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September 21, 2013

So updates have been few and far between these days. The hiatus has caused a drop in my Flecktone focus, unfortunately.

I have managed to make my way through a handful of audience recordings and add a few new setlists, mainly from 1997 and 1998. I have also been tracking down some of the unknown tracks played throughout the years trying to figure out exactly where they came from (list includes a Mike Marshall tune the Flecktones played back in '96 as well as a few miscellaneous songs from Bela solo albums).

But, more importantly, I recently began adding some side project dates for 2013 and getting ready for the dates in 2014. While there is still no plan to end the Flecktones hiatus (based on various reports), there are plenty of opportunities all over the world to catch the Flecktones individually with their side projects.

  • Vic will be doing a small tour with his brothers this December and more touring in early 2014
  • Levy has tours and clinics set up across the US
  • Coffin is on tour with the Mu'tet right now and will hit South America and Africa this winter with DMB
  • Futureman is also touring with the Mu'tet and is always playing gigs in the TN area
  • And Bela, the new dad, has tours set up with a variety of folks from his lovely bride to Brooklyn Rider to Chick Corea

The 2013 page is empty at the moment, so I encourage you to check out their official sites for tour dates and tickets. And albums too, Vic and Bela have both released new music within the last year or so and Coffin & the Mu'tet are working on one to be released early next year.

In the mean time, Archives in Cowtown has launched into the Twitter universe, so follow us (@CowtownArchives) for updates on side projects, tour dates, new recordings, updates to historical AiC data and all sorts of other Flecktone related fun. While updates to the site are fairly sporadic, the AiC will remain active on Twitter.

Last little nugget of info, I'm excited to be doing some work on the DMBAlmanac these days. The Almanac inspired the creation of this site and it is a great honor to be part of that team. If you are a DMB fan and you do not know about the Almanac by now, get ready to waste hours of time digging through the most comprehensive tour archive out there.

— Tex

Daily Dose Day
May 25, 2011

Si Twining, of Bruuuce.com, has put together a marathon of sorts to benefit two great charities. On May 30th, he will be making available 5 free tracks an hour from 5 different artists, 125 tracks total. That's 125 tracks from artists including Bruce Hornsby, Bela Fleck, Dave Matthews, Phish and The Grateful Dead.

So head on over to DailyDoseDay.com for details on how you can take advantage of the free music and make a donation to a great cause. Donations will benefit the ALS Association as well as the NSPCC for abused children in the UK.

We'll get by with a little help from our friends
March 5, 2011

Well, here we are. Today marks the 7 year anniversary of the Archives in Cowtown and thus we are up for renewal on our domain and web hosting. Times are a little tougher than normal this year so, even though I never wanted to do this, I'm going to ask for some help.

I have plenty in store over the next year for the AiC. I'm hoping to roll out version 2.0 with many, many upgrades. Of course none of that will matter if I can't make the renewal fee. It's a relatively small fee ($150), compared to most, so hopefully we can knock it out and move on.

So if you like the site and are ready for the great things that are coming down the line, feel free to help me out via PayPal, or if you'd prefer another method, shoot me an email and we can work out the details: DMBTex10101 [at] archivesincowtown [dot] com.

Got a buck? Try one of these tracks.
December 14, 2010

The holidays can be happy . . . and stressful, so how about a few tunes to take your mind of the craziness that is the holiday season. We've found a list of random Flecktone related tracks that may interest you. Any of these tracks would make a great gift for a friend . . . or yourself.

1. Flecktones - "White Christmas"
2. Flecktones - "The Stranger"
3. Flecktones - "Magic Fingers" (live)
4. Victor Wooten - "Peace Jam" (live)
5. Victor Wooten - "Liz & Opie"
6. Bela Fleck - "On the Road"
7. Bela & Abigail Washburn - "Keys to the Kingdom" (live)
8. Bela & Abigail Washburn - "Annabelle June"
9. Bela & Jerry Douglas - "Another Morning" (live)
10. Bela & Tony Rice - "Whitewater"
11. Bela & Chick Corea - "Skit" (bonus track)
12. Bela & Ben Sollee - "Danse macabre"
13. Bela & Boubacar Diebate - "Tiedo"
Bela gets another Grammy nom!
December 3, 2010

Bela has been nominated for another Grammy. Part 2 of Throwdown Your Heart has been nominated for best contemporary world music album. Throwdown Your Heart is music from Bela's journey through Africa as he explored the roots of the banjo.

The 53rd Annual Grammy Awards take place on February 13th, 2011 on CBS.

Click here for all the Nominees

2010 Jingle All the Way Tour Dates
November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

What are you thankful for this year? Here at the AiC, I know lots of people are thankful for the beginning of the annual Jingle All the Way Tour. As the tour heads into it's 3rd year, the Flecktones hit up the west coast with 17 fun filled dates ranging from Santa Barbara, California to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

The line up this time around is quite familiar. Bela, Vic, & Futch will be hitting the road with Jeff Coffin and the Alash Ensemble. Check them out if you get a chance.

Bela Fleck & the Flecktones: 2010 Jingle All the Way Tour
11.30.10 Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts, Calgary, AB CA
12.01.10 North Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Edmonton, AB CA
12.02.10 Centre Complex (Eric Harvie Theater), Banff, AB CA
12.03.10 Bing Crosby Theater, Spokane, WA US
12.04.10 Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, Vancouver, BC CA
12.06.10 Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (Oregon Symphony Orchestra), Portland, OR US
12.07.10 Hult Center for Performing Arts (Silva Concert Hall), Eugene, OR US
12.08.10 Summit High School Auditorium (KPOV), Bend, OR US
12.09.10 Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA US (2 shows)
12.10.10 Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA US (2 shows)
12.11.10 Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA US (2 shows)
12.12.10 Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA US (2 shows)
12.14.10 Laxon Auditorium - California State University, Chico, CA US
12.15.10 Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, CA US
12.16.10 Fox Theater, Oakland, CA US
12.17.10 University of California, Santa Barbara, CA US
12.18.10 Orpheum Theater, Los Angeles, CA US
12.19.10 Rialto Theate, Tucson, AZ US

In other news, the rumors have been confirmed, the original four Flecktones have been in the studio working on a brand new album. This will be the first Flecktone album with the original line-up since 1992's UFO Tofu! The four guys will also launch a full fledged tour in 2011 in support of the new album.

Have a safe holiday!

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