The Felice Brothers will be releasing their new album Favorite Waitress via Dualtone Music Group later this summer but they have already started to kick off the promotional machine with a string of dates in the Carolinas and the UK before a full tour of the US this summer (dates below). Before all that however, the band, Ian Felice, James Felice, Josh Rawson, Greg Farley and David Estabrook, all made the trek a couple hours down from the Catskills for a sold-out show at the Mercury Lounge in New York.
Miwi La Lupa, who I’ve seen play bass trumpet with Red Baraat, was the opener and he had an appreciative crowd despite not intending to blow the roof off this evening. La Lupa’s debut solo album New Way Home, released earlier this year, consists of mellow folk tunes. Joined by three backing musicians, he strapped on a guitar and worked through the tender material.
The Felice Brothers took the stage a short while later and their exuberance was a stark contrast to La Lupa. Their Appalachian-tinged rock and roll is driven in equal parts by James on the keyboard and the accordion and Ian on his starburst guitar. Their set relied heavily on fan favorites but they did mix in a few new tracks. Older favorites were powerful and included “Penn Station”, hinted at before it began as the band indicated it was about a place nearby, and “Whiskey in my Whiskey” which was a huge sing-a-long for a small venue. Some of the newer material felt a bit darker, but still felt rootsy. The early Thursday night show also had to end early for another act, so it was sad to leave just after 9 pm from The Felice Brothers familial show. At least they’ll be coming around again soon.
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Miwi La Lupa:
The Felice Brothers:
Favorite Waitress Trailer:
Summer Tour Dates:
5/17 – Charlotte, NC – DRUMSTRONG
5/18 – Charleston, SC – Pour House
6/9 – London, UK – The Lexington
6/10 – Manchester, UK – Gorilla
6/12 – Dublin, IRE – Whelans
6/14 – London, UK – Bush Hall/ Bushstock Festival
6/19 – Washington D.C. – Rock & Roll Hotel
6/20 – Rochester, NY – Water Street Music Hall
6/21 – Toronto, ON – NXNE Festival at The Horseshoe Tavern
6/23 – Ferndale, MI – Loving Touch
6/25 – Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall
6/26 – Minneapolis, MN – Triple Rock
6/27 – Madison, WI – High Noon Saloon
6/28 – Omaha, NE – Slowdown
6/30 – St. Louis, MO – Off Broadway
7/1 – Louisville, KY – Zanzabar
7/2 – Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
7/4 – Waverly, AL – Standard Deluxe
7/5 – Birmingham, AL – The Bottletree Café
7/6 – Atlanta, GA – The Earl
7/7 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel
7/9 – New York, NY – Webster Hall
7/10 – Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
7/11 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair
8/30 – Moseley, UK – Moseley Folk Festival
9/3 – London, UK – Forum