New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Pavement PR) - CRACKER and CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN (two bands, led by frontman
David Lowery, that've both played major roles in the inception of indie, Americana and alt-rock) will be hitting the road together again starting August 19th in Seattle as part of their Traveling Apothecary Show Tour, just prior to their sixth annual CAMPOUT music festival in Pioneertown, CA on Sep. 10th & 11th.
Along with headlining performances from CRACKER & CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN, previous CAMPOUTS have also included the likes of Built To Spill, Quasi, Citay and a number of other various CRACKER & CVB solo and side projects. This year both Joshua Tree's very own GRAM RABBIT and the Riverside, CA-based garage-meets-soul band THE BELLRAYS will be joining the line-up, along with The Dangers, Johnny Hickman, David Immergluck & Coby Brown, Miss Derringer, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, Jonathan Segal and Ashley Raines.
Perhaps it's the surreal nature of Joshua Tree National Park (just a stone's throw from fest) that spurs on some of the rather (you say) peculiar, (I say) hysterical behavior during the fest. For example, as part of last year's CVB performance the band requested that their fans all wear white to their performance. When they arrived at the show David was there serving grape Kool-Aid (ala Jim Jones) as they walked in. Whatever the reason, their fans are definitely encouraged to participate in the strange and fun goings-on. The theme for this year's fest is Cowboys and Indians, where David has requested through his Facebook page that audience members dress up as Indians for Camper Van Beethoven's Friday night performance, and then as Cowboys for Cracker's headlining slot the following evening. Odd for a music fest?... perhaps, but it's actually all rather fitting as the small town of Pioneertown got its start in the '40s as a live-in Old West motion picture set, where a number of Westerns and early television shows, such as The Cisco Kid, were filmed.
CRACKER, featuring co-founders David Lowery (vocals/ guitar) and Johnny Hickman (lead guitar / vocals), along with bassist Sal Maida (Roxy Music / Sparks) and drummer Frank Funaro (The Dictators / Joey Ramone / Del Lords), have had an extremely successful year since the release of their critically-acclaimed studio effort Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey last year. They've toured the world (including a very special tour of Iraq for U.S. troops last November, followed by a three-week sold-out tour of Spain in January, and more recently, a string of high-profile shows with co-headliner Reverend Horton Heat), have scored great national radio play for their singles "Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out With Me" and "Friends," cracked the Billboard 200 Chart and received a wealth of media accolades for their latest album (see below).
CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN will be reconvening for the first time since their highly publicized SXSW shows in Austin last March, where the band helped fund their travel expenses by offering fans and businesses the opportunity to sponsor a song for $100. In exchange, a Santa Cruz Roller Derby Girl skated across the stage carrying a placard with the respective fan's name (or business name) on it. As part of their Traveling Apothecary Shows with Cracker, CVB will be running through indie rock staples that span from their 1985 debut Telephone Free Landslide Victory (including their quintessential early alt-hit 'Take The Skinheads Bowling') to their more recent 2004 effort New Roman Times. Camper Van Beethoven's line-up will consist of Lowery (vocals / guitar) and original bandmates Greg Lisher (lead guitar), Jonathan Segel (violin / guitar) and Victor Krummenacher (bass), along with Cracker's Funaro on drums. Their most recent best-of album Popular Songs of Great Enduring Strength and Beauty was released in 2008 as part of the band's 25th Anniversary.
CRACKER (ONLY) SUMMER TOUR DATES
08.05 VICTOR, ID
08.06 BOISE, ID
08.07 PARK CITY, UT
08.08 MONROE, UT
08.11 CRESTED BUTTE, CO
08.12 RIVERSIDE, WY
08.14 THREE FORKS, MT
08.15 SPOKANE, WA
08.17 VANCOUVER, BC
08.18 GLACIER, WA
09.04 LINCOLNSHIRE, IL
09.05 CHICAGO, IL
09.17 ALTON, IL
CRACKER / CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN 2010 TRAVELING APOTHECARY SHOW TOUR DATES
08.19 SEATTLE, WA
08.20 EUGENE, OR
08.21 PORTLAND, OR
08.23 ARCATA, CA
08.24 SEBASTOPOL, CA
08.25 CRYSTAL BAY, NV
08.27 STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, CO
08.28 DENVER, CO
09.03 VIRGINIA BEACH, VA
09.07 LAS VEGAS, VA
09.08 SAN JUAN CAP., CA
09.09 LOS ANGELES, CA
09.10 & 09.11 PIONEERTOWN, CA (2010 CAMPOUT)
6TH ANNUAL CRACKER / CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN CAMPOUT
