“Exhaling a two-year breath”

This is probably the best way Chris Bathgate could self-describe the release of his newest record, “Salt Year”.

“To the end of the Salt Year!” was Chris’ toast at The Blind Pig on Thursday, April 21. With the end of Chris’ two year struggle we are given a masterpiece of a record, so carefully sculpted that I’m still noticing beautiful, new parts after listening to it for a month.

At the Blind Pig performance there was nothing that made me more certain that the Salt Year was over than hearing Chris’ new song, “Big Ghost”. With chills down my back and honest-to-goodness tears in my eyes, I couldn’t even hold it together well enough to get a good video the first night. I made it a point to focus all my efforts on capturing it on video in Kalamazoo, and here is the result.

You can catch Chris Bathgate, Hezekiah Jones, and Samantha Crain at the remaining dates –

April 26, 2011

Marquette, MI, US

Upfront & Company, 8 pm

April 27, 2011

Mount Pleasant, MI, US

Justice Records, 12 am

April 28, 2011

Lansing, MI, US

Mac’s Bar, 10 am

April 29, 2011

Calumet, MI, US

Calumet Theatre, 8 pm

April 30, 2011

Traverse City, MI, US

Good Work Collective Gallery, 8 pm

May 01, 2011

Manistee, MI, US

Ramsdell Theater, 8 pm