Sheridan Opera House: The Subdudes

14 Jul Sheridan Opera House: The Subdudes

Telluride’s Sheridan Arts Foundation presents New Orleans rockers The Subdudes live in concert at the historic Sheridan Opera House on Tuesday, July 19, 2016. Doors open at 7:30 p.m.; show time is 8 p.m. Tickets are $36 GA on the floor (there will be half seats with a dance floor up front) and $46 reserved in the balcony. Tickets here or call 970-728-6363, ext. 5.

Over the course of 25 years and 10 albums, the Subdudes have quietly become one of America’s national music treasures.

The New Orleans-formed group is a living encapsulation of American music, a vibrant cauldron of sounds that stirs together meaty grooves and jazzy dynamics, soulful R&B swagger, easy vocal harmonies, cheeky rock ‘n’ roll attitude and folky social consciousness — not to mention some of the sharpest musicianship and ensemble playing you’ll ever hear from any five musicians.

Led by singer/guitarist Tommy Malone and accordionist, John Magnie, The Subdudes draw most of their inspiration from the sounds of their native New Orleans, blending blues, gospel, funk, and R&B with their own harmony vocals; their sound is also notable for the band’s substitution of a tambourine player, Steve Amedée, for a drummer. Tim Cook rounds out the band on bass.

The subdudes formed in 1987 at the classic New Orleans music venue Tipitinas. After regrouping in 2002 (first as The Dudes, then re-adopting the name “Subdudes” in 2003), Bob Dylan’s guitarist Freddy Koella helped produce the group’s Miracle Mule (2004).

The Subdudes’ stature as New Orleans musicians is reflected by their inclusion individually and as a group in the popular HBO series “Treme.”

After a hiatus since 2011, the original line-up reunited, with Johnny Ray Allen on bass, in March 2014. Johnny Ray Allen died at age 56 on August 8, 2014. The band has continued to tour with Tim Cook on bass.

Here’s a taste of what’s in store:

The Sheridan Arts Foundation was founded in 1991 as a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization to preserve the historic Sheridan Opera House as an arts and cultural resource for the Telluride community, to bring quality arts and cultural events to Telluride and to provide local and national youth with access and exposure to the arts through education. The Sheridan Arts Foundation is sponsored in part by grants from the Telluride Foundation, CCAASE and Just For Kids.