Ruthie Foster

Thursday, April 18, 2024 at 7:30pm at Bull Run

Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet

Saturday, April 13, 2024 at 8pm at The Bull Run

Richard Thompson: Ship to Shore Tour 2024

Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 7:30pm at Bull Run

In 2017, Ivor Novello Award-winning and GRAMMY® Award-nominated legend Richard Thompson began composing ideas for what would become "13 Rivers" at his California home. Off the road, he focused on writing. As a result of the defined time period, the music possessed a distinct cohesion. “I wrote the songs as a group to hang together,” he elaborates. “They belong together in some way and seem to possess a commonality since they were written in the same time and space. I never really think about what songs mean,” he admits. “I just write them. Some of them reflect on what happened a few months ago or even a year ago. It’s a process of surveying my life and where I was at.”

13 Rivers commences on the tribal percussion and guitar rustle of “The Storm Won’t Come” as the artist bellows, “I’m looking for a storm to blow through town.” The energy mounts before climaxing on a lyrical electric lead rife with airy bends and succinct shredding.

“Obviously it's been a stressful couple of years,” he sighs. “The song references wanting to change your life - but it’s a difficult undertaking. You have to wait for it to happen naturally. You can’t force it. The are 13 songs on the record, and each one is like a river,” he explains. “Some flow faster than others. Some follow a slow and winding current. They all culminate on this one body of work.”

In many ways, his career has pointed towards such a statement. Powered by evocative songcraft, jaw-dropping guitar playing and indefinable spirit, this venerable icon holds a coveted spot on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and counts a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association in Nashville, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BBC Awards among his many accolades. 2011 saw Thompson garner an OBE (Order of the British Empire) personally bestowed upon him by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. Moreover, Time touted his anthem, “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” on its “100 Greatest Songs Since 1923” list.

Thompson’s influence can’t be overstated. Everybody from Robert Plant, Don Henley, and Elvis Costello to REM, Sleater-Kinney and David Byrne have covered his music. Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy jumped at the chance to produce 2015’s "Still" - which earned plaudits from Pitchfork, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and more. Meanwhile, Werner Herzog tapped him for the soundtrack to Grizzly Man. He launched his career by co-founding trailblazing rock outfit Fairport Convention, responsible for igniting a British Folk Rock movement.

However, 13 Rivers represents another high watermark. “The songs are a surprise in a good way,” he leaves off. “They came to me as a surprise in a dark time. They reflected my emotions in an oblique manner that I’ll never truly understand. It’s as if they’d been channeled from somewhere else. You find deeper meaning in the best records as time goes on. The reward comes later.”

Leahy’s St. Patricks Day Show

Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 8pm at Bull Run

Pure Prairie League

Sunday, March 3, 2024 at 7:30pm at The Bull Run

Pure Prairie League's biggest hits include “Aimee," “Two Lane Highway," "Falling in and out of Love," "Early Morning Riser" and the musically less-representative pop song, “Let Me Love You Tonight.” In the '70s and '80s they rode the same country-tinged rock wave that carried the Eagles, Buffalo Springfield, Poco and The Band to popularity. Vince Gill, later to become one of Nashville’s biggest solo stars, sang and played guitar with the band in the early 1980s and recorded an updated version of “Aimee” for their greatest hits album.

Influenced by bluesy drive of the Byrds and the seamless fusing of country and rock first introduced by bands like the Flying Burrito Brothers, PPL benefits from tight slide guitar, dueling solos and plenty of jammy Americana, mixing country rock, southern boogie, bluegrass and blues. Whether they are “Pickin To Beat The Devil” or taking you for a ride down a “Two Lane Highway,” PPL is a sure fire good time. As one reviewer recently wrote: “Their vocals are as strong as Kentucky moonshine and the musicianship and performance skills are as sharp as a straight-razor.”

The current long-time lineup is: Founding member/innovative pedal steel guitarist John David Call, propulsive drummer/vocalist Scott Thompson, keyboard master/vocalist Randy Harper, Jared Camic on bass and vocals and Jeff Zona on guitar & vocals.

As crisp and clean as mountain spring water and as comfortable as a well-worn cowboy shirt, Pure Prairie League continues to bring us all back home.

“PPL does what it's always done: they remain true to themselves, creating a sound that doesn't compromise their vision, yet manages to capture the ears of their adoring faithful "prairiedog" fans, as well as a new legion of listeners. If there is a formula to PPL's longevity and success that may very well be it.” - Country Music Online

Cheryl Wheeler

w/s/g Kenny White

Friday, December 15, 2023 at 8pm at The Bull Run

Cherish the Ladies - Celtic Christmas

Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 7:30pm at Bull Run

One of the most engaging and successful ensembles in the history of Celtic music, Cherish The Ladies have shared timeless Irish traditions with audiences worldwide for over thirty years. In their Celtic Christmas program, the Ladies put their signature mark on classic carols such as “O Come All Ye Faithful” and “Silent Night,” in arrangements that highlight the group’s unique Celtic instrumentation, beautiful harmonies, and spectacular step dancing. Hailed by The New York Times as “passionate, tender and rambunctious,” Cherish The Ladies have released three critically acclaimed holiday albums, "On Christmas Night," "A Star In The East" and 2015’s "Christmas In Ireland."

