By John Mikeska
Seasoned road warriors and new south rockers The Vegabonds, are teaming up with LAXI (the musical trio of Chris Laxamana) and Carolla Drinks for a string of dates that fuse elements of music, comedy, libations, and all-round conviviality. Chris is also the associate producer of the Adam Carolla Show, the producer of The Adam and Dr Drew Show and has his own podcast called Resume which is a part of the Carolla digital network.)
Still fresh off the buzz from their new album What We’re Made Of and on pace for close to 150 shows touring behind it this year, 2016 has taken The Vegabonds from the backwoods of the Poconos to the beaches of Southern California. 2017 looks even brighter with their third trip to Europe in late June / early July and another heavy year of touring ahead. Check out this live video / audio below of Blood to Roam.
Laxi
As a band, LAXI brings together elements of a jazz-trio, straight ahead rock ‘n roll and Motown soul singing with a singular level of passionate excitement.
The band has an eclectic mix of covers and originals at their disposal while consciously evolving their sound. In that sense, an evening with LAXI provides the opportunity to witness music created in that rarest vein of inspired exuberance. Simply stated, these are talented individuals excited to bring their music to the people.
As a student of music, Chris has developed an intimate, working knowledge of the art form. During our conversation, we spoke about the subtleties of Wes Montgomery’s finger-style “thumb-as-plectrum” technique and the difficulty in transcribing Scofield’s guitar arrangements among other topics.
Clearly motivated by the process, Chris spoke about bringing technicality into the music by creatively applying techniques like chord substitutions to familiar arrangements and progressions. In this way, LAXI takes a palatable approach to creating sensational sonic textures.
A thank you as well to the special guest bands and musicians joining in on the select tour dates below.
When asked about the concept of bringing comedy and music together for an evening of entertainment, Chris delighted in the opportunity to share his excitement, “both music and comedy can come out of [seemingly] nowhere and make you laugh. Comedy can be as intimate as it gets and some of my favorite musical experiences have come from [intimate] singer-songwriter shows that feel amazing.” Whether in music, comedy, or arguably all forms of creative expression, timing is paramount. “As with music, you have to let jokes breathe. It’s so hard not to rush pacing.” According to Chris, “given the similarities, fusing comedy and music seemed like a no brainer.”
The Comedians on the dates are listed below.
Ryan Doon/Mat Edgar (all dates) – Lahna Turner (Houston, Dallas, Austin) — George Perez/Bryan Redban (San Diego) – Jill Kimmel / Jimmie Whisman (Phoenix)
Tickets can be purchased in advance for $10 at http://www.carolladrinks.com/About-Us/Events using the code “carolladrinks”.
Nov 30th – San Antonio, TX (Jack’s Patio Bar)*
Dec 1st – Houston, TX (Secret Group)#
Dec 2nd – Dallas, TX (Curtain Club)%
Dec 3rd – Austin, TX (Lucky Lounge)%
Dec 6th – Phoenix, AZ (Last Exit Live)
Dec 7th – Las Vegas, NV (Beauty Bar)
Dec 8th – San Diego, CA (Winston’s) @
Special Guest Bands:
The Heroine*
We We’re Wolves#
The Mammoths%
Mike Dawson@
Live Music Daily 