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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260723T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260723T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192846
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SUMMARY:Big Richard
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, July 23 2026\n$28 Advance | $31 Day of Show\n[all-in pricing\, no additional fees]\nDoors 7pm | Show 8pm\nOpener: Eric Royer \nBluegrass band Big Richard makes music for the 21st century’s twisted cultural unease. Their latest album Pet\, is a fierce\, provocative\, rejoinder to what troubles them and the world right now\, which was recorded live to tape in order to capture the fervor of their live shows. \n“Big Richard is so much about our energetic delivery\, and so I think it’s been really important for us as a group to figure out how to do that for a record\,” says mandolin and guitar player Bonnie Sims. \n“We made the album all on tape and did it all in these single-shot performances\,” cellist Joy Adams adds. “The collection of songs\, we wanted to take our most hard driving\, heavy hitting songs\, we wanted to craft a banger set list. Like\, if we had a 30-minute set\, what would we put on there that says the most\, and makes people feel the broadest bunch of feelings? And it was all these songs.” \nAdams and Sims both studied music and toured and played extensively before (and outside of) joining Big Richard\, as did the other members of the band: Adams has three degrees in cello\, toured with Darol Anger and Nathaniel Rateliff\, and has recorded for television and film (including the Queen’s Gambit); Sims\, who grew up playing music with her family\, has a degree in commercial music\, with a vocal specialization in yodeling\, toured and recorded extensively with her husband\, Taylor Sims (including a platinum-certified record); fiddler Eve Panning\, who also grew up playing with her family\, studied violin performance and music education\, taught orchestra\, and played in bluegrass bands\, including touring widely with classical group Barrage; and bassist Hazel Royer started out playing music with her dad Eric Royer in the Boston\, MA folk and rock music scene\, and studied at the Berklee College of Music. \nPet\, the band’s sophomore studio album\, was engineered by Mark Anderson and produced by the Big Richard members\, will be released February 5\, 2026 on Signature Sounds. Anchored by staples from the band’s live sets\, the album includes their urgent\, vociferous version of Dave Olney’s anti-capitalist anthem\, “Millionaire\,” and an equally-vehement rendition of the anti-gun violence treatise\, “Red Fox Run\,” written by Cecelia and Andy Thorn (of Leftover Salmon). Both songs are emotionally potent at shows\, and the audience’s anger often palpable; feeling it together as they play is cathartic\, Sims says. \nBig Richard opens Pet full force\, with a blistering medley of Sims’ song\, “It’s Gonna Fall” and the Bill Monroe fiddle tune\, “Old Daingerfield”: “Our air has turned to poison and our water catches flame / You know we’re blowing out the ground under our beds in which we lay / And we’re digging holes we’ll never fill\, the ground shakes to protest / But we just close our minds and eyes and ears\, there ain’t no stopping progress\,” Sims sings about her despair at the destruction of the natural world through fire and flood\, and the fracking wells she sees springing up in Colorado. (At shows\, the band also jibs at Monroe’s infamous habit of claiming credit for all songs written by his band members\, by joking that Sims wrote both tunes.) \n“A lot of the time in our sets\, we like to follow a heavy-hitting song with an instrumental that meets that energy\,” Panning says of tacking “Old Daingerfield” onto the end of “It’s Gonna Fall.” “It feels good to reflect on something for a moment\, or keep going with it\, and keep that energy somewhere.” \nThe band applied the