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The Jayhawks – XOXO

“It was time to open things up,” says Gary Louris. “The Jayhawks are a true band, one where everyone’s an equal, and we wanted to make a record that really reflected that.”

Featuring writing and lead vocal contributions from all four members, The Jayhawks’ extraordinary new album, XOXO , is the most diverse and wide-ranging in the group’s storied history. Rather than marking a sonic departure, though, the collection signals a sharpening of focus for the band, an elevation in understanding of who they are and what they do best. In classic Jayhawks fashion, the songs here mix the influence of American roots music with British invasion and jangly power-pop, but there’s a newfound vitality at play, as well, an invigoration of confidence and energy that could only come with the injection of fresh blood. The result is an album that, much like the band’s lush harmonies, brings multiple distinctive voices together into a singular whole, a collection that, ironically enough, finds unity in individuality and identity in reinvention.

“This album feels like a new lease on life for us,” explains Louris. “I don’t know what the future holds, but this band is full of great songwriters who deserve to be heard, and my only regret is that we didn’t do something like this sooner.”

One of the most enduring and beloved groups of the last thirty years, The Jayhawks first emerged from Minneapolis in the mid-1980’s, though their commercial and critical breakthrough didn’t arrive until the release of their 1992 masterpiece, Hollywood Town Hall . Over the ensuing decades, the band would go on to record a series of highly influential albums and tour the world countless times over, sharing stages with everyone from Bob Dylan and Tom Petty to Lucinda Williams and Wilco along the way. Following an extended hiatus in the mid-2000’s, Louris and his long-time bandmates—bassist Marc Perlman, drummer Tim O’Reagan, and keyboardist Karen Grotberg—returned to the studio, most recently releasing the acclaimed Paging Mr. Proust and Back Roads and Abandoned Motels in 2016 and 2018, respectively.

“Touring those records the last few years, I never felt like I was getting to hear enough of Karen or Tim singing lead vocals,” says Louris. “I know they write great songs, as does Marc, who’s co-written plenty of Jayhawks songs over the years, so I decided to widen the circle and let go of a little bit of control.”

Beginning in the spring of 2019, Louris began making monthly trips from North Carolina back to his native Minnesota, where he and the band would gather for weeklong rehearsal and writing sessions in their St. Paul practice space. All four members would bring song ideas to the table in various states of completion. There were no quotas or egos at play in the process, only a quest for the best Jayhawks tunes possible, wherever they may come from.

“Some songs we molded together from scratch, but others had been fully written by one or the other of us,” says Perlman, who, along with his bandmates, bounced between instruments depending on the needs of each track. “We didn’t worry too much about who penned what, because after all these years of playing together, everything we do just naturally comes out sounding like a Jayhawks song.”

When it came time to record, the band returned to the secluded Pachyderm Studios in Cannon Falls, MN. There, they holed up for roughly two weeks of tracking, living and working in close quarters 24-hours-a-day. The group later continued the sessions at Flowers Studio – founded by the band’s friend and Minneapolis music stalwart, the late Ed Ackerson.

“At Pachyderm, we all shared this big old house on the grounds, so we cooked our meals, drank wine, listened to records, and walked down to the studio every morning together,” says Louris. “We forged a new bond during those sessions, and I think we came out of it tighter as friends than we’d ever been before.”

That camaraderie is the heart and soul of XOXO , which opens with the easygoing “This Forgotten Town”. Written jointly by Louris and Perlman, the track finds Louris and O’Reagan trading off lead vocals, with Grotberg coming in on harmonies, and it sets the stage perfectly for an album fueled by chemistry and trust.

“Because of the added closeness we were all feeling, I think everyone was more comfortable taking chances on this record,” reflects Grotberg. “The more we collaborated, the more ideas we were able to spark off each other, and the more new and unexpected directions we were able to take things.”

For his part, Louris found himself tackling more topical lyrics than he was used to writing. The Harry Nilsson-esque “Living In A Bubble”, for instance, laments the problematic nature of our ratings-driven news cycle, while the transportive “Homecoming” grapples with climate change and the long-term costs of our shortsighted environmental destruction, and the trippy “Illuminate” (a co-write with Perlman and O’Reagan) is an abstract exploration of idol worship that feels particularly relevant to the present political landscape. Grotberg, on the other hand, reached back into her catalog for more timeless tunes, channeling Christine McVie with her deep, breathy vocals on the elegant “Ruby” and hinting at the southern magnetism of Emmylou on the pedal steel-laden “Across My Field”.

