Photos by Adam Coulter Johnson

By Brent Thompson

You could call Maggie Rose’s musical style soul, pop and country and you’d be correct. In a recording career that spans more than a decade, the Nashville-based singer has proved adept at melding several genres into her own unique sound. Her latest album, Have a Seat – produced by Alabama Shakes’ Ben Tanner and set for release on August 20 – finds Rose leaning heavily into her soul side. This is most fitting given that Have a Seat was recorded at hallowed FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals. On Thursday, August 12, Rose will perform at Saturn. Recently, she spoke with us by phone from her Memphis tour stop.

Southern Stages: Maggie, thanks for your time. We are looking forward to the Birmingham show. When did the tour begin?

Maggie Rose: We started on June 15 in Annapolis, Md. – the Have a Seat tour was kicked off there. It’s been really fun.

Southern Stages: Are you seeing any new parts of the country on this tour?

Rose: I have pretty much criss-crossed this country as much as one can do it [laughs]. The only state I haven’t been to is Alaska. Hopefully, someone will invite us to perform in Alaska sometime soon.

Southern Stages: Being an Alabama-based publication, we are excited that Have a Seat was recorded in Muscle Shoals.

Rose: It made it very special for me, too.

Southern Stages: If you will, talk about about the decision to record at FAME Studios.

Rose: Ben Tanner definitely accelerated my interest in recording there, but I was at an event that Halley Phillips – Sam Phillips’ granddaughter – put together called Music Row to Muscle Shoals around December 2018. I had gone to FAME before to write, but I didn’t understand the sanctity of that room. You can feel the energy in the room and it was nice to get a little distance between me and Music Row, where I’d recorded all of my previous projects. It’s analog – it’s not bells and whistles and things that make you go down a rabbit hole. You just make great soul music there.

Southern Stages: How did you first connect with Ben?

Rose: I was introduced to Ben Tanner through my publisher and he knows the Muscle Shoals sound and FAME Studios so well. He’s such a great producer and plays with the Alabama Shakes, of course. He was able to help me – in addition to the musicians from Them Vibes, who I tour with – put together this really eclectic band. David Hood was part of it, [former Bonnie Raitt guitarist] Will McFarlane, Zac Cockrell from the Shakes played bass on a bunch of tracks and we had people from Brittany Howard’s band. It was this awesome collection of people young and old – some of them super established in their careers and some of them just getting to play in that room for the first time. The energy was kinetic – you could feel how excited everyone was to be there and it was such a collaborative effort. It was a magical memory to make before we all went into the lockdown. It just made me appreciate the songs even more because I knew what a special experience it was and I was grateful we got achieve it.

Southern Stages: You are based in Nashville these days. Where are you from originally?

Rose: Originally, I grew up in Maryland – right outside of D.C. – and I’ve lived in Nashville for over 13 years now.

Southern Stages: Are the songs on Have a Seat mostly newer compositions, songs that had been around for a while or a combination of both?

Rose: All of the songs for this record were written within a six-month period. Once the seed was sown that I would cut my record at FAME, I think subconsciously I went into my writing and collaborations knowing that I wanted to incorporate that soul and R&B that you hear from so much of the music that has come out of that room. There is a lot of political contention that inspired the themes of these songs – I wanted to write about inclusivity and communication, but also being an individual and making room for everybody. So all of the themes written into these songs became even more relevant to me when we were all put in this pressure cooker of the pandemic and polarizing rhetoric. It felt like these songs evolved in meaning because of everything we went through and it influenced the sequencing of the album.

Southern Stages: Obviously, everyone took their lumps throughout Covid. But I can’t imagine the upheaval that artists endured with no travel, loss of touring income and no audience interaction. Frankly, I was expecting to hear more tragic stories like the one we heard about Justin Townes Earle.

