Brendan Benson - News

Irish street team needed

2010-07-28 00:00:00

Brendan is heading back to Ireland in September and October and he needs your help to get the word out. If you're interested in being part of the Irish street team, please send an email to streetteam@brendanbenson.com and we'll get you more details.

Brendan Benson iPhone app

2010-07-27 00:00:00

Brendan now has an app for the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad! Download it for free HERE to stay up to date on his tour schedule, twitter, blog and more.

FIB ticket giveaway

2010-07-13 00:00:00

Want to see Brendan play at the FIB Heineken on 15 July? Well we have some tickets to give away! Entry into the contest is simple. Just take a photo of yourself showing how much of a Brendan fan you are and send it into info at whitesmithent dot com. Whoever shows us the most Brendan love will win. Extra points will be given for creativity. Some conditions: 1. You must be able to get yourself to the festival. This is only for a pair of tickets, not transport. 2. The tickets are only valid on 15 July, so they will not get you in any other day. We will announce the winner around 10 PM Pacific on Wednesday evening (7 AM on Thursday morning in Benicasim). Best of luck!

Mark Watrous to support at BB's Nashville show

2010-07-06 00:00:00

We're all very excited to announce that co-Raconteur Mark Watrous is going to support Brendan at his show this Saturday at The Basement in Nashville. If you don't have your tickets yet, they are almost sold out, so swing by Grimey's to pick them up.

New Nashville show announced at The Basement

2010-06-14 00:00:00

Before he flies off to Spain to play the FIB Heineken, Brendan will be playing an intimate show at The Basement in Nashville. Come out and see him before he heads over to Europe. Due to the small size of the venue and high demand, tickets are only available in person at Grimey's in Nashville.

Brendan sitting in with Margaret Cho at Bonnaroo

2010-06-02 00:00:00

Brendan will be joining Margaret Cho for each of her four sets at Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN on June 10th and 11th. Margaret will be releasing a music comedy album entitled Cho Dependent later this summer and Brendan will be backing her up for a few songs. You can get passes to the festival HERE.

Brendan performing at Summerstage with Cory Chisel

2010-05-27 00:00:00

This year's benefit gala at Summerstage features duet covers of Simon and Garfunkel songs. Brendan and Cory Chisel will perform alongside artists such as Shawn Colvin, Aimee Mann, Dar Williams, Loudon Wainwright III, Lucy Wainwright Roche, Joan Osborne, Stephen Kellogg, Dean & Britta, Cory Chisel, The Holmes Brothers, John Forte, Valerie June, John Roderick, Ricky Skaggs, Willie Nile, Paula Cole, Alejandro Esovedo, Marc Cohn, Ben Gibbard, David Hinds, St. Vincent, Ollabelle (house band) and many more. You can get tickets and more info HERE.

Free Brendan song from CASH Music

2010-05-19 00:00:00

Brendan recently recorded a song called "Keep Me" with Young Hines. Our friends at CASH Music are giving it away if you become a fan of Brendan on Facebook or tweet about the track. All of the details and download links are here: http://brendanbenson.cashmusic.org. Enjoy! Team BB

Brendan playing Big Star tribute show at Nashville's Mercy Lounge

2010-05-18 00:00:00

Brendan has been added to the line up for the Big Star tribute show at the Mercy Lounge in Nashville on Friday, May 21st. Other artists include Jody Stephens (Big Star co-founder), Carl Broemel (My Morning Jacket), David Mead, Bill Lloyd, Joe Marc's Brother, David Vandervelde, John Davis (Superdrag), Roman Candle, The Shazam, Michael "Grimey" Grimes, Ken Coomer, Neilson Hubbard, Blue Eyed Blacks, Chris Stamey (The DB's), Mitch Easter (Let's Active) and more. Tickets are available now, but grab them quickly. He also played the Big Star tribute show in Memphis on Saturday, May 15th. Get a taste of how that went and a preview of the Mercy Lounge show HERE. Brendan posted a bunch of pictures from the day on his Twitter HERE.

