Browsing archives for 'The Duke & The King'
The Felice Brothers – show reviews, tour dates, and other news
- The Felice Brothers played a great show in New York waters as part of the Rocks Off Cruise series – review here
- More dates have been added to the 2010 Fall tour including a show in Ithaca, NY as well as a handful of dates on the west coast with Conor Oberst (as both an opening act and Conor’s backing band) – full tour dates here
- Simone Felice has found a publisher for his next book titled “Black Jesus” – read more here
- Simone Felice played an amazing show at City Winery recently – Review and setlist here
Simone Felice – Live from a Lonely Place
Simone Felice has recorded a solo album of old and new tunes, a first for him. Some of the songs were hits from his time with The Felice Brothers, some are songs recorded with The Duke & The King, and there are a few other gems on there. From SimoneFelice.com:
This August will mark the limited release of Simone Felice – Live From A Lonely Place. Recorded at home (in the barn) just a few weeks after his heart surgery, this retrospective collection includes songs from the earliest Felice Brother days, Duke & King favorites, and the traditional Celtic waltz ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ arranged by Simone. Naked as the day you were born, these stark recordings cut to the bone, revealing the essential brilliance of the songwriting, the poetry, like a ghost in the attic, like a wind at the door.
Available exclusively at simonefelice.com as well as all live SF appearances beginning August 7 in New York City through this Summer’s UK solo tour and beyond…
You can listen to a few tracks at Simone’s website. A vinyl release will be available soon from DiverseVinyl. I’ll be attending a solo show in NYC at City Winery tonight and will hopefully have some videos and even be able to pick up the album.
Front Cover
Back Cover
Please don’t you ever die
A few weeks ago the news broke that Simone Felice of The Duke & The King and former full-time member of The Felice Brothers had to be rushed to the hospital recently for emergency open heart surgery. Our friend Digger from Take this Bread and Frankiesgun.com had let people know that Simone wasn’t feeling very well and that they saw something like this coming. Well after successful surgery and some recovery time, Simone has been feeling better lately and issued a letter to his fans. Below is what he wrote:
I’m alive. Got my breast-bone sawed in two and my lungs collapsed and the main valve of my heart replaced by a carbon device that ticks like a pocket watch to the beat of my blood for the rest of my days, but I’m alive. Strange days indeed. What a wild thing to learn from the doctor: that for years you’ve been existing off 1/8th of the blood and oxygen your body and brain need, that he’s baffled your still alive, that you would’ve surely died within the next year. Before I could say ‘It’s the day of the big surprise’ I was under the knife. I want everybody who prayed for me or sent me their warm thoughts, to know that your goodness did not fall on deaf ears, I’m convinced that in some way I must have received every last one, and that all the love I’ve been shown in this hard time has indeed helped me make it through and to heal up so well and quickly.
When I wrote ‘If You Ever Get Famous’ two summers ago I could never have guessed at the significance of the line ‘I’ll say a prayer for your heart’, but you all did, and I’m sure it’s what saved my life. So hot-damn, I’ve got my blood flowing again!, especially in my brain and rambling feet, and, now that I’m able, I’m writing songs and taking long walks in the quiet woods, I even felt good enough to join my dear brothers for a set at Pete Seeger’s annual Clearwater festival to benefit our beautiful Hudson River, the main artery of the valley and mountains we grew up in. We played ‘Radio Song’ and everybody sang ‘please don’t you ever die’ and it was music to my ears, to say the least. I was very upset to have missed my shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Hunter, Boston, and Toronto, this emergency surgery fell on me like a storm and hit smack in the middle of these dates, please know that I can’t wait to reschedule and see you guys really soon.
I’ve just had my first look-over by the kindest cardiologist in Albany and he says that I’ll be fine to be back on the road in August, that by then I’ll be feeling like a teenager, or like a Comanche on his first warhorse, so I’m already greatly looking forward to every one of the scheduled New York and UK solo shows at Summer’s end, and to the September release of the new D&K album ‘Long Live The Duke & The King’. An old-timer used to say to us: What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Now I really know what he meant. So with a new chrome heart full of joy, melodies, and renewed purpose, I say: See you all down the highway, where we’ll sing us a jailbird song, a rebel song, a song to keep us warm.
With Love and Gratitude,
Simone Edward Felice, of the Catskill Mountain Felices’
The Felice Brothers had a show at Pete Seeger’s Clearwater Music Festival last weekend and Simone was feeling good enough to join them on stage for a few songs. Great to see him back with the band…even if it is just for a short time.
The Greatest Show on Earth
Show Review: A.A. Bondy / The Duke and The King – Live at Bowery Ballroom
Photo gallery and video links are at the end of the review
The show was bound to be an awesome night from the moment it was announced as an A.A. Bondy and Willy Mason show. It came as quite a pleasant surpise that Simone Felice’s new group The Duke and the King were announced as another opening act. We got to the Bowery Ballroom early on December 9th, 2009, first on line before the doors opened. Minutes before the doors opened we got glimpses of everyone exiting and doing some last minute city-walking. First The Deacon, Nowell Haskins headed out the doors, followed soon after by Simone Felice.