Rose: Yes, and the Justin Townes Earle situation was devastating and I know a lot of people that didn’t make it who were in proximity to the artists. It really humbles you and you realize it’s so much bigger than the individual – it takes a village to do what we do. To give the music away, you need the audience in front of you. The venues that we love have staffs that aren’t going to have any work. It just makes you realize that everything we’re doing is part of something way bigger than us.

Southern Stages: How do you feel about today’s musical climate in the age of Spotify, Youtube, social media platforms and other outlets?

Rose: I think there are pros and cons for that level of accessibility. How much is too much? You want to keep some level of separation between your daily life and what you’re doing in your art form. When everything locked down, having that avenue to stay connected with people and give them some regularity in a time of such ambiguity – like doing a stream every Friday – was something you could count on. It felt like a gift. I was also forced to connect with people through social media that I hadn’t ever done before. I started this podcast called Salute the Songbird where I interview all these women in the industry that I love – some of them are legends like Nancy Wilson and other people are artists that I want more people to know about. I don’t know that I would’ve really forced myself to listen if all of this hadn’t transpired. I think it was about being quiet and being a conduit for these conversations and not being the subject of them. It goes hand-in-hand with this album and what the songs are about, too. Let people speak their minds and show them love, even if you don’t agree with everything they say. That’s what we should be doing for each other.

Southern Stages: Thanks again for your time today. In closing, is there anything specifically you want us to know prior to the Saturn show on August 12?

Rose: The band I tour with, Them Vibes, also has their own awesome original material and they do a set before I do. And Dylan Hartigan opens up the show – we met him when were out with Kelly Clarkson. He jumps up for a song and he’s just phenomenal. We’re a big family rolling down the road in this bus and it’s three-stop shopping.

Maggie Rose will perform at Saturn on Thursday, August 12. Them Vibes and Dylan Hartigan will open the 8 p.m. show. Advance tickets are $15 and can be purchased at www.saturnbirmingham.com.

By Brent Thompson

Few, if any, artists had the career momentum of bluesman Christone “Kingfish” Ingram when Covid-19 abruptly derailed the live music industry. Like fellow young torch-bearer and roots artist Billy Strings, Ingram rang in traditional sounds for a new generation of listeners with his Grammy-nominated 2019 debut, Kingfish. Now, Covid is hopefully subsiding, Ingram is older (albeit only 22) and he has endured the passing of his mother. His new release, 662 [Alligator Records], is a mature and cohesive effort that retains the energy of his debut album. Straight-on blues tracks (“662,” “She Calls Me Kingfish”) sit alongside soul (“Another Life Goes By”) and jazz-tinged (“That’s All It Takes”) numbers across the album’s 14 tracks. Tom Hambridge (Buddy Guy, Joe Bonamassa, George Thorogood) again handles Ingram’s production duties and the pair make a good team. Ingram is older, world-wiser and now has an expanded catalog of songs. His upside is endless and we are glad to be along for the ride.

www.christonekingfishingram.com

 

By Brent Thompson

On Friday night, Oak Mountain Amphitheatre came alive thanks to Phish and its legion of followers that filled the venue. The show – originally scheduled for 2020 – emitted an energy that was further heightened due to the delay that artists and live music lovers have endured throughout Covid. Playing two sets plus an encore, the band’s setlist included “Back On The Train,” “Ghost,” “Harry Hood” and “Gumbo.”

 

By Adam Coulter Johnson

This Must Be The Place…

It’s hard to put into words how nice it was to hear live music again. This particular Incident has been in the making for over a year. A quick step back in time for just one story…

The original plan was to head up to the mountains for a weekend. We would enjoy some SCI in Dillon and then roll over to Red Rocks. I had big plans to propose during the space between shows. Spoiler alert – that trip didn’t happen.

“Howdy friends! We’re gonna settle in for a few days and try to enjoy this as much as we can.”

When String Cheese greeted us like this, we knew we were in for a good run.

The 2021 Incident on the Rocks opened with a 16 minute “Shine” that helped to reconnect the band and the community. It wasn’t long before we all started to get our sea legs again.

