NASHVILLE |FROM: TODD BRODGINSKI/LATHUM NELSON/PENNY PALMER
THE BOTTLE ROCKETS KICK OFF 2004 TOUR:
BAND INVITED TO TOUR AGAIN WITH LUCINDA WILLIAMS AND WILL APPEAR AT SXSW
The BOTTLE ROCKETS have again been invited to hit the road as guests of Lucinda Williams in support of their critically acclaimed album BLUE SKY (Sanctuary Records), which Geoffrey Himes of the Washington Post included in his “10 Best of 2003” list. The 14-city trek kicks off February 22 in Arizona and wraps March 13 in Missouri, followed immediately by a performance at the SXSW music festival in Austin, TX (date TBA). BLUE SKY is the band’s seventh album and has received massive praise in the media, with the Boston Globe calling it the “most diverse album of their career” and Entertainment Weekly describing it as “masterful.”
This trek with Lucinda Williams marks their third tour with the revered singer/songwriter: they toured together in 1999 and again in 2003. Williams says the BOTTLE ROCKETS are “honest to god real live roots rockers. One of the finest and hardest working bands around and a damn good bunch of guys.” The group’s frontman Brian Henneman says, “Lucinda Williams has been a unifying force in the Bottle Rockets since we first started the band. She’s always been one of the very few artists that every one of us could agree upon when it came time to put in a CD or tape. Her music has been played in every vehicle we’ve ever traveled in, anywhere we’ve ever gone, since day one. We all think she’s an outstanding songwriter and the fact that she asked us to join her is one of the most meaningful invitations we could receive.”
The 13 original songs on BLUE SKY were written by the BOTTLE ROCKETS–BRIAN HENNEMAN (guitar, lead vocals), ROBERT KEARNS (bass, vocals), MARK ORTMANN (drums)–with songwriting partner Scott Taylor. Released October 28, BLUE SKY came together when renowned guitarist/songwriter/producer Warren Haynes (the Allman Brothers Band/Gov’t Mule) brought the group (who were between labels at the time) into the studio and made a record. The result: BLUE SKY, which combines the BOTTLE ROCKETS’ trademark electric guitar vibe with acoustic, slide, 12-string and gut-string guitars to create a distinctive rock-country-blues-pop meld with a strong lyrical sensibility. Songs on the album, which was anxiously picked up by Sanctuary Records, range from the rollicking “Man of Constant Anxiety” and the rough-hewn rocker “Pretty Little Angie” to the somber “Cross By The Highway.”
On working with the BOTTLE ROCKETS, Warren Haynes told Harp magazine that, “Being a fan, I just wanted to capture the character of the band. It’s multi-faceted. One minute they’re a rock band. The next minute they’re a country band. The next minute there’s this humorous John Prine side to the band. And being someone who’s heard all the records and seen ‘em live many times, I just wanted to be a part of bringing the new material out.”
Many critics have embraced BLUE SKY:
“Few writers capture the average-Joe voice like the Bottle Rockets’ Brian Henneman at his best. The Missouri-based roots-rock group’s first album of new material in four years manages a few such bright spots, such as ‘Lucky Break,’ a working-stiff’s optimistic view of an on-the-job injury, and the post-9/11 love song ‘Baggage Claim.’ Henneman shows off his Jerry Reed guitar chops on ‘Baby’s Not My Baby Tonight,’ and Allman Brothers guitarist Warren Haynes, who produced the album, slips in some slide work. All the elements of country, rock, folk and blues are in place…”
Brian Mansfield, USA Today (11/12/03)
“Thirty seconds into the first album of new Bottle Rockets songs in four years, Brian Henneman revs from acoustic-and-harmonica to full-band hook as he delivers a punch line in his plain, twangy Missouri drawl: ‘I fell down so here I lay/Got the workman’s comp so everything’s OK.’ That’s their signature: good tunes Americana-style, driving home everyday details few songwriters notice.” (Four-star review)
Robert Christgau, Blender (December ’03)
Four-Star Review
“…the result is masterful working-shlub songcraft that veers from twang-rock to pop-lite, but always swings a sharp wit.”
