Centro-matic Tour Dates / Final Run
WHEN WE LOOK BACK NOW…
Not a lot of bands have kept their original lineup intact over the course of eleven records and nearly two decades. When Centro-matic started, I didn’t have many expectations other than putting out Redo The Stacks, and maybe getting the band together to play some shows when schedules allowed. There was never a formal asking of anyone to be in the band or make it their full time dance partner. We just did what was natural and enjoyable for us. We kept finding reasons to play shows, make records, then play more shows, then make more records. As time’s gone, I’ve hoped that Centro-matic’s history together has had something to do with a specific feeling when we play. I’ve hoped our collective connection over the years could somehow be heard through the the songs and the sounds. Whether that’s the case or not, I’ve always felt proud of our particular kind of racket.
Some pretty crucial forces have kept the four of us together for all this time. We’ve largely been fueled by a consistent drive to convene, share and create something new and inspiring to our ears each time out. Most of the time we’ve just had a good time hanging out. We’ve looked forward to it on just about every occasion I can remember and we’ve come to look after each other as family along the way. We’ve remained loyal to one another and I think that’s made us a better band, show by show, and tour by tour. In a lot of ways, we’ve become grown ups together.
We’ve encountered some successes I wouldn’t have imagined when we started, and like just about any band, we’ve run across some unforgettable setbacks. One thing we’ve fortunately avoided over the years is the presence of any notable drama. A couple of folks have even joked that the absence of drama in Centro-matic might contribute to the fact that our profile isn’t bigger; that a good deal of today’s consumer culture might feed off a little pot-stirring. Never been for us to say.
I can write with no hint of drama that our December tour will be the last Centro-matic tour for the indefinite and foreseeable future. For a handful of reasons, the time finally feels right to celebrate the existence of this thing, then let it rest. I do think that the four of us will embark on some musical endeavor together again, but can’t say that it will be within the realm or tone of what Centro-matic has done.
What I do feel certain about is that this tour should be a gathering of friends, old and new, in some venues that have been kind and loyal to us over the years. There’ll be some guests here and there to help us ring things out properly. I don’t think we ever wanted Centro-matic to leave the room silently, or sadly, or hobbled. This time feels as good a note as ever to go out on and I feel safe in saying that Mark, Matt, Scott and I would like for this tour and for these shows to be a celebration of our work and time together.
One thing that has resonated with us increasingly since the start is the devotion, love and generosity within our community of fans. We were never the most popular band on the block, but the kind of long-running support we’ve received has been something consistent and immeasurable. The climate of music has morphed into a pretty different thing since we started. Even as the times have changed around us, the connection with our fans has easily and always provided our biggest source of inspiration over this incredible journey.
It’s been the most important thing.
As always, maybe see you at the rock show.
Love, Will J.
December 2014 Tour Dates:
Dec 04 : Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
Dec 05 : Athens, GA – Georgia Theater #
Dec 06 : Raleigh, NC – Kings Barcade *
Dec 07 : Washington, DC – DC9 *
Dec 09 : Philadelphia, PA – Boot & Saddle *
Dec 11 : Brooklyn, NY – Rough Trade *
Dec 12 : New York, NY – Mercury Lounge ^
Dec 13 : Allston, MA – Great Scott ^
Dec 14 : Buffalo, NY – Sportmen’s Tavern &
Dec 15 : Chicago, IL – Schubas Tavern ~
Dec 16 : St Louis, MO – Off Broadway ~
Dec 18 : Austin, TX – The Parish +
Dec 19 : Denton, TX – Dans Silverleaf ~
Dec 20 : Denton, TX – Dans Silverleaf @
# with Dead Confederate
* with Elephant Micah
^ with Anders Parker and Cloud Badge
& with Roger Bryan and the Orphans
~ with Telegraph Canyon
+ with Monahans
@ with Slobberbone
Related Images:
NEW! Limited Edition 2014 Baseball Prints
We have a new series of baseball art prints available in the web store.
Included in this series:
Greer Stadium / Nashville TN (12″ x 8″)
The Babe (6″ x 9″)
Robert Pollard (4″ x 11″)
Steady Eddie (6″ x 9″)
Flying Dutchman (6″x 9″)
Jose Cruz (6″ x 9″)
James Floyd (6″x 9″)
These are available for $10 each or a complete set of seven prints for $60. You save $10 buying a complete set versus buying each print separately.
Each print signed and numbered by Will Johnson.
Complete sets have matching numbers.
Printed on 100lb card stock
Only 100 copies were made of each print.
No re-prints will be made.
Shipped flat in a sturdy cardboard mailer.
