounds warp. Across A Jackal’s Wedding, Westerman also experiments with whole new moods and atmospheres, most strikingly on the synth-drenched “Adriatic” and “PSFN” — one an off-kilter journey on an unpredictable sea, one floating through the skies to new horizons.
“This album is more open,” Westerman explains. “It’s less desperate and more optimistic. There’s a romance to it.” Though fragments are drawn from his own experience, he wraps them in characters, some trepidatious of unknown possibilities and some invigorated. And as each of these characters embark on their own voyages, so too do the snapshots sketch an arc for Westerman himself, growing to a newfound sense of comfort with the ground constantly shifting beneath our feet, the idea that everything is always changing around us out of our control. “I see this as a process of continually learning,” he says. Everything is in motion, Westerman leaving and revisiting farflung homes, evolving then evolving again, seeing things that shouldn’t exist, returning with an album that could only exist from him.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205426Z SEQUENCE:12803888 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1789 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260404T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260404T233000 UID:1787F8F1-D2C0-40B7-B588-DD5E20FF2265 SUMMARY:Caroline Jones CREATED:20251110T203051Z DTSTAMP:20251110T203051Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/caroline-jones DESCRIPTION:Lauded by Rolling Stone as “an ambitious, entrepreneurial guitar heroine primed to bring back the pop-country glory of the Nineties,” Caroline Jones is a country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose musicianship has led her to becoming a full-time band member of Zac Brown Band and to building out an impressive solo career, co-producing alongside industry veterans Brandon Hood and Ric Wake. She recently premiered her debut track “No Tellin’” with Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment, a country music record label that’s an imprint of Big Machine Label Group. Jones released her third, full-length studio album, Homesite, in October 2023 with star-studded features from Zac Brown Band and Vince Gill. The singer-songwriter’s sophomore album, Antipodes, released in n November 2021, debuted at #4 on the iTunes Country Chart and its foot-stomping lead single, “Come In (But Don’t Make Yourself Comfortable),” marked her first Top 30 country radio hit. Caroline’s dedication to her craft has led to previous collaborations and tours alongside the biggest names in the industry, including the late Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, The Eagles, OneRepublic, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Trisha Yearwood, Jake Owen, Vince Gill, and more. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Lauded by Rolling Stone as “an ambitious, entrepreneurial guitar heroine primed to bring back the pop-country glory of the Nineties,” Caroline Jones is a country singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose musicianship has led her to becoming a full-time band member of Zac Brown Band and to building out an impressive solo career, co-producing alongside industry veterans Brandon Hood and Ric Wake. She recently premiered her debut track “No Tellin’” with Nashville Harbor Records & Entertainment, a country music record label that’s an imprint of Big Machine Label Group. Jones released her third, full-length studio album, Homesite, in October 2023 with star-studded features from Zac Brown Band and Vince Gill. The singer-songwriter’s sophomore album, Antipodes, released in n November 2021, debuted at #4 on the iTunes Country Chart and its foot-stomping lead single, “Come In (But Don’t Make Yourself Comfortable),” marked her first Top 30 country radio hit. Caroline’s dedication to her craft has led to previous collaborations and tours alongside the biggest names in the industry, including the late Jimmy Buffett, Kenny Chesney, The Eagles, OneRepublic, Carrie Underwood, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Trisha Yearwood, Jake Owen, Vince Gill, and more.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205436Z SEQUENCE:8727825 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1844 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-11-12 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260405T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260405T233000 UID:BE9B7957-FF0E-43DE-BBEE-BBF0920E22BC SUMMARY:Charlie Parr CREATED:20251209T210750Z DTSTAMP:20251209T210750Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/charlie-parr-3 DESCRIPTION:In the music of Charlie Parr, there is a sincere conviction and earnest drive to create. The Minnesota-born guitarist, songwriter, and interpreter of traditional music has released 19 albums over two decades and has been known to perform up to 275 shows a year. Parr is a folk troubadour in the truest sense: taking to the road between shows, writing and rewriting songs as he plays, fueled by a belief that music is eternal and cannot be claimed or adequately explained. The bluesman poet pulls closely from the sights and sounds around him, his lyrical craftsmanship built by his influences. The sounds from his working-class upbringing—including Folkways legends such as Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie—imbue Parr’s music with stylistic echoes of blues and folk icons of decades past. Parr sees himself merely as a continuer of a folk tradition: “I feel like I stand on a lot of big shoulders,” he said in an interview. “I hope that I’ve brought a little bit of myself to the music.” \NWith a discography simultaneously transcendental in nature and grounded in roots music, Charlie Parr is the humble master of the 21st century folk tradition. Parr started recording in Duluth in 2002, where he lives today. Life in the port town on Lake Superior has a way of bleeding into his work the same way his childhood in Austin, Minnesota does. Parr self-released his debut album, Criminals and Sinners, and did the same for his sophomore album 1922 (2002). With growing popularity abroad, Parr signed with Red House Records in 2015, where he recorded break-out albums Stumpjumper (2015) and Dog (2017). Parr’s music has an overwhelming sense of being present and mindful, and his sound is timeless.\NParr’s mastery of his craft is only more apparent when contextualized within the history of folk tradition of which Parr has dedicated his practice The land and lives around and intersecting with Parr have always influenced him, from the hills and valleys of Hollandale, Minnesota to the Depression-era stories from his father. Parr strives to listen to everything: “I don’t see that I’d ever be capable of creating anything if it weren’t for these inspirations and influences, books and music as well as the weather and random interactions with strangers and animals. So, the well never runs dry as long as my eyes and ears are open,” Parr said in a 2020 interview. Before he was even 10 years old Parr was rummaging through his father’s record collection—sometimes drawing dinosaurs on the vinyl sleeves—and listening to country, folk, and blues legends, many of whom are staples in the Folkways catalog. When Parr sings and plays his resonator or 12-string, you can hear influences like Mance Lipscomb, Charley Patton, Spinder John Koerner, Rev. Gary Davis, and Dock Boggs. This is especially true in his playing, when, after a diagnosis of focal dystonia, Parr turned to greats like Davis, Doc Watson, and Booker White for two-finger picking inspiration. Gifted a 1965 Gibson B-45 12-string by his father, Parr has never had a formal lesson and learned by to listening records and watching musicians he admired. \NParr’s first album with Smithsonian Folkways, Last of Better Days Head (2021), foregrounded his lyrical craftsmanship and sophisticated bluesman confidence, with spare production highlighting Parr’s mastery of guitar and elevating his poetry. Last of Better Days Ahead is a portrait of how Parr saw the world in that moment, reflecting on time and memories that have past while holding an enduring desire to be present. In his 2024 release, Little Sun, Parr weaves together stories celebrating music, community, and communing with nature. Putting forth an ambitious and raw album that exemplifies the best of Parr's sound: a blend of the blues and folk traditions he continues to carry with him and the steadfast originality of a poet. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:In the music of Charlie Parr, there is a sincere conviction and earnest drive to create. The Minnesota-born guitarist, songwriter, and interpreter of traditional music has released 19 albums over two decades and has been known to perform up to 275 shows a year. Parr is a folk troubadour in the truest sense: taking to the road between shows, writing and rewriting songs as he plays, fueled by a belief that music is eternal and cannot be claimed or adequately explained. The bluesman poet pulls closely from the sights and sounds around him, his lyrical craftsmanship built by his influences. The sounds from his working-class upbringing—including Folkways legends such as Lead Belly and Woody Guthrie—imbue Parr’s music with stylistic echoes of blues and folk icons of decades past. Parr sees himself merely as a continuer of a folk tradition: “I feel like I stand on a lot of big shoulders,” he said in an interview. “I hope that I’ve brought a little bit of myself to the music.”
With a discography simultaneously transcendental in nature and grounded in roots music, Charlie Parr is the humble master of the 21st century folk tradition. Parr started recording in Duluth in 2002, where he lives today. Life in the port town on Lake Superior has a way of bleeding into his work the same way his childhood in Austin, Minnesota does. Parr self-released his debut album, Criminals and Sinners, and did the same for his sophomore album 1922 (2002). With growing popularity abroad, Parr signed with Red House Records in 2015, where he recorded break-out albums Stumpjumper (2015) and Dog (2017). Parr’s music has an overwhelming sense of being present and mindful, and his sound is timeless.
Parr’s mastery of his craft is only more apparent when contextualized within the history of folk tradition of which Parr has dedicated his practice The land and lives around and intersecting with Parr have always influenced him, from the hills and valleys of Hollandale, Minnesota to the Depression-era stories from his father. Parr strives to listen to everything: “I don’t see that I’d ever be capable of creating anything if it weren’t for these inspirations and influences, books and music as well as the weather and random interactions with strangers and animals. So, the well never runs dry as long as my eyes and ears are open,” Parr said in a 2020 interview. Before he was even 10 years old Parr was rummaging through his father’s record collection—sometimes drawing dinosaurs on the vinyl sleeves—and listening to country, folk, and blues legends, many of whom are staples in the Folkways catalog. When Parr sings and plays his resonator or 12-string, you can hear influences like Mance Lipscomb, Charley Patton, Spinder John Koerner, Rev. Gary Davis, and Dock Boggs. This is especially true in his playing, when, after a diagnosis of focal dystonia, Parr turned to greats like Davis, Doc Watson, and Booker White for two-finger picking inspiration. Gifted a 1965 Gibson B-45 12-string by his father, Parr has never had a formal lesson and learned by to listening records and watching musicians he admired.
Parr’s first album with Smithsonian Folkways, Last of Better Days Head (2021), foregrounded his lyrical craftsmanship and sophisticated bluesman confidence, with spare production highlighting Parr’s mastery of guitar and elevating his poetry. Last of Better Days Ahead is a portrait of how Parr saw the world in that moment, reflecting on time and memories that have past while holding an enduring desire to be present. In his 2024 release, Little Sun, Parr weaves together stories celebrating music, community, and communing with nature. Putting forth an ambitious and raw album that exemplifies the best of Parr's sound: a blend of the blues and folk traditions he continues to carry with him and the steadfast originality of a poet.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205445Z SEQUENCE:6220015 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2287 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-09 20:07:18 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260406T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260406T210000 UID:F2BC000F-809D-4E4F-895C-3F66539B4905 SUMMARY:Vanessa Collier CREATED:20260116T201401Z DTSTAMP:20260116T201401Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/vanessa-collier DESCRIPTION:Singer/songwriter Vanessa Collier’s sixth album Do It My Own Way comes out September 13 via Phenix Fire Records. Recorded on analog gear with the musicians largely in one room, Do It My Own Way is sonically inspired by the classic Memphis soul sound of Stax and Hi Records, especially that of the Staples Singers. Second single “Wild As a Rainstorm,” which dives deep into soul territory, powerfully gives advice to women and people who feel left out to ignore the naysayers and “Be a tapestry of dreams.” The track been added to Spotify’s official Retro Soul playlist. The groove and horns would make Willie Mitchell proud, and indeed features legendary Hi Records organist Rev. Charles Hodges. The vocals are powerful, awe-inspiring, and undeniably soulful vocals. Talking about the album, Collier adds, “It’s a warmer and darker sounding a record, recorded intentionally to reflect a throwback to older school soul, R&B, blues, and to the days of great songs and songwriters, tube amps and analog gear.” Do It My Own Way takes listeners back to the heyday of music with Memphis soul-influenced horn arrangements, layers of vocals for color, with poignant and powerful saxophone solos that deliver a quietly powerful undercurrent to each song and the album as a whole. Minor key Americana/noir “Take Me Back” served as the first single. The album kicks off with the funk workout “Elbow Grease.” On an album full of incredible grooves, “Shoulda Known Better” stands out while “Just One More” sways to a rhumba beat. The gospel-tinged “Rosetta” pays tribute to one of Collier’s heroes, electric guitar pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Collier sings, “She’s carried the torch so I can see a little bit better… There’d be no Elvis or Chuck Berry. Sometimes the women do it best. She tackled all the inequities. And fought with strength and audacity.” Kicking off on resonator guitar before the full band joins in, album closer “Warrior” paints the picture of a powerful woman and is both a universal message about the strength and experience of women and a tribute to Collier’s mother. The anthemic, slinky third single and title track artfully commenting on the sexism she’s encountered in life and in the music industry. Collier has encountered calls from members of the industry to dress in sexy clothes and to not rock the boat, but has successfully taken hold of her own career. “The opening lines are a piercing statement of the overused, antiquated, and tired views within the industry. And the lyrics of the second verse demonstrate how the industry attempts to put and keep women ‘in their place’ by undermining them,” she recounts, continuing, “I find that most artists I admire - namely, Prince, James Brown, and Bonnie Raitt, went against the grain and did things that people hadn’t thought of before and that people hadn’t seen before, changing the industry as they went. This song is an assurance that I will continue to choose to fight quietly or publicly, if needed, to represent myself how I want to be represented in this industry and that I will not allow someone else to define who I am. It’s also a statement of hope that the industry is, can, and will continue to progress.” Of “Wild as a Rainstorm,” Collier says, “’Wild As A Rainstorm’ is a love letter to the next generation -– particularly my little sisters – who feel out of place in the current world. I’m hoping that this song and my journey to recognize my own personal power might inspire another to choose to take their own path when repeatedly arriving at forks in the road.” Collier takes on multiple roles, writing the songs, producing the album, arranging horns and all instrumental and vocal parts, playing acoustic and electric guitars and alto and tenor saxophones, flute, as well as singing the lead and background vocals. Also on the album are legendary Hi Records organ player Rev. Charles Hodges (Al Green, Bettye LaVette, Ann Peebles, Alex Chilton, Robert Cray); and frequent Collier collaborators Blues Music Award-winning guitarist Laura Chavez (Sue Foley, Mike Ledbetter & Monster Mike Welch); bassist Scott Sutherland (Elvin Bishop); and Byron Cage (Otis Taylor). The songwriter/bandleader made her Chicago Blues Festival debut this year, in front of tens of thousands. Best known in the blues world – she’s a twelve-time Blues Music Award nominee and four-time winner, including for the monumental Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, Horn Player of the Year, and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year this year – Do It My Own Way finds her influenced by soul artists like Mavis Staples, Sharon Jones, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin. Blues Blast Mag said, “Vanessa is an important part of the future of the blues.” Born in Texas, growing up in Maryland, launching her career in Philadelphia, and now residing in South Carolina, Collier grew up listening to an eclectic variety of music. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, she joined blues legend Joe Louis Walker’s band, going solo at his urging, and has become a notable artist “whose rise to the top is nothing short of meteoric” (Making a Scene). She has opened concerts for Blues Traveler. Her prior studio album, Heart On The Line, spent nine weeks in the Billboard Blues Album Chart top 15. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Singer/songwriter Vanessa Collier’s sixth album Do It My Own Way comes out September 13 via Phenix Fire Records. Recorded on analog gear with the musicians largely in one room, Do It My Own Way is sonically inspired by the classic Memphis soul sound of Stax and Hi Records, especially that of the Staples Singers. Second single “Wild As a Rainstorm,” which dives deep into soul territory, powerfully gives advice to women and people who feel left out to ignore the naysayers and “Be a tapestry of dreams.” The track been added to Spotify’s official Retro Soul playlist. The groove and horns would make Willie Mitchell proud, and indeed features legendary Hi Records organist Rev. Charles Hodges. The vocals are powerful, awe-inspiring, and undeniably soulful vocals. Talking about the album, Collier adds, “It’s a warmer and darker sounding a record, recorded intentionally to reflect a throwback to older school soul, R&B, blues, and to the days of great songs and songwriters, tube amps and analog gear.” Do It My Own Way takes listeners back to the heyday of music with Memphis soul-influenced horn arrangements, layers of vocals for color, with poignant and powerful saxophone solos that deliver a quietly powerful undercurrent to each song and the album as a whole. Minor key Americana/noir “Take Me Back” served as the first single. The album kicks off with the funk workout “Elbow Grease.” On an album full of incredible grooves, “Shoulda Known Better” stands out while “Just One More” sways to a rhumba beat. The gospel-tinged “Rosetta” pays tribute to one of Collier’s heroes, electric guitar pioneer Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Collier sings, “She’s carried the torch so I can see a little bit better… There’d be no Elvis or Chuck Berry. Sometimes the women do it best. She tackled all the inequities. And fought with strength and audacity.” Kicking off on resonator guitar before the full band joins in, album closer “Warrior” paints the picture of a powerful woman and is both a universal message about the strength and experience of women and a tribute to Collier’s mother. The anthemic, slinky third single and title track artfully commenting on the sexism she’s encountered in life and in the music industry. Collier has encountered calls from members of the industry to dress in sexy clothes and to not rock the boat, but has successfully taken hold of her own career. “The opening lines are a piercing statement of the overused, antiquated, and tired views within the industry. And the lyrics of the second verse demonstrate how the industry attempts to put and keep women ‘in their place’ by undermining them,” she recounts, continuing, “I find that most artists I admire - namely, Prince, James Brown, and Bonnie Raitt, went against the grain and did things that people hadn’t thought of before and that people hadn’t seen before, changing the industry as they went. This song is an assurance that I will continue to choose to fight quietly or publicly, if needed, to represent myself how I want to be represented in this industry and that I will not allow someone else to define who I am. It’s also a statement of hope that the industry is, can, and will continue to progress.” Of “Wild as a Rainstorm,” Collier says, “’Wild As A Rainstorm’ is a love letter to the next generation -– particularly my little sisters – who feel out of place in the current world. I’m hoping that this song and my journey to recognize my own personal power might inspire another to choose to take their own path when repeatedly arriving at forks in the road.” Collier takes on multiple roles, writing the songs, producing the album, arranging horns and all instrumental and vocal parts, playing acoustic and electric guitars and alto and tenor saxophones, flute, as well as singing the lead and background vocals. Also on the album are legendary Hi Records organ player Rev. Charles Hodges (Al Green, Bettye LaVette, Ann Peebles, Alex Chilton, Robert Cray); and frequent Collier collaborators Blues Music Award-winning guitarist Laura Chavez (Sue Foley, Mike Ledbetter & Monster Mike Welch); bassist Scott Sutherland (Elvin Bishop); and Byron Cage (Otis Taylor). The songwriter/bandleader made her Chicago Blues Festival debut this year, in front of tens of thousands. Best known in the blues world – she’s a twelve-time Blues Music Award nominee and four-time winner, including for the monumental Contemporary Blues Female Artist of the Year, Horn Player of the Year, and B.B. King Entertainer of the Year this year – Do It My Own Way finds her influenced by soul artists like Mavis Staples, Sharon Jones, James Brown, and Aretha Franklin. Blues Blast Mag said, “Vanessa is an important part of the future of the blues.” Born in Texas, growing up in Maryland, launching her career in Philadelphia, and now residing in South Carolina, Collier grew up listening to an eclectic variety of music. After graduating from Berklee College of Music, she joined blues legend Joe Louis Walker’s band, going solo at his urging, and has become a notable artist “whose rise to the top is nothing short of meteoric” (Making a Scene). She has opened concerts for Blues Traveler. Her prior studio album, Heart On The Line, spent nine weeks in the Billboard Blues Album Chart top 15.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T223423Z SEQUENCE:6402022 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1449 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-20 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260407T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260407T233000 UID:3FB9EE5A-D9C8-4EA4-9EFA-2CB8200BE987 SUMMARY:We Three CREATED:20260202T184237Z DTSTAMP:20260202T184237Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/we-three-3 DESCRIPTION:We Three the Oregon alt-pop trio – siblings Manny, Bethany, and Joshua Humlie – have already built a passionate global fanbase with their anthemic, emotive and life-affirming songs: they have 1.4 million TikTok followers, an audience they cultivated during the pandemic, and their music has received more than 250 million streams. But Love Me (2023) is their richest, rawest and hardest-hitting work yet. For frontman and primary songwriter Manny, the album title is a "small phrase" that gives a "huge insight" into the record's themes. We Three are now a globally popular act selling out shows all over the world, but like so many bands, they started out gigging in and around their hometown – McMinnville, Oregon, a small city 40 miles southwest of Portland. They first came to wider attention in 2018 when they entered America's Got Talent and stormed all the way to the semi-finals. We Three used America's Got Talent as a springboard and never looked back. They have since released three previous studio albums 2018's We Three, 2020's Dear Paranoia, Sincerely Me, and 2022's Happy – and built a reputation for singing sensitively and insightfully about difficult topics including mental health issues. "Sara", their most streamed song to date, is a haunting portrait of a young woman struggling with self-harm, substance abuse, and depression. As for the band's collective fantasy: it's simply to continue their forward momentum. "I always want us to move to a bigger level while staying genuine," Manny says. "I want us to grow and I believe this album has the songs that will help us do that. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:We Three the Oregon alt-pop trio – siblings Manny, Bethany, and Joshua Humlie – have already built a passionate global fanbase with their anthemic, emotive and life-affirming songs: they have 1.4 million TikTok followers, an audience they cultivated during the pandemic, and their music has received more than 250 million streams. But Love Me (2023) is their richest, rawest and hardest-hitting work yet. For frontman and primary songwriter Manny, the album title is a "small phrase" that gives a "huge insight" into the record's themes. We Three are now a globally popular act selling out shows all over the world, but like so many bands, they started out gigging in and around their hometown – McMinnville, Oregon, a small city 40 miles southwest of Portland. They first came to wider attention in 2018 when they entered America's Got Talent and stormed all the way to the semi-finals. We Three used America's Got Talent as a springboard and never looked back. They have since released three previous studio albums 2018's We Three, 2020's Dear Paranoia, Sincerely Me, and 2022's Happy – and built a reputation for singing sensitively and insightfully about difficult topics including mental health issues. "Sara", their most streamed song to date, is a haunting portrait of a young woman struggling with self-harm, substance abuse, and depression. As for the band's collective fantasy: it's simply to continue their forward momentum. "I always want us to move to a bigger level while staying genuine," Manny says. "I want us to grow and I believe this album has the songs that will help us do that.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205503Z SEQUENCE:1476746 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1074 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-02-03 15:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260410T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260410T233000 UID:052531CC-7334-47E7-91FC-C215C79E57F2 SUMMARY:The Mother Hips (Night 1) CREATED:20260106T224150Z DTSTAMP:20260106T224150Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-mother-hips-n1 DESCRIPTION:Based in Northern California, the Hips headed to New Mexico, spending time at Ghost Ranch before settling in at Jono Manson’s Kitchen Sink studio in Sante Fe for sessions in late 2021. Self-produced, When We Disappear features nine new tracks co-written by co-founders Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono — collection of lit-psych rock songs Inspired by psychology and literature — as well as a raw, garagey cover of Buffy St. Marie’s 1964 addiction song “Codine.”\N“Greg [Loiacono, co-founder) sent me a rough demo of this song and I thought it was promising,” says Hips co-founder Tim Bluhm of “When We Disappear.” “What he was singing was place-holder gibberish, or sounds mixed with some actual lyrics, including what would become the title. I went through it and matched words to his sounds and then tweaked the words to tell a kind of impressionistic history of our adventures together. In this way I believe both Greg’s and my own subconscious worlds revealed themselves. The music is simple and loose, helping with the devil-may-care attitude of the singing.”\NHailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “one of the Bay Area’s most beloved live outfits,” The Mother Hips’ headline and festival performances have became the stuff of legend, finding them sharing stages with everyone from Johnny Cash and Wilco to Lucinda Williams and The Black Crowes. Rolling Stone called the band “divinely inspired,” while Pitchfork praised their “rootsy mix of 70’s rock and power pop,” and The New Yorker lauded their ability to “sing it sweet and play it dirty.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Based in Northern California, the Hips headed to New Mexico, spending time at Ghost Ranch before settling in at Jono Manson’s Kitchen Sink studio in Sante Fe for sessions in late 2021. Self-produced, When We Disappear features nine new tracks co-written by co-founders Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono — collection of lit-psych rock songs Inspired by psychology and literature — as well as a raw, garagey cover of Buffy St. Marie’s 1964 addiction song “Codine.”
