ItsCountry - Country Music Events

OUT ON THE WEEKEND 2017, MELBOURNE
Presented by Triple R
11:30am – 10:30pm Saturday 14 October 2017
Seaworks, 82 Nelson Place, Williamstown

• Justin Townes Earle
• Son Volt
• Traveller (Jonny Fritz, Robert Ellis & Cory Chisel)
• All Our Exes Live In Texas
• The Deslondes
• Robbie Fulks
• Fanny Lumsden
• The Sadies
• Joshua Hedley
• Raised by Eagles
• Freya Josephine Hollick
• Davidson Brothers
• Moonee Valley Drifters

“It’s a continued pleasure to bring music lovers the finest sounds in the international and local Americana scene to the glorious Seaworks venue. Four years strong and building, we aim to put on an excellent day of cultural and important entertainment hand picked for your pleasure. We used to talk up the fine food and booze selections on offer, but that goes without saying now. Its always the best! Avoid imitations and late comers, Out On The Weekend is the real deal. Authentic presentations by passionate people with colourful experience. Buy a ticket, get your look on, study up on acts you don’t know, and see you in October for the good times.” BT, Love Police

Headlining Out On The Weekend in 2017 will be the award winning Justin Townes Earle. Recent new father of both a new album and a daughter, JTE has been absent from his favourite country for a few years now. It will be a treat to have him back on the big stage with a full band, new and old tunes and the same hammer down guitar pickin’ goodness he possesses. His seventh full-length album “Kids In the Street” has incredible reviews with Rolling Stone Australia giving it four stars and stating “It’s Earle’s best work in years.” The Music said “4 Stars – “Growing up has never sounded so alluring” while Rhythms Magazine in its Feature Album review said, “It would be unfortunate if this album did not get the attention it so richly deserves.”

Also appearing for the first time ever in Australia is the legendary Son Volt. Led by the songwriting and vocals of Jay Farrar, Son Volt was one of the most instrumental and influential bands in launching the alt.country movement of the 1990’s. A movement that was the precursor to what is now widely referred to as Americana. The band released their eighth studio album “Notes Of Blue” which was described by The Music “As vital as anything he’s penned since Uncle Tupelo’s halcyon days.”

Individually Jonny Fritz and Robert Ellis have graced the Out On The Weekend stage, but in 2017 they return with and Cory Chisel as Traveller. The three formed the group to take a detour around the well paved, monotonous road of solo artistry. It’s a band of three great friends, all with distinct styles, who love to write and perform together. This is a no brainer. And it will be lots of fun with a solid backing band and an album of tunes that will be released real soon.

We all fell in love with All Our Exes Live In Texas last year, let’s do it all again on the big stage this year! Their debut album “When We Fall” is a fantasy draft of Sydney’s finest singer-songwriters – Elana Stone, Katie Wighton, Hannah Crofts and Georgia Mooney – here combining in four-part indie-folk heaven. On mandolin, ukulele, accordion and guitar they’ve got it all. As Brag magazine said, “Catch them before they’re famous and only perform for royalty and astronauts.”

Every year there is at least one act you have never heard of, but walk away loving. This year that act is The Deslondes. Hailed by NPR as “deft assemblers of a sound that traverses decades and styles with humble grace,” the New Orleans five-piece band will play Australia and Out On The Weekend for the first time. In the time between the release of their self-titled debut and sophomore album, “Hurry Home,” The Deslondes have toured the world and drawn critical acclaim for their studied and inventive take on New Orleans country and R&B.

Another first time visitor is long time Bloodshot Records troubadour and Grammy nominee, Robbie Fulks.  His storytelling through folk and bluegrass music on recent album “Upland Stories” delivers the quieter, sometimes unsettling truths of humanity. His back catalogue and career have earned him deep fans all over the world.

The bubbles and spunk of Fanny Lumsden will add a new dimension of the local scene when she hits the stage this October. Described as ‘a breath of fresh country air’ by Rolling Stone Magazine, and with an ARIA nominated debut record ‘Small Town Big Shot’ plus a brand new album, “Real Class Act,” due in September, the time is right for Fanny and band to make a big bang.

The Sadies, who hail from Ontario will bring their Canadian country rock to Australia along with their latest album “Northern Passages” which has been called the bands “masterpiece.” With Northern Passages, the time has come to make room for more on this wild acid-folk-country-punk trip, and we’ll be better off because of it. Underground legends, festival favourites, all round great guys.

Recently signed to Jack White’s Third Man Records and Out On The Weekend fan favourite Joshua Hedley is back again! He has toured Australia in the past with Justin Townes Earle, Willie Watson, Robert Ellis and Joe Pug and returns for what will be another jaw dropping performance. Expect big things to keep coming from this incredible talent.

It’s hard to believe it’s barely been four years since Melbourne based Americana exponents Raised By Eagles played their first live show. With three albums already under the belt, the new album “I Must Be Somewhere” was rated four stars by The Music, they return to the Out On Weekend stage.

Please welcome Freya Josephine Hollick, the old world country songbird from the Victorian goldfields. She sings of lowdown and dirties, of high times and golden mansions and the bursting and the burning of the heart. A voice that floats between Maybelle Carter, Dolly Parton and Skip James, is a lady not to be missed. With a full band and a swag of great tunes, expect to fall in love with this fine lady’s work at Seaworks.

The Davidson Brothers, Hamish and Lachlan Davidson, smell, breath have immersed themselves in bluegrass which is why they have been described as one of Australia’s hottest bluegrass acts. But it was The Age newspaper said it best “All music should be this much fun.”

And, last but not least, The Moonee Valley Drifters are alive and well and have been doing their thing since 1984, and they still perform with the motto Roll With The Punches, Make It Swing And Groove On Your Hunches. A Melbourne institution who will have the Pirates Tavern swingin’ throughout the day. Get your good time dancin’ shoes on.

There it is. Out On The Weekend. Another instalment of good times by the water in Williamstown. Curated food and booze available all though the day and night.