same pressure release system on Pet\, which features two entirely instrumental tracks written by Panning. Comparatively gentle\, “K’s March\,” inspired by a musical phrase Panning’s roommate used to sing around the house\, follows “Millionaire” with a wholesome old-time jam track that lets audiences blow off steam after being wound tight; and later in the album\, “Circus Jerk” (double entendre intended)\, hints at the band’s raunchy stage banter and bluegrass music’s reputation for showoff solos (by giving each band member her moment to rip). \n“We’re in the most musically locked spot we’ve been in thus far\, since I’ve been in the band\, and this album feels like a really good reflection of that\,” says Royer\, who joined in 2023. \nUnapologetically outrageous and provocative\, the band’s name is a wink to the ‘big dick’ energy Big Richard is reclaiming from male bluegrass bands. They’re intent on making audiences laugh and feel a little uncomfortable\, for the sake of making them think\, as well. To that end\, the album’s cover portrays the band dressed in deranged clown outfits and crouching on railroad tracks in front of an oil refinery. And its title track “Pet\,” delivered like a slightly demented circus sound track and written by Adams\, is a rich paean for the people society too often lets fall through the cracks. \n“I wrote it thinking about people who are stuck in circumstances outside of their control\, whether they were born into it or not. That might be childhood trauma or poverty or a chronic health problem\, or something that they didn’t choose\, and they’re just hauling it around with them\,” Adams says. “I think in a deeper sense\, the song is reflective of how many people get lost in the big turning of the world right now.” It’s a sentiment and a sound she doubles down on later on the album with the spooky music box track\, “Holy Holy\,” about religious/childhood trauma and growing up with an addict in the house. \nBig Richard’s power to deliver emotionally evocative music derives in part from their rare make up. Though the album also employs toy piano\, banjo\, and octave mandolin\, the band primarily performs on bass\, mandolin and guitar\, fiddle\, and with Adams on cello\, which adds an extra sonic dimension for bluegrass (though Adams\, who wrote her doctoral dissertation on the history of cello in fiddle music\, says the cello actually predates the bass in string bands). \nStill\, among the strife and intensity\, Pet leaves room for a little sweetness. First with “Alaska\,” a yearning love-song Royer wrote about a crush when she was 16\, and then with a cover of Hank Cochran’s “Make the World Go Away\,” which concludes the album\, and often their live show\, too. At concerts\, the band’s four members descend from the stage\, and play the song clustered together in a clearing in the crowd\, a final act of gathering after an intense show. \n“Our live performances are so raw and so gritty\, and I think that our sound never really flourished in that digital landscape.” Adams says. “[Recording live to tape] we were all in the same room together\, very close together\, with a lot of mic bleed\, etc. And the energy was insane. It felt so good to record this way. Even on the first day\, we were like ‘wow\, this sounds like our band.’ And to do something that’s very real and gritty and has little mistakes in it just feels alive and human.” \nAbout the Opener: Eric Royer \nEric Royer has performed as Royer’s One-Man Band since 1993. After building his one-of-a-kind\, self-made mechanical contraption—The Guitar Machine—in Tucson\, AZ\, he has recorded and toured extensively. The device allows him to play acoustic guitar\, bass\, and drums with his feet while picking banjo with his hands\, singing\, and playing harmonica. No looping or digital effects involved. \nRoyer won a Boston Music Award for Best Roots Act as the banjo player in his band The Resophonics\, and he has played and recorded with many local bluegrass bands.
