Boston - California - Fall Southern Tour
Hey everyone,
Okay, so it ain't Folsom Prison, but our next show will take place at what was once home to the Somerville Police Department. That's right, this Saturday night, August 14, we'll be at Precinct in Union Square, starting at 9pm, and we'd love to see you all there. It's our first show in the Boston area for a while, so don't miss it! Showtime is a 9pm sharp.
Then, in just a few short weeks, we will once again head out to sunny-and-always-beautiful California, this time to participate as one of the headlining acts at this year's Millpond Music Festival. An annual event in the Sierra Nevada region, in the small town of Bishop, we are thrilled to have been asked to take part this year. Jo Henley will take the stage around 3pm on Saturday, September 18. Of course, we can't go all the way out there and not stop in the Bay Area, so we've booked a couple of shows for the days leading up to Millpond. On Wednesday night, September 15, we'll be at Hotel Utah in San Francisco for a special 8pm show, then the following night, September 16, we'll head across the Bay to perform at the venerable, quirky Berkeley music spot, the Starry Plough. California always treats us well, and we are always more than happy to return the favor. We've made lots of great friends the past couple years on our trips out west, so come on out and say hi.
October will find us hitting the road and heading down south once again for a fall tour that will take us to all of our favorite haunts, as well as some new towns that we've been waiting to visit for some time now. Among the places we'll be hitting on our journey, which kicks off Wednesday, October 6 in NYC, and wraps up in Boston on Saturday, October 16, will include stops in Norfolk, Raleigh, Asheville, Knoxville, Atlanta, and many more. You can find our entire fall southern tour dates here. Mark your calendar, friends, 'cause we're coming to your town!
And of course for all the latest news, dates, and other fun stuff, be sure to visit us on our website at www.johenley.com. See you at the shows!
JH
Summerings 2010
It was 100 degrees outside today in Boston. 100 degrees! We don't crack the century mark in this city too often, but we're making it through in one semi-melted glob, and hopefully wherever you are you're hanging in there, too, finding creative ways to beat the heat. I write this seated before an AC unit blasting out of the wall and sweat dripping off my nose and splattering onto the keyboard on my lap. Summer is indeed here.
But while sweltering days like this perhaps make me wish it wasn't, summertime is also when Jo Henley has always come up with its best stuff. I'm not sure why--a year of fresh perspective, blue skies, inspiring beach reads, slow sunsets, cold beer, faded postcards, soothing ocean surf, sun glinting off chrome--but whatever it is that awakens the muse when the sun bears down is fine by me. After spending a chunk of the past year touring everywhere from San Francisco to Atlanta to Norfolk to NYC, releasing our latest record "Inside Out" this spring, adding Mike D. to the fray on drums, and reaching new heights improvisationally as a band, it's been nice to pause--just for a moment--to catch our breath, enjoy the scenery, and work on new songs. Our recent musical journey together--Ben, Mike, Jeremy, Jordan, and me--has been a special one, and the quality and direction of these new songs that are beginning to take shape reflect this journey. The goal is to get back in the studio in early 2011 and get it all down on tape.
If 2011 sounds like a long ways off, you're in luck! There are plenty of ways to get your Jo Henley fix this summer. In fact, we're headed west this weekend for a return to Rochester, NY. Rochester treated us very well last we were there in April, and we are looking forward to coming back, beginning on Friday at Archive Records for a one-hour set from 5-6pm. With its club-sized stage (with lights!) and rows upon rows of vinyl, CDs, cassettes, and DVDs, all of it housed in a building shaped like an airplane hangar, Archive Records has got to be one of the coolest brick-and-mortar record stores on the planet. Then, a few hours later, we'll nudge the amps up just a little touch more when we return to Abilene Bar & Grill for the nightcap. Last time at Abilene we had an absolute blast, so it should be a lot of fun to drop by again and play some tunes for the fine folks out in Rochester.
For those of you who can't make it out to Western NY this weekend, here are some other opportunities to catch us this summer. And as always, See you at the shows!
