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.

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.

Jonathan Edwards

Friday, June 24 2022 at 8:00 PM at Bull Run

Warm as summer sunshine, real as the truth, intimate as a long overdue visit between old friends … such is a Jonathan Edwards concert. Four decades into a stellar career of uncompromising musical integrity, the man simply delivers, night after night – songs of passion, songs of insight, songs of humor, all rendered in that pure and powerful tenor which, like fine wine, has only grown sweeter with age.

This is one veteran performer who is neither grizzled nor nostalgic. These days Jonathan is likely to be found on the road. I've been...doing what I do best, which is playing live in front of people. I've been concentrating on that and loving it," he says.

An artist who measures his success by his ability to attract and take good care of an audience for four decades, Jonathan maintains that it is the feedback he receives after his shows that keeps him going. “It is really gratifying to hear, ‘Your stuff has meant a lot to me over the years.’”

The “stuff” he’s referring to is a highly respected repertoire that includes such classics as “Honky Tonk Stardust Cowboy,” “Sometimes,” “One Day Closer,” “Don’t Cry Blue,” “Emma,” “Everybody Knows Her,” “Athens County,” and everyone’s favorite ode to putting a good buzz on, “Shanty.” And then, of course, there’s the anthemic “Sunshine (Go Away Today),” that fierce proclamation of protest and independence that resonated with thousands and thousands of frustrated and angry young men and women when it was first released in 1971. Almost 40 years later, at show after show, the song continues to be embraced by faithful followers and new fans alike.

Since 1971, Jonathan has released 15 albums, including "Blue Ridge," his standard-setting collaboration with bluegrass favorites the Seldom Scene, and "Little Hands," his collection of children’s songs, which was honored with a National Library Association award.

Journeyman: A Tribute to Eric Clapton

Thursday, April 14, 2022 at 8:00 PM at Bull Run

Celebrating Eric Clapton''s 75th Birthday and the year of the 50th Anniversary of the best-selling album, "Layla & Other Assorted Love Songs," we are excited to welcome JOURNEYMAN! 

Shaun Hague has built quite the resume in the last decade of his life. At just 17, he was named “The Best Young Blues Guitarist” by The House of Blues and by 21, the young guitarist was playing guitar for blues phenom Kenny Wayne Shepherd. His career has also seen him sharing the stage with Amos Lee, John Waite, Terra Naomi, performing on Jay Leno and sitting in with John Fogerty.

In honor of his biggest musical influence (Eric Clapton), Hague has been making waves with his Journeyman – A Tribute to Eric Clapton. The show features Robert Monroe (keys/vocals), Darius Peterson (drums) and Laura Lopardo (backing vocals). Together, they provide a powerful performance of all aspects of Clapton’s career from Bluesbreakers to From The Cradle!

Journeyman is the only nationally touring tribute to Eric Clapton, and we''re excited to have them at Bull Run for the first time! Look forward to hearing hits such as “Layla,” “Tears In Heaven,” “I Shot The Sheriff,” “Change The World” and many others.

Jimmy Webb

Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 7:30 PM at Bull Run

Jimmy Webb is an American songwriter, composer and singer known worldwide as a master of his trade. His timeless hits continue to be performed and recorded by the industry’s biggest names, and his new compositions span the musical spectrum from classical to pop. This past year saw his “Wichita Lineman” on the set list in three major artist tours – Guns N’ Roses, Little Big Town and Toby Keith – and used prominently in an episode of the Netflix series “Ozark.”  Not many artists can say they premiered a classical nocturne and had a rap hit with Kanye West (“Do What You Gotta Do” a central hook in “Famous”) in the same year, but Jimmy’s career is full of surprises. Since his first platinum record “The Worst That Could Happen,” Webb has had numerous hits including “Up, Up and Away,” “By the Time I Get to Phoenix,” “Wichita Lineman, “Galveston,” “Highwayman,” “All I Know” and “MacArthur Park,” and has also become a leader and mentor in the industry as a champion for songwriters.

Webb is the only artist ever to have received Grammy Awards for music, lyrics and orchestration. His numerous accolades include the prestigious Ivor Novella International Award (2012) and the Academy of Country Music’s Poet Award (2016). In 2016 Rolling Stone magazine listed Webb as one of the top 50 songwriters of all time. Jimmy Webb was the youngest member ever inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame and served as its Chairman. He has also served proudly as the Vice Chair of ASCAP. Time and again Webb has paved the way for songwriters in an ever-changing media landscape, spearheading the ongoing effort to preserve the rights of songwriters and their intellectual property in the digital age.

Webb is an international touring artist, averaging 50 shows a year. He is a member of the National Academy of Popular Music Songwriter's Hall of Fame, the Nashville Songwriter's Hall of Fame and in 1993 The National Academy of Songwriters named Jimmy as the recipient of their Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jimmy was trained in the sacred space of Motown and had his first commercial recordings there. Though best known for the instant classics he provided for such artists as Glen Campbell ("By The Time I Get To Phoenix," "Wichita Lineman," "Galveston," "Where's The Playground, Susie"), Richard Harris ("MacArthur Park," "Didn't We"), The Fifth Dimension ("Up, Up and Away," "This Is Your Life"), The Brooklyn Bridge ("Worst That Could Happen"), Art Garfunkel ("All I Know"), Linda Ronstadt ("Easy For You To Say") and on and on. And his songs continue to grace a multitude of major recording artists' albums, from Tony Bennett and Rosemary Clooney, to Urge Overkill, Reba McEntire, and Shawn Colvin.

