AOD fans coming off the Gathering of the Vibes show last weekend will likely have to wait to mid-September to see the band again when the kick off their fall tour. Beyond the new tour dates, Assembly of Dust also has a new record out as well.

Calling in some friends, Reid Genauer tapped Mike Gordon of Phish, Bela Fleck, Martin Sexton, Richie Havens, David Grisman, John Scofield and Earvolution friend Grace Potter who all lend their talents to Some Assembly Required. The band kicks off the fall in New York and after a mostly northeast run heads west:

Sep 18 2009 Revolution Hall Troy, New York
Sep 19 2009 Higher Ground South Burlington, Vermont
Sep 24 2009 Paradise Rock Club Boston, Massachusetts
Sep 26 2009 Calling Planet Earth Festival Charlestown, Rhode Island
Sep 29 2009 Port City Music Hall Portland, Maine
Sep 30 2009 The Bowery Ballroom New York, New York
Oct 1 2009 River Street Jazz Cafe Plains, Pennsylvania
Oct 2 2009 The Note West Chester, Pennsylvania
Oct 3 2009 Recher Theatre Towson, Maryland
Oct 16 2009 Bluebird Theater Denver, Colorado
Oct 17 2009 Boulder Theater Boulder, Colorado
Oct 18 2009 Community Concert Hall Durango, Colorado
Oct 21 2009 The Mint Los Angeles, California
Oct 22 2009 The Independent San Francisco, California
Oct 23 2009 The Red Fox Tavern Eureka, California
Oct 24 2009 Mississippi Studios Portland, Oregon
Oct 25 2009 Tractor Tavern Seattle, Washington

You can listen to more of the new songs over on the Assembly of Dust Myspace page. You can also download an mp3 for the track "Arc of the Sun" that features Mike Gordon of Phish right here.

Labels: Assembly Of Dust, Bela Fleck, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Mike Gordon, Mp3s, Phish, Tour Dates

By: David Schultz

On a typical night, Reid Genauer shares the stage with such a fine array of musicians that it’s easy to lose sight of his special gifts as a singer and songwriter. Over his lengthy, estimable career, Genauer has played an integral role in the growth and development of Strangefolk and Assembly Of Dust. This month, Genauer has picked up his guitar and hit the road on his own for a short spate of acoustic shows, embarking on his first true solo tour. In taking the stage by his lonesome, Genauer has been playing select shows along the East Coast, providing a rare treat for his fans. For the New York gig, Genauer opted against playing one of the cozy, intimate venues that teem throughout Manhattan in favor of the club-like environs of Sullivan Hall.

In dusting off much of his material, Genauer cut directly to heart of each song. Stripping the Assembly Of Dust material of its musical flourishes, Genauer let his voice and lyrics carry the show. After appealing to the movie geeks in the audience by welcoming everyone to the Dexter Lake Club, Genauer joked that anyone looking to rock tonight may have come to the wrong place, that all you were going find here was someone baring their soul. He was slightly disingenuous with both statements: thankfully, Genauer didn’t get all Ani DiFranco on the crowd and with some solid guitar playing, he did manage to rock the house quite a bit.

Playing before his hometown crowd, Genauer seemed to relish the environment, commenting that with “6 wedges (monitors) and 4 whiskeys” at his disposal, he might be the happiest he’s ever been. At the outset, the decision to play an acoustic show in a hall more suited to louder styles seemed to be a mistake as the chatter of the crowd threatened to overwhelm the music coming from the stage. The hallmark of any good singer-songwriter, Genauer nimbly fought the nattering masses and for more than an hour and a half, needing nothing more than his guitar, his voice and a handful of finely crafted songs to attract their attention. As he played, Genauer slowly quieted the extremely chatty Sullivan Hall crowd; he never completely silenced the audience, though he did get the majority more interested in him than their own conversations.

Genauer debuted some new material, of note, the pleasant “The Second Song” which he appropriately played as the second song of his set. For the most part though, Genauer offered solo renditions of songs from his Assembly Of Dust catalog with the best moments coming when he bore full throttle into AOD’s most soulful and energetic tunes. In trotting out “Harrower,” “Telling Sue” and, by request, “Speculator,” Genauer relied on his remarkably strong voice to provide the power normally delivered by fellow Dusters Nate Wilson, John Leccesse, Adam Terrell and Andy Herrick. They played better with the Sullivan Hall crowd than softer, more reflective songs like “40 Reasons” and “45 Degrees” which yearned for more respectful ears.

In the acoustic setting, the wonderful narratives of Genauer’s literate lyrics were more pronounced. A gifted wordsmith, Genauer writes wonderful tales full of dust-bowl imagery and insightful observations. He also proved himself an amiable host, chatting with the audience between songs. He confessed that on his recent string of solo shows, he’s learned why singer/songwriters talk so much: they simply get tired and need a break. More talkative than at an Assembly of Dust show, Genauer didn’t treat the night as his own version of Storytellers, keeping the night focused on the music. As the night came to a close, he eased into a faultless version of “Songs We Sing” that provoked the same joyous reaction from the crowd as it does at any Assembly of Dust show.

With his glasses and slightly doughy physique, Genauer does not look like your prototypical frontman. Appearances can be misleading that way. Displaying a powerful voice, full of the empathy he carries for the subject matter of his songs, he never wavered or dropped his intensity over the course of the night. In displaying a subtle and self-assured charisma, Genauer revealed himself to be an incredibly engaging solo performer as well as one the more unlikely people to get a crowd gleefully dancing to just one man playing an acoustic guitar.