Entertainment Weekly (11/21/03)
B+ review
“As usual, on Blue Sky, the band’s seventh CD, there’s new life for age-old subjects. Even the song about the differences between ‘Men & Women’ has original punch lines, not to mention a catchy tune. Musically, the Rockets stress 1970s-influenced, no-frills roots rock, with nods to boogie, country and folk along the way. Better, their songs provide equal measures of humor and heart.”
Jim Farber, N.Y. Daily News (11/29/03)
“…Blue Sky, the most versatile record of their career…the arrangements breathe, and the playing is crisper than on any of the Bottle Rockets’ previous records. A lot of the credit goes to [Warren] Haynes, who co-produced and plays slide guitar throughout.”
Ken Capobianco, Boston Globe (11/8/03)
“The Bottle Rockets may be the most underrated band on the alt-country scene. While bands like Whiskeytown, the Jayhawks, Wilco and Son Volt got most of the attention in the late ‘90s, the Bottle Rockets quietly amassed a series of three great albums and an EP…tunes like ‘Man of Constant Anxiety,’ ‘Baby’s Not My Baby Tonight’ and ‘Pretty Little Angie’ signal the boys from Festus, Mo., are laying it down as dirty as every.”
Jeff Puma, Hartford Courant (11/6/03)
“Co-produced by Gov’t Mule’s Warren Haynes and Michael Barbiero, the punchier moments soar as singer/guitarist Brian Henneman floats out a carillon of riffs. This laid-back affair, however, dismisses rock ‘n’ roll spit and mainstream country polish for a soulful equanimity all its own.”
Linda Laban, Boston Herald (11/7/03)
“Falling somewhere between Lynyrd Skynyrd and Merle Haggard, the Bottle Rockets at their best tell working-class stories with rare acuity and empathy, and a sharp dash of wit. Now, after much-needed rest and regrouping, these rockers sound recharged. Brian Henneman remains the Festus, Mo. band’s main voice, one that’s still refreshingly unaffected, whether he’s singing the praises of workers’ comp on ‘Lucky Break’ or finding himself on the wrong side of the missus on ‘Baby’s Not My Baby Tonight.’ He also opens up on the affecting ballads ‘Mom & Dad’ and ‘Baggage Claim,’ a post-9/11 meditation written with drummer Mark Ortmann. On ‘Cartoon Wisdom,’ meanwhile he’s unafraid to admit he’s found a guiding principle in Popeye’s ‘I am what I am.’ It’s a credo that fits this scruffy populist.”
Nick Christiano, Philadelphia Inquirer (11/18/03)
Three-and-a-half star review
“The opening track, ‘Lucky Break,’ is a solid reminder that lead vocalist and songwriter Brian Henneman still has a knack for writing a catchy and clever song that can set the tone for a fine album.”
Jason Gonulsen, GlideMagazine.com (11/13/03)
Confirmed dates for the BOTTLE ROCKETS tour with Lucinda Williams are listed below. For further information, check out www.bottle-rockets.net.
Date: City: Venue:
Sun 2/22 Flagstaff, AZ Orpheum Theatre
Tue 2/24 Salt Lake City, UT Kingsbury Hall
Fri 2/27 Austin, TX La Zona Rosa
Sat 2/28 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theatre
Sun 2/29 New Orleans, LA House of Blues New Orleans
Tue 3/2 Saint Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
Wed 3/3 West Palm Beach, FL Carefree Theatre
Fri 3/5 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre
Sat 3/6 Charleston, SC The Music Farm
Sun 3/7 Charlotte, NC Visulite Theatre
Tue 3/9 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
Wed 3/10 Columbus, OH PromoWest Pavilion
Fri 3/12 St. Louis, MO The Pageant
Sat 3/13 Kansas City, MO The Beaumont Club
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