The Band — News

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

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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.’”

“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

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.

KEEP UP WITH MRS. HENRY

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CHEST FEVER: A TRIBUTE TO THE BAND ANNOUNCE THEIR ROCK OF AGES TOUR DATES

MRS. HENRY ANNOUNCES DRUNKARD’S DREAM ARTS AND MUSIC + NEW COLLABORATION WITH LEGENDARY SONGWRITER JACK TEMPCHIN