This month, Headstash photographer Jordan August is on tour with reggae Beatles cover band Yellow Dubmarine as they promote their recent release, “Abbey Dub.” Read Part I here.
Stay tuned for weekly updates and pictures from the road and be sure to check them out at a city near you. Headstash T-shirts are available at their merch table –just ask for Jordan.
For more information, follow Yellow Dubmarine on Facebook and check out our recent feature story interview with percussionist Jonathan Drye.
Photo Credit: Jordan August
Feb. 9 – Hangar 9 – Carbondale, IL
There's nothing like going to a new town with new faces and personalities that you can relate to. It seemed as though everyone who met the band, started off with a wholehearted, "welcome to Carbondale!"
Though I usually say this sarcastically to people in Baltimore when they get a parking ticket, the citizens of Carbondale were truthfully exited to have new faces to share an evening with.
The Congress, from Denver, Colorado, opened things up this time around. They hooked us up with great stories and some words of wisdom.
With a solid college-aged crowd, the jams and grooves went over well as the audience danced and sweated through the night. |
| Photo Credit: Jordan August |
Feb. 10 – 2720 Cherokee – St. Louis, MO
As we drove into downtown St Louis, we were a bit surprised by the lack of people in the streets. It wasn't until we got out of the van that we realized why: it’s cold and windy as hell. The coldest of the trip so far.
As we walked into the club, my jaw dropped. It was a magical room with trippy wall art and sculpture installations throughout. The energy was unlike any other venue we’d hit.
The psychedelic experience was certainly enhanced. Colorful moving lights, lasers on every corner and LED hula-hoops made for an awesome evening.
We had a green room, got fed, got paid and the band played until 1:00 a.m. without any hesitation. It was a blast for everyone who had the privilege to be there. We can’t wait to go back – maybe this time in the summer months, though.
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| Photo Credit: Jordan August |
Feb. 11 – Patton Alley Pub – Springfield, MO
We hit a snag when it came to parking for this show. Our van and trailer is roughly 30 feet long and really difficult to park. Thankfully we squeezed in the lot for a nominal fee, taking up three spots.
Load in was cold as hell, windy and miserable, but our unlimited food tab made up for that. The pub had an amazing beer selection and most of us indulged in at least one heady brew. After a few games of pool, the band was ready to hit the stage. It’s the little things that really make a tour so much fun. |
| Photo Credit: Jordan August |
Feb. 12 – Rock Island Live – Wichita, KS
A foggy afternoon set the tone for what ended up being a night of music and snow-covered streets. Rock Island Live is a smaller, more intimate venue that caters to regional acts.
We indulged with some pizza and microbrews while the sound tech set up as many microphones as he could to create the dynamic sound of Yellow Dubmarine.
The crowd was spread out through the bar and dance floor, bobbing there heads and slow-dancing when the time was right. It’s always tough to judge which shows will be better than others and this one was a surprising hit. As the show ended, the snow started coming down hard.
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| Photo Credit: Jordan August |
Feb. 13 – DAY OFF – Lawrence, KS
After a snowy night, we woke up to cleared, salted streets with high spirits. A short drive to Lawrence made for a lively van ride. The biggest surprise on tour yet was how much culture we experienced in Lawrence.
We wandered through downtown, finding bar after bar with the occasional boutique clothing store. We decided that on our night off that we should enjoy a nice dinner in a bar of our choice with top shelf brews.
We stumbled into Free State Brewery and sat down at a nice long table. The waitress asked if we were here for the beer special, $1.75 pints of Copperhead IPAs. We responded quickly in the affirmative and had ourselves a very enjoyable evening.
A relaxing night before a big show is necessary sometimes, and tonight was the perfect example. |
| Photo Credit: Jordan August |
Feb. 14 – The Bottleneck – Lawrence, KS
With a day off in the same city, it was easy for us to navigate through the traffic and get directly to the venue. We had a nice, long, relaxing afternoon changing guitar strings, soaking in the hot tub and eating Jimmy John’s.
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| Photo Credit: Jordan August |
This time around the band had an opening act in Etch, a solo female performer. This beauty was onstage by herself with just her laptop of deep heavy beats that bolstered the energy of the club in an immense way. It was reminiscent of Bjork and Imogen Heap.
As Yellow Dub changed into their vintage suits and gathered themselves before their 90-minute set, the crowd started to fill in. The sound was great, the vibe was energetic and the boys were ready to take down the house.
With bellies full of Keystone Light, the band fired off “Abbey Dub” with pure precision and grace, only to be followed up with even more graceful jams of some of my favorite Beatles classics.
Lawrence was by far one of the best new city experiences we have had the whole trip.
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For a complete list of dates, check out Yellow Dubmarine's official website.