The first night continued to roll on with a fun “Boo Boo’s Pik-A-Nik” into “Can’t Stop Now.” And just like that, the entire amphitheatre was dancing out of control. 

The entire first night seemed full of metaphors for the hell that was 2020. “Restless Wind,” “Round the Wheel” and “Beautiful” played together nicely to close out the first set. 

The energy was climbing at this point and showed no signs of stopping. Bill greeted us to start the second set with some encouraging words of affirmation reminding us that we need not take this for granted.

Second set opened with a soft melodic tone to welcome everyone back to the show. Kang’s violin started playing over the funky bass groove to get us all dancing to “Hi Ho No Show.”

A favorite moment from the entire weekend followed when Keith, Jason and Michael started the melody for “This Must Be The Place.” Being able to dance with my wife to our song, listening to Cheese play it live at Red Rocks – you can’t put that emotion into words. I will hold onto that moment until my heart stops.

The positive vibe kept soaring to new heights when they played into “Heads Up Jam.”

The other major highlight from the second set came when Bill shared with us a tune that he wrote, “Good Times Around the Bend.” He told us this song helped him a lot through this past year. You could sense from the Cheese family that he’s not alone on this one either.

The night finished out on a very upbeat, fun dance vibe with “Joyful Sound,” “Rumble,” “Black and White” and the second set closed with the always favorite “Texas.”

The encore followed with the dance theme and they shut the night down with an 11-minute strong “Colliding.”

Night two would pick up right where we left off. Set one was coming in hot with “Sirens>Believe” to kick us off. Kim Dawson would come out to help with “Misty Mountain Hop” to end the first set. Set two had a surprise for us early when we were treated to Peter Anspach from Goose sitting in on keys for “Jellyfish.”

Technically, we got two sets and an encore on night two. The encore was solid enough it could be considered a third set. Kim Dawson joined the guys on stage once again. Jason Hand paid tribute to Biz Markie and had us all singing “Oh baby you, got what I need…” 

All of Red Rocks was moving with such energy you would think the night was just getting started. SCI would wrap up night two with Kim and Murray’s favorite, “Colorado Bluebird Sky.”

Never miss a Sunday Show…

This statement has never been more appropriate. Sunday got off to a fun start with “Lonesome Fiddle Blues” to get everybody up and moving right away. 

The first set really started to open up when they played “45th of November.” This kept rolling into “Born on the Wrong Planet” into “Mouna Bowa.” One song seamlessly into the next and before you know it we are all grooving to a quintessential SCI tune, “Miss Brown’s Teahouse.”

The place was filled with a sort of bittersweet energy as the weekend headed into the final set of music. The final set for the weekend didn’t slow down and made sure to leave all of hearts full and spirits high. Opening with “All We Got” and cruising straight on into “Vertigo” and then into “Bumpin’ Reel.” Then we all head into the night, dancing with our crew and taking it all in and everyone is singing along to “Get Tight.” The final push for the run came at us with “Come As You Are” into a tribal-like drums into the “Rhythm Of The Road.” Closing out the final set was a song Kyle wrote about the impact of live music on him – specifically the Grateful Dead – “The Big Reveal.”

The final crescendo would come almost without warning. Each night getting better as the show went on, each encore proving to be more energetic than the previous – and the final encore would follow suit: “I Know You Rider “into “Stir It Up” and back into “I Know You Rider.”

String Cheese Incident never disappoints. The community, the music, the energy…always comes through and things just have a funny way of falling into place. This Incident was no different. Let’s not take this for granted.

SCI will be out on the road August 6-7 at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California. You can also join them in Runaway Bay, Jamaica for the International Incidents January 21-25 and 26-30.

https://www.stringcheeseincident.com/

By Brent Thompson

In a recording career spanning more than 25 years, Sister Hazel has stayed the course and remained relevant in an industry of ever-changing styles and trends. Dubbed as one of the “Top Most Influential Performers of the Last 15 Years” by Performing Songwriter Magazine, the band has amassed an enormous fan base while being involved in charitable endeavors along the way. On Sunday, June 20, Sister Hazel will perform at Euphonious at the Birmingham Zoo. Recently, bassist Jett Beres spoke with us by phone from his South Florida home.