‘It is simply impossible to imagine an audience that wouldn’t enjoy what they do,’ says The Boston Globe of Cherish The Ladies, Grammy Award nominated Irish-American supergroup that formed in 1985 to celebrate the rise of extraordinary women in what had been a male-dominated Celtic music scene.

Celebrating their 35th anniversary, Cherish The Ladies has shared timeless Irish traditions and good cheer with audiences worldwide. They’ve brought their signature blend of virtuosic instrumental talents, beautiful vocals and stunning step dancing to the White House, the Olympics, and to PBS with their television special, "An Irish Homecoming," which recently received an Emmy Award.

The Washington Post praises the ‘astonishing array of virtuosity’ that Cherish The Ladies bring to the stage on a regular basis. Their new album, Heart of the Home, embraces the gift of music passed down from generations. ‘It was the greatest gift they could give us,’ says bandleader Joanie Madden. ‘We’re carrying on the music of our fathers.’ As their reputation and admiration from both fans and critics alike continues to grow, Cherish The Ladies blazes forward into another decade of music making.

"The five women who form the Celtic band delivered a thoroughly engaging performance brimming with spirit, wit and soul
." - The Washington Post

"Expands the annals of Irish music in America…the music is passionate, tender, and rambunctious." - The New York Times

Zoso; The Ultimate Led Zeppelin Experience

Thursday, December 7, 2023 at 7:30pm at Bull Run

Over the 28 years and over 4500 shows since ZOSO came together as a group in the mid-‘90s, the seemingly tireless quartet has continued to earn its well-deserved reputation as being, in the words of The L.A. Times, “head and shoulders above all other Led Zeppelin tributes.”
ZOSO doesn’t cut corners on either the look or sound of Led Zeppelin. Instead, the band draws liberally and meticulously from Led Zeppelin’s recorded live and studio output to present a vivid performance picture of the classic live Zeppelin of 1968-1977. No wonder the St. Petersburg Times noted that, in addition to their virtuosity and spot-on visual presentation, ZOSO is also “the most exacting of all the Led Zeppelin tributes.” The Chicago Sun-Times put it even more succinctly: “[ZOSO is] the closest to the original of any Led Zeppelin tribute.”

Still, while the players’ provenance, and the band’s deep history, speak for themselves, it’s that high-wire musicianship combined with ZOSO’s spot-on recreation of the mythic presence of Led Zeppelin onstage that keeps their dedicated longtime fans coming back for more year after year. And what’s more, new generations of ZOSO devotees in their teens and Twenties are likewise lining up to experience for themselves the power and majesty and yes, the alluring combination of danger, spontaneity, skill and sexuality that define a world-class Led Zeppelin concert.

Slambovian Circus of Dreams

Friday, November 24,2023 at 8pm at The Bull Run

Vance Gilbert

Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 7:30pm at The Bull Run

Vance Gilbert:  “If Joni Mitchell and Richie Havens had a love child, with Rodney Dangerfield as the midwife, the results might be something close to the great Vance Gilbert", says Richmond Magazine.

Vance's new album, "The Mother Of Trouble”, features Grammy winner Lori McKenna on background vocals, Juno award recipient and Bonnie Raitt Grammy hit song co-writer Joey Landreth on guitars, and Americana-Roots master mandolinist Joe K. Walsh. With 4 bullies, 4 deaths (3 of them murders), 3 moms, 2 accidents, 2 Black people, 2 dogs, 1 dog ball, 1 gay kid, and 1 missed flight thanks to gas station sushi, this album benefits from the gifts of time and experience honing songwriting skills that put this most vital of acoustic storytellers at the top of the game.

Oh, and Management wants to make sure to tell you that this is the 14th release for this acoustic stalwart.

30 years into his career, the songwriter’s influence can be felt all over the contemporary Folk and Americana realm as he has helped pave the way for many of the BIPOC artists who have followed.

Vance was born and raised in the Philadelphia area. Starting out hoping to be an R&B and jazz singer once at college, there he discovered his affinity for the storytelling sensibilities of the acoustic singer-songwriter thing. Word spread like wildfire about Gilbert's stage-owning singing and playing, and Shawn Colvin invited him to be special guest on her 1992 Fat City tour where he took much of America by storm and by surprise. “With the voice of an angel, the wit of a devil, and the guitar playing of a god..” wrote the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

"He is that rare performer for whom people lean forward in their seats as eagerly between songs as they do during them..." - Boston Globe

Pam Tillis Trio

Saturday, September 23, 2023 at 8pm at The Bull Run

Pam Tillis is the daughter of Country Music legend Mel Tillis and multi-media artist Doris Tillis. She has sold more than 7 million albums and has six No. 1 radio hits. She has 2 Grammy Awards, 7 ACM Nominations and 11 CMA Nominations. In 1994 she was crowned the Country Music Association’s Female Vocallist of the Year. She’s a singer/songwriter whose compositions have been recorded by artists as varied as Chaka Khan, Martina McBride, Highway 101, Juice Newton and Conway Twitty.

