For nearly six decades, the three-time Grammy Award winning Nitty Gritty Dirt Band has entertained audiences with their top shelf musicianship and timeless hits ‘Mr. Bojangles,’ ‘Fishin’ In The Dark,’ ‘An American Dream,’ and many more.
The time has come for the band who has carried a torch for American country and roots music to say so long to the highways and byways they’ve crossed an unimaginable number of times throughout their career. ‘All The Good Times’ perfectly describes our career, said the band in a statement this week. ‘Playing our music for Dirt Band fans all over the world has been an incredible experience for us. The most important part of that has been the connection to our audience that beautiful communal give and take is like nothing else. That’s the very spirit we’ll be celebrating as we head into our farewell tour. We really look forward to seeing you folks. Good times will be had by all!’
Anticipated cast members Ryan Stiles , Greg Proops , Jeff B. Davis , and Joel Murray will leave you gasping with the very witty scenes they invent before your eyes. Audience participation is key to the show so bring your suggestions and you might be asked to join the cast onstage! WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? showcases some of the improv games made famous on the long-running TV show as well as some exciting new ones.
All ages are welcomed, but please note that some “PG -13” language will be used during the performance.
The nominees are in, and the competition is fierce. This year, RuPaul’s Drag Race Werq the World is taking you behind the velvet ropes of the most exclusive awards show in herstory. Get ready to walk the red carpet hosted by Jimbo as Joan Rivers. Plus sickening performances by Derrick Barry as Britney Spears, Jaida Essence Hall as Beyoncé, Naomi Smalls as Mariah Carey, Marina Summers as Ariana Grande, Morphine as Shakira, and surprise guests including finalists from Season 17 on the most important night of the year for the art of Drag. Presented by Voss Events in collaboration with World of Wonder and MTV. Line-up subject to change.
Tommy Emmanuel’s fans are in love with his unbound talent as a guitarist of multitudes, his ability to play three parts at once, always with pure heart and real soul.
The inspiration for Tommy was his hero, Chet Atkins. Eventually Tommy met Chet who welcomed him into guitarist knighthood by bestowing upon him the coveted title of CGP (Certified Guitar Player), an honour awarded only to four other humans ever. From sold out shows all over the world to multiple Grammy nominations, ARIA Awards, IBMA Awards, and countless “Best Acoustic Guitarist” wins in numerous music magazine readers polls…. the world is taking notice.
In 1988, Cowboy Junkies proved that there was an audience waiting for something quiet, beautiful and reflective. The Trinity Session was like a whisper that cut through the noise — and it was compelling. It stood out in the midst of the flash and bombast that came to define the late 80’s. The now classic recording combined folk, blues and rock in a way that had never been heard before and went on to sell more than a million copies.
Cowboy Junkies released a new album, Such Ferocious Beauty, in June 2023 via Latent Recordings. It is the band’s first release of new material in five years and follows their heralded 2022 collection of covers, Songs of the Recollection. Such Ferocious Beauty is vintage Cowboy Junkies and another dimension from the lo-fi Canadian band comprised of siblings Margo, Michael and Peter Timmins and lifelong friend Alan Anton. Such Ferocious Beauty is a rumination on aging, losing parents, facing mortality and creating space for one’s life in the midst of the ruin that comes from merely living.
Formed in Toronto in 1985 with siblings Michael Timmins on guitar, Margo Timmins on vocals, Peter Timmins on drums, and Michael’s lifelong friend Alan Anton on bass, the band has sparkled over the course of 26 albums. “I’ve known Alan longer than I’ve known Pete,” says Michael. “We were friends before Pete was born.”
Unlike most long-lasting groups, Cowboy Junkies have never had a breakup or taken a sanity-saving hiatus. There’s an appreciation of each other that keeps them constantly working. “It’s that intimacy and understanding of what each one of us brings to the table,” says Michael.
For more than 20 years, Cowboy Junkies have remained true to their unique artistic vision and to the introspective, quiet intensity that is their musical signature, creating a critically acclaimed body of original work that has endeared them to an audience unwavering in its loyalty. Albums like The Caution Horses (1990), Black Eyed Man (1992), Pale Sun, Crescent Moon (1993), Lay It Down (1996) and more recently, Open (2001), One Soul Now (2004), Early 21st Century Blues (2005) and At the End of Paths Taken (2007) chronicle a creative journey reflecting the independent road the band has elected to travel.
