Pokey LaFarge and his longtime band will embark on an extensive summer tour, including stops at Chicago's Metro, Nashville's Mercy Lounge, New York's Bowery Ballroom and Rough Trade and Philadelphia's World Café Live. Tickets go on-sale this Friday, March 10. See below for complete details.
The tour celebrates LaFarge's anticipated new full-length album, Manic Revelations, which will be released May 19 on Rounder Records. In advance of the release, the album's lead track, "Riot In The Streets" recently premiered at KCMP's The
Current (s
tream/purchase). Of the song, The
Current praises, "Pokey LaFarge tries to make sense of trouble he's seen and trouble he's been in. This is the Great Why of his unending passion for songwriting. Each chord, each riff shades the stories he sets up in his lyrics, always in search of the purest truth within the 10 forlorn, haunting melodies on Manic Revelations. A musician, a storyteller, a narrator of the messy, unkempt American experience...Pokey LaFarge sits, he watches, he writes. Everything that's worth happening happens in his songs."
Of his inspiration behind the song, LaFarge shares: It is a tough thing to write about, but as a citizen of St. Louis and as an artist, I had to say something. Hopefully this song does more good than bad and, ultimately, gets the dialogue started. Although it's also important to not forget the peaceful protests and those that spread the message of love in the pursuit of justice and equality, this particular song is about people being marginalized and brought to the brink. It was only a matter of time before they fight back. I hope you feel that tension in the song-even from the first bass click.
Recorded in LaFarge's hometown of St. Louis, Manic Revelations features 10 new original songs and was produced by the Southside Collective-LaFarge, Joey Glynn (bass), Ryan Koenig (harmonica, guitjo, electric guitar), Adam Hoskins (electric guitar), Matt Meyer (drums, percussion), Luc Klein (trumpet, euphonium, piano, glockenspiel),
Alec Spiegelman (saxophone, piano, tubax, organ, clarinet, flute), David Beeman (tambourine, stylophone, guitar, organ)-along with additional production by Tony Hoffer.
"The manic revelation is the state where artists create," says LaFarge. "I got to the point in writing these songs where I felt like a house on fire that just kept burning." He continues, "This album is about confronting yourself. It's about confronting your city, its relation with the world, and all its people."
Since his debut in 2006, LaFarge has released seven studio albums, including his most recent, 2015's Something In The Water. Of the album, American Songwriter proclaims, "immensely enjoyable...the sheer joy of these performances is contagious," while The Guardian declares it, "...a spirited attempt to keep American roots music-country blues, early jazz, ragtime and western swing-alive." Additionally, surrounding the album's release, LaFarge was featured on NPR's "Fresh Air." Listen to the full interview with Terry Gross
here.
In addition to his life as a musician, LaFarge recently made his acting debut on CMT's new original series, "Sun Records," playing celebrated country artist and songwriter Hank Snow. More information about the program can be found here.
MANIC REVELATIONS TRACK LIST
1. Riot In The Streets
2. Must Be A Reason
3. Better Man Than Me
4. Bad Dreams
5. Mother Nature
6. Silent Movie
7. Good Luck Charm
8. Going To The Country
9. Wellington
10. I Will Never Change
POKEY LAFARGE CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
June 15-Minneapolis, MN-First Avenue
June 16-Chicago, IL-Metro
June 17-Detroit, MI-Magic Stick
June 18-Grand Rapids, MI-Pyramid Scheme
June 21-Indianapolis, IN-The Vogue
June 22-Nashville, TN-Mercy Lounge
June 23-Hamilton, OH-RiversEdge Amphitheater
June 24-Owensboro, KY-ROMP: Bluegrass Roots & Branches Festival
June 25-Asheville, NC-The Grey Eagle
June 30-Cleveland, OH-Beachland Ballroom
July 1-Pittsburgh, PA-The Rex Theatre
July 2-Toronto, ON, Canada-Horseshoe Tavern
July 6-Ottawa, ON, Canada-RBC Blues Ottawa Festival
July 7-Burlington, VT-Higher Ground
July 8-Cambridge, MA-The Sinclair
July 9-Portsmouth, NH-Prescott Park
July 12-New York, NY-Bowery Ballroom
July 13-Brooklyn, NY-
Rough Trade NYC
July 14-Philadelphia, PA-World Cafe Live Downstairs
July 15-Greenfield, MA-Green River Festival
July 16- Mt. Solon, VA-Red Wing Roots
Festival @ Natural
Chimneys Park
August 4-Wichita, KS-Wichita Vortex Music Festival†
†appearing with Dwight Yoakam
photo credit: Nate Burrell
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