NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Manhattan Records/ Back Porch Records) - The Subdudes will acknowledge the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina with their first new album of material since the disaster struck their original home base of New Orleans. STREET SYMPHONY (Manhattan*Back Porch Records) - featuring the first single "Poor Man's Paradise," already a hit at AAA radio - will be released August 28.
"It was another world," bassist/guitarist JIMMY MESSA recently told Chicago's Daily Southtown from a stop on their in-progress 50-city U.S. tour. "There were people walking around with guns, trees in the roads, boats stuck in the sides of houses." Optimistic about the future of his beloved hometown, MESSA and the band didn't take kindly to the response from Washington. "The people running our government are not too concerned with the people."
But STREET SYMPHONY isn't bitter. On the contrary, it conveys an inspired and hopeful message while showcasing the eclectic musical influences the subdudes have embraced since they first formed in New Orleans 20 years ago. A living encapsulation of American music, the subdudes continue to blend their infectious grooves with a bit of jazz, rock and soul thrown in.
"Poor Man's Paradise", an ode to current-day New Orleans, was written by the entire group - TIM COOK, bass and vocals; TOMMY MALONE, vocals, acoustic, electric, and slide guitars; JOHN MAGNIE, vocals, accordion, keyboards; JIMMY MESSA, bass and guitar; and STEVE AMEDEE, tambourine, drums, percussions, vocals - while recording the album "live" in-studio with producer George Massenburg (Earth, Wind & Fire, Little Feat, Linda Ronstadt).
And, while the band didn't necessarily set out to write songs about a hurricane, they did feel strongly that no one should forget the city, the people and their continuing struggle. As the Illinois Entertainer noted in a recent article, "The Subdudes are practically ebullient on the dozen tracks, tellingly kicking things off with "Fountain of Youth ... It's not like once the city's back on her feet she'll be one large hurricane museum, eh? She's gonna wanna rock some."
The Subdudes have already hit the road in support of STREET SYMPHONY and have dates scheduled into November.
Thu 8/2 Silverton, OR Oregon Garden
Sat 8/4 Hailey, ID Northern Rockies Folk Festival
Fri 8/10 Louisville, CO Louisville Street Faire
Tue 8/14 Steamboat Springs, CO Strings In The Mountain Music Festival Park
Wed 8/15 Red Cliff, CO Mango's Mountain Grill
Thu 8/16 Fruita, CO Colorado River State Park
Sat 8/18 Fort Collins, CO New West Fest
Wed 8/29 Denver, CO Denver Botanic Gardens
Thu 8/30 Boulder, CO Chautauqua Auditorium
Sun 9/2 Pagosa Springs, CO Four Corners Folk Festival
Fri 9/7 Nashville, TN 3rd and Lindsley
Sat 9/8 Covington, KY Madison Theatre
Mon 9/10 Ann Arbor, MI Ark
Tue 9/11 Ann Arbor, MI Ark
Wed 9/12 Indianapolis, IN Music Mill
Thu 9/20 Fort Worth, TX Bass Performance Hall
Fri 9/21 Austin, TX Antone's Home of the Blues
Sat 9/22 Marble Falls, TX Lorraine's
Sun 9/23 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
Thu 9/27 Lafayette, LA Grant St. Dance Hall
Sat 9/29 Flat Rock, NC Flat Rock Music Festival
Tue 10/2 Seattle, WA Triple Door
Wed 10/3 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
Fri 10/5 Sebastopol, CA Sebastopol Community Center
Sat 10/6 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord
Mon 10/8 Santa Cruz, CA Moe's Alley
Tue 10/9 Santa Cruz, CA Moe's Alley
Thu 10/11 Los Angeles, CA Safari Sam's
Fri 10/12 San Juan Capistrano, CA Coach House
Sat 10/13 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up
Fri 10/26 Kansas City, MO Knuckleheads Saloon
Sat 10/27 Salina, KS Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts
Wed 10/31 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Cafe
Thu 11/1 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
Sat 11/3 Chicago, IL House of Blues
Thu 11/8 Falls Church, VA State Theatre
Fri 11/9 Philadelphia, PA World Cafe Live
Sat 11/10 Albany, NY The Egg
Tue 11/13 Boston, MA Sculler's Jazz Club
Wed 11/14 Northampton, MA Iron Horse Music Hall
Thu 11/15 New York, NY Highline Ballroom
Fri 11/16 New York, NY B.B. King Blues Club
Sat 11/17 Rutland, VT Paramount Center
