Update: April 2008

Posted on April 9, 2008

Spring time again.  Last spring was heavy on the sun dress and pastel shirt crowd for Sons of Bill.  This year we are most certainly making our rounds of the finest Fraternal Orders and Organizations in the South and Mid-Atlantic, but we also have plenty of non-collegiate events on the schedule.  Read on, read on.

The month in review should take special note of our March 21st show with Sparky’s Flaw at the Satellite Ballroom.  It was a hell of a night, stretching far into morning and ending with James smashing his face on the stairs on his way off stage and playing a Bruce Springsteen/Ramones encore with blood streaming down his forehead.  That’s right folks, we’re a rock and roll band.  We’ve sold out the Ballroom before, but this marks the first time we sold out of tickets before the first band even took the stage.  Some nay-sayers may contend that the heavy advance ticketing was due to our alliance with the Flaw for the night.  Nay-sayers need be reminded that they should watch their backs when talking about Sons of Bill on the sly.  We don’t take kindly to such trash.  You may hear a knock at your door and see Johnny Stubblefield through your peep hole.  He’s skinny but he’s mean.  You don’t want to find out first hand. 

Another project of the past month is that we’ve undertaken to convert our trusty Street Team from some hodgepodge boondoggle of pieced together farm equipment into a smoothly run, high-tech juggernaut of promotional efficiency.  Those of you who are already on the Street Team already know this.  Those of you who are not are thinking “Promotional efficiency?!  Juggernaut?!  Farm equipment?!  How do I join?!”  Simple.  Email us at SoBStreetTeam@gmail.com and you will be put on the inside track to all things Sons of Bill.  We can’t wait to hear from you.

 Things are looking rosy for the next few months.  Coming right up, we will be opening the season of Charlottesville’s venerated Fridays After 5 concert series on April 18th.  The very next night, we’ll be back at the Neighborhood Theatre in Charlotte, NC opening for Reckless Kelly.  A few weeks after that we’ll be headed to the Outer Banks for some beach shows and back to Raleigh and all sorts of other beautiful locales.  Make sure to keep up on the Tour Dates section of the site and be sure not to miss SoB when we roll through a town near you.  Here’s hoping we see you soon in the warm April rain.

counting the days till May flowers,

SoB

Update: March (and February) 2008

Posted on March 4, 2008

It’s been a long cold winter, but don’t worry folks, we’ve been keeping warm.  The Sons of Bill have taken barely a single week off since we last spoke in early January.  We’ve headed South twice, taking in Atlanta for a second time, as well as various fine cities throughout Virginia and the Carolinas.  One such city was Charleston, where we reunited with our old friends The Blue Dogs for a show right off King Street at the Music Farm.  Things went so well that we’ll be heading back to Chucktown for a July 4th (actually the night of July 3rd) show down on the beach at the Windjammer. 

Speaking of the beach, we’ve started booking for the summer.  Festivals and Friday afternoon street parties abound.  The action starts (a little early) with Charlottesville’s own Fridays After 5 on April 18th.  For the second year in a row, Sons of Bill will be opening the season of free Friday evening concerts at the Charlottesville Pavilion on the Downtown Mall.  We’ll be playing similar events in other cities throughout the summer, so keep an eye on the Tour Dates page to make sure you don’t miss one near you.  And get your tent and mud boots out because we’ll also be hitting the festival circuit this summer.  Get your tickets ahead of time for FloydFest.  Three days of great music in scenic Southwestern Virginia.  What could be better?  I’ll tell you what:  Sons of Bill is playing a set each day!  Go there.

 Closer on the horizon, we will be heading down I-64 this Sunday to open up for Cross Canadian Ragweed at Toad’s Place in Richmond.  Last time these guys left Texas (Oklahoma, technically) we opened for ‘em in front of a sold out crowd in Harrisonburg.  You don’t want to miss this round.

Looking ahead several weeks, March 21st will see SoB back at Satellite Ballroom in Charlottesville.  For the first time in over a year and a half, the Sons will share the stage with our friends Sparky’s Flaw.  Both bands have sold out the room recently, so we’re planning to pack it in.  Make sure to get your tickets ahead of time.  We don’t want the place full up with Sparky’s fans by the time you people shake yourselves out of your fog and go looking for a way in to a sold out club.

Shows keep rolling in for the spring and summer, so check back before you plan your beach trips and picnics and whatnot.  If you’re lucky you’ll catch the SoB rolling through your town soon.  If not…it’s almost Springtime!  Take a road trip.

Always on the road, rarely tripping

SoB

Update: January 2008

Posted on January 15, 2008

Welcome to the New Year folks!  Sons of Bill ended the last one with a bang, selling out both the IOTA Club in DC, and Satellite Ballroom for our Two Year Anniversary Throwdown.  We’d like to express our deepest gratitude to all those who threw down at either of those shows.  It was a fitting end to a great year in the Sons of Bill corner of the universe.  We compiled a 2007 By the Numbers summary which can be found by clicking on the colored, underlined text in this very sentence.  Some of it is funny.  Some of it is even true!

Moving ahead to the current year, we’ve taken several weeks off in early January to learn some new songs and continue planning our world domination.  Not to worry, the SoB Train will begin rolling soon for the Frostbite Tour 2008, starting on January 25th at Rocktown in Harrisonburg.  It’s been far too long since we hit the ‘Burg, so we plan to do it up in style.  Make sure to check the rest of the tour dates on the (creatively titled) Tour Dates section of this website.  You’ll notice we roll South several times this winter (not a coincidence), so if you live down where frostbite is just a scary story you tell your kids to keep ‘em in line, make sure to check out the schedule.

Shows are still being added to the February line up as you read this, so make sure to check back often to make sure you don’t miss your much needed dose of hillbilly rock and roll.  We’ll be covering some ground this winter so we hope to see you all soon enough.

to more of the same in the New Year,

Sons of Bill

Update: December (and November) 2007

Posted on December 5, 2007

It has been brought to our attention that when we title our updates with the month that just happened it makes our website look neglected and out of date.  Of course, all you true SoBs out there know that we here at SoB Central Offices consistently have our finger on the pulse of the online community and we would never let the Official Sons of Bill Website suffer from neglect.  But just to appease the casual surfers and dilletantes, we will now be titling the updates for upcoming month instead.  And so this update (titled December 2007) will serve to catch you up to speed on what we did in November 2007, as well as point you toward the upcoming December festivities.  Always ahead of the curve here at Sons of Bill.  And here we go…

November went swimmingly in the East Coast hillbilly rock and roll world.  The Sons of Bill completed a five date swing to the South with Austin, TX rockers Reckless Kelly.  The tour went great.  We rocked out, expanded our influence in the Southeast, and got to see five awesome Reckless Kelly shows.  Yee haw.  Furthermore, tentative plans are underway to get us to Texas next year to join the boys on a brief tour of their home state.  Circle your calenders (your entire calender that is) and book the plane tickets.  Them boys rock out in Texas and we plan to rise to challenge.

The very next weekend saw us back in action in the Old Dominion, rocking Alley Katz in Richmond with exiled hometown boys the Wrinkle Neck Mules.  The Mules opened the night and had the downstairs filled to capacity and the balcony overflowing by their second or third song.  Sons of Bill took up the torch of rock around midnight and melted the faces of the faithful until damn near closing time.  It was a triumphant return to our Capital after a long six month absence.  Richmond, we missed you.

Looking ahead we have two shows looming on the horizon that promise to be epics in their own right.  The first is IOTA Club and Cafe in Arlington, VA (also known as Washington, DC South for those not familiar with northern Virginia geography) on Friday December 14th.  This promises to be another triumphant return, as we haven’t played that Capital in quite awhile either.  The show will be an early one, starting around 9pm, so get your Metro stops straight and cruise over to Wilson Blvd for some pre-rock chow just to be safe.

The other show is the legendary Sons of Bill Two Year Anniversary Throwdown at Satellite Ballroom on Saturday December 22nd.  I feel like saying more about this show would make us sound like we dabble in hyperbole and self-aggrandizement, so I’ll try to restrain myself.  Let me just mention that our One Year Anniversary Show set a bar sales record at Starr Hill Music Hall last December.  Starr Hill is now closed.  We have another record to set.

Keep in touch throughout the holiday season as we are currently planning the Sons of Bill Frostbite Tour 2008, kicking off in late January.  Shows will be posted here and on MySpace as they are nailed down.  Until then, we’ll see you in DC or at home on the 22nd.

be good,

Sons of Bill

Update: October 2007

Posted on November 6, 2007

Fall has finally arrived in Central Virginia and the Sons of Bill are ready for it, especially since the air conditioning in Little Debbie (our venerable 2003 Ford Econoline Hi-Top Chariot of Rock) has been broken all summer. Fortunately, the heat does work. Winter tour here we come!

October had several notable highlights, sprinkled in between lots of private engagements. Some of those included another military gig, this time in DC, and an alarmingly intoxicated rehearsal dinner party (only alarming because the actual wedding was scheduled for the next morning). The biggest highlight however, was Sons of Bill’s first visit to the Music City.

You heard right: Nashville, TN finally hopped on the SoB train, and boy was it a ride. We played the historic Exit/In Club, the walls of which are covered with the names of those who have formerly taken the stage. These names included Tom Petty, Willy Nelson, Steve Earle, REM, and all sorts of other intimidating luminaries of their genre. Luckily the Sons of Bill are unphasable and we proceeded to piece together fifty minutes of country rock fury for the (surprisingly large and receptive) crowd of Nashvillians. As we were walking out of the club, we noticed a commotion to our right and were informed that Jessica Simpson and her entourage had just entered the club. At this point nearly everyone in the Exit line turned on their heels and took a spot at the end of the In line, leaving the Sons baffled at the glamour of big city living and the rock and roll lifestyle. Apparently it’s not enough to see someone’s mug plastered all over your TV and grocery store check out line. Apparently, when given the chance, one should also crowd into a sweaty club and stand on one’s tiptoes to catch a glance of said mug in the flesh. Apparently we didn’t get this memo.

Instead, we headed for the honky tonks. Nashville is the only town we’ve ever been involved with where a street exists with nothing but bars and in each of these bars you can find at least one obscenely talented band playing at all times. Some bars have country bands. Some bars have classic rock bands. Some bars have two bands. Most bars in Charlottesville barely have a working jukebox. That last part isn’t quite true, but suffice to say we had a good time in Nashville. Another note of praise and thanks is due to our host, Mr Jess Achenbach, for showing us not only some excellent evening entertainment, but a great breakfast place the next morning.

Looking ahead, the Reckless Kelly tour looms bright on the horizon. Atlanta and four lucky cities in North Carolina better get ready, ’cause there’s a rock show coming to town and we plan to tear it down. For a full schedule, and links to the venues, check the Tour Dates section of this site. Richmonders can also look forward to our triumphant return to Alley Katz on November 23rd. We will be co-headlining the evening with the Wrinkle Neck Mules, in their only scheduled date in Virginia this year. It’s been far too long since either of us showed the state capitol our love, so we can’t wait to bring some much needed rock to Richmond. Further in the future, we’ve got IOTA Club (in DC) on December 14th and then the big time 2-Year Anniversary blowout on December 22nd at Satellite Ballroom. Unless you’re clear on the other side of the globe, we’ll expect to see your shining faces at one of these shows. Until then…

fueling up for the long haul,

Sons of Bill

SoB on iTunes

Posted on October 19, 2007

The Sons of Bill have achieved digital distribution which, to the lay folk, means we’re on iTunes.  We are also on the following download services:  Napster, Ruckus, Muze, Liquid Digital Media, Audio Lunchbox, GroupieTunes, Tradebit, BuyMusic, Inprodicon, MusicIsHere, PayPlay, Verizon, GreatIndieMusic.  There will probably be more to come, but those should be more than enough to tide you over.  Tell all your friends to check us online and make sure to look at the Tour Schedule to see when we’re coming to town.

staggering into the information age,

SoB

Update: September 2007

Posted on October 8, 2007

Here it is again, the beginning of the month.  And what have we been doing with ourselves?  Rocking!  Well, actually a number of other (less glamorous) things as well.  September was characterized by an abnormal amount of Behind the Scenes Planning and Politiking in the Sons of Bill camp.  Unfortunately, most of it was either too boring or too interesting to mention in the this forum.  We did play a few shows though.

One highlight was our third visit to the Knitting Factory in NYC, which was notable for both the brevity and concentrated intensity of our set (45 minutes! damn oversaturated Big City) and the esteemed company who came to watch us throw down.  Not only was the show full to the brim with members of James’ Deep Springs College class, we also had the pleasure of meeting one of the God Fathers of southern rock, Mr. Warren Haynes.  A pleasure to be sure.

However, the most serious work done by Sons of Bill this month concerned not the shows we played, but the shows we booked to play in the coming months.  Most notable is the opening spot that SoB scored on five dates of Reckless Kelly’s East Coast Tour 2007.  The tour is gonna kick off in Atlanta on Tuesday November 13th and roll through the Southeast for the rest of the week, ending on Saturday November 17th in Charlotte.

There are several other dates worth marking down on the calender as well, including our hometown appearance at the first annual Crozet Music Festival on October 20th. This is an all day event taking place in beautiful Claudius Crozet Park, not 5 miles from Western Albemarle High School (where 4/5 of the SoB crew were once students) and about 200 yards from Crozet Pool (where a pre-pubescent James Wilson used to get pushed into the deep end by the local Young Rednecks of America chapter).  The festival features about 20 or so great bands and you can get tickets from the link above.  Music starts at noon and we’ll close things down around 7 in the evening.  We’re all pumped to be playing a show to benefit the hometown, and we hope you all will come out and support some great music and a good cause.

Looking forward to November, we have our reunion with the long lost Wrinkle Neck Mules at Alley Katz in Richmond on November 23rd, and our return - after a prolonged absence - to the IOTA club in DC.  Most importantly (historically at least), we must mention our Massive Hip-Shaking Ear-Drum-Shattering Panty-Igniting Bar-Sales-Record-Decimating TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY THROWDOWN at Satellite Ballroom on December 22nd. 

For a full (and we do mean full) schedule of our next three months on the road, check out the Tour Dates section of this website.  We have also been working on rejiggering our email list and Street Team (more behind the scenes anti-hoopla) so don’t be surprised if you receive some, previously rare, communications from SoB Central Offices in the next few months.  Stay in touch and we’ll see you on the road.

rock on the horizon,

Sons of Bill

Update: August 2007

Posted on September 5, 2007

It’s remarkable how you get home and things just keep going like you never left.  On August 1st Sons of Bill woke up, for the first time in a month, on American soil, following their AFE tour of the Pacific.  On August 3rd we were back on the road, rocking Court Square in Jonesborough, TN.  Such is life in a hillbilly band.  I guess we’ll just sleep when we’re dead.

 August was indeed a busy month in the Sons of Bill camp, but much of the hustle and bustle took the form of behind the scenes machinations.  Countless hours were spent tidying up paperwork for the less glamorous aspects of the AFE tour.  We are also sad to announce that we have parted ways with our booking agent, the lovely Ms. Tammy Brackett of Moonstruck Promotions.  The parting was very friendly and amicable and Tammy still calls us to give us our horoscopes and burrito recipes.  The only difference is that we’ve had to start booking our own shows again (which, by the way, is a big pain in the ass) until we decide which agency should take over for Moonstruck. 

Despite all this tedium, Sons of Bill did find time to play a few shows.  A weekend tour of Wilmington, NC and Myrtle Beach yielded some fine gigs and a few fresh sunburns.  The Loft in Fredericksburg introduced us to some old friends (displaced Hokies who’d grown to love us in Blacksburg last winter) and an excellent old school country outfit, known as the Will Gravit Band.  We closed out the month with our Welcome Back to C-ville show at the Satellite Ballroom, which was a smashing success.  Starr Hill’s luxurious Green Room was sorely missed, but the stage in Satellite (and the curry shop out back) left nothing to be desired and by all accounts…we rocked out.

On a much heavier note Brendan James, an old and dear friend of the Sons of Bill community, pulled his last breath yesterday.  He died peacefully with family and close friends on Tuesday morning Sept 4th after a courageous and deeply inspiring battle with a rare, disabilitating condition.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to Brendan’s family and all the great friends he touched with his life.  Rock In Peace Brendan, you’ve earned it.

As for us, we just count our blessings and keep on doing what it is that we do.  And what we do is bring the rock.  This weekend commences the Great Southern Mini-tour of Raleigh, Greenville and Helen.  Then, later this month, we head north for our third show in New York City on the September 22nd, with a stop in DC on the way back.  Check the Sons of Bill Tour Schedule for more info on our upcoming travels and make sure to keep an eye on this site for other happenings in SoB corner of the universe.

rock solid and rolling south,

Sons of Bill

Best in C-ville! (we knew they’d come around)

Posted on August 14, 2007

Had the balloting taken place on December 23, 2005 (the day after our very first show) Sons of Bill would likely have received no fewer than five votes (perhaps nine counting our parents) for the Best Rock and Roll Outfit in Central Virginia.  These votes may not have tallied up to much, but a short year and a half later, the readers of C-ville Weekly have officially declared the Sons of Bill as the Best Musical Group in C’ville!

Kudos to them for getting their heads checked and their ears wrecked.  We would like to officially thank everyone who voted for us and everyone who’s has helped us along the way.  It’s a long road and we’re barely out of the gate.  You can check out the other winners - including our friend Joya McMurray coming from behind to snag Runner-Up in the Best Bartender category - on the C-ville website.  Thanks again and we’ll see all of you C-villians at Satellite Ballroom on August 31st.

SoB

Update: July (and June) 2007

Posted on August 8, 2007

We’re back!  As of last week, the Sons of Bill touched down on American soil for the first time since the end of June.  As usual, there’s little rest for the weary, so we’ll jump right in to catching you up on current happenings in the SoB universe.

It’s come to our attention that there was never a June update posted on this website.  Well here it is, in fairly brief form.  We played a bunch of shows - a few at the beach, one in Richmond, one if DC - and then threw down epically at Starr Hill in Charlottesville two days before we flew out for Guam.  The sendoff was fantastic and was captured beautifully by videographer Ben Haslup.  Keep your eyes peeled for a possible DVD several months from now, if we ever get our act together to organize and release it.  The night was bittersweet however because Starr Hill, our home turf since day one (and the site of our first ever gig) closed down the week after we left.  The Sons of Bill Farewell Show turned out to be the second to last show ever on the main stage.  RIP Starr Hill.  Mel’s Cafe officially reclaims it’s title as the Coolest Hang On West Main St. (another trophy to place on the mantle next to it’s never reliquished title of Best $6.75 BBQ Rib Platter This Side of Memphis).

Our July exploits were many, but they are well documented in the AFE Tour Diary Update Anti-Blog which can be found elsewhere on this website.  Ergo, we won’t retread that hallowed ground here.  As of now, the C-ville Weekly still has some updates and photos from the trip on their website as well.

The world keeps turning for Sons of Bill.  We already have a busy schedule lined up for August and September, in addition to putting the finishing touches on some recordings and scheduling time to do some more.  Most notably, our welcome back show will be at the Satellite Ballroom in Charlottesville on August 31st.  It promises to at least as wild as the sendoff, though with less pushing and shoving cameramen in the front row.  There’s also a beach run in mid-August and a Great Southern Mini-tour in early September.  Make sure to check out our Tour Schedule to see when we’ll be rolling through your town next.

glad to be home,

Sons of Bill

© Copyright 2007 Sons Of Bill • Contact Sons of Bill • Web Services by BA21.