URL:https://www.vivafallriver.com/event/big-richard/
LOCATION:Narrows Center for the Arts\, 16 Anawan St.\, Fall River\, MA
CATEGORIES:Live Music
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END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260725T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260725T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192846
CREATED:20260311T183558Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260312T191155Z
UID:10019732-1785009600-1785016800@www.vivafallriver.com
SUMMARY:Los Lobos
DESCRIPTION:Saturday\, July 25\, 2026\n$90 Advance | $92 Day of Show\n[all-in pricing\, no additional fees]\nDoors 7pm | Show 8pm \nIt’s a matter of time. 50 years to be exact. And in that time Los Lobos have created an unprecedented body of work\, a legacy of greatness. The numbers are staggering: 100+ gigs a year for five decades running\, crossing millions of miles to rock millions of fans. And that’s just at the live shows. In between they’ve recorded 17 studio albums\, 7 live LPs\, 3 compilations\, 2 EPs\, 2 DVDs\, and contributed 40+ guest appearances on their friends’ recordings—all garnering 4 Grammys\, an Austin City Limits Hall of Fame induction\, the ALMA Ritchie Valens Pioneer Award\, NEA and Hispanic Heritage Foundation Honors\, Congressional recognitions\, plus countless “Keys to the City” and “Los Lobos Day” celebrations. And those are just a few of the highlights. But beyond all the hoopla and applause (and the source of it all\, really) is the tremendous heart. Rather\, hearts. Cinco corazones. Five blood brothers who have dedicated their off-stage time to helping others\, working for peace and justice\, penning some of the most literate and important music of their time\, transforming the hard cries from the East L.A. barrio into songs of hope\, tales of common folk finding ways to endure. The young wolves were weaned on late-night radio’s soul\, R&B\, and doo-wop. Were cured through the African-American currents of the blues\, jazz\, and rock ‘n’ roll. An amalgam. As proud Chicanos\, their songs have always glistened with the distillation from their Mexican and Latin American roots—nourished by Norteña and rancheras\, buoyed by bolero and cumbias\, soaring on the rhythms of son huasteco and son jarocho. Los Lobos have helped spread the rich diversity of cultures across every continent\, throughout the global community. Kids in Antwerp now know about Aztlán. Residents of Luxor and Ghana are crooning Lalo Guerrero. People from Laos and Bulgaria are belting “La Bamba”—all thanks to The Wolves as cultural ambassadors. Talk about a living legacy. Talk about a productive half century. And in the true rebel spirit\, they did it all on their own terms\, against formula. For the ages. To our delight. Quite simply\, they are one of the tightest\, one of the best\, one of the most prolific bands ever. And\, amazingly\, with the original founding members as the pack the entire time. Unprecedented. As their liner notes put it\, quite simply: “Los Lobos still are David Hidalgo\, Louie Pérez\, Jr.\, Cesar Rosas\, Conrad Lozano\, Steve Berlin.”
URL:https://www.vivafallriver.com/event/los-lobos/
LOCATION:Narrows Center for the Arts\, 16 Anawan St.\, Fall River\, MA
CATEGORIES:Live Music
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.vivafallriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/LosLobos4502026.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260805T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260805T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192846
CREATED:20260312T191332Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260313T134042Z
UID:10019744-1785960000-1785967200@www.vivafallriver.com
SUMMARY:The California Honeydrops
DESCRIPTION:Wednesday\, August 5\, 2026\n$65 Advance | $67 Day of Show\n[all-in pricing\, no additional fees]\nDoors 7pm | Show 8pm \n“The California Honeydrops…evoke the greasy rumble of Booker T and channel the spiritual ecstasy of Sly and the Family Stone.” –Rolling Stone \nFormed in the subway systems of Oakland\, retro-soul outfit The California Honeydrops are an electrifying group that defy convention at every turn. They’ve become a mainstay at festivals including Byron Bay Bluesfest (Australia)\, Outside Lands\, Monterey Jazz\, Lightning In A Bottle\, and touring with B.B. King\, Dr. John\, Bonnie Raitt\, Buddy Guy\, and Allen Toussaint. Led by the enigmatic and energetic frontman\, Lech Wierzynski\, and percussionist Benjamin Malament\, each member of the band is a virtuoso in their own rite — Yanos “Johnny Bones” Lustig on saxophone\, Lorenzo Loera on keyboards/guitar\, Beaumont Beaullieu on drums\, Miles Blackwell on bass\, and regularly accompanied by Oliver Tuttle on trombone\, Leon Cotter on saxophone/clarinet\, and Miles Lyons on trombone/sousaphone — navigating through a vast repertoire of original songs and timeless classics every night. But what truly sets them apart is their unwavering commitment to the art of improvisation – a skill so finely honed that they have completely abandoned the use of set lists and no two shows are ever the same. Off stage\, their music has been streamed more than 200 million times\, and placed in a variety of TV and films\, including “Dead To Me\,” “Alaska Daily\,” “Black-ish” and more. Their new album Redwood Highway was released August 8\, 2025.