~Andy
Fri, July 9 -- Rochester, NY -- live in-store performance at Archive Records. 5-6pm
Fri, July 9 -- Rochester, NY -- Abilene Bar & Grill. 9pm
Sat, July 17 -- Plymouth, MA -- T-Bones Roadhouse. 3 sets starting at noon!
Sat, July 31 -- Plymouth, MA -- T-Bones Roadhouse. 3 sets starting at noon!
Sat, August 14 -- Somerville, MA -- Precinct. 9pm.
Fri, August 20 -- TBA
Sat, August 21 -- North East, MD -- The Pickled Herring. 9pm.
We won! 5.24.10
On Saturday we happily returned to one of our favorite towns, Saratoga Springs, to participate in Caffe Lena's 50th Anniversary festivities. The weather was spectacular, the crowd was even better, the other musicians were top-notch, and all in all we had a fantastic time--and all for a good cause. For us, who spend most of our nights in dark clubs, the chance to play outdoors in the sunshine was reward enough. But a few weeks ago we were told that the act whose tip jar had the most money at the end of its set on Saturday would win a headlining show at The Linda in Albany, NY. Well, turns out...WE WON! Thanks to everyone who came out, stuck around and listened, and dropped a few bucks into our tip jar. We are very excited about this opportunity. Performances at The Linda are broadcast live on public radio station WAMC, which reaches 7 northeastern states, including New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, New Jersey, New Hampshire and Pennsylvania. Details are still TBA, but we'll be sure to let you know as soon as we have a date.
In other weekend news, Friday night we played in our hometown at Tommy Doyle's in Harvard Square, and it just so happens we have a short video to share with you. Go to the video page on our website and check out our set closer, "Gonna Make it Right."
The picture below, shot by our buddy Nic Guevara, is part of an upcoming series of photos we'll soon share with you...
Southbound, baby 5/5/10
It's a gorgeous, sunny Cinco de Mayo here in Boston, the perfect weather for tequila shots and road trippin' (though not in that order)! In just a few minutes we'll be jumping in the van, rolling down the windows, and heading south for a run of shows that will take us to some of our favorite spots in North Carolina and Tennessee. But first we're stopping off in NYC tonight for three sets of music at Hill Country BBQ (30 West 26th Street NY, NY) starting at 8:30.
Scroll down for a complete list of upcoming shows and links to the venues. Hope to see you all out at the shows. Jo Henley is amped up and ready to have some fun!
May Sneak Preview 4/29/10
Last night was the first in a series of shows we'll be playing in Plymouth, MA as part of T-Bones Roadhouse's "Wild West Wednesdays." The theme, as you might have guessed, is country-and-western, and we did our part last night in providing musical entertainment to go along with a wide selection of beer and finger-lickin'-good BBQ. Our next Wild West Wednesday show will be May 12 at 9pm. There's no cover to get in, so come on out and help us kick off the weekend early.
The following night, Thursday, May 13, we have a very special show at Johnny D's in Somerville, MA at 7:30pm. Johnny D's is arguably the best place in town to hear (and play) live music, and we are really excited about this gig. Start spreading the word. It's gonna be a fun night of music with Jo Henley that you won't want to miss!
But first, we're heading back down south for one of what we like to call our kamikaze tours from May 5-8. By that we mean we'll be covering a whole lot of ground in a very short amount of time, hitting some of our favorite towns along the way. Check out our dates below or by going here, and start telling all your friends that Jo Henley's coming!
Wed, May 5.......Hill Country BBQ--NYC. 8:30pm.
Thurs, May 6.....The Beach House--Wilmington, NC. 8pm
Fri, May 7..........The Acoustic Coffeehouse--Johnson City, TN. MIDNIGHT SHOW!!!!
Sat, May 8.........Westville Pub--Asheville, NC. 9pm.
Wed, May 12......T-Bone's Raodhouse--Plymouth, MA. 9pm.
Thurs, May 13....Johnny D's--Somerville, MA. 7:30pm.
See you at the shows!
There's a town tucked away in the Finger Lakes...
