April 9, 2008 --Check out the subdudes performing Sarita at Gruene Hall in Texas back in March. Available through YouTube.
the subdudes return to JazzFest
March 26, 2008 --The subdudes once again return to the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in 2008. In another sign that the Crescent City is coming back, JazzFest will run for a full seven days this year with performances scheduled for the Thursday prior to the second weekend. The music kicks off this year on Friday April 24 and runs through Sunday May 4. The 'dudes have three dates scheduled for the second weekend. They kick things off on Friday 5/2 with a show at Southport Hall, play at the fairgrounds on Saturday 5/3 and then wrap up the fest run with a joint date with legendary bluesman Keb' Mo at the House of Blues on Sunday 5/4. Check out the tour page for more dates.
E-Town Taping in Colorado
Januray 16, 2008 --The subdudes start 2008 out on a great foot with a taping of the nationally syndicated radio show E-Town on January 25, 2008, in Ft. Collins, Colorado. The show will tape at the Lincoln Center in Ft. Collins and will air later this winter on member stations. More information, including a link to tickets can be found on the E-town description of the show. Check out the tour page for more dates.
Tommy Malone Interview
November 19, 2007 --Tommy Malone talks with Scott Cunningham about the subdudes latest release, Street Symphony. Tommy discusses the process of recording the album, writing the songs, post-Katrina New Orleans, and life in the studio. Available only from subdudes.com. Listen now.
CD Release Events
September 1, 2007 --In conjunction with the release of their latest cd, Street Symphony, the subdudes are pleased to announce a series of Official Album Release Parties as part of the fall tour. The ten dates for these evernts are:
9/7 Nashville, TN
9/21 Austin, TX
9/28 New Orleans, LA
10/6 San Francisco, CA
10/31 Minneapolis, MN
11/3 Chicago, IL
11/9 Philadelphia, PA
11/13 Boston, MA
11/15 New York, NY
11/16 New York, NY
For complete tour dates, including cities, venues, and ticket links, please visit the tour page.
Rockin' the Airwaves
July 24, 2007 --As the subdudes launched a massive 50-dates-plus U.S. tour July 15 in advance of the August 28 release of their new album STREET SYMPHONY, the first single “Poor Man’s Paradise” is making major waves at radio. A stark look at the devastation in New Orleans (where the group initially formed), the song was the #1 most added Americana song at trade publication FMQB two weeks in a row and #2 most added combined at R&R, with over 45 stations adding the song.
“Poor Man’s Paradise” was written by the entire group--TIM COOK, bass and vocals; TOMMY MALONE, vocals, acoustic, electric, and slide guitars; JOHN MAGNIE, vocals, accordion, keyboards; JIMMY MESSA, bass and guitar; and STEVE AMEDÉE, tambourine, drums, percussions, vocals--while recording the album with producer George Massenberg. The group says, “The song represents the strength of the human spirit and the power of resolve amidst tragedy."
Des Moines and Minneapolis Cancellations
July 23, 2007 --It is with deep regret that the subdudes have to announce that the shows in Des Moines (7/26) and Minneapolis (7/27) for later this week have been cancelled due to an unforeseen emergency. As of now, the 7/28 and 7/29 dates in Chicago are still a go and we do not anticipate any further impact on the schedule. Should this change, we will post additional information as needed.
It is our understanding that Marcia Ball WILL still perform in Minneapolis on 7/27, but please check with the local venue. We also believe that a substitute act has been scheduled in Des Moines.
If you have already purchased tickets for these dates, please check the ticket and contact the point of sale for information regarding refunds and/or exchanges. Please note that these are subject to the terms set forth by specific venues and promoters and are not related to the band's management.
The band would like to express their sincere apologies for the cancellations and hope to return to both cities as the schedule permits.
Poor Man's Paradise: Now Available for Airplay
July 6, 2007 --Poor Man's Paradise, the first single off of the upcoming Street Symphony cd, starts out strong with radio airplay. FMQB is reporting that the single will be the second most added song in the AAA format for the week of July 9, with 17 stations making early commitments. Telling the story of resiliency and perserverance after Hurricane Katrina, the song describes life in the south after the storm. Set to be officially released on August 28, the album is the band's follow-up to the critically aclaimed 2006 album Behind the Levee.
Street Symphony set for August 28
June 25, 2007 --"This is the story of a bunch of different characters, all set to what we described as a ‘street symphony,’” says the subdudes’ JOHN MAGNIE. “It runs throughout the record, from the people who can’t stand the way the government is running the country (‘Thorn In Her Side’), people who get a second chance at life (‘Half of the Story’) and people who put their ‘Work Clothes’ on but go fishing instead.”
Welcome toSTREET SYMPHONY. Due out August 28 via Back Porch/Manhattan Records, it’s the kind of an album that stirs the consciousness and galvanizes the soul with an array of songs that are underlined by the band’s trademark music: a vibrant cauldron of sounds that brings together the meaty grooves and jazzy dynamics, soulful R&B swagger and easy vocal harmonies. “The real shit evolves from the street,” says guitarist/vocalist TOMMY MALONE. “When people want change, they get outside and they get a sign and they start marching and singing. That’s the beginning. If you get enough of them, things will change.” "We are a fairly political bunch," acknowledges Magnie. "We're a bunch of peaceniks. We don't like to get too specific with those political things, but of course we're basically a bunch of bleeding heart liberals."