“Karen’s always been a very poetic writer, but it was amazing to watch her confidence as an artist grow throughout this process,” says Louris, who invited each bandmember to take ownership of their particular tunes when it came to production and mixing choices. “It was a really empowering experience for her, and for everyone, I think.”

Like Grotberg, O’Reagan spends more time in the spotlight here than on any previous Jayhawks album, taking lead on a trio of tunes that balance the old and the new. The driving “Dogtown Days” is a lean and muscular rocker in the best tradition of Big Star, while the dreamy “Looking Up Your Number” trades the power chords for fingerpicked acoustics and dreamy falsettos, and the minimalist “Society Pages” calls to mind Guided By Voices and Pavement. Perlman rounds out the collection by contributing writing to a number of tracks and stepping center stage on the waltzing “Down To The Farm”, which draws on a mix of British and American folk traditions in its storytelling.

Despite all the different writers and voices at play, XOXO remains a thoroughly cohesive record, both sonically and emotionally. While that’s due in no small part to the densely layered harmonies and impeccable musicianship that color each and every track, it’s clear that the deepened personal bonds between bandmates played a significant role in binding the collection, as well.

“Arriving at a consensus these days isn’t as tough as it used to be,” says O’Reagan. “I think the sound and dynamic of the band will evolve positively with everyone having an outlet for their ideas and songs”

Indeed, far from altering The Jayhawks’ DNA, opening up the writing process seems to have amplified it, and the end result is a group more inspired, more close-knit, more itself than ever before.

“At the end of the day, this album is just an extension of who we’ve always been,” says Grotberg. “We’re the same band, but it feels like we’ve stepped into a new era.”

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The Jayhawks tour dates 2024

The Jayhawks is currently touring across 2 countries and has 12 upcoming concerts.

Their next tour date is at The Chapel in San Francisco, after that they'll be at The Chapel again in San Francisco.

Currently touring across

Upcoming concerts (12) See nearest concert

Grass Valley Center for the Arts

Bankhead Theater, Livermore Valley Performing Arts Center

The Kent Stage

City Winery Pittsburgh

Narrows Center for the Arts

Bearsville Theater

Newton Theatre

The Great Hall

Past concerts

The West Theatre

Memorial Hall OTR

Jammin in the Jeff: Riverstage

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I traveled across state lines to see this show on a frigid January night. The Fairfield Theater was a nice venue, with ample parking and in close proximity to a number of nice restaurants in the charming village of Fairfield, CT. It was my first time seeing the opening act, Folk Uke. I thoroughly enjoyed their set. The Jayhawks were off the charts. The hall full of enthusiastic fans was treated to a night of FOLK ROCK HEAVEN! It was a show I will remember for a long time to come.

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It doesn't get better than front row at a Jayhawks show. I also met the band before the show which was an added bonus. They played the best of their old tracks and introduced some new favorites too. Go see the Jayhawks!

Awesome show! Played a mix of older and newer songs. Sound was great. Louris rocked the place. He is truly an amazing musician. First Ave is a great venue to see live music.

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The Jayhawks concert reviews and tour history

• reviews: 14
• rating: 92.5% (14)

Last concert

18 days ago

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Fans' concert reviews read all, sala apolo in barcelona, spain on thu, 22 sep 2016.

With Chet at the guitar Setlist: 1. Waiting for the Sun 2. Leaving the Monsters Behind 3. The Man Who Loved Life 4. Stumbling Through the Dark 5. Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces 6. Tampa to Tulsa 7. Two Hearts 8. The Devil Is in Her Eyes 9. Big Star 10. Comeback Kids 11. Take Me With You (When You Go) 12. Blue 13. Ace 14. All the Right Reasons 15. Save It for a Rainy Day 16. Lovers of the Sun 17. Tailspin Encore: 18. Settled Down Like Rain (Gary Louris solo) 19. Angelyne (Gary Louris solo) 20. I'll Be Your Key 21. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me 22. I'd Run Away

