Event
Greg Humphreys Trio & The Occasional Milkshake
Tickets are $5 at the door…Doors 9PM
On June 14th, Dillon Fence and Hobex frontman and singer-songwriter solo artist Greg Humphreys steps away from his trusty acoustic for the Greg Humphreys Electric Trio debut Lucky Guy.
http://greghumphreys.blogspot.com
The album finds the critically acclaimed artist creatively invigorated. His accomplished and artistically intuitive bandmates simmer through a collection of sweetly soulful Americana and raucous roots rock that showcases Humphreys’ elegant virtuosity and his heartfelt songwriting. The three-piece will be sharing this intimate and infectious new album on tour this summer.
Music fans are familiar with Humphreys’ songs, voice and guitar from his years leading North Carolina faves Dillon Fence and Hobex. With songs influenced by the best in pop, funk, soul, R&B, and rock n’ roll, you might find Greg Humphreys Electric Trio in the same idiosyncratic corner of the big Americana tent where you’d find Alabama Shakes, Chris Stapleton, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, or the North Mississippi Allstars.
The Electric Trio formed in 2014 in New York City. Drummer Keith Robinson brings Texas flavor, having toured and recorded with Marcia Ball and Charlie Robison. In demand bassist Matt Brandau has backed up Elvis Costello and Joan Osborne, among others. These seasoned southern transplants played over 130 live dates in their first two years, but they took their time to make a debut studio album.
Of the album Humphreys reveals: “The Lucky Guy LP tells a story of a happy time in my life – I met an amazing woman, moved to NYC, had a son, and got married. This album is also a manifestation of our trio’s musical relationship.” Select highlights from the eight-song release include the slow-burn R&B track “Crosstown,” the burly blues-rock instrumental “Golden Bone,” and the sunshine-filled title track, “Lucky Guy.”
The Lucky Guy summer tour will crisscross the nation and include festival dates, headlining dates, and a slot supporting The Commodores. To support the album and the tour, Humphreys is launching a PledgeMusic campaign. An album pre-order and pledge helps print vinyl, CDs and posters, as well as hire a publicist and a radio promoter to work with the trio around its summer and fall tour dates. Every dollar pledged will go toward promoting the album and tour dates. Once the campaign’s goal is met, a portion of the pledges will be donated to the American Brain Tumor Association.
The Occasional Milkshake is what happens when Hootie and the Blowfish, The Blue Dogs, and Cravin’ Melon all take a break. Hootie lead guitarist and founding member Mark Bryan, Blue Dogs stand-up bass slapper Hank Futch, and Gary Greene, who plays drums for Cravin’ Melon, and percussion for the Blowfish, began jamming together for fun in the early aughts, when their respective bands were on hiatus.
The Occasional Milkshake’s motives are pure – have fun playing music. The guys like to switch instruments and open for themselves. Hank is actually a fine acoustic guitar picker, and he likes to sing old songs while Mark works the mandolin, and Gary sometimes tries his hand at banjo. Once they plug in, it’s a rock show, with originals and covers that fall all over the map; from bluegrass to punkabilly, and anything in between. Laughter is a key ingredient, and there is plenty of it. It’s a spontaneous affair, with a loose setlist – the way music is supposed to be.
The Milkshake also appear on most of Mark Bryan’s new solo CD – END OF THE FRONT (march 11, 2008), and all of Doug Jones’ (lead singer for Cravin’ Melon) new solo effort – DOUG JONES EVERYBODY, DOUG JONES. The three-piece has also been known to back up singer/songwriter Danielle Howle, who appears on END OF THE FRONT, in a duet with Mark for the song, “A Fork in the Road”. That song will be featured as the title track in the upcoming Jim Kouf (Rush Hour, National Treasure) film of the same name.