The venerable Blackie & The Rodeo Kings are all set to hit the road with a stop in Kelowna at Kelowna Community Theatre on Mar. 11.
Last week, the trio are sharing the new video for “Live By The Song” featuring Rodney Crowell, from their latest album, Kings And Kings. “The first line of the song is a quote from Roger Miller,” said Fearing on writing the track.
“I collect quotes and this one had been talking to me for a long time. I got the first two verses roughed out and then the song ground to a halt. Tom and Colin came in and finished the song in a Halifax hotel room in about half an hour. The bridge is pure Colin Linden and the last verse is very much Tom Wilson.”
Out now via File Under: Music, Kings And Kings, is the companion piece to their 2011 collaboration album King And Queens. Where that album featured guest appearances from some of the band’s favourite female singers, this one features some of the band’s best ‘guy’ friends from the world of roots, blues, and country. Each one of them an accomplished ‘king’ in their realm of creative endeavours and in many cases absolute ‘king’ legends in the entertainment industry.
Dallas Green, Eric Church, Raul Malo, Bruce Cockburn, Fantastic Negrito, Nick Lowe, Jason Isbell, Vince Gill, Buddy Miller, Keb Mo, Rodney Crowell, and the men of the TV show Nashville have all lent their voices to the album.
Blackie And The Rodeo Kings originally formed in 1996, when Colin Linden, Stephen Fearing, and Tom Wilson came together to record what was suppose to be a one-off tribute album to the great Canadian songwriter Willie P. Bennett. At the time, all three members were deeply committed to burgeoning solo careers that they had no intentions of putting on hold, and had no plans to turn Blackie into an ongoing concern.
Now 20 years later, eight albums, one JUNO Award, and several JUNO Award nominations under their belts, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings have organically evolved into one of the finest roots-oriented band in North America. Blackie and the Rodeo Kings remains one of Canada’s greatest musical treasures.
Tickets can be purchased at www.blackieandtherodeokings.com
TOUR DATES
Feb 25 - Toronto, ON - Massey Hall w/ Sam Palladio, Charles Esten
Feb 26 - Collingwood, ON - Gayety Theatre
Feb 27 - Sault Ste Marie, ON - Mill Square - The Machine Shop
Feb 28 - Sudbury, ON - Towne House Tavern
Mar 2 - Thunder Bay, ON - Crocks
Mar 3 - Kenora, ON - Clarion Lakeside Inn
Mar 4 - Winnipeg, MB - Burton Cummings Theatre w/ Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson
Mar 5 - Swift Current, SK - The Lyric Theatre
Mar 6 - Saskatoon, SK - Broadway Theatre
Mar 7 - Calgary, AB - Jack Singer Concert Hall w/ Ian Tyson, Lindi Ortega, Murray McLauchlan
Mar 8 - Regina, SK - Casino Regina
Mar 9 - Edmonton, AB - The Winspear Theatre w/ Ian Tyson, Lindi Ortega, Murray McLauchlan
Mar 10 - Vancouver, BC - Commodore Ballroom
Mar 11 - Kelowna, BC - Kelowna Community Theatre