Acclaimed American rock band Blackberry Smoke‘s new album, You Hear Georgia, debuts as the best-selling Country and Rock album this week with 13,000 equivalent units sold. The record also enters at #1 on Billboard‘s Americana/Folk Albums chart, #4 on the all-genre Top Albums Sales chart, #5 on the Top Country Albums chart and #7 on the Top Rock Albums chart.
Out now on Thirty Tigers (stream/purchase here), You Hear Georgia marks the band’s 20th anniversary as a group this year. As they have for the past two decades, Blackberry Smoke continues to embody Georgia’s rich musical legacy with the new record, honoring the people, places and sounds of their home state. With the addition of producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Jason Isbell), a fellow Georgian, You Hear Georgia pays homage to the band’s deep respect for their roots and continues to receive widespread critical acclaim:
“Blackberry Smoke is still on fire…a testament to that tenacity and an unapologetic ode to an insurgent attitude and tradition. That’s evident in practically every note and nuance”
—American Songwriter
“Twenty years into their career, Blackberry Smoke is the best Southern-rock band going…no group in the land does Southern-rock quite as well as BBS.”—AL.com
“steeped in the traditions of Southern rock”—AllMusic
“their best album in years…brings the rock back to southern rock in a big way”
—Gary Hayes Country“They are a hallmark of consistency capable of running for another two decades or more. They deliver some gems here…ranking with the best in their catalog.”—Glide
“You Hear Georgia serves up 10 tracks of pure rock ‘n’ roll bliss”—Guitar World
In addition to Blackberry Smoke—Charlie Starr (vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, vocals) and Brandon Still (keyboards)—You Hear Georgia also features Benji Shanks (guitar) and Preston Holcomb (percussion) as well as special guests Jamey Johnson (“Lonesome For A Livin'”), Warren Haynes (“All Rise Again”) and The Black Bettys (background vocals).
Adding to their milestone year, the band will kick off their extensive “Spirit of the South Tour: A Celebration of Southern Rock N’ Roll” this summer with special guests The Allman Betts Band, The Wild Feathers and founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, Jaimoe. Created to honor the various influences within Southern music, each show will conclude with a unique collaborative finale including Blackberry Smoke, The Allman Betts Band, The Wild Feathers and Jaimoe as well as additional surprise guests. The Allman Brothers Band Museum At The Big House will also have a new mobile set up on-site at each show, featuring never-before-seen archival items including original hand-written lyrics, family photographs, iconic clothing and jewelry, one-of-a-kind instruments played by the band and more. Jaimoe will also be available for meet and greet opportunities at each stop. In addition to the “Spirit of the South Tour,” Blackberry Smoke will also embark on an extensive European headline tour next year. See below for complete tour itinerary.
photo credit: Joe Lopez
You Hear Georgia follows the release of 2018’s Find A Light, which debuted as the best-selling Country and Americana/Folk album in the country, entered at #3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart and #2 on the BillboardAmericana/Folk Albums chart. Released to critical acclaim, NPR Music praised, “pushes the envelope while providing that famous Blackberry Smoke autonomy, delivered with soulful vocals, haunting harmonies and kick ass songs,” while Guitar World declared, “one of the hottest and most exciting acts around,” and Rolling Stone hailed, “part of a lineage that shares a love of Petty, the Allman Brothers Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Hank Williams Jr., able to ride an Americana vibe or peel off a stomping riff and tie it all together without a hint of pretense.” Following Find A Light, the band shared three additional projects—a live album and concert film, Homecoming: Live In Atlanta, which debuted at #1 on Billboard‘s Americana/Folk Album Sales chart, a 6-song acoustic EP, The Southern Ground Sessions and Live From Capricorn Sound Studios, an EP of six covers that have ties to the studio.
Since forming in 2001, the band has continued to tour relentlessly, building a strong and loyal community of fans. Their music has also been prominently featured in the hit television show, “Yellowstone” and they’ve performed on NBC’s “Last Call with Carson Daly.” In addition to their work as musicians, Blackberry Smoke remains committed to charitable work and has raised nearly $500,000 benefiting children’s cancer research.
