Photo by Stacey Webb
San Diego band Mrs. Henry is excited to announce their project Chest Fever, a tribute to legendary rock group The Band, and will be touring and performing songs from the legendary Rock of Ages live album to celebrate its 50th Anniversary this year.
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.
The idea of Chest Fever started to bloom back in 2017 when Mrs. Henry set their sights on paying homage to that historic 1976 night where The Band , along with a group of iconic friends and musicians, documented their legendary final performance at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco, that we now know as the The Last Waltz, 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. The group performed The Last Waltz again in November 2021 at Solana Beach, CA’s Belly Up Tavern alongside legendary musicians including Eagles collaborator and hit songwriter Jack Tempchin, violinist Scarlet Rivera of Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Review, solo artist and Black Crowes Member Marc Ford, and local hero Isaiah Mitchell. After the sold out performance, the group set out to continue their sights on honoring The Band and their impact on rock and roll.
Now, with the official stamp of approval from The Band itself, the group is back to recreate another quintessential performance era from The Band’s collection. This year marks the 50th anniversary of The Band’s Rock of Ages live album, a collection of live recordings from the group’s four night 1971 residency at the Academy of Music in New York City. This residency additionally featured on-stage performances from a number of legendary artists including Howard Johnson, Snooky Young, Joe Farrell, J.D. Parron, and Earl McIntyre. Bob Dylan additionally made a surprise visit and performance on the New Year’s eve show, and performed the final four songs with The Band to ring in 1972. A widely celebrated album, Rock of Ages underscored The Band’s ambitious on-stage vision, and further cemented their place in rock music history.
Each night Chest Fever will be performing songs from Rock of Ages, including such staples as “Caledonia Mission,” “The Unfaithful Servant,” “Get Up Jake,” and of course “Chest Fever.” They will additionally be cycling in a number of deeper cuts from The Band’s oeuvre, including “Rockin’ Chair,” “Time To Kill,” as well as classics originally left out Rock of Ages including “Up on Cripple Creek,” “I Shall Be Released,” and more. “The first time I heard The Band was when I was a young kid seeing The Last Waltz over Thanksgiving,” says Blind Owl Records ringleader and Chest Fever member Dan Cervantes. “My Dad played the video or rented from Blockbuster at the time, that just lit a fire.”
WATCH “THE SHAPE I’M IN” FROM DRUNKARD’S DREAM ARTS AND MUSIC FESTIVAL HERE
The group will be performing alongside local horn sections from each city to recreate the iconic contributions from Johnson, Young, Farrel, McIntyre, and Parron, while additionally featuring a special guest in select towns to perform the 4 song Bob Dylan set from the original residency. The band will feature an all-star group of accomplished and celebrated players at the final tour stop at Brooklyn’s Sultan Room on August 15th, including trumpeter Eric Biondo (TV on the Radio, Budos Band, Antibalas), sousaphone and tuba player John Altieri (David Byrne, St. Vincent, Jon Batiste), saxophonist Stuart Bogie (Antibalas, TV on the Radio, Arcade Fire), and trombonist Dave ‘Smoota’ Smith (TV on the Radio, Run The Jewels, Steven Tyler). Each concert will feature slight variations to give audiences a unique experience in honoring the legacy of The Band, and the lasting power of Rock of Ages.
7/20 - Costa Mesa, CA @ Wayfarer
7/21 - Chico, CA @ Argus Bar
7/22 - Sunnyvale, CA @ Quarter Note Bar
7/23 - Red Bluff, CA @ Rock Of Red Bluff Festival
7/24 - San Francisco, CA @ The Park Side
7/29 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah San Diego
8/4 - Woodstock, GA @ Madlife Stage & Studios
8/5 - Louisville, KY @ Whirling Tiger
8/6 - Cleveland, OH @ The Winchester Bar
8/7- Columbus, OH @ The Summit Music Hall
8/8 - Columbus, OH @ The Summit Music Hall
8/10 - Toronto, Ontario, Canada @ El Mocambo
8/11- Pittsburgh, PA @t Thunderbird Music Hall
8/12 - Burlington, VT @ Nectar’s
8/13 - Brattleboro, VT @ Stone Church
8/14 - Rochester, NY @ Photo City Music Hall
8/15 - Brooklyn, NY @ The Sultan Room
PRESS MATERIALS // WEBSITE // FACEBOOK // INSTAGRAM // YOUTUBE