Barcelona Arts on Stage (BARTS) in Barcelona, Spain on Tue, 14 Apr 2015

Setlist: 1. I'm Gonna Make You Love Me 2. Ain't No End 3. Stumbling Through the Dark 4. Big Star 5. Nothing Left to Borrow 6. Somewhere in Ohio 7. Save It For A Rainy Day 8. The Man Who Loved Life 9. Tampa To Tulsa 10. Waiting for the Sun 11. Smile 12. Settled Down Like Rain 13. Trouble 14. Sixteen Down 15. Angelyne 16. Blue 17. Until You Came Along (Golden Smog cover) 18. I'd Run Away Encore: 19. All the Right Reasons 20. Bad Time (Grand Funk Railroad cover) 21. Tailspin

An amazing show!!! All the classics. With a lot of energy and magic.

The Kent Stage in Kent, US on Fri, 31 Oct 2014

Great night of fantastic music! , OpenerTrapper Schoepp was a wonderful surpise.

Town Hall in New York (NYC), US on Tue, 28 Oct 2014

Amazing show!!!! Loved every minute of it didn't want it to end. Loved Craig doing the Neil Young cover-coolest guitar player-he has the best moves. Love Gary-also amazing on guitar,harmonica, vocals--just a huge talent. The whole band is amazing, they have such great chemistry on stage. I loved the end when the opener came out and sang with them. So much fun! Thanks guys for keeping me up on a work night and making it totally worth it!

Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood, US on Sat, 25 Oct 2014

Great set list, the band was really tight. I loved this venue. It was very intimate for a theater.

Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, US on Mon, 20 Oct 2014

I'm glad they did some old stuff and new stuff. It was fun!

awesome. fun. loud. old stuff and new stuff.

The Vogue Theatre in Indianapolis, US on Sat, 18 Oct 2014

Great energy among band members and guests. Great experience!

Granada Theater - TX in Dallas, US on Tue, 14 Oct 2014

No disrespect to Mark Olson, but the rockin', Big Star lovin', high-tempo version of the band from last night's performance is my favorite to see live. The beard was weird, but nothing detracted from the very solid rockshow that was delivered.

Rated concerts View all

• The Assembly in Leamington Spa, UK Tue, 22 Jul 2014 100% from 1 rating
• The Kent Stage in Kent, US Fri, 31 Oct 2014 100% from 1 rating
• Town Hall in New York (NYC), US Tue, 28 Oct 2014 100% from 1 rating
• Scottish Rite Auditorium in Collingswood, US Sat, 25 Oct 2014 100% from 1 rating
• The Vogue Theatre in Indianapolis, US Sat, 18 Oct 2014 100% from 1 rating
• Granada Theater - TX in Dallas, US Tue, 14 Oct 2014 90% from 3 ratings
• Sala Apolo in Barcelona, Spain Mon, 14 Jul 2014 90% from 1 rating
• Barcelona Arts on Stage (BARTS) in Barcelona, Spain Tue, 14 Apr 2015 90% from 1 rating
• Sala Apolo in Barcelona, Spain Thu, 22 Sep 2016 90% from 1 rating
• Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, US Mon, 20 Oct 2014 82.5% from 2 ratings

Ratings View all

• one of the best: 5 36%
• fantastic: 7 50%
• great: 2 14%
• disappointing: 0 0%
• should've stayed at home: 0 0%

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The Jayhawks is a group founded 39 years ago in 1985.

Based on our research data, it appears, that the first The Jayhawks concert happened 32 years ago on Sun, 27 Sep 1992 in Eventim Apollo - London, UK and that the last The Jayhawks concert was 18 days ago on Thu, 22 Aug 2024 in The West Theatre - Duluth, US.

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The Jayhawks

The jayhawks tour dates 2024.