“Greg [Loiacono, co-founder) sent me a rough demo of this song and I thought it was promising,” says Hips co-founder Tim Bluhm of “When We Disappear.” “What he was singing was place-holder gibberish, or sounds mixed with some actual lyrics, including what would become the title. I went through it and matched words to his sounds and then tweaked the words to tell a kind of impressionistic history of our adventures together. In this way I believe both Greg’s and my own subconscious worlds revealed themselves. The music is simple and loose, helping with the devil-may-care attitude of the singing.”
Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “one of the Bay Area’s most beloved live outfits,” The Mother Hips’ headline and festival performances have became the stuff of legend, finding them sharing stages with everyone from Johnny Cash and Wilco to Lucinda Williams and The Black Crowes. Rolling Stone called the band “divinely inspired,” while Pitchfork praised their “rootsy mix of 70’s rock and power pop,” and The New Yorker lauded their ability to “sing it sweet and play it dirty.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205511Z SEQUENCE:3795201 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1746 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-13 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260411T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260411T233000 UID:91139ACB-8944-4027-AF5E-A784F69A6284 SUMMARY:The Mother Hips (Night 2) CREATED:20260106T224150Z DTSTAMP:20260106T224150Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-mother-hips-n1-2 DESCRIPTION:Based in Northern California, the Hips headed to New Mexico, spending time at Ghost Ranch before settling in at Jono Manson’s Kitchen Sink studio in Sante Fe for sessions in late 2021. Self-produced, When We Disappear features nine new tracks co-written by co-founders Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono — collection of lit-psych rock songs Inspired by psychology and literature — as well as a raw, garagey cover of Buffy St. Marie’s 1964 addiction song “Codine.”\N“Greg [Loiacono, co-founder) sent me a rough demo of this song and I thought it was promising,” says Hips co-founder Tim Bluhm of “When We Disappear.” “What he was singing was place-holder gibberish, or sounds mixed with some actual lyrics, including what would become the title. I went through it and matched words to his sounds and then tweaked the words to tell a kind of impressionistic history of our adventures together. In this way I believe both Greg’s and my own subconscious worlds revealed themselves. The music is simple and loose, helping with the devil-may-care attitude of the singing.”\NHailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “one of the Bay Area’s most beloved live outfits,” The Mother Hips’ headline and festival performances have became the stuff of legend, finding them sharing stages with everyone from Johnny Cash and Wilco to Lucinda Williams and The Black Crowes. Rolling Stone called the band “divinely inspired,” while Pitchfork praised their “rootsy mix of 70’s rock and power pop,” and The New Yorker lauded their ability to “sing it sweet and play it dirty.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Based in Northern California, the Hips headed to New Mexico, spending time at Ghost Ranch before settling in at Jono Manson’s Kitchen Sink studio in Sante Fe for sessions in late 2021. Self-produced, When We Disappear features nine new tracks co-written by co-founders Tim Bluhm and Greg Loiacono — collection of lit-psych rock songs Inspired by psychology and literature — as well as a raw, garagey cover of Buffy St. Marie’s 1964 addiction song “Codine.”
“Greg [Loiacono, co-founder) sent me a rough demo of this song and I thought it was promising,” says Hips co-founder Tim Bluhm of “When We Disappear.” “What he was singing was place-holder gibberish, or sounds mixed with some actual lyrics, including what would become the title. I went through it and matched words to his sounds and then tweaked the words to tell a kind of impressionistic history of our adventures together. In this way I believe both Greg’s and my own subconscious worlds revealed themselves. The music is simple and loose, helping with the devil-may-care attitude of the singing.”
Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle as “one of the Bay Area’s most beloved live outfits,” The Mother Hips’ headline and festival performances have became the stuff of legend, finding them sharing stages with everyone from Johnny Cash and Wilco to Lucinda Williams and The Black Crowes. Rolling Stone called the band “divinely inspired,” while Pitchfork praised their “rootsy mix of 70’s rock and power pop,” and The New Yorker lauded their ability to “sing it sweet and play it dirty.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20260224T185223Z SEQUENCE:4219833 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1082 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-13 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260413T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260413T233000 UID:673487F1-0143-4922-B934-6B63C0D17369 SUMMARY:Courtney Marie Andrews CREATED:20251023T201541Z DTSTAMP:20251023T201541Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/courtney-marie-andrews-2 DESCRIPTION:Valentine is “a record in pursuit of love,” says Courtney Marie Andrews. But love, it turns out, “is a lot more than I gave it credit for,” she explains. “It’s built over years, it’s built with trust, with changes, it becomes something new and unrecognizable, the deeper you go.” Written at the junction of intense endings and beginnings in her life, Valentine demands more of those we love and reveals a stronger, wiser, and more clear-eyed Courtney Marie Andrews in the process. It is both lush and elemental, precise in its construction but rich with sonic and lyrical layers. In love and on Valentine, there is no quarter for empty gestures.\NFrom her very first recordings, to her 2016’s breakthrough Honest Life, to 2020’s Grammy-nominated Old Flowers and her most recent Loose Future, Andrews has been celebrated as an artist who challenges herself, and who finds new interplays of Folk and Americana. “As a songwriter you can make the same record over and over again,” Andrews says, “and I’m not interested in that. I make records to stand alone and stand apart from each other.” Co-produced with Jerry Bernhardt and recorded almost entirely to tape, Valentine features complete in-studio performances, hinging on performance rather than perfection. “We thought a lot about Lee Hazlewood, about Big Star’s Third and Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk” says Andrews, and that constellation of stars is apparent here. Valentine feels elegant, disciplined and balanced but never cold, always vulnerable and human.\N“I was in one of the darkest periods of my life, and songs were the only way I could reckon with it,” says Andrews. “I felt cursed, and the only mental cure felt like songwriting and painting.” The near-death of a loved one loomed over everything, and while that person eventually recovered from both sickness and psychosis, Andrews was more sure that death was coming than recovery. Her grief was acute, volatile. The decline coincided with a new romance, but rather than lift her up, the two emotional poles seemed to bleed into each other to sow doubt, trouble, even obsession. “I was grappling with what I felt sure was death, and with the end of that relationship,” Andrews explains, “while I was also grappling with something new but quite unstable. Here was this new relationship evolving alongside the collapse of another.” The result was what Andrews describes as limerence, but a somehow empowered limerence: consuming and fierce, piled high with insecurity and fantasy, and filling every inch of a space she feared was hollowing out. It was painful, she says, and not far off from the pain of grief. But through her own exploration of music and art, Andrews found a way to grow stronger inside this feeling. “I didn’t want to slink into my pain, I wanted to embrace it, own it.” The songs that emerged are devotional in their lyrics but defiant in their energy; it’s the very sound of a woman standing in her first wisdom.\NThat high-wire balance permeates Valentine, and lead single “Everyone Wants to Feel Like You Do” embodies it fully. A Petty-esque drumbeat marches under an indictment of the all-too-common type of man, the type who feels they can move through the world however they want without consequence. Here, Andrews’s singing is classic honey-and-vinegar; she may sound sweet, but rest assured you’re gonna hear about it. “It’s this funny double-edged thing,” says Andrews, “because you do want to feel like that person, but you’re not sure if you should because it’s a person so disconnected, without a care in the world or a care for other people. Iplayed the guitar solo like I didn’t care in that song,” she continues. “I thought ‘I’m just gonna play it like I don’t give a shit what anyone else is doing.’” When Andrews sings “Don’t make yourself small, baby, take up space” on this summer’s “Cons and Clowns”, the softness in her voice lands as both a whisper and a dare. “Little Picture of a Butterfly" is another example, one where the reclamation of power in the lyrics (“Soulmates what a pretty thought / but either you do, or you do not”) mirrors the same in the music. “It’s such a trad song in a lot of ways,” says Andrews, “but we added flute, we added organ and all these Brian Wilson harmonies.” Those additions set the song alight, building on the insistent tempo and bassline and climbing to an expansive, sky-high final act.\N \NAlbum closer “Hangman” opens with an echo and a note that hits like an arrow. Andrews sings\Ninsistently “tell me now, tell me now, tell me now,” but it’s not a plea, it’s a threat: I can love you\Nwith defiance, and without sacrificing who I am. It’s not “love me back”, it’s “love me or don’t.”\N“Keeper” is the only co-write on the record, and its backstory reads like a short film. “I was at dinner with a dear friend,” says Andrews, “and I was really going through it. I asked her if I’m a keeper, and we both just started crying. We wrote the song then and there, line by line over dinner. I went home and put a melody over it after.” There’s a desperation to “Keeper”, even in its lovely, melodic sighs. It’s insistent, worn out from chasing a love that isn’t sure. Valentine is also Andrews’s most sonically explorative record – she plays flute, high strung guitars, myriad synths, and she draws heavy inspiration from her art outside of music. Andrews is a vivid poet and an accomplished painter, and across Valentine you can feel these disciplines interwoven, everything feeding the beauty and clarity of everything else. It’s unexpected, then, that Andrews only recently appreciated the centrality of her power as a singer. “Historically my favorite artists weren’t looked at as singers,” Andrews explains, “they were looked at as writers. And I sort of dissociated myself from singing; I chose to use it when it behooved me, but I wasn’t connected with it.” But the more interdisciplinary her work became, the more that belief seemed to dissolve. “Singing is another stroke,” she says, “the most direct line to your heart. Everything is color, texture. The way you sing can change everything, for both you and the people listening.” Andrews’s voice is gorgeous and acrobatic always, but on Valentine it finds a new depth, an assertiveness that brings new dimension to its biggest anthems and its softest moment.\NAndrews is, and has always been, unafraid to say the thing. Her songs are challenging but compassionate, they welcome us in but push us to venture out. And this, in the end, may do the most to explain Valentine as both a theme and title. Andrews rejects the objectification of love, the love filled with gestures and objects instead of trust, mess, and growth. In doing so, she delivers her most beautiful and loving album to date. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Valentine is “a record in pursuit of love,” says Courtney Marie Andrews. But love, it turns out, “is a lot more than I gave it credit for,” she explains. “It’s built over years, it’s built with trust, with changes, it becomes something new and unrecognizable, the deeper you go.” Written at the junction of intense endings and beginnings in her life, Valentine demands more of those we love and reveals a stronger, wiser, and more clear-eyed Courtney Marie Andrews in the process. It is both lush and elemental, precise in its construction but rich with sonic and lyrical layers. In love and on Valentine, there is no quarter for empty gestures.
From her very first recordings, to her 2016’s breakthrough Honest Life, to 2020’s Grammy-nominated Old Flowers and her most recent Loose Future, Andrews has been celebrated as an artist who challenges herself, and who finds new interplays of Folk and Americana. “As a songwriter you can make the same record over and over again,” Andrews says, “and I’m not interested in that. I make records to stand alone and stand apart from each other.” Co-produced with Jerry Bernhardt and recorded almost entirely to tape, Valentine features complete in-studio performances, hinging on performance rather than perfection. “We thought a lot about Lee Hazlewood, about Big Star’s Third and Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk” says Andrews, and that constellation of stars is apparent here. Valentine feels elegant, disciplined and balanced but never cold, always vulnerable and human.
“I was in one of the darkest periods of my life, and songs were the only way I could reckon with it,” says Andrews. “I felt cursed, and the only mental cure felt like songwriting and painting.” The near-death of a loved one loomed over everything, and while that person eventually recovered from both sickness and psychosis, Andrews was more sure that death was coming than recovery. Her grief was acute, volatile. The decline coincided with a new romance, but rather than lift her up, the two emotional poles seemed to bleed into each other to sow doubt, trouble, even obsession. “I was grappling with what I felt sure was death, and with the end of that relationship,” Andrews explains, “while I was also grappling with something new but quite unstable. Here was this new relationship evolving alongside the collapse of another.” The result was what Andrews describes as limerence, but a somehow empowered limerence: consuming and fierce, piled high with insecurity and fantasy, and filling every inch of a space she feared was hollowing out. It was painful, she says, and not far off from the pain of grief. But through her own exploration of music and art, Andrews found a way to grow stronger inside this feeling. “I didn’t want to slink into my pain, I wanted to embrace it, own it.” The songs that emerged are devotional in their lyrics but defiant in their energy; it’s the very sound of a woman standing in her first wisdom.
That high-wire balance permeates Valentine, and lead single “Everyone Wants to Feel Like You Do” embodies it fully. A Petty-esque drumbeat marches under an indictment of the all-too-common type of man, the type who feels they can move through the world however they want without consequence. Here, Andrews’s singing is classic honey-and-vinegar; she may sound sweet, but rest assured you’re gonna hear about it. “It’s this funny double-edged thing,” says Andrews, “because you do want to feel like that person, but you’re not sure if you should because it’s a person so disconnected, without a care in the world or a care for other people. Iplayed the guitar solo like I didn’t care in that song,” she continues. “I thought ‘I’m just gonna play it like I don’t give a shit what anyone else is doing.’” When Andrews sings “Don’t make yourself small, baby, take up space” on this summer’s “Cons and Clowns”, the softness in her voice lands as both a whisper and a dare. “Little Picture of a Butterfly" is another example, one where the reclamation of power in the lyrics (“Soulmates what a pretty thought / but either you do, or you do not”) mirrors the same in the music. “It’s such a trad song in a lot of ways,” says Andrews, “but we added flute, we added organ and all these Brian Wilson harmonies.” Those additions set the song alight, building on the insistent tempo and bassline and climbing to an expansive, sky-high final act.
Album closer “Hangman” opens with an echo and a note that hits like an arrow. Andrews sings
insistently “tell me now, tell me now, tell me now,” but it’s not a plea, it’s a threat: I can love you
with defiance, and without sacrificing who I am. It’s not “love me back”, it’s “love me or don’t.”
“Keeper” is the only co-write on the record, and its backstory reads like a short film. “I was at dinner with a dear friend,” says Andrews, “and I was really going through it. I asked her if I’m a keeper, and we both just started crying. We wrote the song then and there, line by line over dinner. I went home and put a melody over it after.” There’s a desperation to “Keeper”, even in its lovely, melodic sighs. It’s insistent, worn out from chasing a love that isn’t sure. Valentine is also Andrews’s most sonically explorative record – she plays flute, high strung guitars, myriad synths, and she draws heavy inspiration from her art outside of music. Andrews is a vivid poet and an accomplished painter, and across Valentine you can feel these disciplines interwoven, everything feeding the beauty and clarity of everything else. It’s unexpected, then, that Andrews only recently appreciated the centrality of her power as a singer. “Historically my favorite artists weren’t looked at as singers,” Andrews explains, “they were looked at as writers. And I sort of dissociated myself from singing; I chose to use it when it behooved me, but I wasn’t connected with it.” But the more interdisciplinary her work became, the more that belief seemed to dissolve. “Singing is another stroke,” she says, “the most direct line to your heart. Everything is color, texture. The way you sing can change everything, for both you and the people listening.” Andrews’s voice is gorgeous and acrobatic always, but on Valentine it finds a new depth, an assertiveness that brings new dimension to its biggest anthems and its softest moment.
Andrews is, and has always been, unafraid to say the thing. Her songs are challenging but compassionate, they welcome us in but push us to venture out. And this, in the end, may do the most to explain Valentine as both a theme and title. Andrews rejects the objectification of love, the love filled with gestures and objects instead of trust, mess, and growth. In doing so, she delivers her most beautiful and loving album to date.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260330T191251Z SEQUENCE:13647430 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1709 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-10-24 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260415T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260415T233000 UID:AFCA586D-E714-4861-9870-7504727E46C4 SUMMARY:Jon Mclaughlin CREATED:20260114T191911Z DTSTAMP:20260114T191911Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jon-mclaughlin-3 DESCRIPTION:Everything in Jon McLaughlin’s life makes its way into his music, whether he’s conscious of it or not. The artist, raised in Indiana and based in Nashville, brings all of his experiences and beliefs into each song he creates, something that is especially true now that he’s the father of two young girls. \NJon released his debut album, Indiana, in 2007 on Island Def Jam, attracting fans with his heartfelt, hook-laden songwriting and impassioned delivery. He’s released six full-lengths in the years since and revealed a true evolution in both his piano playing and singing. He’s played shows with Billy Joel, Kelly Clarkson and Adele, collaborated with longtime friend Sara Bareilles, co-written with Demi Lovato and even performed at the Academy Awards in 2008. \NJon’s album, Like Us, dropped in October of 2015 via Razor & Tie, and he spent the past few years touring extensively before heading back into his Nashville studio to work on new music. Jon released a Christmas EP in 2017 titled Red & Green with two originals and his take on a few holiday classics. In November of 2018 Jon released his album Angst & Grace which features “Still My Girl” written for his youngest daughter. \NAnother project started in 2018 is his Dueling Pianos video series. Every episode features a new guest artist and they perform mashups of never-before-heard arrangements. \NIn Fall of 2019 Jon released an instrumental piano album titled MOOD. This record demonstrates Jon's artistry and captivates his talent as a pianist. In May 2020 the second edition of the project was released entitled MOOD II.\NJon wrapped up 2020 with the release of his Christmas EP Christmas Time before putting out his most recent full length album All The Things I Say To Myself with immediate fan favorites “A Breakup Song” & “Outta My Head”. \NIn the fall of 2022 Jon hit the road with his band in celebration of the 15 year anniversary of his Indiana album which will be remastered and re released on vinyl spotlighting a new a capella version of the title track “Indiana” featuring Straight No Chaser as well as never-before-released b-sides.\NIn July of 2023, Jon released his single “The Only One” and later towards the end of the year, Jon released the third installment in his instrumental piano series: MOOD III. \N2024 saw Jon traveling across the entire US for his 36 city Coast To Coast Tour, culminating in the 2nd installment of his annual Home For The Holidays show at The Palladium in Carmel, Indiana. He also released his next MOOD instrumental album, MOOD Christmas in 2025.\NHis newest album, Scenarios (October 2025), marked a bold new chapter, featuring brand-new songs that showcase both his storytelling and signature piano-driven sound. This holiday season, Jon brings his beloved Home For The Holidays tour—featuring Morgan James, Kris Allen, David Davis, and T.3—to 13 U.S. cities after two sold-out years in Carmel, IN.\NAs with everything he does, Jon’s goal is to create connections. He wants to translate his experiences and ideas into music that reaches fans everywhere. His passion for music and playing is evident in each note he plays. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Everything in Jon McLaughlin’s life makes its way into his music, whether he’s conscious of it or not. The artist, raised in Indiana and based in Nashville, brings all of his experiences and beliefs into each song he creates, something that is especially true now that he’s the father of two young girls.
Jon released his debut album, Indiana, in 2007 on Island Def Jam, attracting fans with his heartfelt, hook-laden songwriting and impassioned delivery. He’s released six full-lengths in the years since and revealed a true evolution in both his piano playing and singing. He’s played shows with Billy Joel, Kelly Clarkson and Adele, collaborated with longtime friend Sara Bareilles, co-written with Demi Lovato and even performed at the Academy Awards in 2008.
Jon’s album, Like Us, dropped in October of 2015 via Razor & Tie, and he spent the past few years touring extensively before heading back into his Nashville studio to work on new music. Jon released a Christmas EP in 2017 titled Red & Green with two originals and his take on a few holiday classics. In November of 2018 Jon released his album Angst & Grace which features “Still My Girl” written for his youngest daughter.
Another project started in 2018 is his Dueling Pianos video series. Every episode features a new guest artist and they perform mashups of never-before-heard arrangements.
In Fall of 2019 Jon released an instrumental piano album titled MOOD. This record demonstrates Jon's artistry and captivates his talent as a pianist. In May 2020 the second edition of the project was released entitled MOOD II.
Jon wrapped up 2020 with the release of his Christmas EP Christmas Time before putting out his most recent full length album All The Things I Say To Myself with immediate fan favorites “A Breakup Song” & “Outta My Head”.
In the fall of 2022 Jon hit the road with his band in celebration of the 15 year anniversary of his Indiana album which will be remastered and re released on vinyl spotlighting a new a capella version of the title track “Indiana” featuring Straight No Chaser as well as never-before-released b-sides.
In July of 2023, Jon released his single “The Only One” and later towards the end of the year, Jon released the third installment in his instrumental piano series: MOOD III.
2024 saw Jon traveling across the entire US for his 36 city Coast To Coast Tour, culminating in the 2nd installment of his annual Home For The Holidays show at The Palladium in Carmel, Indiana. He also released his next MOOD instrumental album, MOOD Christmas in 2025.
His newest album, Scenarios (October 2025), marked a bold new chapter, featuring brand-new songs that showcase both his storytelling and signature piano-driven sound. This holiday season, Jon brings his beloved Home For The Holidays tour—featuring Morgan James, Kris Allen, David Davis, and T.3—to 13 U.S. cities after two sold-out years in Carmel, IN.
As with everything he does, Jon’s goal is to create connections. He wants to translate his experiences and ideas into music that reaches fans everywhere. His passion for music and playing is evident in each note he plays.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205545Z SEQUENCE:3116194 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1417 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260418T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260418T233000 UID:5A9887ED-6D79-40C8-A31E-3F1C5C22FB1C SUMMARY:Sugar Britches All-Star Tribute to John Prine CREATED:20251208T190313Z DTSTAMP:20251208T190313Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/sugar-britches-john-prine-state-room DESCRIPTION:“Colorado-based honky tonk band Sugar Britches pay homage to one of America’s favorite singer-songwriters, John Prine, with the full Sugar Britches band singing and playing Prine’s songs and bringing to light his wit, wisdom, poetry and endless humor.”\NSugar Britches is a blend of mischievous high-brow honky-tonk with eclectic instrumental accompaniment and clever lyrics, written by Brian Johanson and performed by a cavalcade of characters. Combining good ‘ol country heartache along with snarky folksy wit, Sugar Britches has been playing non-stop throughout Colorado and the great West in bars, parking lots, weddings, bat mitzvahs, rodeos, amphitheaters and regular theaters since 2017. \NSugar Britches have received critical acclaim and plain old criticism. They have opened up for many national touring artists, including Reckless Kelly, Wynonna Judd & the Big Noise, Hannah Dasher, Jaime Wyatt, Big Richard, Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters, Pokey LaFarge, Corb Lund, The Reverend Horton Heat and Jason Eady. \NThe Band features Brian Johanson on lead vocals and guitar, Lance Ruby on lead electric guitar, AJ Knight on drums, Zee Crain on fiddle and Ori Bitton on upright bass and a rotating cast of amazing guest musicians.\NCheck out a review of the show here! X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“Colorado-based honky tonk band Sugar Britches pay homage to one of America’s favorite singer-songwriters, John Prine, with the full Sugar Britches band singing and playing Prine’s songs and bringing to light his wit, wisdom, poetry and endless humor.”