KT Tunstall

Sunday, November 21, 2021 at 7:30 PM at Bull Run

Since scoring a worldwide smash with her debut album ‘Eye To The Telescope’ in 2004, which went on to sell over 5 million copies, KT Tunstall has remained at the forefront of UK singer-songwriter talent. Over the next decade, three further critically acclaimed albums followed; ‘Drastic Fantastic’, ‘Tiger Suit’ and ‘Invisible Empire/Crescent Moon’ in 2007, 2010 and 2013 respectively, keeping the platinum sales rolling and cementing the Scottish singer-songwriter’s reputation as a major recording talent, as well as a mesmerising live artist.

Tunstall has toured the world many times over. She outsold every other female artist in the UK in 2005, won the 2006 Brit Award for Best British Female Solo Artist, won the Ivor Novello Best Song award for her huge, self-penned hit 'Suddenly I See’, and a Q award for Track of the Year. She also landed a Grammy nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and lent her tunes to a host of movies and TV shows ('Suddenly I See', used in the iconic opening scene of Meryl Streep flick 'The Devil Wears Prada').

2016 hailed the arrival of the critically acclaimed UK top 10 album 'KIN'. And in 2018 she released ‘WAX’ which entered the UK album chart at number 15 (Tunstall’s 6 th Top 20 album in the UK), was featured on Spotify’s ‘New Music Friday’ playlist in a dozen countries worldwide and received critical acclaim from both national publications and specialist music outlets in both the UK and USA.

“Killer folk-rock melodies and chord progressions; lyrics rich with emotional intelligence, candour, self-awareness and bite and vocals of immediacy” - The Sunday Times

Upon relocating to the west coast of the USA, she was accepted as one of six annual fellows for the Sundance Film Institute’s Composers Lab (hosted by George Lucas’s Skywalker Ranch in Northern California) and has since scored music for short and feature films.

She has also been awarded the Inspirational Artist gong at the Women In Music Awards and was chosen as the first ever female Grand Marshal (following the likes of Sir Sean Connery) to lead April 2018’s annual New York Tartan Week parade. In May 2018 she and Mike McCready, of legendary multi-million selling Pearl Jam, released a cover of Tom Petty’s huge hit single ‘I Won’t Back Down’ with proceeds going to Pearl Jam’s Vitalogy Foundation.

In 2018, KT performed sold-out intimate headline shows across the UK and US and toured worldwide supporting acclaimed artists including Simple Minds, The Pretenders, Barenaked Ladies and Gary Barlow. And in 2019, KT has been on a headline tour across the UK and Europe with her all-female band, playing at festivals all over the UK (including a headline set at Glastonbury and sets at Isle of Wight, HebCelt, Larmer Tree and Car Fest), toured across the US & Canada, supporting Hall & Oates on their UK arena tour and played shows in Japan and China.

Kathy Mattea's "Acoustic Living Room" with Bill Cooley

Sunday, October 31, 2021 at 7:30 PM at Bull Run

Grammy Award winning singer Kathy Mattea and her longtime collaborator, guitarist Bill Cooley, have shared one of Nashville's most musically rich partnerships for over two decades. The duo meet as old friends, welcoming you into their "Acoustic Living Room" to share songs and stories near and dear to their hearts - including Kathy's beloved classics such as "Where've You Been?," for which she won her first Grammy for "Best Female Country Vocal Performance," "18 Wheels and a Dozen Roses," "455 Rocket" and many other hits, plus a handful of more eclectic and often requested tunes from her extensive catalogue, and a sprinkling of brand new material, all reinterpreted for the duo format.

Long known as an impeccable songcatcher, her 18 albums are woven through with bluegrass, gospel and Celtic influences, and have garnered multiple CMA, ACM, and Grammy Awards. A genuine storyteller, Kathy draws inspiration from her Appalachian roots and is a torchbearer for often overlooked musical legacies like those of Hazel Dickens and Jean Ritchie. Her most recent album, "Calling Me Home," is a collection of songs that celebrate the Appalachian culture of her native West Virginia and expands the vocabulary of acoustic roots music that has always served as her artistic center.

Most artists take fewer and fewer risks as they get older, but Kathy Mattea is a striking exception. During her radio-ruling days in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, Kathy charted mainstream country hits, with 16 of them reaching the top ten. These days, she sings with the perspective of an Appalachian whose career took her elsewhere, which is what makes her as contemporary as she is traditional.

Joanne Shaw Taylor

with JD Simo

Thursday, October 7, 2021 at 8:00 PM at Bull Run

Joanne Shaw Taylor

Six albums in, Joanne Shaw Taylor has nothing to prove, but plenty to say. Reckless Heart, the follow-up to 2016’s Top 20 hit, Wild, finds the British blues musician in glorious form and a mischievous mood, one minute bearing her claws with catty lyrics, the next deliriously in love. In several senses, it’s an album of firsts - the first made in Joanne’s adopted home town of Detroit, the first produced by her close friend Al Sutton (Greta Van Fleet, Kid Rock), the first largely recorded live and the first to feature an unplugged solo performance and, by chance, a passing train. But it’s also an album that pulls the past in to the present. The good-time grooves of vintage British blues-rock are given a modern makeover, while Joanne’s most powerful, yet intimate vocals to date take their cue from the gritty soul greats (Aretha, Tina, Mavis Staples) she was raised on.

Guitarist Joe Bonamassa has described Joanne Shaw Taylor as a "superstar in waiting” in the blues/rock world.  Her fiery guitar chops, powerful voice and a natural gift for songwriting has helped propel an impressive touring career, with sellouts across the UK and Europe and an ever growing worldwide fanbase.  In 2002, while only 16, she was tapped by The Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart for his supergroup D.U.P., and artists such as  Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi of Tedeschi Trucks Band and blues legend John Mayall have marveled at her talents.   

Watch for extensive US touring throughout 2020 featuring cuts from her May 2019 album release on Sony Music/Silvertone, Reckless Heart, which was recently nominated in the Best Blues Rock Album category for the 2020 Blues Music Awards in Memphis on May 7.

