Conquering the Apple. More or Less.

The Brothers have been busy since I last wrote. Following Texas, they made their way through the South and along the Coast, making memorable stops in Lake Charles, Nashville, and Rehoboth Beach (Delaware) before spending ten days in Manhattan. They began their time in New York with a gig at Lucky Mojo’s in Queens, a funky little place with bottle caps nailed to the posts and scarves hung from the ceilings. Their second show was at Sullivan Hall, which turned out to be a bit more of a rock venue than perhaps the guys are meant for. (At this point, I’m labeling them as “folk-tinged alternative rock” until we come up with something a bit more decisive. We’re in no rush to pigeonhole here, folks.)

Thanks to the assistance of Sam’s friends Laura and Dmitry, we were able to organize an event at the Delancey Lounge in the Lower East Side to act as something of a Shoemaker Showcase. After their show at the Delancey, there was an after-party of sorts at a sister-venue in Brooklyn. While the evening was labeled an overall success, it was clear that the Brothers were being beat down by the city, and they decided to make a momentary run for the hills. Thanks to their Lucky Mojo’s connections, they were able to book a gig at the Colony in Woodstock, New York (namesake to that great festival that took place in 1969, but not the actual location—the party was in Bethel, about an hour away).

Woodstock turned out to be an eclectic little artist’s town with an eclectic little population—very talented no doubt. Interesting musical connections were made all night long. After an evening in the country, it was back to the Big Apple (or perhaps, Rotten Apple as an Unnamed Brother dubbed it after one too many days there) for a quiet evening. The Brothers then had the opportunity to lay down some strings for The Magills, a New York husband-wife country act. They spent more than eight hours in a homegrown studio in Brooklyn working things out.

The grand finale to New York was held at Arlene’s Grocery. Their show there was streamed online, so adoring fans from across the country were able to check them out. If you had to miss it for some reason or another, clips are now available on YouTube—they can be found at the following links: Clip One, Clip Two, Clip Three, Clip Four, Clip Five. So there’s no excuse now, friends!

After New York, they stayed with another of Sam’s friends in Boston for about a week before playing a show at Williams College. (A gig that was booked through a lovely leadership conference connection made last summer… Thanks Shep.) And since Massachusetts they have been heading steadily West, aiming for eastern Washington. They had a slight delay when a front axle on the van broke in Geneva, but they were able to make some friendly connections there and book a gig before repairs were made and they were on the road again. They are presently staying in St. Cloud for the next night or two and are then planning on being back in Pullman by early next week.

If you hadn’t already heard, the Brothers are planning on recording a new album over about a two week period in Pullman and Moscow. They will be playing a couple of shows in between recording sessions, so if you’re in the area be sure to check them out. And of course, starting in May they will be playing numerous shows throughout the Pacific Northwest—Boise, Seattle, and Cannon Beach are all on the calendar.