While the city was on lockdown, local Americana band Lucero finished recording a new album at Sam Phillips Recording Studio.
“We all wore masks, everybody stayed out of the way and everything,” says Brian Venable, the band’s guitarist. “But it was interesting. First or second night in, not only was there COVID, but the protests started happening and you couldn’t go out after 10. There was a whole lot of stuff going on in the world.”
Fans might be able to hear a couple of songs from the new album this Saturday during Lucero’s first live-streamed concert (recorded from Minglewood Hall) since they last toured together in February. Venable says the band agreed that they preferred this method of streaming over other methods they’ve seen musical artists use.
Dan Ball
Lucero
“Jason Isbell supposedly did that thing where everybody Zooms from their different houses and plays music together,” he says. “That sounds logistically like a nightmare. I go online mostly every night for an hour on Instagram and read. I’ve read four books aloud. There’s a Brian Venable Book Club now. I was like, man, I’m so tired of white, bearded, tattooed guys singing about girls on the internet.”
Venable adds, “There’s something about playing in your living room, but there’s also something about pay-per-view events where there’s lights and good sound and there’s a possibility of hearing new songs or making requests.”
Venable says, if everything goes according to plan, Lucero will play their annual Family Block Party in September. Until then, however, Venable says he hopes that this live stream will provide an authentic “MTV-like” experience for viewers.
“Tune in. Have fun. We’re Lucero,” he says. “Somebody is gonna be drunk, somebody’s gonna mess up, someone’s gonna have fun. Those three things are guaranteed.”
lucero.veeps.com, Saturday, July 11th, 9 p.m.-midnight; $10 for general admission; $50 for VIP, which includes T-shirt and signed screenprint poster.
