Swamp Dogg

Venue

Mercury Lounge

Address

New York, NY

Dates and Times

Wednesday, June 17, 8:00 PM (Doors 6:00 PM)

Artists and Performers

Swamp Dogg (born Jerry Williams, Jr.)

• Producers: Ryan Olson (Bon Iver, Poliça)
• All-star Band: Noam Pikelny, Sierra Hull, Jerry Douglas, Chris Scruggs, Billy Contreras, and Kenny Vaughan
• Special Guests: Margo Price, Vernon Reid, Jenny Lewis, Justin Vernon, and The Cactus Blossoms

Activity Description

Swamp Dogg presents his album, Blackgrass: From West Virginia to 125th St., a blend of folk, roots, country, blues, and soul. The collection features new originals, vintage Swamp Dogg classics, and reimaginings of ’70s R&B hits and ’50s pop tunes, all filtered through a progressive Appalachian lens. The performance highlights Swamp Dogg's unique delivery, described as sly, playful, and full of genuine joy and ache. The album, released on John Prine's Oh Boy label, challenges conventional notions of genre and race while celebrating the music that shaped Swamp Dogg.

The setlist includes tracks like the bawdy "Mess Under That Dress," the humorous "Ugly Man's Wife," and the poignant "Curtains On The Window." Swamp Dogg also revisits his past works with a bluegrass spin, including "Songs To Sing," "The Other Woman" (featuring Margo Price), "Your Best Friend" (originally for The Drifters), and "Rise Up" (originally for The Commodores, featuring Vernon Reid). The performance also features covers like "Have A Good Time" (Tony Bennett) and "Count the Days" (Inez and Charlie Fox, re-envisioned with Jenny Lewis). The show concludes with the haunting "Murder Ballad," a spoken-word and wailing vocal piece.