Related Images:
Living Room Tour September 2014
Will is headed out on a living room tour in September. No stage, no sound system. It’s just Will and a guitar, playing songs and telling stories. Each show is limited to 35-45 tickets.
Tickets on sale now : BUY HERE
9/3 : Austin TX – SOLD OUT
9/4 : Ft Worth TX – SOLD OUT
9/5 : Fayetteville AR
9/6 : Little Rock AR
9/7 : Jackson MS
9/8 : New Orleans LA
9/9 : Lafayette LA
9/10 : Alexandria LA
9/11: Austin TX
Please help us spread the word about these shows. Click here to join the Facebook event the show you’re attending and invite your friends.
Related Images:
Centro-matic “Take Pride In Your Long Odds”
The new Centro-matic album is available now!
BUY IT
iTunes
Amazon
CD or Vinyl from Undertow
And there’s a new video by the Galassi Brothers and Downstate Productions for the song “Salty Disciple”
ON TOUR
Tue Jun 03 – Austin TX – Waterloo In Store
Fri Jun 06 – St Louis MO – Twangfest
Sat Jun 07 – Chicago IL – Beat Kitchen
Sun Jun 08 – Madison WI – The Frequency
Mon Jun 09 – Minneapolis MN – Icehouse
Tue Jun 10 – Sioux Falls SD – Icon
Wed Jun 11 – Kansas City KS – Riot Room
Fri Jun 13 – Dallas TX – Good Records In Store
Sat Jun 14 – Dallas TX – Kessler
Related Images:
Art Show: May 2 at Bergino Gallery, NYC
The Baseball Paintings of Will Johnson
Friday, May 2
6:00 – 9:00 PM
Bergino Baseball Clubhouse
67 East 11 Street
The landmark Cast Iron Building, NYC
phone: 212-226-7150
Twenty pieces of Will Johnson’s beautiful, original artwork will be on exhibit and available for purchase. Chat with Will over a complimentary beer and ballpark snacks at Bergino Gallery’s Spring Art Party.
Related Images:
Thank you, Colorado / April ’14
Related Images:
First Listen: ‘Farewell Transmission: The Music Of Jason Molina’
Will Johnson and Britton Beisenherz collaborated on a song for this new compilation of Jason Molina songs.
You can hear the entire album HERE
Pre-order it HERE
Related Images:
Truckee, CA / Reno, NV – April 10, 2014
Related Images:
Living Room Tour Starts Today!
After about nine hours of driving I pulled into Roswell and stopped at the Circle K on North Main Street to get some beer. The first person I spoke with was a lanky, young guy in a black satin jacket and a dirty Miami Dolphins cap. He had what looked like traction encasing the entirety of his right arm. I almost bumped into him at the cooler, and we wound up talking at the register. He told me he’d been stabbed in the chest and in the arm, had just been released from the hospital, and was finally regaining some movement in his wrist. He continued his story to the clerk, who he seemed to know, and I stood at the door and wished him well with his recovery. He turned and flatly said: “I’m really happy to be alive. I’m just happy to be living this life.”
I couldn’t know what led him to this condition, or this chapter. I’ll never know if I was talking to the bad guy, the good guy, or just the wrong place, wrong time guy. But as he talked, and as his eyes and smile lines expressed hope for healing and betterment, I realized, after the most difficult and surreal stretch of my own life, that it felt great to be back out in the world again. As rough as things looked for this guy, there was a centeredness about him, his other arm waving about as he excavated the air in the room for a shred of positivity. Keeping on.
There’s a comfort in the driving, the interacting, in making time for a walk to go watch a sunset, in playing some shows again. In smelling the supper of the contract workers cooking on the grill just outside my hotel room door tonight, and finding some trails to run just after sunrise tomorrow.
It feels good to be back in the American West. It feels good to see signs of Spring.
Maybe see you at the show.
-Will J. / April 2014
# # #
WED APRIL 2 : Albuquerque, NM – SOLD OUT
THU APRIL 3 : Phoenix, AZ
FRI APRIL 4 : Las Vegas NV
SAT APRIL 5 : Los Angeles CA (Altadena)
SUN APRIL 6 : San Francisco – SOLD OUT
MON APRIL 7 : Petaluma CA
TUE APRIL 8 : Sacramento CA
WED APRIL 9 : Reno NV – SOLD OUT
FRI APRIL 11 : Eugene OR
SAT APRIL 12 : Portland OR – SOLD OUT
SUN APRIL 13 : Seattle WA – SOLD OUT
MON APRIL 14 : Boise ID
WED APRIL 16 : Cheyenne WY
THU APRIL 17 : Ft Collins CO – SOLD OUT
FRI APRIL 18 : Denver CO
SAT APRIL 19 : Crested Butte CO