JD Simo

Upon the release of his latest album in March 2019, Guitar World raved that JD Simo took “another step toward establishing himself as a contemporary blues rock giant”.  Simo melds classic electric blues, the power of heralded British trios like Cream and the expansive sonic explorations of jazz and even The Grateful Dead into a vintage vibe that blurs the lines between genre and generations. His remarkable talent has earned Simo opportunities to share the big stage with many notable headliners including Big Head Todd, Tommy Emmaunel, Blackberry Smoke and Phil Lesh & Friends.  NPR said “This Nashville blues trio sounds as if it comes to us straight from 1968.” And Rolling Stone lauded, “J.D. Simo spins soulful psychedelic blues rock with an improvisational bent reminiscent of the Grateful Dead and Stevie Ray Vaughan”.  

New album coming in June of 2020 produced by Eddie Spears (Brandi Carlisle, Star Is Born soundtrack, Lake Street Dive, Judah & the Lion and Anderson East among others).

Sean Kelly and The Samples

Friday. September 24, 2021 at 8:00 PM at Bull Run

25 years after starting his full-fledged music career with The Samples, Sean Kelly continues to delight fans with music that transcends genres, age and shatters the rules of the established music industry. Best known for his high voice, unique guitar playing and songwriting (“Nature”, “Feel Us Shaking”, “Did You Ever Look So Nice”), Sean has been the driving influence of 20 albums and over one million records sold.

Sean started playing guitar at age 16 listening to Neil Young, Rolling Stones and Jackson Browne. Those influences mixed with his own poignant and timeless lyrics, a unique and striking voice and a mind for melodies led to songs like “Little Silver Ring” and “Wild River.” For many fans, these aren’t new songs or old songs, but anthems to their lives that represent the first time they met their wife or the joys of their times at college.

The Samples are more than a band – they represent a culture of fans and music that go beyond who happens to be playing in the band at any given time. There have been many members of The Samples, but Sean Kelly has been the consistent factor throughout all of the changes. Their 20th album “Indian Summer” came out last summer and proves, once again, that there is still a lot of music in store from Sean Kelly and The Samples.

The Outlaws

Thursday, September 23, 2021 at 7:30 PM at Bull Run

For The Outlaws, it was always about the music. For 40 years, the Southern Rock legends celebrated triumphs, endured tragedies and survived legal nightmares to remain one of the most influential and best-loved bands of the genre. Now they return with new music, new focus and an uncompromising new mission: It’s about a band of brothers bound together by history, harmony and the road. It’s about a group that respects its own legacy while refusing to be defined by its past. But most of all, it’s about pride.
"It’s About Pride" is the new album from The Outlaws, a record 4 years in the making and perhaps 20 or more in the waiting. And for original Outlaws singer/songwriter/guitarist Henry Paul, it’s a hard-fought revival whose success can be measured in old fans and new music. “Because The Outlaws have been out of the public eye for so long, it’s almost like starting over,” he explains. “But because of the band’s history, we’re seeing this as a new chapter. We’ve written and recorded this album on our own terms, and we’re out to make a significant impression. What our fans loved then they still love now, but most of all, they recognize the heart & soul of what it is we still do.” For co-founding drummer/songwriter Monte Yoho, the journey is both bittersweet and jubilant. “I still think about the friends we made when we first came into this industry, how we struggled to define this thing that became known as ‘Southern Rock’,” Yoho says. “This new album embodies all the things we shared musically and personally, as well as the relationships we have with our fans to this day. It’s about where we’ve been, where we’re going, and why we still love to do this.”
Formed in Tampa in 1972, The Outlaws – known for their triple-guitar rock attack and three-part country harmonies – became one of the first acts signed by Clive Davis (at the urging of Ronnie Van Zant) to his then-fledgling Arista Records. The band’s first three albums "The Outlaws," "Lady In Waiting" and "Hurry Sundown" – featuring such rock radio favorites as “There Goes Another Love Song”, “Green Grass & High Tides”, “Knoxville Girl” and “Freeborn Man” – would become worldwide gold and platinum landmarks of the Southern Rock era. Known as ‘The Florida Guitar Army’ by their fans, The Outlaws earned a formidable reputation as an incendiary live act touring with friends The Allman Brothers, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Marshall Tucker Band and The Charlie Daniels Band as well as The Doobie Brothers, The Who, Eagles and The Rolling Stones.

For Henry Paul, Monte Yoho, Billy Crain, Chris Anderson, Dave Robbins and Randy Threet it’s about a band of brothers who love playing their own style of rock, and who 40 years ago first got the chance to take it from Florida to the world.

Carbon Leaf

Thursday, September 9, 2021 at 8:00 PM at Bull Run

For 25 years, 17 albums and 2500 live shows, Carbon Leaf’s independent spirit continues to resonate with it’s fans, young and old. Their songs of life, love, hope, heartbreak and landscape are independently written, recorded and produced from the band’s own studio in Richmond, VA.

Pulling from folk, Americana, roots and rock traditions, the Virginia quintet’s lively sound features vocal harmony, acoustic & electric guitars, mandolin, fiddle, bass, drums, cello, banjo, penny whistle, pedal steel, accordion and whatever else can be placed onto the stage. 

The Virginia-based quintet rose out of Randolph-Macon College where, in 1992, the band met and began playing at college parties and fraternities. A move to Richmond, followed by heavy regional touring, saw the five piece coming into their own and developing a devoted fanbase. At the time, Richmond was a fertile music scene, also giving rise to like-minded acoustic rock acts like the Dave Matthews Band, Agents of Good Roots and the Pat McGee Band, helping to nurture the band to greater artistic heights. By 2001 they had released four records independently and had a radio hit with their single “The Boxer.” The success of that single sparked interest in record labels, and in 2004, they recorded Indian Summer, released on Vanguard Records to great acclaim. Tunes like “Life Less Ordinary” and “What About Everything” found regular rotation on AAA radio stations around the country.

