Artwork by Jon LangfordJon Langford is a Renaissance Man for the 21st Century. His music stints, starting with punk and moving through the Alt. Country landscape, and his other creative endeavors lead us to the obvious, that ONE THING can't contain his energy and his vision. His art is a thing of glory and is on display at Yard Dog in Austin. He has created iconic visual images of Hank, Johnny and Elvis, among others in his prolific portfolio. His paintings appear on bottles and other items for the Dogfish Head Craft Brewery. We have a bit of it for you here, too, as he crafted the poster for the three-day Americana Live In New York event which kicks off tonight! Join us if you are in the NYC area at Rodeo Bar for sets from Bill Kirchen, Jim Campilongo, and Jack Grace! And then tomorrow and Friday at Hill Country!
Jon Langford, a Welshman who now calls Chicago home, works with different groups for the different flavors needed to satisfy his soul: The Three Johns, The Mekons, Pine Valley Cosmonauts, Waco Brothers, Wee Hairy Beasties, not to mention under his own name. He has written a book, is a regular contributor to the radio show This American Life and is a father figure to many next gen Chicago musicians. His multimedia music/spoken-word/video performance, The Executioner's Last Songs, premiered in 2005. He also illustrated the comic strip Great Pop Things under the pseudonym Chuck Death. Since 2005 he has been one of the hosts of a weekly radio program, The Eclectic Company, broadcast on WXRT in Chicago. In early 2009, the Walkabout Theater Company in Chicago premiered a stage adaptation of Jon's Goldbrick, featuring a live band, two actors and video projections. At the end of last year The House Theatre of Chicago staged a production written by rock journalist Mark Guarino and based on Langford's art and his 2004 solo album All the Fame of Lofty Deeds. I am wondering if he ever sleeps, because here it is 2010, and there is a new CD out! It is called Old Devils, and from it we bring you "1234 Ever," with Jim Elkington on guitar, videotaped during our Music Fog sessions at the Sheraton in Nashville during Americana Fest last month.
- Jessie Scott
