Bruce Hornsby

Bruce Hornsby shares song ft. Bon Iver, touring, playing National Sawdust

As you may know, Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon has been working with ’80s Lite FM balladeer (and onetime Grateful Dead member) Bruce Hornsby for a few years now (including on The National’s Grateful Dead tribute album), so it shouldn’t be a surprise that Vernon and his pals Brad Cook, S. Carey, Rob Moose, The Staves and yMusic contributed to Hornsby’s upcoming album Absolute Zero (due April 12). The album also features Blake Mills, Hornsby’s longtime backing band The Noisemakers, and more. One of the songs featuring Justin as a co-writer and guest vocalist, “Cast-Off,” is streaming now. It’s still very much in the ’80s Lite FM ballad realm, but with some unmistakably Bon Iver-like touches. Hornsby says:

:[“Cast-Off” is] a song about acceptance and even gratitude in the face of rejection, egolessness, patience and humility.

This song was put together in Eau Claire, WI last April, starting with an unused film cue, developed and expanded upon in the studio with spontaneous contributions from Sean Carey (who just walked in and started singing), Jeremy Ylvisaker (playing guitar that doesn’t sound like guitar!), Mike Lewis and JT Bates on sax and drums, Brad Cook (and later Noisemaker JV Collier) on bass, and Justin and I taking turns in the vocal booth trading ideas and melodies. Pretty much, mostly concocted right there at April Base!

Hornsby also has several upcoming tour dates, some of which are with S. Carey, and others of which are with Sam Amidon or Amos Lee. He’s got two shows at Williamsburg venue National Sawdust on April 29 and 30, but no openers billed for those. Tickets for night one and night two are on sale. All dates are listed below.

Tracklist
1. Absolute Zero (featuring Jack DeJohnette)
2. Fractals
3. Cast Off (featuring Justin Vernon and Sean Carey)
4. Meds (featuring Justin Vernon, Blake Mills and Rob Moose)
5. Never In This House (featuring yMusic and The Staves)
6. Voyager One (featuring yMusic)
7. Echolocation
8. The Blinding Light Of Dreams (featuring yMusic)
9. White Noise
10. Take You There (Misty) (featuring yMusic)

Bruce Hornsby — 2019 Tour Dates
04/25 – Boston, MA @ Wilbur Theatre
04/26 — Ridgefield, CT @ Ridgefield Playhouse
04/27 — Kingston, NY @ Ulster Performing Arts Center
04/29 – Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust
04/30 – Brooklyn, NY @ National Sawdust
05/03 – Redondo Beach, CA @ Beachlife Festival
05/06 – Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
06/18 – Charleston, SC @ Charleston Music Hall *
06/19 – Charlotte, NC @ Knight Theater *
06/21 – Atlanta, GA @ Atlanta Symphony Hall #
06/23 – Lexington, VA @ Lime Kiln Theatre *
06/25 – Knoxville, TN @ Bijou Theatre *
06/26 – Asheville, NC @ Salvage Station *
06/28 — Gettysburg, PA @ The Majestic Theatre *
06/29 — Geneva, NY @ Smith Opera House *
06/30 — Derry, NH @ Tupelo Music Hall *
07/12 — Mt. Pocono, PA @ Pocono Mountain Event Center
07/13 — McKees Rocks, PA @ Roxian Theatre
07/14 — Akron, OH @ Goodyear Theatre
07/16 — Huber Heights, OH @ Rose Music Center
07/18 — Mashantucket, CT @ Foxwoods Resort Casino %
07/20 — Richmond, VA @ Maymont %
07/21 — Charlottesville, VA @ Sprint Pavilion %
07/24 — Vienna, VA @ Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts &
08/07 — Milwaukee, WI @ Pabst Theatre &
08/09 — Minneapolis, MN @ Pantages Theatre &
08/16 — Dillon, CO @ Dillon Amphitheatre

* = w/ Sam Amidon
# = w/ Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
% = w/ Amos Lee
& = w/ S. Carey