Ben Livingston and Shigidee Shigidee

This ain't your daddy’s Americana—hell, it’s barely tied to any map. Ben Livingston is a National Endowment for the Arts-awarded artist who took a detour from bending light into bending songs. His music veers between sharp wit and deep cuts, equal parts poetic Texas storytelling and restless experimentation. Quotes the Chronicle…

One minute he’s poking fun, the next he’s got you staring into the abyss. If you don’t feel something, check your pulse.

Backing him up is a wrecking crew of battle-tested players. Mike Bull, the English bass guru, was the house thumper at Southampton’s legendary Joiners before taking Glastonbury and NYC stages, where he opened for Johnny winters and locked in tight with Big Mama Thornton. Dexter Walker swings the drums like a man who’s been behind Chuck Berry, Willie Nelson, Ray Benson and a host of jazz greats, because he has. And then there’s Tim Curran, a six-string outlaw whose country band once opened for the actual George Jones—meaning, he’s been in the presence of God. Put ‘em all together and you’ve got a band that can make you groove, laugh, and question your life choices, all in the same set.

Together, they create a sound that’s both road-worn and fresh—unpolished in the best way.

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