Originally capturing us with his wistful, "high-lonesome", prairie-wind folk, North Dakota native(now LA resident) Tom Brosseau slipped from our collective consciousness with a long gap between records and touring. Yet, we got word last week that he's prepping a new release, Grass Punks, coming out Jan 21. Most intriguing is his Oct 27 show scheduled for Manhattan Inn. Looking fwd to that, certainly.
Anyone who knows the writers of this little site knows that we've been going through a helluva life adjustment in our chosen career fields. All moves here have been upwards and great, but highly time consuming. For that reason, this show has been a highlight on our calendar all week. We're starting the evening off with the amazing Diana Jones at Joe's Pub before heading to Cake Shop for the fantastic bill of Tom Brosseau, Tim Williams,Essie Jainand Angela Correa. We've been spouting off about how much we love Tom Brosseau for awhile now, and how great his record Posthumous Success is. While tonight will be only Tom with a guitar -- this is often where he thrives. We saw him about 2 1/2 years ago with about 15 other people at the Living Room. His falsetto, prairie melodies, finger-picked guitar and charming stage demeanor kept everyone captivated.
Before Tom will be Tim Williams, who we admit we're not super familiar with - -that's what these shows are for right? We have it from good sources that folks should definitely make it to Cake Shop for Tim's 9:15 set. He's going to be previewing material from his upcoming album 'Careful Love,' out October 20 on Dovecote Records.
As if you needed another excuse to come - Essie Jain will ALSO be there! Should be a good time. If you see us there, buy your favorite blog writers a beer. We need it.
Tom Brosseau has released a really fantastic record in Posthumous Success (Fat Cat). It's different from most Brosseau releases in that it features a larger band, and even some instrumentals. While we still prefer the softer more lonesome solo work (when the songs are there) these more produced pieces sound fairly excellent. Luckily, for our tastes at least, Brosseau has announced a solo east coast tour, traveling by train no less! Hey man, it's green, and probably comparable to gas prices. Brosseau will kick off his tour with one West Coast date at the Troubadour in LA with Elvis Perkins and Other Lives. Check out this cool super 8 video for Tom Brosseau's "You Don't Know My Friends" above shot by Seth Kotok and directed by Jamie Seborer. Tour dates after the jump. Tour Dates:
Wed Sept 23 Cambridge, MA @ Lizard Lounge
Thur Sept 24 New York City, NY @ Cake Shop
Fri Sept 25 Brooklyn, NY @ Bruar Falls
Sat Sept 26 Philadelphia, PA @ World Cafe Upstairs
Sun Sept 27 New Haven, CT @ BAR
Tue Sept 29 Norfolk, VA @ The Boot
Sat Oct. 3 Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour w/ Correatown, Elvis Perkins & Other Lives
Tom Brosseau's music appeared in our collection sometime a few years back, and we're not really sure how it got there. Thank God it did, though. His spare acoustic ruminations are haunted by his high vibrato voice and sound as weary as the prairie in his home state of North Dakota. We saw him at the Living Room some years back, and his live performance captivated the room, not to mention he's the most humble and lovely person one could meet. His career has slowly been building steam, and it seems like 2009 may be his year. Coming off of European dates with PJ Harvey and John Parish, Brosseau has booked a string of west coast dates and has a new record, Posthumous Success coming June 23rd on Fatcat. Successpromises a fuller, more fleshed-out band sound, rather than his usually sparse arrangements. Either way, we're looking forward to it. Tour dates after the jump.
Tom Brosseau Tour Dates: Wed. 06/17/09 -- Tucson, AZ @ Plush Thu. 06/18/09 -- Phoenix, AZ @ Trunk Space Sat. 06/20/09 -- Santa Monica, CA @ McCabe's Sun. 06/21/09 -- San Diego, CA @ North Park Vaudeville & Candy Shoppe Wed. 06/24/09 -- Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern w/ Zera Marvel Thu. 06/25/09 -- Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios w/ Mbilly Fri. 06/26/09 -- Redding, CA @ The Downtown Eatery Sat. 06/27/09 -- Davis, CA @ Sophia's Thai Lounge w/ Il Gato - presented by Cool As Folk Sun. 06/28/09 -- San Francisco, CA @ Cafe du Nord Mon. 06/29/09 -- Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place
