Pullin’ ‘Tubes: Donnie & Joe – The Rock-N-Roll Farmers

The folks at Light In The Attic Records once again deserve some well-earned praise for bringing us an album from an act that never quite got a shot at stardom their first time around. Roughly a year ago, the Seattle-based reissue label released Dreamin’ Wild – the lone album from Donnie and Joe Emerson. Originally put out in 1979, the regionally released record featured a rather comical looking album cover with the brothers sporting Parisian night suits and some epic ’70s hair. While you may want to write it off on that alone, it’s the rather remarkable story of how the album got made, as well as the music on it, that will make you understand why the Emerson brothers have amassed a cult-like following since its release.

Hailing from the tiny town of Fruitland, Wash., roughly 70 miles Northwest of Spokane, Donnie and Joe grew up on a sprawling farm, where they had arguably two of the most supportive parents ever. When the teens decided to pursue a career in music their parents got fully behind their dream, building them a recording studio they dubbed the “Practice Palace,” where they eventually went on to record Dreamin’ Wild. The eight-track effort is a remarkably heady mix of blue-eyed soul, prog-laden space pop and psychedelic-folk that is punctuated by Donnie’s ethereal acid-washed vocals.

On Saturday night the duo’s unexpected journey brought them to New York City for the first time, where they played to a virtually sold-out crowd at the Mercury Lounge. The pair were in high spirits playing to an enthusiastic crowd who energetically cheered and hung on every note. As a promotion for the reissue of the record, the team at Light In The Attic put together this fantastic, must-watch mini-documentary that gives you an intimate look at the Emerson brothers, and the story of Dreamin’ Wild.

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