Last year Houston alt-country singer Robert Ellis released his fourth, self-titled album anchored by gorgeous, lovelorn singles like “California” and “Perfect Strangers.” Robert Ellis is the kind of record that has legs far beyond 2016 though, and Ellis is about to embark on a cross-country tour, playing new songs and other tracks from his impressive discography.
If you find yourself longing for some lean, off-the-beaten-path country music, Ellis is your man. He is a deft songwriter and a fascinating performer, which is one of the reasons why he can actually make a one take video — a gimmick of late in the videography world — feel new and fresh.
In a live solo performance of “Perfect Strangers,” which was shot in one take by Joshua Shoemaker while Ellis and Jonny Fritz were in India together working on his album, the song travels through crowded neighborhood streets well before the camera comes upon him strumming away on a nearby balcony. Though I don’t normally care for live videos at all, there is a compelling sense of urgency when Ellis sings this song live — like its an exorcism of the heart. That perfect stranger you’re hung up on? You’d be sick of them by now if anything had stuck. Let Ellis’ sad storytelling unspool any latent desires you might be harboring this Valentines Day.
The song itself reflects on the chance encounters that can change our lives forever, and the way these very intimacies later disintegrate, only to be replaced by more unexpected people. There’s something beautiful in that sense of dissolution and renewal, too, and the video’s journey through Indian streets mirrors that. Watch the clip above and check out Ellis’ full tour dates below — which include a stint with the one and only Nikki Lane. And if you missed it last year, stream Robert Ellis below.
02/13 – Indianapolis, IN @ Music Family Tree*
02/14 – St. Louis, MO @ Off Broadway Nightclub*
02/21 – Baton Rouge, LA @ Dyson House Listening Room#
02/22 – Waverly, AL @ Standard Deluxe#
02/23 – Durham, NC @ Motorco Music Hall#
02/24 – Philadelphia, PA @ Underground Arts#
02/25 – Montclair, NJ @ Outpost in the Burbs#
02/26 – New York, NY @ City Winery#
02/28 – Hamden, CT @ The Ballroom at The Outer Space#
03/01 – Washington, DC @ Gypsy Sally’s#
03/02 – Asheville, NC @ The Altamont Theatre#
03/03 – Nashville, TN @ 3rd & Lindsley#
03/04 – Huntsville, AL @ Tangles String Studios#
03/05 – Mobile, AL @ Callaghan’s Irish Social Club#
03/06 – Atlanta, GA @ City Winery#
03/10 – Dallas, TX @ Kessler Theater#
03/16 – Boulder, CO @ E-Town Live Radio Tapingƒ
03/17 – Bozeman, MT @ Filling Station§
03/18 – Boise, ID @ The Olympic§
03/20 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern§
03/21 – Portland, OR @ Doug Fir§
03/22 – Medford, OR @ Sparks House Backyard Concert
03/23 – San Francisco, CA @ Social Hall SF§
03/24 – Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre§
03/25 – Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar§
03/26 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge§
03/27 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater§
04/29 – Indio, CA @ Stagecoach Festival
06/01 – Nelsonville, OH @ Nelsonville Music Festival
06/02 – Nelsonville, OH @ Nelsonville Music Festival
06/04 – New York, NY @ The Governors Ball Music Festival
*with Jenny O supporting
#with Courtney Hartman supporting
ƒappearing with Rodney Crowell
§Stagecoach Spotlight Nikki Lane Highway Queen Tour