• Sep 13, 2024 - Oct 26, 2024
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ConcertFix is thrilled to present The Jayhawks, a distinguished band that has graced the music scene since the 1980s. Known for their unique blend of country, rock, and folk, The Jayhawks have garnered a loyal fan base with their harmonious melodies, thoughtful lyrics, and unforgettable live performances. Their discography is rich with albums that have consistently received critical acclaim, including "Hollywood Town Hall" and "Rainy Day Music." The band's ability to evolve their sound while staying true to their roots is a testament to their musical prowess. Whether you've been a fan from the beginning or are just discovering their music, seeing The Jayhawks live is a captivating experience. Their shows are a celebration of their musical journey, filled with fan favorites and newer tracks. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to see The Jayhawks perform – keep an eye on ConcertFix for the latest information on their concert dates!

The Jayhawks Concert Schedule

About the jayhawks tour albums.

The Jayhawks appeared on the Alternative scene with the appearance of the album 'Blue Earth' released on April 22, 2003. The track 'Two Angels' was instantly a fan favorite and made The Jayhawks one of the newest emerging acts at that moment. Later on, The Jayhawks came out with the most famous album 'Tomorrow The Green Grass' which includes some of the most popular songs from the The Jayhawks catalog. 'Tomorrow The Green Grass' includes the song 'Blue' which has made itself the most sought-after for followers to experience during the live events. Besides 'Blue' , most of other tracks from 'Tomorrow The Green Grass' have also become sought-after as a result. Some of The Jayhawks's most famous tour albums and songs are seen below. After 13 years since the release of 'Blue Earth' and having a major impact in the business, music lovers consistently unite to hear The Jayhawks on stage to perform favorites from the entire collection.

The Jayhawks Tour Albums and Songs

The Jayhawks: Tomorrow The Green Grass

• I'd Run Away
• Miss Williams' Guitar
• Over My Shoulder
• See Him On The Street
• Nothing Left To Borrow
• Pray For Me

The Jayhawks: Rainy Day Music

• Stumbling Through Th...
• All The Right Reasons
• Save It For A Rainy Day
• Eyes Of Sarahjane
• One Man's Problem
• Don't Let The World ...
• Come To The River
• You Look So Young
• Tampa To Tulsa

The Jayhawks: Hollywood Town Hall

• Waiting For The Sun
• Crowded In The Wings
• Take Me With You (Wh...
• Settled Down Like Rain
• Nevada, California
• Martin's Song

The Jayhawks: Music From The North Country: The Jayhawks Anthology

• Ain't No End
• Trouble - album verison

The Jayhawks: Tomorrow The Green Grass (Legacy Edition)

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The Jayhawks might soon come to a city near you. Browse the The Jayhawks schedule just above and click the ticket icon to view our huge inventory of tickets. Look through our selection of The Jayhawks front row tickets, luxury boxes and VIP tickets. After you locate the The Jayhawks tickets you want, you can buy your seats from our safe and secure checkout. Orders taken before 5pm are usually shipped within the same business day. To purchase last minute The Jayhawks tickets, browse through the eTickets that can be downloaded instantly.

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Upcoming Shows

• Date and Venue Doors Scheduled
• Nov 07 2024 The Great Hall Toronto, ON, Canada Add time Add time Add times
• Nov 08 2024 The Great Hall Toronto, ON, Canada Add time Add time Add times
• Nov 10 2024 Burlington Performing Arts Centre Burlington, ON, Canada Add time Add time Add times

The Jayhawks at Memorial Hall, Cincinnati, OH, USA

• I'm Gonna Make You Love Me
• This Forgotten Town
• Tampa to Tulsa
• Drug Store Truck Drivin' Man
• Waiting for the Sun
• I'd Run Away
• Everybody Knows
• Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces
• Somewhere in Ohio
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The Jayhawks at Riverstage, Jeffersonville, IN, USA

• All the Right Reasons

The Jayhawks at The Burl, Lexington, KY, USA

• Living in a Bubble
• Nevada, California

The Jayhawks at Acorn Theater, Three Oaks, MI, USA

• The Man Who Loved Life
• Stumbling Through the Dark

The Jayhawks at FitzGerald's 41st American Music Festival

• Take Me With You (When You Go)
• We'll Sweep Out the Ashes in the Morning

The Jayhawks at La Rambleta, Valencia, Spain

• All The Right Reasons

The Jayhawks at Noches del Botánico 2024

• Kingston Girl
• Settled Down Like Rain
• Lost My Driving Wheel

The Jayhawks at Terraza Auditorio Palacio de Congresos Mar de Vigo, Vigo, Spain

The jayhawks at music legends fest 2024.

