The Jayhawks Announce Fall Tour Dates

Marina Chavez/UME
The Jayhawks "Sounds of Lies" lineup 1997: Karen Grotberg (keyboards), Tim O'Reagan (drums/vocals), Gary Louris (guitar/vocals), Marc Perlman (bass), and Kraig Johnson (guitar).

  

Alt-country/Americana band, The Jayhawks first emerged from the Minneapolis music scene in the mid-'80s with a powerful combination of strong roots/country-rock influence and power-pop melodies. Throughout the band’s history, the Jayhawks have been regarded as a major influence, as well as that of being one of the best bands of its generation.

 Following a successful run of deluxe cd reissues this summer, The Jayhawks will be reissuing their first five major label recordings on vinyl through American/UMe.  For the first time, 1992’S HOLLYWOOD TOWN HALL, 1995’s TOMORROW THE GREEN GRASS, 1997's Sound of Lies, 2000's SMILE and 2003's RAINY DAY MUSIC will all be available at the same time.  All five titles were pressed at QRP and have been remastered on 180  gram heavyweight vinyl.

Two of the band’s most well-known titles, HOLLYWOOD TOWN HALL, and Tomorrow the Green Grass are being reissued after being out of print for several years. 1992’s HOLLYWOOD TOWN HALL, the Jayhawks first major label release was originally a hit, powered by the single "Waiting for the Sun", and it introduced the Jayhawks to a much wider fanbase. 1995’s Tomorrow the Green Grass received positive reviews and birthed the single “Blue.” Entertainment Weekly gave the album an A- rating and wrote "This is everything a country- rock album should be.”

Sound of Lies, SMILE (released on vinyl for the first time in the U.S.) and RAINY DAY MUSIC will be released as deluxe, 2 LP vinyl editions to ensure maximum fidelity.  The deluxe vinyl reissues will include the bonus tracks featured on the recent CD reissues, new liner notes and expanded booklets. The three albums also chronicle the band's evolution into crunchier rock, purer pop and a sort of twangy, psychedelic vibe before coming full-circle with a spare country-rock sound.

The Jayhawks will be hitting the road in support of the reissues this October.  It will be the lineup from the band's 1997 shows -- Louris, Perlman, O'Reagan, Grotberg and Kraig Johnson on the tour. Confirmed dates follow; for a current list of shows go to www.jayhawksofficial.com.

THE JAYHAWKS CONFIRMED U.S. TOUR DATES (More to be announced!)

Oct. 11            House of Blues                                    Chicago, IL
Oct. 13            Stubb’s BBQ (outside)                        Austin, TX
Oct. 14            Granada Theater                                 Dallas, TX
Oct. 16            Harvest Music Festival                        Ozark, AR
Oct. 17            Ready Room                                       St. Louis, MO
Oct. 18            The Vogue                                          Indianapolis, IN
Oct. 19            The Orange Peel                                 Asheville, NC
Oct. 20            Variety Playhouse                               Atlanta, GA
Oct. 21            Neighborhood Theatre                        Charlotte, NC
Oct. 22            Cat’s Cradle                                        Carrboro, NC
Oct. 24            9:30 Club                                             Washington, D.C.
Oct. 25            Scottish Rite Auditorium                      Collingswood, NJ
Oct. 27            Somerville Theatre                              Somerville, MA
Oct. 28            Town Hall                                            New York, NY
Oct. 29            Tarrytown Music Hall                          Tarrytown, NY
Oct. 30            The Egg                                              Albany, NY
Jan. 15            Todos Santos Music Festival              Todos Santos, MX
Jan. 16            Todos Santos Music Festival              Todos Santos, MX
Jan. 17            Todos Santos Music Festival              Todos Santos, MX

I am VERY excited to see a New Jersey stop on their upcoming tour. 

And if you haven't picked up the remastered discs yet, you should do so! 

The Jayhawks rock!