Dark Matter Album Artwork: light painting art by Alexandr Gnezdilov
“‘Gigaton’ surprised many fans and critics with how hard-rocking it was. The new one (‘Dark Matter’) goes even harder.”- Associated Press
“(Dark Matter)…tailor-made for chanting and fist-pumping.” – SPIN
SEATTLE – Pearl Jam will release their twelfth studio album, Dark Matter, on Monkeywrench Records/Republic Records on April 19, 2024 and launch a 35-date worldwide tour this May. The album’s title track is available now HERE. Produced by multi-GRAMMY® award winning producer Andrew Watt, Dark Matter, marks the band’s first release since critically-acclaimed Gigaton (2020).
In 2023, the members of Pearl Jam—Eddie Vedder [vocals], Jeff Ament [bass], Stone Gossard [rhythm guitar], Mike McCready [lead guitar], and Matt Cameron [drums]—retreated to Shangri-La Studios in Malibu where they simply plugged in and played with producer Andrew Watt at the helm.
The musicians faced one another in the same space and communicated sonically at the highest level. Writing and recording in a burst of inspiration, Dark Matter was born in just three weeks.
As a result, Dark Matter channels the shared spirit of a group of lifelong creative confidants and brothers in one room playing as if their very lives depended on it. All of the blood, sweat, tears, and energy of a storied career felt renewed and poured into this one body of work.
The band members personally previewed the record with a listening party at the iconic Troubadour in West Hollywood during GRAMMY® week:
Vedder said: “I’m getting chills, because I have good memories. We’re still looking for ways to communicate. We’re at this time in our lives when you could do it or you could not do it, but we still care about putting something out there that is meaningful and we hopefully think is our best work. No hyperbole, I think this is our best work.”
Ament added, “What Ed said about getting us in a room at this point, we felt like we were about to make a really important record. A lot of that had to do with the atmosphere Andrew set up. He has encyclopedic knowledge of our history, not only as a band and how we wrote songs, but as players. He could pinpoint things we did on old songs to the point where I was like, ‘What the fuck is he talking about?’ His excitement was contagious. He’s a force. I just want to say thanks for keeping us on track. I couldn’t be prouder of us as a band. I feel so grateful for the fans, but mostly for my brothers and these people I’ve made music with.”
The band is celebrating indie record stores with the release of a special edition of Dark Matter on April 20. Only at participating stores as part of Record Store Day. Get more information and find stores at www.recordstoreday.com
Dark Matter album packaging features light painting art by Alexandr Gnezdilov. Light painting is an artistic form of photography where images are created by adjusting a camera’s exposure for an extended period and using a light source, such as a flashlight, to “paint” in the dark. The album cover art was crafted using a large self-made kaleidoscope. Each letter visible on the cover was individually captured and handwritten midair with a specially designed flashlight to create the pearlescent effect. See more info on Alexandr Gnezdilov below.
Photo Credit: Danny Clinch
Dark Matter Tracklist
Scared of Fear
React, Respond
Wreckage
Dark Matter
Won’t Tell
Upper Hand
Waiting for Stevie
Running
Something Special
Got to Give
Setting Sun
Dark Matter World Tour 2024
In support of Dark Matter, Pearl Jam will head out on a world tour this year, marking the first time the band has announced a new album and tour simultaneously and first time the group has unveiled all worldwide tour dates at once. Their global tour, hitting nine countries and 25 cities, kicks off at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, British Columbia, and will cover much of North America including shows at Wrigley Field, Madison Square Garden, Fenway Park, and their first hometown performance in six years at Seattle’s Climate Pledge Arena, the world’s first net zero certified arena.
The tour continues with performances in the UK and Europe, including their first performance at London’s brand new and state-of-the-art Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, through September, followed by the group’s long-awaited ten-year return to New Zealand and Australia this November. Full routing below.
The tour will use all-in pricing across all North America, Europe and UK shows to ensure the ticket price listed is the full out-of-pocket price inclusive of fees.