• Dogtown Days
• Save It for a Rainy Day

The Jayhawks at Paral·lel 62, Barcelona, Spain

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Most played songs

• Waiting for the Sun ( 680 )
• Blue ( 660 )
• I'd Run Away ( 611 )
• Settled Down Like Rain ( 470 )
• I'm Gonna Make You Love Me ( 424 )

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1,466 people have seen The Jayhawks live.

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The Jayhawks: Tiny Desk Concert

Tom Huizenga

Credit: NPR

The last song in this set from The Jayhawks is called "Comeback Kids." Although it's ostensibly a breezy portrait of a lovers' reunion, the title could be the motto for a band that's been through so many breakups, re-formations and personnel changes in the past 30 years that Wikipedia resorted to an infographic timeline to capture the myriad details.

Yet the essential Jayhawks sound — jangly, country-tinged rock with exquisitely crafted hooks and close harmonies — remains solid, due largely to founding member Gary Louris, who continues to dominate the singing and songwriting. The band's new album Paging Mr. Proust , from which they chose four songs for this Tiny Desk concert, sounds like vintage Jayhawks.

"Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces," with its carefree, sing-along chorus, may sound lightweight, but it's actually a plea to live more in the moment ("In the end, there's no waiting redemption"). It could fit perfectly into the lineup on Rainy Day Music , the band's impeccable 2003 album.

Summer heat is palpable in "Lovers Of The Sun." The dreamy, '60s-tinged number is all California laid-back — but also brushed with a tint of melancholy, thanks in part to the colors that guitarist Chet Lyster conjures with his EBow. With its silken harmonies, the song is reminiscent of tracks like "It's Up To You" from The Jayhawks' 1997 album Sound Of Lies .

Although "Leaving The Monsters Behind" was collaboratively written by most of the band members, one can't help making a direct connection to Louris, who has been frank about his recent, and successful, stint in rehab for opiate addiction. Again, a jaunty refrain, delivered in polished three-part harmony, belies darker lyrics: "If I move fast, maybe I'll outrun my past." The song could also be just another reflection of the ups and downs of a beloved band whose singular career began in Minneapolis in 1985. In any case, The Jayhawks has outrun the past and steps into a fourth decade sounding vital as ever.

Paging Mr. Proust is available now. ( iTunes ) ( Amazon )

• "Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces"
• "Lovers Of The Sun"
• "Leaving The Monsters Behind"
• "Comeback Kids"
• The Jayhawks

Gary Louris (guitar, vocals)

Karen Grotberg (piano, vocals)

Marc Perlman (bass)

Tim O'Reagan (drums, vocals)

Chet Lyster (guitar, vocals)

Credits Producers: Bob Boilen, Tom Huizenga, Niki Walker; Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Claire Hannah Collins, Morgan McCloy; Production Assistant: Sophie Kemp; Photo: Ruby Wallau/NPR.

For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast .

35 Years Into a Career, the Jayhawks Remain Americana’s Most Underappreciated Band

By Jonathan Bernstein

Jonathan Bernstein

This past February, the Jayhawks observed a band milestone — their 35th anniversary — in the way that any fan of the low-profile roots-rock group might expect them to celebrate a music industry achievement: by not acknowledging it all. 

Despite making music together for as long as Jagger and Richards had been when the Rolling Stones released 1997’s Bridges to Babylon , the Jayhawks’ Gary Louris and Marc Perlman, the two founding members still in the Minneapolis group, don’t get all that excited about their longevity. Louris, 65, and Perlman, 59, began their career-long musical partnership in February 1985, with Louris joining the upstart trio that Perlman had formed with fellow Minnesotans Mark Olson and Norm Rodgers.

When the 35th anniversary arrived this winter, neither Louris — the band’s primary lead singer and songwriter since Jayhawks co-frontman Mark Olson quit the band 25 years ago — nor Perlman, the group’s soft-spoken bassist, called or texted each other to mark the occasion. The band didn’t even post anything about it on social media.

“What surprises me is that we have lasted this long,” Perlman tells Rolling Stone . “There have been times when we’ve decided this wasn’t working anymore and cashed it in, but for some reason, we always came back to it.”