The band stayed with Vanguard for six years, releasing several albums and continuing to tour the country, sharing the stage with acoustic rock juggernauts like The Dave Matthews Band, O.A.R., David Gray, and Great Big Sea among many others. But by 2010, the band had decided to try the independent route again, cutting ties with Vanguard. Along with recording new studio albums (Ghost Dragon Attacks Castle, Constellation Prize), the band has re-recorded two of their earlier albums (Indian Summer & Love, Loss, Hope, Repeat) to expose a new generation of fans to their classic songs of the early 90’s.

The group’s current project is a 4-part series called Gathering, and centers on life and death; love and loss; heartbreak, loneliness and landscape and, ultimately, the need for community, gathering and human connection.

The Quebe Sisters

When The Quebe Sisters from Texas take the stage, and the triple-threat fiddle champions start playing and singing in multi-part close harmony, audiences are transfixed, and then blown away. It’s partly because the trio’s vocal and instrumental performances are authentic all-Americana, all the time. With over fifteen years of touring to date, The Quebe (ryhmes with maybe) Sisters have delivered their authentic triple fiddle and three-part harmony sound to the concert halls and festivals of North America, Europe, and Russia. And not surprisingly, they win standing ovations at just about every show. It’s been that way since 2000, when they started fiddling together as pre-teens.

The Quebes’ evolution from the whiz-kid Western swing fiddlers they were back then to the smokin’-hot young adult Americana band they are today is a remarkable story. Along with headlining their own shows to ever-growing audiences, they’ve shared stages with American music legends like Willie Nelson, George Strait, Merle Haggard, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Ray Price, Connie Smith, Marty Stuart, Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers, Ray Benson and Asleep at the Wheel, Riders in the Sky and many others.

Today, after more than a decade of travelling the U.S. and the world, and recording three acclaimed albums, Grace, Sophia and Hulda Quebe are pros in a variety of genres, and count many famous musicians among their biggest boosters. Their unbridled passion for American music, along with talent, skills and a lot of hard work, have taken them far beyond their wildest early aspirations.

“One thing is for sure, you don’t see a group like The Quebe Sisters come along every day,” famed Opry announcer Eddie Stubbs told listeners on his own show on Nashville’s WSM. “Give them your undivided attention, and if you’re not already, you too, will become a fan.”

Peter Yarrow

TBA at 8:00 PM at Bull Run

Rescheduled from original date of April 24.

Peter Yarrow’s talents as a creative artist - both with Peter, Paul and Mary and as a solo performer - are frequently directed at using music to convey a message of humanity and caring. On stage, he turns every venue into a living room, encouraging audience members to change their part of the world. His gift for songwriting has produced some of the most moving songs from the legendary trio, including “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” “Day is Done," “Light One Candle” and “The Great Mandala.”

As a member of P, P & M, Yarrow has earned multiple gold and platinum albums, as well as numerous Grammys. His life and work – culminating in the founding and leadership of Operation Respect with its “Don’t Laugh At Me” initiative – is based on his passionate belief that music, with its power to build community and catalyze change, can be a particularly powerful organizing tool.

“Yes, it will be nostalgic for many. But on another level, it will bring them a sense of what is still possible. Yes, they will sing ‘Leaving on a Jet Plane,’ and I will give them a sense of the current history of what this music is doing, and why it’s important. So it will be a history lesson, it will be a singalong that inspires, but it will also assert the importance of the continuation of this kind of music in people’s lives today… And they’ll get it. I know it, ’cause that’s what I do.” – Peter Yarrow

The Bull Run is honored and thrilled to bring Peter Yarrow back for a night of storytelling and great music, spreading his message of peace and love for over 50 years, and standing like a rock through the changing currents of our crazy times.

OPENER: Mustard's Retreat - "Music to cure what ails you." Libby Glover and David Tamulevich witty, insightful, fun, and profound, as well as accomplished songwriters and musician (guitars, dulcimer, electric bass, mandolin, harmonica, pennywhistle). In addition to being raconteurs and storytellers, they will give you things to laugh about for days to come and remember for years.

The Garcia Project

TBA at 7:30 PM at Bull Run

Performing classic Jerry Garcia Band shows from the 70s, 80s & 90s.

The Garcia Project performances are based on actual set lists performed by The Jerry Garcia Band from the 1970’s to the 1990’s. For anyone that never had a chance to experience them or for fans that want to relive a classic show, The Garcia Project delivers the goods. With precise arrangements and the proper instrumentation and feel for any and all given eras, they faithfully channel and project the feelings, emotions and music that propelled the JB Band and fans through many years of musical bliss. It’s about family, soul searching, rejoicing, contemplating, celebrating, seeking truth and loving one another.

Get your tickets now and get ready to experience the greatest classic Jerry Garcia Band show setlist recreations!

"The Garcia Project was on point with the whole experience and it didn't seem like a cover band more like a mirrored band...they are just as real as the Jerry Garcia Band. " – Buffalo FM Review

"The Garcia Project’s attention to detail on intonation and performance structure does set them apart as an authority on Jerry Garcia." – NYSMUSIC

“If you close your eyes, you’ll swear you are at a Jerry Garcia Band show.” – ecoLocal Magazine

"it was hard to tell that it wasn’t Jerry signing on “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”” – NYSMUSIC

“In order for a tribute band to be successful, fans need to look at them as the authority on the artist they are emulating. The Garcia Project pulls it off effortlessly. Go see them live ...The Garcia Project is the whole package.” – Upstate Live
Mik Bondy (Guitar & Vocals), Kat Walkerson (Vocals), Dan Crea (Bass), Freeman White (Keys) & Bobby Belanger (Drums).