Sugar Britches is a blend of mischievous high-brow honky-tonk with eclectic instrumental accompaniment and clever lyrics, written by Brian Johanson and performed by a cavalcade of characters. Combining good ‘ol country heartache along with snarky folksy wit, Sugar Britches has been playing non-stop throughout Colorado and the great West in bars, parking lots, weddings, bat mitzvahs, rodeos, amphitheaters and regular theaters since 2017.
Sugar Britches have received critical acclaim and plain old criticism. They have opened up for many national touring artists, including Reckless Kelly, Wynonna Judd & the Big Noise, Hannah Dasher, Jaime Wyatt, Big Richard, Billy Bob Thornton and the Boxmasters, Pokey LaFarge, Corb Lund, The Reverend Horton Heat and Jason Eady.
The Band features Brian Johanson on lead vocals and guitar, Lance Ruby on lead electric guitar, AJ Knight on drums, Zee Crain on fiddle and Ori Bitton on upright bass and a rotating cast of amazing guest musicians.
Check out a review of the show here!
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205553Z SEQUENCE:6313960 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:4172 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-12-09 20:14:44 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260421T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260421T233000 UID:DB0F097D-8F28-4A08-889D-088132CAF92F SUMMARY:Josh Ritter (Night 1) CREATED:20251117T201518Z DTSTAMP:20251117T201518Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/josh-ritter-night-1 DESCRIPTION:Josh Ritter is a renowned singer, songwriter, musician, artist and best-selling author. One of today’s most thoughtful and prolific voices, he has released eleven studio albums including 2019’s widely acclaimed ‘Fever Breaks’ of which NPR Music praised, “He remains a hydrant of ideas while embodying an endless capacity for empathy and indignation, often within a single song.”\NHis twelfth studio album ‘I Believe in You, My Honeydew’ is out now. Two-plus decades into his celebrated career, Ritter has written music that has transcended generations including luminaries such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Bob Weir covering his songs.\NThe Book of Gold Thrown Open tour is meant to encompass the whole of Ritter’s career, versus focusing on any one studio album.\NIn addition to his work as a musician, Ritter is also a national best-selling author, having released two novels to date: 2021’s The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All and 2011’s Bright’s Passage. Released to critical attention, Stephen King wrote in The New York Times Book Review that Bright’s Passage “shines with a compressed lyricism that recalls Ray Bradbury in his prime…This is the work of a gifted novelist.”\N“Josh Ritter remains at the top of his game two decades into a highlight-strewn career. He’d be forgiven for loosening his grip, but his hand has never felt surer.”\N- NPR Music\N“Harking back to Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and maybe a little Mark Knopfler, Mr. Ritter has always been a slinger of serious ideas and high-flown imagery.”\N- The New York Times\N“Mysterious, melancholy, melodic…and those are only the M’s.”\N- Stephen King in Entertainment Weekly X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Josh Ritter is a renowned singer, songwriter, musician, artist and best-selling author. One of today’s most thoughtful and prolific voices, he has released eleven studio albums including 2019’s widely acclaimed ‘Fever Breaks’ of which NPR Music praised, “He remains a hydrant of ideas while embodying an endless capacity for empathy and indignation, often within a single song.”
His twelfth studio album ‘I Believe in You, My Honeydew’ is out now. Two-plus decades into his celebrated career, Ritter has written music that has transcended generations including luminaries such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Bob Weir covering his songs.
The Book of Gold Thrown Open tour is meant to encompass the whole of Ritter’s career, versus focusing on any one studio album.
In addition to his work as a musician, Ritter is also a national best-selling author, having released two novels to date: 2021’s The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All and 2011’s Bright’s Passage. Released to critical attention, Stephen King wrote in The New York Times Book Review that Bright’s Passage “shines with a compressed lyricism that recalls Ray Bradbury in his prime…This is the work of a gifted novelist.”
“Josh Ritter remains at the top of his game two decades into a highlight-strewn career. He’d be forgiven for loosening his grip, but his hand has never felt surer.”
- NPR Music
“Harking back to Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and maybe a little Mark Knopfler, Mr. Ritter has always been a slinger of serious ideas and high-flown imagery.”
- The New York Times
“Mysterious, melancholy, melodic…and those are only the M’s.”
- Stephen King in Entertainment Weekly
LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T154753Z SEQUENCE:13375955 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1725 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-11-19 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260422T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260422T233000 UID:22F308E9-1D25-412A-9977-09132118DBA5 SUMMARY:Josh Ritter (Night 2) CREATED:20251117T201518Z DTSTAMP:20251117T201518Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/josh-ritter-night-2 DESCRIPTION:Josh Ritter is a renowned singer, songwriter, musician, artist and best-selling author. One of today’s most thoughtful and prolific voices, he has released eleven studio albums including 2019’s widely acclaimed ‘Fever Breaks’ of which NPR Music praised, “He remains a hydrant of ideas while embodying an endless capacity for empathy and indignation, often within a single song.”\NHis twelfth studio album ‘I Believe in You, My Honeydew’ is out now. Two-plus decades into his celebrated career, Ritter has written music that has transcended generations including luminaries such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Bob Weir covering his songs.\NThe Book of Gold Thrown Open tour is meant to encompass the whole of Ritter’s career, versus focusing on any one studio album.\NIn addition to his work as a musician, Ritter is also a national best-selling author, having released two novels to date: 2021’s The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All and 2011’s Bright’s Passage. Released to critical attention, Stephen King wrote in The New York Times Book Review that Bright’s Passage “shines with a compressed lyricism that recalls Ray Bradbury in his prime…This is the work of a gifted novelist.”\N“Josh Ritter remains at the top of his game two decades into a highlight-strewn career. He’d be forgiven for loosening his grip, but his hand has never felt surer.”\N- NPR Music\N“Harking back to Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and maybe a little Mark Knopfler, Mr. Ritter has always been a slinger of serious ideas and high-flown imagery.”\N- The New York Times\N“Mysterious, melancholy, melodic…and those are only the M’s.”\N- Stephen King in Entertainment Weekly X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Josh Ritter is a renowned singer, songwriter, musician, artist and best-selling author. One of today’s most thoughtful and prolific voices, he has released eleven studio albums including 2019’s widely acclaimed ‘Fever Breaks’ of which NPR Music praised, “He remains a hydrant of ideas while embodying an endless capacity for empathy and indignation, often within a single song.”
His twelfth studio album ‘I Believe in You, My Honeydew’ is out now. Two-plus decades into his celebrated career, Ritter has written music that has transcended generations including luminaries such as Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Bob Weir covering his songs.
The Book of Gold Thrown Open tour is meant to encompass the whole of Ritter’s career, versus focusing on any one studio album.
In addition to his work as a musician, Ritter is also a national best-selling author, having released two novels to date: 2021’s The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All and 2011’s Bright’s Passage. Released to critical attention, Stephen King wrote in The New York Times Book Review that Bright’s Passage “shines with a compressed lyricism that recalls Ray Bradbury in his prime…This is the work of a gifted novelist.”
“Josh Ritter remains at the top of his game two decades into a highlight-strewn career. He’d be forgiven for loosening his grip, but his hand has never felt surer.”
- NPR Music
“Harking back to Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen and maybe a little Mark Knopfler, Mr. Ritter has always been a slinger of serious ideas and high-flown imagery.”
- The New York Times
“Mysterious, melancholy, melodic…and those are only the M’s.”
- Stephen King in Entertainment Weekly
LAST-MODIFIED:20260223T171428Z SEQUENCE:8456350 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1718 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-11-19 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260423T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260423T223000 UID:692830A9-ACDB-40C1-9929-C154517A5E10 SUMMARY:Marfa CREATED:20260128T190126Z DTSTAMP:20260128T190126Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/marfa DESCRIPTION:Born and raised to a Texas country soundtrack, forged in Colorado from a shared love of rock icons past and present, and ignited by the spirit of California's Laurel Canyon sound, Marfa has arrived with an undeniably authentic sound as familiar as your favorite pair of Wranglers while as fresh as the morning Rocky Mountain air.\NTheir debut single "66", produced by Grammy® Award winning producer Nick Waterhouse (Leon Bridges, Jon Batiste) and recorded at LA's EastWest Studios inside the same four walls that gave life to The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and The Mamas & the Papas' California Dreamin', puts the pedal-to-the-metal straight out of the gate on this top down road trip through the highways, byways, and everywhere in between.\NWith the release of “Daisy”, produced by Grammy® Award nominated Josh Block (Caamp, Leon Bridges) and written in the storied Canyon itself, the band channels influences from CSNY to the Eagles, taking listeners on an harmony-driven acoustic journey to find a long lost friend.\NUpcoming releases produced by 3-time Grammy® Award nominated Jonathan Wilson (Dawes, Father John Misty, Billy Strings) coming soon. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Born and raised to a Texas country soundtrack, forged in Colorado from a shared love of rock icons past and present, and ignited by the spirit of California's Laurel Canyon sound, Marfa has arrived with an undeniably authentic sound as familiar as your favorite pair of Wranglers while as fresh as the morning Rocky Mountain air.
Their debut single "66", produced by Grammy® Award winning producer Nick Waterhouse (Leon Bridges, Jon Batiste) and recorded at LA's EastWest Studios inside the same four walls that gave life to The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds and The Mamas & the Papas' California Dreamin', puts the pedal-to-the-metal straight out of the gate on this top down road trip through the highways, byways, and everywhere in between.
With the release of “Daisy”, produced by Grammy® Award nominated Josh Block (Caamp, Leon Bridges) and written in the storied Canyon itself, the band channels influences from CSNY to the Eagles, taking listeners on an harmony-driven acoustic journey to find a long lost friend.
Upcoming releases produced by 3-time Grammy® Award nominated Jonathan Wilson (Dawes, Father John Misty, Billy Strings) coming soon.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T170834Z SEQUENCE:7078028 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1344 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260424T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260424T233000 UID:372C1AAC-6564-44E9-BA84-03A9BCED9E6C SUMMARY:Flyte CREATED:20251113T161748Z DTSTAMP:20251113T161748Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/flyte-2 DESCRIPTION:To make their fourth album, Between You and Me, Flyte—Will Taylor and Nick Hill—set out to return to something raw and instinctual. Just weeks before joining legendary producer Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Laura Marling, Ray LaMontagne) in his rural studio, the duo began writing at a small window table in Taylor’s North East London flat. They wanted to see what would happen if they didn’t overthink their songs, if they simply sang about their lives in the moment—candid reflections on love, fallibility, and staying vulnerable. They didn’t fuss over demos or arrangements; they just wanted to capture the feelings. They knew Johns thrived on intuition, so they let that sensibility guide them from the beginning.\NThe result, Between You And Me, is the most affecting and singular album in Flyte’s discography, a stirring and recognizable map of what it means to come of age as musicians, friends, and people. It suggests just how much one can grow, sprouting even from the darker corners of our existence. \NTaylor and Hill have long aimed to make Flyte records feel emotionally complete, but Between You and Me doesn’t just check boxes—it feels lived in, like a series of diary entries set to harmony. These songs don’t just reflect who Flyte are now—they capture how they got here, moment by moment, with every chord and lyric a testament to trust, growth, and real-time reckoning.\NAfter the success of their 2023 self-titled album, Flyte, the band has become known for their “vocal chemistry” (The Needle Drop), and musical “harmony” (Rolling Stone), as well as developing a tight-knit circle of creatives. Past collaborations include Laura Marling, Billie Marten, Madison Cunningham, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Staves, and Florence Pugh, as well as making fans of high-profile artists like Sigrid, Holly Humberstone, and more. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:To make their fourth album, Between You and Me, Flyte—Will Taylor and Nick Hill—set out to return to something raw and instinctual. Just weeks before joining legendary producer Ethan Johns (Paul McCartney, Laura Marling, Ray LaMontagne) in his rural studio, the duo began writing at a small window table in Taylor’s North East London flat. They wanted to see what would happen if they didn’t overthink their songs, if they simply sang about their lives in the moment—candid reflections on love, fallibility, and staying vulnerable. They didn’t fuss over demos or arrangements; they just wanted to capture the feelings. They knew Johns thrived on intuition, so they let that sensibility guide them from the beginning.
The result, Between You And Me, is the most affecting and singular album in Flyte’s discography, a stirring and recognizable map of what it means to come of age as musicians, friends, and people. It suggests just how much one can grow, sprouting even from the darker corners of our existence.
Taylor and Hill have long aimed to make Flyte records feel emotionally complete, but Between You and Me doesn’t just check boxes—it feels lived in, like a series of diary entries set to harmony. These songs don’t just reflect who Flyte are now—they capture how they got here, moment by moment, with every chord and lyric a testament to trust, growth, and real-time reckoning.
After the success of their 2023 self-titled album, Flyte, the band has become known for their “vocal chemistry” (The Needle Drop), and musical “harmony” (Rolling Stone), as well as developing a tight-knit circle of creatives. Past collaborations include Laura Marling, Billie Marten, Madison Cunningham, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Staves, and Florence Pugh, as well as making fans of high-profile artists like Sigrid, Holly Humberstone, and more.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205638Z SEQUENCE:8483930 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1836 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260425T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260425T233000 UID:1728DC24-1587-443A-9230-DBAEEE6CB8E6 SUMMARY:Big Richard CREATED:20260107T203504Z DTSTAMP:20260107T203504Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/big-richard-4 DESCRIPTION:Since exploding onto the Colorado scene in 2021, the four women of the supergroup Big Richard have been on a wild ride. Although they showed up to their first gig armed with homemade puff paint t-shirts, a load of crass jokes, and all dressed intentionally like Stevie Nicks, from the first few notes of their tight vocal harmonies, dazzling string virtuosity, and clever arrangements, no one had any choice but to take them seriously. \NDetermined to be more than a one-night stand, Big Richard hit the road. They slapped as hard as possible on the festival circuit, worked up their stamina on nationwide headlining tours, and left a wake of die-hard Big Richard Heads across the country swooning for their honest songwriting, chilling vocals, and fiddle-driven barn-burners. \NFueled by a steady diet of gas station snacks, Big Richard is currently touring their debut full-length studio album Girl Dinner, following a whirlwind year that included performances on PBS' the Cavern Sessions, NPR's World Cafe, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Delfest, Bourbon and Beyond, Jam Cruise, and New Year's Eve at the Ryman in Nashville. \NThey often refer to themselves as the gremlins of the bluegrass world, and the gremlins are: platinum recording artist Bonnie Sims, who rips the mandolin and smells like Snoop Dogg's sock drawer; road dog Eve Panning, who toured extensively with the fiddle band Barrage and has trained her dog to murder on command; bassist Hazel Royer, plucked from the sidewalk in front of Berklee, can probably communicate with crows; and Dr. Joy Adams, who would just rather be skiing. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Since exploding onto the Colorado scene in 2021, the four women of the supergroup Big Richard have been on a wild ride. Although they showed up to their first gig armed with homemade puff paint t-shirts, a load of crass jokes, and all dressed intentionally like Stevie Nicks, from the first few notes of their tight vocal harmonies, dazzling string virtuosity, and clever arrangements, no one had any choice but to take them seriously.
Determined to be more than a one-night stand, Big Richard hit the road. They slapped as hard as possible on the festival circuit, worked up their stamina on nationwide headlining tours, and left a wake of die-hard Big Richard Heads across the country swooning for their honest songwriting, chilling vocals, and fiddle-driven barn-burners.
Fueled by a steady diet of gas station snacks, Big Richard is currently touring their debut full-length studio album Girl Dinner, following a whirlwind year that included performances on PBS' the Cavern Sessions, NPR's World Cafe, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Delfest, Bourbon and Beyond, Jam Cruise, and New Year's Eve at the Ryman in Nashville.
They often refer to themselves as the gremlins of the bluegrass world, and the gremlins are: platinum recording artist Bonnie Sims, who rips the mandolin and smells like Snoop Dogg's sock drawer; road dog Eve Panning, who toured extensively with the fiddle band Barrage and has trained her dog to murder on command; bassist Hazel Royer, plucked from the sidewalk in front of Berklee, can probably communicate with crows; and Dr. Joy Adams, who would just rather be skiing.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T160509Z SEQUENCE:7759805 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1634 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-13 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260427T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260427T233000 UID:799322B3-3FEC-4276-9C3E-BBF8C11E7CE9 SUMMARY:Vincent Neil Emerson CREATED:20260122T192207Z DTSTAMP:20260122T192207Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/vincent-neil-emerson-3 DESCRIPTION:Vincent Neil Emerson has become a staple among folk and country music fans nationwide, celebrated for his honest tales of life on the road, heartbreak, and struggles of all sorts. His first LP, Fried Chicken & Evil Women, from 2019, established him as a refreshing voice in the modern country music landscape. The songs from that first album were charming and playful songs, but didn't reveal the entirety of Emerson's story.\NOn his brilliant new album, The Golden Crystal Kingdom, Emerson transcends the role of a honky-tonk country singer and becomes a chronicler of his history. The album is a bold continuation of the story he tells on Vincent Neil Emerson, with songs like the title track exploring the feelings he was left with after his days spent playing in Texas honky-tonks and dancehalls, and the track "The Time of The Rambler," inspired by the early days of living in his car and busking on the streets.\NHe was born and partly raised in East Texas, around his Choctaw-Apache family, and spent most of his life moving around the state. Raised by a single mother, he lost his father to suicide when he was nine. Emerson dealt with those feelings of abandonment and loss on his self-titled album, with the track "Learning to Drown" in particular.\NHis grandmother and grandfather brought the family to Texas when Emerson's mother was a child, leaving their ancestral Choctaw-Apache homelands in Louisiana behind to try and build a better life for themselves and their children. Emerson always identified with his Native American roots, but it wasn't until 2021's self-titled album that he examined and tried to shed light on the devastating history of his tribe with the song "Ballad of the Choctaw Apache."\NSonically, The Golden Crystal Kingdom finds Emerson expanding his scope into rock and roll territory, tapping into the storied sounds of folk music gone electric, and following in the footsteps of artists like Bob Dylan and Neil Young. On the album, Emerson retains his diamond- sharp storytelling while imbuing the work with a freewheeling rock and roll aesthetic, creating an album as fun as his live shows and as cathartic as his previous work.\NWith production from Shooter Jennings, Emerson wanted to establish some sounds as touchstones but emphasized following his own intuition for the aesthetics of his record. "I didn't really want to model this record after anybody else's music, but I've been heavily influenced by a lot of old rock and roll music from the sixties and seventies singer-songwriter music," Emerson explains.\NThe album wasn't necessarily created as an opposing force to the country and folk sounds his fans have come to expect, but he did want to make a record that showcased another side of himself as a writer. He also leaned on friends and collaborators like Jennings, Steve Earle, and Rodney Crowell to help him flesh out this album.\NEmerson has been able to call these one-time heroes friends and mentors, and it is these relationships that have helped the songwriter find his confidence in writing about his personal history and standing up for the causes he believes in. Emerson wrote "Man From Uvalde" after the horrific and tragic mass shooting in the city of Uvalde, Texas, and he was initially hesitant to include the track on The Golden Crystal Kingdom. "It's a daunting thing to try to dive into social issues in songwriting because I wasn't sure how people would really take it," Emerson says. "I recorded a rough demo version of the song, and I sent it to Steve [Earle]. I just wanted to get his thoughts on it and see if it was worth anything. He got back to me, and he said he really liked thesong and thought it was great. He gave me a few ideas and ways to look at the subject differently, and it really helped me finish the song. That encouragement gave me the confidence to include it on the album."\NThe Golden Crystal Kingdom also pays tribute to some of the peers Emerson cut his teeth with in the music scene. He covers the Charley Crockett song, "Time of the Cottonwood Trees," and is quick to pay tribute to his labelmate and dear friend Colter Wall. "Those two had my back since day one. They've been some of my biggest supporters, and they've always inspired me to write better songs and encouraged me to pursue this," Emerson reflects. "Especially at a time when I was starting out and I didn't really have a lot of encouragement or even self-confidence to do this, they were always there for me."\NAs a kid who grew up in a trailer with a single mother, went through bouts of homelessness as a young man, and grinded through countless shows to get where he's at, Vincent Neil Emerson is never quick to praise his own work ethic. He always refers to the friends, family members, and collaborators who have shown their faith in his vision.\NBut humility doesn't mean Emerson isn't one of the hardest working, most talented songwriters to emerge from the alt-country underground in years. His style is one of a kind, and his ability to blend tales of the everyman with tributes to his past, present, and future make him a peerless songwriter. On The Golden Crystal Kingdom, Vincent Neil Emerson carries on the torch of his singer-songwriter forebears while infusing the legacy with his unique and thrilling point of view. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Vincent Neil Emerson has become a staple among folk and country music fans nationwide, celebrated for his honest tales of life on the road, heartbreak, and struggles of all sorts. His first LP, Fried Chicken & Evil Women, from 2019, established him as a refreshing voice in the modern country music landscape. The songs from that first album were charming and playful songs, but didn't reveal the entirety of Emerson's story.
On his brilliant new album, The Golden Crystal Kingdom, Emerson transcends the role of a honky-tonk country singer and becomes a chronicler of his history. The album is a bold continuation of the story he tells on Vincent Neil Emerson, with songs like the title track exploring the feelings he was left with after his days spent playing in Texas honky-tonks and dancehalls, and the track "The Time of The Rambler," inspired by the early days of living in his car and busking on the streets.
He was born and partly raised in East Texas, around his Choctaw-Apache family, and spent most of his life moving around the state. Raised by a single mother, he lost his father to suicide when he was nine. Emerson dealt with those feelings of abandonment and loss on his self-titled album, with the track "Learning to Drown" in particular.
His grandmother and grandfather brought the family to Texas when Emerson's mother was a child, leaving their ancestral Choctaw-Apache homelands in Louisiana behind to try and build a better life for themselves and their children. Emerson always identified with his Native American roots, but it wasn't until 2021's self-titled album that he examined and tried to shed light on the devastating history of his tribe with the song "Ballad of the Choctaw Apache."
Sonically, The Golden Crystal Kingdom finds Emerson expanding his scope into rock and roll territory, tapping into the storied sounds of folk music gone electric, and following in the footsteps of artists like Bob Dylan and Neil Young. On the album, Emerson retains his diamond- sharp storytelling while imbuing the work with a freewheeling rock and roll aesthetic, creating an album as fun as his live shows and as cathartic as his previous work.
With production from Shooter Jennings, Emerson wanted to establish some sounds as touchstones but emphasized following his own intuition for the aesthetics of his record. "I didn't really want to model this record after anybody else's music, but I've been heavily influenced by a lot of old rock and roll music from the sixties and seventies singer-songwriter music," Emerson explains.
The album wasn't necessarily created as an opposing force to the country and folk sounds his fans have come to expect, but he did want to make a record that showcased another side of himself as a writer. He also leaned on friends and collaborators like Jennings, Steve Earle, and Rodney Crowell to help him flesh out this album.