Pam was one of the first women in Nashville to produce her own album, “All of This Love,” which yielded 2 top 5 hits and is nearing Platinum status. Her 1991 debut country album, Put Yourself In My Place, went gold and yielded two No. 1 and two Top 5 singles. Her next three albums – Homeward Looking Angel, Sweetheart’s Dance and Greatest Hits, were all certified platinum. She achieved six No. 1 songs during the ‘90s Country explosion, including “Shake the Sugar Tree,” “Mi Vida Loca,” “When You Walk In The Room,” “In Between Dances,” “Don’t Tell Me What To Do,” and her signature song, “Maybe It Was Memphis.” In 1999, she became the first female country entertainer to star on Broadway in the musical Lieber & Stoller’s “Smokey Joe Café”

She’s an accomplished actor with an impressive list of credits, including the films The Thing Called Love and The Neon Highway; the Broadway production of Smokey Joe’s Café; and TV shows LA Law, Diagnosis: Murder, Promised Land, Drag Race, Nashville, and Fairwood.

There is just so much more it’s impossible to list here.

And after more than three decades of doing what she loves, Tillis jokes, “I guess I’m safely past the ‘flash-in-the-pan’ stage of my career. What keeps me going is learning new things, wearing new hats and trying to stay relevant. I’m still standing, and I’m still grateful.”

The Outlaws

Saturday, August 26, 2023 at 8pm at The Bull Run

Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas

Saturday, August 12, 2023 at 8pm at The Bull Run

The music of Nathan and the Zydeco Cha-Chas is the expression of a remarkable South Louisiana family. Growing up in a Creole-speaking home in St. Martinville, Nathan Williams eagerly sought out the music of Zydeco originators such as Clifton Chenier. Later, while recovering from a serious illness, Nathan decided to dedicate himself to learning the accordion. That dedication blossomed into an illustrious career, which now spans three decades. Zydeco is the fast and furious accordian-driven dance music of the Creole people of South Louisiana, a relatively modern style that emerged after the Second World War. With it’s trademark rubboard percussion, electric guitars and R&B influences, Zydeco is distinct from the fiddle-driven music of neighboring Cajuns. 

Dennis Paul Williams, Nathan’s brother, brings his jazz-influenced guitar chops to the band. He’s also a well-known painter whose work has been shown throughout the country, and has recently published a collection of his work. The eldest Williams brother, Sid ‘El Sid O’ Williams, is a Lafayette legend unto himself, and Zydeco would never have survived into the new millenium without him. Nathan’s cousin, Allen Williams, plays a 7 string bass! Nathan calls him “one bad dude!” Djuan Francis on rubboard and accordian is Nathan’s nephew and God Child. He has been traveling with the band since he was about 10 years old. And Clifford Alexander is the best rubboard player in the business. He was the original player with Nathan when the Zydeco cha chas were formed and after 23 years with C.J. Chenier Clifford has come home to play with Nathan again.

Nathan formed The Cha-Chas back in 1985 and since then has brought his unique take on this regional South Louisiana music to all corners of the globe. From Lincoln Center in New York to The Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, Nathan’s music has crossed all barriers to speak to the very heart of his audience.
Inducted into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2005, he was honored last year with the Zydeco Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The Cha-Chas have been voted the top Festival Band in the country, and have won the coveted Big Easy award for Best Zydeco Band for several years running.

Nathan and his band have been featured in the New York Times, Essence and People magazines, and on the cover of USA Today. They’ve appeared in films like In The Electric Mist and The Kingdom of Zydeco, and worked with artists as diverse as Cindy Lauper, Michael Doucet and Buddy Guy.

Keepers of the Zydeco Flame, they are committed to keeping their Creole Heritage alive… - C’est Si Bon!

“Nathan Williams is still traveling on the same journey he’s always been on, motoring along in the finest vehicle in the fleet, putting out the best Zydeco in the business.” - No Depression

Bring your dancing shoes. Tables will be removed to make a dance space.

The James Hunter Six

Friday, June 17, 2023 at 8pm at The Bull Run

It takes you by surprise just how good James Hunter is. Van Morrison called him "one of the best voices and best kept secrets in British R&B and soul.” In the early Nineties, Van Morrison caught Hunter at a gig in Wales and subsequently hired him as a backup singer for several years of touring and recording. James appeared on Morrison’s live album, "A Night in San Francisco," and on the studio set, "Days Like This."

James Hunter has certainly paid his dues. Over the span of 30 years, he’s worked on the railway, busked in the streets of London, provided backup vocals and guitar for Van Morrison, played clubs and theatres all over the world, written scores of original songs, and recorded some of the most original and honest rhythm & soul albums of the last two decades. At age 16, Hunter left school in Colchester, Essex and began working for the railway, while honing his blues guitar and singing skills. Six years later, he played his first paid gig at the Colchester Labour club (as “Howlin’ Wilf and the Vee-Jays”). In the decades since, James Hunter has gone from singer/songwriter to labourer and back again. His gritty, soulful voice has matured well along with his musicianship and songwriting. With widespread critical acclaim for his recordings plus a Grammy nomination, it's still the live performances that reveal Hunter at his best.

