After sold out CD release show,
duo tours in support of Now And Then

Since selling out their CD release show for Now And Then (BOS Music) in late 2004, Chris and Lorin Rowan haven’t gotten much rest. The duo has been making waves on Americana radio, as well as garnering press attention and rave reviews from the likes of the San Francisco Chronicle, Glide magazine and Dirty Linen. The Rowans have taken it all in with their usual easy-going outlook (They recently went on a tour of the Hawaiian islands, playing in front of enthusiastic crowds and soaking up the tropical sun in the process). In addition, the duo will perform live at the 25th annual KGO Radio Cure-A-Thon on March 19, which will be broadcast live on ABC-7 TV in San Francisco and streamed worldwide on the Web at www.kgo.com. Then in April, they will embark on a tour of the East Coast, with shows scheduled from Massachusetts to Florida.

It’s been a long journey. In fact, the soulful harmonies that drive the opening track “Circle of Friends” might as well describe the past 30-odd years of Chris and Lorin Rowan’s career. Through the years, a strong circle of friends ranging from industry legend Clive Davis to Grateful Dead co-founder Jerry Garcia have driven the duo to hone their musical skills and reach for greater heights. In return, the Rowan Brothers have motivated everyone around them with a brilliant mix of talent and humanity.

The circle began in the early 1970s when Chris and Lorin’s brother, Peter (of Old And In The Way fame), introduced them to aspiring producer and instrumental genius David Grisman, who later produced Chris and Lorin’s first album in 1972 under a pseudonym. After Clive Davis lost his job at Columbia, a planned second album never materialized. Enter David Geffen, who brought the duo (along with their brother Peter) into the Asylum label family. There they released three albums. Peter eventually found his way back to his bluegrass roots while Chris and Lorin soldiered on—quite literally. In fact, Lorin wrote the title track of country artist Ricky Scaggs’ Grammy Award winning CD, “Soldier of the Cross.” A stripped down reworking of the song, here renamed “Soldier’s Cross,” graces the new album.

The Rowans’ 34-song masterpiece, Now & Then, features 17 newly recorded songs that are laced with tight harmonies, haunting melodies and underscored by crisp guitar, mandolin and steel guitar picking. They offer a versatile and exciting mixture of bluegrass-flavored folk and Everly Brothers style rock and country. Contrasting the new tracks are 17 vintage cuts (all previously unreleased in the US and making their debut on CD). These tracks date from the duo’s early 70s pop-rock forays with David Grisman. The album features an impressive cast of backing players including: Hal Blaine, Jerry Garcia, Richard Greene, David Grisman, Jim Keltner, Bill Kreutzmann, Phil Lesh, Mookie Siegel, Barry Sless, and many more.

The stature of the players on Now & Then is but a testament to the influences and friendships that have surrounded Chris and Lorin Rowan since they began their musical journey in the early 1970s. More than 30 years later, their music is as relevant now as it was then. Their harmonies are just as stunning as ever. Their lyrics are just as honest. And, of course, their friendships with others have brought them full circle—through this circle of friends.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

More info on the band is available at www.rowanbrothers.com.
High-res photos and other materials are available at www.bosmusic.com/therowans.html.
Now And Then is a BOS Music release. www.bosmusic.com


ROWAN BROTHERS TOUR DATES

March 12, 2005 - West Side Theatre, Newman, CA
March 19, 2005 - 25th Annual KGO Radio Cure-A-Thon (TV APPEARANCE)
April 7, 2005 - O'Driscoll's Irish Pub, Wilbraham, MA
April 8, 2005 - Java Barn, St Lawrence University, Canton, NY
April 9, 2005 - The Point, Bryn Mawr, PA (with Robert Hazard)
April 13, 2005 - The Van Dyck, Schenectady, NY
April 15, 2005 - WUMB 91.9 FM (on air during the day); Bad Abbott's, Quincy, MA
April 16, 2005 - The Center for Arts, Natick, MA (Opening for: Roger McGuinn)
April 17, 2005 - Zeitgeist Gallery, Cambridge, MA
April 18, 2005 - "Traditions Of Wayland" Benefit Concert, Wayland, MA
April 19, 2005 - Jammin Java, Vienna, VA (with: The Dreamsicles)
April 21, 2005 - Andy's, Chestertown, MD
April 22, 2005 - Earth Day benefit show, The Metropolitan Theatre, Morgantown, WV
April 23, 2005 - The Bamboo Room, Lake Worth, FL
April 24, 2005 - Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa (UU Dome), Tampa, FL
April 26, 2005 - Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa, FL
April 27, 2005 - The Bluebird Cafe, Nashville, TN
April 30, 2005 - Swallow In The Hollow, Roswell, GA
May 14, 2005 - Chocolate Buddha House Concert, Pattison (Houston), TX
May 26, 2005 - 34th Annual Kerrville Folk Festival, Kerrville/Medina, TX
June 14, 2005 - Community Concert Summer Series, Concord, CA