URL:https://www.vivafallriver.com/event/the-california-honeydrops/
LOCATION:Narrows Center for the Arts\, 16 Anawan St.\, Fall River\, MA
CATEGORIES:Live Music
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.vivafallriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/californiahoney450.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260806T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260806T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192846
CREATED:20260320T164743Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260320T164743Z
UID:10019893-1786046400-1786053600@www.vivafallriver.com
SUMMARY:Assembly of Dust
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, August 6\, 2026\n$43 Advance | $45 Day of Show\n[all-in pricing\, no additional fees]\nDoors 7pm | Show 8pm \nReid Genauer\, widely regarded as one of the most iconic and influential songwriters of his generation\, leads Assembly of Dust\, a band that embodies the spirit of American roots music. As a founding member of Strangefolk\, Genauer’s career spans over two decades\, with a distinctive voice and masterful storytelling that have drawn comparisons to legendary artists like Neil Young\, Willie Nelson\, and Paul Simon. Genauer’s songwriting is infused with poetic depth and emotional resonance\, earning him a reputation as a songwriter’s songwriter. His lyrics are both deeply personal and universally relatable\, making him a beloved figure in the music world. Assembly of Dust’s sound is rooted in the classic rock and folk traditions of the 1970s\, with influences from legendary acts like the Grateful Dead\, The Band\, Little Feat\, and Bob Dylan. They share a live energy with contemporary jambands like Phish\, Widespread Panic\, and Dave Matthews Band\, and their focus on songcraft draws comparisons to acclaimed Americana artists like Tyler Childers\, Sturgill Simpson\, Chris Stapleton\, and Jason Isbell. With their unique blend of rock\, folk\, and country\, Assembly of Dust is a great fit for fans of Wilco\, My Morning Jacket\, and The Avett Brothers.
URL:https://www.vivafallriver.com/event/assembly-of-dust/
LOCATION:Narrows Center for the Arts\, 16 Anawan St.\, Fall River\, MA
CATEGORIES:Live Music
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.vivafallriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/aod1.jpg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260807T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260807T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192846
CREATED:20260328T002156Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260328T002156Z
UID:10019922-1786132800-1786140000@www.vivafallriver.com
SUMMARY:The James Hunter Six
DESCRIPTION:Friday\, August 7\, 2026\n$54 Advance | $56 Day of Show\n[all-in pricing\, no additional fees]\nDoors 7pm | Show 8pm \nThe James Hunter Six returns with their first album on Easy Eye Sound\, delivering another dose of timeless rhythm & soul. British singer\, songwriter and GRAMMY-nominated James Hunter has been a legendary fixture in the scene for over three decades with his gritty voice and sharp songwriting earning him acclaim around the world. This new record features a rare duet with longtime collaborator Van Morrison (‘Ain’t That A Trip’)\, marking a full-circle moment for the artist hailed by MOJO magazine as “The United Kingdom’s Greatest Soul Singer.” \nHunter and his six-piece band have toured the world for decades from tiny clubs to large festivals\, with Hunter also sharing the stage to support legends including Mavis Staples\, Aretha Franklin\, BB King\, Etta James\, Bonnie Raitt\, and Van Morrison. Whether belting out up-tempo R&B or crafting candle-lit ballads\, James Hunter is a must-see artist who effortlessly draws from the depths of his musical well\, leaving audiences captivated and craving more. \nSet for release January 16th\, ‘Off The Fence’ is a landmark album for James Hunter himself for a number of different reasons. In many ways it represents his past\, his present and his future. The new album is the perfect amalgam of everything that is great about James Hunter’s songwriting\, delivery and outlook. It also marks a fresh start. His first release on Dan Auerbach’s (The Black Keys) Easy Eye Sound label\, 2026 is going to be a big year for Hunter\, striking the world with music that matters. Get ready to ride with The James Hunter Six.