The cause for their latest reunion is XOXO , a thoughtful new studio album that finds the veteran band tapping into the talents of each of the members. For the first time in the quartet’s history, Louris shares lead songwriting and vocal duties with bandmates Tim O’Reagan (drums), Karen Grotberg (keyboards), and Perlman.

“I wanted to have a live set that was a little bit more like the Band,” says Louris, who had been thinking of more evenly distributing songwriting and lead vocal duties among the group for a while.

For the Jayhawks’ other members, having space in the band for non-Louris voices was a welcome change. “I suppose I would have liked to have had the opportunity earlier on,” says O’Reagan, who released a solo album in 2006 and sings lead on several new songs. “But not to the degree where I was going to make a stink about it.”

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“I have to say that something shifted, in a very real way,” Grotberg, who joined the band in 1992, says of the several weeks the Jayhawks spent recording the bulk of XOXO while all living together at Pachyderm Studios, southeast of Minneapolis. “There was a different sort of closeness and camaraderie that I think has lingered [since].”

The Jayhawks are still best known for their pair of early-to-mid Nineties proto-Americana masterpieces, Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow the Green Grass , which featured the dueling voices and songwriting of Olson and Louris.

Since he became the band’s sole frontman in 1995, however, Louris has led the Jayhawks through a much more varied musical journey over the course of several temporary breakups and reunions. There was the alternative roots-rock of 1997’s Sound of Lies , the fractured pop of 2000’s Smile , and the gentle folk balladry of 2003’s Rainy Day Music. In 2016, they even indulged prog tendencies with Paging Mr. Proust , written in the wake of Louris kicking an opioid habit.

“Gary is just a consummate creator of melody,” says Jayhawks fan M.C. Taylor, who records as Hiss Golden Messenger. “His music sounds like he has spent a lifetime listening to the way melody and harmony work on our emotions, but he never sounds like he’s copying anyone.”

All of the Jayhawks’ post-Olson albums, however, have struggled to find any sort of larger audience outside of their devoted fanbase. When the band released Smile , the New York Times’ story on the group ran with the headline “What If You Made a Classic, and No One Cared?”

“The idea that mass popularity was going to be in the cards for us,” Perlman says, “passed us by a while ago.”

It’s hard to think of a contemporary American band that’s successfully sustained itself while operating outside the parameters of any defined genre or radio format for as long as the Jayhawks. It is also equally hard to pinpoint any of the countless dozens of younger groups and songwriters who’ve been influenced by the group — because those artists most likely don’t even know themselves that their favorite bands were, in fact, shaped by the Jayhawks. 

If that seems like hyperbole, just ask Jeff Tweedy.

“We were getting ready to make our first record as Uncle Tupelo, when one day I came to work at a record store,” Tweedy tells Rolling Stone , “and Tony Margherita, who was the manager of the record store and starting to manage Uncle Tupelo at the time, looking a little ashen, said, ‘Uh-oh. I’m a little worried. I got to play you this record.’ I was like, ‘What are you worried about?’ And then he played [the Jawyhawks’ 1989 LP] Blue Earth , which had just come out. He was like, ‘T his seems a little close to what you guys are doing.’”

“We looked at the Jayhawks as older brothers,” Tweedy continues, “and they looked at us the way an older brother would look at a younger brother: as annoying.”

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Despite the Jayhawks’ unsung influence on early Nineties alt-country pioneers like Uncle Tupelo, who helped usher in the modern Americana scene, Louris isn’t bitter that his band remains an unknown to most.

“I couldn’t name you a current person I know of that I’ve read has said we were a big influence,” Louris says nonchalantly. “As far as the whole Americana organization in Nashville, we are definitely on the outside looking in. We’ve never won an award, we’ve never been cited for anything in that scene. And it’s a little mind-boggling to me.”

Louris knows there are plenty of reasons for this. The band has always been too pop-oriented, and too British Invasion-influenced, for its strict country-folk peers, while being too rootsy for its Nineties alternative contemporaries. Then there’s geography. No one has ever known quite what to make of a mid-Eighties Twin Cities band that had nothing to do with the anarchic post-punk of the Replacements and Hüsker Dü.

