Eric Johanson
Eric Johanson, New Orleans guitarist/singer/songwriter, announces the release of a double-disc live recording entitled Live at DBA: New Orleans Bootleg, sourced from his band’s fiery live show at DBA on Frenchmen Street in New Orleans, January 15, 2022. The album is set to release February 18, 2022.
The recording follows in the tradition of the older, more raw live albums that inspired Johanson, before the era of post-producing and digitally perfecting a live recording became the norm.
Johanson says, “Growing up I was always taken in by these raw live recordings that captured a moment in time. Sometimes they were my favorite thing to listen to by an artist. Albums like James Brown’s Live at the Apollo, Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East, Stevie Ray Vaughan’s In the Beginning, Gov’t Mule’s Live at the Roseland Ballroom, and so on. There is something about the fact that this magic just happened, these little moments that were as natural and unrehearsed as breathing air, and yet I’m listening to them years later.”
“When I listened back to the recording of this show, it just had that unapologetically raw thing I loved about my favorite live albums. Live performance is really the center of what I do. The studio records take on a new life as the songs are performed with an audience. We obviously haven’t been able to get out there as much as we would have liked over the past couple years, but we still wanted to share that energy with people.”
Listen to “Changes the Universe (Live)”
Johanson’s touring band is made up of Terry Scott, Jr on drums and Will Repholz on bass. The trio re-ignite 19 mostly original songs, stretching them out and showcasing Johanson’s unique brand of New Orleans-grown blues, jam rock, and Americana.
The live recording features three covers, two of which previously appeared on Johanson’s studio releases: Chuck Berry’s “Oh Louisiana” (Burn It Down), Allman Brothers Band’s “Midnight Rider” (Covered Tracks: Vol. 1), as well as a scorching version of Muddy Waters’ “Champagne and Reefer”.
Album tracklist
Disc One:
- Hammer on the Stone (Live)
- Changes the Universe (Live)
- Never Tomorrow (Live)
- 4 in the Morning (Live)
- Open Hearted Woman (Live)
- Live Oak (Live)
- Oh Louisiana (Live)
- She’s In Control (Live)
- River Of Oblivion (Live)
- Midnight Rider (Live)
Disc Two:
- Death Letter (Live)
- Down to the Bottom (Live)
- Buried Above Ground (Live)
- Champagne and Reefer (Live)
- Till We Bleed (Live)
- Dose of Forget (Live)
- Graveyard Queen (Live)
- Bang Against the Wall (Live)
- Burn It Down (Live)
About Eric Johanson
Combining influences from an array of genres and his work as a touring guitarist, New Orleans artist Eric Johanson creates blues-based alternative roots rock in his rising solo career. Eric’s debut solo album, Burn It Down, was produced by Tab Benoit and released in October 2017 on Whiskey Bayou Records. His most recent original studio album, Below Sea Level, released September 2020 on Nola Blue Records, was produced by Luther Dickinson of North Mississippi Allstars. In 2021, Johanson self-released a two-volume set of acoustic covers, entitled Covered Tracks: Vol. 1 & 2.
Pre-Order Autographed Double Disc
Album Pre-Save/Pre – Order Links
Eric Johanson website
Enjoyed the review of one of my favorite artists! Love the sample, sounds great!