Labels: Assembly Of Dust

If you're in NYC this weekend, the Green Apple Festival is kicking off. Earvolution friends Licorice will be performing at The Knitting Factory, Tap Bar at 11PM as part of the Green Apple Music and Arts Festival, NYC with Mike Dillon's Go Go Jungle and The Bomb Squad.

And, if you're itching to get started earlier in the day you can get an afternoon treat at 4:30 from Grace Potter and the Nocturnals followed up by a just announced set from Ozomatli at 5:45. Both of these great acts are throwing down as part of the Earth Fair at Grand Central Terminal (on Vanderbilt Ave.).

Saturday afternoon should be just as great with sets by Zero, State Radio and Assembly of Dust. Details of these sets and the rest of the festival are available here.

Labels: Assembly Of Dust, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals, Green Apple Music and Arts Festival, Licorice

By: David Schultz

In describing Assembly of Dust's sound, Reid Genauer coined the term "hick-funk." Oxymoronic as it may be, it is an apt term to describe the sound of the band Genauer formed two years after leaving the Vermont jam-rockers Strangefolk. Recollection, their third studio album and second on Hybrid Records, has more of a country/upbeat folk feel than their live performances. By pulling back the reins, Genauer gives Assembly Of Dust space to work and in so doing keeps the focus on the songs and the lyrics.

With Nate Wilson inserting timely and deliciously funky keyboard lines and Adam Terrell handling lead guitar, Assembly of Dust sound like an East coast, latter-day version of The Eagles on Recollection, only without the decadence, drugs or Don Henley's pompous attitude. With his songwriting, Genauer (and Wilson) travel down the same trails blazed by Robert Hunter and the Grateful Dead, creating working class characters and populist motifs on "Telling Sue," "Bootlegger's Advice" and "Samuel Aging." The rhythm section of Adam Herrick (drums) and John Leccesse (bass) nicely work their way through sections spanning from jazz to seventies-era light funk in a subtle manner.

Assembly Of Dust is not a band that captures your attention by trying to overwhelm you. However, Recollection effectively captures their inviting laid-back style. Much in line with the Assembly's demeanor, Recollection's charms don't immediately jump out; rather, they blossom and unfold much in the same way the world unravels itself in their songs.

Labels: Assembly Of Dust

By: David Schultz

Very few environmental scientists possessing an M.B.A. from Cornell get to have their name chanted in unison by adoring fans. Yet, this past Thursday night after the Assembly of Dust concluded their set at New York's Irving Plaza such an event did so occur. Responding to the exuberant and reverent chanting of his name, Dust's most recognizable face, Reid Genauer, returned to the stage, guitar in hand, kicking off the encore with an acoustic version of "Sideways Train." Genauer's remarkable academic resume notwithstanding, the crowd's adulation for him arises more from an appreciation of his skills as a singer-songwriter than from his proficiency with his guitar. With a poetry and optimism missing from many songs today, Genauer and occasional collaborator Nate Wilson tell simple, rural stories involving recognizable characters that show a skillful mastery of old-school Dylanesque songwriting.

After spending close to a decade with the Vermont-based Strangefolk, Genauer left his former mates to pursue his graduate studies. Unable to keep away from the stage, Genauer ultimately formed the Assembly Of Dust as an outlet for his new songs and to the consternation of some old fans, for old Strangefolk tunes. Maintaining a calm presence on stage, Genauer delivers his songs with a relatively conversational singing style. Not until he dives into the chorus does Genauer's deceptively strong voice reveal itself. Genauer's well-designed choruses, whether it be from Assembly of Dust originals like "Amplified Messiah" or Strangefolk favorites like "Valhalla" and "Roads" inspire rousing sing-alongs from the crowd.

When the band steps away from the mikes, good things result as Genauer's songs provide a wonderful framework for the band to show off their improvisational skills. AOD will extend the songs in concert but, save for the show closing "Westerly," opts against stretching them to extraordinary lengths. With Genauer playing rhythm guitar, the onus of lead guitar sits upon the shoulders of Adam Terrell. Where other guitarists might pull the band into trippy, exploratory territory, Terrell surgically punctuates each song with crisp solos, adding to the mix rather than taking it in a different direction. On the other side of the stage, Nate Wilson patiently provided solid keyboards, awaiting the opening provided by "Speculator" to provide a wonderful Hammond organ solo that had the crowd swaying to and fro. Bassist John Leccese and drummer Andy Herrick provided a firm backbone, providing support rather than solos.

Significant for those who take note of their fellow concert-goers, Assembly of Dust's laid back sound attracts a good number of female fans, who unlike some that you might see at a Dave Matthews Band show, truly dig the band. Prior to Dust assembling on stage, the Hackensaw Boys provided an hour long set of bluegrass and traditional acoustic music, quickly spreading their contagious enthusiasm throughout the crowd. Early arriving fans received a treat with the hellaciously sexy Grace Potter leading the Nocturnals through a short but remarkable set capped off with an organ-heavy rendition of "Nothing But The Water."

Following in the footsteps of other notable musicians that have passed through the Burlington, Vermont area, Genauer and the Assembly of Dust excel on stage. The troupe from Instant Live have been following the band through their December shows, including their second annual two night New Year's run at Boston's Paradise Rock Club. Putting his M.B.A. to fine use, Genauer craftily closed the year by creating a slew of albums capturing the band in their element.

Labels: Assembly Of Dust, Grace Potter and The Nocturnals