Since Olson left the Jayhawks in 1995 (he returned for an ill-fated reunion with 2011’s Mockingbird Time) , the group has become something else entirely under the leadership of Louris. 

“The main throughline, with all the different incarnations of the Jayhawks, is Gary’s voice and his songwriting and his guitar playing,” says Tweedy, who considers Louris a brother of sorts to this day. “Gary’s really strange and unique and he expressed himself really obliquely. He has a real knack for having things sound familiar and comforting and at the same time, sort of disorienting… He’s got some darkness. But he also has the voice of an angel. It’s like some heavenly voice singing some serious venom.”

Even without much mainstream attention over a quarter century, the Jayhawks are still the type of band that can tour nationally, and successfully, whenever they want. They had been planning on amping up touring in 2020 in support of XOXO, as well as performing the decades-old songs their fans have come to love, but for the time being, they’re focusing on getting the new record to their devoted base.

Louris, in particular, has made peace with any nagging sense of dreams unfulfilled.

“Before I was always like, ‘Oh, we’re not big enough. We didn’t achieve what I thought we were going to achieve,’ and I’d compare it to other people I knew and think, ‘We’re not there, and I don’t know why, and screw it,'” he says. “But now I just appreciate that we have something a lot of people would die to have: a loyal, loving fanbase, and longevity.”

Karen Grotberg puts it more simply. “We are so far from being a has-been.”

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Where Are They Now? Gary Louris of The Jayhawks

Forty years ago, the earliest iteration of The Jayhawks , one of Minnesota’s most beloved bands, began playing in clubs around the Twin Cities. The four-member band emerged from Minneapolis’ vibrant and diverse music scene of the mid-1980s. Like that scene, the band was tough to categorize, blending elements of country, pop, folk, and rock music with close harmonies and shimmering instrumental arrangements.

Photo by Ten Ten Creative

That trait remains one of the band’s defining features 11 studio albums in. Gary Louris, the band’s co-founder and principal singer and songwriter, attributes the band’s staying power to its commitment to music on its own terms. “Our music was never really trendy, so it never went out because it was never in,” Louris says. “Because of that, we built our audience pretty slowly. It gave us a pretty solid foundation. I think our music is not particular to an era, and the strength of the songs are what really carry the band.”

After nearly 20 years of performing and recording hits like “Blue” and “Save It for a Rainy Day,” the band took a hiatus in the aughts, which Louris says helped him appreciate everything the band had built even more.

“At the time, I thought, ‘OK, it’s time to bow out and step aside and try some other things.’ But after some time away, you realize you’ve worked hard to build up what you have and sometimes it’s stupid to walk away.”

For many younger fans of the Jayhawks, the 2009 compilation “Music from the North Country” served as a starting point for exploring the rest of the band’s catalog. The compilation’s release corresponded with a revival of folk music, inspired in part by bands like the Jayhawks that pioneered the eclectic sounds of Americana or “alt-country” music in the 1990s.

Among these bands, Louris and his bandmates take pride in their Minnesota roots. Their website is titled “The Jayhawks—A Band From Minnesota.” “When the band first started, [Minneapolis] was the place to be. We had more than one scene going,” Louris said, noting the likes of Husker Du, the Replacements, Prince, Soul Asylum, and Morris Day emerged from the city at roughly the same time.

Photo by Vivian Johnson

“It was a very fertile place to be musically, and I think we fed off each other,” Louris says. “There were a lot of positives to being from Minneapolis. It was the right-sized city where it was easy to be a band. It wasn’t super expensive to have a practice space. There was a good circuit of clubs and good club owners. There was a cool little record label [Twin Tone] and there were cool record stores. All those things add up.”

Louris credits P.D. Larson, the longtime Minneapolis music journalist who now works for the band, with curating the widely acclaimed 2009 compilation. “[Larson]’s one of those guys that doesn’t mind going through—in fact, he loves it—and archiving things. We handed him some big boxes of cassettes, CDs, and all kinds of materials, and he sifted through it.” Louris describes Larson as the band’s “Swiss Army Knife.”

In 2021, Louris released a solo album called “Jump for Joy,” which was a departure from even the varied sounds of the Jayhawks. “It was just me in a room playing everything either analog or with virtual instruments,” Louris says of the album, which includes more synth and sequencer than one is used to hearing on his other recordings. He plans to record another solo album in the near future.