Emerson has been able to call these one-time heroes friends and mentors, and it is these relationships that have helped the songwriter find his confidence in writing about his personal history and standing up for the causes he believes in. Emerson wrote "Man From Uvalde" after the horrific and tragic mass shooting in the city of Uvalde, Texas, and he was initially hesitant to include the track on The Golden Crystal Kingdom. "It's a daunting thing to try to dive into social issues in songwriting because I wasn't sure how people would really take it," Emerson says. "I recorded a rough demo version of the song, and I sent it to Steve [Earle]. I just wanted to get his thoughts on it and see if it was worth anything. He got back to me, and he said he really liked thesong and thought it was great. He gave me a few ideas and ways to look at the subject differently, and it really helped me finish the song. That encouragement gave me the confidence to include it on the album."
The Golden Crystal Kingdom also pays tribute to some of the peers Emerson cut his teeth with in the music scene. He covers the Charley Crockett song, "Time of the Cottonwood Trees," and is quick to pay tribute to his labelmate and dear friend Colter Wall. "Those two had my back since day one. They've been some of my biggest supporters, and they've always inspired me to write better songs and encouraged me to pursue this," Emerson reflects. "Especially at a time when I was starting out and I didn't really have a lot of encouragement or even self-confidence to do this, they were always there for me."
As a kid who grew up in a trailer with a single mother, went through bouts of homelessness as a young man, and grinded through countless shows to get where he's at, Vincent Neil Emerson is never quick to praise his own work ethic. He always refers to the friends, family members, and collaborators who have shown their faith in his vision.
But humility doesn't mean Emerson isn't one of the hardest working, most talented songwriters to emerge from the alt-country underground in years. His style is one of a kind, and his ability to blend tales of the everyman with tributes to his past, present, and future make him a peerless songwriter. On The Golden Crystal Kingdom, Vincent Neil Emerson carries on the torch of his singer-songwriter forebears while infusing the legacy with his unique and thrilling point of view.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260421T162926Z SEQUENCE:7679239 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1677 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-27 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260430T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260430T233000 UID:6BD6DF39-5B14-411E-B093-AF32BC8266F3 SUMMARY:The Garcia Project Night 1 CREATED:20260223T193240Z DTSTAMP:20260223T193240Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-garcia-project-night-4 DESCRIPTION:“The Garcia Project is a must-see for anyone who had the good fortune of seeing Jerry’s band live. I was lucky enough to share the JGB experience with Jerry, John Kahn, Maria Muldaur, Keith and Donna. Being on stage with Mik, Kat and the crew is the closest thing to the original. They are Jerry’s kindred spirits when it comes to making music. Even if you never saw JGB live, you can see and hear their spirit at a Garcia Project performance.” – Buzz Buchanan, Drummer for The Jerry Garcia Band 1977-1978\NWhat makes The Garcia Project so special and magical isn’t just their dedication to performing full, classic Jerry Garcia Band set lists — it’s the feeling they bring to every note. With deep love and respect for the music, The Garcia Project recreates the soul-stirring, heartfelt vibe of a true Jerry Band experience.\NEach performance is a journey back in time, featuring a complete set list from a specific year in Jerry Garcia Bandhistory — delivered with the same arrangements, instrumentation, gear, and emotional power that defined those original shows. It’s more than a concert. It’s a re-creation of the spirit, the healing energy, and the connection that fans felt at every Jerry Band show.\NAt the heart of The Garcia Project is Mik Bondy on guitar and vocals, playing through a rig modeled after Jerry’s own — capturing the tone and touch that defined Garcia’s sound. Vocalist Kat Walkerson brings rich, soulful harmonies that echo the power of the original Jerry Band vocalists. Holding down the low end is David Alderman on bass and vocals, delivering deep grooves and melodic support. On keyboards, Elliot Jackson Scott Rauch adds shimmering textures and gospel-tinged solos that bring the songs to life.\NTogether, this group doesn’t just play the music of the Jerry Garcia Band — they bring it back to life with passion, precision, and authenticity. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“The Garcia Project is a must-see for anyone who had the good fortune of seeing Jerry’s band live. I was lucky enough to share the JGB experience with Jerry, John Kahn, Maria Muldaur, Keith and Donna. Being on stage with Mik, Kat and the crew is the closest thing to the original. They are Jerry’s kindred spirits when it comes to making music. Even if you never saw JGB live, you can see and hear their spirit at a Garcia Project performance.” – Buzz Buchanan, Drummer for The Jerry Garcia Band 1977-1978
What makes The Garcia Project so special and magical isn’t just their dedication to performing full, classic Jerry Garcia Band set lists — it’s the feeling they bring to every note. With deep love and respect for the music, The Garcia Project recreates the soul-stirring, heartfelt vibe of a true Jerry Band experience.
Each performance is a journey back in time, featuring a complete set list from a specific year in Jerry Garcia Bandhistory — delivered with the same arrangements, instrumentation, gear, and emotional power that defined those original shows. It’s more than a concert. It’s a re-creation of the spirit, the healing energy, and the connection that fans felt at every Jerry Band show.
At the heart of The Garcia Project is Mik Bondy on guitar and vocals, playing through a rig modeled after Jerry’s own — capturing the tone and touch that defined Garcia’s sound. Vocalist Kat Walkerson brings rich, soulful harmonies that echo the power of the original Jerry Band vocalists. Holding down the low end is David Alderman on bass and vocals, delivering deep grooves and melodic support. On keyboards, Elliot Jackson Scott Rauch adds shimmering textures and gospel-tinged solos that bring the songs to life.
Together, this group doesn’t just play the music of the Jerry Garcia Band — they bring it back to life with passion, precision, and authenticity.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T155343Z SEQUENCE:4998063 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1502 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-02-24 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260501T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260501T233000 UID:F84BB5A3-5DBC-42D9-8569-453D83AFEDE3 SUMMARY:(SOLD OUT) The Garcia Project Night 2 CREATED:20260223T193240Z DTSTAMP:20260223T193240Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-garcia-project-night-5 DESCRIPTION:“The Garcia Project is a must-see for anyone who had the good fortune of seeing Jerry’s band live. I was lucky enough to share the JGB experience with Jerry, John Kahn, Maria Muldaur, Keith and Donna. Being on stage with Mik, Kat and the crew is the closest thing to the original. They are Jerry’s kindred spirits when it comes to making music. Even if you never saw JGB live, you can see and hear their spirit at a Garcia Project performance.” – Buzz Buchanan, Drummer for The Jerry Garcia Band 1977-1978\NWhat makes The Garcia Project so special and magical isn’t just their dedication to performing full, classic Jerry Garcia Band set lists — it’s the feeling they bring to every note. With deep love and respect for the music, The Garcia Project recreates the soul-stirring, heartfelt vibe of a true Jerry Band experience.\NEach performance is a journey back in time, featuring a complete set list from a specific year in Jerry Garcia Bandhistory — delivered with the same arrangements, instrumentation, gear, and emotional power that defined those original shows. It’s more than a concert. It’s a re-creation of the spirit, the healing energy, and the connection that fans felt at every Jerry Band show.\NAt the heart of The Garcia Project is Mik Bondy on guitar and vocals, playing through a rig modeled after Jerry’s own — capturing the tone and touch that defined Garcia’s sound. Vocalist Kat Walkerson brings rich, soulful harmonies that echo the power of the original Jerry Band vocalists. Holding down the low end is David Alderman on bass and vocals, delivering deep grooves and melodic support. On keyboards, Elliot Jackson Scott Rauch adds shimmering textures and gospel-tinged solos that bring the songs to life.\NTogether, this group doesn’t just play the music of the Jerry Garcia Band — they bring it back to life with passion, precision, and authenticity. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:“The Garcia Project is a must-see for anyone who had the good fortune of seeing Jerry’s band live. I was lucky enough to share the JGB experience with Jerry, John Kahn, Maria Muldaur, Keith and Donna. Being on stage with Mik, Kat and the crew is the closest thing to the original. They are Jerry’s kindred spirits when it comes to making music. Even if you never saw JGB live, you can see and hear their spirit at a Garcia Project performance.” – Buzz Buchanan, Drummer for The Jerry Garcia Band 1977-1978
What makes The Garcia Project so special and magical isn’t just their dedication to performing full, classic Jerry Garcia Band set lists — it’s the feeling they bring to every note. With deep love and respect for the music, The Garcia Project recreates the soul-stirring, heartfelt vibe of a true Jerry Band experience.
Each performance is a journey back in time, featuring a complete set list from a specific year in Jerry Garcia Bandhistory — delivered with the same arrangements, instrumentation, gear, and emotional power that defined those original shows. It’s more than a concert. It’s a re-creation of the spirit, the healing energy, and the connection that fans felt at every Jerry Band show.
At the heart of The Garcia Project is Mik Bondy on guitar and vocals, playing through a rig modeled after Jerry’s own — capturing the tone and touch that defined Garcia’s sound. Vocalist Kat Walkerson brings rich, soulful harmonies that echo the power of the original Jerry Band vocalists. Holding down the low end is David Alderman on bass and vocals, delivering deep grooves and melodic support. On keyboards, Elliot Jackson Scott Rauch adds shimmering textures and gospel-tinged solos that bring the songs to life.
Together, this group doesn’t just play the music of the Jerry Garcia Band — they bring it back to life with passion, precision, and authenticity.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T144654Z SEQUENCE:5512454 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1091 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-02-24 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260502T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260502T233000 UID:14342E88-1909-461E-BC83-72A7993E87BB SUMMARY:Here Comes The Sun: All-Star Tribute to George Harrison CREATED:20260317T155231Z DTSTAMP:20260317T155231Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/here-comes-the-sun-all-star-tribute-to-george-harrison DESCRIPTION:He was nicknamed The Quiet Beatle, so often overlooked in the massive shadow of Lennon & McCartney, but George Harrison’s songs speak for themselves (and then some). Here Comes The Sun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, My Sweet Lord, Something, Handle With Care, All Things Must Pass, Taxman, Within You Without You, Isn’t It A Pity…his songbook is insane. Come celebrate Harrison’s iconic Beatles, solo, and Traveling Wilburys songs with an all-star house band comprised of members of Neon Trees, Desert Noises, Fictionist, and The Lower Lights backing up an absurd lineup of singers. Who? Meg & Brady Parks (The National Parks), Mindy Gledhill, Joey St. John (Cardinal Bloom), Nate Pyfer (Pinguin Mofex), Marie Bradshaw (The Hollering Pines), Jenn Blosil, Julianne Brough, Ryan Innes, Peter Breinholt, Mason Porter (Polytype), Mick Rudolph (Seaslak), Marcus Bently, Debra Fotheringham, Paul Jacobsen (The Madison Arm), Jordan Moyes, Amy Gileadi (Sunfall Festival), Talin Everett, Dominic Moore, and Dallin Major (Atlast Slave). It all happens at The State Room on May 2. Presented by the same folks, Madison Arm Present, who brought you Tom Petty/Wildflowers, Bob Dylan/Blood On The Tracks, Neil Young/Harvest, Weezer/Blue Album, and Beatles/Abbey Road tribute shows, among others. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:He was nicknamed The Quiet Beatle, so often overlooked in the massive shadow of Lennon & McCartney, but George Harrison’s songs speak for themselves (and then some). Here Comes The Sun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, My Sweet Lord, Something, Handle With Care, All Things Must Pass, Taxman, Within You Without You, Isn’t It A Pity…his songbook is insane. Come celebrate Harrison’s iconic Beatles, solo, and Traveling Wilburys songs with an all-star house band comprised of members of Neon Trees, Desert Noises, Fictionist, and The Lower Lights backing up an absurd lineup of singers. Who? Meg & Brady Parks (The National Parks), Mindy Gledhill, Joey St. John (Cardinal Bloom), Nate Pyfer (Pinguin Mofex), Marie Bradshaw (The Hollering Pines), Jenn Blosil, Julianne Brough, Ryan Innes, Peter Breinholt, Mason Porter (Polytype), Mick Rudolph (Seaslak), Marcus Bently, Debra Fotheringham, Paul Jacobsen (The Madison Arm), Jordan Moyes, Amy Gileadi (Sunfall Festival), Talin Everett, Dominic Moore, and Dallin Major (Atlast Slave). It all happens at The State Room on May 2. Presented by the same folks, Madison Arm Present, who brought you Tom Petty/Wildflowers, Bob Dylan/Blood On The Tracks, Neil Young/Harvest, Weezer/Blue Album, and Beatles/Abbey Road tribute shows, among others.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T180451Z SEQUENCE:2945540 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1582 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-03-17 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260504T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260504T233000 UID:85B0669C-DAC3-440E-8FDD-6B7D7C392B30 SUMMARY:Zinadelphia CREATED:20260128T191934Z DTSTAMP:20260128T191934Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/zinadelphia DESCRIPTION:With a sound that blends the best of the past and present, Zinadelphia crafts timeless, colorful songs that play the long game. Following a successful trio of singles, Zinadelphia released her debut Lucky EP in 2023, and began touring as support for artists who are equally as audacious: Medium Build, Teddy Swims and most recently, Tori Kelly. "It's the most fun I've had in my whole life," she describes. She built her audience organically, performing cross-country for the first time and captivating new fans with her singular voice and charm. Entering 2024, Zinadelphia brought together writer-producers Leroy Clampitt and Gabe Goodman, working out of LA together to create a sound that is everything she's always wanted. "I'm very much a maximalist," she explains. "I wanted to dip into an old Hollywood feel, almost Burlesque-like." This aesthetic, combined with her love of 60s and 70s icons like The Supremes, Gloria Gaynor, and Tammi Terrell, birthed songs that feel reminiscent of those decades, while still being grounded in the present. Her next single, "Love Over Glory," encapsulates the power that Zinadelphia has always possessed, now on full display. She strives to be realistic, rather than aspirational, about her struggles, contrasting darker themes with high energy tempos. Referencing disco motifs with bombastic horns, funk bass lines and a four-on-the-floor beat, the single sets the stage for a new era to come: "It's the most me I've ever felt." Zinadelphia embraces life's "ugly truths'' through her songwriting, using music as an outlet to process new experiences and express herself. She captures the highs and lows of womanhood, marrying vintage aesthetics with a fresh and exciting perspective. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:With a sound that blends the best of the past and present, Zinadelphia crafts timeless, colorful songs that play the long game. Following a successful trio of singles, Zinadelphia released her debut Lucky EP in 2023, and began touring as support for artists who are equally as audacious: Medium Build, Teddy Swims and most recently, Tori Kelly. "It's the most fun I've had in my whole life," she describes. She built her audience organically, performing cross-country for the first time and captivating new fans with her singular voice and charm. Entering 2024, Zinadelphia brought together writer-producers Leroy Clampitt and Gabe Goodman, working out of LA together to create a sound that is everything she's always wanted. "I'm very much a maximalist," she explains. "I wanted to dip into an old Hollywood feel, almost Burlesque-like." This aesthetic, combined with her love of 60s and 70s icons like The Supremes, Gloria Gaynor, and Tammi Terrell, birthed songs that feel reminiscent of those decades, while still being grounded in the present. Her next single, "Love Over Glory," encapsulates the power that Zinadelphia has always possessed, now on full display. She strives to be realistic, rather than aspirational, about her struggles, contrasting darker themes with high energy tempos. Referencing disco motifs with bombastic horns, funk bass lines and a four-on-the-floor beat, the single sets the stage for a new era to come: "It's the most me I've ever felt." Zinadelphia embraces life's "ugly truths'' through her songwriting, using music as an outlet to process new experiences and express herself. She captures the highs and lows of womanhood, marrying vintage aesthetics with a fresh and exciting perspective.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T185924Z SEQUENCE:3800390 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1205 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-02-02 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260507T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260507T233000 UID:606B2939-56FD-4535-B318-97C379032BF2 SUMMARY:Wayne 'The Train' Hancock CREATED:20251117T183932Z DTSTAMP:20251117T183932Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/wayne-the-train-hancock DESCRIPTION:Alternative country favorite Wayne Hancock is that rare breed of traditionalist: one who imbues his retro obsessions with such high energy and passion that his songs never feel like museum pieces he's trying desperately to preserve. Hancock is most often compared to , and he can indeed be a hardcore honky tonker, but there's more to him than that: he also displays a genuine affinity for stomping rockabilly, Western swing, blues, and old-timey country à la . Plus, he also throws in the occasional pop standard in the manner of 's classic Stardust album. Hancock's devotion to classic country sounds, coupled with his strong aversion to the Nashville hit-making machine, earned him an ardent following among alternative country fans (from both the country and rock sides of the movement), as well as a fair amount of critical acclaim.\NWayne "The Train" Hancock was born May 1, 1965, and began writing songs around age 12. His family moved around a lot during his childhood, and often sang to entertain themselves. Hancock started playing juke joints around Texas as a teenager, and at age 18 won a prestigious talent competition, the Wrangler Country Showdown; however, he was unable to reap the benefits, having just enlisted in the Marines. After six years in the military, Hancock returned to Texas and began playing around the state wherever he could, working odd jobs on the side to help make ends meet. Eventually tiring of his itinerant existence, Hancock moved to West Dallas in 1993, and shortly thereafter settled in the music mecca of Austin. In 1994, he got a part in the musical theater production Chippy, where he performed alongside progressive country legends , (no relation), , and . He also made his recorded debut on the soundtrack album Songs from Chippy.\NThanks to that bit of exposure, Hancock was able to score a deal with the small Texas indie label . His debut album, Thunderstorms and Neon Signs, was produced by steel guitar legend and released in 1995. Critics fawned over the album, particularly the -ish title track, and despite being on a tiny label with limited distribution, it sold over 20,000 copies, mostly through word of mouth. Its success attracted the attention of the somewhat larger indie , which signed Hancock for his second album, That's What Daddy Wants. Issued in 1997, the record found Hancock employing elaborate, horn-driven arrangements and delving more deeply into rockabilly and Western swing, which earned some comparisons to . Reviews were again highly positive, and accordingly reissued Hancock's debut. His third album, Wild, Free & Reckless, had more traditional country instrumentation, full of fiddles and steel guitars, and accordingly was more reminiscent of pre-rock & roll country boogie.\NHancock subsequently switched to the alt-country hub , debuting in 2001 with A-Town Blues, which continued the more stripped-down approach of his most recent music. That same year he released the limited-edition EP South Austin Sessions. Hancock dug even deeper into his honky tonk roots with his next album, 2003's Swing Time, recorded live during a two-night stand at the Continental Club in Austin. In 2006, Hancock turned in Tulsa, his third full-length recording for , with remaining in the producer's chair. A fourth album for the label, Viper of Melody, appeared in 2009. His next release, Ride, showed up early in 2013, again from . In April 2014, Hancock was involved in a serious motorcycle accident, which left him with a fractured elbow and a collapsed lung. He was forced to cancel several months' worth of tour dates due to the wreck, but by the end of the year he was fully recovered and back on the road. In 2016, Hancock returned to the studio with producer to cut his eighth studio album Slingin' Rhythm. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Alternative country favorite Wayne Hancock is that rare breed of traditionalist: one who imbues his retro obsessions with such high energy and passion that his songs never feel like museum pieces he's trying desperately to preserve. Hancock is most often compared to , and he can indeed be a hardcore honky tonker, but there's more to him than that: he also displays a genuine affinity for stomping rockabilly, Western swing, blues, and old-timey country à la . Plus, he also throws in the occasional pop standard in the manner of 's classic Stardust album. Hancock's devotion to classic country sounds, coupled with his strong aversion to the Nashville hit-making machine, earned him an ardent following among alternative country fans (from both the country and rock sides of the movement), as well as a fair amount of critical acclaim.
Wayne "The Train" Hancock was born May 1, 1965, and began writing songs around age 12. His family moved around a lot during his childhood, and often sang to entertain themselves. Hancock started playing juke joints around Texas as a teenager, and at age 18 won a prestigious talent competition, the Wrangler Country Showdown; however, he was unable to reap the benefits, having just enlisted in the Marines. After six years in the military, Hancock returned to Texas and began playing around the state wherever he could, working odd jobs on the side to help make ends meet. Eventually tiring of his itinerant existence, Hancock moved to West Dallas in 1993, and shortly thereafter settled in the music mecca of Austin. In 1994, he got a part in the musical theater production Chippy, where he performed alongside progressive country legends , (no relation), , and . He also made his recorded debut on the soundtrack album Songs from Chippy.
Thanks to that bit of exposure, Hancock was able to score a deal with the small Texas indie label . His debut album, Thunderstorms and Neon Signs, was produced by steel guitar legend and released in 1995. Critics fawned over the album, particularly the -ish title track, and despite being on a tiny label with limited distribution, it sold over 20,000 copies, mostly through word of mouth. Its success attracted the attention of the somewhat larger indie , which signed Hancock for his second album, That's What Daddy Wants. Issued in 1997, the record found Hancock employing elaborate, horn-driven arrangements and delving more deeply into rockabilly and Western swing, which earned some comparisons to . Reviews were again highly positive, and accordingly reissued Hancock's debut. His third album, Wild, Free & Reckless, had more traditional country instrumentation, full of fiddles and steel guitars, and accordingly was more reminiscent of pre-rock & roll country boogie.
Hancock subsequently switched to the alt-country hub , debuting in 2001 with A-Town Blues, which continued the more stripped-down approach of his most recent music. That same year he released the limited-edition EP South Austin Sessions. Hancock dug even deeper into his honky tonk roots with his next album, 2003's Swing Time, recorded live during a two-night stand at the Continental Club in Austin. In 2006, Hancock turned in Tulsa, his third full-length recording for , with remaining in the producer's chair. A fourth album for the label, Viper of Melody, appeared in 2009. His next release, Ride, showed up early in 2013, again from . In April 2014, Hancock was involved in a serious motorcycle accident, which left him with a fractured elbow and a collapsed lung. He was forced to cancel several months' worth of tour dates due to the wreck, but by the end of the year he was fully recovered and back on the road. In 2016, Hancock returned to the studio with producer to cut his eighth studio album Slingin' Rhythm. ~ Steve Huey, Rovi
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205721Z SEQUENCE:8129869 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2611 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-11-18 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260509T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260509T233000 UID:C2B9EA8E-0D85-4AA6-AF3E-FAFB64E0F71B SUMMARY:Cory Mon x Sean Hayes CREATED:20260316T222929Z DTSTAMP:20260316T222929Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/cory-mon-x-sean-hayes DESCRIPTION:Cory Mon is a seasoned musician (and band—it’s complicated) from Salt Lake City, Utah, whose music blends funk, rock, blues, and folk into a distinctive, emotive sound. With over two decades in the music industry, Mon has released more than 100 original songs and shared stages with artists such as JJ Grey & Mofro, The Black Pumas, Sean Hayes, The Avett Brothers, Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers, Mavis Staples, G. Love & Special Sauce, The Brothers Comatose, Todd Snider, and Andy Frasco & the U.N., among others.\NMon’s live performances are known for their energy, humor, warmth, and authenticity. His shows are often described as fun, lively, and deeply engaging—equal parts musical throwdown and communal celebration. That same spirit carries into his recordings, where groove, storytelling, and personality take center stage.\NOn May 9, 2026, Cory Mon will release Olly Olly Oxen Free, his 10th album (including two live records and a 2017 EP). The album is a vibrant collection of celebration-driven songs—funky, dancey, groove-based tunes designed to move bodies and lift moods. True to the band’s live reputation, Olly Olly Oxen Free also weaves in humorous tidbits and comedy-style interludes, echoing the playful, off-the-cuff moments fans have come to love at shows.\NCory Mon’s mantra, “Free Hugs,” isn’t just a slogan—it’s a vibe. It reflects the project’s open-hearted ethos and commitment to spreading joy, connection, and a little bit of weirdness through music.\NMusically hard to pin down, Mon describes his style with a grin: “Happy (sometimes sad), gritty, funky, folksy, bluesy, rocky music… I guess.” That blend—paired with soul-baring lyrics, infectious grooves, and a magnetic stage presence—continues to win over audiences and solidify Cory Mon as one of Utah’s most compelling and joy-forward musical voices. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Cory Mon is a seasoned musician (and band—it’s complicated) from Salt Lake City, Utah, whose music blends funk, rock, blues, and folk into a distinctive, emotive sound. With over two decades in the music industry, Mon has released more than 100 original songs and shared stages with artists such as JJ Grey & Mofro, The Black Pumas, Sean Hayes, The Avett Brothers, Patterson Hood of Drive-By Truckers, Mavis Staples, G. Love & Special Sauce, The Brothers Comatose, Todd Snider, and Andy Frasco & the U.N., among others.
