About the Event

Dubbed “masters of soulful folk” by Paste, The Wood Brothers are known for their singularly eclectic and electrifying performance style that has earned them devoted legions of fans around the world.

The band released its debut album, Ways Not To Lose, in 2006. Five albums later, 2018’s One Drop of Truth earned The Wood Brothers their first Grammy® nomination with a nod for Best Americana Album. When it came to their most recent work, The Wood Brothers didn’t even know they were making a record. Looking back, they’re grateful for that.

“If we had known, we probably would have been too self-conscious to play what we played,” reflects bassist/vocalist Chris Wood. “At the time, we just thought we were jamming to break in our new studio, so we felt free to explore all these different ways of performing together without worrying about form or structure. It was liberating.”

Recorded live to tape, those freewheeling, improvised sessions became a vast pool of source material, from which The Wood Brothers would go on to draw Kingdom In My Mind, their seventh studio release and most spontaneous and experimental collection yet. While on past records, the band—Chris, guitarist/vocalist Oliver Wood, and drummer/keyboardist Jano Rix—would write a large batch of songs and then record them all at once, Kingdom found them retroactively carving tunes out of sprawling instrumental jam sessions, like sculptors chipping away at blocks of marble. A testament to the limitless creativity of the unharnessed mind, the record explores the power of our external surroundings to shape our internal worlds (and vice versa), reckoning with time, mortality, and human nature. The songs here find strength in accepting what lies beyond our control, thoughtfully honing in on the bittersweet beauty that underlies doubt and pain and sadness with vivid character studies and unflinching self-examination. Deep as the lyrics dig, the arrangements always manage to remain buoyant and light, drawing from across a broad sonic spectrum to create a transportive, effervescent blend that reflects the trio’s unique place in the modern musical landscape.

“My brother came to this band from the blues and gospel world, and my history was all over the map with jazz and R&B,” says Chris, who first rose to fame with the pioneering trio Medeski Martin & Wood. “The idea for this group has always been to marry our backgrounds—to imagine what might happen if Robert Johnson and Charles Mingus had started a band together.”

Kingdom In My Mind follows the Grammy®-nominated One Drop of Truth, which also hit #1 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart. NPR praised the record’s “unexpected changes and kaleidoscopic array of influences” while Uncut hailed its “virtuosic performances and subtly evocative lyrics” and Blurt proclaimed it “a career-defining album.” Tracks from the record racked up roughly 8 million streams on Spotify alone, and the band members took the album on the road for extensive tour dates in the United States and Europe, including their first headline performance at Red Rocks, two nights at San Francisco’s legendary Fillmore (captured on their 2019 release, Live At The Fillmore), and festival appearances everywhere from Bonnaroo to XPoNential.

Supporting act: Cris Jacobs

From Baltimore comes Cris Jacobs—an unexpectedly gritty soul-blues singer and guitarist with an outlaw country ethos. Blending a variety of musical traditions, Jacobs creates a distinctive voice and sound of his own, punctuated by emotive songwriting and explosive guitar playing. Equally at home playing heartfelt Americana ballads or funky blues rockers, Jacobs is known for his mesmerizing live shows, where his improvisational guitar playing, powerhouse band, and deep reservoir of songs make each night a unique experience.  

Named one of Rolling Stone’s “10 New Country Artists You Need to Know” in 2017, Jacobs has collaborated with the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh and Dumpstaphunk’s Ivan Neville, and he has earned opening slots on tours with Sturgill Simpson and Steve Winwood.  

In his early days coming up in Baltimore, Jacobs spent 10 years as a member of eclectic rock band The Bridge before making his debut as bandleader and sole songwriter with 2012’s Songs for Cats and Dogs, emerging with renewed focus and a refined sound. 

With three solo albums to his name, a collaborative record with Ivan Neville, aptly titled Neville Jacobs, and songwriting credits for other musicians, including bluegrass artists Audie Blaylock and Frank Solivan, New Orleans funksters Dumpstaphunk, and gospel legends Blind Boys of Alabama, Jacobs continues to evolve and display his wide range of writing and performing prowess. “No matter the song, I just like to keep it soulful and let the music speak for itself,” he says.