The Band of Heathens
Doors: 7pm
Opener: Matt Tedder 8pm
The Band of Heathens: 9:30pm
With their ninth studio album, Simple Things, The Band of Heathens came home—geographically, as they returned to their longtime base of Austin for the recording; sonically, in an embrace of the rootsy, guitar-based rock with which they made their name; and thematically, with lyrics that speak to appreciating friends and family and our limited time on this planet. It’s a confident, assured statement of a group finding its place in the world amid uncertain and troubled times. Though the members of The Band of Heathens now live scattered across the country, coming back to Austin (where they first formed in the early 2000s when Quist and Jurdi were among four songwriters playing regular weekly sets at the late, lamented club Momo’s) was crucial to the making of Simple Things. They worked in a studio called the Finishing School, which was founded by the band’s close friend and sometime producer George Reiff; Quist took over the studio after Reiff passed away in 2017 and upgraded with gear including three of Freddie Mercury’s actual vocal mics, which have previously been used on recordings by David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, and AC/DC. In some ways, the new album is a logical extension of Remote Transmissions, the livestream series that Band of Heathens started soon after the pandemic shut down the world in 2020 (and which was documented in last year’s Remote Transmissions, Vol. 1 album). Unable to tour, the group convened every week for a year, playing covers of songs new and old, responding to a disorienting time by reconnecting with music they love. After almost twenty years on the road, the domestic solitude of lockdown led to new sources of inspiration for the musicians. From day one, The Band of Heathens have remained proudly, fiercely independent – turning down label offers, maintaining complete ownership of their catalog, building their audience one show at a time. With Simple Things, they extend this achievement – creatively, personally, and practically—in the face of a challenging and turbulent landscape in music and beyond. “We’ve been able to grow with each record,” says Jurdi, “all the while doing exactly what we wanted to do—which, believe me, has not always been the best thing for our career or commercial success. “We’ve realized,” says Quist, “it’s us, it’s our families, and it’s our fans, and that’s really all that matters.”
GEN ADM: $20