Update: May 2007

Posted June 4, 2007

In the grand tradition of Spinal Tap, Pearl Jam, and countless other indecisive and/or unlucky bands, Sons of Bill has once again undergone a personnel change in the drum chair.  SoB parted ways with Jonathan Flax in early May, playing their last show together in Baltimore on Cinco de Mayo.  We had a great several months with Jon and wish him all the best, wherever his future endeavors may take him.

For the mean time fans will notice peaking out from behind the drum kit, the shiniest scalp this side of the Shenandoah: Mr. Brian Caputo.  Brian is an old friend of Sam’s, with whom he’s previously shared the stage in Shape of Shade and the Thompsen/D’Earth Band.

Brian’s first major venture with the Sons of Bill (after an all night burn to NYC and back) was two days in Haunted Hollow recording studios (owned by Dave Matthews) to record three new SoB songs.  The songs are currently being mixed by Chris Kress (of Far Cry From Freedom remixing fame) and will serve as a demo/sampler platter for the much anticipated Album #2, due out (hopefully) sometime this winter.

The rest of May was spent transversing the East Coast from Georgia to New York, and discovering the nicest bar staff in America (at Bigg Daddy’s) in perhaps the wierdest town ever (Helen, GA.  A Bavarian themed tourist town in the North Georgia mountains.  Yar.)

Despite all this traveling (and temporarily losing our beloved van, Little Debbie on 81 South) the big news of the month was the obscene amount of paperwork we had to wade through to secure our spot on a government-funded SUMMER TOUR OF EAST ASIA!!!

That’s right, Armed Forces Entertainment, the folks in charge of keeping up the spirits of our men and women in uniform overseas, have decided that those serving on the Pacific Rim this summer are badly in need of some hillbilly rock and roll.  To solve this problem, they’ve enlisted Sons of Bill to spend the entire month of July playing military bases in Japan, South Korea, Guam and Okinawa.  We’ll make sure to keep everyone abreast of things as they develop, but as of now, the SoB express will be leaving Dulles International Airport on July 1st and returning on July 31st, with a stop in Richmond, VA on August 1st to bring the rock back home.

That’s the news for now, although June still holds several very promising opportunities to catch an SoB show before your tax dollars send them off to the lands of Sushi and palm trees.  Check out the schedule below, but most importantly take note of the farewell show on Friday June 29th at Starr Hill in Charlottesville.  We’ll be posting dispatches periodically as to where the military has taken us, so keep in touch and we’ll keep it up.

best,

Sons of Bill

Schedule:

Jun 7 – The PuB, opening for Cross Canadian Ragweed – Harrisonburg, Virginia

Jun 8 – Fridays on the Square – Harrisonburg, Virginia

Jun 9 – Columbia Music and Arts Festival – Columbia, Maryland

Jun 15 - Alley Katz, opening for the Blue Dogs – Richmond, Virginia

Jun 28 – IOTA Club & Cafe – Arlington, Virginia

Jun 29 - Starr Hill Music Hall – Charlottesville, Virginia

Jul 1-30 - AFE tour of Japan, Korea, Guam and Okinawa

Aug 1 – VCU Concert Series Richmond, Virginia