with ellen cherry! She and I will sing the songs we’ve written together over the last year and then dolly varden will play all the new songs we’ve been working on in the studio over the last year or so. We’re getting closer to being finished with our new album – we have a release date! October 2nd. We’ll have the release party concert at SPACE in Evanston on Saturday, October 6th. Info on tickets and more coming soon. Come by Schubas on the 23rd to hear the new songs live for the first time.

AND I’ll be celebrating my birthday!

Here’s a new song called “Mayfly” recorded live  at Szold Hall in Chicago
MAYFLY-LIVE-3-4-12 by stevedawson

I’m really looking forward to playing in the performance space in the brand new Old Town School of Folk Music building, 4545 N. Lincoln Ave. I’m putting together a set list now with new and old songs. Cameron McGill, a very gifted Chicago singer / songwriter will be playing the first set. Tickets on sale now at the Old Town School’s website

Dolly Varden will re-issue a re-mixed and remastered version of our long out-of-print debut album, Mouthful of Lies, on January 24th. We’ll celebrate the reissue at Schubas in Chicago on Saturday, January 28th at 9pm. Tickets are on sale now at Schbuas.com. Jason Narducy and his band open the show! We’ll play the album in its entirety and then play a second set of “favorites.” We hope to see you there!!

2011 has been a year filled with new music, played with many brilliant musicians. I feel very lucky. Along with dozens of memorable shows in and around Chicago, I had the great fortune to travel to the UK with Magnolia Summer and tour with the Wynntown Marshalls from Edinburgh, to collaborate with Ellen Cherry, and to accompany and get to know Jami Lunde. Thanks to everyone, and thanks to all of you who came out to the shows!! It is great to live in a city so rich with gifted and generous musicians, and filled with people who go out and hear original music.

2012 is already shaping up to be an exciting year. Here’s some stuff I’m looking forward to:

*Van Morrison’s “Astral Weeks” performed live at SPACE in Evanston, Jan 8th

*Dolly Varden‘s re-issue concert for our debut album, “Mouthful of Lies“, at Schubas Jan 28th.

*Concert at the Old Town School’s brand new listening room, Szoid Music and Dance Hall, with Alton Smith, Diane Christiansen, Jason Roebke, and Frank Rosaly AND Cameron McGill opening the show. March 4th.

*A BRAND NEW Dolly Varden album! Probably May, 2012. No title yet. I gotta say, it’s sounding really good.

*Getting back out on tour a bit with Dolly Varden!

*Collaborating more with Ellen Cherry and letting you hear some of the songs we’ve written together

Full details on the concerts at the ‘shows’ link above.
Happy New Year!     -Steve

Preaching To The Choir from steve dawson on Vimeo.

I am honored to be a part of a new collection of live recordings
from the archives of the Old Town School of Folk Music: 127
songs spanning 53 years of performances from Joan Baez, Big
Bill Broonzy Mahalia Jackson, Pete Seeger  and....me (?!?)
(along with Andrew Bird, Robbie Fulks, and many others).
Preview and  download at itunes,  Amazon, or CD baby
selections:
Temporary,  Sept 17, 2006, with Joel Paterson (drums),
Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone) and Casey McDonough (bass)
The Dying Soldier, Dec 9, 2007, from Robbie Fulks' tribute
to the Carter Family concert, solo performance
Apple Doll, Aug 2 2003, CD release show for 'Duets', with
Diane Christiansen, J. Adasiewicz, Mike Bradburn (bass),
and Dave Williams (drums)

Simon’s Tavern, Sunday, Oct 2nd at 9pm. No cover!

Steve Dawson, Jason Roebke (bass), Frank Rosaly (drums), Diane Christiansen
(singing) and Jason Adasiewicz (vibraphone). we’ll sound a little bit like this 5210 N. Clark St, Chicago. 21 and over. 9 – 11:30pm