Birmingham Stages: Jett, thanks for your time. It’s almost impossible to interview any touring musician without asking what the past year has been like and how you kept your sanity through the Covid storm.

Jett Beres: We did some stuff over the lockdown year. We did some drive-in shows and we did some live streams and were eventually able to being in a small audience. We kept as busy as we could, but we’re a touring band and we’re used to being on the road 100 days a year. Starting with Memorial Day weekend, things are off to the races and I’m seeing our schedule looking pretty booked – it feels great. And I’ve got to tell you, my wife is happy about that too [laughs].

Birmingham Stages: I’m pleasantly relieved that I haven’t heard many tragic stories about musicians given the drought in travel and loss of income for such a lengthy period of time.

Beres: That’s an interesting point. I can speak from our perspective and our friends in other bands and you also have to think about the crews. A band like us has residual income, but crews live on the road and that’s their whole deal. Just in our little sphere, we saw a lot of struggling. Between the band and who we work with directly, there was a real sense of community and being there for each other. We felt that support from our fans in lockdown and I imagine most artists did – that’s what kept us alive. Although we’ve chosen to live this out-of-the-norm kind of life, it also creates some resiliency. After being together for 25 or 30 years, there is a newfound gratitude for each other, the music and our fans.

Birmingham Stages: We are looking forward to the Birmingham show. As you know, Birmingham has supported Sister Hazel from the very beginning and there is still great enthusiasm for your band here.

Beres: The calendar pops up and there are certain places where you say, “Alright!” Birmingham is always one of them.

Birmingham Stages: With band members residing in Florida, Georgia and Washington D.C., are there challenges to being geographically spread out?

Beres: We really kind of work out everything on the road. Being off the road, we recorded a song, “When Love Takes Hold,” and we recorded it all remotely from our hometowns and made a little video from it where we’re all in our home studios making the song. That was a first for us – we found that we could build a track with everybody in their own houses.

Birmingham Stages: With a large catalog of material now at your disposal, how does your band construct set lists these days?

Beres: We have about six to eight songs that we kind of have to play and we do about a 16-song set. The other eight to ten usually consist of a couple of new ones to get them out there and some old stuff including deep tracks. We also do one or two self-indulgent ones [laughs].

Birmingham Stages: How do you view the musical climate in the age of Spotify, Youtube, satellite radio and other modern outlets? What are the pros and cons of the current model?

Beres: That’s a good question and could probably be a whole hour-long conversation. We’ve put out a cassette tape [laughs] – can you imagine what we’ve seen in our career? CDs are really coasters and when your car starts coming without CD players you’re like, “I guess things are changing.” So it changes the structure and you don’t sell records like you used to sell records. I have embraced it and I like the fact that our fans all over can access the music. The biggest problem that I see is the attention span because of how the platforms are and how people are easily ingesting their music. My son’s in a band – my fan base will still buy stuff and put headphones on; his [fans] are going to watch it from the phone. He’s about to make a record and I’m thinking, “How in the hell are we going to market to his fan base that basically is tuning out after 30 seconds?” So that’s where it becomes challenging and I hope it doesn’t degrade the art in the process.

Birmingham Stages: Your band has literally played some of its songs thousands of times by now. How do those songs stay fresh and relevant to you after all the years?

Beres: There are certain songs we play the same out of respect for the song and the listener, but enough of our set changes and we build in moments of improvisation. What keeps it fresh are the fresh faces every night that you’re playing to and that are singing along. It’s the feedback you get from the venue.

Sister Hazel will perform at Euphonious at the Birmingham Zoo on Sunday, June 20. For more information, please visit www.sisterhazel.com or www.euphonious.ai.

