New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Revered guitarist/vocalist, JD Simo, has shared "Boom Boom, Out Go The Lights", premiering the track exclusively on Guitar Player. The single pays tribute to fellow Chicagoan,
Little Walter, and is the opening track on JD's upcoming album, OFF AT 11, due out March 1, 2019.
JD is currently on a national US tour, and when the tour hit NYC, JD and his band made a stop at Paste Magazine's New York headquarters where he and his band, Andraleia Buch on Bass and Adam Abrashoff on drums, played soul blasting versions of tracks from OFF AT 11, as well as cover songs, including "Get By With a
Little Help From My Friends" that nod to JD's influences.
The next leg of the tour brings JD and band to
Europe opening for Tommy Emmanuel and then returning to the United States in April to open for the Allman Betts Band on their inaugural tour. Many new Allman Betts Band dates are announced today, including multiple stops through the midwest as well as Texas, Arizona.
JD and cohorts have gained a solid fan following from touring and opening for bands such as Blackberry Smoke, The
Gregg Allman band, Warren Haynes, Tommy Emmanuel and others. They have also held spots at Bonnaroo, Warren Hayne's Christmas Jam and Mountain Jam since the formation of the band in 2010.
The Chicago-born, Nashville-based recording artist channels classic sounds from acid rock, traditional blues, folk, soul, to free form jazz, reinvigorating them into a kaleidoscope of sound for a new generation of music lovers. NPR declares, "Simo sounds as if it comes to us straight from 1968."
OFF AT 11 consists of 8 tracks that are laid out on the record like a musical journey through gifted guitar playing and singing, incredible rhythm section arrangements and lyrics that convey that "all the feels" momentum. One can almost touch the ghosts of the brilliant, wounded masters of the blues who have shaped and guided JD's art and craft. Simo's brand of blues is like the surge of sound from a classic car, say a Chevy V-8. It starts with a roar, then a rumble. Then a low, throaty hum. The explosion of the gas in the cylinders are like emotional triggers - liberating, visceral. Intense.
The recording of this rocking, blues driven, electric tour de force took place over a three day period in the summer of 2018; "Our next summer of love," says Simo. Recorded during a brief break in touring, including Simo's first shows as a guest of Phil Lesh and Friends, he and his band laid down these musically dense and inspiring tracks in a "groovy space" to lay down something authentic, filled with fun and no edits, no tricks. "Just honesty and a tape machine" he explains. Simo continues, "There's an underlying theme of LOVE that permeates the album. Both outward love but also inner and self-love. These days, everything is so heavy, but I just want to point out some joy, love and deep passion; in this world, we all share that spirit. OFF AT 11 does that."
Upcoming Tour Dates:
Feb 22, 2019 Columbia, SC @ New Brookland Tavern
Feb 23, 2019 Wilmington, NC @ Satellite
Feb 24, 2019 Charleston, SC @ Pour House
Feb 26, 2019 Richmond, VA @ Tin Pan
Feb 28, 2019 Lexington, KY @ The Burl
Mar 1, 2019 Bowling Green, KY @ Spillway Bar & Grill
Mar 2, 2019 Knoxville, TN @ Barley's
With The Allman Betts Band
Apr 26, 2019 New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues (Jazzfest)
Apr 27, 2019 North
Little Rock, AR @ Pulaski Community College PAC
Apr 29, 2019 Kansas City, MO @ Knuckleheads
Apr 30, 2019 Iowa City, IA @ Englert Theater
May 1, 2019 Bloomington, IL @ Castle Theater
May 3, 2019 Memphis, TN @ Graceland Stage
May 6, 2019 Oklahoma City, OK @ Tower Theater
May 8, 2019 Lincoln, NE @Bourbon Theater
May 9, 2019 Salina, KS @ Stiefel Theatre
May 10, 2019 Dallas, TX @ Kessler Theater
May 11, 2019 Houston, TX @ Heights Theater
May 12, 2019 Austin, TX @ Mohawk
May 14, 2019 Lubbock, TX @ Cactus Theater
May 16, 2019 Tucson, AZ @ Fox Theater
May 17, 2019 Flagstaff, AZ @ Orpheum Theater
May 19, 2019 Chandler, AZ @ Chandler Center for the Arts