STREET SYMPHONY marks the subdudes’ third album since regrouping in 2002 after a five-year hiatus, and their first set of new material written since Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans, where they formed. They recorded the album--their seventh overall--with producer George Massenburg in his Nashville studio, and the result is brimming with some of the sharpest musicianship and ensemble playing you’ll hear from five musicians. It’s also the sound of a veteran band that's still learning and creatively evolving.
Kicking off with “Fountain of Youth,” STREET SYMPHONY features 12 subdudes songs that include “Work Clothes,” “Fair Weather Friend,” “Poor Man’s Paradise” and the title track. They address the issues that mean the most to them: the heavy inspiration from the damage and subsequent controversy caused by hurricane Katrina (“Poor Man’s Paradise”); the divides of race and religion (“Brother Man”); and the current plight of the U.S. (“Thorn In Her Side”), whose lyrics are blunt:
“Money and blood spillin’ in the sand/Plantin’ our flag in someone else’s land/What about the people for which it stands/How about takin’ care of our own/Like the people down south/Drownin’ in their homes/I guess my God and your God don’t see eye to eye.”
Critically embraced by the media since their 1989 debut, the subdudes--TIM COOK, bass and vocals; TOMMY MALONE, vocals, acoustic, electric, and slide guitars; JOHN MAGNIE, vocals, accordion, keyboards; JIMMY MESSA, bass and guitar; and STEVE AMEDÉE, tambourine, drums, percussions, vocals--have built a loyal fanbase by performing hundreds of shows across the country. In 1994, Rolling Stone magazine said, “If the subdudes' music were a fruit, it would be a bunch of red grapes eaten out of season: robustly flavored, composed of taut clusters of sound loosely arranged that–left to mull a bit–induce a mild intoxication. This is New Orleans R&B at its most swinging, with touches of barroom blues, gospel-inspired harmonies, rock and country rhythms and, very simply, some fine playing (Adele Sulcas, 6/30/94).”
the subdudes are on tour, as always, with dates scheduled well into 2008. The latest itinerary can be found on the tour page.
Greeley Blues Festival
May 13, 2007 --The 3rd annual Greeley Blues Festival will take place on Saturday,
June 9th from 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. at the Island Grove Arena in
Greeley, CO. Continuous music will be performed from 3 stages.
Tickets are only $20 if you purchase before June 1st and are
available on-line at www.greeleybluesfest.com or at the Finest record
stores in Greeley, Ft. Collins and Windsor. You can also purchase
tickets at Kabbu in Erie, Oskar Blues in Lyons, Corleone's in Greeley
and any Norbel Credit Union.
On-site camping is available and can be reserved on-line (Remember--
Don't Drink and Drive) Hotels offering discounts are listed on the
website. Kids 12 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an
adult. Check out our BlueSkool lineup and kid's activities.
Headlining this year's festival are the Subdudes. The Subdudes draw
most of their inspiration from the sound of their native New Orleans,
blending blues, gospel, funk and R & B with their own harmony vocals and
an unusual percussion sound done with a tambourine instead of a drum.
Perennial favorites at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival,
several of the band members make their home in Colorado and have a
large following in this state as well.
May 12, 2007 --The subdudes have completed work on their next cd, titled Street Symphony. Recorded during March in Nashville, the album is quintessential subdudes: a laid back cajun mixture of influences that only the subdudes can pull off. Filled with images of life in the South with Poor Man's Paradise, to the driving rock of Fountain of Youth, and the story of city life found in the title track, the album showcases the style and versatility of the band. Look for an August release and for the album to get radio airplay perhaps as early as July.
subdudes return to Jazz Fest
April 30, 2007 --On Friday, April 27, the band played at the 2007 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival in front of an enthusiastic crowd on the Gentilly Stage. The band previewed four tracks off of the upcoming cd, including the title track Street Symphony. Be sure to catch the band next weekend as they wrap up their annual Jazz Fest run with back to back shows at Southport Hall. Links for tickets can be found on the tour page.
subdudes and Little Feat
February 28, 2007 --Look for two shows featuring the subdudes and Little Feat coming up in June. The first of these back-to-back shows will be at the Barns at Wolf Trap in Vienna, VA, on 6/25, followed by a second show on 6/27 at the Keswick Theater in Philadelphia, PA. Check out the tour page for all the latest dates.
February 26, 2007 --The subdudes return to the studio on Monday, March 5 to begin recording their next album. They'll be hard at work in Nashville, Tennessee for about three weeks. Look for a release late in the summer of '07 followed by a nation-wide six month tour. Be sure to check back often for reports and photos from the sessions.
new album in '07
January 6, 2007 --Following up on the critically acclaimed 2006 release 'Behind the Levee', the subdudes have announced that they have begun work on their next album. The band has started writing and hopes to be in the studio in March, with a target release in the late summer of '07. Grammy-winning producer George Massenburg will be the producer for the album, what will be the seventh studio-release for the band. Drawing from their New Orleans' inspired mix of Americana, rock, and blues the band looks to build on the good fortunes of 'Behind the Levee', their most successful album to date.
