Pittsburgh Folk Rock Collective Showcasing 2 Gigs in Knoxville

Boca Chica

Boca Chica and Nik & The Central Plains will be playing at Relix Variety Theatre on Friday, May 20th at 8 pm with the Barstool Romeos.  Boca Chica will also appear on that day's Blue Plate Special.

These are just two of the flagship bands of the Pittsburgh collective which are touring this Spring. This Pennsylvania collective of bands, songwriters, and session musicians are creating luminescent indie and folk rock through heavy collaboration. The group comprises almost a dozen bands. Sometimes compared to the Elephant 6 Collective, this network of inter-related bands have put out an impressive catalog of recordings released both independently and on a bevy of labels both national and international.

Boca Chica's last full length album, Lace Up Your Workboots, achieved success on Americana radio, going to number one on the Pennsylvania Roots Report, as well as in several key cities such as Asheville, NC and Stanford, CA. Their music, which has been described as folk rock, Americana, and "orchestral twang pop" caught the eye of two different European labels-- Indiecater Records in Ireland and Eardrums Pop in Norway, and the band has released EPs on both. Boca Chica's new full length, Get Out of Sin City, is due out in July. The tour marks the release of its first single, "Dear Audrine," a banjo-laden, wry-voiced look at fear of failure, which is as catchy and rollicking as it is dark.

Nik & the Central Plains

Nik & the Central Plains are a twangy indie rock band. Their tunes are driven by three guys and a 1982 Mercedez Benz. Led by the Swedish-born Nik Westman, The Central Plains deliver folk rock with a heavy dose of garage, indie, and a little twang, all laced with Nik's signature quirky, deadpan lyrics. Voted one of the best bands of 2010, by Pittsburgh's WYEP, Nik & The Central Plains are touring in support of their brand new album, Walk on Beaches, recorded with Jake Hanner (son of country songwriting legend Dave Hanner) at his studio, Play On Recordings.

The two bands share members, stages, tour vans, and even songs. Boca Chica just released a cover of Nik & the Central Plains' "You're the Blues," a loping psychedelic country ode inspired by John Lennon. They also teamed up to record a 2010 tribute to Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks, sponsored by Pittsburgh's WYEP.

More information on Boca Chica's is at www.bocachicamusic.com. Nik & The Central Plains website is at www.nikandthecentralplains.com.

Published May 6, 2011