In conjunction with the band's return to the TLA (now the Fillmore) for the first time since November 18th, 2005, we have decided to post this show, one of the most requested shows on the fan site, for everybody to hear...

We are pleased to announce the release of The Duo's 11/18/2005 performance at the TLA in both FLAC and mp3 formats ($9.95 for mp3, $12.95 for FLAC) on livedownloads.com.

Like the Baltimore tour closer on the following night, this soundboard recording catches the band at the tail end of a very long fall tour. The band is crackling with energy that is obvious in both performance and banter. From the "Play Pause Stop" opener to the "My Pet Goat" closer and everything in between, Marco and Joe are in control of both the audience and the music on this very special night. And don't miss the "Epic" jam in the midst of a raging "Myxamytosis."

A familiar setlist indeed, but let the music speak for itself:

Disc One

1. Play Pause Stop (8:50)
2. Sunny's Song (4:35)
3. Becky (11:07)
4. Soba (6:24)
5. Memphis (5:11)
6. 9x9 (9:27)
7. Welcome Red (6:55)
8. Hate Frame (10:22)
9. Mephisto (14:58)

Disc Two

1. The Three Question Marks (11:04)
2. Myxamytosis (8:33)
3. Best Reason to Buy the Sun (5:58)
4. My Pet Goat (11:37)

http://www.livedownloads.com/show.asp?show=2156

Hi Everybody:

Since we have some European friends out there, we wanted to let everybody from across the pond know that Joe Russo will be heading your way next week with Chris Harford's Band of Changes. The lineup features Mr Harford on guitar and vocals, Scott Metzger on guitar, Matt Kohut on Bass, and Joe on drums.

He will be hitting the following cities, so if you are located in any of these places, or find yourself traveling in Europe over the next couple of weeks, come on out and say hey (in the native tounge).

12/1 - Vienna, AUSTRIA - Bluebird Festival
12/4 - Zurich, SWITZERLAND - Club Zukunft
12/5 - Innsbruck, AUSTRIA - PMK
12/6 - Offenbach, GERMANY - Hafen
12/7 - Prague, Czech Republic - Klub Strahov
12/8 - Ebensee, Austria - Kino Ebensee

While talking international, the Duo will be hitting Montego Bay, Jamaica with the Caribbean Holidaze from 12/13 through 12/18 before returning home for their New Years Run with the New Deal guys as THE JOIN (tickets still available through our website).

Enjoy!!

Hey Everybody:

We can't wait for the big Halloween celebration at the Independent in San Francisco tomorrow night...will it be all treats or a couple of tricks? You'll have to show up to find out (maybe you should show up both nights in case there is a trick that rears it's head as a delayed treat). We are having a blast out on the road and can't believe that we waited this long to get back out there. We're playing a few new tunes, including a couple that feature our friend Tom Hamilton (of American Babies) on guitar.

Anyways, on to the point of the bulletin. The start times for this week's shows are listed below. We only wish that we had exact start times for Bellingham, but we are still awaiting word from the club...that shouldn't stop any of you in the area from making the trip out on Saturday night. So without further adieu:

10/30 - Harlow's, Sacramento, CA
Doors at 8:30 PM
American Babies (solo acoustic) at 9:30 PM
Duo at 10:30 PM

10/31 - The Independent, San Francisco, CA
Doors at 7:30 PM
American Babies (solo acoustic) at 8:30 PM
Federico Aubele at 9:15 PM
Duo at 10:30 PM

11/1 - The Independent, San Francisco, CA
Doors at 7:30 PM
Federico Aubele at 8:30 PM
Duo at 10:00 PM

11/2 - Berbati's Pan, Portland, OR
Doors at 8:30 PM
American Babies (solo acoustic) at 9:30 PM
Federico Aubele at 10:15 PM
Duo at 11:45 PM

11/3 - Nightlight Lounge, Bellingham, WA
Doors at 8pm
Show TBA

11/4 - Chop Suey, Seattle, WA
Doors at 8:00 PM
American Babies (solo acoustic) at 8:45 PM
Federico Aubele at 9:40 PM
Duo at 11:00 PM

** Also, be sure to head on over to the Merch Table, as we have a couple of new designs for you to check out, in addition to a limited edition split EP w/ American Babies.

Thanks and looking forward to seeing everybody on the road.

Enjoy.