Drummer Mike D might be the newest member of Jo Henley, but his history with Andy and Ben goes back more than a decade ago, to the hills of the funky, hippie college town of Ithaca, NY. For years they played together in bands, making a name for themselves on the local club scene, and becoming good friends along the way. Ithaca remains special to them, and their return with Jo Henley next Friday night, April 16 is, well...it's a pretty big deal for them. A homecoming, of sorts. The show is from 6:30-8:30 at The Haunt, 702 Willow Ave. And best of, it's free!
The next night, Saturday, April 17, the band heads to nearby Rochester, NY, where they'll headline Abilene's Bar and Lounge. Abilene's loves their music with some twang, and we are more than happy to provide it. This will be Jo Henley's first time in Rochester, so if you have friends out that way who love good live music, send 'em our way! Show starts at 10:30, and once again, no cover. 153 Liberty Pole Way. Downtown Rochester. Free Parking. 585-232-3230.
Jambands.com Reviews "Inside Out" 3/31/10
We've been huge fans of the online magazine www.jambands.com for many years, so to wake up this morning and read a review of "inside Out" on their website was pretty dang cool. I ate my Cheerios with a smile on my face.
JO HENLEY
INSIDE OUT
Listening to Inside Out, Jo Henley’s twinkly new album, this line, “Someone else may call you beautiful, but only I can break your heart,” hit me with more force than any piece of music in recent memory save for an impromptu performance by Don Butcher of John Prine’s “Hello in There.” It was as if Jo Henley—Andy Campolieto and Ben Lee—accessed my journal and culled the song from it. It was if they had pursued the lyrics, harmony, and melody as far as they possibly could, so far the symbols ceased to be symbols and became the thing they were meant to signify. It was if all of the impenetrable barriers of communication had finally come tumbling down. The song was me.
Using music to understand love is burned into the modern human’s DNA. When this relationship is at its best, the songwriter is able to take his or her own subjective experience and transform it into a beautiful and universal thing for the listener to write their own subjective experience upon. The song becomes the catalyst and ultimately the container for the listener’s reflections. The song becomes a personal relic full of sorrow, frustration, and hopefully redemption. The song takes up residence in the listener’s thoughts and becomes the memory. On one level, this seems a little creepy, but songs are so much prettier than actual people. Or the memories of them.
The songs on Inside Out are readymade vessels for the listener’s thoughts. So much so one almost fails to notice how much objectively good music is on the album. Trey Anastasio’s longtime rhythm section of Tony Markelis and Russ Lawton provide a gracefully understated foundation for Campolieto and Lee’s clean, sparkly guitars and soulful voices. Songs like “The Fire” stroll along pleasingly and contain hidden lyrical gems like “I said something about the weather. You said you’re leaving me again.” Songs like “Gonna Make It Right” feature an effortless melody and sunny mandolin riff. Songs like “Getting Good at Goodbye” have the potential to make it to the top of the pop and country charts. The album in full provides a pleasant and somber experience worth many repeated visits. Like many of Prine’s albums, this album is sure to help out more than one lost soul. And after all, isn’t that what music is for?
By David Paul Kleinman. Link to the review here.
"Inside Out" Reviewed on Epinions.com 3/30/10
In one of the more interesting places we've ever been reviewed, epinions.com has a nice write-up about the new album. Who Knew? Here's a snippet:
"Hailing from Boston, Massachusetts this rock/roots band is clearly capable of great things given their musical skills highlighted on their latest releaseInside Out. There is nothing particularly flashy or in your face when it comes to their music; rather, they simply rely on allowing their end product to be created by placing so much attention and detail on each piece of their musical performance on each track. The music is pure and real and the passion for their work is clearly evident. There is a brilliant symbiosis between the instrumental components and the vocals on the entire album and this album is one of the better rock releases I have heard in some time."
You can read the whole review here.
Review of "Inside Out" on Inner Ear Media
The good folks at Inner Ear Media recently reviewed our new album, "Inside Out." You can read the whole review here.
tour, Tour, TOUR!!!!! 3/11/10
Our INSIDE OUT tour down south kicks off tonight in NYC at Hill County (30 West 26th St.) and continues tomorrow night in Harrisonburg, VA. Check back here often for all the latest news, dates, and adventures from the road. And be sure to follow us on twitter. Time to go play some music!!!