Mon’s live performances are known for their energy, humor, warmth, and authenticity. His shows are often described as fun, lively, and deeply engaging—equal parts musical throwdown and communal celebration. That same spirit carries into his recordings, where groove, storytelling, and personality take center stage.
On May 9, 2026, Cory Mon will release Olly Olly Oxen Free, his 10th album (including two live records and a 2017 EP). The album is a vibrant collection of celebration-driven songs—funky, dancey, groove-based tunes designed to move bodies and lift moods. True to the band’s live reputation, Olly Olly Oxen Free also weaves in humorous tidbits and comedy-style interludes, echoing the playful, off-the-cuff moments fans have come to love at shows.
Cory Mon’s mantra, “Free Hugs,” isn’t just a slogan—it’s a vibe. It reflects the project’s open-hearted ethos and commitment to spreading joy, connection, and a little bit of weirdness through music.
Musically hard to pin down, Mon describes his style with a grin: “Happy (sometimes sad), gritty, funky, folksy, bluesy, rocky music… I guess.” That blend—paired with soul-baring lyrics, infectious grooves, and a magnetic stage presence—continues to win over audiences and solidify Cory Mon as one of Utah’s most compelling and joy-forward musical voices.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T190328Z SEQUENCE:3011639 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:2397 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-03-17 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260513T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260513T233000 UID:4F52E102-6D96-48CD-A843-AFA7BC6DCE2A SUMMARY:Sir Woman CREATED:20260107T174806Z DTSTAMP:20260107T174806Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/sir-woman DESCRIPTION:The name of Wilson’s rollicking solo project fittingly came to her just as Wild Child was playing the last festival before their hiatus. While roaming around the festival grounds, a security guard yelled at her, calling her “sir” and “woman.” Something clicked: It was the song that she had been singing in a dream the night before, the character she longed to create. “It felt so appropriate and reminded me of Motown, just classic but powerful. It was everything that I didn't really get to express in Wild Child.” \NAs Sir Woman, Wilson took the Austin music scene by storm in 2022 with the release of her full-length self-titled debut. It led to her taking the stage at renowned clubs, earning Artist Of The Year at the 2023 Austin Music Awards, as well as features in Rolling Stone, Spin.com, Variety and the Cover of Austin Chronicle and many other publications. The buzz surrounding Wilson’s project has helped earn Sir Woman upwards of 30 million streams on Spotify.\NNow, Wilson is funneling her long passion for soul, funk and R&B into a double album — If It All Works Out and If It Doesn’t. But making one — let alone two albums —isn’t something she ever intended to do. Throughout the making of both her records, Wilson experienced a great deal of loss. While recording If It All Works Out, her sister died. In between the making of her debut and the second LP, her father passed away. They were both chapters in her life that needed to be shared separately. “It basically came out to be an album for a good day and an album for a bad one, because you need music for both experiences.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The name of Wilson’s rollicking solo project fittingly came to her just as Wild Child was playing the last festival before their hiatus. While roaming around the festival grounds, a security guard yelled at her, calling her “sir” and “woman.” Something clicked: It was the song that she had been singing in a dream the night before, the character she longed to create. “It felt so appropriate and reminded me of Motown, just classic but powerful. It was everything that I didn't really get to express in Wild Child.”
As Sir Woman, Wilson took the Austin music scene by storm in 2022 with the release of her full-length self-titled debut. It led to her taking the stage at renowned clubs, earning Artist Of The Year at the 2023 Austin Music Awards, as well as features in Rolling Stone, Spin.com, Variety and the Cover of Austin Chronicle and many other publications. The buzz surrounding Wilson’s project has helped earn Sir Woman upwards of 30 million streams on Spotify.
Now, Wilson is funneling her long passion for soul, funk and R&B into a double album — If It All Works Out and If It Doesn’t. But making one — let alone two albums —isn’t something she ever intended to do. Throughout the making of both her records, Wilson experienced a great deal of loss. While recording If It All Works Out, her sister died. In between the making of her debut and the second LP, her father passed away. They were both chapters in her life that needed to be shared separately. “It basically came out to be an album for a good day and an album for a bad one, because you need music for both experiences.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20260409T182840Z SEQUENCE:7951234 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1778 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-27 17:34:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260515T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260515T233000 UID:00895DBB-D49C-463E-A191-8DA06A28F9D5 SUMMARY:Mike Doughty CREATED:20260107T202941Z DTSTAMP:20260107T202941Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/mike-doughty-2 DESCRIPTION:Mike Doughty is an American singer, songwriter, and author best known as the founder and frontman of Soul Coughing. This year, Mike Doughty returns to the stage for a solo tour, presenting stripped-down, intimate performances that span his Soul Coughing legacy and prolific solo work, reaffirming his place as one of alternative music’s most distinctive and enduring voices. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Mike Doughty is an American singer, songwriter, and author best known as the founder and frontman of Soul Coughing. This year, Mike Doughty returns to the stage for a solo tour, presenting stripped-down, intimate performances that span his Soul Coughing legacy and prolific solo work, reaffirming his place as one of alternative music’s most distinctive and enduring voices.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205736Z SEQUENCE:3716875 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1649 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-13 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260520T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260520T203000 UID:0BB3EF5E-B209-49CC-8207-57CE4B9EDCD5 SUMMARY:Memphis Rox Film & Fundraiser Event CREATED:20260120T165121Z DTSTAMP:20260120T165121Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/memphis-rox-film-fundraiser-event DESCRIPTION:This event supports Memphis Rox, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to making climbing accessible through a pay-what-you-can model, low-cost rentals, free youth programs, and a community-driven café. Following the tragic loss of Outreach Coordinator Jarmond Johnson to gun violence in June 2025, this fundraiser honors his legacy by supporting Memphis Rox’s continued work to create safe, inclusive, and welcoming climbing spaces. In recognition of Black History Month, Camp4 invites our local climbing community to stand in solidarity and uplift access for all. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:This event supports Memphis Rox, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit committed to making climbing accessible through a pay-what-you-can model, low-cost rentals, free youth programs, and a community-driven café. Following the tragic loss of Outreach Coordinator Jarmond Johnson to gun violence in June 2025, this fundraiser honors his legacy by supporting Memphis Rox’s continued work to create safe, inclusive, and welcoming climbing spaces. In recognition of Black History Month, Camp4 invites our local climbing community to stand in solidarity and uplift access for all.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260303T172740Z SEQUENCE:3630979 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1323 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260523T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260523T233000 UID:615C7A47-8784-4AEF-BFFE-40A690E3AE1C SUMMARY:The Pickpockets CREATED:20260312T211909Z DTSTAMP:20260312T211909Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-pickpockets-2 DESCRIPTION:As bluegrass continues to grow and bend as a genre, The Pickpockets are at the forefront, pushing the roots of bluegrass into new territories. The four-piece string band from Salt Lake City takes you into an inviting world of heartfelt lyrics, catchy melodies and gripping solos. Using an expansive repertoire and ever-growing sound, they continue to immerse audiences in new styles, new genres, and unforgettable grooves. With traditional instruments and future outlooks, The Pickpockets are breathing new life into a timeless tradition: bluegrass. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:As bluegrass continues to grow and bend as a genre, The Pickpockets are at the forefront, pushing the roots of bluegrass into new territories. The four-piece string band from Salt Lake City takes you into an inviting world of heartfelt lyrics, catchy melodies and gripping solos. Using an expansive repertoire and ever-growing sound, they continue to immerse audiences in new styles, new genres, and unforgettable grooves. With traditional instruments and future outlooks, The Pickpockets are breathing new life into a timeless tradition: bluegrass.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T185517Z SEQUENCE:3360968 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:673 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-03-17 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260529T193000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260529T230000 UID:7152F651-FA41-4385-9C13-B5B8C4E50CA1 SUMMARY:Sister Wives CREATED:20260216T161321Z DTSTAMP:20260216T161321Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/sister-wives-2 DESCRIPTION:Ranging from soulful blues to fiery rock to all-out jam band, the Sister Wives defy the conventional norms typically set for predominantly female bands with the range and depth of their musical energy and virtuosity. The Sister Wives display a multitude of musical attitudes in a style that is part Stevie Ray Vaughn, a dash of Sippie Wallace and a little Allman Brothers. A local favorite in Salt Lake City for over 24 years. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Ranging from soulful blues to fiery rock to all-out jam band, the Sister Wives defy the conventional norms typically set for predominantly female bands with the range and depth of their musical energy and virtuosity. The Sister Wives display a multitude of musical attitudes in a style that is part Stevie Ray Vaughn, a dash of Sippie Wallace and a little Allman Brothers. A local favorite in Salt Lake City for over 24 years.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T171745Z SEQUENCE:3719064 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:1657 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-02-17 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260604T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260604T233000 UID:117E1B99-CE5F-4DF5-9F51-45B62ACE7666 SUMMARY:Howie Day CREATED:20260331T212008Z DTSTAMP:20260331T212008Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/howie-day DESCRIPTION:Howie Day’s emotionally resonant lyrics and inventive melodies have earned him both critical praise and a legion of devoted fans. He is known for his energetic, heartfelt shows, where he connects with audiences through the strength of his songwriting and his quirky sense of humor. Day’s warm tenor voice “soars into fluttering, high registers, but also grates with real, pleading grit,” as one critic put it. A native of Bangor, Maine, Day began playing piano at age five and guitar at age 12. By 15, he was writing his own songs and performing across New England. Shortly after graduating high school, Day became a fixture at college coffeehouses across the U.S. He wrote, financed and released his first effort, Australia, which was named Best Debut Album at the 2001 Boston Music Awards. Day began experimenting with effects pedals and loop-sampling techniques as he performed, layering live percussion with vocal harmonies and guitar parts to become a veritable one-man band. He went on to sell over 30,000 copies of Australia as he navigated the independent music scene and continued to hone his craft. After signing with Epic Records, Day released his major-label debut, Stop All The World Now, and hit the road to support it. Since the release of this ground breaking album 20years ago, featuring 4x platinum single "Collide", Howie Day continues to astound audiences with his everlasting music. Two additional studio albums (Sound The Alarm, Lanterns) and his incredible live show will no doubt cultivate life changing and poignant moments for people around the world for many years to come. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Howie Day’s emotionally resonant lyrics and inventive melodies have earned him both critical praise and a legion of devoted fans. He is known for his energetic, heartfelt shows, where he connects with audiences through the strength of his songwriting and his quirky sense of humor. Day’s warm tenor voice “soars into fluttering, high registers, but also grates with real, pleading grit,” as one critic put it. A native of Bangor, Maine, Day began playing piano at age five and guitar at age 12. By 15, he was writing his own songs and performing across New England. Shortly after graduating high school, Day became a fixture at college coffeehouses across the U.S. He wrote, financed and released his first effort, Australia, which was named Best Debut Album at the 2001 Boston Music Awards. Day began experimenting with effects pedals and loop-sampling techniques as he performed, layering live percussion with vocal harmonies and guitar parts to become a veritable one-man band. He went on to sell over 30,000 copies of Australia as he navigated the independent music scene and continued to hone his craft. After signing with Epic Records, Day released his major-label debut, Stop All The World Now, and hit the road to support it. Since the release of this ground breaking album 20years ago, featuring 4x platinum single "Collide", Howie Day continues to astound audiences with his everlasting music. Two additional studio albums (Sound The Alarm, Lanterns) and his incredible live show will no doubt cultivate life changing and poignant moments for people around the world for many years to come.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T174708Z SEQUENCE:2406420 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:519 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260605T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260605T233000 UID:6E1DABEC-E782-451C-927A-230C666F337B SUMMARY:Bad Air Radio x Lapdog CREATED:20260406T002640Z DTSTAMP:20260406T002640Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/bad-air-radio-x-lapdog DESCRIPTION:After the dissolution of his band Medicine Company in 2024, Salt Lake City, UT based artist, Bryant Adair, was left wondering what to do next with a notebook full of unfinished songs and a broken dream. After meandering through the streets of SLC playing with various vagabonds, barflies and miscreants, Adair reunited with long-term collaborator and old high-school friend Josh Karrick to start fresh and get back in the studio with a new name and a new dream forming Bad Air Radio. After releasing their debut album ‘Songs of Love and Loss and Parking Lots’ in 2024, a collaboration with all of Salt Lake’s finest musicians & produced by Ogden’s very own Josh Arena, Karrick and Adair are currently working on their sophomore work “Receding”, a tale of losing all you know only to find what you never expected. Bad Air Radio seeks to mix Adair’s original songwriting with Karrick’s deep knowledge of American Blues, Country, Gospel, and Rock N’ Roll music to create a fresh sound playing off of old ideas to a new audience spanning across generations. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:After the dissolution of his band Medicine Company in 2024, Salt Lake City, UT based artist, Bryant Adair, was left wondering what to do next with a notebook full of unfinished songs and a broken dream. After meandering through the streets of SLC playing with various vagabonds, barflies and miscreants, Adair reunited with long-term collaborator and old high-school friend Josh Karrick to start fresh and get back in the studio with a new name and a new dream forming Bad Air Radio. After releasing their debut album ‘Songs of Love and Loss and Parking Lots’ in 2024, a collaboration with all of Salt Lake’s finest musicians & produced by Ogden’s very own Josh Arena, Karrick and Adair are currently working on their sophomore work “Receding”, a tale of losing all you know only to find what you never expected. Bad Air Radio seeks to mix Adair’s original songwriting with Karrick’s deep knowledge of American Blues, Country, Gospel, and Rock N’ Roll music to create a fresh sound playing off of old ideas to a new audience spanning across generations.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T174718Z SEQUENCE:1963238 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:346 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-04-07 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260606T100000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260606T233000 UID:34139DBF-0D95-4296-8F31-92F879DEB5D0 SUMMARY:The Slackers CREATED:20260223T183752Z DTSTAMP:20260223T183752Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/the-slackers-2 DESCRIPTION:Since 1991, the Slackers have released fifteen albums and countless singles, while their 1000s of live performances feed their fans with energetic sets of ecstatic music.\NThe Slackers have been called ‘the Sound of New York’ by the New York Times. They were described by Brooklyn Vegan as a“ clean mix of Ska, Reggae, and Soul that gets dirtied up by Vic Ruggiero’s tough New York accent.’\NIn April 2022, The Slackers released a new album, “Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya” (Pirates Press) which quickly shot to the top of the US Billboard charts. The first time that a Slackers’ album has charted! Ironically after 30 years as a band, they qualified as a Billboard ‘new artist!’ The Washington Post noted that the Slackers “remain at the top of their game.”\NThe chart topping sales of “Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya” capped a 2 year comeback of the Slackers. When Covid stopped live shows in 2020, the Slackers pivoted to livestreams and made5 full band concerts that were broadcast internationally to an audience of thousands. After the streams, they stayed in the studio and recorded the tunes that became ‘Don’t Let the Sunlight Fool Ya.’\NThe Slackers capped this come back with a series of frenetic tours in 2022 and 2023. They played everything from clubs to festivals in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Brazil.\NIn 2024, they are currently booking 90 shows. They are also currently working on a 20th anniversary reissue of their classic album, ‘Close My Eyes’ for September and on a new single of original music for October. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Since 1991, the Slackers have released fifteen albums and countless singles, while their 1000s of live performances feed their fans with energetic sets of ecstatic music.
The Slackers have been called ‘the Sound of New York’ by the New York Times. They were described by Brooklyn Vegan as a“ clean mix of Ska, Reggae, and Soul that gets dirtied up by Vic Ruggiero’s tough New York accent.’
In April 2022, The Slackers released a new album, “Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya” (Pirates Press) which quickly shot to the top of the US Billboard charts. The first time that a Slackers’ album has charted! Ironically after 30 years as a band, they qualified as a Billboard ‘new artist!’ The Washington Post noted that the Slackers “remain at the top of their game.”
The chart topping sales of “Don’t Let The Sunlight Fool Ya” capped a 2 year comeback of the Slackers. When Covid stopped live shows in 2020, the Slackers pivoted to livestreams and made5 full band concerts that were broadcast internationally to an audience of thousands. After the streams, they stayed in the studio and recorded the tunes that became ‘Don’t Let the Sunlight Fool Ya.’
The Slackers capped this come back with a series of frenetic tours in 2022 and 2023. They played everything from clubs to festivals in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Brazil.
In 2024, they are currently booking 90 shows. They are also currently working on a 20th anniversary reissue of their classic album, ‘Close My Eyes’ for September and on a new single of original music for October.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T174648Z SEQUENCE:5526536 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:813 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-02-24 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260611T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260611T200000 UID:8D4B5BC2-AB6E-4B46-B402-8E9F462462B5 SUMMARY:Terrapin Flyer Night 1 CREATED:20260413T211804Z DTSTAMP:20260413T211804Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/terrapin-flyer-night-6 DESCRIPTION:For the past 25 years Terrapin Flyer has been touring with the finest in the Grateful Dead community of musicians and has become a fixture of the national music scene, playing regularly at venues around the country and appearing at music festivals. The band has a dedicated following among fans of the Grateful Dead and other jam bands, and is known for their authentic interpretations of rare and classic Dead songs. Over the years, Terrapin Flyer has toured with many notable musicians, including Melvin Seals from the Jerry Garcia Band, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten from the Grateful Dead and many other Dead-related musicians. Overall, Terrapin Flyer is a talented and highly regarded band that has made a significant impact on the national music scene.\NIt started in 1999 at the Boulevard Cafe in Chicago as a Grateful Dead jam night and soon became a touring Grateful Dead band featuring legends in the Grateful Dead. In 2001 TF began touring with final keyboardist of the Grateful Dead Vince Welnick. In 2004 touring with Melvin Seals who played Hammond organ in the Jerry Garcia Band. And then in 2006 with another of the Grateful Dead keyboardists Tom Constanten. Some of these tours included several first ever lineups with the combination of Melvin Seals, Tom Constanten and Mark Karan from Ratdog. These were not passing associations but long term bonds with these legends. For 15 years TF toured with Melvin Seals and kept a busy schedule with him as a side gig to his band Melvin Seals & the JGB. With Constanten they were mentioned in the Rolling Stone's "Guide to the Grateful Dead" for the many years of touring with him. Search through this website for many fan recorded shows of the many interesting lineups from the band's history https://archive.org/details/TerrapinFlyer\NTerrapin Flyer has been an evolution of band members over the past quarter of a century and currently features musicians that share the gravitas of having toured many years with members of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band. At it's core Terrapin Flyer is a band of deadheads who are committed to attempting to recapture the spirit and essence of the Grateful Dead by incorporating the roots music of jazz, blues and bluegrass into jams and bringing the music to new and similar places. Josh Olken is the lead guitarist, Wavy Dave on the bass, Jon Reed is the drummer, keyboardist is Michael Cole and rhythm guitarist Doug Hagman. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:For the past 25 years Terrapin Flyer has been touring with the finest in the Grateful Dead community of musicians and has become a fixture of the national music scene, playing regularly at venues around the country and appearing at music festivals. The band has a dedicated following among fans of the Grateful Dead and other jam bands, and is known for their authentic interpretations of rare and classic Dead songs. Over the years, Terrapin Flyer has toured with many notable musicians, including Melvin Seals from the Jerry Garcia Band, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten from the Grateful Dead and many other Dead-related musicians. Overall, Terrapin Flyer is a talented and highly regarded band that has made a significant impact on the national music scene.
It started in 1999 at the Boulevard Cafe in Chicago as a Grateful Dead jam night and soon became a touring Grateful Dead band featuring legends in the Grateful Dead. In 2001 TF began touring with final keyboardist of the Grateful Dead Vince Welnick. In 2004 touring with Melvin Seals who played Hammond organ in the Jerry Garcia Band. And then in 2006 with another of the Grateful Dead keyboardists Tom Constanten. Some of these tours included several first ever lineups with the combination of Melvin Seals, Tom Constanten and Mark Karan from Ratdog. These were not passing associations but long term bonds with these legends. For 15 years TF toured with Melvin Seals and kept a busy schedule with him as a side gig to his band Melvin Seals & the JGB. With Constanten they were mentioned in the Rolling Stone's "Guide to the Grateful Dead" for the many years of touring with him. Search through this website for many fan recorded shows of the many interesting lineups from the band's history https://archive.org/details/TerrapinFlyer
Terrapin Flyer has been an evolution of band members over the past quarter of a century and currently features musicians that share the gravitas of having toured many years with members of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band. At it's core Terrapin Flyer is a band of deadheads who are committed to attempting to recapture the spirit and essence of the Grateful Dead by incorporating the roots music of jazz, blues and bluegrass into jams and bringing the music to new and similar places. Josh Olken is the lead guitarist, Wavy Dave on the bass, Jon Reed is the drummer, keyboardist is Michael Cole and rhythm guitarist Doug Hagman.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T175312Z SEQUENCE:1283708 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:574 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-04-14 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260612T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260612T233000 UID:5873438B-5A92-41F3-8075-D02DD846E052 SUMMARY:Terrapin Flyer Night 2 CREATED:20260413T212038Z DTSTAMP:20260413T212038Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/terrapin-flyer-night-7 DESCRIPTION:For the past 25 years Terrapin Flyer has been touring with the finest in the Grateful Dead community of musicians and has become a fixture of the national music scene, playing regularly at venues around the country and appearing at music festivals. The band has a dedicated following among fans of the Grateful Dead and other jam bands, and is known for their authentic interpretations of rare and classic Dead songs. Over the years, Terrapin Flyer has toured with many notable musicians, including Melvin Seals from the Jerry Garcia Band, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten from the Grateful Dead and many other Dead-related musicians. Overall, Terrapin Flyer is a talented and highly regarded band that has made a significant impact on the national music scene.\NIt started in 1999 at the Boulevard Cafe in Chicago as a Grateful Dead jam night and soon became a touring Grateful Dead band featuring legends in the Grateful Dead. In 2001 TF began touring with final keyboardist of the Grateful Dead Vince Welnick. In 2004 touring with Melvin Seals who played Hammond organ in the Jerry Garcia Band. And then in 2006 with another of the Grateful Dead keyboardists Tom Constanten. Some of these tours included several first ever lineups with the combination of Melvin Seals, Tom Constanten and Mark Karan from Ratdog. These were not passing associations but long term bonds with these legends. For 15 years TF toured with Melvin Seals and kept a busy schedule with him as a side gig to his band Melvin Seals & the JGB. With Constanten they were mentioned in the Rolling Stone's "Guide to the Grateful Dead" for the many years of touring with him. Search through this website for many fan recorded shows of the many interesting lineups from the band's history https://archive.org/details/TerrapinFlyer\NTerrapin Flyer has been an evolution of band members over the past quarter of a century and currently features musicians that share the gravitas of having toured many years with members of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band. At it's core Terrapin Flyer is a band of deadheads who are committed to attempting to recapture the spirit and essence of the Grateful Dead by incorporating the roots music of jazz, blues and bluegrass into jams and bringing the music to new and similar places. Josh Olken is the lead guitarist, Wavy Dave on the bass, Jon Reed is the drummer, keyboardist is Michael Cole and rhythm guitarist Doug Hagman. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:For the past 25 years Terrapin Flyer has been touring with the finest in the Grateful Dead community of musicians and has become a fixture of the national music scene, playing regularly at venues around the country and appearing at music festivals. The band has a dedicated following among fans of the Grateful Dead and other jam bands, and is known for their authentic interpretations of rare and classic Dead songs. Over the years, Terrapin Flyer has toured with many notable musicians, including Melvin Seals from the Jerry Garcia Band, Vince Welnick, Tom Constanten from the Grateful Dead and many other Dead-related musicians. Overall, Terrapin Flyer is a talented and highly regarded band that has made a significant impact on the national music scene.