URL:https://www.vivafallriver.com/event/the-james-hunter-six/
LOCATION:Narrows Center for the Arts\, 16 Anawan St.\, Fall River\, MA
CATEGORIES:Live Music
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.vivafallriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/JHS_8-7-26_Narrows.jpeg
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20260917T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20260917T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192846
CREATED:20260328T002209Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260328T002209Z
UID:10019923-1789675200-1789682400@www.vivafallriver.com
SUMMARY:Josh Blue - Narrows Comedy Series
DESCRIPTION:Narrows Comedy Series\nThursday\, September 17\, 2026\n$43 Advance | $45 Day of show\n[all-in pricing\, no additional fees]\nDoors 7pm | Show 8pm \nAfter his groundbreaking win on Last Comic Standing in 2006\, Josh Blue has risen through the ranks to become a well-established headliner at venues throughout the world. In 2018\, Josh crushed his set on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. In the same year\, he was honored with a performance at the William H. Macy Gala at the prestigious Just for Laughs Comedy Festival in Montreal\, Canada. He wrapped up 2018 by recording his fifth hour special\, Broccoli\, at his home club\, Comedy Works in Denver\, CO. In 2021\, following his 3rd place finish on NBC’s America’s Got Talent\, Josh Blue hit the road with his As NOT Seen on TV Tour. Josh does over 200 shows a year\, continuing to spread laughter and break down stereotypes of people with disabilities. His stand-up routine is in a constant state of evolution and his off-the-cuff improvisational skills guarantee that no two shows are alike. \nJosh represented the United States in 8 countries as a member of the US Paralympic Soccer Team. Josh and his team were thoroughly disgraced in the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens\, Greece by not scoring a single goal. He is a single father living in Denver\, CO with his son and daughter. Don’t miss Josh as he travels to a city near you in 2026!\n\nCheck out more at www.joshblue.com
URL:https://www.vivafallriver.com/event/josh-blue-narrows-comedy-series/
LOCATION:Narrows Center for the Arts\, 16 Anawan St.\, Fall River\, MA
CATEGORIES:Live Music
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.vivafallriver.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/JoshBlue450.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261203T200000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261203T220000
DTSTAMP:20260403T192846
CREATED:20260320T164640Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260320T164640Z
UID:10019894-1796328000-1796335200@www.vivafallriver.com
SUMMARY:Chris Smither
DESCRIPTION:Thursday\, December 3\, 2026\n$49 Advance | $51 Day of Show\n[all-in pricing\, no additional fees]\nDoors 7pm | Show 8pm\n\nBorn in Miami\, during World War II\, Chris Smither grew up in New Orleans where he first started playing music as a child. The son of a Tulane University professor\, he was taught the rudiments of instrumentation by his uncle on his mother’s ukulele. “Uncle Howard\,” Smither says\, “showed me that if you knew three chords\, you could play a lot of the songs you heard on the radio. And if you knew four chords\, you could pretty much rule the world.” With that bit of knowledge under his belt\, he was hooked. “I’d loved acoustic music – specifically the blues – ever since I first heard Lightnin’ Hopkins’ Blues In My Bottle album. I couldn’t believe the sound Hopkins got. At first I thought it was two guys playing guitar. My style\, to a degree\, came out of trying to imitate that sound I heard.”