Hank3, aka Hank Williams III--cult hero, standard bearer of the outlaw country tradition, and genre-jumping all around badass--is on tour once again, and will be bringing his wild and crazy road show to Norfolk next Wednesday, March 14 at the Norva. He's supporting his unbelievable barrage of new albums--four of them in all, released on the same day back in September of last year. Ghost To A Ghost/Gutter Town is a double-disc package of his classic outlaw country style, featuring guest appearances from all kinds of heavy hitters, including Tom Waits, Les Claypool, Alan King of Hellstomper, Troy Medlin from regional favorites Sourvein, and even Hank's dog, Trooper.
The other two albums, Attention Deficit Domination and 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin, are both more rooted in metal, but are nonetheless quite different from each other. Attention Deficit Domination is slow, sludgy doom metal, which will make immediate sense to anyone who has caught Hank3's work over the years with supergroups like Superjoint Ritual and Arson Anthem, both of which featured members of Eyehategod and Pantera. Meanwhile, 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin is a speed-fueled combo of hardcore and metal featuring actual cattle auctioneering in lieu of more conventional vocals. Instrumentally, this album sounds most like later-era Black Flag instrumentals crossed with black metal, but the unusual vocals put it in a category of its own.
As widely divergent as all of these musical statements appear to be, you can expect Hank3 to draw from them all in order to create his unique live show. And there's no boring opening band you don't really care about to sit through, either--the man's got a lot of ground to cover, so he hits the stage as soon as the show starts, and doesn't stop until several hours later. Whether you're wearing cowboy boots or combat boots, come prepared for a full dose of Hank III, and be ready for anything, because this rebellious musical whirlwind of an artist won't be confined by genres or expectations. This is an event you don't want to miss.
WHO: Hank Williams III, aka Hank3
WHERE: The Norva (317 Monticello Ave, Norfolk VA)
WHEN: Wednesday, March 14, 7 PM
ADMISSION: $15 in advance--Purchase tickets HERE
We leave you with this video evidence of just how wide-ranging--and awesome--Hank3's live show can be. Below you will find three different videos, all shot at the same concert last October, in which Hank3 and his band play "Gutter Town" (from Ghost To A Ghost/Gutter Town), "Livin Beyond Doom" (from Attention Deficit Domination), and "Angus Of Death" (from 3 Bar Ranch Cattle Callin). It's pretty amazing; you're not gonna want to pass up the chance to watch it all live.