September 10-11 2010
Pappy & Harriet's Palace
53688 Pioneertown Rd.
Pioneertown, CA
This Festival is All Ages
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10TH
Doors at 7:00 pm
CAMPER VAN BEETHOVEN
GRAM RABBIT
JOHNNY HICKMAN
THE DANGERS
DAVID IMMERGLUCK & COBY BROWN
$27 Friday pass (or $52 for 2-Day Pass which includes camping fees)
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 11TH
Meet & Greet 5:00 - 6:00 pm
CRACKER
THE BELLRAYS
MISS DERRINGER
MCCABE & MRS. MILLER
JONATHAN SEGEL
ASHLEY RAINES
$27 Saturday pass (or $52 for 2-Day Pass which includes camping fees)
To purchase tickets and for more info on CAMPOUT bands, lodging and more go to:
https://www.crackersoul.com
or call Pappy and Harriet's at 760.365.5956 to purchase tickets the day of show.
HERE'S WHAT PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAYING ABOUT CRACKER'S SUNRISE IN THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY:
David Lowery and Johnny Hickman loosened the songwriting reins for the ninth Cracker album, involving drummer Frank Funaro and bassist Sal Maida from the outset. The result may be their strongest record to date, with punk- and glam-fueled tunes jostling alongside the band's hooky pop-Americana mainstays. - BILLBOARD
...another set of piercing songs from a consistently good band carrying the torch of The Clash. - PASTE MAGAZINE
[Four stars!] David Lowery's piercing intelligence and smartass humor click on Sunrise, his smoke-stained voice adding genuine soul to the quartet's chunky guitar pop. - SPIN MAGAZINE
Cracker are a fantastic live band and 2009's Sunrise In The Land Of Milk & Honey is terrific. - UNCUT MAGAZINE
Cracker's new album, Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey finds the band in renewed dynamic form with visceral guitar hooks, insistent beats, along with Lowery's trademark wry lyrics. - INTERVIEW MAGAZINE
With its unique merger of warped pop hooks and classic Americana, Cracker has won a devoted following in its 15 years together. On Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey, frontman Dave Lowery sounds as sharp and cynical as ever. Ferocious in its cynicism the album finds Lowery performing against unusually muscular instrumentation. - WORLD CAFE / NPR
[A-] Cracker carries on in the grandly sarcastic/ironic traditions of Bob Dylan, the Rolling Stones and the Grateful Dead with a fresh set of vocally rough hewn, guitar and organ-scorched rockers. Welcome back. - PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS
In a world overrun with vacant hipsterism, we arguably need the cantankerous musings of David Lowery and Cracker now more than ever. - EYE WEEKLY / TORONTO
Cracker has responded to this changing world with a vintage Cracker album - characterized by alt-country hooks, power guitar chords and Mr. Lowery's reedy yet forceful voice. - WASINGTON TIMES
Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey is another in a long line of smart, strange, tuneful, and well-crafted albums. - THE BOSTON GLOBE
David Lowery, Johnny Hickman, Sal Maida and Frank Funaro serve notice that, despite the indie label, Cracker remains a major band with big hooks, solid lyrics and attitude to spare. - RELIX MAGAZINE
Sunrise is an awesome guitar-rock album that's sure to make many a top-10 list this year. - THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT / VANCOUVER
Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey, and its quirky, soulful grooves and smart lyrics don't disappoint. - THE VANCOUVER SUN
What ties everything together is a rare professionalism - guitarist Johnny Hickman is one of the more unheralded musicians playing today - and a swagger that comes through by way of their indifference to trends or styles. They're good, they know it, and those who don't get it aren't worth worrying about. - PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW
... wicked, unapologetic and catchy as hell. - HOUSTON PRESS
[9/10] There isn't a duff track on 'Sunshine....'. Lowery has re-discovered his keen sense of lyrical mischief, while Hickman still knows how to make his Les Paul wail like no other. Crucially, long time band member Frank Funaro and relatively new bassist Sal Maida dovetail with Lowery and Hickman to form the most rocking version of the band since Davey Faragher jumped ship back in the mid-nineties. - AMERICANA UK
