The Lutcher Theater is thrilled to welcome The Bacon Brothers to its stage on Saturday, October 19, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. for an unforgettable night of music and storytelling. Kevin and Michael Bacon will present their acclaimed performance, Ballad of the Brothers, featuring award-winning songs along with their signature blend of genres.
The Bacon Brothers have spent the better part of three decades exploring their own mix of folk, rock, soul and country music. They call that diverse sound “forosoco,” and it has taken them around the world, from headlining gigs in Japan to American performances at iconic venues like Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry, and Gruene Hall.
The exploration continues with the band’s 12th release, Ballad of the Brothers. It’s a record that highlights the similarities between Kevin Bacon, known worldwide as an A-list Hollywood actor, and Michael Bacon, celebrated as an Emmy-winning composer, and the differences, too. The two brothers may be bound together by blood and a mutual love of American roots music, but they’ve grown into sharp songwriters and cinematic storytellers with their own distinct approaches, offering a mix of edgy alt-rock (Take Off This Tattoo), Motown-inspired soul (Put Your Hand-Up), finger-picked folk (Let That Be Enough) and everything in between.
The album also marks the continuation of a musical partnership that began long ago in Philadelphia, where the Bacons were raised on a soundtrack of 1970s singer/songwriters, Philly soul bands, and classic rock acts. Multiple decades and countless shows later, they’re creating their own soundtrack and saluting their old-school influences, while making music that’s undeniably modern.
“We’re two musicians who write songs very differently, and we’ve grown to really appreciate those differences,” says Michael Bacon. “Whenever I go see a band play live, I’d much rather see them do a thousand things than just one thing. We take a similar approach to our albums.”
Like much of the Bacon Brothers’ work, Ballad Of The Brothers offers a mix of autobiography and richly-detailed fiction. The tongue-in-cheek Old Bronco finds Kevin turning a song about his 1969 Bronco truck into a metaphor for aging. Airport Bar, one of the most beautifully written tracks in the Bacons’ catalog, compares a doomed relationship to a sports bar in an airport terminal. On the album’s title track, inspired by Gruene Hall, the brothers deliver a Wild West narrative about two East Coast city slickers who take a road trip to Texas. Whether by fate or by Faust, they find themselves on stage at a Texas honky-tonk, blessed with musical talent they didn’t know they had.
“I wanted to write a Faustian story set in one of my favorite states ever,” says Michael. “It’s sort of like Texas’ own version of Charlie Daniels’ The Devil Went Down to Georgia.”
Tickets for The Bacon Brothers Ballad of the Brothers range in price from $45 to $120 and are available for purchase by visiting lutcher.org or by calling the Lutcher Theater Box Office at 409.886.5535.
The Lutcher Theater is located at 707 Main Avenue in Orange, Texas.