Session with Barking Irons' The Collect

2010-05-18 00:00:00

Brendan and Cory Chisel took some time to stop by The Collect, a project from Barking Irons. You can watch video of the performance HERE. And don't forget about Brendan's Barking Irons shirts in his webstore!

Brendan to play FIB Heineken

2010-05-13 00:00:00

We are excited to announce that Brendan will be playing the FIB Heineken in Benicassim, Spain this summer. He will be joining artists such as Kasabian, Lily Allen, Vampire Weekend, The Prodigy, The Cribs and many many more. Get tickets and all the info you need HERE.

Poster design contest

2010-04-15 00:00:00

Many of you have asked for Brendan posters. Well, ask and you shall receive. We are turning to you, the fans, for a design. The only requirements are that it looks rad and that your submission is high res enough to be blown up to poster-size. Entries are due in to info at whitesmithent dot com by 11:59 PM Eastern time on April 29th. From April 30th until 11:59 PM Eastern time on May 15th, fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite designs on the fan forum. The top five vote-getters will go to Brendan and he will pick the final winner. You can download assets from Brendan's Flickr account here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/brendanbenson. The winner will receive a copy of the poster personalized by Brendan and a gift certificate to the webstore. Still have questions? Send them to us here: info at whitesmithent dot com Best of luck!

Free download for Facebook fans

2010-04-14 00:00:00

Fans of Brendan on Facebook can download a new track called "Prince Charmagne" for free here. This is what Brendan had to say about the song: "This is me goofing off at home after listening to Prince. If only I could rap." Enjoy!

The Racontwoers at Record Store Day in Nashville

2010-04-13 00:00:00

Brendan and Patrick Keeler will be playing a set of Raconteurs songs at Third Man Records in Nashville this Saturday, April 17th. They will also be raffling off Brendan and Jack Lawrence's go karts from the "Steady As She Goes" video and auctioning off Jack White's cart. If that isn't enough to get you to go, Third Man will have a limited edition copper vinyl of Broken Boy Soldiers, a BBQ and other surprises. You can get all the details HERE.

Valencia and Granada shows canceled

2010-03-10 00:00:00

Due to illness, Brendan has had to cancel his two remaining shows in Spain. He will be back soon though! Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase.

Snowed in in France

2010-03-09 00:00:00

Team Brendan has been snowed into a small French inn for the past couple nights. Here's some evidence of their struggles and, of course, some Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Show in Barcelona at Apolo 2 tonight is canceled.

2010-03-09 00:00:00

Regretfully, we have to cancel the show in Barcelona due to weather. Total drag! I was SO looking forward to Barcelona. I was imagining sleepy, warm days and late, wine-tempered nights. Bummer. We'll be back, though!

New Barking Irons shirts

2010-03-07 00:00:00

Barking Irons has designed some new ultra-high quality t-shirts that are now up in Brendan's webstore. Each design is limited to 200 and printed on a Barking Irons Brando fit tee. Grab yours before we run out!

American Songwriter mention Brendan & Ashley's Lake Fever Sessions

2010-02-25 00:00:00

American Songwriter talks about Brendan and Ashley Monroe's Lake Fever Sessions. You can view the clips here.

Brendan & Ashley Monroe's Lake Fever Sessions

2010-02-24 00:00:00

Brendan and Ashley Monroe stopped by Lake Fever Sessions to perform a few songs. Check out the videos here.

Brendan Benson in American Songwriter

2010-02-23 00:00:00

Brendan Benson and Ashley Monroe sit down with American Songwriter, check out the interview and video here.

Fan forum

2010-02-17 00:00:00

We have a new fan forum up and running for Brendan here. Head over, register, chat and possibly get some news before anyone else.

KSWD 100.3 The Sound Contest

2010-02-16 00:00:00

Enter to win 2 tickets to Brendan's show on February 20th at The Troubadour and also a copy of My Old, Familiar Friend!

