Rhiannon Giddens Announces Spring and Summer Tour Dates to Follow Release of Freedom Highway

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“On Freedom Highway, Rhiannon Giddens shows us that while America was never as innocent as some nostalgists want to believe, its young spirit still lives within, resistant to corruption, leading those who can hear its voice toward a better place down the road.”   NPR Music First Listen

“Freedom Highway is full of songs like ‘At the Purchaser’s Option,’ which were written over the past few years but sound like they’ve been lurking around the American subconscious for centuries, passed along by oral tradition or via song collectors and academics until they found their way to this particular singer, to this particular album, to this particular moment in history.” UNCUT

Rhiannon Giddens announces a headlining tour in celebration of her second full-length album, Freedom Highway, starting April 28 at the Stagecoach Festival in Indio (full schedule below) with tickets on sale this Friday. Freedom Highway, due February 24 on Nonesuch Records, includes nine original songs Giddens wrote or co-wrote while she and her band toured for her debut album, 2015’s Tomorrow Is My Turn’ plus a traditional song and two civil rights-era songs, “Birmingham Sunday” and Staple Singers’ well-known “Freedom Highway.” Giddens co-produced Freedom Highway with multi-instrumentalist Dirk Powell in his Breaux Bridge, Louisiana studio, with the bulk of recording done in a converted studio that was built prior to the Civil War.

The album was already chosen by NPR Music to be part of its First Listen program and the UK’s Uncut magazine named it album of the month. Freedom Highway is a departure from Tomorrow Is My Turn, which included one original song, with the rest being interpretations. Giddens and Powell assembled the Freedom Highway musicians, which included her superb touring band, local musicians from the bayou, a soulful horn section from New York, and talented family members. The principle recording was done over an intense eight-day period. The result is an album that is rawer and more personal than its predecessor.

Besides her musical work, Giddens also has a new recurring role in CMT’s series Nashville. Her duet with country superstar Eric Church on his powerful anti-racism song “Kill A World” is currently in the top 10 on country radio.

04/28/2017 STAGECOACH                                               INDIO                         CA
04/29/2017 RIALTO THEATRE                                          TUCSON                    AZ
04/30/2017 MIM MUSIC THEATER                                   PHOENIX                   AZ**
05/02/2017 NATIONAL HISPANIC CULTURAL CENTER ALBUQUERQUE        NM**
05/03/2017 THE KESSLER THEATER                              DALLAS                     TX**
05/05/2017 NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FEST   NEW ORLEANS         LA
05/06/2017 VARIETY PLAYHOUSE                                  ATLANTA                    GA**
05/07/2017 MEMORIAL HALL                                           CHAPEL HILL             NC**
05/09/2017 LINCOLN THEATRE                                       WASHINGTON           DC**
05/11/2017 SOMERVILLE THEATRE                                SOMERVILLE             MA
05/13/2017 ALICE TULLY HALL                                        NEW YORK                NY
05/14/2017 WORLD CAFE LIVE DOWNSTAIRS              PHILADELPHIA          PA
06/08/2017 CAROLINA THEATRE                                    GREENSBORO          NC
06/09/2017 SPOLETO FESTIVAL USA                             CHARLESTON           SC
06/10/2017 KCD THEATER                                               LOUISVILLE               KY
06/11/2017 CHICAGO BLUES FESTIVAL                         CHICAGO                   IL
06/22/2017 ROMP                                                             OWENSBORO            KY
06/23/2017 SHAFTMAN PERFORMANCE HALL             ROANOKE                  VA
06/24/2017 AMERICAN ROOTS MUSIC FESTIVAL         KATONAH                   NY
07/21/2017 GILA RIVER ARENA                                       GLENDALE                AZ#
07/22/2017 CITIZENS BUSINESS BANK ARENA             ONTARIO                   CA#
07/23/2017 VALLEY VIEW CASINO CENTER                   SAN DIEGO               CA#
07/28/2017 CHAUTAUQUA AMPHITHEATER                   CHAUTAUQUA           NY
07/30/2017 NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL                          NEWPORT                  RI
08/01/2017 STONE MOUNTAIN ARTS CENTER              BROWNFIELD            ME
08/04/2017 NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL                           NEWPORT                  RI%
08/05/2017 NEWPORT JAZZ FESTIVAL                           NEWPORT                  RI
08/06/2017 THE EGG                                                        ALBANY                      NY
08/08/2017 RAM’S HEAD ON STAGE                               ANNAPOLIS                MD
08/09/2017 NORTH CAROLINA MUSEUM OF ART         RALEIGH                     NC
08/18/2017 ROCKY MOUNTAIN FOLKS FESTIVAL         LYONS                         CO

** WITH SPECIAL GUEST AMYTHYST KIAH
# OPENING FOR TIM MCGRAW AND FAITH HILL
% CO-HEADLINING WITH TROMBONE SHORTY & ORLEANS AVENUE