NASHVILLE, TN. (Top40 Charts/ Lotos Nile Media) - Soul-stirring rocker Mike Farris releases Mike Farris SHOUT! LIVE, a collection of live recordings from the Sunday Night Shout series at the legendary Station Inn in Nashville.
Featuring the McCrary Sisters and the Roseland Rhythm Revue, Mike Farris SHOUT! LIVE captures the energy, power and emotional conviction that has become synonymous with a Mike Farris performance. The album will feature songs from four nights of recording during the fall of 2008 and will be released on both vinyl and CD on April 14th by INO/Columbia records.
The Sunday Night Shout series showcases Farris' passionate blend of soul, gospel, American folk, and rock, and it has become a wide-reaching platform for the testimony he preaches through his vibrant music. In his own words Farris says the mission of the Sunday Night Shout is "...To provide musical manna to the hearts, souls, and minds of the good people of Nashville and beyond...Our wish is for every person to leave us on Sundays to go back into the world feeling excited, delighted, and loved." The Sunday Night Shout has become a must-see event in Nashville and will take up residency once again at the iconic venue in March.
The selections on Mike Farris SHOUT! LIVE range from vulnerable and mournful to joyful and celebratory, full of struggles and ultimately healing. These intimate recordings feature powerhouse vocals and funky, solid grooves that pull you into the soulful environment of friendship and fellowship. As Farris says, "Church is the people, the music, a warm and comfortable place for humans to connect with each other and with God." The Sunday Night Shout series certainly epitomizes this redefined notion of church, which is undoubtedly why people from all walks of life and all religious backgrounds have found themselves caught up in the spirit and emotion of Farris' music and performance.
Like all great artists, Farris transcends boundaries. His career kicked into hyper-drive after a poignant rendition of "Green, Green Grass of Home" at the 2007 Porter Wagoner Tribute during the Americana Music Festival & Conference. In 2008, Farris was named the Americana Music Association's New/Emerging artist of the Year. Music luminaries including Buddy Miller and Marty Stuart are raving about Farris, the former hard rocking frontman for the Screamin' Cheetah Wheelies, and his music has been embraced by AAA radio, the Gospel Music Channel and the Americana format.
While continuing to blend his rock and folk roots, Farris also found himself drawn to ancient spirituals and sacred songs of old. Driven by his own life experiences, he wanted to capture the strife and struggle for peace that can only be found in what he calls, "Music with dirt on its feet and sweat on its back. Weathered by the elements. Music birthed into this world by the sound of our souls declaring this life for its own!" Combined with his electric stage performances, it is this distinctive and gut-wrenching sound that has turned Mike Farris into an artist with whom so many fans connect.
Farris' rousing and spiritual live shows have won over thousands of fans and his reputation as a force of positive energy continues to grow. Farris has again been invited to appear at the Strawberry Festival in Yellowstone National Park in May, as well as at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in June. This summer Farris will also perform at the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival for the second year in a row and in August he will be opening for the incomparable Patti LaBelle at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
Mike Farris SHOUT! LIVE offers a taste of this unique live experience and gives listeners a chance to be a part of the undeniable energy and spirit that surrounds Mike Farris.
Upcoming Tour Dates:
4/14/2009 - Grimey's In-Store - Nashville - TN
4/17/2009 - Imperial Theatre - Augusta - GA
4/19/2009 - Station Inn CD Release Party - Nashville - TN
5/08/2009 - The Roadhouse Concerts at Savannah's - Greensboro - GA
5/09/2009 - The Roadhouse Concerts at Savannah's - Greensboro - GA
5/23/2009 - Strawberry Music Festival / Camp Mather - Yosemite - CA
6/11/2009 - Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival - Manchester - TN
6/19/2009 - Liberty Hall - Lawrence - KS
6/21/2009 - Telluride Bluegrass Festival - Telluride - CO
7/04/2009 - High Sierra Music Festival - Quincy - CA
7/05/2009 - High Sierra Music Festival - Quincy - CA
8/06/2009 - Heritage Place Ampitheater - Conroe - TX
8/07/2009 - Antone's - Austin - TX
8/14/2009 - Snowbird Resort - Salt Lake City - UT
8/15/2009 - Snowbird Resort - Salt Lake City - UT
8/16/2009 - Snowbird Resort - Salt Lake City - UT
8/19/2009 - Hollywood Bowl - Hollywood - CA
Praise for Mike Farris:
"Mike Farris has enough heart, soul, and power to light up a city. He mixes up the elements and turns them into something new, beautiful, and uniquely his own." - Buddy Miller
"...It's an exuberant, roof-raising document that shows the singer to be a committed and talented gospel vocalist unafraid to incorporate his rock and soul background into the genre without weakening or watering it down. Together with a great band and a fired up audience, the effect is explosive." - All Music
"I saw Mike Farris shout it out at the Station Inn a few months back... I haven't felt that moved in a long time!...He's phenomenal! That voice. That soul. Those songs. Good God, man!" - Jack Ingram
"I was simply, blown-away. I can't tell you how many people came up to me and said the same thing. It's simple and the truth!" - Bryan Beck, KGSR
"This is one of the grittiest combinations of Gospel, Soul, and Southern Blues this side of a street corner that has Mavis Staples and The Blind Boys of Alabama harmonizing on it backed by Booker T and the MG's." - Bob Gottlieb, Folk & Acoustic Music Exchange
