With hardly a minute at home to catch up on sleep and DVDs, Girl Talk is kicking off 2009 with a host of shows across the U.S.! In the months ahead, Girl Talk (aka Gregg Gillis) will hit several towns throughout the slushy midwest, stop off in Arkansas, M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i and the mountains of Montana, and then make his way south for the sunshine of sandy Florida. (Not to mention a two week trek in between to New Zealand and Australia.) Still reeling from the craziness of Girl Talk's fall tour for Feed The Animals, the Steelers continuous killer season, plus making all of those best of 2008 lists and winning $600 at black jack in Vegas, Gillis continues on. Before he knows it, he'll have played all 50 states by the end of 2009! 

Girl Talk 2009 Tour Dates:
Fri.    Jan. 9    Omaha, NE @ Slowdown w/ Grand Buffet, Hollywood Holt 
Sat.    Jan. 10   Des Moines, IA @ Peoples Court w/ Grand Buffet
Fri.    Jan. 16   Bloomington, IN @ Jake's Nightclub w/ Grand Buffet, Hearts of Darknesses
Sat.    Jan. 17   Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall w/ Grand Buffet, Hearts of Darknesses 
Sun.    Jan. 18   Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall w/ Grand Buffet, Hearts of Darknesses
Thu.    Feb. 12   Little Rock, AR @ Revolution Music Room w/ Mad haPPy
Fri.    Feb. 13   Oxford, MS @ The Lyric Oxford w/ Mad haPPy
Thu.    Feb. 19   Missoula, MT @ University of Montana Ballroom w/ That 1 Guy 
Fri.    Feb. 20   Bozeman, MT @ Gallatin Co. Indoor Arena w/ That 1 Guy 
Tue.    Mar. 3    Pensacola, FL @ Sluggos w/ Grand Buffet, Hollywood Holt 
Wed.    Mar. 4    Gainesville, FL @ The Venue w/ Grand Buffet, Hollywood Holt
Thu.    Mar. 5    Tallahassee, FL @ The Moon w/ Grand Buffet, Hollywood Holt
Fri.    Mar. 6    St. Augustine, FL @ Harvest of Hope
Sat.    Mar. 7    Orlando, FL @ Club Firestone w/ Grand Buffet, Hollywood Holt
Sun.    Mar. 8    Miami, FL @ Langerado Music Festival 2009 @ Bicentennial Park

Marco Benevento will call Northern California home in February when he hosts a four week residency at Yoshi's in Oakland. Supporting his new release, Me Not Me (available February 3 from The Royal Potato Family), Benevento is set to appear every Tuesday of the month at the prestigious east bay jazz venue with a different set of special guests. He'll launch the run on February 3 with an album release party featuring his core trio comprised of bassist Reed Mathis and drummer Andrew Barr. They'll also perform a handful of shows later that week in the northwest. The following Tuesday, Benevento revisits the "two drummers and a saxophone" band from his storied 2008 Sullivan Hall residency with drummers Billy Martin and G. Calvin Weston and tenor saxophonist Skerik. The following night the same lineup heads south for an appearance at Largo in Los Angeles. On February 17, week three, guitarist Jeff Parker of Tortoise joins Benevento along with the Nels Cline Singers' rhythm section, bassist Devin Hoff and drummer Scott Amendola.  Rounding out Benevento's four consecutive Tuesdays at Yoshi's will be "Quartet The Killer," performing the music of Neil Young, for which Benevento will be joined by his partner in The Duo, drummer Joe Russo, along with tenor saxophonist Peter Apfelbaum and trombonist Josh Roseman.

The Los Angeles Times recently selected Marco Benevento as a "2009 Artist To Watch" in anticipation of Me Not Me. The ten track collection finds Benevento interpreting the work of artists such as Deerhoof, Leonard Cohen, George Harrison and My Morning Jacket among others. Benevento also contributes three original compositions, including "Now They're Writing Music," which was first performed as a rough sketch last spring when the Brooklyn-based pianist appeared on "The World Cafe With David Dye." In addition to Benevento, the album features the aforementioned Mathis and Barr along with drummer Matt Chamberlain. The set was recorded in Seattle at Chroma Sound and mixed in Brooklyn by Bryce Goggin.