Hey Everybody:

We can't wait for the big Halloween celebration at the Independent in San Francisco tomorrow night...will it be all treats or a couple of tricks? You'll have to show up to find out (maybe you should show up both nights in case there is a trick that rears it's head as a delayed treat). We are having a blast out on the road and can't believe that we waited this long to get back out there. We're playing a few new tunes, including a couple that feature our friend Tom Hamilton (of American Babies) on guitar.

Anyways, on to the point of the bulletin. The start times for this week's shows are listed below. We only wish that we had exact start times for Bellingham, but we are still awaiting word from the club...that shouldn't stop any of you in the area from making the trip out on Saturday night. So without further adieu:

10/30 - Harlow's, Sacramento, CA
Doors at 8:30 PM
American Babies (solo acoustic) at 9:30 PM
Duo at 10:30 PM

10/31 - The Independent, San Francisco, CA
Doors at 7:30 PM
American Babies (solo acoustic) at 8:30 PM
Federico Aubele at 9:15 PM
Duo at 10:30 PM

11/1 - The Independent, San Francisco, CA
Doors at 7:30 PM
Federico Aubele at 8:30 PM
Duo at 10:00 PM

11/2 - Berbati's Pan, Portland, OR
Doors at 8:30 PM
American Babies (solo acoustic) at 9:30 PM
Federico Aubele at 10:15 PM
Duo at 11:45 PM

11/3 - Nightlight Lounge, Bellingham, WA
Doors at 8pm
Show TBA

11/4 - Chop Suey, Seattle, WA
Doors at 8:00 PM
American Babies (solo acoustic) at 8:45 PM
Federico Aubele at 9:40 PM
Duo at 11:00 PM

** Also, be sure to head on over to the Merch Table, as we have a couple of new designs for you to check out, in addition to a limited edition split EP w/ American Babies.

Thanks and looking forward to seeing everybody on the road.

Enjoy.

SET TIMES FOR THIS WEEK'S PERFORMANCES
Hey everybody, we wanted to make sure that you were aware of the exact set times for our upcoming performances on the Fall Tour that starts tomorrow night in Boulder. In order to ensure that everybody is able to make it out to the shows and catch all of the performances, we are listing the set times for every show (on a weekly basis). Please note, due to situations outside of our control, these times may be shifted throughout the day of the show, but not by much, if at all. Without further adieu:

10/25 - Fox Theatre - Doors at 8:30 pm, American Babies (Solo Acoustic) at 9:15 PM, The Duo at 10:30 PM
10/26 - Getty Center - Something for Rockets at 6pm, The Duo at 7:00 PM
10/26 - The Mint (Late) - The Duo at 11:00 PM
10/27 - Fillmore (Denver) - Doors at 7:00 PM, Duo at 8:00 PM, Yard Dogs Road Show at 9:00 pm, Devotchka at 10:15 PM
10/28 - Belly Up Aspen - Doors at 7:00 PM, American Babies (solo acoustic) at 9:00 PM, Duo at 10:15 PM (the venue will also be showing the World Series Game earlier in the evening, and show may start a bit later depending on when the game ends)

More news regarding next week's show later this week.

LIVEDOWNLOADS.COM AND THE DUO TEAM UP FOR FLAC AND MP3 DOWNLOAD SITE
We have been hinting at it, and it has officially gone live...the IT being the portal for Duo shows on livedownloads.com. We are very excited to announce that we have released the following performances on FLAC and mp3 formats for you to download today. Head over to LiveDownloads.com Duo Portal
:

5/11/05 "Raw Horse" - previously available as an import only (unless you live in Japan), "Raw Horse" captured the Duo at the early stages of the "Best Reason to Buy the Sun" tour when they touched down at the Fox Theatre in Boulder. Highlights include an other-worldly "Three Question Marks" as well as a stunning version of "My Pet Goat". The entire release is available in FLAC format for $9.95 and mp3 format for $7.95

3/19/06 - Amsterdam, HOLLAND, The Melkweg - This was the opening set of the opening night of "Jam in the Dam 2." The Duo warmed the crowd up for a phenomenal three-night journey that included a variety of collaborations and experiments. This particular night found Marco calling out for good friend and long-time collaborator, Brian Haas (of the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey) to join him during "Mephisto." While Haas was "indisposed" at the time, he did find his way up on stage for some beautiful interplay during the Duo's version of "Paranoid Android" to close out the night (and then came back the next night with his bandmates in JFJO as well as Charlie Hunter and Bobby Previte ... who knows, maybe you'll get that show down the line). This performance is available in FLAC format for $12.95 and mp3 format for $9.95