BLACKBERRY SMOKE CONFIRMED TOUR DATES
June 11—Houston, TX—House of Blues
June 12—Austin, TX—Republic of Texas Motorcycle Rally 25th Anniversary
June 25—Sunbury, PA—Spyglass Ridge Winery
June 26—Augusta, NJ—Rock Ribs & Ridges Festival
June 27—Middletown, NY—Orange County Fair Speedway
June 29—Lafayette, NY—Apple Valley Park
July 1—Lewiston, NY—Artpark
July 2—Scranton, PA—The Peach Music Festival
July 3—Woodford, VA—Dominion Raceway
July 9—Bloomsburg, PA—4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals
July 10—Bloomsburg, PA—4-Wheel Jamboree Nationals
July 30—Bridgeport, CT—Hartford Healthcare Amphitheatre*
July 31—Canandaigua, NY—CMAC*
August 1—Huber Heights, OH—Rose Music Center at The Heights*
August 3—St. Louis, MO—St. Louis Music Park*
August 5—Dallas, TX—The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory*
August 6—Memphis, TN—The Soundstage at Graceland*
August 7—Ashland, KY—Riverfront*
August 10—Jacksonville, FL—Daily’s Palace*
August 12—Baltimore, MD—MECU Pavilion*
August 13—Asbury Park, NJ—The Stone Pony Summer Stage*
August 14—Portsmouth, VA—Atlantic Union Bank Pavilion
August 15—Charlotte, NC—Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre*
August 17—Raleigh, NC—Red Hat Amphitheater*
August 19—Cincinnati, OH—PNC Pavilion*
August 20—Nashville, TN—Ascend Amphitheater*
August 21—Alpharetta, GA—Ameris Bank Amphitheater*
August 25—New York, NY—Pier 17 at South Street Seaport*
August 26—Boston, MA—Rockland Trust Bank Pavilion*
August 27—Reading, PA—Santander Arena*
August 28—Saratoga Springs, NY—Saratoga Performing Arts Center‡
August 29—Dubuque, IA—Five Flags Center
September 2—Milwaukee, WI—Summerfest 2021
September 9—Roanoke, VA—Dr. Pepper Park at the Bridges
September 10—Selbyville, DE—The Freeman Stage at Bayside
September 11—Bristol, TN—Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
September 17—Pryor, OK—Born & Raised Music Festival
September 23—Indianapolis, IN—Farm Bureau Insurance Lawn at White River State Park†
September 24—Sterling Heights, MI—Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill†
September 25—Cleveland, OH—Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica†
September 30—Gilford, NH—Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
October 1—East Providence, RI—Bold Point Park
October 8—New Orleans, LA—Jazz Fest NOLA
October 9—New Orleans, LA—Jazz Fest NOLA
October 28—Morrison, CO—Red Rocks Amphitheatre*
December 4—Lake Wales, FL—Orange Blossom Revue Festival
February 3, 2022—Barcelona, Spain—Razzmatazz
February 4, 2022—Madrid, Spain—Sala Riviera
February 6, 2022—Zurich, Switzerland—Kaufleuten Festsaal
February 7, 2022—Milan, Italy—Alcatraz
February 8, 2022—Munich, Germany—Backstage Werk
February 10, 2022—Cologne, Germany—Carlswerk Victoria
February 11, 2022—Stuttgart, Germany—LKA Longhorn
February 12, 2022—Vienna, Austria—Flex
February 14, 2022—Wiesbaden, Germany—Schlachthof
February 16, 2022—Berlin, Germany—Huxleys
February 18, 2022—Stockholm, Sweden—Munchenbryggeriet
February 19, 2022—Oslo, Norway—Rockefeller
February 20, 2022—Copenhagen, Denmark—Amager Bio
February 22, 2022—Utrecht, Netherlands—Tivoli Vredenburg – Ronda
February 23, 2022—Leuven, Belgium—Het Depot
February 25, 2022—Paris, France—Bataclan
February 27, 2022—Birmingham, UK—O2 Academy
February 28, 2022—Glasgow, UK—O2 Academy
March 2, 2022—Belfast, Northern Ireland—The Telegraph Building
March 3, 2022—Dublin, Ireland—Olympia Theatre
March 4, 2022—Manchester, UK—Academy
March 6, 2022—London, UK—Roundhouse
March 18, 2022—Oklahoma City, OK—The Criterion
*”Spirit of The South Tour” with special guests Allman Betts Band, The Wild Feathers and Jaimoe
†*”Spirit of The South Tour” with special guests Allman Betts Band, Jaimoe and TBD
‡with Lynyrd Skynyrd