Los Lobos

Thursday, March 5, 2020 at 8:00 PM at Bull Run

More than 3 decades have passed since Los Lobos released their debut album, "Just Another Band from East L.A." Since then they’ve repeatedly disproven that title - Los Lobos isn’t “just another” anything, but rather a band that has consistently evolved artistically while never losing sight of their humble roots. These triple-Grammy winners have been influenced by rock and roll, Tex-Mex, country, folk, R&B, blues, brown-eyed soul and traditional Spanish and Mexican music such as cumbia, boleros and norteños. Get ready to dance to "Don’t Worry Baby," "The Road to Gila Bend," "Will the Wolf Survive?," "Maricela" and, wait for it, "La Bamba" plus many, many more great songs.

Los Lobos were already East L.A. neighborhood legends, Sunset Strip regulars and a Grammy Award winning band (Best Mexican-American/Tejano Music Performance) by the time they recorded their major label debut "How Will The Wolf Survive?" in 1984. And though the album’s name and title song were inspired by a National Geographic article about real life wolves in the wild, the band, David Hidalgo, Louie Perez, Cesar Rosas, Conrad Lozano and Steve Berlin, saw parallels with their struggle to gain mainstream rock success while maintaining their Mexican roots. Perez, the band’s drummer, once called their powerhouse musical mix “the soundtrack of the barrio.”

Three decades, two more Grammys, a worldwide smash single (“La Bamba”) and thousands of rollicking performances across the globe later, Los Lobos is surviving quite well, and still jamming with the same raw intensity as they had when they began in that garage in 1973. Their last album, "Gates of Gold" got rave reviews and pushed the Los Lobos legend further onward. And they just released their first-ever Christmas album, "Llego Navidad," which breaks the holiday-album mold by shining a light on regional classics from across the Spanish-speaking world. After researching nearly 150 possible song selections, the album’s eleven tracks include holiday songs from Veracruz to Panama to the Texas border, each reinvented in the band’s own inimitable style.

On their 40th anniversary, Rolling Stone magazine summed up that distinctive, diverse and spontaneous Los Lobos aesthetic perfectly: “This is what happens when five guys create a magical sound, then stick together for 40 years to see how far it can take them."

Rhett Miller

Friday, February 7, 2020 at 8:00 PM at Bull Run

“This has been a hell of a year,” Rhett Miller says. “I turned 48 in September and I’m still surprising myself.”

After more than two decades as founding member of the venerable Old 97’s and acclaimed singer–songwriter in his own right, Rhett Miller has crafted a trio of new projects that see him pushing his creative energies in hitherto untraveled directions. Among them are two utterly unique new albums – one solo, the other as part of Old 97’s – as well as his first ever book, a collection of subversive kids’ poems.

“The Messenger” Miller’s eighth solo album, is perhaps his most unflinchingly personal collection of songs to date. Recorded over five spring days at The Isokon in Woodstock, NY with producer/musician Sam Cohen (Kevin Morby, Benjamin Booker), The Messinger sees Miller playing it faster and looser than perhaps any other time in his quarter century career, instilling songs like the first single, “Total Disaster,” with a groovy limberness that belies the reflective darkness within. Backed by a white hot backing combo comprised of Cohen (Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Pedal Steel Guitar, Keys), Brian Betancourt (Bass), and Ray Rizzo (Drums), Miller worked quickly and with purpose, fast-tracking four or five “keepers” each day.

“I wanted this record to be less safe,” he says. “I wanted to put myself in the hands of a producer who was going to do things that I didn’t expect; I wanted to perform with people I didn’t know and be surprised by what they came up with. And all of that really came to pass. That’s what you’re getting with this record. You’re getting a locked-in rhythm section with a crazy, psychedelic guitar maestro playing along with me as I dig deep into these songs about depression and insecurity and modern life and somehow wanting to live despite all of it,” Miller chuckles.

Front Country

Thursday, February 6, 2020 at 8:00 PM at Bull Run

Since relocating from their native San Francisco Bay Area to Nashville last year, 
Front Country have grown by leaps and bounds, working the intersection between bluegrass and Americana. A lot of that is due to the ascendancy of front woman Melody Walker, a big-voiced belter whose blues-mama voice is versatile enough to put across everything from campfire folk songs to King Crimson covers. After winning best female vocalist in 2016’s International Bluegrass Music Association “Momentum Awards” for up-and-coming acts, Walker wrote eight of the 12 songs on Front Country’s current album, "Other Love Songs." With an IBMA nomination this year for the entire group (as best emerging artist) and successful tours as far away as England and even Tibet, Front Country’s trajectory seems solidly upward.

And although Front Country has a foundation in traditional music, they are creating their own path and sound with grace, poise, confidence and extreme skill. As you dig in, you might also hear moments that feel like the classic rock of Fleetwood Mac or the Police, as well as the modern country sounds of the Dixie Chicks or Chris Stapleton. They call it “roots pop" and its easy to agree with them. In fact you can''t deny the infusion of these two sounds. Front Country is anchored by the pure power and touch of Melody Walker''s lead vocal. She brings an attack that has a hint of effortless irreverence while revealing brutal honesty and vulnerability in both singing and songwriting. As exciting a band on stage as they are in the studio, Front Country stands strong and tall in today''s American roots music scene." 

The Weeklings

Saturday, February 1, 2020 at 8:00 PM at Bull Run

The Weeklings perform the music of The Beatles, 60's gems and original Beatles-inspired power pop with extraordinary passion and energy!

Fronted by Glen Burtnik, singer, songwriter, guitarist (known as a former member of STYX and for playing Paul McCartney in the original Beatlemania on Broadway), The Weeklings are America’s most unique celebration of the music and muse of The Beatles.

