Following the newly released album by earMUSIC, Mr. Joe Jackson presents: Max Champion in 'What A Racket!' -- reviving the songs of enigmatic early 20th-century English Music Hall artist Max Champion -- renowned musician and producer Joe Jackson announces "The Two Rounds Of Racket Tour" appearing in 19 cities across the U.S. in summer 2024. Kicking off at Tarrytown Music Hall (Tarrytown, NY) on June 1, 2024, Joe Jackson takes his nine-piece band across the East Coast, Midwest, The Rockies, and West Coast for a full month before the tour hits its final stop at The Moore Theatre (Seattle, WA) on July 1, 2024. Additional dates to be confirmed, including Europe. Fan pre-sale tickets will be available starting Tuesday, December 5 at 10 am LOCAL at www.joejackson.com, and the official on-sale for tickets will begin on Friday, December 8 at 10am LOCAL.
"The Two Rounds Of Racket Tour" promises to be festive, fun, and unlike anything else music fans will see next (or any other) year. The show will be in two parts: a solo set by Joe Jackson of his original songs, and a set based on the album What A Racket! -- the first performance in more than 100 years of the songs of forgotten Music Hall genius Max Champion, with Joe and a nine-piece band.
Max Champion was born in 1882 in London's East End and is thought to have been related to the great Victorian entertainer Harry Champion. As an up-and-coming performer he shared the stage with big stars such as Gus Ellen and Vesta Tilley, but his career (much like the Music Hall era itself) was cut short by the First World War, and his songs faded into obscurity. That is, until 2014, when Max Champion sheet music started to surface: first in Malta, then in England, and, intriguingly, in Belgium, where Max probably met his end in the trenches. By 2019, enough songs had been recovered for Joe Jackson to resurrect them with a 12-piece orchestra.
According to producer Joe Jackson, "These were wonderful songs in their time, but they're surprisingly modern, too. Sometimes it's almost as if Max is speaking, from his London of the early 20th century, directly to us in the early 21st."
A newly released documentary now sheds light on the early 20th-century artist from England.
WATCH THE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT MAX CHAMPION
Music Hall originated in 19th-century London, transitioning from pubs and street performances to grand theaters by 1900. It attracted a diverse audience, spanning from commoners to aristocrats. The songs in this genre depicted life in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, often infused with humor, satire, sentimentality, patriotism, and occasionally darker themes like jealousy and murder. Some songs were also risqué but cleverly expressed.
Mr. Joe Jackson presents: Max Champion in 'What A Racket!'
(Release Date: earMUSIC, November 24, 2023)
TRACK LISTING
1. (Overture): Why, Why, Why?
2. The Sporting Life
3. Dear Old Mum -- A London-Irish Lament
4. Monty Mundy (Is Maltese)!
5. The Shades Of Night
6. What A Racket!
7. The Bishop And The Actress
8. Think Of The Show! -- A Thespian's Lament
9. Never So Nice In The Morning
10. Health & Safety
11. Worse Things Happen At Sea
JOE JACKSON -- "THE TWO ROUNDS OF RACKET TOUR"
Sat, June 1, 2024 -- Tarrytown, NY -- Tarrytown Music Hall
Mon, June 3, 2024 -- Portsmouth, NH -- The Music Hall
Tue, June 4, 2024 -- Boston, MA -- The Wilbur
Fri, June 7, 2024 -- New York, NY -- Apollo Theatre
Sat, June 8, 2024 -- New York, NY -- Apollo Theatre
Mon, June 10, 2024 -- Washington, DC -- Lincoln Theatre
Tue, June 11, 2024 -- Virginia Beach, VA -- Sandler Center
Thu, June 13, 2024 -- Red Bank, NJ -- Count Basie Center for the Arts
Fri, June 14, 2024 -- Wilmington, DE -- The Grand Opera House
Sun, June 16, 2024 -- Evanston, IL -- Cahn Auditorium
Mon, June 17, 2024 -- Milwaukee, WI -- The Pabst Theater
Wed, June 19, 2024 -- Minneapolis, MN -- Uptown Theatre
Fri, June 21, 2024 -- Denver, CO -- Paramount Theatre
Sat, June 22, 2024 -- Santa Fe, NM -- The Lensic
Mon, June 24, 2024 -- Phoenix, AZ -- Celebrity Theatre
Tue, June 25, 2024 -- Los Angeles, CA -- Orpheum Theatre
Thu, June 27, 2024 -- El Cajon, CA -- The Magnolia
Fri, June 28, 2024 -- San Francisco, CA -- Curran Theatre
Sun, June 30, 2024 -- Portland, OR -- Revolution Hall
Mon, July 1, 2024 -- Seattle, WA -- The Moore Theatre