Over the last decade, he's toured extensively around the world on the club, theatre, and festival circuits, steadily growing a dedicated audience comprised of hardened gig-goers, old-school baby boomers, and young hipsters alike. His follow-ups "The Hard Way" and "Minute By Minute" (GO/Fantasy), further cemented Hunter's reputation as a soul powerhouse, heralded for his talents both as a live performer and perhaps even more so as a songwriter, with The New Yorker describing his "tight, taut compositions" as "rooted in American soul music without being bound to it."

When Hunter burst onto the scene with his U.S. debut "People Gonna Talk,” he topped the Billboard Blues chart, earning a Grammy-nomination, and attracting universal acclaim from critics and his fans - including Van Morrison, Sharon Jones, and Allen Toussaint. With its affectionate echoes of Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson, that disc became an airplay staple on some of the nation’s most influential radio stations. The Los Angeles Times praised James Hunter’s “extraordi­nary soul voice.” Rolling Stone called his album “a treat not to miss.” By the year’s end, "People Gonna Talk" was among the Top Ten “Best Albums of 2006” as cited by Mojo, USA Today and the WFUV listeners’ poll, to name a few. It was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Tradi­tional Blues Album and James himself was nominated as Best New/Emerging Artist in the annual Americana Music Awards.

Jackie Venson

Sunday, June 18, 2023 at 7:30pm at The Bull Run

Born and raised in Austin, Texas, Jackie has traveled the world playing to massive crowds both as a headliner and as support for major acts such as Gary Clark Jr, Melissa Etheridge, Aloe Blacc, Citizen Cope to name a few. With the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cancellation of her entire tour schedule, and the wave of social change sweeping across the country in 2020, Jackie committed herself to releasing more music than ever before, connecting with her fans directly and speaking up about the change she wanted to see in her city and country.

Since then, Jackie has released 2 studio albums, 2 live albums under her name and several electronic albums under her side project titled Jackie the robot. During the pandemic, Jackie Venson also made her National TV Performance Debut on Austin City Limits 46th season, a huge honor for the native Austinite. Venson’s most recent release, “Love Transcends”, Venson firmly established herself as a sonic force to be reckoned with out of Austin, Texas.

“Jackie Venson is truly an Austin legend in the making.” - Forbes

Ellis Paul

Friday, May 12, 2023 at 8pm at Bull Run

Larry Campbell & Teresa Williams w/Lucy Kaplansky

Friday, May 5, 2023 at 8pm at The Bull Run

Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams are perhaps best known for their years of playing and adding their uniquely gorgeous harmonies in Levon Helm’s band. Word of this amazing duo brought frequent gigs with Bob Dylan, Phil Lesh, Little Feat and Hot Tuna with Jorma Kaukonen & Jack Casady. Larry & Teresa’s acclaimed eponymous 2015 debut brought to the stage the crackling creative energy of their decades-long offstage union. A whirlwind of touring and promo followed. And when the dust cleared, they were ready to do it all again, which brings us to "Contraband Love," their newest and riskier slice of Americana. Larry, who produced the album, says, “I wanted this record to be a progression, bigger than the first one. That’s all I knew. I wanted the songwriting to be deeper, the arrangements more interesting, the performances more dynamic.” And they sure did it. Listen for yourself. They not only bring a lot to the table, they bring the table itself – plus the house, the still, the church, the marriage bed, the sawdust-covered floor, and abiding, unconditional love, all carried in two voices harmonizing across hills, hollers, porches, and fire escapes. Those close harmonies ride atop music made in a mountain refuge, far from the madding crowd, connected to a spirit that lives on in song.
Watch the video of Contraband Love HERE

Lucy Kaplansky is perhaps best known for her work with Shawn Colvin and Nanci Griffith; and with her supergroup, Cry Cry Cry, where she teamed up with Richard Shindell and Dar Williams. She started out singing in Chicago folk music clubs as a teenager. Then, barely out of high school, took off for New York City where she found a fertile community of songwriters and performers - Suzanne Vega, Steve Forbert, The Roches and others. With her beautiful flair for harmony, Lucy was everyone’s favorite singing partner and it wasn’t long before she was signed to Red House Records. Her success really took flight with back-to-back hit albums Ten Year Night (1999) and Every Single Day (2001).  Both received the AFIM award (Association For Independent Music) for Best Pop Album of the year. She was also featured in Lipshtick, a collection of essays by NPR commentator Gwen Macsai. Her voice has remained in high demand by her peers. Lucy's song “Guilty as Sin” was featured in the NBC television show Ed.  She can also be heard on releases by Bryan Ferry and Nanci Griffith, and the Greg Brown tribute album “Going Driftless” (also featuring Ani Difranco, Iris Dement, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Gillian Welch, Lucinda Williams and others).  
Her CD Ten Year Night is the #1 selling album of all time at Red House Records. 

