Concerts: The Strawbs Set To Tour Eastern US In June
The Strawbs will be touring, again, this June in the group?s classic 1974 lineup.
What originally endeared this progressive rock band to fans was their unique musical evolution out of 1960s English Folk music. The band has enjoyed commercial success over the years with a talented array of British musicians. First starting in 1967 as the Strawberry Hill Boys, a bluegrass and folk trio, the Strawbs became stars of the British progressive rock and folk scene at the same time ? gracefully using the traditions of electric and acoustic music for their unique sound.
The group's reputation in the U.S. and Canada firmed up with the release of the A&M Records albums Hero & Heroine and Ghosts. Still led by founder David Cousins, the same band that recorded those historic albums will be performing here -- Dave Lambert on lead guitar/vocals, John Hawken on keyboards, Chas Cronk on bass/vocals, and drummer Rod Coombes.
These gifted musicians have each traveled through a special musical journey; Cousins is widely considered to be one of Britain's top songwriters - he played guitar for both Leonard Cohen and Joni Mitchell on their first UK TV shows; Lambert's work with the band Fire is noteworthy; Hawken enjoyed success with The Nashville Teens and Renaissance; Cronk has worked with Rick Wakeman (a former Strawbs member before joining Yes) and for five years toured with former Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett; Coombes was part of Steelers Wheel.
In 1974, The Strawbs album Hero And Heroine spent 17 weeks on the Billboard album charts, also selling well in Canada. The band's follow-up, Ghosts also spent several months on the Billboard album charts. The Strawbs have a huge catalog of great songs to draw upon and they continue to release new material and win over new fans.
The tour begins at B.B. King's Blues Club in New York, NY on June 10 and travels through Pennsylvania, Maryland, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois.
[Source: Leighton Media; photo: Strawbs at NF 2004 ? Stephanie Sollow]