Black Jake & the Carnies
Thursday, April 25th at Trumbullplex
Black Jake & The Carnies, the Ypsilanti-based Kings of Crabgrass, are proud to announce the release of their third studio effort, "Watching, Waiting," available April 23. Recorded in the winter of 2012 at Big Sky Studios in Ann Arbor, MI, just prior to the departure of long-time mandolinist Zach Pollack, "Watching, Waiting" signifies a return-to-roots effort for Black Jake & The Carnies (after a fashion). The clean instrumentation and orchestrated vocals take center-stage on this 5-track EP. Traditional gospel tunes get worked up into a frenzy on the first two tracks, dissolving into the locomotive-powered instrumental, "Last Stop." The record then veers off into more irreverent territory with their Muppets-inspired rendition of an old Red Ingle tune, before finishing off with "A Good Man Knows," a powerful original played at a blistering pace, featuring some of the band's most intricate playing to date.
To celebrate the effort, BJ&TC have scheduled two shows immediately following the official release. The first, scheduled for April 25, takes place at Detroit's sexiest anarchist collective, The Trumbullplex. The second takes place in their home town of Ypsilanti at Woodruff's Bar. Joining them at both performances is Possessed By Paul James of Austin, TX, making a couple of rare Michigan stops before heading to Chicago for the MoonRunners Music Festival.