While full album shows have become something of the norm in recent years, we haven’t seen too many bands outside of My Morning Jacket attempt to do what Deer Tick will do with their upcoming three-night residency at Brooklyn Bowl next month – tackle their entire body of recorded work. Over the course of three Wednesday nights, the raucous bar-rock band will tackle almost all of their studio output – LPs and EPs – in their entirety sans their much-beloved debut War Elephant. The run will kick-off on December 5, with the pairing of Born On Flag Day and More Fuel For Fire, followed by The Black Dirt Sessions and Holy Sh*t It’s Christmas (12/12) and wrap with their most recent records Divine Providence and Tim (12/19). Tickets for the individual shows are currently on sale, as well as three-night passes for all the hardcore TickHeads.
When the initial schedule for the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York was announced, we were pleased to see that My Morning Jacket would play three December shows at the venue. Upon the official announcement of the shows, the opening acts for each night were listed as “TBA.” Today we finally know which bands will open for My Morning Jacket on December 27th – 29th.
[Antibalas]
On the 27th, HT faves Deer Tick will open for MMJ. On the 28th, the large afrobeat act Antibalas will support Jim James and Co. while Black Mountain, North Carolina’s Floating Action serve as opener on the 29th. Tickets for all three shows are still available though three-day passes are sold out.
We’ve been counting down the days until this year’s Newport Folk Festival, since the lineup was announced back in the beginning of March. With the fest essentially extending to three days this year, thanks in part to Wilco’s Friday night show, and music ending on the early side for music festival standards, it’s no surprise that there have been a handful of “late-night” options announced for those headed Newport.
Much like they did last year, local heroes Deer Tick will again take up residency at the Newport Blues Cafe, where they will curate three Newport Folk Festival benefit show after parties on July 27 – 29. At last year’s gigs the Providence-based band was joined by Dawes, M. Ward, and Matt Vasquez of Delta Spirit, and this year will be no different, as they will be joined by special guests each night that will be revealed in the weeks leading up to the fest. Tickets for all three shows are currently on-sale now, with all proceeds going to the Newport Festivals Foundation and Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.
Finally, this year marks the 15th anniversary of Yep Roc Records. The Haw River, North Carolina-based label, which is the current home to the likes of Fountains Of Wayne, Nick Lowe and Jukebox The Ghost, yesterday announced that they will celebrate the milestone with three nights of concerts at the Cat’s Cradle in Carrboro from October 11 – 13. The label-centric fest, aptly named Yep Roc 15, will feature performances from Nick Lowe, Robyn Hitchcock, Fountains of Wayne, Eleni Mandell, John Doe, The Sadies and more. Tickets for Yep Roc 15 will go on sale this Friday, May 18, at 10 AM EDT. In addition to YR15, the label will make one previously unreleased track by a Yep Roc artist available for free every month leading up to the event.
On October 24, HT faves Deer Tick will release their fourth studio album Divine Providence, which is being described as a raucous affair that’s inline with their live shows. Earlier this week, the Providence-based band stopped by the Ed Sullivan Theatre, where they donned their Sunday best, with lead singer John McCauley looking like a demented Pee Wee Herman, for their second appearance on the Late Show. The group performed Main Street from their upcoming release. Let’s check it out…
It’s already been quite the year for the members of Deer Tick, as the band was part of a free-wheeling tour with lead singer John McCauley’s side-project Middle Brother. Throw in an acoustic duo tour, a handful of shows as Deervana, as well as a number of festival appearances and headlining gigs, and most bands might consider taking the rest of the year off. Well, that would be most bands, but if you’re John McCauley & Co. the remainder of 2011 will keep them just as busy.
Deer Tick will release Divine Providence, their fourth studio album in five years, on October 25. The band, who put on rowdy, raucous and off the cuff live shows, have lined up a 34-date cross-country tour in support of the record, which kicks off with a two-night, hometown stand at The Met in Providence, RI on October 12 and 13.
If you’re not into a night with boozy, country-folk-rockers, then maybe you’ll be interested in hitting one of these recently announced tours…
The concert weather gods were smiling down on Deer Tick last Thursday night for quite possibly one of the most gorgeous nights of the summer. The band delivered in what was the scheduled closing night performance for Hudson River Park’s free River Rocks concert series. With temperatures in upper 70s, a cool breeze coming off the water,and an awe inspiring sunset, the Providence-based act played a raucous, freewheeling set, that was punctuated by an exuberant and vocal crowd near the front of the stage, who repeatedly shouted out requests throughout the night.
