Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears deliver blues nationwide

Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears deliver blues nationwide
May 13, 2009
By Tara Hall
LiveDaily

Blues outfit Black Joe Lewis [ tickets ] and the Honeybears will spend the coming months opening shows on two separate tours, followed up with a couple festival appearances.

The Austin-based group's next show is (5/13) in Solana Beach, CA, as the continue to provide opening support for Lucero along the West Coast through the end of the month. A 10-day trek with The New York Dolls kicks off June 2 in Oklahoma City, OK, and wraps up June 12 in Atlanta. The band's summer road trip is currently set to finish up with a July 11 gig at Chicago's Folk & Roots Festival, and a hometown performance Oct. 4 at the Austin City Limits Festival is also on the books. The full itinerary is below.

The eight-piece outfit celebrated the release of its full-length debut, "Tell 'Em What Your Name Is!," during this year's South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, TX. Spoon drummer Jim Eno lent a hand with the record's production.

Lewis, who happened into music a few years ago while working at a pawn shop, kicked off his musical career opening for Little Richard on the University of Texas campus, according to the band's website.

Though the group's debut is out and doing well, peaking at No. 3 on Billboard's Top Blues Albums, Lewis claims this is only the beginning.

"The way I look at it, I have to step up my game every day," the blues singer explained in a messages posted at the group's site. "I look at it as a challenge. It's great that we've gotten noticed, but we've got to keep those people interested and bring more people in. If you don't keep moving forward, nobody's gonna care--and I'm gonna make sure people really care about this band."
[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its accuracy as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before tickets go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for late updates.]
tour dates and tickets
May 2009
12 - Phoenix, AZ - The Rhythm Room (with Lucero)
13 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern (with Lucero)
14 - Long Beach, CA - Alex's Bar (with Lucero)
15 - West Hollywood, CA - Troubadour (with Lucero)
16 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's (with Lucero)
17 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Crepe Place (with Lucero)
19 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow's Night Club (with Lucero)
20 - Chico, CA - El Rey Theatre (with Lucero)
21 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre (with Lucero)
22 - Seattle, WA - Tractor Tavern (with Lucero)
23 - Vancouver, British Columbia - Biltmore Cabaret (with Lucero)
24 - Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo House of Music (with Lucero)

June 2009
2 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom (with New York Dolls)
7 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues (with New York Dolls)
9 - Saint Petersburg, FL - The State Theatre (with New York Dolls)
10 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House of Blues (with New York Dolls)
11 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues (with New York Dolls)
12 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage (with New York Dolls)

July 2009
11 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Folk & Roots Festival

October 2009
4 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits Festival