The Winery Dogs ‘III’ Out Today
It’s been, well, a literal dog’s age since the vibrant powerhouse trio known as The Winery Dogs marked their recording territory with new music. Now, following a seven-year break from the studio, they’re finally back in full force with their aptly named third album III, which was released today on the band’s Three Dog Music label (via Burnside Distribution/The Orchard).
III follows in the paw steps of their first two albums, once again being self-produced by the band—Richie Kotzen, Mike Portnoy, Billy Sheehan—and mixed by longtime band associate Jay Ruston.
The Winery Dogs were finally aligned to record again after their break by initially ensconcing themselves together in Kotzen’s intimate, cozy home studio in Southern California to jam on new material that was mainly created in the moment during many hours of face-to-face musical interaction. Always the driven and intuitive songwriter, Kotzen displays a definitive M.O. whenever he’s working out new songs in the studio by scatting melodies and putting forth short bursts of semi-improvised lines and phrases that will soon enough transform into sharply honed subject matter.
Given the overall breadth and scope of the music that fills the grooves of III, the mutual goal of The Winery Dogs is quite direct. “Our objective is to give people a truly pleasant listening experience,” outlines Kotzen. “Our music is created by real people playing real instruments, with all of us doing it in a room together. There’s nothing artificial about it.” Notes Sheehan, “I’d like our listeners to be transported in a way that they can experience what we are going through. Our records are snapshots of life, and how we’re living it. Our music reflects what’s important to us, and what isn’t.” Concludes Portnoy, “The strength of this band is, first and foremost, it’s about the songs. Then comes the musicianship, which is obviously important. What makes The Winery Dogs so great is, every one of these songs is memorable, catchy, and singable, but at the same time, you have this great musicianship in all three departments. It’s like a three-ring circus. No matter who you’re watching or listening to, you will always be entertained.”
As III handily proves with each successive listen, just like a fine wine given the right amount of time to ferment and to breathe, The Winery Dogs keep on getting better and better with age.
In touring news, The Winery Dogs are gearing up for the launch of their “202III World Tour,” which starts February 15 in Greensburg, PA at the Palace Theatre.
Check out The Winery Dogs at any of the following tour stops, with more to be announced in the coming weeks:
Wed 2/15 Greensburg, PA Palace Theatre
Thu 2/16 Jim Thorpe, PA Penn’s Peak
Fri 2/17 Glenside, PA Keswick Theatre
Sat 2/18 Patchogue, NY Patchogue Theatre
Tue 2/21 New York, NY Sony Hall
Wed 2/22 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live!
Thu 2/23 Sayreville, NJ Starland Ballroom
Sat 2/25 Ridgefield, CT The Ridgefield Playhouse
Sun 2/26 Derry, NH Tupelo Music Hall
Wed 3/1 Columbus, OH The King of Clubs
Thu 3/2 Cleveland, OH The Agora Theatre
Fri 3/3 Wabash, IN Eagles Theatre
Sun 3/5 Green Bay, WI Epic Event Center
Mon 3/6 Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Music Café
Thu 3/9 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
Fri 3/10 St. Charles, IL The Arcada Theatre
Sat 3/11 Westland, MI Token Lounge
Mon 3/13 Grand Rapids, MI DeVos Performance Hall
Tues 3/14 Harrison, OH Blue Note
Fri 3/17 Dallas, TX Amplified
Sat 3/18 Cedar Park, TX The Haute Spot
Sun 3/19 Houston, TX Warehouse Live Ballroom
Tue 3/21 New Orleans, LA House of Blues
Wed 3/22 Birmingham, AL Iron City
Fri 3/24 St. Petersburg, FL Jannus Live
Sat 3/25 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
Sun 3/26 Orlando, FL The Plaza Live
Tue 3/28 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
Thu 3/30 Virginia Beach, VA Elevation 27
Fri 3/31 Hopewell, VA The Beacon Theatre
Sat 4/1 Leesburg, VA Tally Ho Theater
Sun 4/2 Charlotte, NC The Underground
Tue 4/4 Asheville, NC Orange Peel
Wed 4/5 Knoxville, TN The Mill & Mine
Thu 4/6 Nashville, TN Brooklyn Bowl
Tue 4/25 Santiago, Chile Teatro Coliseo
Thu 4/27 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Vivo Rio (with Stone Temple Pilots)
Fri 4/28 Curitiba, Brazil Tork n Roll (with Skid Row)
Sun 4/3 São Paulo, Brazil Summer Breeze Festival
Mon 6/12 Hamburg, Germany Markthalle
Tue 6/13 Zoetermeer, Netherlands Boerderij
Thu 6/15 Dessel, Belgium Graspop Festival
Fri 6/16 Wolverhampton, England KK’s Steelmill
Sat 6/17 Nottingham, England Rock City
Sun 6/18 London, England Shepherds Bush Empire
Tue 6/20 Cologne, Germany Kantine
Wed 6/21 Frankfurt, Germany Batschkapp
Thu 6/22 Milan, Italy Alcatrazz
Sun 6/25 Cartagena, Spain Rock Imperium Festival
Tue 6/27 La Rochelle, France Crossroads