By Brent Thompson

A cemetery may be an unlikely rehearsal space, but Pine Hill Cemetery proved to be the place where Jamie Barrier and his fellow musicians would hone the sound of The Pine Hill Haints. Taking its name from both the location and an archaic English term for “haunting,” the band melds roots influences into a unique sound that befits its self-described “Alabama Ghost Country” style of music. On May 14, the band will release The Song Companion of a Lonestar Cowboy [Single Lock Records]. Recently, we caught up with Barrier by phone.

Birmingham Stages: Jamie, thanks for your time. Where is your home base these days?

Jamie Barrier: You could say Florence or Muscle Shoals. I  live about 30 or 40 minutes north of the Tennessee River – I live in Tennessee right on the line. It’s where my family has been since 1814 or 1815.

Birmingham Stages: It’s hard to interview any artist without bringing up the past year. How did you spend your time since touring wasn’t an option?

Barrier: I did a lot of skateboarding and I did a lot of surfing. I live out in the woods so, COVID or not, I’m always writing and playing. I live so far from another human being – at times it was like it only existed on the news. I had COVID but may case wasn’t so bad.

Birmingham Stages: We are enjoying The Song Companion of a Lonestar Cowboy. Were the songs on this album newer compositions, older compositions or a mixture of both?

Barrier: You know, it’s both. I’m always writing and I don’t know if that’s good or bad. The songs may not be good, but I’ve never had a problem writing. We play a lot of shows and [songs] get played a million times before we ever record them. For example, “Back to Alabama” – I remember rehearsing that with an accordion player back around 2008 or 2009. There are a lot of songs that I’ll just forget about and they’ll go unused and that’s what that one was. We played a show in Pensacola about four years ago and a boy came to the gig – there a lot of people that bootleg us – and he said, “Hey man, I bootlegged a show years back and I can’t find this on any of your records. Do you have a title for it?” and I was like, “I forgot all about that song” [laughs]. There you have it – I put it on the new record.

Birmingham Stages: The ability to woodshed songs before you record them sounds like a great way to refine them before going into the studio.

Barrier: It is. You can tell from the reactions if they have any merit or not. With our instrumentation, there’s only so much you can do without sounding monotonous so it’s good to play a lot and get things as unique and individual as you can. It’s a fun challenge.

Birmingham Stages: How do you reconcile the pros and cons of the current musical climate in the age of iTunes, Youtube, satellite radio and other modern outlets?

Barrier: There a lot of people glued to the phone and there are advantages to be taken from it. I’m negative as far as all that stuff goes. I like to get out and play and go camping and travel and play music. Anything that’s driving people like cattle where they can be marketed and owned – I instantly get my hackles raised. Being from Alabama, we get accused of being these mountain and survivor types, so I feel resistance to the way the world is going. Everything I’ve learned has been out on the trail – I’ll see a band and friends will say, “Wait until you get to Michigan and see this band.”

Birmingham Stages: According to your bio, you grew up in a musical household. If you will, talk about the influence that had on you.

Barrier: I never knew them, but several years ago there was a band called The Barrier Brothers and they would play the Grand Ole Opry and they were known all around the Tennessee Valley. I always heard about them and I’m kin to Hank Williams and Johnny Horton. So when I was a kid that was always around. The first time I heard Black Sabbath, I was all in on it. My brothers play music and my uncle plays music and I was raised in the church so music has always been a heavy part of my life. I’ve always been told that Heaven is music.

Birmingham Stages: You mentioned the styles you were exposed to in your youth – country, gospel and hard rock – and all of those influences can be heard in your songs.

Barrier: You play in these big cities and you got San Francisco and play with a folk or bluegrass group and it is so good. What they’re doing is so pure, but in Alabama you have to be a jack of all trades. You’ve got to know your Skynyrd and you’ve got to know your hip-hop and Sabbath and your fiddle tunes. I feel like when you’re from somewhere with a lot more people, people are very selective. But if you’re where we’re from, you’ve got to know how to do some plumbing and change the oil. Musically, it’s the same. I like it that way.

