Yard Dogs Road Show: May Dates & Bonnaroo!

Fresh from a wildly successful European debut, the West’s sexiest, surliest performance troupe hits the road this may for their Cabaret Blitz! tour. Then, catch them in Manchester, Tennessee this June for their Bonnaroo debut!

Consider Yard Dogs Road Show’s “Cabaret Blitz!” a polite challenge to all that is prevailing in American culture. There is poetry everywhere and it must be acknowledged! Collaborating for these shows with regional and local artists, the groups billed along this very special run represent a menagerie of west coast cabaret and circus arts. Many of them have never shared the same stage. They come with open hearts to engage a decorated and poetic civilization. Dress code: A formal rendition of your inner carnival - something stitched and stunning and nearly falling off.

Born from the saloon vaudeville that toured the Wild West in the late 1800's and slammed into the underworld of modern American road culture, Yard Dogs Road Show create a timeless and surreal union of ancient theatrical alchemy and modern pop culture. It’s a true story on stage: sword swallowers, dancing dolls, fire eaters and hobo sunset poetry - all animated by the live sounds of the Yard Dogs cartoon band. Yard Dogs Road Show is pure visual and sonic voodoo. The times have demanded it and here it is: “The new emergence of road show nobility.”



Cabaret Blitz! Show dates include:

Fri May 4 / Showbox /Seattle, WA w/ Circus Contraption
Sat May 5 / Nightlight / Bellingham, WA w/ Dream Science Circus
Sun May 6 / The Commodore / Vancouver, BC w/ Tarran the Tailor and the Ancient Rugged Revival
Mon May 7 / Capitol Theater / Olympia, WA w/ Femme De Fabrique
Tue May 8 / Wonder Ballroom / Portland, OR w/ March Fourth Marching Band
Wed May 9 / McDonald Theater / Eugene, OR w/ Vagabond Opera
Thu May 10 / Ashland Armory / Ashland, OR w/ Vagabond Opera
Sat May 12 / Fillmore Auditorium / San Francisco, CA w/ Rosin Coven and others TBA
June 14-17 / Bonnaroo Music Festival / Manchester TN

There is some speculation as to the origin of the Yard Dogs Road Show. Not for the want of mystery but for the difficulty in translating an experience that was navigated by the overly-romantic and sleep deprived. Shows came and went leaving very little time to fully comprehend what was going on. Some say the carnival-inspired performance art of the Yard Dogs Road Show began as a three piece jug band performing in road houses and dance halls and at informal gatherings, including Oregon’s modern day acid tests with Ken Kesey and The Merry Pranksters. Some say they traveled in a 1967 Ford Galaxy 500 and the evolution of their show revealed itself in the flames of a campfire on Dog Creek Road: dancing dolls with feather fans, an hombre in silver sunglasses eating fire, a dreamy guitar boy with golden locks, a bearded swami capable of conjuring the supernatural . Others say this story is complete hogwash and it was actually the brainchild of a unemployed “cowboy” and his faithful muse – transient artists with an incredible talent for brainstorming impossible ideas while under the influence of poppy tea and wishful thinking. By chance these conversations were overheard by an ambitious young poet who decided to actualize them for the sake of all impossible dreams everywhere.

Either way, that was seven years ago, and the unlikely troupe of gypsies has been performing on stages ever since.

With the publication of his book, Hobo: A Young Man’s Thoughts on Trains and Tramping in America (Random House / 2003), straw boss and founding member Eddy Joe Cotton and the Yard Dogs Road Show surfaced into the mainstream media, including recent recognition in SPIN Magazine. Bringing rock & roll to theatre and theatre to rock & roll, they have collaborated with Teatro Zinzanni, Cirque Du Soleil, and Burning Man and have performed such renowned festivals as Vegoose, Oregon Country Fair and Wakarusa.

Umphrey's McGee Rev's Up for Spring

On April 3, 2007 Umphrey’s McGee releases a double disc album – a spontaneous and intriguing follow-up to their highly touted spring 2006 studio release Safety In Numbers. Titled The Bottom Half, disc one features ten songs that did not make it onto Safety In Numbers, while disc two offers outtakes, alternative versions of songs, a cappella recordings, and other bits from the band’s 2005 studio sessions. As with Safety In Numbers, famed album artist Storm Thorgerson has designed the artwork for The Bottom Half.

Safety In Numbers attracted mountains of attention for Chicago’s rising stars during 2006. The highly anticipated album charted on Billboard’s Top 200 and on the coveted “Heatseekers” chart, and received a “4 Star” review in Blender magazine. Also in 2006, Umphrey’s McGee sold out shows in theaters coast to coast, appeared at Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, and made their late night TV debut on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live. In addition, Guitar Player Magazine recently featured the band’s guitarists – Jake Cinninger and Brendan Bayliss – on their list of “Best Unsung Guitar Heroes.”

Umphrey’s McGee will tour this spring/summer in support of their new release. The list of stops includes a few very special apperances in their hometown of Chicago. The band will perform the National Anthem at U.S. Cellular Field for the Chicago White Sox home opener on April 2nd. This marks the third time Umphrey's McGee has sung the National Anthem at U.S. Cellular Field. Later in April, look for the band to headline the city’s inaugural Green Apple Festival. Umphrey’s performed this Earth Day festival last year in New York City, and is honored to now bring the earth-friendly event to their hometown. Umphrey’s will headline the festivities at the Lincoln Park Zoo on April 22nd, in addition to a very special intimate Vic Theatre performance on April 21st. A portion of the proceeds for the show, and 100% of the sales from an exclusive show poster, will be donated to a Chicago environmental organization to be determined.