7/19/06 - Nashville, TN, Ryman Auditorium - In the midst of their summer tour with Trey Anastasio and Mike Gordon, the Duo touched down in the famed halls of the Grand Ole Opry and lit the place ablaze. Augmented on this night by the infamous Lighting Designer, Chris Kuroda, Marco and Joe delivered what is still to this day, one of Marco's favorite Duo sets ever. Short but sweet, the set highlights the interplay between the two musicians in one of the best-sounding rooms in the country. The guys nod to the state of their location with a lilting version of "Memphis" that is followed by a downright scary version of "Myxamytosis" before closing things out with the ethereal beauty of "Sunny's Song." This show is available in FLAC format for $9.95 and mp3 format for $7.95

Expect more archival releases as well as some releases from the upcoming Fall Tour to be available on the site soon.

Enjoy

Hi All

Things are ramping up and YaYo is ready to roll Way Out West once again for the first extended tour of 2007 for the Benevento/Russo Duo. We have been working our way through some old and new material as we excitedly prepare for this two-week run out throughout the Rockies and the West Coast.

Big nights lay ahead in Boulder, LA, Denver, another 2-night run at the Independent in San Fran (this time celebrating the Day of the Dead - can you think of a better place to celebrate Halloween than with us in SF ... expect some heavy darkness next wednesday by the Bay) and a quick run through the Pac NW. We don't even know where to begin, as this tour includes all of our favorite spots in these areas and then some. Launching the tour at the Fox ... check! Two crazy shows in one night in LA, including an afternoon at the Getty Museum with our boys in Something for Rockets (keepin it as sexy as ever) and a late-night with many friends celebrating the 70th Anniversary of an LA Landmark (the Mint) ... check! Then back to Denver to kick off Devotchka's Fillmore pre-Halloween throwdown. Hooking up with 18th Street Lounge Recording Artist Federico Aubele for two nights of Halloween celebrating of our own at the Independent (and if you haven't seen the madness that this room creates, you haven't quite seen the madness at it's most extreme) - past histrionics at this particular venue have included collaborations with Les Claypool and Napoleon Murphy Brock (during Ropeadope New Music Seminar in 2004), as well as random sit-ins from Mike Gordon and Will Bernard (2005), and last year's 2-nighter with the guys in Apollo Sunshine and our dear friends in the JFJO ... ok, you get the point yet?!?! Follow it up with a return to Portland, Bellingham and Seattle, and you have a quick and to the point delivery of some heavy and heady music. And don't think we've left out the return to Aspen as well as the state capitol of California (Sacramento for the geographically inept). All of this, and toss in some acoustic sets by American Babies (solo-Acoustic) to start off almost every evening of the tour (read between the lines - get there early and catch Tom Hamilton, and expect one red-headed drummer to stop by at virtually any moment to join in) and you've got yourself one hell of a return by one of a handful of artists to receive accolades from Pitchfork to Relix to Down Beat ... ladies and gentlemen, we give you the Benevento/Russo Duo! (ed. by duo management for these two lines ;)

So, I think I am done with this (very excited) BLOG for the greatest fans in the world


10.25 - Boulder, CO, Fox Theatre (w/ American Babies - solo Acoustic) (all ages)
10.26 - Los Angeles, CA, Getty Center (w/ Something for Rockets) (all ages), FREE PERFORMANCE
10.26 (late) - Los Angeles, CA, The Mint (Martini's Maker's and Moonshine with the Benevento/Russo Duo and Friends) (21+)
10.27 - Denver, CO, Fillmore Auditorium (supporting Devotchka w/ Yard Dogs Road Show) (16+)
10.28 - Aspen, CO, Belly Up Aspen (w/ American Babies - solo Acoustic) (21+)
10.30 - Sacramento, CA, Harlow's (w/ American Babies - solo Acoustic) (21+)
10.31 - San Francisco, CA, The Independent (w/ Federico Aubele and American Babies - solo Acoustic) (21+)
11.1 - San Francisco, CA, The Independent (w/ Federico Aubele and American Babies - solo Acoustic) (21+)
11.2 - Portland, OR, Berbati's Pan (w/ Federico Aubele and American Babies - solo Acoustic) (21+)
11.3 - Bellingham, WA, Nighlight Lounge (w/ American Babies - solo Acoustic) (21+)
11.4 - Seattle, WA, Chop Suey (w/ Federico Aubele and American Babies - solo Acoustic) (21+)

