On Tuesday, April 7, 2015, Pokey LaFarge will release
Something in the Water, his Rounder debut.
The dozen-song set, produced by Jimmy Sutton (best known for
his work with JD McPherson), marks a new landmark in a career that's already
filled with musical highlights. The St.
Louis-based singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist draws from a deep
well of American musical traditions to create distinctively personal music
that's timeless rather than retro, transcending the confines of genre in a
manner that reflects the artist's openhearted attitude.
Incorporating elements of early jazz, ragtime, country
blues, Western swing, and beyond, LaFarge has created a vibrant, deeply
expressive body of work that embodies an expansive musical vision and vivid
storytelling sensibility that are wholly his own. He's also earned a reputation as a tireless,
uniquely charismatic live performer, winning a loyal international fan base
that regularly packs his rousing, celebratory live shows.
Something in the Water features a diverse cast of talented
players, including his own longstanding touring combo as well as members of
such notable outfits as NRBQ, the Fat Babies, the Modern Sounds, and the
Western Elstons.
Something in the Water finds LaFarge doubling down on his
established creative strengths, expanding and deepening his musical reach on
such new originals as the wry, rollicking title track, the swaggering ragtime
workout "Wanna Be Your Man," the infectiously jazzy "Underground,"
the evocative crooner "Cairo, Illinois," the exotic ballad
"Barcelona" and the swinging album-closer "Knocking the Dust off
the Rust Belt Tonight," whose witty lyrics underline the album's proudly
Midwestern sensibility. Also featured
are fresh, buoyant takes on popular blues standards "When Did You Leave
Heaven" and "All Night Long."
"The Midwest is at the heart of this record,"
LaFarge asserts. "The people playing on these songs are from Wisconsin and
Illinois and Chicago and St. Louis, and there's a certain attitude that comes
across in the songs and the way that they're performed. I'm born and raised in the Midwest, and my
family's been here for generations. This
is where I'm from and how I think, and that's reflected in the music I make.
"Americans love to reinvent themselves, but you can
never really get away from the place that you come from," he
continues. "And in a globalized
world, I think that there are some parts of our regional identity that we
should hang onto and cherish. I do buy
into that old idea of the Midwestern work ethic, and it's definitely something
that's been passed down through my family and something that I feel connected
to, and it influences the way I approach making music."
Pokey LaFarge 2015 World Tour
March 26, Auckland, New Zealand, Tuning Fork
March 27, Havelock North, New Zealand, Black Barn Winery
March 28, Masterton, New Zealand, King Street Live
March 29, Wellington, New Zealand, Bodega
March 31, Nelson, New Zealand, The Mussel Inn
April 1, Christchurch, New Zealand, Dux Live
April 3, Tallarook, Australia, Boogie Fest
April 4, Byron Bay, NSW, Australia, Byron Bay Bluefest
April 6, Byron Bay, NSW, Australia, Byron Bay Bluefest
April 8, Oakleigh, VIC, Australia, Caravan Music Club
April 9, Melbourne, VIC, Australia, Corner Hotel
April 10, Castlemaine, VIC, Australia, Theatre Royal
April 11, Sydney, NSW, Australia, Manning Bar
April 12, Newcastle, NSW, Australia, Cambridge Hotel
April 17, Dallas, TX, The Loft
April 18, Driftwood, TX,
Old Settler’s Music Festival
April 19, Driftwood, TX, Old Settler’s Music Festival
April 22, Nashville, TN, Mercy Lounge
April 24, St. Louis, MO, Off Broadway
April 25, St. Louis, MO, Off Broadway
April 26, St. Louis, MO, Off Broadway |
April 30, Pittsburgh, PA, Rex Theater
May 1,
Philadelphia, PA, World Café Live
May 2,
Washington, DC, Black Cat
May 3,
Charleston, WV, Mountain Stage
May 6,
New York, NY, Bowery Ballroom
May 7,
Cambridge, MA, Sinclair
May 8, Burlington, VT, Showcase Lounge
May 10, Toronto, ON, Horseshoe Tavern
May 12, Cleveland, OH, Beachland Ballroom
May 13, Detroit, MI, Magic Stick Lounge
May 14, Grand Rapids, MI, Pyramid Scheme
May 15, Chicago, IL, Lincoln Hall
May 16, Indianapolis, IN, The Vogue
May 27, Leeds, United Kingdom, Brudenell Social Club
May 28, Oxford, United Kingdom, O2 Academy
May 29, London, United Kingdom, Islington Assembly Hall
May 30, Rouen, France, Festival Zone Rouge
May 31, Brussels, Belgium, Retrorama Festival
June 3, Rotterdam, Netherlands, Maassilo
June 4, Groningen, Netherlands, De Oosterpoort
June 5, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Paradiso Amsterdam
June 6, Eindhoven, Netherlands, Naked Song Festival
June 7, Nijmegen, Netherlands, Doornroosje
June 12, Eau Claire, WI, Blue Ox Music Festival
June 14, Manchester, TN, Bonnaroo
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