New webstore

2010-02-15 00:00:00

Brendan has teamed up with JSR Merchandising to set up an online store where you can buy tour merch along with some webstore exclusives. More items, including some out of print shirts, will be added in the coming weeks so keep checking back!

Twitter contest

2010-02-03 00:00:00

We're running a contest over at Brendan's Twitter for some rad prizes like old tour laminates, signed artwork and some out-of-print t-shirt designs. Here's the deal: 1. Tweet about Brendan's upcoming tour with the following information (The bit.ly link MUST BE USED or your entry will be disqualified): -the tour URL: http://bit.ly/crbrN2 -@_BrendanBenson -#BBTour 2. This will run until Brendan's European tour is over in March. All the while, we will choose random numbers. Those Twitter followers will win something from our collection of Cool Stuff. 3. Each tweet counts as an entry into the contest. So tweet often! Good luck, Team BB

Brendan and Cory Chisel cover Tom Petty

2010-02-02 00:00:00

Brendan and Cory Chisel recorded a cover of Tom Petty's American Girl and Spinner.com has it for you HERE.

Santa Barbara street team

2010-01-17 00:00:00

Brendan is also playing a show at Velvet Jones in Santa Barbara on February 19th. If you'd like to hang up posters for free tickets, send an e-mail to info at whitesmithent dot com with the subject "Brendan Benson street team."

Street team needed for new US tour dates

2010-01-10 00:00:00

Before jetting off to Europe, Brendan will be doing a quick run through the west coast and southwestern United States. If you're interested in hanging up posters for any of the below shows in exchange for a free ticket, send an e-mail to info at whitesmithent dot com with the subject "Brendan Benson street team." Either way, check out the tour page for more info and ticketing links. 1/22: The Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT 2/15: Neumos - Seattle, WA 2/16: Douglas Fir Lounge - Portland, OR 2/18: The Independent - San Francisco, CA 2/19: Velvet Jones - Santa Barbara, CA 2/20: The Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA 2/21: Belly Up Tavern - Solana Beach, CA 2/22: The Rhythm Room - Phoenix, AZ 2/24: The Independent - Austin, TX

Brendan one of Spin Magazine's top performances of 2009

2009-12-30 00:00:00

Brendan's rooftop performance at Spin Magazine's NYC offices was named one of the 12 best of 2009, alongside such acts as Phoenix, Metric, and The Swellers. You can read about it HERE or check out the full review from September HERE.

New videos from The Tripwire

2009-12-20 00:00:00

Brendan stopped by The Tripwire to play unplugged versions of "Cold Hands (Warm Heart)" and "A Whole Lot Better." You can watch them HERE or on the video page.

Salt Lake City/UK/European street team

2009-12-20 00:00:00

Brendan is kicking off the new year by hitting the road again. We need street team help in Salt Lake City, UT and all dates on his March UK/European tour. If you hang up posters around town, we'll give you free tickets to Brendan's show. We might also have some exclusive, signed things to send your way if you do a really good job. Send an e-mail to info at whitesmithent dot com for more infomation. January 22: The Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT March 2: The Button Factory - Dublin, Ireland March 3: Queen Margaret Union - Glasgow, UK March 4: Academy 2 - Manchester, UK March 5: Koko - London, UK March 6: Nouveau Casino - Paris, France March 9: Apolo 2 - Barcelona, Spain March 10: Moby Dick - Madrid, Spain

