In very exciting news this week, Mike Gordon band will be releasing a new album, Overstep, on February 25 and supporting it with a tour that crosses the country. The tour will start at the fabulous Westcott Theater in Syracuse, NY on February 28th and the next night at Webster Hall in New York City. The tour will see Mike and his band go across the United States before coming back a month later to wrap up the tour at MASS MoCA in North Adams, MA on April 5th and Higher Ground in Burlington, VT on April 6th.
The new album will be his first since Moss in 2010. Mike shared songwriting duties with guitarist and longtime collaborator Scott Murawski (Max Creek) and handed over the producing reins for the first time in his solo career, enlisting Paul Q. Kolderie (Radiohead, Uncle Tupelo, Pixies). He also invited a few new players into the studio, including legendary drummer Matt Chamberlain (Jon Brion, Fiona Apple). Mike will be joined on the road by his longtime band – Scott Murawski (guitar), Craig Myers (percussion), Tom Cleary (keyboards) and Todd Isler (drums). It was also announced that the band’s new repertoire will be augmented by hints of secret synesthetic mad scientist gadgetry on and around the stage. This can only mean very exciting things to come from these shows.
Tickets are on sale now at Mike’s website, with public sales starting this weekend.
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MINDSET EVOLUTION:
A Thanksgiving weekend tradition has emerged with Railroad Earth’s Horn-O-Plenty Getaway. The much-anticipated second night began with a solo set from 
Peter Rowan and the Railroad Earth fellas emerged to the darkened stage. The backdrop was a lighted bear paw that alternated colors throughout the set. Start to finish, they played Old and in the Way in the order the songs appear on the album. As “Pig in a Pen” unfolded, it was clear that the level of musicianship was astounding in their arrangement and interpretation. Todd Sheaffer humbly stood farther back on stage, giving what could only be one of his legendary idols full access to his own band’s talents. The visibly happy Sheaffer was enough to break a heart into a million pieces of joy and then passed around to each member of the audience. At one point Sheaffer raised his fist into the air as if he too was an onlooker rather than a participant.
Rowan handed the reigns back to Sheaffer for set two, which was equally as special as two new songs off the upcoming album, Last of the Outlaws (January 2014) was introduced for the first time. “Chasin’ a Rainbow”, an upbeat, happy dancing feet kind of tune that followed the omnipotent “Seven Story Mountain.” The closing song, “One More Night on the Road” introduced John Skehan on keys, a new addition to the ever-growing family of instrumentation who presented elements of rock and jazz and sounded a bit like something The Band would have done. However, the set took the crowd full circle when Peter Rowan came back for more. A carefully crafted set list merged the Garcia-Rowan-Monroe connection when a haunting “Cold Rain and Snow” and “Walls of Time” were played back to back, during which Lhamo’s chanting bellowed throughout.
The crowd started to grow antsy while waiting for Prospect Hill‘s arrival. Clusters of costumed concertgoers inched in closer to the stage once the crew began to set up for the main event. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the band emerged from the shadows and without hesitation; Prospect Hill started their set with “Dirty Mother”, “S.O.E.”, and “A Patriots Theme”. They really brought 