The band performs and records explosive renditions of Beatles classics, uniquely arranged Beatles nuggets such as "Paperback Writer," "Baby You're a Rich Man," “I Am the Walrus," 60’s classic remakes like The Easybeats 1966 garage rock hit “Friday On My Mind” plus brilliant Beatles-inspired power-pop originals, like “Little Elvis," "In the Moment," one of the Top Ten most popular songs in 2018 on Sirius/XM's Little Steven's Underground Garage and their newest, a great new Weeklings original composition, “I Want You Again”.

The Weeklings bring The Beatles to life through their extraordinary musicianship, exceptional vocals and charming stage presence. “They show their audiences what The Beatles were and what they might have been like today.”

The Weeklings are: Glen Burtnik aka "Lefty Weekling" (bass/vocals), Bob Burger aka "Zeek Weekling" (rhythm guitar/vocals), John Merjave aka "Rocky Weekling" (lead guitar/vocals) and Joe Bellia aka “Smokestack Weekling" (drums/vocals).

The band was nominated “best classic band and album” Asbury Music Awards 2015.

Dark Desert Eagles: #1 Eagles Tribute Band

Thursday, December 26, 2019 at 7:30 PM at 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!”

The Slambovian Circus of Dreams

Saturday, December 21, 2020 at 8:00 PM at 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.

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), and Felipe Torres (drums, percussion). They create a captivating vibe that feeds the soul.

"Simply one of the finest American bands out there..." - All Music Guide
"Casting a wide net, their music energizes anyone who hears it." - Relix Magazine
"Mightily impressive and hugely original... 'tis truly an epic soundtrack." - Maverick Magazine
"They took the stage by storm." - New York Times

Cherish the Ladies: A Celtic Christmas

Wednesday, December 18, 2019 at 7:30 PM 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

Tammy Pescatelli

Friday, December 13, 2019 at 8:00 PM at Bull Run

Comedian Tammy Pescatelli brings a bold, witty female voice to her audiences, and holds her own whether talking about sports, television, dating or family

“Tammy Pescatelli’s "Way After School Special" released this year, is a highly anticipated follow up to her award winning one hour Netflix (now Amazon Prime) special “Finding the Funny.” Most recently she appeared on The View, Guy’s Grocery Games: Comics Compete and is a frequent guest on The Howard Stern Show. She was chosen by Jenny McCarthy & Donnie Wahlberg to be a part of their "Dirty, Sexy, Funny" franchise that included an all-female slate of standup comedians on EPIX/ Hulu, a touring show and a pilot for A&E.

She is co- creator, writer, star and executive producer of her own reality show, "A Stand-Up Mother," on the WeTV Network and has appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, A&E's Donnie Loves Jenny, Bravo’s Rocco’s Dinner Party, CBS’s The Talk, & NBC’s Last Comic Standing: The Best of the Best. Tammy’s own Comedy Central Special won Comedy Central's Standup Showdown, and she was one of the Final 5 on NBC’s Last Comic Standing. A regular on USO Comedy tours, Tammy has entertained U.S. troops all over the world.

Carl Palmer’s ELP Legacy

Thursday, November 14, 2019 at 7:30 PM at The Bull Run

EMERSON LAKE & PALMER LIVES ON!

Carl Palmer celebrates the music of Keith Emerson, Greg Lake and ELP.

Rock legend Carl Palmer is one of the most highly regarded drummers of all time. His explosive technique, speedy hands, sheer power and indulgent, often showy tendencies place him in at the top of the drum pantheon alongside Rush's Neil Peart. Palmer will always be remembered as a founding member of Emerson, Lake, and Palmer (ELP), a band that was an exciting and daring progressive outfit consisting of a trio of young superstars: Palmer, bassist/vocalist Greg Lake (formerly of King Crimson) and keyboard wizard Keith Emerson (of the Nice). Some will remember that he has also pounded the skins in a number of outfits like The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Atomic Rooster and Asia (with whom he still performs).

The Carl Palmer Band is filled out by two young, virtuoso performers: bassist Simon Fitzpatrick and guitarist Paul Bielatowicz. Bielatowicz has amazing skills, recalling the young Eddie Van Halen, while Clayton lays down a steady rhythm for him dance around. Bielatowicz’s incredible fretwork helps to create a harder, more modern edge as the band, with the veteran Palmer’s relentless drumming at the fore, offers furious takes on some of ELP’s most progressive instrumental numbers.

Hear the greatest rock instrumental hits of ELP, completely re-invented for guitar, bass & drums. Critics have called this one "One of the most exciting live shows currently on tour.

Rolling Stone declares Carl Palmer one of the 10 Greatest Drummers of all time.
Progressive Music Awards, Carl Palmer given the Virtuoso award celebrating a career spanning more than 40 years.

Arguably the greatest drummer since Buddy Rich, Palmer is as good now as he ever was." - Daniel Knighton, San Diego Concerts Examiner

"...a drummer near the height of his powers, clearly in tune with the past and the present." - Ken Micallef, Modern Drummer

"Palmer has lost none of his steam or power... His drums drive the trio's powerful playing with the same energy he brought to ELP in the 1970s." - Howard Whitman, Classic Rock Revisted

Tusk: The Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute

Thursday, October 31, 2019 at 7:30 PM at Bull Run

Tusk is the number one Tribute to Fleetwood Mac in the world, bar none. 

No fancy tricks, no gimmicks, just five musicians recreating the music of Fleetwood Mac to perfection with note for note renditions that no other Fleetwood Mac tribute on the touring scene today can come close to duplicating.

Tusk covers all the great hits of Fleetwood Mac, which has featured the talents of Mick Fleetwood, Christine and John McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, Stevie Nicks and others over the years. The five seasoned, well-respected musicians comprising Tusk have been making music together in various combinations and styles, in original outfits and in cover bands, for over twenty-five years. It seemed only fitting that they should come together to form the Ultimate Fleetwood Mac Tribute, and pay homage to a group that dominated the charts during the band members’ formative years. Authentic-sounding and always respectful, Tusk leaves no stone unturned in replicating the sounds of one of the world’s best-loved, top-selling bands.