For fans in North America who can’t use their tickets, Pearl Jam and Ticketmaster will offer a Fan-to-Fan Face Value Ticket Exchange beginning at a later date to give fans the best chance to buy tickets at face value. To help protect the Exchange, Pearl Jam has also chosen to make tickets for this tour mobile only and restricted from transfer. This applies to all shows except those in Illinois and New York where non-transferability is prohibited by law. You must have a valid bank account or debit card within the country of the event(s) in order to sell through the Fan-to-Fan Face Value Ticket Exchange.
Dark Matter World Tour Dates:
Date City Venue
May 04 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
May 06 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
May 10 Portland, OR Moda Center
May 13 Sacramento, CA Golden 1 Center
May 16 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
May 18 Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena
May 21 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum
May 22 Los Angeles, CA Kia Forum
May 25** Napa Valley, CA BottleRock Festival
May 28 Seattle, WA Climate Pledge Arena
May 30 Seattle, WA Climate Pledge Arena
Jun 22 Dublin, IE Marlay Park
Jun 25 Manchester, UK Manchester Co-Op Arena
Jun 29 London, UK Tottenham Hotspur Stadium
Jul 02 Berlin, DE Waldbühne
Jul 03 Berlin, DE Waldbühne
Jul 06 Barcelona, ES Palau Sant Jordi
Jul 08 Barcelona, ES Palau Sant Jordi
Jul 11** Madrid, SE Mad Cool Festival
Jul 13** Lisbon, PT NOS Alive Festival
Aug 22 Missoula, MT Washington-Grizzly Stadium
Aug 26* Indianapolis, IN Ruoff Music Center
Aug 29 Chicago, IL Wrigley Field
Aug 31 Chicago, IL Wrigley Field
Sep 03 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Sep 04 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
Sep 07 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Sep 09 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Sep 12 Baltimore, MD CFG Bank Arena
Sep 15 Boston, MA Fenway Park
Sep 17 Boston, MA Fenway Park
Nov 08 Auckland, NZ Go Media Stadium Mt Smart
Nov 13 Gold Coast, AU Heritage Bank Stadium
Nov 16 Melbourne, AU Marvel Stadium
Nov 21 Sydney, AU Giants Stadium
* Rescheduled date from 2022
** Festival dates are already on sale
“Dark Matter” Single Artwork
About Pearl Jam
Pearl Jam is an alternative rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1990. The band’s lineup consists of bassist Jeff Ament, rhythm guitarist Stone Gossard, lead guitarist Mike McCready, lead singer/guitarist Eddie Vedder and drummer Matt Cameron. Thirty plus years of live performances, twelve studio albums and hundreds of official live concert bootleg releases later, Pearl Jam continues to be critically acclaimed and commercially successful. The band has sold over 85 million albums worldwide and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.
Since the earliest days, Pearl Jam has used its platform to elevate people and causes that often go unnoticed or underserved. Much of the band’s philanthropic work is accomplished through its Vitalogy Foundation which to date has raised more than $50 million for organizations supporting issues such as abortion access, climate change and homelessness, and drawing attention to the fight against diseases such as Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis and epidermolysis bullosa (EB). In addition to the money Vitalogy donates, the band also donates signed instruments, posters and merchandise to organizations to use for their own fundraising purposes. Compounding the impact of Vitalogy Foundation, the band has supported Jeff Ament’s Montana Pool Service building skate parks in Montana and South Dakota. Pearl Jam also lends its voice to notable causes like the West Memphis 3, voting rights and fair ticketing practices. Over the past three decades, the band has a long history of standing up for what it believes in and putting its resources behind those beliefs.
Through its innovative Ten Club and fan engagement, community building, coveted poster designs, and longstanding activism and philanthropy, Pearl Jam continues to have a lasting impact on generations of music lovers.
About Andrew Watt
The name Andrew Watt in recent years has become synonymous with one very true phrase: the music industry’s not-so-secret weapon. Since 2015, the multi-GRAMMY-winning and platinum-selling music producer has been a hit-making machine, having collaborated with some of the last decade’s most exciting, and ground-breaking artists, including including Justin Bieber, Ozzy Osbourne, Cardi B., Post Malone, Dua Lipa, Metallica, Stevie Wonder, Miley Cyrus, Bruno Mars, Shawn Mendes, Elton John, Lana Del Rey, Mick Jagger, Brandi Carlile, Paul McCartney, Smokey Robinson and Lady Gaga, to name a few.
