POKEY LAFARGE’S BETTER MAN THAN ME PREMIERES AT BILLBOARD
NEW ALBUM MANIC REVELATIONS OUT MAY 19
ON ROUNDER RECORDS
EXTENSIVE SUMMER TOUR CONFIRMED
“…A MAN WITH A VISION AND A PASSION FOR MUSIC
FROM WAY BEFORE HIS TIME.”
“POKEY LAFARGE…IS THE REAL DEAL.”
Toronto, ON – April 28, 2017 – Pokey LaFarge’s new song, Better Man Than Me, premiered yesterday at Billboard and can now be heard/shared HERE.
The song is from LaFarge’s anticipated new full-length album, Manic Revelations, which will be released May 19 on Rounder Records and is now available for pre-order. Each digital pre-order includes an instant download of Better Man Than Me as well as the album’s lead track, Riot In The Streets.
Already receiving advance acclaim, KCMP’s The Current praises, “Each chord, each riff shades the stories he sets up in his lyrics, always in search of the purest truth within the 10 forlorn, haunting melodies on Manic Revelations. A musician, a storyteller, a narrator of the messy, unkempt American experience…Pokey LaFarge sits, he watches, he writes. Everything that’s worth happening happens in his songs,” while Rolling Stone asserts, “Unfaltering rhythm, optimistic gospel-pop melody and bright pops of brass contrast with his pointed observations about race relations and police violence in America.”
In celebration of the release, LaFarge and his longtime band will embark on an extensive summer tour with special guests Lillie Mae and Kelsey Waldon. Performances include a special album release show at St. Louis’ The Pageant on May 20 as well as stops at Chicago’s Metro, Nashville’s Mercy Lounge, New York’s Bowery Ballroom and Rough Trade and Philadelphia’s World Café Live. See below for complete details.
Recorded in LaFarge’s hometown of St. Louis, Manic Revelations features 10 new original songs and was produced by the Southside Collective—LaFarge, Joey Glynn (bass), Ryan Koenig (harmonica, guitjo, electric guitar), Adam Hoskins (electric guitar), Matt Meyer (drums, percussion), Luc Klein (trumpet, euphonium, piano, glockenspiel), Alec Spiegelman (saxophone, piano, tubax, organ, clarinet, flute), David Beeman (tambourine, stylophone, guitar, organ)—along with additional production by Tony Hoffer.
“The manic revelation is the state where artists create,” says LaFarge. “I got to the point in writing these songs where I felt like a house on fire that just kept burning.” He continues, “This album is about confronting yourself. It’s about confronting your city, its relation with the world, and all its people.”
Since his debut in 2006, LaFarge has released seven studio albums, including his most recent, 2015’s Something In The Water. Of the album, American Songwriter proclaims, “immensely enjoyable…the sheer joy of these performances is contagious,” while The Guardian declares it, “…a spirited attempt to keep American roots music—country blues, early jazz, ragtime and western swing—alive.” Additionally, surrounding the album’s release, LaFarge was featured on NPR’s “Fresh Air.” Listen to the full interview with Terry Gross here.
In addition to his life as a musician, LaFarge recently made his acting debut on CMT’s new original series, Sun Records, playing celebrated country artist and songwriter Hank Snow. More information about the program can be found here.
TOUR DATES:
May 20—St. Louis, MO—The Pageant
June 14—Des Moines, IA—Simon Estes Amphitheater#
June 15—Minneapolis, MN—First Avenue*
June 16—Chicago, IL—Metro*
June 17—Detroit, MI—Magic Stick*
June 18—Grand Rapids, MI—Pyramid Scheme*
June 21—Indianapolis, IN—The Vogue*
June 22—Nashville, TN—Mercy Lounge*
June 23—Hamilton, OH—Whimmydiddle 2017 @ RiversEdge
Amphitheater
June 24—Owensboro, KY—ROMP: Bluegrass Roots & Branches Festival
June 25—Asheville, NC—The Grey Eagle*
June 28—Louisville, KY—WFPK Waterfront Wednesday†
June 30—Cleveland, OH—Beachland BallroomJuly 1—Pittsburgh, PA—The Rex Theatre
July 2—Toronto, ON—Horseshoe Tavern
July 6—Ottawa, ON—RBC Blues Ottawa Festival
July 7—Burlington, VT—Higher Ground‡
July 8—Cambridge, MA—The Sinclair‡
July 12—New York, NY—Bowery Ballroom
July 13—Brooklyn, NY— Rough Trade NYC‡
July 14—Philadelphia, PA—World Cafe Live Downstairs‡
July 15—Greenfield, MA—Green River Festival
July 16— Mt. Solon, VA—Red Wing Roots Festival @ Natural Chimneys Park
August 4—Wichita, KS—Wichita Vortex Music Festival§
September 23—Muncie, IN—Muncie Three Trails Music Series
September 23-24—Franklin, TN—Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival
September 29-October 1—Columbia, MO—Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival
*appearing with Drive-By Truckers
*with special guest Lillie Mae
†appearing with Robyn Hitchcock, Carly Johnson
‡with special guest Kelsey Waldon
§appearing with Dwight Yoakam