Amy Helm

Sunday, October 27, 2019 at 7:30 PM at The Bull Run

Amy Helm sought what she calls a “circular sound” for her new album. The 10 tracks of “This Too Shall Light,” released September 21, 2018 on Yep Roc Records, are marked by streaks of Americana, country, blues, and gospel, and the kinds of four-part harmonies that can burst open a melody and close the loop of an octave.

Produced by Grammy-winning producer and songwriter Joe Henry, This Too Shall Light comprises a diverse range of influences. Although a profound songwriter herself, Helm and Henry jointly arranged powerful new versions of songs including Rod Stewart’s “Mandolin Wind,” Allen Toussaint’s “Freedom for the Stallion,” and the Milk Carton Kids’ “Michigan.” The title track in particular, written by Hiss Golden Messenger’s MC Taylor and Josh Kaufman (Josh Ritter, Bob Weir, Craig Finn), is a brilliant summation of the record’s sound and spirit - a positive and proactive manipulation of the old adage that “This too shall pass.”

The daughter of The Band’s legendary drummer and singer Levon Helm and singer/songwriter Libby Titus, Helm began her musical career as a founding member of the alt-country collective Ollabelle and later served as a backing musician in her father's Midnight Ramble Band. While This Too Shall Light is only Helm’s second album under her own name, it serves as a comprehensive portrait covering her life's journeys and recoveries; They’re the stories that, no matter where they take her, seem to end and begin in the same place like a circle.

The Larry Carlton Quartet

Saturday, October 12, 2019 at 8:00 PM at The Bull Run

19-time Grammy nominee, 4-time Grammy winner and all-time guitar great, Larry Carlton has performed on more than 100 Gold or Platinum albums. He has played on a multitude of the best selling albums of the modern music era, like Steely Dan, Joni Mitchell, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson, Sammy Davis Jr., Herb Alpert, Quincy Jones, Bobby Bland, Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt and many, many more. His guitar solo on Steely Dan's “Kid Charlemagne” from the “Royal Scam” album was ranked by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the top three guitar solos of all time. Other notable session projects include Joni Mitchell's critically acclaimed "Court and Spark" album and Donald Fagen's "Nightfly album."

Over the course of his 3-decade career, he has performed with theCrusaders and multiplatinum jazz super group Fourplay. In 2008Guitar Player Magazine awarded him the Lifetime Achievement Award at the historic Ryman Auditorium. He was also presented the"Titan of Tone" award from Premier Guitar Magazine at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
In July, August and September 2009, Carlton joined Steely Dan as guest guitarist for six dates in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. Carlton reprised this role with another special guest guitarist appearance in Steely Dan's September 23, 2011 concert at New York's Beacon Theatre. In June 2010 Carlton released "Take Your Pick," an album made with Tak Matsumoto. This album won the 2011 Grammy for "Best Pop Instrumental Album", Carlton's 4th Grammy win.
His music credits for TV and films include Against All Odds, Who's the Boss, and the theme for Hill Street Blues.
Individual projects with Robben Ford, Keb Mo and Tak Matsumoto (largest rock star in S.E. Asia) are already completed or in their final stages of completion. Fans can be sure that Larry will continue to deliver great music that will inspire generations to come and live up to the quality that we have come to expect from him.

"It must have taken more than one lifetime of music to produce Larry Carlton, he is the sum and son of a long lineage, beyond time, and beyond rational explanations of dedication or practice, the work of his hands speaks grace and passion and timeless knowledge. Listen, learn and be profoundly moved." - Sting

"If Royal Scam is the definitive Steely Dan guitar album, then Larry Carlton is the reason why." - Walter Becker

Stanley Jordan Plays Jimi

Thursday, October 3, 2019 at 7:30 PM at The Bull Run

World-renowned guitarist Stanley Jordan has developed a new live show called "Stanley Plays Jimi." This is a tribute show, but it's not pure imitation. Stanley builds on Jimi's legacy in a creative way, "This is my fantasy Jimi Hendrixconcert if Jimi were still playing today. By re-imagining his music and channeling his persona I try to bring that fantasy to life."

It may be surprising that Stanley Jordan would take on a project like this. After all, Stanley is already a well-known guitarist with a signature style, four Grammy nominations, a cameo in a Blake Edwards film (Blind Date) and a host of TV appearances over a long career including Jimmy Fallon,David Letterman, Jay Leno and Johnny Carson. But Stanley says, "I feel a strong connection to Jimi because he was the first guitarist I emulated as a child. Out of love for Jimi and his music I feel a strong desire to try to keep his legacy alive."

Is it surprising that a rock legend like Hendrix would get so much love from a jazz legend like Jordan? Stanley says "I actually played rock and blues before I played jazz. In fact, Jimi's constant searching for new sounds inspired me to move toward jazz in the first place." Stanley's 1985 album "Magic Touch" was #1 on Billboard's jazz chart for 51 weeks, and Stanley has shared the stage or recorded with jazz artists such as Benny Carter, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis and Billy Cobham. But in recent years Stanley has performed with many artists in the rock and jam band worlds, including the Dave Matthews Band, Umphrey's McGee, Moe. and many others. "Returning to my rock roots has been an absolute joy artistically, and with this project I'm taking that to a new level."

Stanley steps onto the stage as the embodiment of Jimi Hendrix, so there is a theatrical element to the show. But this is not a comedic caricature nor is it a theatrical play - it's a concert built upon a sincere and heartfelt effort to recreate the jaw-dropping experience of witnessing Jimi Hendrix live while at the same time bringing his legacy up to date in a believable way. Wow! Tall order to fill, no? That's why you need a world-class artist of Stanley Jordan's caliber to pull it off.