The band’s 90-minute set featured fan favorites Baltimore Blues, Little White Lies and Ashamed as well as a healthy dose of new material including what is sure to be a the band’s new signature tune – the punk-inspired Let’s All Go To The Bar. Deer Tick also kicked down a diverse selection of covers, tackling everything from their debut of The Replacements’ Bastards Of Young to Tom Waits’ Innocent When You Dream, which lead singer John McCauley performed solo, as well as longtime Deer Tick staples La Bamba and Maybellene – which got an assist from a member of literary punk-rockers Titus Andronicus, and a fiery show closing take on Townes Van Zandt’s White Freight Liner Blues.
In between McCauley was his usual affable self, sharing stories from the band’s day in New York, that included their decision to douse themselves in aftershave for their schedule press appearances, his fear of getting arrested by the “boat police” if they band played over their allotted time, and the declaration of “Fuck Mumford and Sons” prior to their encore.
You couldn’t have ordered up a more perfect New York City night for Deer Tick’s free show at Pier 54 than last night, as temperatures hovered somewhere in the low 80s and a cool breeze came rolling off the Hudson River. The band treated a very enthusiastic crowd to a rowdy set that included a healthy dose of new material, fan favorites and a number of covers from Tom Waits to Chuck Berry to The Replacements to a raucous show ending take on Townes Van Zant’s White Freight Liner Blues.
Let’s check out this version from their appearance at the Beachland Tavern in Cleveland, Ohio from May of this year…
Originally only scheduled to play a mid-afternoon set on Saturday at That Tent, Deer Tick made the most of their first ever trip to Bonnaroo. Getting behind the freewheeling ethos of the festival, the band announced late on Friday afternoon that they would play a surprise late-night set of Nirvana covers at the Sonic Stage under the moniker of Deervana. The rowdy and rocking set included takes on Scentless Apprentice, Molly’s Lips, My Girl and Aneurysm as well as the Nevermind track In Bloom…
After the set was over, Deer Tick front man John McCauley tweeted this – “we did deervana and sonically battled lil wayne (and lost), so we fucked the stage up and got yelled at (come on, man! we were being nirvana!)… and now i can’t walk straight.” Deervana’s only other scheduled show comes this Sunday when they take the stage at Brooklyn Bowl.
Anyone who has seen Deer Tick can attest to the fact that they are prone to busting out random covers. With an encyclopedic memory of rock history, they are able to tackle everything from John Mellencamp’s Pink Houses to Santo & Johnny’s Sleepwalker to Bobby Charles’ Down South In New Orleans. Earlier this year, John McCauley & Co. took their love of covering another artists material to a whole new level by playing under the moniker of Deervana – which featured the band playing the music of grunge icons Nirvana for an entire show.
Last weekend, the band revived the project for a special gig at SXSW to rave reviews, as McCauley’s raw croaky growl sounded eerily reminiscent of Kurt Cobain’s. Today, Deer Tick announced that they will bring Deervana to New York, for a June 19 performance at Brooklyn Bowl – a venue they had previously played a Halloween show of Sex Pistols covers at - as part of the Northside Festival. As the band has pointed out, this will not be a traditional Deer Tick gig, with a handful of covers thrown in, it will exclusively feature the band playing the music of Nirvana. Tickets are currently on sale now for just $15.
Nearly a year after making their public debut at SXSW, under the moniker MG&V, the busy tour schedules of John McCauley (Deer Tick), Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) and Matt Vasquez (Delta Spirit) have finally cleared up long enough for the three songwriters to circle the wagons and head out on the road together. Mixing what these guys do best, the roots-rock supergroup now known as Middle Brother, will finally release their long awaited eponymous debut tomorrow via Partisan Records.
Let’s check out this fantastically shot live performance of Me, Me, Me from last December’s Invisible Children Benefit show…
Middle Brother will kick off its first full-fledged tour, which will include full sets from Deer Tick and Dawes at select dates, on Wednesday night at the 9:30 Club in Washington, DC.
Earlier this year Deer Tick released their third full-length record The Black Dirt Sessions, an intimate and personal album thanks in part of lead singer John McCauley’s extremely confessional lyrics.
McCauley will now get a chance to showcase those tunes in a different setting from Deer Tick’s usual rowdy and raucous shows, as he has scheduled an eight-date acoustic tour. McCauley will be joined by his band mate Ian O’Neil on guitar and vocals for a string of gigs that will feature a mix of Deer Tick tunes, covers and songs from Middle Brother – his project with Taylor Goldsmith (Dawes) and Matt Vasquez (Delta Spirit).