\nIn his early twenties\, Smither turned his back on his anthropology studies and headed to Boston at the urging of legendary folk singer Eric von Schmidt. It was the mid-’60s and acoustic music thrived in the streets and coffeehouses there. Smither forged lifelong friendships with many musicians\, including Bonnie Raitt who went on to record his songs\, “Love You Like A Man” and “I Feel the Same. (Their friendship has endured as their career paths intertwined over the years.) What quickly evolved from his New Orleans and Cambridge musical experiences is his enduring\, singular guitar sound – a beat-driven finger-picking\, strongly influenced by the playing of Mississippi John Hurt and Lightnin’ Hopkins\, layered over the ever-present backbeat of his rhythmic\, tapping feet (always mic’d in performance). \nSmither’s first albums\, I’m A Stranger\, Too! (1971) and Don’t It Drag On (1972) were released on Poppy Records\, home of kindred spirit Townes Van Zandt. By the time Smither recorded his third album\, Honeysuckle Dog with Lowell George and Dr. John helping out\, United Artists had absorbed Poppy and ultimately dropped much of their roster\, including Smither. Smither made his next record in 1985\, when the spare It Ain’t Easy on Adelphi Records marked his return to the studio. \nBy the early ’90s\, Smither’s steady nationwide touring and regular release of consistently acclaimed albums cemented his reputation as one of the finest acoustic musicians in the country. His 1991 album\, Another Way to Find You\, was recorded live in front of an in-studio audience with no overdubs or second takes. This would be the first of two albums with Flying Fish Records. His next recording\, Happier Blue\, was embraced by Triple A radio and received the NAIRD (now AFIM) award as Best Folk Recording of 1993. Up On The Lowdown (1995) marked the first of a trio of albums to be recorded with producer Stephen Bruton at The Hit Shack in Austin and his first of five albums with roots label HighTone Records. Up On the Lowdown rode the crest of the newly formed Americana radio format wave and sparked considerable interest abroad. A tour of Australia with Dave Alvin and extensive solo touring in Europe led to an expanding global interest in Smither. His song\, “I Am the Ride\,” from this album inspired the independent film\, The Ride\, for which Smither also composed the original score. \nIn early 1997 Smither released Small Revelations. It climbed the Americana and Triple A radio charts and led to concert dates with B.B. King\, Bonnie Raitt\, Nanci Griffith\, and the hugely successful\, original Monsters of Folk’ tour with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott\, Dave Alvin and Tom Russell. Small Revelations also generated several film projects for Smither. Emmylou Harris recorded his song\, “Slow Surprise\,” for the The Horse Whisperer soundtrack on MCA. And his recording of “Hold On” was used in the indie feature film Love From Ground Zero. Smither also shared insight into his guitar style and technique on two instructional DVDs\, available from Homespun Video. \nHis CD\, Drive You Home Again (1999)\, garnered four-stars from Rolling Stone. And with it\, Smither continued to tour world-wide. Shortly after\, in 2000\, Smither released his one-man-tour-de-force\, Live As I’ll Ever Be. Recorded in-concert at various clubs and concert halls in California\, Dublin\, Galway\, Boston\, and Washington DC\, it has proven to be a fan favorite\, capturing Smither at what he loves to do: performing in front of an audience. \nTrain Home (2003) was Smither’s last record for HighTone and his first with producer David Goodrich. Over a six-week period\, basic tracks for Train Home were recorded in the relaxed environment of Smither’s home near Boston. Working with new session musicians\, the record is simultaneously sparse and assured. Bonnie Raitt graciously provided backing vocals and slide guitar on Smither’s cover of Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row.” And Smither’s “Seems So Real” from the CD earned a Folk Alliance Award as “Song of the Year.” \nIn 2005\, jazz great Diana Krall covered “Love Me Like A Man\,” introducing what is now a blues standard to a whole world of jazz fans. Shortly after\, Smither’s song “Slow Surprise” was included in the independent film\, Brother’s Shadow. In addition\, Smither narrated a two-CD audio book recording of “Will Rogers’ Greatest Hits.” Continuing to expand his creative horizon\, Smither was invited to contribute an essay to Sixty Things to Do When You Turn Sixty\, a 2006 collection of essays by American luminaries on reaching that milestone. In 2009\, Melville House published Amplified\, a book featuring 16 short stories by notable American performing songwriters. Smither’s story Leroy Purcell about a touring musician’s encounter with a Texas State