A Holiday Poem from Brendan Benson and Cory Chisel

2009-12-17 00:00:00

Brendan and Cory Chisel wrote a holiday poem for all of you. You can watch the video HERE. Happy holidays! Team BB ENTER SANTAMAN O Tennenbaum topped with a star. Wise men come from near and far. The world is filled with holiday spirit. A caroler's voice, O can you hear it? Set out the crystal, light the manger. Season's Greetings friends and strangers! Take off your coat, put up your skates. Candy canes and treats await! The yule log burns in reds & yellows, casting warmth on cheerful fellows. A piping mug of wassail spice. Who's been naughty, who's been nice? Mother, Father, Sister, Cousin, gather 'round the stove and oven, Mint jelly on a rack of lamb...Corky wants a candied yam! Around the fire the children dwell, to hear the stories we will tell... Of peace on earth, good will to men that snowy night in Bethlehem. As we set the Christmas table, remember baby in the stable. Deviled eggs and roasted hen, Glad tidings from the 3 wise men! A kiss beneath the mistletoe, our cheeks aflush with Christmas glow. The children play so young and frisky, "We're out of wine, I'm onto whiskey" We'll feast on mincemeat pies and geese and celebrate the Prince of Peace. A Christmas birth beneath a stable, the children clean children's table. With glee they don their winter coats for the slaughtering of the Christmas goats, They watch and warm their wintery hands, the sacrifice our God demands. The pungent waft of evergreen, a snowy meadow glistening. A northern star for all to see. A beckoning - Nativity! The youngsters dressed in winter clothes. Look in the sky! A faint red nose! The frosty nip of white snow shower forshadowing the midnight hour. Back beside the crackling fire, the children hum - an angel choir. Their eyelids heavy as their heads, let's tuck the little ones into bed. A winter's snow of velvet white...A candle's glow, O silent night. The tapping of a reindeer's hoof...A golden sleigh upon the roof! The joyful jostling of Santa's sack - Childhood memories fading back. The chimney echoes elven giggles, St. Nick's jolly belly jiggles. For those who have been mean and naughty, bad and angry, downright haughty - A lump of coal St. Nick will bring. Satan, laughing, spreads his wings. The windowsills so soft and gleaming, and in the sky a full moon beaming, as up above the angels soar. Quoth the raven, "Nevermore." Snowflakes flutter, sleigh bells jingle, a cookie left for ole Kris Kringle. Around the tree he darts and dances, placing presents 'neath the branches. And smiling as he checks his work turns toward the chimney with a sudden jerk. With cookie crumbs upon his lip, back on the roof he cracks his whip. The scream of Blitzen's stinging hide, the fat man drunk on Christmas pride. A Christmas goose, a pumpkin pie. A loving gleam in Santa's eye. Chimney smoke and fresh snow mingle, with cloven hoof prints on the shingles. Young eyes peek through frosted glass. Christmas day is here at last! O'er the hearth a big green wreath. A ball for Sally and a Puppy for Keith. Around the tree the toys displayed, that teeny-tiny elves have made, For Daddy's little drummer boy, the Rum-Pum-Pum of yuletide joy. "O Hark!" The Herald Angels sing. My what gifts the season brings! We'll wear the mittens Grandma made, to the Christmas day parade, And though it's over as if in a blink, "I'll see you next year!" says Santa's wink. Merry Christmas to all and a Happy New Year, may we all be filled with holiday cheer.

New dates posted for Ireland, UK and France

2009-12-14 00:00:00

2 March: Button Factory - Dublin, Ireland 3 March: Queen Margaret Union - Glasgow, UK 4 March: Academy 2 - Manchester, UK 5 March: Koko - London, UK 6 March: Nouveau Casino - Paris, France Check the tour page for more info and ticketing links.

Lapalco one of Irish Times' best albums of the decade

2009-12-05 00:00:00

Lapalco is featured at #7 on Irish Times' Top 10 Albums of the Decade. Read their kind words HERE.

Lapalco makes Flamethrower Magazine's Best of Decade

2009-12-03 00:00:00

Brendan Benson album Lapalco makes Flamethrower Magazine's Best 100 Albums of the Decade at No. 28!

Sign up for the Brendan Benson mailing list

2009-12-03 00:00:00

We just set up a new mailing list for Brendan, which you can sign up for HERE. You'll be the first to hear about what's going on in with Brendan and will be on the receiving end of new, exclusive content in the coming months.

New Video for A Whole Lot Better

2009-12-03 00:00:00

Check it out on Brendan's YouTube page. Subscribe to the channel as well so you don't miss out on any new uploads!

Street team contest - win a loaded iPod nano!