In 2021, Watt took home his first GRAMMY Award for “Producer of the Year” at the 63rd annual GRAMMY Awards for his work on Ozzy Osbourne’s Ordinary Man, Miley Cyrus’ Plastic Hearts, both of which he executive-produced, Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, which took home the GRAMMY that year for Best Pop Vocal Album, and Post Malone’s Hollywood’s Bleeding, which was nominated for Album of the Year. The following year saw Watt produce the widely publicized and critically acclaimed Elton John and Britney Spears collaboration “Hold Me Closer,” the entirety of Eddie Vedder’s solo release Earthling, and Ozzy Osbourne’s GRAMMY Award winning Patient Number 9, which earned Watt his second GRAMMY win for “Best Metal Album” at the 65th GRAMMY Awards. 2023 was also a stellar year for Watt, kicking off the top of the year with the release of Iggy Pop’s long-awaited 19th studio album, Every Loser, released via an exclusive partnership between Atlantic Records and Watt’s own Gold Tooth Records. This past summer also saw a slew of high profile and record-breaking releases on which Watt is credited as co-writer and co-producer, including; The Kid LAROI’s single “Forever and Again” which was released as part of the Barbie movie soundtrack, and Jungkook’s “Seven,” which debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart and amassed a record-breaking 217.1 million streams and 269,000 downloads in just its first week of release. Watt ended the year with the release of “Hackney Diamonds,” The Rolling Stones’ first album of original music in 18 years, which was fully produced by Watt. The album’s lead single “Angry” earned Watt a GRAMMY Nomination for “Best Rock Song” for his work co-writing and producing the track.
About Alexandr Gnezdilov
Alexandr Gnezdilov created the light photography art for the cover of Pearl Jam’s Dark Matter single and album along with the featured lettering. His work is also utilized throughout the Dark Matter campaign. His interest in photography began at an early age in Moldova where he spent his childhood before expanding to explore long exposure and light painting techniques after moving to Germany in 2001.
Alexandr created the cover of Dark Matter using a large self made kaleidoscope with each letter visible on the cover individually captured, handwritten midair with a specially designed flashlight to create the pearlescent effect. His artwork has been featured in multiple exhibitions including collaborations with the State Theatre of Nuremberg and has been licensed for the past decade for articles, news and commercials.
Gnezdilov lives in Nuremberg, Germany with his wife and two sons and works primarily as a software engineer. When not working, Alexandr’s other passions include music and he recently released his debut album Space Wire with his band “Pulsar Clock.”
The current cast members of the Emmy-nominated TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway? are proud to present their new improv tour: WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY?
WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? is 90 minutes of hilarious improvised comedy and song all based on audience suggestions. Cast members Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis, and Joel Murray will leave you gasping with the very witty scenes they invent before your eyes. Audience participation is key to the show so bring your suggestions and you might be asked to join the cast onstage! WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? showcases some of the improv games made famous on the long-running TV show as well as some exciting new ones, featuring musical direction by Laura Hall.
All ages are welcomed, but please note that some “PG-13” language will be used during the performance.
Coming off a dynamic 2023, which saw the release of his acclaimed collaboration album ACCOMPLICE TWO, a Grammy award, and a “Lifetime Achievement” Award from The National GUITAR Museum, TOMMY EMMANUEL is spending 2024 where he brilliantly shines—on the stage—with his infectious guitar virtuosity and charismatic personality.
It’s one thing to play multi-dimensional arrangements flawlessly on an acoustic guitar. But to do it with that smile of the ages, that evidence of authentic, unbridled delight, is an irresistibly infectious invitation to feel his music as deeply as he does. “The joy,” he says, “is there always because I’m chasing it through music. Seeing the surprise in people’s eyes is worth living and working for. I can’t help but play to the people with all my heart, which is overflowing with the joy of being in that moment that I’ve worked all my life for. And here it is!”