Kofi Baker's Cream Faith

Sunday ,April 2, 2023 at 7:30pm at The Bull Run

Kofi Baker plays the Music of Cream and Blind Faith
 
Son of legendary drummer Ginger Baker, Kofi Baker is a name synonymous with drumming excellence. Without question, Kofi not only continues, but extends the family legacy, with outstanding skills, drive and dedication to his craft.

Kofi’s first live performance was with his father on the cult UK tv music show “The Old Grey Whistle Test” – at just six years of age he proved he had inherited more than just his father’s name. In the early 80’s, Kofi and his father played drum duets throughout Europe, amazing audiences with complex African polyrhythms. Later, Kofi toured with John Ethridge (Soft Machine) and gigged in London with Steve Waller (Manfred Mann) and Randy California (Spirit). He also toured Europe with Steve Marriot’s Humble Pie.

During the 1990’s Kofi toured with Jack Bruce in Budapest, signed with Scotty Brothers Records and recorded the album "Lost City," cut "Abstract Logic" with Jonas Hellborg and Shawn Lane and toured extensively – including more drum duets with Ginger Baker.

In 2015 Kofi joined "The Extreme Guitar Tour" with Uli Jon Roth - former Scorpions lead guitarist, with Vinny Appice (John Lennon, Rick Derringer, Black Sabbath, DIO, Black Sabbath) and Vinnie Moore (UFO).

Later that year he attended the CREAM reunion concerts at Madison Square Garden and following these historic shows, started to develop and evolve his ‘Cream Experience’ band.

In 2017 he was invited to become an integral part of The Music Of Cream 50th Anniversary Tour, which began in Australia & New Zealand and has subsequently played hundreds of shows across Australasia, the U.S.A and the U.K. In 2020, Eric Clapton invited Kofi to perform with him, his band and very special guests, at a tribute concert organized to celebrate the life, times and music of Ginger Baker.

James McMurtry

Saturday, March 25, 2023 at 8pm at The Bull Run

“James McMurtry writes like he’s lived a lifetime,” said John Mellencamp back in 1989, when “Too Long in the Wasteland” hit the Billboard 200. “James McMurtry is one of my very few favorite songwriters on Earth and these days he’s working at the top of his game,” says Americana all-star Jason Isbell. The former earned McMurtry his highest Billboard 200 chart position in two decades (since eclipsed by “Complicated Game”) and notched Americana Music Award nominations. “Childish Things” spent six full weeks topping the Americana Music Radio chart in 2005 and 2006, and won the Americana Music Association’s Album of the Year, with “We Can’t Make It Here” named the organization’s Song of the Year.
Other accolades include a 1996 Grammy nomination for Long Form Music Video for Where’d You Hide the Body and an American Indie Award for Best Americana Album for It Had to Happen (1997).

In James McMurtry’s new effort, "The Horses and the Hounds," the acclaimed songwriter backs personal narratives with effortless elegance (“Canola Fields”) and endless energy (“If It Don’t Bleed”). This first collection in seven years, due August 20 on New West Records, spotlights a seasoned tunesmith in peak form as he turns toward reflection (“Vaquero”) and revelation ( closer “Blackberry Winter”). Familiar foundations guide the journey. “There’s a definite Los Angeles vibe to this record,” McMurtry says. “The ghost of Warren Zevon seems to be stomping around among the guitar tracks. Don’t know how he got in there. He never signed on for work for hire."

“The simple fact is that James McMurtry may be the truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation…” - Stephen King | Entertainment Weekly

The most vital lyricist in America today.” – Bob Harris, BBC 2 RADIO

“James McMurtry is a true Americana poet – actually he is a poet regardless of genre” – Michael Nesmith

“McMurtry might be the best topical writer performing right now and (Just Us Kids) finds him at his finest.”
– Patterson Hood, Drive-By Truckers

“America’s fiercest songwriter” – CNN

Richard Thompson

Saturday, February 4, 2023 at 8pm at The Bull Run

In 2017, Ivor Novello Award-winning and GRAMMY® Award-nominated legend Richard Thompson began composing ideas for what would become "13 Rivers" at his California home. Off the road, he focused on writing. As a result of the defined time period, the music possessed a distinct cohesion. “I wrote the songs as a group to hang together,” he elaborates. “They belong together in some way and seem to possess a commonality since they were written in the same time and space. I never really think about what songs mean,” he admits. “I just write them. Some of them reflect on what happened a few months ago or even a year ago. It’s a process of surveying my life and where I was at.”

13 Rivers commences on the tribal percussion and guitar rustle of “The Storm Won’t Come” as the artist bellows, “I’m looking for a storm to blow through town.” The energy mounts before climaxing on a lyrical electric lead rife with airy bends and succinct shredding.

“Obviously it's been a stressful couple of years,” he sighs. “The song references wanting to change your life - but it’s a difficult undertaking. You have to wait for it to happen naturally. You can’t force it. The are 13 songs on the record, and each one is like a river,” he explains. “Some flow faster than others. Some follow a slow and winding current. They all culminate on this one body of work.”