The Jayhawks - Remastered Releases

The Jayhawks, in coordination with UME (Universal Music Enterprises), will release three of their greatest albums in remastered format. Sound Of Lies (1997), Smile (2000), and Rainy Day Music (2003) will all be unleashed on compact disc July 1^st and vinyl on August 5th. Anyone wishing to find some exceptional road music for their summer cruises should line up on the first of July to purchase one or all three of these exceptional records.

I got into the Jayhawks many years ago. I discovered them through a “if you like this band, then try that band” snippet on one of the websites (I can’t recall which one, probably Amazon, but it doesn’t matter). As a fan of Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, and Ryan Adams, I was really starting to get into this very different, alternative country, independent music. And along came the Jayhawks. I purchased Rainy Day Music, their 2003 gem, and was instantly hooked. I had never heard music this fresh and different. And I had to hear more.

The newly remastered albums Smile, Sound Of Lies, and Rainy Day Music sound terrific. A cleaner, more pronounced sound resonates throughout each disc. And while the enhanced music is a real treat, the best part of each one of these releases is the bonus material. Each disc comes with no less than five bonus tracks of previously unavailable or unreleased material. That alone makes it worth the purchase.

And the songs are still as spectacular as when they were released. The highlights for me include “The Man Who Loved Life,” “Think About It” and “Big Star” from Sound Of Lies. Smile favorites include “Smile,” “What Led Me To This Town,” and “Somewhere In Ohio.” And I’ve always loved “All The Right Reasons,” “Save It For A Rainy Day” and “Eyes Of Sarahjane” from Rainy Day Music.

The Jayhawks will be touring in support of these remastered releases this summer. The touring band for 2014 will consist of: Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, Tim O’ Reagan, Karen Grotberg, and Kraig Johnson. The band will be in Europe for most of July before coming to North America (performing in Calgary). As of this writing, select dates have been set for August festival shows in Minnesota and Iowa, and a pair of September shows in Minneapolis. More American dates will be released soon. You can keep an eye out by visiting: http://www.jayhawksofficial.com/shows.html

If you’ve never checked out The Jayhawks before, now is the perfect time to make yourself a fan. With 3 terrific remastered records, a fall tour of America, and rejuvenated band members, the second half of 2014 is going to be a magical journey for this band.

Sound Of Lies

The Man Who Loved Life

Think About It

Trouble

It’s Up To You

Stick In The Mud

Big Star

Poor Little Fish

Sixteen Down

Haywire

Dying On The Vine

Bottomless Cup

Sound Of Lies

Bonus Tracks:

I Hear You Cry

Sleepyhead

Kirby’s Tune (studio outtake)

It’s Up To You (alternate version)

Sound Of Lies (rough mix)

Smile

Smile

I’m Gonna Make You Love Me

What Led Me To This Town

Somewhere In Ohio

A Break In The Clouds

Queen Of The World

Life Floats

Broken Harpoon

Pretty Thing

Mr. Wilson

(In My) Wildest Dreams

Better Days

Baby, Baby, Baby

Bonus Tracks:

Who Made You King (studio outtake)

Gypsy In The Mood (studio outtake)

A Part Of You (demo)

Life’s Little Ups And Downs (live)

Greta Garbo (demo)

Five Cornered Blues (demo)

Rainy Day Music

Stumbling Through The Dark

Tailspin

All The Right Reasons

Save It For A Rainy Day

Eyes Of Sarahjane

One Man’s Problem

Don’t Let The World Get In Your Way

Come To The River

Angelyne

Madman

You Look So Young

Tampa To Tulsa

Will I See You In Heaven

Stumbling Through The Dark (reprise)

Bonus Tracks:

Tailspin (“inbred” version)

Waiting For Salvation (demo)

The Book You Wrote (demo)

False Eyelashes (Blue Eyed Soul( (demo)

Won’t Last Long (demo)

In The Canyon (live)

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