2009-12-01 00:00:00

Wanna help promote Brendan's tour and get some rad swag in the process? We have an iPod nano signed by Brendan that comes loaded with his full catalog and some of his favorite songs. We also have an exclusive matchprint from the My Old Familiar Friend vinyl that you can't get anywhere else. If you live in a tour city, we need you to get the word out on the streets. We'd love for you to hang up posters around town, hand out postcards and let other people in your area know that Brendan is coming to town. Bonus points will be given for creativity. Get some chalk and make some Brendan art on the sidewalk. Cut up the posters and make a weird-looking display. Just don't break any laws. Take pictures of all of your work and send them in to info at whitesmithent dot com with the subject Brendan Benson street team. The person who does the best job promoting on the streets will get the iPod nano. We also have a limited number of guest list spots to give to street teamers in each city. Ten pictures will get you a free ticket while supplies last. Everyone can help out with online promotion. There is a tour preview video here that needs to be spread far and wide: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ei_h8D8Auvs. For the internet work, we love variety. It's awesome if you post the video on everyone you know's Facebook wall, but think outside of Myspace, Facebook and Twitter. Find a Raconteurs message board and let people know about the tour, send an old friend an e-mail. Take screen caps of everything you do and e-mail them to info at whitesmithent dot com. If you're sending in more than ten pictures, please either create a Flickr (or similar) album or put the photos in a zip folder and upload them to Mediafire, Sendspace or Yousendit. Deadline to get all of your photos in to us is December 15th. We'll choose winners by December 20th, so get your pictures in soon. Thank you and good luck! Team Brendan

Brooklyn Vegan tour preview

2009-11-30 00:00:00

Brooklyn Vegan did a preview of Brendan's upcoming tour HERE. Check it for some live videos, tour dates and insight into the band and setlist.

Brendan live on The Current

2009-11-30 00:00:00

Brendan stopped by the 89.3 The Current studios and performed "Eyes on the Horizon," "A Whole Lot Better" and "Don't Wanna Talk." You can listen to the show HERE.

Cory Chisel's video for "Born Again"

2009-11-30 00:00:00

Brendan appears in Cory Chisel's new video, "Born Again." Check out the video HERE and catch Brendan and Cory on tour together this December. Full show details are available on the tour page.

BB Playing Live at the Apple store in Chicago tonight

2009-11-20 00:00:00

NME includes BB's Lapalco in TOP 50 albums of the decade

2009-11-17 00:00:00

Read the article HERE

Brendan Playing Live @ a Record Store Near You

2009-11-14 00:00:00

Check out the following schedule of exclusive in store appearances....it's a great chance to catch an intimate performance of some of your favorite tunes and pick up the new album if you haven't already had a chance to do so. Come on out and say hello! 11/18 - Exclusive Company - Milwaukee, WI - 5:30pm 11/20 - Apple Store - Chicago, IL- 11/21 - Luna Music - Indianapolis, IN - 6:00pm 12/11 - Criminal Records - Atlanta, GA - 7:00pm 12/12 - Grimey's - Nashville, TN - 3:30pm

Brendan and The Raconteurs at the CMA's!

2009-11-11 00:00:00

The Raconteurs earned a Country Music Award nomination after teaming up with country music stars Ricky Skaggs and Ashley Monroe for a beautiful performance of the song "Old Enough" from the band's latest album Consolers of The Lonely. The nomination is in the Musical Events category and is going up against Lee Ann Womack and George Strait's "Everything But Quits", Brooks & Dunn and Reba McEntire's "Cowgirls Don't Cry", Kenny Chesney and Mac McAnnally's "Down The Road", and Carrie Underwood and Randy Travis's " I Told You So". Best of luck tonight to Brendan and the rest of the band!! The 43rd annual CMA awards will air live on Nov. 11 from Nashville's Sonnet Center. Check out the performance of "Old Enough" featuring the Skaggs and Monroe on YouTube.

New Website

2009-11-05 00:00:00

Welcome to the new Brendan Benson website! Check by soon for more announcements, exclusive content, and more.