In many ways, his career has pointed towards such a statement. Powered by evocative songcraft, jaw-dropping guitar playing and indefinable spirit, this venerable icon holds a coveted spot on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” and counts a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Americana Music Association in Nashville, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the BBC Awards among his many accolades. 2011 saw Thompson garner an OBE (Order of the British Empire) personally bestowed upon him by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. Moreover, Time touted his anthem, “1952 Vincent Black Lightning,” on its “100 Greatest Songs Since 1923” list.

Thompson’s influence can’t be overstated. Everybody from Robert Plant, Don Henley, and Elvis Costello to REM, Sleater-Kinney and David Byrne have covered his music. Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy jumped at the chance to produce 2015’s "Still" - which earned plaudits from Pitchfork, The Guardian, Rolling Stone and more. Meanwhile, Werner Herzog tapped him for the soundtrack to Grizzly Man. He launched his career by co-founding trailblazing rock outfit Fairport Convention, responsible for igniting a British Folk Rock movement.

However, 13 Rivers represents another high watermark. “The songs are a surprise in a good way,” he leaves off. “They came to me as a surprise in a dark time. They reflected my emotions in an oblique manner that I’ll never truly understand. It’s as if they’d been channeled from somewhere else. You find deeper meaning in the best records as time goes on. The reward comes later.”

The Gibson Brothers

Saturday, January 28, 2023 at 8pm at The Bull Run

The Gibson Brothers (Eric and Leigh Gibson) are already bluegrass royalty. Along with their Mockingbird Band (Eric O’Hara on steel & electric guitar, Sam Zucchini on percussion and Mike Barber on Bass) they step into what some might at first see as uncharted territory on their country-soul breakout “Mockingbird,” produced by Grammy Award winners Dan Auerbach and Fergie Ferguson.

The Brothers, who were named back-to-back Entertainers of the Year by the "International Bluegrass Music Association" in 2012 and 2013, played the Nashville game two decades ago, while in their early 20s. They were offered a major label deal only to be told at the last minute that they were too "retro" for modern country music. Today, such characterizations, along with their authenticity, set them apart and describes the marvelous “Mockingbird.” A mix of country, soul and seventies rock, the album further cements the sibling duo as musical trailblazers.

As players and vocalists, they are superb, harmonizing as only siblings can. And as songwriters they stand without peer, having long been a band awarded for their songs and songwriting. The 11 tracks on Mockingbird, their 14th album, draw on much of the brothers' experiences being raised on the family farm in Northern New York. As Northerners growing up in a Southern business, they had to work twice as hard as the bands from the South to achieve the success they had, and were the first from that far north to carve a path to IBMA Entertainers of the Year.

Coloring outside the lines is not unfamiliar to the Gibson Brothers, whose innate talent as writers and vocalists allows them to float seamlessly between genres. In that way, they're outsiders - refusing to be confined to just one sound - which is why they chose to work with a rock producer and a band of legendary session players like drummer Gene Chrisman and guitarist Billy Sanford for Mockingbird. This album that exemplifies their incredible sibling bond and is poised to introduce them to an entirely new audience.

"...when I hear someone like the Gibson Brothers, I know it’s them from the first note. They have that little thing in their voices that no one else has..." Del McCoury

"They have it all: lead vocals, brother-duet harmony, instrumental virtuosity, ensemble sensibilities, and great original material." - Bluegrass Unlimited Magazine

Dark Desert Eagles

Friday, January 27, 2023 at 8pm at The Bull Run

For fans of The Eagles who long for the LIVE re-creation of some of the greatest hits of a generation, the Dark Desert Eagles are the ULTIMATE Tribute to The Eagles! Songs from the best-selling Greatest Hits album of all time Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975 along with hits from Hotel California, as well as several gems from Joe Walsh's solo career are masterfully re-created during a live show of the Dark Desert Eagles. Buckle up and get ready to enjoy a stunning musical tribute to America’s Greatest Rock Band in the peak of their career!

When Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey passed, Pat Badger (an original member of the multi- platinum rock act Extreme) set out to form the Dark Desert Eagles. Badger is an enormous fan of The Eagles’ musicianship, vocal harmonies and timeless catalog. Having toured the world with Extreme, and having been a part of a group that sold over 10 million records featuring Top 10 hits like "Hole Hearted" and the Number 1 Grammy nominated smash hit "More Than Words," Pat Badger had a vision for the types of musicians he would need to create the ultimate tribute to The Eagles.

“But pulling off the music is just part of it.” Badger says, “We really want to bring the audience back in time to the 70s! The image is almost as important as the music and we have really payed attention to detail on the wardrobe, the hairstyles, the guitars… everything that made the Eagles so cool!” He goes on to say, “We’re not just pretending to be the Eagles, we are the Dark Desert Eagles who are the self-proclaimed World’s Greatest Eagles Tribute band from 1977! We have traveled through time to the present day and when the house lights go down, the audience finds themselves in a Twilight Zone episode meets Back To The Future… It’s a blast!”