On top of these great shows, the guys will head out for a few shows back east before heading out to Jamaica and then reconnecting with 2/3 of the New Deal for the big New Years Run (the JOIN meet the DUO) and here are those essentials:
11.15 - Burlington, VT, Higher Ground Music Hall (w/ Chris Harford's Band of Changes) (all ages)
11.16 - Woodstock, NY, Bearsville Theatre (w/ the Passage Project) (all ages)
11.17 - Northampton, MA, Pearl Street Clubroom
11.21 - Brooklyn, NY, Music Hall of Williamsburg (w/ Something for Rockets)
12.13 - 18 - Runaway Bay, Jamaica, Carribean Holidaze (w/ Disco Biscuits, Umphrey's McGee, Keller Williams, Mad Professor and more)
12.27 - Boston, MA, The Roxy (the JOIN meet the DUO)
12.28 - Troy, NY, Revolution Hall (the JOIN meet the DUO)
12.29 - Baltimore, MD, Sonar (the JOIN meet the DUO)
12.31 - New York, NY, Highline Ballroom (the JOIN meet the DUO)

Enjoy

F train to 4th Ave/9th St

Catching the theme here...we are now 2 for 2 on using this blog feature to get some fun news about the new record (and songs appearing on said new record)...and with that, we wanted to drop some information on everybody with regard to the upcoming release of Play Pause Stop.

...and here it is:

We will be releasing our new album, yeah that's it, "Play Pause Stop" on our very own label, Butter Problems (w/ the help of our friends at Reincarnate Music and Sony/BMG) on July 11th, 2006.  The album will feature nine compositions written by Marco and Joe.  We wanted to give everybody a little glimpse of how it turned out , and is there a better place to do this than myspace?  We think not (the title track has been streaming up here for a little while now and expect some more previews in the coming weeks).

To keep y'all giddy with anticipation, below is the official track listing for the album, which in addition to being available in stores nationwide on July 11th, can be pre-ordered through store.beneventorussoduo.com beginning on Monday, June 11th. 

Play Pause Stop Track Listing:
1. Play Pause Stop (7:57)
2. Echo Park (3:44)
3. Soba (4:49)
4. Best Reason to Buy the Sun (5:40)
5. Powder (3:44)
6. Something for Rockets (6:05)
7. Walking, Running, Viking (3:16)
8. Hate Frame (8:14)
9. Memphis (4:17)

Enjoy!

Testing one two...Testing one two...is this thing on?

Guess we'll see, but in the meantime, check it out...it's a cut (albeit a compressed mp3, you can never be too careful) from the new record...and it isn't just a cut, it's "Play Pause Stop", the first cut on the new album and we've decided to post it here first. 

But there is a method to our madness.  See, we just hit the road for the month of April and we've decided to perform a little experiment.  As you may have already noticed, we have released (mostly) instrumental music up to this point in our careers, but one song (the posted song) on the new album features some vocals...we won't be so presumptuous as to call them lyrics, but they are vocals, and they are even written out above, which should help y'all w/ our call to arms.

When you make it out to one of the upcoming shows, don't be afraid to sing along (during the 2nd verse) when you hear those big drums kick in for "Play Pause Stop".  See, we want to hear y'all singing the verse (remember, its the 2nd verse) back to us while we are on stage, it gets quiet up there sometimes...HA, and then when we get back home (home being the Bowery Ballroom in New York City on April 28th) and we kick into the song, we want to be deafened by the crowd joining in (on the 2nd verse) and wowing us with your vocal abilities...hell, we had our street team coordinator and a few guys from Something for Rockets (not even the singers) help us in the studio and that came out great, so we know that y'all can do just as well (btw - you can hear our incredible singing voices on the track as well).

So, let's have some fun out there as we Reign it in for ya this April.  Who knows, you may even get some more blogging from us if this goes well.

Thank you and sorry if we used too many parenthesis, told you we are just trying this stuff out for the first time.

Enjoy!