Photo by Andrew Huse
San Diego band Mrs. Henry is excited to announce their new forthcoming project with legendary songwriter Jack Tempchin that will be debuting their project live at Drunkard's Dream Arts + Music Festival, presented by Blind Owl & Bad Vibes Good Friends at ReBru Spirits in San Diego’s Barrio Logan on April 9th, 2022. A portion of the proceeds from ticket sales will be donated to Rollin From the Heart, an organization providing disadvantaged and at-risk youth the opportunity to participate in skateboarding, surfing, and camping in an effort to promote a more active lifestyle and encourage positive choices.
Tempchin is best known for penning some of the Eagles’ most beloved songs including “Peaceful Easy Feeling,” and co-writing “ Already Gone,” “The Girl From Yesterday,” and “It’s Your World Now.” In addition to the Eagles, Tempchin has written songs for artists such as George Jones, Glenn Campbell, Emmylou Harris, Tanya Tucker, Patty Loveless, and several other legendary artists and groups.
“Jack Tempchin is our Obi-Wan,” says Blake Dean (Vocals and Bass for Mrs. Henry). “Before meeting Jack, our band Mrs. Henry was battling away through their plot, making big plans and deals to support a massive recording effort, a three-record rock opera called Hope Keep On Rising. We were in the middle of making music videos and scheduling international tours. We were also in the middle of doing a second guest-riddled 3 hour Last Waltz concert. It was there we were fortunate enough to have Jack sit in and jam with us. During a rehearsal, we ran a couple of Waltz songs and during a break, he just started quietly strumming and singing one of his originals. One by one we all gradually started joining in and picking up on his chorus and filling our own ranges to harmonize. It clicked. It was awesome. Jack said something like ‘well... I ain't Bob Dylan and you ain't The Band... But I think we've got something here.’”
Mrs. Henry is led by Dan Cervantes (Howlin Rain guitarist + Blind Owl label owner), and is rounded out by Jody Bagley (Vocals and Keyboards), Blake Dean (Vocals and Bass), and Chad Lee (Vocals and Drums). The group was ignited by a consciousness-changing West Coast tour in 2015. Since then, Mrs. Henry has spent the last five years on the road building an unrivaled reputation for their brand of intergalactic boogie with a torrent of improvisation, and in turn, a cult following atop their already well-established individual credits (Howlin’ Rain, The Schizophonics, The Silent Comedy). Endurance is their vocation and bringing unapologetically live music into a new era is their mission.
“A musician can play with a lot of players in his life, but it’s not how good the players are that give the band a chance to be truly great. What makes greatness is how well you fit together..isn’t it?” says Tempchin. “You can’t create this kind of magic, like love or friendship, you just have to keep living and looking until you find it. Once you find it, hang on, because you probably won’t find it again. I feel like the MRS HENRY band and I were so lucky to find each other.” The Jack Tempchin featuring Mrs. Henry will be releasing music, a collection of original songs later this year. For a sneak peek into what’s to come watch “Waiting,” performed live HERE.
On November 25, 1976, legendary rock group The Band called it quits, and they, along with a group of iconic friends and musicians, documented their legendary final performance at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco with the help of filmmaker Martin Scorsese. In the spirit of celebrating music and the collaborative spirit of the performance, Mrs. Henry set their sights on paying homage to that historic night by recreating it in their hometown of San Diego.
Planning and rehearsing for the event took nearly a year, and the stress nearly broke up the band. But for Mrs. Henry, the challenge ignited a new purpose and an infectious wave of inspiration. On November 26, 2017 Mrs. Henry performed the Last Waltz in its entirety with a wonderful community of San Diego artists, along with guest performances by Pat Beers of The Schitzophonics, Brenden Dellar of Sacri Monti, Jesse Lee of The Paragraphs, Clinton Davis, Noah C Lekas and more.
WATCH “DON’T DO IT” FROM MRS. HENRY PRESENTS THE LAST WALTZ HERE
The show was recorded and released by Blind Owl on multiple formats including a triple vinyl set, mixed by Stephen Kaye (The Growlers, Ziggy Marley), mastered by Joe Bozzi, known for his work with Last Waltz alumni Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, and housed in a high-quality LP jacket designed by artist Roy G. Biv. The vinyl package also includes an exclusive bonus 7” featuring studio versions of “The Weight” and “Evangeline.” The film premiered at the Oceanside Film Festival (more details HERE), was a part of the International Shorts Film Festival.
Mrs. Henry will be revisiting this magical night by performing music from The Band at the Drunkard’s Dream Arts & Music Festival. The festival will feature additional performances by celebrated groups including slick and defiant surf-rock duo Puerto, frenetic brass band Fresh Veggies Micro Brass, scuzzy garage/shoegaze outfit Feliz, and Zack Oakley of the Southern California psych giants JOY. The festival will additionally feature the work of celebrated artists and vendors including Hard To Kill Leather, Errant Gem jewelry by Rafael Rios-Mathioudakis, and Por La Mano Press by Irie Iye and Dientes Perdidos.
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