Joseph Huber Brings the Soul of Americana to the Cedarburg Cultural Center

photo by Franziska Abe

Make no mistakes about it, 2017 has been a marquee year for Joseph Huber and his band.  Dropping their finest release to date, The Suffering Stage, in April, Huber and his bandmates Jason Loveall (fiddle) and Eston Bennett (upright bass) have traversed the States bringing their down-home, foot-tapping, hand-clapping, smile-inducing, and all together fun and reflective music to fans near and far.

Most recently, the band embarked on an incredible series of dates across the pond, completing a whirlwind tour of Europe performing nineteen shows in eighteen days.  Soulful, reflective, introspective, humble, and unapologetically real, there is no act quite like Joseph Huber and his band.  Recently MKERocks had a chance to catch up with Joseph Huber to hear about their epic year of touring and their experiences bringing their music to fans far from their Milwaukee home.

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MKERocks: Since The Suffering Stage came out this past April you’ve been on the road quite a bit.  Is this your most extensive tour to date?  Can you share any highlights of the tour?

Huber: This is certainly near the most extensive touring I've done in my life. My former band, 357 String Band, played longer tours as far as consecutive days in a row, but I'd say our current schedule supporting The Suffering Stage album is equal to those days, but now with a more spread out and dispersed schedule with shorter tours. We've had great runs out to various regions of the country in the beautiful hills of Vermont to the mountains West Virginia and on over to the backroads of Montana and northern Idaho. We don't get to experience tourist-levels of attractions in each area where we go, so usually the highlights are the distant scenic beauty we take in, and then the folks we meet after playing the shows every night. Usually the highlight is always the live show that you came out to do in the first place as well as meeting the people that appreciate it and make you want to keep coming back. 

photo by Ma Nu

MKERocks: You recently returned from playing a series of shows throughout Europe. Was this your first time playing there?  If so, what was it like to take your music across the pond?  Any fun experiences you’d like to share about bringing your tunes to a new/different audience?

photo by Michael Foto

Huber: I've been to Europe about four or five times with .357 String Band and one more time after that completely solo. So, this was a first as far as showcasing the new songs with my guys, Jason Loveall and Eston Bennett, making sure that the songs sound how they were meant to sound in a live situation instead of a solo, stripped-down situation. Europe is strangley both stressful and extremely well-organized and structured at the same time. In the U.S, we've maintained at the DIY level and make due with doing a lot on our own, or looking to the friends we've made out there to help us along the way. By that I mean there are no free meals and free hotel rooms that come along with 90% of what we do. We're comfortable over here, but also very self-sufficient. In Europe, you're in a foreign land and your slightly awkward and out-of-place as far as understanding basic things, and yet there is a "built-in" culture of supporting the arts and music, where every night we have a hot meal and free lodging supplied by each venue that curbs the edge of every other area where you are still finding your feet. But, overall, as long as I've been going to Europe playing music, I've experienced so many different types of folks being excited and grateful about us making our way over there. From punks and metalheads to children and grandparents, we've got them either clapping or dancing, and that makes me feel that we are doing something right with our music.

MKERocks: What has been the most fun thing about touring this year?

Huber: Touring is extremely hard work and it's hard on the body and mind equally. As much fun as there is, the main thing that people who see it from the outside don't know is that it's an extremely hard way to live... period. Having said that, it's fun to see old friends wherever you go as well as meeting new and interesting folks wherever you go. It helps give constant renewed perspective on the number of interesting and good people in this world. So, it keeps you grounded while being a very untethered sort of living. As I mentioned before, the reason we do it is for the music, and the actual shows every night are the most fun aspect and the reason we do it at all. 

MKERocks: This weekend you kick off the Rebels and Renegades series at the Cedarburg Cultural Center.  This series features some all-star performers from around the area.  You’re paired with Chicago Farmer, who did a great job playing at the CCC last spring with Willie Watson.  I know that Chicago Farmer is a pal of yours. Can you share anything about your past experiences seeing him or playing with him?

Huber:  Cody Diekhoff (Chicago Farmer) always surprises me with his calm and collected way of holding himself and performing, which is then blended and mixed seamlessly with a humor and wit both in his songs and in-between songs that makes folks loosen up. When you see him, you can't help but know that his mind is clear, and that you are seeing a true seasoned professional. I've seen him perform in front of weekend theater-sized audiences that he had in his back-pocket; clapping; laughing; singing along...and...I've seen him play in Milwaukee on a weekday only to a handful of Milwaukee traveling musicians that happened not to be on tour themselves and are 'in-the-know' enough to not miss his show. Either way, he makes it fun. Folks in Illinois and surrounding areas are already 'in-the-know' about him, and it's good to see that Wisconsin folks are now catching on also.

MKERocks: How does it feel to kick off the Rebels and Renegades series at the CCC?  

Huber: It feels mighty fine to be taking part in it, and we very much look forward to kicking it off well with Chicago Farmer.  

Joseph Huber's music may go into your ears, but it burrows deep within your soul.  Telling tales of travel, love, loss, sadness, and joy, there are few artists that are able to resonate with fans quite as well as Joseph Huber and his band.  You are also going to be hard-pressed to find an artist more committed to his craft than Joseph Huber and his bandmates.  

You won't find a better double-bill of epic storytelling and Americana goodness than Chicago Farmer and Joseph Huber this Saturday at the Cedarburg Cultural Center.  With great people, fine hospitality and an intimate environment, the Cedarburg Cultural Center is a great place to catch these two marquee Americana performers. Get your tickets here: http://cedarburgculturalcenter.org/Huber.html  Trust me, your soul will thank you!