Doing the music of The Band comes naturally to Matt Burke and his bandmates in Have Gun, Will Travel.
So it’s no surprise that will cover the music of The Band at the Palladium’s Summer Jam concert on Saturday, Aug. 19, which recreates the 1973 Watkins Glen show featuring the Allman Brothers Band, The Grateful Dead, and The Band. (Steeln’ Peaches will stand-In for the Allman Brothers, with Uncle John’s Band covering the Grateful Dead).
We’ve already sold 600 seats for this special evening. To get your tickets before they are gone, please follow this link.
In the ‘60 and ‘70s, The Band, led by Robbie Robertson and Levon Helm, pioneered the genre now known as “Americana,” but they also defied easy classification and loved pushing musical and stylistic boundaries. Have Gun, which has been making original music since 2006, follows that same musical map. The Bradenton-based band is often categorized as Americana, but they are one of a kind.
I’ve been a fan of HGWT since their earliest albums. Their recordings and live shows are built around great musicianship, strong vocals, and hook-laden original songs.
HGWT quickly became Florida favorites and earned fans outside the state, especially, in film and TV productions. The band’s songs were included on the Netflix series The Ranch, CBS’s The Good Wife, Travel Channel’s Expedition Unknown, ABC’s American Housewife and the PBS series Roadtrip Nation, as well as a national Chevy TV commercial campaign and more.
A few years ago, promoter Phil Benito was doing a series at The Crowbar in Ybor City called Real Deal Thursdays, which featured a movie with an iconic soundtrack, and a band recreating the music live. He asked Matt and the band to recreate the music from The Band’s farewell concert film, The Last Waltz.
“The Last Waltz was an important film for (Phil) and we were the first band he thought of,” Matt Burke told me. “All of us collectively love the music of The Band, so it was an easy decision to say yes.”
Since then, HGWT has performed The Last Waltz at the Palladium and other venues.
Have Gun continues to produce original music and we’re hoping to have them at the Palladium, doing their own music, in early 2024, to celebrate the release of two very special EPs.
For more news and info about Have Gun, Will Travel, follow this link to their website.
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