It started in 1999 at the Boulevard Cafe in Chicago as a Grateful Dead jam night and soon became a touring Grateful Dead band featuring legends in the Grateful Dead. In 2001 TF began touring with final keyboardist of the Grateful Dead Vince Welnick. In 2004 touring with Melvin Seals who played Hammond organ in the Jerry Garcia Band. And then in 2006 with another of the Grateful Dead keyboardists Tom Constanten. Some of these tours included several first ever lineups with the combination of Melvin Seals, Tom Constanten and Mark Karan from Ratdog. These were not passing associations but long term bonds with these legends. For 15 years TF toured with Melvin Seals and kept a busy schedule with him as a side gig to his band Melvin Seals & the JGB. With Constanten they were mentioned in the Rolling Stone's "Guide to the Grateful Dead" for the many years of touring with him. Search through this website for many fan recorded shows of the many interesting lineups from the band's history https://archive.org/details/TerrapinFlyer
Terrapin Flyer has been an evolution of band members over the past quarter of a century and currently features musicians that share the gravitas of having toured many years with members of the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia Band. At it's core Terrapin Flyer is a band of deadheads who are committed to attempting to recapture the spirit and essence of the Grateful Dead by incorporating the roots music of jazz, blues and bluegrass into jams and bringing the music to new and similar places. Josh Olken is the lead guitarist, Wavy Dave on the bass, Jon Reed is the drummer, keyboardist is Michael Cole and rhythm guitarist Doug Hagman.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260428T175320Z SEQUENCE:1283562 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:330 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-04-14 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260613T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260613T233000 UID:41D56BE5-DA29-4CF8-A8B2-B52096DB3A03 SUMMARY:Daniel Young & The Rambling Roses CREATED:20260312T174518Z DTSTAMP:20260312T174518Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/daniel-young-the-rambling-roses DESCRIPTION:Daniel Young is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, drummer, sound engineer, and producer from Salt Lake City. He grew up on the side of a tall mountain, and that sense of forceful elevation informs all of his work. Daniel's been recording and performing for over two decades—and he's not that old, which tells you much of what you need to know about his commitment to craft, about how deep this runs with him.\NThere's a heft to the light in the early evening, when every easterly surface shines. That mayfly incandescence, where nothing gold can stay, though it might flash long enough for you to touch its flaming tail. That's the light Daniel Young captures on Another Golden Hour: it was absorbed on the side patio where the songs were born, carried to the basement where they were magnetized, and it's now refracted back to the air around our heads, where those same songs will fade and be reborn. A small resurrection, a rotational miracle; another day, another golden hour. Recorded at Orchard Studios over a two-day session with only a handful of overdubs, Young worked once again with the Rambling Roses, the same crew he had along for 2024's Leave It Out to Dry. They achieve a rare merger of time, texture, and temperament—a unity that miraculously preserves the uncanny elements of each component.\NThese songs extend Young's abiding interests—and the crazy quilt of his life and times: "Baby, Baby Blue" is a tribute to the dearly departed KSOP (AM 1370), a seventy-year veteran of the good fight of country music and its amplitude modulations; "Holdin' Up" is an earnest question issued to the new depression; "Fires Shall Be Ceased" and "Ways to Communicate" draw on the righteous, rangy energy of a protest tradition that reaches back to Woody Guthrie and the ghosts of Joe Hill that haunt the Wasatch; the title cut is a wavey, dripping distillation of all the sounds that have been trailing Young over the years. Another Golden Hour is a bid for hard-earned hope. You better believe it.\N - B. Child X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Daniel Young is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, drummer, sound engineer, and producer from Salt Lake City. He grew up on the side of a tall mountain, and that sense of forceful elevation informs all of his work. Daniel's been recording and performing for over two decades—and he's not that old, which tells you much of what you need to know about his commitment to craft, about how deep this runs with him.
There's a heft to the light in the early evening, when every easterly surface shines. That mayfly incandescence, where nothing gold can stay, though it might flash long enough for you to touch its flaming tail. That's the light Daniel Young captures on Another Golden Hour: it was absorbed on the side patio where the songs were born, carried to the basement where they were magnetized, and it's now refracted back to the air around our heads, where those same songs will fade and be reborn. A small resurrection, a rotational miracle; another day, another golden hour. Recorded at Orchard Studios over a two-day session with only a handful of overdubs, Young worked once again with the Rambling Roses, the same crew he had along for 2024's Leave It Out to Dry. They achieve a rare merger of time, texture, and temperament—a unity that miraculously preserves the uncanny elements of each component.
These songs extend Young's abiding interests—and the crazy quilt of his life and times: "Baby, Baby Blue" is a tribute to the dearly departed KSOP (AM 1370), a seventy-year veteran of the good fight of country music and its amplitude modulations; "Holdin' Up" is an earnest question issued to the new depression; "Fires Shall Be Ceased" and "Ways to Communicate" draw on the righteous, rangy energy of a protest tradition that reaches back to Woody Guthrie and the ghosts of Joe Hill that haunt the Wasatch; the title cut is a wavey, dripping distillation of all the sounds that have been trailing Young over the years. Another Golden Hour is a bid for hard-earned hope. You better believe it.
- B. Child
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T182710Z SEQUENCE:3372112 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:591 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-03-17 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260616T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260616T233000 UID:BA7FDCA0-291A-4714-A763-C978B994378A SUMMARY:Thee Marloes CREATED:20260312T192829Z DTSTAMP:20260312T192829Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/thee-marloes DESCRIPTION:Thee Marloes’ new album, Di Hotel Malibu, arrives as a widening of the frame — a confident step away from the lines that once neatly held their sound, and toward something more porous, conversational, and deeply Indonesian. It’s been two years since Perak, the Surabaya trio’s debut for Big Crown Records, introduced their unique sound. This new record doesn’t abandon that lineage so much as stretch it, showing how much they have grown as a band since the release of their debut and all the experiences that came with it. Composed of vocalist and keyboardist Natassya Sianturi, guitarist and producer Sinatrya Dharaka and drummer Tommy Satwick, Thee Marloes have always worked as a unit, their songs shaped by shared reference points and a lived-in sense of groove.\NOn this album, that collective language expands. The arrangements move across a broader spectrum, with new instrumental colors, unexpected rhythmic turns, and a looser approach to structure. The band describes it as a response to the last two years of living: social realities, love lives in flux, private questions rubbing up against public identities. Rather than explaining those tensions outright, the songs aim to feel them. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Thee Marloes’ new album, Di Hotel Malibu, arrives as a widening of the frame — a confident step away from the lines that once neatly held their sound, and toward something more porous, conversational, and deeply Indonesian. It’s been two years since Perak, the Surabaya trio’s debut for Big Crown Records, introduced their unique sound. This new record doesn’t abandon that lineage so much as stretch it, showing how much they have grown as a band since the release of their debut and all the experiences that came with it. Composed of vocalist and keyboardist Natassya Sianturi, guitarist and producer Sinatrya Dharaka and drummer Tommy Satwick, Thee Marloes have always worked as a unit, their songs shaped by shared reference points and a lived-in sense of groove.
On this album, that collective language expands. The arrangements move across a broader spectrum, with new instrumental colors, unexpected rhythmic turns, and a looser approach to structure. The band describes it as a response to the last two years of living: social realities, love lives in flux, private questions rubbing up against public identities. Rather than explaining those tensions outright, the songs aim to feel them.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T181728Z SEQUENCE:341339 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:486 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260618T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260618T233000 UID:52324B15-9591-4E1D-9C13-4CD2496CF0AE SUMMARY:High Fade CREATED:20260127T165337Z DTSTAMP:20260127T165337Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/high-fade-2 DESCRIPTION:Funk/Rock trio High Fade–consisting of founder Harry Valentino (Guitar, Vocals), Oliver Sentence (Bass, Mustache) and drummer Heath Campbell (Drums) has grown from Scotland’s most excited busking band into a household name across the world after bursting onto the scene with viral sensations such as “Burnt Toast & Coffee”, “Gossip”, “Burnin’”,and an audacious cover of Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon”.Sold out tours across the UK, USA, and Europe have seen the band get well over 1,500 shows under their belt, allowing High Fade to fast become one of the most ferocious touring bands on the planet. Delivering shows that are packed with raw energy and jaw-dropping musicianship, they refuse to accept the limits of what a three-piece band can do. With sold out tours across the UK, USA, and Europe; and impactful slots at dozens of festivals like Boomtown (UK), Suwannee Hulaween (USA) and Glastonbury–where they performed three times in one day in 2024–High Fade have come a long way from that street corner in Edinburgh. Drawing inspiration from funk, rock, disco, jazz, metal, punk, soul, and beyond, High Fade has developed a sound that explodes out of a rip-roaring melting point of musical influences and tears at the fabric of space time by managing to feel simultaneously fresh and retro. Fiercely independent, the band releases music via their own label RPN Records(“Rippin’ Records”),including their debut album, Life’s Too Fast (2024), which charted in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, USA, and Australia. Not bad for an independent DIY band operating entirely outside of the Major Label system. High Fade’s sophomore LP,Twice As Nice, due for release on RPN Records May 2026, was recorded at two of the world’s most renowned studios, East Iris Studios in Nashville andRAK Studios in London. The hotly anticipated new album arrives just in time for the band’s massive 50-date Twice As Nice tour that will bring the band to all corners of the USA and Canada this Spring and Summer. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Funk/Rock trio High Fade–consisting of founder Harry Valentino (Guitar, Vocals), Oliver Sentence (Bass, Mustache) and drummer Heath Campbell (Drums) has grown from Scotland’s most excited busking band into a household name across the world after bursting onto the scene with viral sensations such as “Burnt Toast & Coffee”, “Gossip”, “Burnin’”,and an audacious cover of Herbie Hancock’s “Chameleon”.Sold out tours across the UK, USA, and Europe have seen the band get well over 1,500 shows under their belt, allowing High Fade to fast become one of the most ferocious touring bands on the planet. Delivering shows that are packed with raw energy and jaw-dropping musicianship, they refuse to accept the limits of what a three-piece band can do. With sold out tours across the UK, USA, and Europe; and impactful slots at dozens of festivals like Boomtown (UK), Suwannee Hulaween (USA) and Glastonbury–where they performed three times in one day in 2024–High Fade have come a long way from that street corner in Edinburgh. Drawing inspiration from funk, rock, disco, jazz, metal, punk, soul, and beyond, High Fade has developed a sound that explodes out of a rip-roaring melting point of musical influences and tears at the fabric of space time by managing to feel simultaneously fresh and retro. Fiercely independent, the band releases music via their own label RPN Records(“Rippin’ Records”),including their debut album, Life’s Too Fast (2024), which charted in the UK, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands, USA, and Australia. Not bad for an independent DIY band operating entirely outside of the Major Label system. High Fade’s sophomore LP,Twice As Nice, due for release on RPN Records May 2026, was recorded at two of the world’s most renowned studios, East Iris Studios in Nashville andRAK Studios in London. The hotly anticipated new album arrives just in time for the band’s massive 50-date Twice As Nice tour that will bring the band to all corners of the USA and Canada this Spring and Summer.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205854Z SEQUENCE:2001917 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:995 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-28 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260626T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260626T233000 UID:BBE6BB61-18B0-4C56-845A-3FF06D3D5359 SUMMARY:Trish Toledo CREATED:20260415T185306Z DTSTAMP:20260415T185306Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/trish-toledo DESCRIPTION:From Carson, California, a community south of Los Angeles, Trish Toledo was born into an Ecuadorian-Guatemalan family with much older siblings. Their musical tastes – plus the influence of her father, who was a musician – provided her with access to music that existed long before her time. Although the first music she sang was cumbias and ballads, she discovered that it was the timeless pop and soul ballads that she felt most connected to. “The lyrics were so simple and the performances so raw and clean,” she remembers. While her father’s musical influences permeated her childhood, it was his “musician’s life” that accounted for his absence from the family. Subsequently, when she became a teen parent herself, Trish put her own musical aspirations on hold in order to offer undivided attention as a mother. In May 2017, now old enough to realize his mother’s formidable vocal abilities, it was her 11-year son that noted the void in his mom’s life, as he encouraged her to reestablish her musical journey. Exploring a classic catalog of material, Trish selects songs to record based on how the themes most faithfully mirror her life experiences. ”What I have gone through, or am going through,” she says. She prefers to record much like her predecessors did – in one take, all the way through, without punch ins and overdubs. Her cross-generational audiences include both older listeners who grew up with the type of songs she sings, to young fans for whom this music is brand new. When she is not performing or recording, Trish explores art shows. She is especially interested in the vibrant visuals of Chicano art, and her multiple tattoos bear visual testimony to her appreciation of shapes and colors. Trish Toledo does what she does best: sings, performs, and connects a historic line between the music of an earlier era, and the audiences of today. “People are so happy that I’m reviving this music,” Trish concludes. “ Bringing it back – so that a new generation gets to hear this.” X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:From Carson, California, a community south of Los Angeles, Trish Toledo was born into an Ecuadorian-Guatemalan family with much older siblings. Their musical tastes – plus the influence of her father, who was a musician – provided her with access to music that existed long before her time. Although the first music she sang was cumbias and ballads, she discovered that it was the timeless pop and soul ballads that she felt most connected to. “The lyrics were so simple and the performances so raw and clean,” she remembers. While her father’s musical influences permeated her childhood, it was his “musician’s life” that accounted for his absence from the family. Subsequently, when she became a teen parent herself, Trish put her own musical aspirations on hold in order to offer undivided attention as a mother. In May 2017, now old enough to realize his mother’s formidable vocal abilities, it was her 11-year son that noted the void in his mom’s life, as he encouraged her to reestablish her musical journey. Exploring a classic catalog of material, Trish selects songs to record based on how the themes most faithfully mirror her life experiences. ”What I have gone through, or am going through,” she says. She prefers to record much like her predecessors did – in one take, all the way through, without punch ins and overdubs. Her cross-generational audiences include both older listeners who grew up with the type of songs she sings, to young fans for whom this music is brand new. When she is not performing or recording, Trish explores art shows. She is especially interested in the vibrant visuals of Chicano art, and her multiple tattoos bear visual testimony to her appreciation of shapes and colors. Trish Toledo does what she does best: sings, performs, and connects a historic line between the music of an earlier era, and the audiences of today. “People are so happy that I’m reviving this music,” Trish concludes. “ Bringing it back – so that a new generation gets to hear this.”
LAST-MODIFIED:20260501T171114Z SEQUENCE:1376288 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:288 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-04-15 07:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260627T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260627T233000 UID:F0ACD931-D8CB-4723-9334-54D1F64AAFB6 SUMMARY:Salt City Looped CREATED:20260406T002849Z DTSTAMP:20260406T002849Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/salt-city-looped DESCRIPTION:Brian Ernst\NKnown for his dynamic one-man performances, he layers acoustic guitar, bass, beatboxing, vocal harmonies, and didgeridoo, creating a soulful performance that's taken he and his family through all 50 states and 37 countries. Ernst has built relations in the Wasatch throughout his 18-year Career.\N————————————\NAmanda Lynn Jones\NA skilled musician known for her mastery of the electric guitar and lead vocals playing with bands for over a decade. With a looper pedal she layers intricate melodies, searing guitar solos, head bobbing rhythms, and blended harmonies. Her musical journey transcends boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of those fortunate enough to witness her impressive performances. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Brian Ernst
Known for his dynamic one-man performances, he layers acoustic guitar, bass, beatboxing, vocal harmonies, and didgeridoo, creating a soulful performance that's taken he and his family through all 50 states and 37 countries. Ernst has built relations in the Wasatch throughout his 18-year Career.
————————————
Amanda Lynn Jones
A skilled musician known for her mastery of the electric guitar and lead vocals playing with bands for over a decade. With a looper pedal she layers intricate melodies, searing guitar solos, head bobbing rhythms, and blended harmonies. Her musical journey transcends boundaries, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of those fortunate enough to witness her impressive performances.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260506T150141Z SEQUENCE:2644372 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:320 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-04-14 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260801T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260801T233000 UID:15279C04-D754-4E3B-938A-5345238DACEF SUMMARY:Jill Whit CREATED:20260504T223330Z DTSTAMP:20260504T223330Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jill-whit DESCRIPTION:Jill Whit is a musician and artist based in Salt Lake City. Her music combines lush synths, keys, guitar, and pedal steel to shape what she calls “electronic steel wave”—a dreamy, synth-driven electronic soundscape with subtle, country-tinged pedal steel lines weaving through it. It’s a style that feels both expansive and intimate. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Jill Whit is a musician and artist based in Salt Lake City. Her music combines lush synths, keys, guitar, and pedal steel to shape what she calls “electronic steel wave”—a dreamy, synth-driven electronic soundscape with subtle, country-tinged pedal steel lines weaving through it. It’s a style that feels both expansive and intimate.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260511T170114Z SEQUENCE:584864 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:138 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-05-05 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260806T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260806T233000 UID:DA119F12-18DE-47EC-8EA4-382A67D40FBF SUMMARY:James McMurtry Night 1 CREATED:20260323T164516Z DTSTAMP:20260323T164516Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/james-mcmurtry-n1 DESCRIPTION:James McMurtry released The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy on June 20th via New West Records. The 10-song collection was co-produced by McMurtry & Don Dixon (R.E.M., The Smithereens) and is his first album in four years. It follows his 2021 acclaimed new West debut, The Horses and the Hounds, which UnCut Magazine said “lifts storytelling-in-song to meticulous new levels" and Pitchfork awarded an 8.0, saying “James McMurtry stands out even among the Lone Star State’s finest songwriters…” The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy features appearances by Sarah Jarosz, Charlie Sexton, Bonnie Whitmore, Bukka Allen and more, alongside his trusted backing band, THE MARTIAL LAW REVIEW, Tim Holt on guitar and accordion, Cornbread on bass and Daren Hess on drums.\NAs varied as they are, McMurtry’s new story-songs find inspiration in scraps from his family’s past: a rough pencil sketch by Ken Kesey that serves as the album cover, the hallucinations experienced by his father, the legendary writer Larry McMurtry, an old poem by a family friend. A supremely insightful and inventive storyteller, McMurtry teases vivid worlds out of small details, setting them to arrangements that have elements of Americana but sound too sly and smart for such a general category. Funny and sad often in the same breath, The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy adds a new chapter to a long career that has young songwriters like Sarah Jarosz and Jason Isbell cite him as a formative influence. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:James McMurtry released The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy on June 20th via New West Records. The 10-song collection was co-produced by McMurtry & Don Dixon (R.E.M., The Smithereens) and is his first album in four years. It follows his 2021 acclaimed new West debut, The Horses and the Hounds, which UnCut Magazine said “lifts storytelling-in-song to meticulous new levels" and Pitchfork awarded an 8.0, saying “James McMurtry stands out even among the Lone Star State’s finest songwriters…” The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy features appearances by Sarah Jarosz, Charlie Sexton, Bonnie Whitmore, Bukka Allen and more, alongside his trusted backing band, THE MARTIAL LAW REVIEW, Tim Holt on guitar and accordion, Cornbread on bass and Daren Hess on drums.
As varied as they are, McMurtry’s new story-songs find inspiration in scraps from his family’s past: a rough pencil sketch by Ken Kesey that serves as the album cover, the hallucinations experienced by his father, the legendary writer Larry McMurtry, an old poem by a family friend. A supremely insightful and inventive storyteller, McMurtry teases vivid worlds out of small details, setting them to arrangements that have elements of Americana but sound too sly and smart for such a general category. Funny and sad often in the same breath, The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy adds a new chapter to a long career that has young songwriters like Sarah Jarosz and Jason Isbell cite him as a formative influence.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T185550Z SEQUENCE:699034 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:580 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-03-24 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260807T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260807T233000 UID:80A31798-56C5-4C3A-A330-C78CAFFA829F SUMMARY:James McMurtry Night 2 CREATED:20260323T164516Z DTSTAMP:20260323T164516Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/james-mcmurtry-n1-2 DESCRIPTION:James McMurtry released The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy on June 20th via New West Records. The 10-song collection was co-produced by McMurtry & Don Dixon (R.E.M., The Smithereens) and is his first album in four years. It follows his 2021 acclaimed new West debut, The Horses and the Hounds, which UnCut Magazine said “lifts storytelling-in-song to meticulous new levels" and Pitchfork awarded an 8.0, saying “James McMurtry stands out even among the Lone Star State’s finest songwriters…” The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy features appearances by Sarah Jarosz, Charlie Sexton, Bonnie Whitmore, Bukka Allen and more, alongside his trusted backing band, THE MARTIAL LAW REVIEW, Tim Holt on guitar and accordion, Cornbread on bass and Daren Hess on drums.\NAs varied as they are, McMurtry’s new story-songs find inspiration in scraps from his family’s past: a rough pencil sketch by Ken Kesey that serves as the album cover, the hallucinations experienced by his father, the legendary writer Larry McMurtry, an old poem by a family friend. A supremely insightful and inventive storyteller, McMurtry teases vivid worlds out of small details, setting them to arrangements that have elements of Americana but sound too sly and smart for such a general category. Funny and sad often in the same breath, The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy adds a new chapter to a long career that has young songwriters like Sarah Jarosz and Jason Isbell cite him as a formative influence. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:James McMurtry released The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy on June 20th via New West Records. The 10-song collection was co-produced by McMurtry & Don Dixon (R.E.M., The Smithereens) and is his first album in four years. It follows his 2021 acclaimed new West debut, The Horses and the Hounds, which UnCut Magazine said “lifts storytelling-in-song to meticulous new levels" and Pitchfork awarded an 8.0, saying “James McMurtry stands out even among the Lone Star State’s finest songwriters…” The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy features appearances by Sarah Jarosz, Charlie Sexton, Bonnie Whitmore, Bukka Allen and more, alongside his trusted backing band, THE MARTIAL LAW REVIEW, Tim Holt on guitar and accordion, Cornbread on bass and Daren Hess on drums.