The Jayhawks also have shows on the docket, including dates in Spain and the United States (but none announced in Minnesota—yet). After touring and more solo work, Louris thinks another Jayhawks record may be on the horizon.

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The Jayhawks

The Jayhawks and their rootsy sound were definitely swimming against the tide when they emerged from a crowded Minnesota music scene in 1985. Over the course of almost 4 decades, 11 albums, countless memorable live shows, and enough personal drama to fill a couple of Behind the Music episodes, this beloved band soared to heights few ever achieve while winning the hearts and minds of numerous critics, fans and peers in the process.

After releasing two Indie albums in the '80s, The Jayhawks signed with American Recordings in 1991 and over the next decade released 5 challenging, at times groundbreaking, albums, toured the world to widespread acclaim and even survived the departure of founding member Mark Olson in 1995. After a hiatus in the mid 2000s, the “classic” 1994 lineup reunited for another new studio album in 2011 and 2 years of solid touring, reacquainting audiences old and new with the band's timeless musical vision. 2014 saw a late '90s version of the band led by Gary Louris hitting the road to support the reissues of the 3 Jayhawks albums released from 1997-2003.

This lineup released the band's ninth studio album in 2016, recorded in Portland, OR with producers Peter Buck and Tucker Martine. The band's next studio album, Back Roads And Abandoned Motels , was released in the summer of 2018, featuring Jayhawks versions of songs Gary Louris had previously written with other artists plus 2 new compositions. Recording for a new Jayhawks album was completed in Minnesota in late 2019 and in July 2020 the band released their eleventh studio album, XOXO .

★ Local Show ★

With golden smog: electric (gary louris, kraig johnson, dan murphy, marc perlman, featuring steve gorman), with golden smog unplugged (feat. gary louris, kraig johnson, dan murphy, marc perlman), trampled by turtles, with the jayhawks and emma jeanne, with matt wilson & his orchestra and the scarlet goodbye, the cover show — livestream, 'sound of lies' show — livestream, live from camp jayhawk: xoxo release show — livestream, celebrating the life of ed ackerson, with the jayhawks, kraig johnson & the poe-gram (ft. david poe & special guests), mark mallman  and more, with gaelynn lea, with thomas abban, with chastity brown and tuomo & markus, with the cactus blossoms and the cloak ox, with two harbors, with red daughters, with trapper schoepp, with rich mattson and the northstars, with kaiser cartel, with rogue valley, hockey dad x remo drive, with tatiana hazel, ax and the hatchetmen, the wild feathers, with nathan graham, geordie greep.

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The Jayhawks: Silver Bay Concert Series

Friday, August 23 7:30 pm

The Jayhawks

Free and open to everyone

More Information

About this Event

In 2024 Rocky Wall Productions will produce eight late summer free Friday night concerts for your enjoyment.  They have booked some of the best in the business as they strive to bring the best of Americana Music to the North Shore. Please join us in welcoming these artists to our community. 

Patrons to bring a chair and/or blanket to sit on during the show. Also plan to arrive early as there will be food trucks and local restaurants available to provide you with dinner or snacks.

Inclement weather back up will be The Reunion Hall located at 97 Outer Drive, Silver Bay, MN.

The Jayhawks and their rootsy sound were definitely swimming against the tide when they emerged from a crowded Minnesota music scene in 1985. Over the course of almost 4 decades, 11 albums, countless memorable live shows and enough personal drama to fill a couple of Behind the Music episodes, this beloved band soared to heights few ever achieve while winning the hearts and minds of numerous critics, fans and peers in the process.

About Rocky Wall Productions

Rocky Wall Productions is a Minnesota 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established for the purpose of producing high quality live Americana Music outdoor concerts, house concerts and events in the City of Silver Bay and on Lake Superior's North Shore. We are also committed to providing resources to assist in the design and construction of an outdoor performance stage in Silver Bay, MN.

In their first three years of operation, they have produced twenty-one very successful live outdoor concerts attracting nearly 8,000 attendees over the course of three concert seasons.

Rocky Wall Productions | Rocky Wall Productions