Patrolman leads off the collection. \nWith the release of his 12th recording Leave The Light On (2006) on his own imprint\, Mighty Albert\, Smither began a new label relationship with the renowned acoustic and modern folk label\, Signature Sounds. For the recording\, Smither reunited with producer David Goodrich and session musicians Mike Piehl\, Lou Ulrich and Anita Suhanin. As an added treat\, Smither invited good friend and Grammy Award-winning multi- instrumentalist\, Tim O’Brien\, along with rising American roots stars\, Ollabelle\, to add their distinctive talents on several tracks. Smither followed this with Time Stands Still (2009)\, his most stripped down recording in some time\, working with just two accompanists after the same trio had played a rare band performance – a non-solo setup required in order to play a Netherlands festival. \nAbout the recording Smither says\, “We’re the only three guys on this record\, and most of the songs only have three parts going on. We had a freewheeling feeling at that festival gig\, and we managed to make a lot of that same feeling happen in this record.” In 2011 Smither put out two fan projects: a collection of live tracks from newly discovered concert recordings from the 1980s-1990s titled Lost and Found and the rollicking EP\, What I Learned in School\, on which Smither covered six classic rock and roll songs. \nSmither followed these fan-projects with Hundred Dollar Valentine (2012)\, a ★★★★★ (MOJO) studio record of all Smither-penned songs. With longtime producer David “Goody” Goodrich at the helm\, this collection sported Smither’s trademark acoustic guitar sound and evocative sonic textures meshed with spare\, brilliant songs\, delivered in a bone-wise\, hard-won voice. \nIn 2014 Smither released Still on the Levee (2014) – a double-CD retrospective. Recorded in New Orleans at the Music Shed\, this career-spanning project features fresh new takes on 24 iconic songs from his vast career and some very special guests including the legendary Allen Toussaint and Loudon Wainwright III. \nThe coffee table style book Chris Smither Lyrics 1966-2012 and Signature Sounds’ Link of Chain – an all-star tribute record including a stellar list of artists offering their takes on some Smither favorites including Josh Ritter\, Bonnie Raitt\, Loudon Wainwright III\, Dave Alvin\, Peter Case\, Tim O’Brien\, Patty Larkin\, and many others were fan-favorite accompaniments to the retrospective CD . \nIn March 2018\, Smither released his eighteenth record\, Call Me Lucky (Signature Sounds/Mighty Albert) once again teaming up with producer and multi-instrumentalist David Goodrich. Also joined by Billy Conway (Morphine) and Matt Lorenz (The Suitcase Junket)\, Smither recorded eight new originals along with some very special and surprising covers at the Blue Rock studios in the Texas hills in June 2017. \nIn October 2020\, More From The Levee\, the followup to the 50-year career retrospective Still on the Levee\, was released. Said Acoustic Guitar: Smither sings about “the big things – life\, love\, loss – in a penetrating and poetic yet unpretentious way.” \nThe 20th release\, All About the Bones (release date: May 3\, 2024 on Signature Sounds/Mighty Albert\, distributed by Redeye) is as elemental as the inky black shadows cast by a shockingly bright moon. Featuring eight brand new Chris Smither songs and Smither renditions of Eliza Gilkyson’s “Calm Before the Storm” and also Tom Petty’s “Time to Move On”\, the listener is welcomed into some gothic mansion on an imaginary New Orleans street\, and there in the lamplit parlor confronts the band\, a minimalist skeleton crew: Smither’s inimitable propulsive guitar and rumbling baritone are joined seamlessly to producer David Goodrich’s carpetbag of instruments\, Zak Trojano’s rock-steady\, primal drumming\, BettySoo’s diaphanous harmony vocals\, and the flat\, mournful flood of Jazz legend Chris Cheek’s saxophone. Recorded at Sonelab Studios in Easthampton MA by Justin Pizzoferrato All About the Bones has a feel that is somehow baroque and austere at once.
URL:https://www.vivafallriver.com/event/chris-smither/
LOCATION:Narrows Center for the Arts\, 16 Anawan St.\, Fall River\, MA
CATEGORIES:Live Music
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