Upcoming tour dates are:

January 10 / Winter Jazzfest at Sullivan Hall / New York, NY
February 2 / Don Quixote's International Music Hall / Felton, CA
February 3 / Yoshi's / Oakland, CA
February 5 / The Triple Door / Seattle, WA
February 6 / Axe & Fiddle / Cottage Grove, OR
February 7 / The Goodfoot / Portland, OR
February 10 / Yoshi's / Oakland, CA
February 11 / Largo / Los Angeles, CA (w/ Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey)
February 17 / Yoshi's / Oakland, CA
February 24 / Yoshi's / Oakland, CA
March 7 / The Bell House / Brooklyn, NY

Chicago's favorite export is coming to Colorado, and I'm not talking about either crooked politicians or Da Bears.  I'm talking about Umphrey's McGee, who will be doing a four-night stint along the Front Range later this month, beginning at the Aggie in Fort Collins on the 22^nd.  From there, UM will be stopping at the Boulder Theater on the 23^rd, with back to back gigs in Denver at the Fillmore and Cervantes on the 24^th, and a show in Breckenridge on the 25^th. 

Umphrey's McGee is touring in support of their new album, Mantis, and are sure to draw some huge crowds along the way, so get your tickets now if you don't want to miss out.  For the album, Umphrey's is waging an innovative, and fan-driven pre-order campaign.  The more pre-orders that come in, the more bonus material becomes available.  The idea: fans spread the word so that everybody gets more swag.  Brilliant. 

Anyone not yet on the Umphrey's bandwagon deserves to know that the band is as innovative with their music as they are with their marketing.  Jazzy, jammy, danceable, psychedelic, intellectual, and above all experimental, UM is finding more fans and more acclaim all the time.  Last time they came through Boulder, we were lucky enough to be a part of the special all-acoustic Umphrey's experience.  This time, the band will be all-electric, turned up to 11, and pedaling high-energy mania like cheap beer – as much as you want for as long as you can take it.  The acoustic shows are fun, but this time it'll be Umphrey's in their element, the way they were meant to be seen. 

After they leave Colorado, Umphrey's McGee will hit the road again for the rest of their national tour, with stops basically everywhere from the here to the East Coast.  Check out the band's website for dates, and to download a free holiday EP featuring never-before released material culled from holiday shows over the past few years.  See you at the show!

Toubab Krewe is thrilled to be in Denver for NYE tonight at Cervantes' Masterpiece Ballroom. Special guest Rayna Gellert (Uncle Earl) joins the band for the run on fiddle.

The band then heads east to play their first show of 2009 in New York at S.O.B's (1/8) to celebrate the wider release of their new album, Live at the Orange Peel. It'll be available on iTunes and other digital outlets starting 1/6, including a new bonus track recorded at our most recent Orange Peel performance.

The tour continues throughout the Southeast (more dates to be added soon). Joining the band on many of the dates will be their good friend Jar-E from Asheville.

12-31 Denver, CO           Cervantes'

      News Year's Revival: Panjea Feat Michael kang(SCI) and Chris Berry and the 50 Piece Panjoric Orchestra w/ DNALand feat Kyle Hollingsworth ; Rayna Gellert joins TK on fiddle

1-8   New York, NY         S.O.B.'s

      Jar-E

1-17  Athens, GA           Georgia Theatre

      Jar-E

1-20  Vienna, VA           Jammin' Java (Inauguration Party!)

      Jar-E

1-21  Charlottesville, VA  Gravity Lounge

      Jar-E

1-23  Virginia Beach, VA   Jewish Mother

      Jar-E

1-24  Richmond, VA         Capital Ale House Downtown Music Hall

      Jar-E

2-6   Carrboro, NC         Cat's Cradle

      Jar-E

2-7   Charlotte, NC        Neighborhood Theatre

      Jar-E

2-14  Atlanta, GA          Smith's Olde Bar

      TBA