As varied as they are, McMurtry’s new story-songs find inspiration in scraps from his family’s past: a rough pencil sketch by Ken Kesey that serves as the album cover, the hallucinations experienced by his father, the legendary writer Larry McMurtry, an old poem by a family friend. A supremely insightful and inventive storyteller, McMurtry teases vivid worlds out of small details, setting them to arrangements that have elements of Americana but sound too sly and smart for such a general category. Funny and sad often in the same breath, The Black Dog and the Wandering Boy adds a new chapter to a long career that has young songwriters like Sarah Jarosz and Jason Isbell cite him as a formative influence.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260331T185630Z SEQUENCE:699074 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:365 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-03-24 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260821T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260821T233000 UID:11047862-9B21-4CD9-A4DE-3AFFF4706317 SUMMARY:Paper Flowers - "Remembering Fleetwood Mac" CREATED:20260123T182852Z DTSTAMP:20260123T182852Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/paper-flowers-remembering-fleetwood-mac DESCRIPTION:Paper Flowers: Remembering Fleetwood Mac offers a tribute of a different kind. Operating under a loose definition of “tribute band,” Paper Flowers evokes the feeling of a live performance during Fleetwood Mac’s heyday; around the time of their seminal release, Rumours. Topping the charts in 1977 and beyond, Rumours was part of one of the most influential years in pop culture history.\NThey don’t wear wigs or play pretend. Paper Flowers is composed of four rock musicians paying homage to some of the greatest artists of a generation! Rather than a strict “needle drop,” they put their own spin on some of Fleetwood Mac’s most memorable hits, resulting in an often emotional and evocative experience. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Paper Flowers: Remembering Fleetwood Mac offers a tribute of a different kind. Operating under a loose definition of “tribute band,” Paper Flowers evokes the feeling of a live performance during Fleetwood Mac’s heyday; around the time of their seminal release, Rumours. Topping the charts in 1977 and beyond, Rumours was part of one of the most influential years in pop culture history.
They don’t wear wigs or play pretend. Paper Flowers is composed of four rock musicians paying homage to some of the greatest artists of a generation! Rather than a strict “needle drop,” they put their own spin on some of Fleetwood Mac’s most memorable hits, resulting in an often emotional and evocative experience.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260219T205901Z SEQUENCE:2341809 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:716 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-01-28 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260824T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260824T233000 UID:62930E00-913E-4960-A9C5-D365EE2F216B SUMMARY:Fink CREATED:20260320T211815Z DTSTAMP:20260320T211815Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/fink DESCRIPTION:The City Is Coming to Erase It All is Fink’s ninth studio album, following 2024’s Beauty In Your Wake. Recorded in Zennor, Cornwall, the album was made with a strict era-specific approach. Imagining a record Michael Chapman might have made, right down to the guitar strings. Grammy-winning producer Sam Okell helped guide the process: “If it didn’t exist in 1974, you’re not allowed to use it.”\NBut this is nowstalgia, not nostalgia. “I want something new, but with the same ethos,” singer Fin Greenall explains. There’s a parallel between the restless 18-year-olds Fink once were and the autumn-aged family men they are now. Touring remains a compulsion as much as a joy, despite having played every major European city countless times. “The need to play your new material is so overwhelming that it trumps all the comforts and trinkets.”\NCity is a product of this hunger for discovery, and idolatry of the album as a form – like we had in 1974. City’s cover mirrors its interior, the first song is the greeting, the instrumental closer the conclusion. It’s a story. It’s a record for people who, like its creators, are curious. People who happily face a little cold for music, who light a crackling fire back home, who sit with these songs until they’re ready to chase after their own blue sky. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:The City Is Coming to Erase It All is Fink’s ninth studio album, following 2024’s Beauty In Your Wake. Recorded in Zennor, Cornwall, the album was made with a strict era-specific approach. Imagining a record Michael Chapman might have made, right down to the guitar strings. Grammy-winning producer Sam Okell helped guide the process: “If it didn’t exist in 1974, you’re not allowed to use it.”
But this is nowstalgia, not nostalgia. “I want something new, but with the same ethos,” singer Fin Greenall explains. There’s a parallel between the restless 18-year-olds Fink once were and the autumn-aged family men they are now. Touring remains a compulsion as much as a joy, despite having played every major European city countless times. “The need to play your new material is so overwhelming that it trumps all the comforts and trinkets.”
City is a product of this hunger for discovery, and idolatry of the album as a form – like we had in 1974. City’s cover mirrors its interior, the first song is the greeting, the instrumental closer the conclusion. It’s a story. It’s a record for people who, like its creators, are curious. People who happily face a little cold for music, who light a crackling fire back home, who sit with these songs until they’re ready to chase after their own blue sky.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260330T160117Z SEQUENCE:844982 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:398 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-03-23 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260915T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260915T233000 UID:08B709CB-1B13-4B66-8614-9AF8D00E303C SUMMARY:Joshua Ray Walker CREATED:20260401T183459Z DTSTAMP:20260401T183459Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/joshua-ray-walker DESCRIPTION:Joshua Ray Walker is a Dallas-born Country/Americana songwriter known for vivid, character-driven storytelling and a rich tenor that blends classic Texas tradition with a modern emotional edge. Since his 2019 debut, he has built a catalog defined by sharp writing, dark humor, and deep empathy for complicated people, earning national television appearances, multiple Grand Ole Opry performances, and more than 2,000 shows across the U.S. and Europe.\NHis sixth studio album, Ain’t Dead Yet, marks his most personal chapter to date. Recorded before, during, and after cancer treatment, (including sessions the day before lung surgery that could have permanently altered his voice), the record wrestles with mortality, gratitude, memory, and transformation. Sonically rooted in pedal steel, fiddle, and Walker’s signature guitar picking, it captures an artist confronting uncertainty with defiance , clarity, and hard-won joy.\NAcross every release, from early character portraits to ambitious concept records, Walker’s through-line remains the same: songs that tell the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. On Ain’t Dead Yet, he expands that hallmark into his most personal chapter yet, documenting a profound period of change and a hard-won second chance. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Joshua Ray Walker is a Dallas-born Country/Americana songwriter known for vivid, character-driven storytelling and a rich tenor that blends classic Texas tradition with a modern emotional edge. Since his 2019 debut, he has built a catalog defined by sharp writing, dark humor, and deep empathy for complicated people, earning national television appearances, multiple Grand Ole Opry performances, and more than 2,000 shows across the U.S. and Europe.
His sixth studio album, Ain’t Dead Yet, marks his most personal chapter to date. Recorded before, during, and after cancer treatment, (including sessions the day before lung surgery that could have permanently altered his voice), the record wrestles with mortality, gratitude, memory, and transformation. Sonically rooted in pedal steel, fiddle, and Walker’s signature guitar picking, it captures an artist confronting uncertainty with defiance , clarity, and hard-won joy.
Across every release, from early character portraits to ambitious concept records, Walker’s through-line remains the same: songs that tell the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable. On Ain’t Dead Yet, he expands that hallmark into his most personal chapter yet, documenting a profound period of change and a hard-won second chance.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T193852Z SEQUENCE:1645433 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:266 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260919T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260919T233000 UID:F16BCFC6-AEC2-449C-994E-B840A77FB074 SUMMARY:Noise Pollution - The AC/DC Experience CREATED:20260312T183436Z DTSTAMP:20260312T183436Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/noise-pollution-the-ac-dc-experience DESCRIPTION:Some things in life just keep giving year after year. In the rock n’ roll world, it is the music of AC/DC. From the early days with Bon Scott to the modern era with Brian Johnson, AC/DC delivers the goods. Pure and simple.\NAC/DC fans can celebrate because Noise Pollution pays tribute to the Aussie heavy weights of rock n’ roll. Based in San Diego, Noise Pollution delivers an amazing replication of the AC/DC concert experience from both the Bon Scott and Brian Johnson periods. Fronted by Syd (Brian) Ross on vocals and Nick (Angus) Torri on lead guitar, Noise Pollution presents a chronological look into the music of AC/DC. Because of the monumental nature of AC/DC vocals and guitar work, this is a rare and impressive accomplishment.\NNoise Pollution has performed for hundreds of thousands of AC/DC fans over the past 10 years. Noise Pollution performs the hits from both the Bon Scott and Brian Johnson eras while guiding audiences through an unforgettable AC/DC experience. The band is professional in their respect for the music and their performance. CBS Los Angeles has declared Noise Pollution “one of the best you’ll find.” “Noise Pollution nails the sound and the energy of an AC/DC performance.” KCAL 96.7 FM called Noise Pollution, “The band that totally, completely kicks ass.” KMMT 106.5 FM, “Noise Pollution is one of the greatest AC/DC tribute bands to ever walk the face of the planet”.\NFrom coast to coast in the USA and from Canada to Latin America internationally, Noise Pollution has been performing audience friendly shows to sold out crowds at premier venues throughout the Western Hemisphere. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Some things in life just keep giving year after year. In the rock n’ roll world, it is the music of AC/DC. From the early days with Bon Scott to the modern era with Brian Johnson, AC/DC delivers the goods. Pure and simple.
AC/DC fans can celebrate because Noise Pollution pays tribute to the Aussie heavy weights of rock n’ roll. Based in San Diego, Noise Pollution delivers an amazing replication of the AC/DC concert experience from both the Bon Scott and Brian Johnson periods. Fronted by Syd (Brian) Ross on vocals and Nick (Angus) Torri on lead guitar, Noise Pollution presents a chronological look into the music of AC/DC. Because of the monumental nature of AC/DC vocals and guitar work, this is a rare and impressive accomplishment.
Noise Pollution has performed for hundreds of thousands of AC/DC fans over the past 10 years. Noise Pollution performs the hits from both the Bon Scott and Brian Johnson eras while guiding audiences through an unforgettable AC/DC experience. The band is professional in their respect for the music and their performance. CBS Los Angeles has declared Noise Pollution “one of the best you’ll find.” “Noise Pollution nails the sound and the energy of an AC/DC performance.” KCAL 96.7 FM called Noise Pollution, “The band that totally, completely kicks ass.” KMMT 106.5 FM, “Noise Pollution is one of the greatest AC/DC tribute bands to ever walk the face of the planet”.
From coast to coast in the USA and from Canada to Latin America internationally, Noise Pollution has been performing audience friendly shows to sold out crowds at premier venues throughout the Western Hemisphere.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260420T184350Z SEQUENCE:3370154 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:423 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-03-17 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20260930T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20260930T233000 UID:82E57761-FE08-43F2-8092-8F0C68580ED9 SUMMARY:Paula Cole CREATED:20260209T210019Z DTSTAMP:20260209T210019Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/paula-cole DESCRIPTION:Paula Cole returns to the stage with THIS FIRE: 30—a special anniversary tour celebrating three decades of This Fire. A Grammy-winning singer-songwriter known for her fearless writing and genre-blending sound, Cole broke boundaries with songs that were both deeply personal and universally resonant.\NOn THIS FIRE: 30, Paula will perform This Fire in its entirety—revisiting the era-defining music that sparked a generation and bringing new life, nuance, and power to the songs fans have carried with them for decades. Expect an intimate, emotionally charged performance that honors the original spirit of the album while showcasing the artistry and perspective she’s continued to evolve.\NSpanning 50+ markets across the US, the UK, and Europe, THIS FIRE: 30 marks a major touring moment for Paula Cole—one of her most far-reaching runs in years—celebrating a classic album and the enduring connection it created with listeners around the world. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Paula Cole returns to the stage with THIS FIRE: 30—a special anniversary tour celebrating three decades of This Fire. A Grammy-winning singer-songwriter known for her fearless writing and genre-blending sound, Cole broke boundaries with songs that were both deeply personal and universally resonant.
On THIS FIRE: 30, Paula will perform This Fire in its entirety—revisiting the era-defining music that sparked a generation and bringing new life, nuance, and power to the songs fans have carried with them for decades. Expect an intimate, emotionally charged performance that honors the original spirit of the album while showcasing the artistry and perspective she’s continued to evolve.
Spanning 50+ markets across the US, the UK, and Europe, THIS FIRE: 30 marks a major touring moment for Paula Cole—one of her most far-reaching runs in years—celebrating a classic album and the enduring connection it created with listeners around the world.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T171335Z SEQUENCE:2751196 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:875 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-02-10 17:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20261003T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20261003T233000 UID:19FC03DA-5CB7-4CAF-B1EC-3FD97F9D50EF SUMMARY:Devon Gilfillian CREATED:20260507T201525Z DTSTAMP:20260507T201525Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/devon-gilfillian DESCRIPTION:Time Will Tell is the album that Devon Gilfillian has been preparing to make his entire life. But some things needed to happen first—namely, he needed his life to change, for the road to wind through a few curves and over a few bumps before the classically modern and magnetic soul singer could write these songs. He needed to confront his family’s mortality. He needed to endure a relationship whose cracks nearly broke him. He needed to take control of the way he made his records, to believe that he and his closest confidants had what it took to shape the record of his life. Here’s how they did just that. \NYou should first know that Devon’s father, Nelson Gilfillian, likes to keep it clean. A father of three now at the edge of 70, he hits the gym five times a week and generally watches what he eats. Though he raised his kids just west of Philadelphia, he lives now just east of Nashville, in the rural outskirts of Lebanon. A lifelong musician and wedding singer, Nelson’s one indulgence these days might be his Wednesday night trips into the city, where he plays congas in a weekly R&B and jazz jam at the Flamingo Cocktail Club. \NDevon, then, was stunned and confused when his mom called in September 2023 to say that Nelson, then 67, had suffered a heart attack. His own father had died at that age, but the prognosis for Nelson seemed much better—a few stints, then back home to Lebanon. Nelson is the reason Devon is a musician, having taken the kid to guitar lessons and fed him the great records. So the son did what he assumed the father would want: He walked onstage in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, played his show, and flew home the next morning. \NIn a matter of weeks, Gilfillian wrote “Glad to Be Here,” a bittersweet and beautiful ode to existence, to slowing down long enough to remember what a gift it is to be alive at all. Like the sun slipping through closed curtains on a cold day, “Glad to Be Here” is the aching and grateful country-soul centerpiece of Time Will Tell, his fourth album and honest account of the extreme highs and lows that come with living. Nelson’s health scare coincided with the protracted and painful end of a long relationship that Gilfillian steadily realized was making him worse in almost every way that counted. The dozen songs of Time Will Tell first document the work it took for him to reach the end of that road—and, then, the sense of liberation and burgeoning joy he has found at the start of a new one. Time Will Tell does what classic soul and country records often do best: share the troubled state of someone’s heart in exquisite detail and look for a way forward. \NNot long after Gilfillian moved to Nashville a dozen years ago, he wrote a song for his parents—his mom, Ginny, specifically. They were still up north, and he missed them. It was called “Home,” the first tune he’d written that he felt like he could share without qualms. It was a breakthrough for Gilfillian, who suddenly understood that writing and singing could function as therapy, that his talents were a ready-made outlet for his troubles and maybe his triumphs. That sensibility was clear on Gilfillian’s first three albums, especially the ecstatic eruptions of 2023’s Love You Anyway. Even his full-length, friend-studded cover of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, released amid the turmoil of 2020, felt personal in that way, like he was looking for a sanctuary of his own in song. \NBut that idea became something of a life raft for Gilfillian in the intervening years. As he struggled to save a relationship into which he’d put so much time and love, he found himself\Nwriting about differences that he slowly recognized as irreconcilable. Gilfillian, for instance, is a morning person; as he realized his partner truly blossomed at night, he mourned the distance that lifestyle discrepancy created between them with “Moonflower,” a neo-soul wonder about respecting but regretting what makes someone themselves. And on “Black Dog Rabbit Hole,” he took frank stock of the impact the tension was having on his own wellbeing, how he was using his own depression and addiction as an escape hatch for an increasingly bad situation. \NGilfillian and his longtime drummer and friend Jonathan Smalt intuitively understood that the best way to capture the feelings in these songs was to cut them as quickly as possible. Gilfillian and Smalt have worked with several ace producers in the past, including Shawn Everett and Jeremy Lutito, but they felt like they finally knew enough to try it themselves. They asked Dave Cobb if they could borrow Nashville’s legendary RCA Studio A, then recruited a few ace engineers and producers—Reid Leslie, Michael Harris, Ran Jackson—to help man the varispeed tape machines and make a few key calls. They built a band of session aces and strong sets of string and horn players, then tracked most of the vocals with single takes. Neal H Pogue, the producer legendary for his work with the likes of OutKast and TLC, was so passionate about Gilfillian’s demos that he enlisted as executive producer, eventually mixing the album himself. Everyone wanted the songs to feel like the epiphanies that had shaped them, for the recordings to reflect the realness of Gilfillian’s circumstances when he wrote them. \NIt absolutely worked. “Black Dog Rabbit Hole” is a riveting hard rock snapshot of mania, Gilfillian’s voice switching between falsetto frailty and a tormented bellow as he tries to find his way out of a spiral. Gilfillian has never made anything quite so raw, quite so cutting. With its gospel surges, ringing bells, and jittery guitars, “Hold On (Hourglass)” races like a nervous heart, a sleepless and agitated Gilfillian wondering if his commitment to holding on is just a way of fooling himself. On “IRL,” where a boom-bap beat undergirds an organ’s psychedelic whirr before the whole thing snaps into a funk strut, Gilfillian gets stuck in the conflict between leaving and staying, between indulging what his body wants and his mind needs. The song is so unmitigated it feels like you’re listening to a real-time argument he’s having with himself about his future. These aren’t breakup songs so much as exacting maps of Gilfillian’s relatable inner conflicts as he tries to find ways to be happy—ways of being, like his father, simply glad to be here at all. \NGilfillian ends Time Will Tell not with an apology but with a permission slip. As magnetic as a Cat Stevens staple but as warm as a Sam Cooke ballad, “You Can Hate Me Now” acknowledges that no end is ever easy, that all the effort in the world still won’t make a split feel smooth. “There’s no other way underneath the pain,” he sings, his voice trying not to break beneath the strain. Given the song title, it is staggering how likable Gilfillian seems in this moment, how vulnerable he is being about his own failure and frailty. “We just gotta go through,” he continues. What else is there in life or on an album like Time Will Tell than to go through? To get to where we’re going, we’ve got to suffer a little. Time Will Tell is the sound of Gilfillian doing exactly that but realizing what a blessing it is to be here at all, with the chance to hurt and learn and ultimately move on. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Time Will Tell is the album that Devon Gilfillian has been preparing to make his entire life. But some things needed to happen first—namely, he needed his life to change, for the road to wind through a few curves and over a few bumps before the classically modern and magnetic soul singer could write these songs. He needed to confront his family’s mortality. He needed to endure a relationship whose cracks nearly broke him. He needed to take control of the way he made his records, to believe that he and his closest confidants had what it took to shape the record of his life. Here’s how they did just that.
You should first know that Devon’s father, Nelson Gilfillian, likes to keep it clean. A father of three now at the edge of 70, he hits the gym five times a week and generally watches what he eats. Though he raised his kids just west of Philadelphia, he lives now just east of Nashville, in the rural outskirts of Lebanon. A lifelong musician and wedding singer, Nelson’s one indulgence these days might be his Wednesday night trips into the city, where he plays congas in a weekly R&B and jazz jam at the Flamingo Cocktail Club.
Devon, then, was stunned and confused when his mom called in September 2023 to say that Nelson, then 67, had suffered a heart attack. His own father had died at that age, but the prognosis for Nelson seemed much better—a few stints, then back home to Lebanon. Nelson is the reason Devon is a musician, having taken the kid to guitar lessons and fed him the great records. So the son did what he assumed the father would want: He walked onstage in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, played his show, and flew home the next morning.
In a matter of weeks, Gilfillian wrote “Glad to Be Here,” a bittersweet and beautiful ode to existence, to slowing down long enough to remember what a gift it is to be alive at all. Like the sun slipping through closed curtains on a cold day, “Glad to Be Here” is the aching and grateful country-soul centerpiece of Time Will Tell, his fourth album and honest account of the extreme highs and lows that come with living. Nelson’s health scare coincided with the protracted and painful end of a long relationship that Gilfillian steadily realized was making him worse in almost every way that counted. The dozen songs of Time Will Tell first document the work it took for him to reach the end of that road—and, then, the sense of liberation and burgeoning joy he has found at the start of a new one. Time Will Tell does what classic soul and country records often do best: share the troubled state of someone’s heart in exquisite detail and look for a way forward.
Not long after Gilfillian moved to Nashville a dozen years ago, he wrote a song for his parents—his mom, Ginny, specifically. They were still up north, and he missed them. It was called “Home,” the first tune he’d written that he felt like he could share without qualms. It was a breakthrough for Gilfillian, who suddenly understood that writing and singing could function as therapy, that his talents were a ready-made outlet for his troubles and maybe his triumphs. That sensibility was clear on Gilfillian’s first three albums, especially the ecstatic eruptions of 2023’s Love You Anyway. Even his full-length, friend-studded cover of Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On, released amid the turmoil of 2020, felt personal in that way, like he was looking for a sanctuary of his own in song.
But that idea became something of a life raft for Gilfillian in the intervening years. As he struggled to save a relationship into which he’d put so much time and love, he found himself
writing about differences that he slowly recognized as irreconcilable. Gilfillian, for instance, is a morning person; as he realized his partner truly blossomed at night, he mourned the distance that lifestyle discrepancy created between them with “Moonflower,” a neo-soul wonder about respecting but regretting what makes someone themselves. And on “Black Dog Rabbit Hole,” he took frank stock of the impact the tension was having on his own wellbeing, how he was using his own depression and addiction as an escape hatch for an increasingly bad situation.
Gilfillian and his longtime drummer and friend Jonathan Smalt intuitively understood that the best way to capture the feelings in these songs was to cut them as quickly as possible. Gilfillian and Smalt have worked with several ace producers in the past, including Shawn Everett and Jeremy Lutito, but they felt like they finally knew enough to try it themselves. They asked Dave Cobb if they could borrow Nashville’s legendary RCA Studio A, then recruited a few ace engineers and producers—Reid Leslie, Michael Harris, Ran Jackson—to help man the varispeed tape machines and make a few key calls. They built a band of session aces and strong sets of string and horn players, then tracked most of the vocals with single takes. Neal H Pogue, the producer legendary for his work with the likes of OutKast and TLC, was so passionate about Gilfillian’s demos that he enlisted as executive producer, eventually mixing the album himself. Everyone wanted the songs to feel like the epiphanies that had shaped them, for the recordings to reflect the realness of Gilfillian’s circumstances when he wrote them.
It absolutely worked. “Black Dog Rabbit Hole” is a riveting hard rock snapshot of mania, Gilfillian’s voice switching between falsetto frailty and a tormented bellow as he tries to find his way out of a spiral. Gilfillian has never made anything quite so raw, quite so cutting. With its gospel surges, ringing bells, and jittery guitars, “Hold On (Hourglass)” races like a nervous heart, a sleepless and agitated Gilfillian wondering if his commitment to holding on is just a way of fooling himself. On “IRL,” where a boom-bap beat undergirds an organ’s psychedelic whirr before the whole thing snaps into a funk strut, Gilfillian gets stuck in the conflict between leaving and staying, between indulging what his body wants and his mind needs. The song is so unmitigated it feels like you’re listening to a real-time argument he’s having with himself about his future. These aren’t breakup songs so much as exacting maps of Gilfillian’s relatable inner conflicts as he tries to find ways to be happy—ways of being, like his father, simply glad to be here at all.