That authentic exuberance Tommy brings to every show and every record is especially powerful, given the profound deficit of real joy in so many lives. Tommy’s happiness, like his music, is pure and expressed in real time. Nothing is phony. It’s a quality that does reach far beyond any one language, and it’s instantly understood by all his fellow humans. It’s the reason he smiles so much while playing and why his audience does as well. As many have said, it’s hard not to be happy at his shows. Because his joy and the timeless river of inspiration, which is the source, is universally recognized. And it feels good.
And now it’s time to experience Tommy Emmanuel up close and live!
with Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis and Joel Murray
January 18, 2024, 8pm: Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver, BC | Get tickets
January 19, 2024, 8pm: Royal Theatre, Victoria, BC. | Get tickets
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Who is WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY?
The current cast members of the Emmy-nominated TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway? are proud to present their new improv tour: WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY?
WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? is 90 minutes of hilarious improvised comedy and song all based on audience suggestions. Cast members Ryan Stiles, Greg Proops, Jeff B. Davis, and Joel Murray will leave you gasping with the very witty scenes they invent before your eyes. Audience participation is key to the show so bring your suggestions and you might be asked to join the cast onstage! WHOSE LIVE ANYWAY? showcases some of the improv games made famous on the long-running TV show as well as some exciting new ones, featuring musical direction by Bob Derkach.
All ages are welcomed, but please note that some “PG-13” language will be used during the performance.
Many veteran bands trade on nostalgia, on replication of past glories, and on recycled emotions from younger, more carefree days.
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band trades on a mix of reimagined classics and compelling newer works. The group formed in 1966 as a Long Beach, California jug band, scored its first charting single in 1967, and embarked on a self-propelled ride through folk, country, rock ‘n’ roll, pop, blue- grass, and the amalgam now known as “Americana.” The first major hit came in 1971 with the epic “Mr. Bojangles,” which, along with insistent support from banjo master Earl Scruggs, opened doors in Nashville. Behind those doors were Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff, Doc Watson, Mother Maybelle Carter, Jimmy Martin, and others who would collaborate on a multi-artist, multi-generational, three-disc 1972 masterpiece: Will the Circle Be Unbroken went triple Platinum, spawned two later volumes, and wound up in the Grammy Hall of Fame.
Was this a cutting-edge combo or a group of revivalists? Was the goal rebellion or musical piety? Yes, to all these things. In the 1980s, the Dirt Band reeled off 15 straight Top 10 country hits, including chart-toppers “Long Hard Road (The Sharecropper’s Dream),” “Modern Day Romance,” and “Fishin’ in the Dark (co-written by Jim Photoglo, who would join the band in the second decade of the new century). 1989 brought a second Circle album, this one featuring singer-songwriter talents including John Prine, Rosanne Cash, and John Hiatt and garnering two Grammy awards for the band (it later won another, for a collaboration with Earl Scruggs and other fine folks). Circle II also won the Country Music Association’s Album of the Year prize. Circle III was released in 2003, featuring collaborations with Johnny Cash, Dwight Yoakam, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, and more.
Throughout the group’s lifetime, personnel has changed, with each change resulting in positive steps forward, new ways of playing the old songs, and renewed enthusiasm for writing and recording fresh material. The latest Dirt Band lineup is expanded to six members for the first time since 1968. Today’s group consists of founding member Jeff Hanna, harp master Jimmie Fadden (who joined in 1966), and soulful-voiced Bob Carpenter, who has more than 40 years of service in the ensemble. Those veterans are now joined by singer-songwriter-bass man Jim Photoglo, fiddle and mandolin wizard Ross Holmes, and Hanna’s son, the preternaturally talented singer and guitarist Jaime Hanna.
Blood harmony, thrilling instrumental flights, undeniable stage chemistry … these things are part of each Dirt Band show, just as they are part of Dirt Does Dylan, the first recording from the reconfigured, six-strong group. Produced by Ray Kennedy and Jeff Hanna, it’s a remarkable ride through some of the most impactful songs of the past century, penned by Bob Dylan and taken for a blue highway spin by a great American band, with help from genius-level contemporary artists like Jason Isbell and The War and Treaty.
A Dirt Band show is unlike any other. For legions of fans, it’s less about the memories than the moment, crisp as an Autumn apple and rich as a royal flush.
