Austin Scaggs and his Cabin Down Below Band have turned their annual celebrations of the music of Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Neil Young and Tom Petty into a small cottage industry. What started out in the basement of a small East Village bar are now must-attend events attracting an impressive roster of musicians to what amounts to a drunken karaoke party. For the first time “The Fests” will go bi-coastal to celebrate the music of Tom Petty, as both New York and Los Angeles will get their own unique versions on this annual celebration. Tomorrow night at NYC’s Webster Hall, Justin Townes Earle, Karen Elson, Father John Misty, Nicole Atkins, Devendra Banhart, Jesse Malin, Delta Spirit, Ryan Miller of Guster and more will take the stage.
While Petty Fest will head to Los Angeles for a two-night stand at The El Rey Theatre on November 14 and 15, which will see the likes of Pat Carney (The Black Keys), Nick Valensi (The Strokes), members of Eagles Of Death Metal, Harper Simon, Jenny O., Rodrigo Amarante and more on the bill. Tickets for all Petty Fest shows are currently on sale, with 100% of the ticket proceeds going to the Sweet Relief Musicians Fund, which helps struggling musicians.
If you don’t live close enough to NYC or LA to attend Petty Fest, then maybe you’ll be able to hit one of these recently announced tours…
- Yo La Tengo: Maxwell’s Hannukah Residency (12/8 – 12/15)
- Local Natives: North American Tour (1/29 – 4/27)
- Willie Nelson: Early Winter Tour (11/15 – 12/31)
- KDTU & Robert Randolph & The Family Band: Clash of the Titans Tour (12/28 – 12/31)
- Toubab Krewe & John’s Brown Body: Holiday Hurricane Tour (11/27 – 12/6)
- Toro y Moi: Winter Tour (1/30 – 3/3)
- Railroad Earth: Horn-O-Plenty Getaway (11/23 – 24)
- Antibalas: December Tour (12/6 – 12/28)
- Roky Erickson: Late Fall Tour (10/27 – 11/18)
