KEVIN MITCHELL OF BOB EVANS
After a massive 2018, which saw one of Australia’s most loved troubadours Bob Evans receiving the Best Of treatment via new album Full Circle alongside a hugely successful national tour to boot, the distinguished artist has today announced an intimate run of regional shows for March 2019. Kicking off at Narrabeen RSL in Narrabeen on March 14, the tour will head through Newcastle, Bulli, Mornington, Belgrave, and wrap up in Ballarat at Karova Lounge on March 30. On support duties will be Madeline Leman in Victoria, and Caitlin Harnett in New South Wales.
With five solo studio albums down the track, Bob Evans’ Full Circle – which also features new single Drowning – is not the traditional ‘greatest hits’ or ‘best of’, as Kevin Mitchell explains, “I like the idea of it being presented more like an introduction to my work if you had never heard of me. This would be the record for that person. So I didn’t want to just bundle the singles together or present the songs in the order they were released. Some singles didn’t make the cut, in favour of album tracks that have grown legs of their own and found some kind of special place of significance without ever necessarily being on the radio or anything… I’m proud of what I’ve managed to create.”
Fans of Bob Evans are in for a real treat with the upcoming regional shows, as Kevin enthuses, “It was always my intention to do some regional shows to celebrate the release of Full Circle. The capital city shows I played in 2018 were such a joy, but these shows are going to be a little bit different. I will be performing solo, which allows me to change the set list up a bit each night and play longer and more spontaneous sets. One thing that will carry over from the last tour however will be the song raffle, whereby everyone who enters the room will receive a raffle ticket and if your number is called out you get to request any Bob Evans song ever recorded and I will do my darndest to remember how to play it! This part of the show was pretty fun last time so I’m looking forward to finding out what happens this time around. I also can’t wait to get behind the wheel and do some long drives, listen to a bunch of music and spend time in some quality country pubs. It’s one of life’s great pleasures!”
Victoria support artist Madeline Leman has been tearing through Melbourne’s Americana scene for a number of years, singing about not only the every day experience of being a women, but also the absurdity of the gendered experience of being a woman in the music industry. NSW support Caitlin Harnett’s songs evoke Laurel Canyon of the early 70s. Combined with her guitar, banjo and harmonica, her music has the lilt of folk, a touch of pop and the honesty of Americana.
Mitchell was already under the Australian music spotlight as singer/guitarist for indie-rock-darlings Jebediah when in 1998 he found a t-shirt in a Perth op-shop with the number 15 on the back, and the name ‘Bob Evans’ printed on the front. Coincidentally at this time he was embarking on his first solo shows in Perth and a random name on someone’s discarded basketball shirt took hold. He may have grown out of the t-shirt, but the name fit and has stayed for an impressive solo career.
“This Bob Evans guy has been hitching a ride in my life for 20 years,” Mitchell laughs. “It’s an unusual relationship to have with something that isn’t real.”
