There are two important words that come to mind when I think of what makes a musical artist popular and able to maintain his or her fan base while causing it to expand. Those two words are consistency and credibility, which naturally play off of one another. It also helps if you are considered to be one of the pioneers of a genre of music, namely, alternative country. Front man of the band, Old 97’s -- Rhett Miller, has released six solo-albums dating all the way back to 1989. Known for his incredible voice and captivating performances, it may come as no surprise that he is gearing up for the release of his 7th album, nearly 20 years later.
His new album entitled, The Traveler, consists of 12 new tracks all assisted by six-piece Portland band, Black Prairie. With a sound that melds together bluegrass, roots and alt-country, Rhett lays vocals that ponder life, love, mistakes and regret with a certain energetic mellowness; something Rhett is so very good at. At the end of last month, Rhett started his album tour which goes through June and will have spanned much of the country by the time the tour bus’s wheels stop turning.
Tour Dates:
4/23 – Cincinnati, OH – 20th Century Theater#
4/24 – Bloomington, IL – Castle Theater#
4/25 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music#
4/26 – Chicago, IL – Old Town School of Folk Music#
5/13 – Somerville, PA – Johnny D’s
5/14 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall
5/15 – Hudson, NY – Club Helsinki
5/17 – Pittsburgh, PA – Club Café
5/18 – Annapolis, MD – Ram’s Head Tavern
5/21 – Wilmington, DE – World Café Live
6/11 – Fort Worth, TX – Shipping and Receiving Bar
6/12 – Austin, TX – Strange Brew
6/13 – Houston, TX – Mucky Duck
6/15 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern
6/16 – Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
6/18 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
6/19 – Los Angeles, CA – Hotel Café
6/20 – San Diego, CA – The Casbah
6/21 – Hermosa Beach, CA – Sainte Rock
6/24 – New York, NY – City Winery
The Traveler is slated for a May 12th release, less than a week away. Stay tuned to WUWM@Nite throughout this week so you can hear a few songs off of the rapidly approaching album.