"Stanley Plays Jimi" is a new project based on an old idea. "Back in 1971 at the age of eleven I was saddened to hear of Jimi's passing. I decided to try to continue his legacy, so I took up guitar. Of course my desire was to be an original artist in my own right, but the concept of a Hendrix tribute has been in my mind pretty much from the start. Now, in the year of the 50th anniversary of Jimi's historic Woodstock performance the time feels right to bring this idea to fruition."

Jimmie Vaughan

Monday, September 30, 2019 at 7:30 PM at The Bull Run

Jimmie Vaughan is far more than one of the greatest and most respected guitarists in the world of popular music. As Guitar Player Magazine notes, “He is a virtual deity – a living legend.” And when it comes to the blues today, there are a handful of guiding lights out there making sure the music stays true to its powerful source. Jimmie has dedicated his life to making sure the blues stays alive and remains an inspiration to all who listen. It's a spirit he has held close for over 50 years and he isn't about to stop now.

His new album, “Baby, Please Come Home,” is a rolling and righteous celebration of everything the blues can be. The songs can go up, down, sideways and even off in their own distinctive direction, but one thing is certain, each and every one of them is packed with pure feeling and striking originality. That's because while the blues is almost as old as America itself, every time a musician lends their soul to living inside these songs, something new comes out. There is a constant reinvention for musicians like Vaughan, because the blues demands it. There can be nothing less than a revelation, because that's how the music stays alive. It's almost like an alchemy exists, where instruments and voice join together to make a joyful noise. And above all else the blues, in the capable of hands of Vaughan and his musical cohorts, is a path to salvation. One that is birthed in the ability of songs to make life on earth a better place to be.

"Playing what you feel has always been my main goal," Vaughan says. Considering the Texas guitarist and singer has had the kind of career that makes him a living legacy, those are no idle words. After his worldwide success with the Fabulous Thunderbirds during the '80s, it came time to leave that band and build his own path in exploring different approaches to the blues. He did not hesitate. And what Vaughan discovered was that he could take it anywhere; there were no boundaries. "I wanted to find out what I could really do," he says, "and when I started singing it gave me a whole new side to explore. When I was young I didn't really pay much attention to categories of music. I just heard what I liked and decided to explore that. And that's really what I'm still doing."

In 1990, Jimmie had joined up with brother Stevie Ray to record "Family Style," an album that reflected their mutually deep musical roots and modern artistic sophistication. But in August, 1990, just a few weeks prior to the album’s release, Stevie Ray Vaughan died in a helicopter crash in Wisconsin. Jimmie was devastated and retreated from touring and recording, though he continued to play guitar every day. The success of "Family Style" further enhanced Jimmie’s reputation as a distinctive musical stylist, whose rich-toned exuberance has earned him the respect of many of the greats of contemporary music. He began showing up on albums like B.B. King and Eric Clapton’s "Riding With The King," Bob Dylan’s "Under The Red Sky," Willie Nelson’s "Milk Cow Blues," Carlos Santana’s "Havana Moon" and Don Henley’s "Inside Job." Buddy Guy once said: “He’s unbeatable when it comes to the blues. He just plays it like it’s supposed to be played.” And Stevie Ray, when people would compare his playing to that of his brother, would say there was really no contest. “I play probably 80 percent of what I can play. Jimmie plays one percent of what he knows. He can play anything.”

And yet Jimmie Vaughan remains modest when it comes to his life and work. “I’m just trying to have fun like everyone else,” he concludes. “I’ve been playing since I was 13. I play every day. I’ve never stopped. I can’t imagine that I could exist without it.”

Suzy Bogguss

Saturday, September 21, 2019 at 8:00 PM at The Bull Run

Grammy Award-winning and Platinum-selling artist Suzy Bogguss is one to chase the muse wherever it may lead. She has covered Country, Swing, Jazz, Folk, Americana and Roots music with style and grace. And she has one of the finest voices to grace the stage in a very long time! Chet Atkins said that Suzy has a voice that "sparkles like crystal." But it's not only her voice that makes her a crowd favorite. It's also her huge heart, which is always present at her shows, warming the audience to anything she might try. Fans and critics alike have admired Suzy’s vocal style, musicianship, and meaningful lyrics for decades. And after years in the spotlight, she remains one of the rare artists who has managed to walk the line between critical acclaim and commercial success.

During the creative explosion that was country music in the 1990s Suzy sold 4 millions records with sparkling radio hits like “Outbound Plane”, “Someday Soon”, “Letting Go” and “Drive South." Suzy’s 2015 album "Lucky" was a heartfelt homage to the songwriting of Merle Haggard. Some may recall she kicked off her career with 1989's "Somewhere Between," her debut album named after one of Haggard's early songs. With Lucky, Bogguss dove deeper into Haggard's catalog, taking care to hold on to that original vision of finding songs that resonated with her not just pulling out and recycling the hits. The result is a modern record with a classic vibe. Merle happily gave her the big thumbs and Suzy embarked on two years of non-stop touring in support of the album.

Rolling Stone magazine included her in The Top 48 Things We Saw at SXSW two consecutive years in a row. In Fall 2016 she released "Aces: Redux," to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the original release. The “redux” is a complete re-recording of her Platinum-selling album with fresh instrumentation and vocals to not only highlight the timelessness of the songs in this collection but also to highlight who she is as an artist today. The live performance - which includes her hits and choice material from her critically acclaimed albums - has been lauded by fans, critics and buyers as "a show not to miss!”

Suzy's appeal has never wavered and her fan base continues to grow with constant touring around the globe. Since 2017, Suzy has also been touring as one of three “Chicks With Hits”, a show that also features Pam Tillis and Terri Clark. She also performs yearly holiday shows in select markets with her band or trio.

"I think I learned what fans want, what really makes them happy, which is real simple. They just want people who sing to them genuinely. If you can do that, I think they're gonna give you all the love you need to keep you going." - Suzy Bogguss