Birmingham Stages: I know that every region of the country has great music, but I’ve always felt so privileged to come from the South. The fact that Nashville, Memphis, New Orleans and the Mississippi Delta are all within easy driving distance is still amazing to me.

Barrier: The ace up our sleeve is the religious element – the shadow of the Cross. Everybody in our area was either forced here from slavery or prison camps or they were seeking some type of religious freedom. We have a weird mix of God and the devil in this area that you may not have in the rest of the country. Everything here is about life after death. Soul music comes from the grave and the Second Line in New Orleans – that jazz music comes from the grave and rejoicing while you follow that coffin. That’s a special thing we have in the South.

Birmingham Stages: What are your band’s plans in the coming weeks and months?

Barrier: I’m trying to be patient. A year ago, we had 14 gigs in Japan, a 21-date tour in Europe and two tours out West. We had to cancel every one of them. Last April, we hit the hard lockdown and in my primitive mind I thought we’d sit tight for two weeks and it would all blow over. I kept constantly trying to set things up but they weren’t going to happen. I’m finally just letting them come to me. I want go west this summer so bad, but I’m going to try not to force it.

The Pine Hill Haints will release The Song Companion of a Lonestar Cowboy on Friday, May 14. For more information, visit www.thepinehillhaints.com.

By Brent Thompson

Nashville is beset with talented singer/songwriters and Country artists, but SWEETTALKER is adding another quiver to the arrows of Music City. The quintet – founded by Ryan Pattengale and David Brown – offers an updated take on Pop and Psychedelia a-la ELO, The Beatles, Queen and Pink Floyd. The band’s new EP, Paradise, reveals a group that reveres its influences but is not beholden to them. Produced by Matt Goldman (Underoath, Casting Crowns) and recorded in numerous locations, Paradise accomplishes the difficult task of sounding fresh and familiar at the same time. The studio pairing of the band with Goldman results in a sonically-satisfying experience  that is icing on the cake of songs like “Tomorrow” and “Goodbye.” Bottom line – SWEETTALKER gives us even more reason to seek out live music once the cloud of COVID-19 lifts.

By Tommy Terrell

 

Todd Rundgren has never been one to sit still or accept whatever current technology or trends are in the mainstream.  Having already been a pioneer in computer/video technology and interactive media, Rundgren once again finds himself at the forefront of live performance in the age of COVID.

Rundgren will launch a virtual Clearly Human Tour on February 14^th, which will feature 25 performances geo-fenced and localized to different U.S. cities but performed from a single venue in Chicago.  Each show will be “designed” to the nuances of each city on the tour schedule, including local landmarks on a video wall as well as city-specific catering for the band and crew in order to create an accurate sense of place.  Single-ticket purchases will be limited to fans who live within each show’s metropolitan area, while others may purchase multi-show ticket bundles to watch virtually.    

Remote meet-and-greets with Rundgren will be available at every show, as will options to select from multiple camera angles.  A virtual audience will be displayed on several rows of video screens in front of the band, enabling them to “see” their audience as they perform.  A handful of tickets will be available to attend each show in person (socially distanced of course), in accordance with local COVID laws in Chicago at that time.

While the concept of this tour lends itself to the limitations of a social-distancing world, Rundgren actually conceived the idea several years ago as a solution to the challenges of reducing his own carbon footprint during the current conditions of climate change.

“My whole impetus for coming up with this started back when the climate was affecting travel, and I had changed the way I travel for touring to be much more based on flying than driving,” said Rundgren in a recent video press conference discussing the tour.  He originally envisioned himself and his band performing in one venue while a live audience watched via closed-circuit video from another venue in a different city.  “I thought maybe you could tour virtually – set up in one place and you could send the show out to another venue, so people would still have the rest of the experience… as if it was a live show.  Then the recent pandemic meant that the audience couldn’t go to the gig either, and that’s when it became totally virtual.”