Gilfillian ends Time Will Tell not with an apology but with a permission slip. As magnetic as a Cat Stevens staple but as warm as a Sam Cooke ballad, “You Can Hate Me Now” acknowledges that no end is ever easy, that all the effort in the world still won’t make a split feel smooth. “There’s no other way underneath the pain,” he sings, his voice trying not to break beneath the strain. Given the song title, it is staggering how likable Gilfillian seems in this moment, how vulnerable he is being about his own failure and frailty. “We just gotta go through,” he continues. What else is there in life or on an album like Time Will Tell than to go through? To get to where we’re going, we’ve got to suffer a little. Time Will Tell is the sound of Gilfillian doing exactly that but realizing what a blessing it is to be here at all, with the chance to hurt and learn and ultimately move on.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260512T173218Z SEQUENCE:422213 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:89 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-05-12 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20261007T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20261007T233000 UID:A6A6112F-E823-485D-8337-0F755A81547D SUMMARY:Carbon Leaf CREATED:20260504T223755Z DTSTAMP:20260504T223755Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/carbon-leaf-6 DESCRIPTION:Carbon Leaf’s fifteenth studio album,Time is the Playground is both a call to action and an embrace of the moment. Marrying nostalgic storytelling to nuanced, folk-infused indie rock, the Richmond, Virginia band embroiders heartfelt melody and harmony with acoustic and electric instrumentation to create a 12-song rumination on time, love and personal growth that’s equal parts urgent epiphany and contented exhalation. “Everybody says people don’t listen to albums anymore,” mulled Carbon Leaf frontman Barry Privett, holed up in a coastal cottage. “So, the challenge for us was to make something that felt good to get through from beginning to end ... to listen to like a story.” Originally formed as a college cover band in 1992 and with over 3,500 famously enthused live shows together, Carbon Leaf helped to define the aughts indie rock that they ultimately outgrew and outlasted. They first earned national recognition with “The Boxer,” a song that won the American Music Awards 2002 New Music Award and made Carbon Leaf the first unsigned band to perform before millions on the AMAs. “The Boxer” entered regular radio rotation, Carbon Leaf’s tours grew bigger and better, and within a couple of years they quit their day jobs and inked a record deal. The band’s fanbases now balled, drawn to their infectious spirit of commitment, empathy, communion, and self-reliance – not to mention supremely crafted songs with ultra-relatable, thought-provoking lyrics. After a trio of charting albums for Vanguard Records, multiple songwriting awards and headlining shows, Carbon Leaf opted to return to the complete creative control of their indie roots. Guitarist Terry Clark, who co-founded the band with Privett and multi-instrumentalist Carter Gravatt, converted his garage into the band’s Two-Car Studio, where they’ve recorded releases for their own Constant Ivy imprint ever since. Carbon Leaf’s DIY spirit even extended to re-recording their three Vanguard albums in order to regain the rights. Due in September,Time is the Playground is Carbon Leaf’s first full-length album in a decade, during which they released two EPS and a 27-song live performance album and Blu-ray. Time is the Playground gathers the best of songs written, in fits and starts, over 15 years, alongside brand new ideas. Privett dusted off old demos and shut himself away for months to finish their stories, while also honing recent compositions. With Clark engineering, Carbon Leaf – completed by longtime bassist Jon Markel and drummer Jesse Humphrey – spent a year and a half recording and mixing the resulting songs. “Thinking about these disparate pieces of music, I began ruminating on time itself,” Privett recalled. “The band’s been together a long time. You mature a bit and see yourself in place on the timeline ... rolling around the scenes of love and growth.” Masterfully melding saturated AC/DC guitar and squelchy Cars synth, “Back mask 1983” is a fun flipbook of evocative era emblems – Farah Fawcett, “Satanic Panic,” Time Life Books, Bigfoot and more – that traverses the simultaneous nexus of Privett’s childhood/adolescence and the\Nworld’s analog/digital ages. It’s about morphing into a new person and a new planet with wide-eyed wonder and a longing to believe. “Without a whole lot of information, the mystery of things felt so heightened,” recalled Privett of growing up pre-Internet. “I wanted to capture some of that but also have fun with it.” “I want what we create to resonate with ourselves, to the level that we want to play it for a longtime to come, and where we want others to hear it and experience it,” Privett concluded. “Hopefully, listeners can glean the pieces from it that they identify with.” Time is the Playground will be accompanied by the tireless touring almost synonymous withCarbon Leaf, who’ve become a model for self-managing bands in the digital landscape. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Carbon Leaf’s fifteenth studio album,Time is the Playground is both a call to action and an embrace of the moment. Marrying nostalgic storytelling to nuanced, folk-infused indie rock, the Richmond, Virginia band embroiders heartfelt melody and harmony with acoustic and electric instrumentation to create a 12-song rumination on time, love and personal growth that’s equal parts urgent epiphany and contented exhalation. “Everybody says people don’t listen to albums anymore,” mulled Carbon Leaf frontman Barry Privett, holed up in a coastal cottage. “So, the challenge for us was to make something that felt good to get through from beginning to end ... to listen to like a story.” Originally formed as a college cover band in 1992 and with over 3,500 famously enthused live shows together, Carbon Leaf helped to define the aughts indie rock that they ultimately outgrew and outlasted. They first earned national recognition with “The Boxer,” a song that won the American Music Awards 2002 New Music Award and made Carbon Leaf the first unsigned band to perform before millions on the AMAs. “The Boxer” entered regular radio rotation, Carbon Leaf’s tours grew bigger and better, and within a couple of years they quit their day jobs and inked a record deal. The band’s fanbases now balled, drawn to their infectious spirit of commitment, empathy, communion, and self-reliance – not to mention supremely crafted songs with ultra-relatable, thought-provoking lyrics. After a trio of charting albums for Vanguard Records, multiple songwriting awards and headlining shows, Carbon Leaf opted to return to the complete creative control of their indie roots. Guitarist Terry Clark, who co-founded the band with Privett and multi-instrumentalist Carter Gravatt, converted his garage into the band’s Two-Car Studio, where they’ve recorded releases for their own Constant Ivy imprint ever since. Carbon Leaf’s DIY spirit even extended to re-recording their three Vanguard albums in order to regain the rights. Due in September,Time is the Playground is Carbon Leaf’s first full-length album in a decade, during which they released two EPS and a 27-song live performance album and Blu-ray. Time is the Playground gathers the best of songs written, in fits and starts, over 15 years, alongside brand new ideas. Privett dusted off old demos and shut himself away for months to finish their stories, while also honing recent compositions. With Clark engineering, Carbon Leaf – completed by longtime bassist Jon Markel and drummer Jesse Humphrey – spent a year and a half recording and mixing the resulting songs. “Thinking about these disparate pieces of music, I began ruminating on time itself,” Privett recalled. “The band’s been together a long time. You mature a bit and see yourself in place on the timeline ... rolling around the scenes of love and growth.” Masterfully melding saturated AC/DC guitar and squelchy Cars synth, “Back mask 1983” is a fun flipbook of evocative era emblems – Farah Fawcett, “Satanic Panic,” Time Life Books, Bigfoot and more – that traverses the simultaneous nexus of Privett’s childhood/adolescence and the
world’s analog/digital ages. It’s about morphing into a new person and a new planet with wide-eyed wonder and a longing to believe. “Without a whole lot of information, the mystery of things felt so heightened,” recalled Privett of growing up pre-Internet. “I wanted to capture some of that but also have fun with it.” “I want what we create to resonate with ourselves, to the level that we want to play it for a longtime to come, and where we want others to hear it and experience it,” Privett concluded. “Hopefully, listeners can glean the pieces from it that they identify with.” Time is the Playground will be accompanied by the tireless touring almost synonymous withCarbon Leaf, who’ve become a model for self-managing bands in the digital landscape.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260511T170221Z SEQUENCE:584666 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:99 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-05-05 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20261009T190000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20261009T233000 UID:498BE8B7-0776-4E33-AC13-ADE83BC76528 SUMMARY:Aaron Lee Tasjan CREATED:20260413T180458Z DTSTAMP:20260413T180458Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/aaron-lee-tasjan DESCRIPTION:AaronLee Tasjan was experiencing the worst bout of imposter syndrome of his careerwhen he sat down and wrote Todd Snider a vulnerableemailasking for advice. Tasjan, despite writing and recording some of the most astute Americana rock songs of the last decade and being nominated for a Grammy, just didn’t see a future for an independent singer, songwriter, and guitarist like himself. Snider read Tasjan’s email and immediately replied:“ I think I have some ideas. I’ll write you back tomorrow.” The next morning, Tasjan awoke to a signature Todd Snider missive for how to move forward as an artist.\NIt was a novel-length email that read like the battle plans for the Invasion of Normandy. Do this, Snider wrote. Then this. But never that. The specifics don’t matter—besides, that’d be giving away the secret —but Tasjan devoured his mentor’s words and took them to heart. He began writing feverishly, unbothered by expectations and immune to any pressure to match his acclaimed albums like In the Blazes, Karma for Cheap, or his most recent, 2024’s Stellar Evolution. When he was through, Tasjan had Get Over It, Underdog, his most inspiring LP to date. Produced by Tasjan and his longtime sound engineer Mark Miller, the album is a celebration of the power of songwriting, the unbreakable bond of friendship, and the determination of the dark horse.“ I went to the ultimate oasis for a singer, songwriter, and troubadour: Todd Snider. And he said, in very Todd fashion, ‘You can find your path forward by going backwards,’” Tasjan says with a laugh. “But he was right. I set aside my ego, played shows solo without my band, and wrote a lot of songs. In that process, I found my confidence again.”\NTragically, however, he lost his mentor. Snider died shortly after Get Over It, Underdog, was finished, leaving a void in the folk-rockscene that will provenearly impossible to fill. But Tasjan is committed to carrying on Snider’s unbridled spirit and lifting up underdogs everywhere. Over 11 tracks, Tasjan’s new album kills sacred cows and pokes holes in the dam, while leaning hard into the idea of perseverance. In the talking-blues of “Science Friction,” he tells an abridged origin story of civilization that culminates with human kind editing itself out of its own picture.“ Man made machines/putting man out of business,” he sings with a knowing wink.“ Lost & Alone,” meanwhile, finds him feeling like a “stranger in this town.” It’s a compact blast of indie-rock with a sing-along chorus that underscores Tasjan’s gift for writing infectious hooks. In “Twilight Zone Blues,” a shot of gritty T. Rex glam-rock, Tasjan wonders why we’re compelled to press the mysterious button just to find out what happens. “In society today, all this bad shit can become tempting, especially as the situation feels more and more dangerous as time goes on,” he says. “‘Twilight Zone Blues’ builds to that tension of, ‘What happens if I just give in to this or succumb to that?’ And in the story-song “Ballad of an East Canton Lowlife,” Tasjan returns to his adolescent years in Ohio, where he moved with his family from Orange County, California, at 13.\NThe vitriol he felt in Ohio as an outsider was unavoidable, but he learned to defuse it.“ All these folks feel like they have their back up against a wall, cornered by what society is trying to force them to fit into. As a transplant into a town that was being redeveloped, I represented something that they saw as different, and I’d bear the brunt of their anger,” he says. “But then I couldturn around and sing them a Johnny Cash or a Charley Pridesong and suddenly everybody's dancing. That was the power of music to me.” Tasjan took pains to make sure that each song on Get Over It, Underdog was as concise and potent as it could be. Often, he’d run them by Snider for critiques, who shared stories of how the American songwriting treasure John Prine did likewise for him early in his career.\NThe goal in writing was always to find the “emotional rock to stand on” of each song. Once Tasjan had that, he learned from Snider, he had something personal. “Songs are like mantras—you’ve got to say them every night,” Tasjan recalls Snider challenging him. “So, what's in there that you're repeating every night?”Tasjan found one such mantra in the “The Real,” a song that sums up Get Over It, Underdog. An empowering sing along with a gang vocal refrain and a snaking guitar line, it takes a hard look at all that is authentic in today’s culture, both the good and the bad. “Tell of our true history/violence that we must see,” Tasjan sings. “It's up to us to heal it/ Sing this, if you feel it! ”It’s as much a song for the artist as it is the listener.“ That’s the point where I start talking to myself in the song and reconnecting with my mission,” Tasjan says. “I want to make songs that help people. I want to be an artist in the service to the community of music fans, but also to anybody that needs to hear these messages. On Get Over It, Underdog, I’m rediscovering something I thought I had lost.”Tasjan needn’t worry. His mantras are coming through loud and clear. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:AaronLee Tasjan was experiencing the worst bout of imposter syndrome of his careerwhen he sat down and wrote Todd Snider a vulnerableemailasking for advice. Tasjan, despite writing and recording some of the most astute Americana rock songs of the last decade and being nominated for a Grammy, just didn’t see a future for an independent singer, songwriter, and guitarist like himself. Snider read Tasjan’s email and immediately replied:“ I think I have some ideas. I’ll write you back tomorrow.” The next morning, Tasjan awoke to a signature Todd Snider missive for how to move forward as an artist.
It was a novel-length email that read like the battle plans for the Invasion of Normandy. Do this, Snider wrote. Then this. But never that. The specifics don’t matter—besides, that’d be giving away the secret —but Tasjan devoured his mentor’s words and took them to heart. He began writing feverishly, unbothered by expectations and immune to any pressure to match his acclaimed albums like In the Blazes, Karma for Cheap, or his most recent, 2024’s Stellar Evolution. When he was through, Tasjan had Get Over It, Underdog, his most inspiring LP to date. Produced by Tasjan and his longtime sound engineer Mark Miller, the album is a celebration of the power of songwriting, the unbreakable bond of friendship, and the determination of the dark horse.“ I went to the ultimate oasis for a singer, songwriter, and troubadour: Todd Snider. And he said, in very Todd fashion, ‘You can find your path forward by going backwards,’” Tasjan says with a laugh. “But he was right. I set aside my ego, played shows solo without my band, and wrote a lot of songs. In that process, I found my confidence again.”
Tragically, however, he lost his mentor. Snider died shortly after Get Over It, Underdog, was finished, leaving a void in the folk-rockscene that will provenearly impossible to fill. But Tasjan is committed to carrying on Snider’s unbridled spirit and lifting up underdogs everywhere. Over 11 tracks, Tasjan’s new album kills sacred cows and pokes holes in the dam, while leaning hard into the idea of perseverance. In the talking-blues of “Science Friction,” he tells an abridged origin story of civilization that culminates with human kind editing itself out of its own picture.“ Man made machines/putting man out of business,” he sings with a knowing wink.“ Lost & Alone,” meanwhile, finds him feeling like a “stranger in this town.” It’s a compact blast of indie-rock with a sing-along chorus that underscores Tasjan’s gift for writing infectious hooks. In “Twilight Zone Blues,” a shot of gritty T. Rex glam-rock, Tasjan wonders why we’re compelled to press the mysterious button just to find out what happens. “In society today, all this bad shit can become tempting, especially as the situation feels more and more dangerous as time goes on,” he says. “‘Twilight Zone Blues’ builds to that tension of, ‘What happens if I just give in to this or succumb to that?’ And in the story-song “Ballad of an East Canton Lowlife,” Tasjan returns to his adolescent years in Ohio, where he moved with his family from Orange County, California, at 13.
The vitriol he felt in Ohio as an outsider was unavoidable, but he learned to defuse it.“ All these folks feel like they have their back up against a wall, cornered by what society is trying to force them to fit into. As a transplant into a town that was being redeveloped, I represented something that they saw as different, and I’d bear the brunt of their anger,” he says. “But then I couldturn around and sing them a Johnny Cash or a Charley Pridesong and suddenly everybody's dancing. That was the power of music to me.” Tasjan took pains to make sure that each song on Get Over It, Underdog was as concise and potent as it could be. Often, he’d run them by Snider for critiques, who shared stories of how the American songwriting treasure John Prine did likewise for him early in his career.
The goal in writing was always to find the “emotional rock to stand on” of each song. Once Tasjan had that, he learned from Snider, he had something personal. “Songs are like mantras—you’ve got to say them every night,” Tasjan recalls Snider challenging him. “So, what's in there that you're repeating every night?”Tasjan found one such mantra in the “The Real,” a song that sums up Get Over It, Underdog. An empowering sing along with a gang vocal refrain and a snaking guitar line, it takes a hard look at all that is authentic in today’s culture, both the good and the bad. “Tell of our true history/violence that we must see,” Tasjan sings. “It's up to us to heal it/ Sing this, if you feel it! ”It’s as much a song for the artist as it is the listener.“ That’s the point where I start talking to myself in the song and reconnecting with my mission,” Tasjan says. “I want to make songs that help people. I want to be an artist in the service to the community of music fans, but also to anybody that needs to hear these messages. On Get Over It, Underdog, I’m rediscovering something I thought I had lost.”Tasjan needn’t worry. His mantras are coming through loud and clear.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T170157Z SEQUENCE:1205819 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:300 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-04-15 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20261014T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20261014T233000 UID:2784103D-0895-478D-AC81-19AFC7DDB07E SUMMARY:Theo Katzman CREATED:20260507T201149Z DTSTAMP:20260507T201149Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/theo-katzman-2 DESCRIPTION:A man walks barefoot through the snow, takes a long bath in an icy river, then searches Craigslist for new-in-box cassette tapes from the early 90’s. \NHe lights a candle, loads the tape, and waits.\NHe’s listening for something unknown, yet familiar: the edge.\NThis is a man staring down midlife with a renewed sense of vision, a recently unearthed Tascam Portastudio, and a call to embody masculine vulnerability through rock and roll song.\NIn other words…Theo Katzman is returning to his singer-songwriter roots, with a series of intimate solo performances across the globe.\NHe aims to pierce your heart.\NHis aim is true. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:A man walks barefoot through the snow, takes a long bath in an icy river, then searches Craigslist for new-in-box cassette tapes from the early 90’s.
He lights a candle, loads the tape, and waits.
He’s listening for something unknown, yet familiar: the edge.
This is a man staring down midlife with a renewed sense of vision, a recently unearthed Tascam Portastudio, and a call to embody masculine vulnerability through rock and roll song.
In other words…Theo Katzman is returning to his singer-songwriter roots, with a series of intimate solo performances across the globe.
He aims to pierce your heart.
His aim is true.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260511T172027Z SEQUENCE:335318 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:74 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-05-12 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20261102T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20261102T233000 UID:39B78840-92AF-49B6-B11D-04210F2C8DC6 SUMMARY:Chaparelle CREATED:20250220T210005Z DTSTAMP:20250220T210005Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/chaparelle DESCRIPTION:In a harmonious union, Texas-based musicians Zella Day, Jesse Woods and Beau Bedford come together to reveal their highly anticipated collaboration, “Chaparelle”. Esteemed for their exceptional vocal prowess and celebrated contributions to their distinct genres, this partnership channels the enduring allure of Country music’s golden age, weaving a melodic narrative that resonates with themes of love and the indomitable Texan essence. X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:In a harmonious union, Texas-based musicians Zella Day, Jesse Woods and Beau Bedford come together to reveal their highly anticipated collaboration, “Chaparelle”. Esteemed for their exceptional vocal prowess and celebrated contributions to their distinct genres, this partnership channels the enduring allure of Country music’s golden age, weaving a melodic narrative that resonates with themes of love and the indomitable Texan essence.
LAST-MODIFIED:20260427T184545Z SEQUENCE:37230340 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:3832 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2025-07-08 16:00:00 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20261103T200000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20261103T233000 UID:1AA34DAF-3AEF-4A33-91A9-C2B0E67BD876 SUMMARY:Jake Xerxes Fussell CREATED:20260505T165223Z DTSTAMP:20260505T165223Z URL:https://thestateroompresents.com/state-room-presents/jake-xerxes-fussell-2 DESCRIPTION:Reared in Georgia and now settled in North Carolina, Jake Xerxes Fussell has established himself as a devoted listener and contemplative interpreter of a vast array of so-called folk songs, lovingly sourced from a personal store of favorites. He has released five studio albums to-date, beginning with his self-titled debut album, released by Paradise of Bachelors in 2015.\NHis most recent studio album When I’m Called was produced by James Elkington and features the playing of Ben Whiteley (The Weather Station), Joe Westerlund (Bon Iver, Califone), and others. Blake Mills contributes guitars on several tracks. Joan Shelley and Robin Holcomb provide backing vocals. In their review of the record, Pitchfork wrote: “No other American singer is repurposing our old folk scripts with so much authority or ingenuity.”\NMore recently, Fussell and Elkington collaborated on the music for Rebuilding - a feature film directed by Max Walker-Silverman and starring Josh O’Connor. A soundtrack of the same name was released on Fat Possum Records in November 2025.\N“Critics love to call things unclassifiable, which can sometimes feel like a subtle admission of defeat. But Jake Xerxes Fussell’s music, which draws heavily from nineteenth- and twentieth-century vernacular folk songs and archival field recordings, is idiomatic, and entirely his own…he is a folksinger in the truest sense, collecting ideas and melodies and lyrics from distant and disparate traditions, looking for the things that unite us in our humanity.” - The New Yorker\N“(Fussell) is one of the great magpies of American song, collecting forgotten, tarnished gems with a folklorist’s zeal…” – The Guardian\N“…maybe the leading interpreter of American folk music right now.” – Ann Powers, NPR X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:Reared in Georgia and now settled in North Carolina, Jake Xerxes Fussell has established himself as a devoted listener and contemplative interpreter of a vast array of so-called folk songs, lovingly sourced from a personal store of favorites. He has released five studio albums to-date, beginning with his self-titled debut album, released by Paradise of Bachelors in 2015.
His most recent studio album When I’m Called was produced by James Elkington and features the playing of Ben Whiteley (The Weather Station), Joe Westerlund (Bon Iver, Califone), and others. Blake Mills contributes guitars on several tracks. Joan Shelley and Robin Holcomb provide backing vocals. In their review of the record, Pitchfork wrote: “No other American singer is repurposing our old folk scripts with so much authority or ingenuity.”
More recently, Fussell and Elkington collaborated on the music for Rebuilding - a feature film directed by Max Walker-Silverman and starring Josh O’Connor. A soundtrack of the same name was released on Fat Possum Records in November 2025.
“Critics love to call things unclassifiable, which can sometimes feel like a subtle admission of defeat. But Jake Xerxes Fussell’s music, which draws heavily from nineteenth- and twentieth-century vernacular folk songs and archival field recordings, is idiomatic, and entirely his own…he is a folksinger in the truest sense, collecting ideas and melodies and lyrics from distant and disparate traditions, looking for the things that unite us in our humanity.” - The New Yorker
“(Fussell) is one of the great magpies of American song, collecting forgotten, tarnished gems with a folklorist’s zeal…” – The Guardian
“…maybe the leading interpreter of American folk music right now.” – Ann Powers, NPR
LAST-MODIFIED:20260511T170133Z SEQUENCE:518950 X-ACCESS:1 X-HITS:90 X-COLOR:125369 X-SHOW-END-TIME:0 X-PUBLISH-UP:2026-05-06 16:00:00 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR