THE BODEANS HIT THE ROAD TO PROMOTE NEW RELEASE

If there ever was a band that epitomized good old American rock and roll at its best it is “The BoDeans”. Formed by singer songwriters and high school friends Sammy Lianas and Kurt Neumann, the BoDeans, which included Guy Hoffman on drums and Bob Griffin on bass, created a signature sound highlighted by the unmistakable harmonies of Lianas and Neumann. They soon amassed a significant cult following that would land them a major recording contract, national tours and a longevity few artists enjoy. After more than twenty years, with Lianas and Neumann still at the helm, the BoDeans have just released their eighth album “Still”, as they hit the road for a year of extensive touring throughout the U.S. and beyond.

The BoDeans first came into prominence in 1986 with their Warner Brothers debut “ Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams”, a title taken from the line of the Rolling Stones song “Shattered”. It didn't take long for the BoDeans to find fame. Music fans latched onto their fresh harmonies and simple songwriting while critics praised the band, exemplified by “Best New Band” honors from Rolling Stone Magazine. Their 1987 sophomore release “Outside Looking In”, featured the band as a trio with the departure of their drummer Guy Hoffman, went on to chart in the top 100. Rock legends U2 took notice enlisting the BoDeans as their opening act on the Joshua Tree Tour this same year placing the them in front of hundreds of thousands of rock fans that they would never have reached on their own. “When we toured with U2 we played shows in front of 80,000, 90,000 people” recalls Neumann. “It was an incredible six weeks.” Lianas added, “Just to be in that world that was the biggest tour at that time. We learned a lot just watching how they do it. It was an honor to be asked to open for U2. Here was a band that could have had anyone they wanted to open and they chose us.” Rock legend and co-founder of “The Band” Robbie Robertson, used the BoDeans on his self titled debut giving more credibility to a band on the rise. Subsequent releases and concert tours continued through the mid nineties as Lianas and Neumann performed and recorded with varied musicians to back them up. With the release of “Blend” in 1996, the BoDeans continued to perform live but they did not release anything new until 2004 when their Zoe Records debut “Resolution” came out. Their song “Closer To Free”, which was from their 1993 release “Go Slow Down”, became a hit when the TV show “Party of Five” used it as their theme song. With their most recent release “Still”, their first in three years, the BoDeans have offered up one of their finest works giving fans a collection of well crafted songs that are as strong and vibrant as anything they have done to date. Of the dozen tracks standouts include “Pretty Ghost”, “Round Here Somewhere”, “Waste A Lifetime”, “Willing” and “Lucille”. “I think it is our best record”, says Lianas. “All the songs work well together. I think it's a representative of all the things we do well with even more of our signature harmonies.” In this ever changing music climate with record sales remaining stagnant the BoDeans have have adapted to the times in order to make a living. “You don't make money selling records unless you sell a ton of them”, says Lianas, “Now that bands like us are doing it ourselves, if we can sell 10,000 we can do nicely, but you still have to go out there and make it happen. It is a fact across the board that the only way to make a living is to play live”, added Lianas. “We've always made more money from playing shows than records.”
On April 4th the BoDeans played to a sellout crowd at Philadelphia's World Cafe Live offering up a two hour set of BoDeans classics as well as selections from their new release “Still”. While most of the audience were visibly long time fans from back in the day, many wearing their vintage BoDeans concert t-shirts, there were a number of young fans representing the next generation. The BoDeans “Still” can be purchased through the Target retail store chain as well as the bands websites www.bodeans.com or www.myspace.com/bodeans To stay up to date with up and coming events at World Cafe Live go to www.worldcafelive.com

Posted by
Rob Nagy
Photos by Rob Nagy