THE EMPTY POCKETS * DEAR BILLIONAIRES *
“Who has a CD player anymore?”
For years, whenever somebody asked us that, I had my answer ready. “I do. It’s in our 2006 Toyota Corolla.”
Eventually Erika and I had to get a new car. We got a 2019 Toyota Corolla.
It also has a CD player.
The funny thing is who’s asking lately. Ten years ago, we hardly sold a CD or a record to anybody under 30. These days we’ve got younger fans picking up albums, and some of the folks giving us grief on our Free CD posts are old enough to remember exactly what a CD player is. I have my suspicions about how many of you still have a binder full of discs somewhere.
Honestly, it feels a little vindicating. We’ve always been grateful to the people who bought a CD because they wanted to put gas in the van. You did put gas in the van. And I love knowing that somebody who bought one of our albums ten years ago can pull it off the shelf tonight and play it. The internet can go down, a song can disappear from a streaming service, the monthly price can go up again. That copy is still yours.
We just put Dear Billionaires out on CD and green vinyl. I’d love to know what album has made it through every move, every cleanout, every “do we really need to keep all these?” at your house. Which one are you keeping forever?
– Josh / Facebook
Chicago blues-rooted rock & roll with big harmonies, sharp songs, and the road-tested chemistry of four friends who’ve played a thousand shows together.
Adam Balasco | Josh Solomon | Erika Brett | Nate Bellon
The Empty Pockets have spent a very long time in vans together.
Based in Chicago, Josh Solomon, Erika Brett, Nate Bellon and Adam Balasco have built their band the old-fashioned way: writing songs, making records, playing more than 1,000 shows, mailing an extraordinary number of CDs, and finding their people one listener at a time.
Somewhere along the way came two #1 Billboard Blues albums, recording sessions at Abbey Road, years touring and performing with Al Stewart, and stages shared with artists including Kenny Loggins and Simon Kirke.
But the center of it has stayed pretty simple: four musicians in a room, three voices finding a harmony, and songs they actually want to play together.
Info & Photos :
www.theemptypockets.com
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