Bill Erickson & The New Migrant Workers slide into Stillwater Feb. 2

January 11, 2008

Bill Erickson & The New Migrant Workers slide into Stillwater Feb. 2

Legendary Red Dirt singer/songwriter Bill Erickson will bring his band, The New Migrant Workers, to Joseppi’s Italian Kitchen in Stillwater for an 8 p.m. performance on Saturday, Feb. 2.

Erickson’s shows are full of honest and historical songcraft derived from his two albums released on Binky Records, Blood Mixed with the Dust and Kosoma, as well as choice cuts from some of his heroes like Woody Guthrie and Walt Wilkins.

It doesn’t take long to point out his obvious influences, like Guy Clark and Steve Earle, nor does this Oklahoman-by-way-of-California beat around the bush with his musical messages. Song titles like “Pray for Rain” and “If I was a Fish” aren’t necessarily clouded in mystery, while absorbing the lucid lyrics of “Room 22” accuse every listener that, “It could have been me, could have been you, on Valentine’s Day, up in Room 22…”

In his songwriting career, which on spans across two decades, the 56-year old Erickson has co-written numerous songs with the likes of Greg Jacobs, Tom Skinner, Benny Craig, Jeff & Vida and Texas troubadour Pat Green. Green recorded Erickson’s “Count Your Blessings” on his Grammy-nominated major label debut, Three Days, and more of Bill’s tunes have been performed and recorded on stages across the world by The Farm Couple and many other friends from across the panhandle state.

The New Migrant Workers, who outfit Erickson’s acoustic numbers with New Age and Bluegrass bravado in their own sweet way, are bassist Pat Calaway, mandolin mad-man Chris Becker and guitarist Joe Mack. To date, Erickson and crew have shared stages with the likes of Billy Joe Shaver, Fred Eaglesmith and Robbie Fulks.

The Saturday, Feb. 2 show will be held at Joseppi’s Italian Kitchen, located at 223 E. Hall of Fame, in Stillwater. Joseppi’s is a relatively new establishment in the Stan Clark restaurant world, specializing in tenaciously tasty Italian dishes, brick-oven pizzas and the finest beer, wine and liquor selection in Orange Country. This free, all ages show is open to the public, who are encouraged to attend.

More information is available online by logging on to www.myspace.com/billericksonandthenewmigrantworkers, www.joseppis.com or by phone at (405) 624-8037.