Dan Tedesco with a FULL BAND & Special Guest Luke Fox at Vaudeville Mews in Des Moines
Saturday, October 22, 2016. Doors at 8pm

**This show will be recorded for a live EP released exclusively to pre-sale ticket buyers. Grab a ticket, get a download**

Tix: http://bit.ly/2bqQnaV
21+

I’ll be debuting a full rhythm section comprised of local favorite Dylan Boyle, ex-Bright Giant bassist Justin Goes and ex-Mint drummer Christian Peters.

Visit http://bit.ly/2bjtC8T for more info.

LUKE FOX:

Not one to be lost in the fold of other bearded troubadours and poets of his ilk, Luke Fox has blurred the lines of modern folk for quite some time as a solo performer. Sharing with his listeners every footstep of the journey which has led him to this moment, his debut album, “A Still Between Echoes” provides an experience that he hopes is both cinematic and moving to his listeners.

Recorded in Des Moines, IA, the album showcases not only Fox’s songwriting but also called upon the talents of a number of local musicians to help see the songs to their full potential. With the release of his first single, “It Ain’t Easy” Luke Fox was invited to participate in Little Big Fest, the premier festival for showcasing folk and jam artists hosted by the Des Moines Music Coalition.

My new album, which serves as the second half of 2015’s self-titled, was released the Kum & Go Theatre show on May 27, 2016 in ‎Des Moines‬. No press. No full-album streaming. The most ambitious record I’ve made, to date. It was tracked here at home, in a very lo-fi setting, similar to the first half of the project. However, these songs are accompanied by various drum loops and electronic instrumentation. The result is a very organic performance juxtaposed against a digital subtext, serving as a commentary on life in-between Polaroids and Instagram.

Track list:
1. My, Oh, My (Heart Of The Crowd)
2. If The World Only Knew
3. Critical Acclaim
4. Dylan Went Electric
5. One-Hit Wonders
6. I Don’t Know Where That Leaves Me
7. Dark Houses
8. Fat On The Bone
9. Keep Runnin’ On
10. Let Me Play My Guitar (I Will Not Do Ya Wrong)

Available, exclusively, here: https://www.DanTedesco.com/buy-albums.
Turn it up!
DT

Check out this cover I did of Billy’s Joel’s 1974 track “The Entertainer”. You may stream it below or download it for free via the bottom link. Enjoy!

Download .MP3

1. Are you on a label? No
2. Do you have a manager? No
3. So, do you play all over? Yes
4. Do you break a lot of strings? No
5. Do you have an album out? Yes. 4 to date.

Anyone who’s been to one of my shows knows that I work hard; not looking for any special compliments there. Writing music, recording it and taking it around the country is a full-time job. It’s not only happening during the day, but continues, at some degree, even while I’m asleep. I’m an independent operation that runs (or breaks down on the side of the road) based on your support.

Each of my albums are available on my website for $8, and can be purchased as a full discography package for $25. Just follow this link: https://www.dantedesco.com/buy-albums.

Music isn’t free.

-DT

From a house in Iowa… Literally.

I’ve been pretty obsessed with cooking for the last, oh, five or six years, and it’s taught me an invaluable lesson. If you have really high quality food, don’t fuck it up with a million seasonings, or by constantly flipping it around in a pan or on the grill. If it’s good, just let it cook. I’ve watched hours of various food shows, thanks to Netflix, and very often the real magic, more than technique, is the fusion of styles; the creative matching of ethnic flavors in unique combinations.

Last summer, when I first started messing around with a new batch of demos, I very quickly decided that I had some strong songs that I didn’t want to fuck up, if you will, by getting too involved with. I love recording studios, and some of my favorite people, who have my utmost respect, run and work in them, but these songs came from a more personal place that I felt, very early on, required a different kind of attention than what a studio presented. They came from the silent hours between towns, stretched over multiple years, answered only by the insistent whine of the highway and the confidence of time.

I tracked this entire record on my iPad, in various parts of my house, performing live into the onboard condenser mic. I worked very quickly. Most of the final versions were first or second takes. In between tracking I’d often say to myself, “Dan, maybe you should go into a studio”, but then, after resting my ears for a day, I’d listen again and something would always draw me back in. I found a couple apps to assist with mixing/mastering the audio, to the best of my ability. I forwent fixing minute performance errors and audio engineering blemishes. It mattered significantly more to me how these particular tracks felt versus whether or not they were properly recorded. Like the culinary influence, I cared more about the mixing of my influences and ideas, than I did about genre or technique.

The result is an album of personal introspection. When you travel for long periods of time, alone, you slip closer to an off-the-grid experience. While, admittedly, this is not always the healthiest for one’s sanity, it did provide a fresh perspective on my priorities. I could almost see society from the outside. These songs are that view, presented in the starkest, most pure way that I can offer, for anyone who might like to take a look.

– Dan Tedesco
Des Moines, IA
9/30/15

Check out the video of Dan’s Storyteller session for “Death In The Valley” that streamed on YouTube on March 10, 2014. Keep your eyes open for notice of future events. Enjoy!

• YouTube Storyteller Session

  

  
  

The power of the song, of music, of art – in general – to initiate change, provoke thought and move culture along can be pretty astounding. People like Pete Seeger, who passed away earlier today, have fundamentally shown that to the world, and, in doing so, inspired generations. Writing the songs for, “Death In The Valley”, I was asking myself old questions and using the characters in the narrative to search for new answers. Admittedly, themes such as the challenging of the status quo, the balance of personal/social responsibility, economic struggles, control (or a lack there-of) and hope are nothing new. Rather, it was my intention to use them as a lens to gauge life in our increasingly modern times. Or in other words…

“Every year the valley grows deeper,
The hillside grows steeper,
The winds they grow stronger,
The shadows grow longer,
We will grow older,
But will we grow colder?
Or can we grow wiser?
Can we grow kinder?
Instead of harder?
‘N instead of farther, ‘n farther, ‘n farther, ‘n farther, ‘n farther on
Into this Death In The Valley”

Available 2.4.14 @ DanTedesco.com

“Death In The Valley” Official Release

I’ve officially slated TUESDAY 2.4.14 for the release of “Death In The Valley”. The exact format(s) that the album will be available in is still being sorted out, and I should have those details by January’s newsletter. Furthermore, there are plans in the works for an official release show in Lexington, KY (where the album was recorded) to include a number of the musicians that performed alongside me on the record. Stay tuned for more details. In the meantime, you can check out a new preview titled, “Back Home Again” here 🙂

Early-2014 Tour Plans

Quite a few dates are already on the books, and here is what you can expect in the early portion of 2014. In February-early March I am looking at the south east, up through the east coast/New England and wrapping back through a portion of the Midwest. The month of April will be spent touring through the South/South West, up into the Northwest and catching another slice of the Midwest by the end of the month. All the specific dates will be announced after the New Year. Keep an eye on my Tour Dates for any other announcements.

Made it into the NY Times  Thanks to the guys at Rabbl for including me in this feature. Check it out: http://nyti.ms/14SXkHL

A lot of you folks may not of seen this, but here is the video of me performing on WGN-TV Chicago in June. Enjoy!