If you’re not into a night with the duo from Deer Tick, than maybe you’ll be interested in hitting one of these recently announced tours…
Finally, after battling ongoing addiction and marital problems over the last few years, it’s look like Amy Winehouse may finally be on her way back from being just a punchline. The oft-troubled Winehouse has scheduled a handful of dates in Brazil, as part of their Summer Soul Festival for early next year, marking her first proper live shows since 2008. Joining the soul and R&B singer for these dates will be Janelle Monáe and Mayer Hawthorne.
In an effort to raise some money for a very deserving cause Deer Tick has announced that they will be auctioning off their tour bus “The Flagship” with a generous portion of proceeds to benefit some 17 million Pakistan flood victims through a partnership with Oxfam America.The 2001 GMC Savana School Bus, which the Providence-based act used for all of their 2009 US tours, will be up for auction for the next three weeks with a starting bid at $500 and a Buy It Now price of $2,000. The band will also be accepting donations to Oxfam at its merch booth during their upcoming US tour.
Finally, shortly after his reportedly turbulent gig at Radio, Radio in Indianapolis last Thursday, alt.country singer Justin Townes Earle was arrested after trashing his dressing room and allegedly assaulting the venue’s owner and his daughter. Making matters worse, Townes Earle was also cited for resisting arrest once police arrived on the scene. As a result of the incident, JTE, who has battled addiction in the past and supposedly was visibly drunk on stage, has decided to suspend the rest of the dates on his fall tour to enter a rehab facility. Townes Earle has also issued the following statement in regards to the incident…
“Unfortunately, reports surfacing online about the incident in Indianapolis are not accurate. I have been advised by counsel that I should not comment on a pending criminal matter, but suffice to say that I am looking forward to having my day in court. I would also like to say that I oppose violence against women in any form.”
HT faves Deer Tick released their third studio album The Black Dirt Sessions via Partisan Records last week. On Wednesday night, John McCauley & Co. were invited to perform on The Late Show, marking their network television debut, and decided to kick it old school by heading back to their fantastic debut album War Elephant for the slow-build rocker Baltimore Blues No. 1…
If I was forced into seeing one concert, and one concert only in 2010, I may very well have picked the double-bill of Dr. Dog and Deer Tick that took place at Terminal 5 in NYC last month. I’ve repeatedly championed these two acts, not only for their stellar studio work, but also for putting on great live shows – albeit with quite different approaches. Both bands, who had been on the road together for several weeks, pulled into the spacious venue located on a desolate industrial stretch of Manhattan’s Upper West Side for a sold-out, tour-ending show that saw both bands expressing their affinity for each other throughout the evening’s festivities.
[All Photos By Jeremy Gordon]
Sporting their finest sundresses for the occasion, the boys of Deer Tick ambled onto the stage to the strains of Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York. The group’s always entertaining frontman John McCauley crooned the last few bars and greeted the rapidly filling venue by declaring the band Dr. Dog’s prom dates for the night before launching into the winding guitar intro of Easy. McCauley & Co., who will release their third studio album The Black Dirt Sessions next Tuesday and are primed for a breakout year of their own, managed to turn a truncated 45-minute set into a free-wheeling showcase of their boozy, country-infused, folk-rock.
If I was to make a list of must-see bands most certainly near the top of it would be the country-infused, folk-rock band Deer Tick. John McCauley & Co. put on rowdy and raucous live shows, that may very well give The Hold Steady a run for the title of the world’s greatest bar band. The Providence-based act, who recently wrapped up a gig opening for Dr. Dog, will release their third studio album The Black Dirt Sessions on June 8 and will hit the road shortly after that for a tour that kicks off on June 18 at Brown’s Island in Richmond, VA and is currently slated to wrap on August 13, with their biggest headlining show to date at NYC’s Webster Hall.
If you’re not into a night with the country-infused roots act, than maybe you’ll be interested in hitting one of these recently announced tours…
Finally, late last year I became completely infatuated with Phosphorescent’s loving ode to Willie Nelson - To Willie – which dug deep into the country legend’s catalog for its song selections. As the follow up the Brooklyn-based act recently released Here’s to Taking It Easy, which has a similar laid back, country music vibe and works perfectly as summer late-night drinking music. Matthew Houck & Co. have lined up an extensive world tour in support of the album that includes a free show as part of the River Rocks festival on Pier 54, with like-minded “Cosmic American” band Dawes, on July 8.
track In Bloom…
tomorrow via Partisan Records.
, an intimate and personal album thanks in part of lead singer 
– which dug deep into the country legend’s catalog for its song selections. As the follow up the Brooklyn-based act recently released 
, which has a similar laid back, country music vibe and works perfectly as summer late-night drinking music. Matthew Houck & Co. have lined up an extensive world tour in support of the album that includes a 