Rundgren says that this tour will be more like a Broadway show than a traditional travelling roadshow, with a higher level attention to making the stage setup more appealing to the virtual audience.

“You build your set, and you don’t have to move everything every day – you can make everything more elaborate…as opposed to the concept of putting something together, tearing it down the next day, and then putting up again the day after that.”

The Clearly Human Tour will be performed by a 10-piece band, and will feature songs from his 1989 album, Nearly Human, as well as other selections spanning his decades-long career.  Rundgren was originally set to do a traditional tour this February, but those plans were put on hold last summer when it became clear that COVID restrictions would extend into 2021.  It was then that he decided to re-visit his idea of a virtual tour.  Since Nearly Human was an album that was recorded “live” in the studio with a full band (as well as the subsequent tour), he thought it might be a good idea to update that experience for a virtual audience.

“I wanted to do something that (typically) might not be practical to tour with but has some high production value.  A large band gives the audience something to look at, with the band interacting and responding to each other,” said Rundgren.  “Having fun is more important, especially in our current environment.”

Rundgren has maintained a cult following with his legions of diehard fans ever since his first hit album, Something/Anything, in 1972.  Todd took a left turn with the eccentric A Wizard, A True Star the following year, and has seemingly continued to zig whenever he was expected to zag, which is precisely why he has endeared himself to his loyal following.  

Rundgren has also made a career of being at the forefront of technology and creativity, including designing the first-ever graphics tablet for Apple in 1979; creating the first music video (“Time Heals”) to utilize state-of-the-art compositing of live action and computer graphics in 1981 (which was also the second video ever aired on MTV); creating an album entirely with his own voice in 1985 (appropriately titled A Cappella); recording the album 2^nd Wind at the Palace of Fine Arts Theatre in San Francisco in front of a live audience; offering the first commercial music downloads in 1992; re-inventing himself as “TR-I” (Todd Rundgren Interactive) in 1993; founding PatroNet, the first online direct artist subscription service in 1998; and producing the first full-length concert shot with multiple Virtual Reality 360º cameras in 2016.  

At 72 years-old, Todd Rundgren doesn’t appear to be slowing down, having released dozens of albums of his own and with his band, Utopia, as well as a bevy of album productions for other artists.  As mentioned earlier, he has yet another tour planned for later in the year, as well as a forthcoming new album entitled Space Force.  

The Clearly Human Tour begins on February 14^th with a show “in” Buffalo.  Rundgren‘s band for the Clearly Human Tour will feature Kasim Sulton (Bass), Prairie Prince (Drums), Eliot Lewis (Keys), Gil Assayas (Synth), Bruce McDaniel (Guitar), Bobby Strickland (Sax), Steven Stanley (Trombone), plus the erstwhile “Global Girls”: Michele Rundgren, Grace Yoo, and Ashlé Worrick (Background Vocals).

www.todd-rundgren.com

By Brent Thompson

You rarely use the words “Jimmy Buffett” and “deep cuts” in the same phrase, but it’s 2020 so all bets are off anyway. During the COVID hiatus, the Sultan of Sand asked his fans to submit lesser-known songs from his catalog that they wanted to hear and the response was overwhelming. The result is the 15-track Songs You Don’t Know By Heart [Mailboat Records], a play on his appropriately-titled, greatest hits album Songs You Know By Heart. Produced by Coral Reefer Mac McAnally – along with the help of Peter Mayer and Eric Darken – the collection finds Buffett re-creating songs that have stood the test of time even if they missed the Top 40. Tracks such as “Twelve Volt Man,” “Tin Cup Chalice,” “Little Miss Magic” and “The Captain and the Kid” are given a fresh coat of paint while maintaining their original integrity. A series of videos – produced by Buffett’s daughter, Delaney – accompanies the project for those seeking the full experience. If you’re not already a Buffett fan, this album likely won’t sway you to the land of margaritas, palm trees and Hawaiian shirts. But those in the fold will find Songs You Don’t Know By Heart to be a treasure trove of well-worn material.