Woodyfest 2018: This Frontier Needs Heroes
Brad Lauretti
Periptetic Peoples’ Poet Performs at Pub
Brad Lauretti [Sidenote: Part twenty-four of our Woodyfest 2018 coverage puts the spotlight on This Frontier Needs Heroes frontman Brad Lauretti.] has been wandering. Originally from Brooklyn, then based in Florida, [Sidenote: Lauretti was based in Jacksonville, where he founded the Stetson Kennedy Songwriter Residency. A partnership with the Stetson Kennedy Foundation, St. Johns County Parks and Recreation Department, and Jacksonville Songwriters Residency, the program counts as alumnus Woodyfest regular Tim Easton.] now calling Nashville home, Lauretti rarely sleeps in his own bed. The frontman for This Frontier Needs Heroes tours constantly: in the last three years he’s played 226 shows, ranging from one end of the continental United States to the other along with much of western Europe. The venues range in size from small dive bars to mid-sized clubs to festival stages.
No matter the room size, Lauretti always brings a mix of existential isolation and earnest indignation at the world’s injustices. If you’re worried that’s too “sad sack” for your patience, the lyrics often give a gently comic ribbing to the narrator as he acknowledges his own foibles. Be on the lookout for audience favorites “George Clooney” and “Lonely Swedish Girl.”
Originally a duo with Lauretti’s sister Jessica, This Frontier Needs Heroes has always featured a rotating crew of supporting musicians. The band members are spread out across the U.S., so most shows are just Lauretti himself, with full-band treatment of his material mostly relegated to recording sessions.
Speaking of recordings, This Frontier Needs Heroes has released four full-length albums, most recently 2016’s Real Job. For fanatics, there’s also a 2014 CD single and a very limited edition 2012 vinyl single. Good luck tracking that last one down.
Lauretti opened festival Saturday with a solo set at Lou’s Rocky Road Tavern.
Gallery: This Frontier Needs Heroes
Gallery
