Ben Miller Band

Thursday, December 15

7PM Doors ✖ hall ✖ $16 ADV/$18 DOS ✖ 18+

Tickets available at Amsterdam Bar and Hall, the Electric Fetus in Minneapolis, via charge by phone at 800-514-3849 and online at www.etix.com

ben-miller-band

“I like the idea of saying something very complicated in a very simple way,” says Ben Miller, discussing the trio that bears his name. “That’s what we strive for musically, and what I strive for lyrically—to get directly to the point and save the flowery b.s. for the romantic poets. John Sargent, the painter, said ‘That which is not necessary is detrimental,’ and we try to live by that.”

Since its formation in 2004, the Ben Miller Band has staked out a singular niche that’s established the Joplin, Missouri threesome as both a potent creative force and a perennial fan favorite. Any Way, Shape or Form, the BMB’s New West debut release, showcases the seasoned threesome’s fierce creative spirit and infectious performing chemistry, as well as Miller’s melodically catchy, lyrically resonant songwriting.

On Any Way, Shape or Form, the Ben Miller Band channels a century’s worth of wide-ranging influences into 13 new songs that radiate with energy, smarts and soul. The result is music that’s wholly contemporary, while ringing with ages-old echoes of bluegrass, delta blues, Appalachian mountain music and more. A stew they lovingly call “ozark stomp.”

“What I really care about is songs, and the rest of it is just a vehicle to get you to that destination,” Miller asserts, adding, “Just because we use junk to make music doesn’t mean we aren’t serious about it.”

“The title Any Way, Shape or Form is sort of our way of saying that by any means necessary we will make the music that makes sense to us,” Miller explains. “That’s always been our attitude, and that’s how we’ve gotten to where we are and how we will get to where we are going.”

www.benmillerband.com