Michael Daves “Orchids and Violence” Album Release Shows – Bluegrass (feat. Noam Pikelny, Brittany Haas) and Electric (feat. Kid Millions) - Plus spec

Grammy-nominated guitarist and singer Michael Daves (Chris Thile & Michael Daves, Tony Trischka), will celebrate the release of his double album “Orchids and Violence” (due February 26 on Nonesuch Records) with a series of live performances in NYC March 3-5, 2016. On the albums, Daves recorded two discs, each with an identical track listing of mostly traditional bluegrass songs: the first features straightforward interpretations of them and was recorded live to tape in a 19th-century church with a stellar band of roots-music innovators; the second disc, recorded mostly by Daves in his Brooklyn studio, includes drums, and electric bass and guitars, and takes a raw, experimental rock approach to the same old-time material. In each of these performances, audiences will have the chance to hear the songs from the albums done in their contrasting interpretations, with Daves leading two distinct bands.



In the first set, Daves will present the bluegrass material along with Noam Pikelny (Punch Brothers) on banjo, Brittany Haas (Crooked Still, Dave Rawlings Machine) on fiddle, Jake Jolliff (Yonder Mountain String Band, Joy Kills Sorrow) on mandolin, Larry Cook on bass, and Jen Larson on harmony vocals. Special guests, fiddle virtuosos Mike Barnett and Alex Hargreaves will join the bluegrass band for several numbers The second set will feature the electric material with Daves joined by experimental rock drummer Kid Millions (Oneida, The Boredoms) and bassist Jessi Carter (Buzz Buzz Tabernacle).



Both of Daves’ bands feature acclaimed musicians on the vanguard of their respective instruments and styles. Hailed by the Chicago Tribune as the "pros' top banjo picker," Pikelny was recently awarded IBMA’s Banjo Player of the Year and Album of the Year awards. Haas recently toured and recorded with the Dave Rawlings Machine and is regarded as one of the most influential fiddlers of her generation. On the electric side, drummer Kid Millions (aka John Colpitts) is a highly-sought collaborator by progressive and indie rock bands. New York Times writer Ben Sisario lauds the “fury and expert precision” of Millions’ playing, and describes him as “a musician who has become deeply enmeshed in the underground rock world of New York and beyond . . . a ubiquitous force in a constantly changing scene.” Bassist Jessi Carter is a visual artist and also Daves’ wife and longtime musical collaborator. She played on and helped produce the electric side of “Orchids and Violence,” and contributed album cover artwork.