I brought up that I went to the City Winery show and talked to him, reminded him that he signed my books. He thanked us for coming and assured us we were in for a treat by saying “Oh we’ve had a lot of shows since then….it should be a special show tonight”. When I mentioned how I heard the Midnight Ramble show (at Levon Helm’s) went well he sounded so happy that Levon asked him to sing with his band. They left to pack up some stuff and after seeing Willy Mason leave and AA Bondy and Macey Taylor (his bass player, also in Mystic Valley Band) entering, we were let in.
Willy had a nice opening set of 10 to 12 songs, and knows how to hold the audience’s attention while alone on stage. Nice mellow set that included some chatting with the audience. The crowd ate up everything that the young guitar player sang and the place was very crowded towards the end of Willy’s set.
Once Willy finished up we got to see The Duke and the King do what they do best. Play from the heart and make everything just feel so natural. There was a small bit of technical difficulties when starting the first song. Simone’s guitar was plugged in but it didn’t seem to be working. They switched it up and the show quickly got under way.
They ran through a pretty normal setlist that they’ve been known to play. I was sad because they didn’t play “This Place We Call a Home” but we did get a bunch of the classics. Songs included were Union Street, Don’t Wake the Scarecrow, The Devil is Real, If you Ever Get Famous, Morning that I get to Hell, Helpless, One More American Song among others. They played Suzanne which I was glad to see…….I love it when Chicken steps up to the mic to take over. Simone stepped behind the drum kit for Suzanne and it was just magical watching him banging away while his head was thrashing back and forth with a big smile on his face. Simi and Chicken had a little one on one section at the end of the song. The band looked very happy on stage and seemed to be having an amazing time.
Finally, the headlining act came out. AA Bondy, Macey Taylor (bass) and Ben Lester (drums, slide guitar) took to the stage. Bondy was amazing in his ability to go from heavy, feedback-filled swampy jamming to soft, melodic finger picking. His between-song banter was hilarious as always. Before the song “Oh The Vampire” Bondy began saying “Fuck Twilight…..that stuff is bullshit. I wrote this song before all that Twilight, True Blood bullshit. Here’s a song called Oh the Frankenstein”.
We also got to hear him talk about how he has a funny job and that he’s glad for it. One of my favorite talking points was “Fuck Scrappy Doo. I never like Scrappy Doo, Scooby was way better. Sometimes when I’m watching it i’ll say Oh sweet Scooby Doo is on…..then I can tell by the animation that he’ll be there and then I see Scrappy and say ahhh shit.” He also mentioned liking Scooby’s cousin Scooby Don’t.
Stage banter aside….the show was awesome. He was joined on stage by an extra drummer and trombonist (apparently members of Elvis Perkins in Dearland) for a feedback-filled version of Killed Myself When I Was Young. Bondy performed the hell out of tunes from both of his albums, as well as beautiful covers of My Funny Valentine and I’m So Lonesome I could Cry where Bondy was on stage alone for some intimate music that was dedicated to different people. He finished up the night to a chorus of cheers and laughter, and left the stage to heaps of applause.
The Duke and The King – Photos | Videos
A.A. Bondy – Photos | Videos
Tour News: A.A. Bondy and The Duke and the King to share the stage
A.A. Bondy and Simone Felice are no strangers. The two have shared the stage together many times in the past but December 9th will mark the first time Bondy is playing with Simone’s new group The Duke and the King. The show takes place in New York City at the Bowery Ballroom and also features the singer/songwriter Willy Mason, another friend of the Felice Brothers.
A.A. Bondy is just returning to the states following a slew of tour dates in Europe with The Felice Brothers. On the current tour he will be playing shows with Willy Mason and Elvis Perkins. So far his last date is the NYC show with Simone Felice and Willy Mason. The Duke and The King are also spending some time touring Europe currently and will be coming back for a few select U.S. shows in such unique venues as Levon Helm’s Midnight Ramble and a Philadelphia Church (where they’ve apparently played before). Both of these acts are just raw, real examples of music at it’s bare minimum. Stripped down to it’s heart and soul. Be sure to catch these two when they come to your hometown.
A.A. Bondy -- There’s a Reason
The Duke and the King -- If You Ever Get Famous
A.A. Bondy tour dates
The Duke and the King tour dates
Buy Tickets to AA Bondy/Duke and the King show at Bowery Ballroom
The Duke & The King on Later with Jools Holland
Awesome performance from a usually awesome show. Seriously, watch some of the other artists who have played this. It’s a never-ending list of great musicians. Anyway, here’s the video of Simone and co playing “The Morning that I get to Hell”.
UPDATE: “The Morning that I get to Hell” was taken down from Youtube. Here’s the band playing “If You Ever Get Famous” after the taping of the show.
Just beautiful.