On Cracker's latest, Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey, David Lowery's having fun doing doughnuts at the crossroads of dirty country sensibilities and weird globe-trotting lyrics. - PHILADELPHIA CITY PAPER
...kind of like an old friend dropping by (except this old friend still rocks on occasion like a younger friend). - BLURT MAGAZINE
With a minimal amount of stage banter and a maximum amount of face-melting guitar solos, Cracker banged out a stellar set of rock 'n' roll music that made us think that maybe a '90s rock revival isn't such a bad thing after all. - NASHVILLE SCENE
For a band that's been around for close to two decades, Cracker sounds remarkably fresh and energized on its latest album, 'Sunrise In The Land Of Milk And Honey.' Whether wryly commenting on the state of the world or paying homage to a close-but-dysfunctional friendship, David Lowery, Johnny Hickman and crew have delivered some of their best material in years. - THE PORTLAND TRIBUNE
On Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey, Cracker still shines their light bright nearly two decades since formation. - SYNTHESIS MAGAZINE
David Lowery, Johnny Hickman and company reaffirm their rock cred on this solid outing. - PASADENA WEEKLY
Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey is like a jukebox - a great mixed bag of sounds and influences that reflects the band's early '70s-'80s pop-punk and New Wave influences. - THE PATRIOT-NEWS
If Cracker can continue firing on these razor sharp cylinders, there's no reason the guys can't keep cranking out the jams for another 20 years" - HEAR/SAY MAGAZINE
David Lowery and his crew still have rootsy drive and twisted humor. - THE BOSTON HERALD
At a point in their career when most of their peers are unplugging, turning down and wussing out, Cracker has tapped into some unchecked aggression and started rocking out like never before. Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey still delves into twangy alt-country and bluesy slide guitar, but the bulk of these 11 songs are amped-up, fuzzed-out ravers. Searing solos, gang vocals and maximum riffage grab the ear, but it's the lyrics that will keep you coming back. ... The band's most collaborative album to date is also one of its best. - FAST FORWARD WEEKLY / CALGARY
17 years along in their remarkably consistent career, Cracker's new album is as musically gutsy and lyrically sharp as anything in the band's catalog. - CREATIVE LOAFING: ATLANTA
Nothing says 'let the good times roll' like a new Cracker record. Their latest single 'Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out with Me' is quite possibly the alt-rock favorites' most gorgeous composition to date. - DULUTH NEWS TRIBUNE
Cracker's best record in years - 'Sunrise...' will remind you why you loved this rock band in the first place, while also offering a fresh urgency and relentless drive. David Lowery's firecracker wit and intelligence is as explosive as ever, with up to date commentary on the world at large, as well as his own unique brand of love song. Mix that with the high energy musicianship the band is known for, and this a very satisfying listen. - EXTRA! / TORONTO
...a collection of hard-edged tracks that expose their socially opinionated humanity, augmented by pieces that transcend the alt-rock genre. Sharp witted and seasoned in a music scene where very little newness is left, they have managed to posit an original collection of thoughts and sounds that surprises and inspires. - PLAYBACK: STL
Cracker's ninth studio album Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey is a meeting place for late-Seventies-era California punk swagger and No Depression-flavored Americana. - EAST BAY EXPRESS / SAN FRANCISCO
Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey will remind all the Cracker / Camper Van Beethoven fans out there that David Lowery is a clever lyricist and the band's mix of country and punk remains infectious. - ONMILWAUKEE