The current list of confirmed tour dates is as follows:

April 03 Iowa Memorial Union Ballroom Iowa City IA
April 04 The Blue Note Columbia MO
April 05 The Pageant St. Louis MO
April 06-07 Egyptian Room - Murat Centre Indianapolis IN
April 11 Calvin Theatre Northampton MA With Brothers Past
April 12 Avalon Theatre Boston MA With Brothers Past
April 13 Nokia Theatre Times Square New York NY
April 14 9:30 Club Washington D.C. With Brothers Past
April 15 Water Street Music Hall Rochester NY
April 17 The Opera House Toronto Ontario
April 18 Penn's Peak Jim Thorpe PA
April 19 The Town Ballroom Buffalo NY
April 20 Newport Music Hall Columbia OH
April 21 The Vic Theatre - Green Apple Music and Arts Festival Chicago IL
April 22 Lincoln Park Zoo - Green Apple Music and Arts Festival Chicago IL
May 02-03 The Workplay SoundStage Birmingham AL
May 04 House Of Blues New Orleans LA
May 05 Granada Theatre Dallas TX
May 06 Beale Street Music Festival Memphis TN
May 25-27 Summer Camp 2007 Chillicothe IL
June 02 Mountain Jam Festival Hunter NY
July 18-21 10,000 Lakes Festival Detroit Lakes MN

More dates to be announced.

It has been a quick rise for Chicago’s Umphrey’s McGee. Their virtuoso playing and edgy songcraft recently compelled RollingStone to choose Umphrey’s “a band to watch” in their annual Hot Issue. Relix magazine put them on the cover of their December 2004 issue and the prestigious Chicago Music Awards bestowed upon Umphrey’s McGee the coveted Best Rock Entertainer of the Year award. Booked coast to coast by the Monterey Peninsula Booking Agency, the band recently sold out three nights at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom, two nights at Irving Plaza, San Francisco’s Fillmore Auditorium, and the list goes on.

www.umphreys.com

The Codetalkers set for "Galaxy Girl" Tour

Rock & roll needs fresh blood to thrive, and it's rarely had a more exuberant, beautifully crafted infusion than Bobby Lee Rodgers & The CodeTalkers, a fiery trio that taps into the primal mojo of '50s pioneers embellished with the captivating twists & turns of hard electric blues, Muscle Shoals soul, fleet fingered acoustic picking, and huge scale epic rock. Founded in 1999, they make a joyous, dizzyingly engaged roar anchored to truly lethal musicianship.

Bobby Lee Rodgers & The CodeTalkers hit the road this spring on a run of shows dubbed the “Galaxy Girl Tour.” The band’s recently recorded new single, “Galaxy Girl,” will be included in the band’s next studio release, slated to hit streets in Fall 2007. In the meantime, look for the song to be available on iTunes, and the video to be on www.grouper.com, www.bliptv.com and www.youtube.com this spring.

The current list of Bobby Lee Rodgers & The CodeTalkers tour dates is as follows:

April 6 Crossroads Huntsville AL
April 7 Locos Savannah GA
April 11 The Nick Birmingham AL
April 12 Martin's Jackson MS
April 13 Rockyard Ft. Worth TX
April 14 Stubbs Indoors Austin TX STS9 after party
April 18 Fox Theater Boulder CO
April 19 Bluebird Denver CO
April 20 Black Sheep Colorado Springs CO
April 26 Winston Beach Club San Diego CA
April 27 Fais Do Do Los Angeles CA
April 28 12 Galaxies San Francisco CA
April 30 Humbrews Arcata CA
May 1 WOW Hall Eugene OR
May 2 Goodfoot Lounge Portland OR
May 4 Flanagan's Whitefish MT
May 5 The Loft Missoula MT
June 10 Indiefest Pagosa Springs CO
July 28 Dogstock Music Festival Melvem KS
August 4 Jerry Bash Terra Alta WV
August 26 Ashefest Asheville NC
September 21 Mulberry Mountain Harvest Music Festival Ozark AK

More dates to be announced.

Bobby Lee Rodgers & The CodeTalkers’ muscular, engaging sound is in full bloom on their latest album, Now, released in summer 2006. Now’s 12 tracks, all original songs written by frontman Bobby Lee Rodgers, run a wild gamut, from the chugging blues of “Saved By The Same Thing” to the Zappa-like “Victor The Snakeman.” There is incredible balance and nuance to Now that draws deeply from the past but also speaks to a bright future. Loud & soft, direct & elusive, the record flows in an organic, unforced manner that’s positively engaging. It’s no longer a secret – the music of Bobby Lee will be heard.

Rodgers is aided & abetted by bassist Ted Pecchio and drummer Tyler Greenwell. The trio has recently been hunkering down in the studio, working on their follow-up to Now. But they’ve also found the time to headline gigs from coast to coast. Their mountain of positive press includes a recent interview with Rodgers on NPR's “Morning Edition."

The band was recently signed to Japanese record label Grey Dog Records. Now will be released in Japan on April 25, and will feature three new tracks and new artwork.