Alisa Milner and Ian McFeron
Ian McFeron (from Seattle, WA)
Friday, October 5th, 2012 – 8:00pm / opening
for The Road
The Sportsmen's Tavern, 326
Amherst Street, Buffalo, NY, 14207 - (716) 874-7734
Ian McFeron,
whose lyrical prose has been compared to Bob Dylan, Ryan Adams and David Gray,
weaves together a variety of roots-Americana traditions to create his own unique
form of roots-oriented American music.
“2011 was a big year for us,”
McFeron says. “We recorded the new album in Nashville with some of our heroes,
toured the United States from coast to coast twice, and played our first
international tour.” His sixth and newest album, “Summer Nights” was recorded
and mixed in just ten days at Studio G! in East Nashville, Tennessee. The album
was produced by Patty Griffin’s long-time guitarist and musical collaborator,
Doug Lancio and features musical performances by Lancio as well as Ryan Adams
and the Cardinals’ drummer Brad Pemberton, Ryan Adams’ bassist Billy Mercer,
keyboardist and Seattle-native Micah Hulscher, and McFeron’s long-time musical
partner Alisa Milner on fiddle and cello.
After the Spring release of
“Summer Nights” McFeron and Milner embarked on a three month, 68 show tour of
the U.S. followed by a summer packed with regional performances with the band.
“We’ve stayed hungry and ambitious over the years. I was talking with a friend,
and counted that I was only home for eight scattered weeks in 2011. Every year
or two we try to double our touring route,” said McFeron. After two years of
living on the Interstates of America, McFeron pushed across the Atlantic, adding
32 Fall performances spread throughout England, Wales, Scotland, and
Ireland.
The performances in Ireland were of personal significance to
McFeron. Exactly ten years ago, he spent three months in Belfast with the
University of Washington’s Comparative History of Ideas department. “We studied
the Northern Irish conflict and looked how competing versions of history
presented challenges to making peace. Belfast became really dear to me, and it
was a surreal sort of homecoming being back.” McFeron was excited to see how
the city had grown and changed. “When we were there this November, Belfast was
hosting the European MTV awards. Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, all these
celebrities were staying in the Europa Hotel downtown. Ten years ago, the
Europa was infamous for being the most heavily bombed hotel in Europe. To see
how far the peace process had come in such a short time was really
inspiring.”
Even though McFeron is scheduled to perform over 200 shows in
2012, he is most looking forward to time in the studio this winter. “I’m always
writing music and looking ahead to the next album project,” he says. “That’s
what really keeps the wheels rolling for me.” So whether he is planning another
world tour, or recording albums that make friends out of heroes, you can always
bet Ian McFeron is dreaming big.
Ian McFeron takes the stage at The
Sportsmen on Friday, October 5th at 8:00pm, opening for The Road. He will be
joined by long time musical partner and accompanist Alisa Milner, a Texas-style
fiddler, cellist, and harmony vocalist.
“…McFeron is a fine singer and
songwriter, an alt-folk/rock/Americana performer who strikes a cool balance
between the mellow and the edgy.”
- San Antonio
Express-News
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For more information
about this show, please contact
The Sportsmen by phone (716) 874-7734 or visit them on the web at
www.sportsmenstavern.com
For more
information about Ian McFeron , visit him on the web at:
www.ianmcferon.com
www.sonicbids.com/ianmcferonband
www.myspace.com/ianmcferonband
http://youtu.be/0gaE73lt38s
"...You don't
have to know about Ian McFeron's background to know that these songs were all
probably written in cheap hotels in the middle of the night, and history tells
us that's where the best ones come from..."
- Alan Harrison, Maverick
Magazine, UK
"Ian McFeron plays an earthy yet sophisticated blend of
folk, rock, alternative-country and blues that belies the band's youthfulness.
And it's danceable, too.”
- Gene Stout, Seattle Music Critic