Veronica Lewis

Friday, December 16, 2022 at 8pm at The Bull Run

Veronica Lewis is one of the most exciting, emerging talents in the Indie Roots world. Bending genres from the Bayou to the north country, Lewis combines the true language of the Blues with the energy of early rock ‘n rollers. A teenage prodigy, piano player, singer & prolific songwriter who is ”changing the game and upping the ante”, says American Blues Scene.
With the release of her critically acclaimed, Chart-topping, debut album “You Ain’t Unlucky”, 18-year-old Veronica Lewis, is poised to bring new generations back under that big old revival tent that is Blues and Roots rock and roll. A mesmerizing live performer with serious piano chops, soaring vocals, and trailblazing original songs, Veronica gives her audience “every last drop, every single time”.

“You Ain’t Unlucky” blasted Veronica Lewis’ career off to a mind-blowing start, debuting at Number #2 on the Billboard Blues charts, #1 on iTunes Blues chart, and landing the title Track ‘You Ain’t Unlucky’ as the Number #1 Blues Song of The Year 2021 (Root Music Report), and snagging two Blues Music Nominations in 2022 for Best Emerging Artist Album & Piano Player of the Year. Among her other awards are Sean Costello Rising Star – 2021 Blues Blast Music Awards, Best New Artist Debut Album – 2021 Blues Blast Music and Blues Artist of the Year - 2020 Boston Music Awards.

Although Veronica only graduated high school in 2021, she is already an acknowledged seasoned professional, rocking the keys and electrifying audiences with rhythmically complex and challenging compositions and nuclear-charged live performances. Her band is a tight, straight-ahead 4 piece with piano, drums, guitar and sax that delivers a stunningly “full-on” sound. Veronica belts out a message made to heal the soul. Her strong, expressive voice is punctuated with a light and delicate vibrato, containing the pain and wisdom of the ages.

Call It Roots, Call it The Blues, Call It What You Will - It’s 100% Veronica Lewis.

“Every now and again a young spitfire artist comes along to change the game, or at least up the ante. Lewis does both.” - American Blues Scene

“Veronica Lewis sings with a sweet, booming soul voice and plays piano like Dr. John doing Jerry Lee Lewis and Hadda Brooks all at once.” - Jed Gottlieb, The Boston Herald

Cherish the Ladies

Thursday, December 8, 2022 at 7:30pm at The Bull Run

Cherish the Ladies is a long-running, Grammy-nominated, Irish-American super group. Over the past three decades, they have toured the world, played the White House and the Olympics and recorded 17 critically acclaimed albums including their Emmy winning special, “An Irish Homecoming,” which was broadcast on PBS.

The New York Times calls their music “passionate, tender, and rambunctious,” and the Washington Post praises their “astonishing array of virtuosity.” They’ve won recognition as the BBC’s Best Musical Group of the Year and named Top North American Celtic Group at the Irish Music Awards and not to mention having a street named after them in the Bronx! The level of artistic, historic, and purely enticing entertainment is unlike any in its genre.

Slambovian Circus of Dreams

Friday, November 25, 2022 at 8pm at The Bull Run

Called everything from ‘Hillbilly-Pink Floyd’ to ‘folk-pop’ to ‘surreal Americana’, New York’s Slambovian Circus of Dreams “is a riveting, mesmerizing, crazy, amazing machine of music.” – Chronogram Magazine.

Recent winners of the Chronogram #Chronogrammie for BEST BAND! 

A rootsy psychedelica that Maverick Magazine calls “Mightily impressive and hugely original rock from the cool end of Americana”, their melodic avant-folk conjures with an exotic instrumental arsenal and a palette of styles ranging from dusty Americana ballads to huge Pink Floydesque cinematic anthems. The Slambovians charm from the first note with thought provoking lyrics for thinking audiences.
Formed in Sleepy Hollow, NY over a decade ago, they pioneered the alt-folk circuit, staying on the fringes of the music industry. Winning support from indie radio and press since their inception, fans fueled their career from the ground up to an international status. Having headlined major music festivals and venues across the US, Canada and UK, this band has a devoted cult following.
The band is led by songwriter Joziah Longo (vocals/guitar/harmonica) “Soothing and bewitching as a snake oil tonic, the entire root system of Rock Family Trees is embedded in Longo’s voice.” – The Big Issue, Scotland, UK, and joined by Sharkey McEwen (guitar, mandolin), Tink Lloyd (accordion, cello, etc), RJ McCarty (bass, keys, sax), Bob Torsello (bass), and Matthew Abourezk (drums).. They create a captivating vibe that feeds the soul.

Their newest album "A Very Unusual Head" is available now. Get one signed at the show!!

NRBQ

Thursday, November 17, 2022 at 7:30pm at The Bull Run

NRBQ: "If anything embodies the spirit of rock & roll, this music does."

Terry Adams, visionary, driving force and "untamed genius of the keyboards" for NRBQ since the band's inception over four decades ago, is one of music’s true originals. Adams reignited the legendary Quartet with the addition of Scott Ligon on guitar & vocals, John Perrin on drums and Casey McDonough on bass & vocals.

