#mouth painter

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Rose City Band - The Miniplex, Arcata, California, March 5, 2025

A few weeks ago, I hopped on Zoom with pedal steel maestro Barry Walker, Jr. to talk about his new/incredible album At the 13th Moon Gravity Well. And you can read the (edited) results of our conversation now over at Aquarium Drunkard! Over the past several years, Barry has been on a tear, whether with Mouth Painter, North Americans, Rose City Band and beyond. This new one, credited to the Barry Walker Unit, is exploratory, improvisatory and totally thrilling. Barry notes that they had "five or six hours of stuff" to cull from — and frankly, I'm ready to hear it all.

But until the uncut At the 13th Moon Gravity Well is released, we can dig into a tasty recording of Rose City Band from earlier this year in the wilds of northern California. I caught RCB a week or so later in Denver, and let me assure you, this group of musicians is on fire in 2025, bringing a rare tastefulness and precision to the classic jam band sound. As frontman Ripley Johnson's pedigree guarantees, they know their Dead bootlegs as well as they know Suicide and John Coltrane.

But don't take my word for it! Rose City Band just kicked off another leg of their tour in support of Sol y Sombra — go see 'em if they're playing anywhere near you. And RCB has some great opening acts this time around, too: The Powers-Rolin Duo, Sarah Louise, Wet Tuna and ... Prairiewolf??? That's right, we're honored/terrified to be warming up the Colorado crowds in Denver (Sept. 29) and Boulder (Sept. 30). It's going to be sweet.

[doomandgloomfromthetomb]

Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard :: The Rose City Band Expanded Universe

At long last, Rose City Band made its way to Colorado last night, and I was lucky enough to catch the show. It was killer, obviously; their current tour wraps up in a couple days, but they've got many many many more dates coming up in the USA and Europe later this year. You gotta see 'em!

RCB began as a country/psych project of Ripley Johnson (Wooden Shjips, Moon Duo, etc), but it's proven to be much more than a diversion, with five fantastic records in about six years. For this trip, Johnson has brought onboard a cast of stellar musicians, many of whom have their own sonic situations happening. So! For this month's edition of Radio Free Aquarium Drunkard, I've put together a little mix that showcases the Rose City Band Expanded Universe, featuring such associated acts as Mouth Painter, Plankton Wat, John Jeffrey, Vive Le Void and more. A good listen, I think! It'll air on dublab at 4pm PST on Sunday, March 16. TUNE IN.

[linghuxcourtyard]

[dramoor]

“When a diving accident left my body paralyzed so many years ago, it did not deter my love for art. By God's grace, I learned to paint by holding the brushes in my mouth! This painting, which I titled We Three Kings, was done using oil paints and inspired by Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night. I wanted to depict another starry night, where three wise men were guided by wondrous signs in the sky. Oh, what a journey it was for those wise men! And not for just one night. They probably traveled for months, even years. Though long and difficult, they kept their eyes on their goal. The wise men knew that their long journey would be worthwhile when they laid eyes on their messiah! As Christmas approaches, I hope you see, like the wise men, that there is no greater joy than to worship the savior. Let us rejoice in the great gift that is Jesus Christ!!”

~Joni Eareckson Tada

[linghuxcourtyard]

[linghuxcourtyard]

[linghuxcourtyard]

[linghuxcourtyard]