Lucero have announced a slew of activities to commemorate their 15th anniversary as a band. In the spring of this year they toured the USA extensively and released an EP, Texas & Tennessee. This summer the band is prepping for their first-ever Amphitheatre headline show: The Lucero Family Picnic at the First Security Amphitheatre in Little Rock, Ark. on Aug. 10. Information and tickets may be found at  http://lucerofamilypicnic.frontgatetickets.com/.The Lucero Family Picnic, to be hosted by celebrity tattoo artist Oliver Peck, will feature Lucero performing — for the first time ever — one of their all-time fan-favorite albums, Tennessee, from start to finish, including “Darby’s Song,” a highly emotional tribute to a friend that the band has not performed in nearly 10 years. “It is a very special song for us and the fans,” says guitarist Brian Venable, “and we are looking forward to sharing it with everyone.”  The long-out-of-print Tennessee will be re-pressed for the event (limited to 500 for sale at the concert). In addition to presenting Tennessee in its entirety, the band will play another set of Lucero classics. Also on this festival-styled Family Picnic: “Queen of Rock” Wanda Jackson, who reemerged into mainstream consciousness with her 2011 collaboration with Jack White, The Party Ain’t Over; Little Rock favorite John Moreland; and Brian’s father, Guy Venable. In addition to the wide array of musical fare the Family Picnic will feature a variety of non-musical options, including a Q&A with Little Rock native Jeff Nichols (brother of Lucero singer Ben Nichols), who recently wrote and directed the award-winning film Mud. Peck (of Spike TV’s Ink Master and owner of Dallas’ award-winning Elm Street Tattoo) will not only host the event but will tattoo a few fans with the classic Lucero “L” logo (a badge of honor among countless Lucero die-hards). Local skate team ThEnjoyLife are on tap to perform tricks for the audience, and an exclusive skateboard deck featuring Family Picnic artwork will be available for sale. In addition, one lucky fan will win a signed Fender guitar. As if the Family Picnic were not enough to keep the band occupied this summer, Lucero have also announced a return to Europe to support U.K. folk sensation Frank Turner in September, the second tour of Europe within the last 12 months (dates below). Lucero is widely considered one of the hardest-working bands in music today. For 15 years the group has toured consistently, playing up to 200 shows per year, and has grown from its roots as four-piece country-influenced punk band into a full-fledged Memphis-soul outfit featuring pedal steel, keyboards, accordion, and a horn section. Ben Nichols says of Texas & Tennessee, “Cody Dickinson and John C (Stubblefield) had been talking for a while about getting us back down to the Zebra Ranch barn and recording some stuff. We recorded the self-titled record and Tennessee down there with Cody way back in the old days, and we thought it would be fun to work together again. At first we thought we might do some covers or acoustic versions of some old Lucero songs, but as luck would have it, my heart was getting broken around the same time . . . and so I ended up writing three new songs. So we went down there and recorded live and, in under two days, ended up with a really fun four-song EP called Texas & Tennessee. It was almost worth the heartbreak.” TOUR DATESUSA7/12  FORT COLLINS, CO  Aggie Theater7/13  BOULDER, CO  Chautauqua Auditorium7/1   COLORADO SPRINGS, CO Black Sheep8/8   ST. LOUIS, MO  Open Highway Festival8/10  LITTLE ROCK, AR  Lucero Family Picnic at First Security AmphitheatreEurope9/3  NIJMEGEN, HOLLAND  Doornroosje9/4  GRONINGEN, HOLLAND  Oosterpoort9/5  DORTMUND, GERMANY  FZW9/6  BREMEN, GERMANY  Schlachthof9/8  BERLIN, GERMANY  Huxley’s9/9  HAMBURG, GERMANY Grosse Freigheit9/10  HANOVER, GERMANY  Faust9/11  WIESBADEN, GERMANY  Schlacthof9/12  MUNICH, GERMANY  Backstage Werk9/14  LINDAU, GERMANY  Club Vauderville9/15  GRAZ, AUSTRIA  Kasematten9/16  VIENNA, AUSTRIA  Arena9/17  LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND  Les Docks9/19  STUTTGART, GERMANY  Longhorn9/20  COLOGNE, GERMANY  E-Werk9/21  ESCH-SUR-ALZETTE, LUXEMBOURG Rockhal9/22  EINDHOVEN, HOLLAND  Effenaa