Harris Center For the Arts Presents Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters Next Month

HARRIS CENTER FOR THE ARTS presents Billy Bob Thornton & The Boxmasters on Thursday, June 1, at 7:30 pm.

In addition to being one of our nation's most acclaimed actors, Billy Bob (Bud) Thornton is also recognized for his musical talents. He has recorded four solo albums: Private Radio, Edge Of The World, Hobo, and Beautiful Door. He has also appeared on numerous recordings by other artists, including Warren Zevon's Grammy winning album The Wind, the legendary Earl Scruggs' Earl Scruggs And Friends, and Anchored In Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash. He recently co-wrote the song "The Middle Of Nowhere" with Tony Joe White on his album Rain Crow.

In 2007, Thornton and J.D. Andrew formed The Boxmasters, to satisfy their craving for '60s beats. The Boxmasters have recorded an impressive and diverse catalogue of music that touches on their love of a wide array of influences.

Thornton's partner, J.D. Andrew, is a Grammy Award-winning recording engineer whose credits include The Rolling Stones, Kanye West, The Pussycat Dolls, Will Kimbrough, Tommy Womack, Guy Clark, and more.

As a touring band, The Boxmasters have cultivated a rabid cult fanbase across the United States and Canada. Opening for the likes of ZZ Top, Steve Miller, George Thorogood, and Kid Rock, the Boxmasters have proven to win over large audiences. As a headliner, frequent stops in Kansas City at "Knuckleheads," Springfield, Illinois, at "Boondocks," and "Merrimack Hall" in Huntsville, Alabama have shown dedicated yet still growing audiences. Two appearances at Levon Helm's "Midnight Ramble" in Woodstock, New York were highlight performances for the band, as well as the "Ramble at The Ryman" that Levon hosted in 2008. The Boxmasters performed on "The Grand Ole Opry" in 2015, another in a growing resume of must-play venues.During the shutdown of 2020, the recording studios in Los Angeles were closed for several months. For avid creators Bud and J.D., this was a time to start planning and writing for the day that the studios would open again and what sort of new songs would emerge. Over the course of the next year, The Boxmasters would record three new albums

In recalling the creation of the title track on the album Help...I'm Alive, Bud says, "It's been difficult for people to live in this world for the past few years. Normally you hear someone cry out 'Help, I'm drowning' or 'Help, I'm dying.' The song is a tongue-in-cheek way of saying, 'Wow it sucks being here right now.' Well, okay, it's really not so tongue-in-cheek. I came up with the chorus and melody just walking around the house during lockdown. It just came out in that moment, just as it is on the record. I picked up a guitar and Facetimed J.D."

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