
Bob Sumner / Jeffrey Silverstein at Trout Lake Hall
April 17 @ 6:00 pm
Friday, April 17th, 2026
$17 Advance // $17 Day Of Show
6pm Doors / 7pm Show
All Ages
BOB SUMNER
Singer-songwriter Bob Sumner cites the musically progressive sensibilities of his heroes when talking about the spirit of his new album, Some Place to Rest Easy, out now via Fluff & Gravy (worldwide) and North Country Collective (Canada). “They were always creating something new, something different,” he says of idols like George Jones, Willie Nelson, and Waylon Jennings. With that ideology in mind, Sumner set about creating an album that takes as much inspiration from the audio production of Randy Travis as it does the lyrical soul of Big Thief’s Adrianne Lenker—a melding of eras, sounds, concepts, and stylings that’s informed by the past, but never bound by it.
With Some Place to Rest Easy, Sumner picks up the tempo compared to his previous releases, balancing the stirring lyrical depth fans have come to expect with a more buoyant, lively feel. “It felt appropriate to give the music itself some joy,” says the man who’s made a career out of tapping into difficult-to-touch-on, real-life stuff in a relatable, palatable manner. In the end, that’s what Sumner’s music has always been about—more than a single sound, influence, instrumental, or clever line. “I always want people to feel something,” Sumner explains. “If I heard that this album helped somebody that was feeling down, even just by feeling some other emotion for a little while, that’s the number one thing for me.”
Fans can now stream or purchase Some Place to Rest Easy at this link and watch the video for the album’s focus track, “Didn’t We Dream,” here. To purchase tickets or to keep an eye on future tour dates, please visit bobsumnermusic.com.
Some Place to Rest Easy In The News:
“a blend of past, present, and future sounds” – American Songwriter
“More than a single sound, influence, instrumental, or theme, the through line in Sumner’s music has always been vulnerability.” – Glide Magazine
“Genuine and weighty songwriting” – Americana Highways
“High class, country leaning Americana.” – Americana UK
“It takes a deft hand to put out a good, sad record…Bob Sumner nails it on Someplace To Rest Easy.” – Twangville
Bandcamp – Best Country Music
Saving Country Music – Most anticipated releases of 2024
American Songwriter – “Standout Album”
JEFFREY SILVERSTEIN
Jeffrey Silverstein’s new EP Roseway is named after the quiet, tree-lined neighborhood in Northeast Portland where the guitarist and songwriter lives. “My drive home from my teaching job is all uphill,” he says. “You kind of crest over this ridge to get to where you want to go. Every moment that happens to me, I just have this sense of ease once I get to the top.” That sense of relief–the feeling of completing a tough journey—animates the six relaxed and meditative songs here. While half of the tracks are pastoral ambient instrumentals and half are plainspoken lyrical numbers with ample twang and groove, each captures Silverstein’s striking comfort with his voice, his process, and his role as a bandleader. To him, these songs feel like home. It’s New Age for the everyman: more cosmic than country and more accessible than esoteric. This is what cosmic country sounds like in 2024.
This EP picks up where his artistic breakthrough and 2023 full-length Western Sky Music left off. A reinvention for Silverstein that traded homespun solo recordings for an expansive full-band sound, the LP was acclaimed by outlets like Aquarium Drunkard and The Portland Mercury, who praised its, “cosmic country and shimmering Americana that feels like a significant step forward from his previous work.” On Roseway, he reunites with his Western Sky Music rhythm section in drummer Dana Buoy (Akron/Family) and bassist Alex Chapman and enlists pedal steel player Connor Gallaher (Anna St. Louis, Lana Del Rey) to flesh out the songs. “I always view EPs as moments to try things and experiment,” says Silverstein. “Building this trust and communication with Alex and Dana has made for a wonderful partnership and helped me take risks I normally wouldn’t.”
Recorded with Ryan Oxford (Y La Bamba, Rose City Band), Roseway boasts an eclectic and exploratory palate. Songs like the inviting and laid-back “Gassed Up” find Silverstein adding country-funk grooves over inviting, spaced-out lyrics. Atop a buoyant bass line from Chapman, Silverstein sings, “You’re gassed up / You gotta go / You’re not lonely / You’re just Alone.” It recalls JJ Cale at his swampiest. “I’m always thinking about how you can incorporate more of a boogie and groove with the twang,” says Silverstein. Even at its twangiest, Roseway never feels like a throwback or a retread. Instead, it pushes these signifiers into headier territory. Take the instrumental “Headcleaner,” which takes on a krautrock-inspired haze. Elsewhere, single “Cog In the Wheel” takes on a nomadic search for good vibes. He sings, “I’ve been cruisin’ / such a long time / Never want to settle down.” That track is a balm that feels like getting closer to a destination.
The vinyl version of Roseway features a b-side that includes the first pressing of Silverstein’s 2021 EP Torii Gates. “That kind of makes this a split release with myself,” he jokes. The pairing is intentional and important, however. Also recorded with Oxford and featured Chapman on bass, that release found Silverstein beginning to branch out from solo fare to a full band. Here, much of the material is anchored by a drum machine: It was an exercise in appreciating small moments and being comfortable with transitional periods. While the songs are cozy, hypnotic, and compelling, there’s a tension in how they feel like the starting point to a reinvention. On highlight “Soft Lens,” he sings,
“Stuck outside the Torii Gates / tired of hearing you have to wait.” When he wrote that song, that gate was a metaphor for his own musical journey.
Taken together, these two EPs feel like a bridge to each other: a document of an artist cresting the hill of his process and vision. It’s a record of contemplation and comfort, not of prescription and platitudes. Roseway opens with the raw and ramshackle “Countryside,” which finds Silverstein singing, “If there’s a gate / I’m passing through / If there’s a light / It’s shining blue.” The line is both the North Star of Roseway and a testament to how far Silverstein has come threading disparate worlds and finding his voice. “I’ve learned to be cool with things not working and failing and loving all of that,” he says. “It’s all about accepting that part of the process. I love imperfect music. I love songs where you hear the wrong notes. I don’t want to muddy anything up too much and get out of my way.”
– Josh Terry