They have been called one of the best bar bands on the planet by Keith Richards, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello and Bob Dylan. You have to see them live to appreciate the true genius of this venerable band.

NRBQ released their first new studio album (DRAGNET) since 2014 on November 12, 2021. It includes ten originals, with contributions by every member of the band, and Terry’s rockin’ arrangement of the classic TV theme song. Get a signed copy at the show.

“Ability to groove like no other band on the planet,” - popmatters.com
“Fans will find spontaneity, humor, breadth, and musical know-how…” - No Depression
“Music no one can make anymore.” - the Detroit Metro-Times

And live? “…the current incarnation lives up to the legacy. They reclaim not only the vast NRBQ catalog of songs and loose-as-a-goose sound, but also the band’s wildly unpredictable spirit on stage. Their willingness to step way out on a limb has always been one of NRBQ’s most endearing qualities, and in the contemporary world of pre-packaged, cookie-cutter pop stars, it’s sure great to have them back,” said the Albany Times-Union. Added the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "Meet the new Q, as fun as the old Q. NRBQ is still liable to play anything. Roaring rockabilly, transcendent pop-rock, roadhouse blues, avant jazz – you name it, Adams claims it and reframes it. The new band is a revelation, capable of playing nearly the whole NRBQ catalog, which dates back to 1966.”

Acoustic Alchemy

Friday, October 28, 2022 at 8pm at Bull Run

For more than 30 years, Acoustic Alchemy has pushed the limits of the acoustic guitar’s potential by embracing a spectrum of musical styles ranging from straight-ahead jazz to folk to rock to world music and beyond. They have not only received critical acclaim for their albums (including three Grammy nominations), but have built a reputation for being one of the most exciting live bands in the business.

For the last decade, the band lineup has featured Greg Carmichael on nylon guitar, Miles Gilderdale on steel string acoustic & electric guitars, Fred White on keyboards and the powerhouse rhythm section of Greg Grainger on drums and his brother Gary Grainger on bass. In the two and a half decades since their earliest recordings – despite a tragic setback in the late 1990s and the inherent challenges of the 21st century music industry – the group has assembled and sustained a vast and loyal following that stretches well beyond their U.K. origins.

Through it all, the overriding mission of Acoustic Alchemy has been to reach the broadest possible audience by pushing the potential of instrumental music to embrace a broad spectrum of styles without being limited to any specific genre.

Kevin Nealon

Thursday September 29, 2022 at 7:30pm at The Bull Run

Emmy and SAG-nominated actor, comedian, and author Kevin Nealon is best known for his nine-year stint as a cast member of NBC’s Saturday Night Live, and has received critical acclaim for his role in the Showtime series Weeds. Kevin most recently starred on the CBS-TV comedy series Man With A Plan, produces and hosts digital series Hiking with Kevin, and tours his stand-up globally.

Nealon’s self-produced, edited, and hosted web series Hiking with Kevin is exclusively available on his YouTube channel of the same name. In the series, Kevin interviews his A-list celebrity friends on hikes throughout the country.

Most recently, Nealon starred in CBS’s Man With a Plan during all four seasons. Kevin’s extensive television credits include Globen Globe and SAG-nominated Weeds, the titular voice role of Glenn Martin, DDS, two critically acclaimed stand-up specials for Showtime, and a number of appearances on Monk, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Still Standing and more. His extensive film career includes projects such as Anger Management, Eight Crazy Nights, The Wedding Singer, Happy Gilmore, Just Go With It, You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, Joe Dirt, Daddy Day Care, Roxanne, and Grandma’s Boy.

As one of the longest running cast members on NBC’s Saturday Night Live (1986-1995), Nealon created some of the show’s most memorable characters; his recurring role as an anchor on ‘Weekend Update’ helped make the sketch a show staple. In 1988, he earned an Emmy nomination as part of the SNL writing team.

Opener: Mike Hanford - Mike Hanford is a comedian, writer, and actor. Currently, Mike hosts The Sloppy Boys Podcast with Tim Kalpakis and Jeff Dutton, which Vulture named one of the best comedy podcasts of 2021. Hanford co-created and starred in the critically acclaimed series THE BIRTHDAY BOYS, which ran for two seasons on IFC and was executive produced by Bob Odenkirk. Mike played the recurring role of “Wade” on the Netflix comedy LOVE. Mike has written for and appeared on IFC’s COMEDY BANG! BANG! and Comedy Central's ALTERNATINO. Hanford is a frequent guest on the Comedy Bang! Bang! podcast and is host of Questions for Lennon with John Lennon. Mike’s television credits include THE UCB SHOW and BAJILLION DOLLAR PROPERTIE$, as well as Netflix’s W/ BOB AND DAVID, Comedy Central’s KROLL SHOW, IFC’s PORTLANDIA, and NBC’s PARKS AND RECREATION. Next up, Mike is set to go on tour with The Sloppy Boys this May.