FROM: MITCH SCHNEIDER/TODD BRODGINSKI/LATHUM NELSON

RICH ROBINSON SET TO TOUR BEHIND
HIGHLY PRAISED SOLO DEBUT ‘PAPER’; 
DATES LAUNCH SEPTEMBER 16 IN POUGHKEEPSIE, NY

Armed with songs from his newly released and highly praised debut album PAPER, RICH ROBINSON has announced dates for his first solo tour. The guitarist, vocalist and songwriter–who earned great acclaim and sold over 15 million albums during his years with The Black Crowes–will begin a trek September 16 with his band that will include stops in Detroit, Cincinnati, Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis. The tour will also touch down in New York City and Philadelphia, two of the three cities where ROBINSON previewed PAPER on a three-city residency earlier this summer.

In addition to singing all the lead and background vocals for the first time in his career, ROBINSON plays guitar and bass throughout PAPER (now out on Key Hole Records), while also contributing percussion and keyboard parts. The musician also wrote all the music and lyrics for the album’s diverse 14 tracks.  For the upcoming tour dates, ROBINSON will be backed by Gordie Johnson (from Big Sugar) on bass and Joe Travers on drums.

Here’s some early critical feedback for PAPER:

“…a fine debut album…some exquisite electro-acoustic arrangements…Standout tunes include the slide-guitar-spiced ‘Know Me,’ the gritty, Crowes-like ‘Enemy,’ and two social commentaries, ‘Forgiven Song’ (which asks for patience with the world’s problems) and ‘Answers,’ with the verse, ‘What can we do to make things right?’”

Steve Morse, BOSTON GLOBE, June 25, 2004

“On his solo debut, ex-Black Crowes guitarist Rich Robinson balances discordant notes with exquisitely textured electro-acoustic sound-scapes. Some of his songs, like the gritty, paranoid ‘Enemy’ and the southern gothic ‘Remain,’ recall the sprawling epics of his old band. But Robinson abandons the Crowes’ dark romanticism and drug-fueled inspiration in favor of strategic atonality (‘Leave It Alone’) that reflects the tension of life in a post-9/11 world, and psychedelic slash and burn (‘Places’) on which his iconic guitar playing recalls Physical Graffiti-era Jimmy Page.”

Jaan Uhelszki, GUITAR WORLD, October 2004

“…Paper is an eclectic blend of rock, soul and blues. Robinson should no longer be in the shadow of the Crowes…Paper proves he deserves to be a solo artist now.”

Derrik Lang, ASSOCIATED PRESS, August 24, 2004

“…the new tunes find Robinson untethered in the realm of epic rock, with some of the Crowesy Seventies-inspired riffing, flourishes of country, a bit of honkin’ on the blues and anything else the guitarist sees fit.    With several songs clocking in at over five minutes, Robinson shows no desire to hurry into the verses, letting songs like ‘Answers’ unfold instrumentally with a guitar pattern and cascading strings, before getting to the first verse.”

Andrew Dansby, ROLLING STONE.COM, April 9, 2004

“…pure, honest and introspective…deeply textured and genuinely inspiring, with psychedelic and signature overtones that ring throughout. At times it is sonically charged, other times it is quietly engaging.”

Michelle Claire Denholtz, AQUARIAN WEEKLY (NJ), July 14, 2004

“…sharp blues-rock licks built around his mix of plectrum and finger picking, hints of country in new tunes like ‘Forgiven Song,’ and dollops of slide for color.”

Ted Drozdowski, BOSTON PHOENIX (live review), July 16, 2004

Here are RICH ROBINSON’s tour dates. For more information, visit www.richrobinson.net.

DATE                          CITY                                       VENUE

Thu      9/16                 Poughkeepsie, NY               The Chance

Fri        9/17                 Providence, RI                      The Call

Sat       9/18                 Portland, ME                         The Big Easy

Sun      9/19                 Hartford, CT                           Webster Theater

Tue      9/21                 Asbury Park, NJ                     The Stone Pony

Wed    9/22                 New York, NY                          Hiro Ballroom

Fri        9/24                 Philadelphia, PA                    NXNW

Sat       9/25                 Vienna, VA                             Jammin Java

Sun      9/26                 Baltimore, MD                        The Funk Box

Tue      9/28                 Detroit, MI                                The Magic Bag

Wed    9/29                 Cincinnati, OH                         20^th Century Theatre

Thu      9/30                 Bloomington, IN                       Uncle Fester’s

Sat       10/2                 Rockford, IL                             Kryptonite

Sun      10/3                 Chicago, IL                              The Double Door

Mon     10/4                 Milwaukee, WI                         Shank Hall

Tue      10/5                 Minneapolis, MN                     Ascot Room @ The Quest

Fri        10/8                 Urbana, IL                                Canopy Theatre

Wed    10/13               Cleveland, OH                         Agora

Fri        10/15               Buffalo, NY                              Nietzche’s

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