Music lovers from Swallow Hill, Colorado, and beyond know and love John Magnie from his many musical projects, including The Subdudes. Well, John is back, this time with The Grocery Story.
We are excited to welcome them to Swallow Hill on Saturday, March 21 where they will be performing songs off their album, Situation on Aisle #3. The album is described as “a sonic journey—Saturday night rock & roll meets Sunday morning revival, with six phenomenal vocalists driving home the emotion and energy.”
TICKETS: See The Grocery Story Presented by The Colorado Sound
We caught up with John via email to learn a bit more about The Grocery Story, what folks can expect at their upcoming concert, and what he’s been up to since he last played at Swallow Hill.
Can you tell us a little bit about The Grocery Story? How did you all come together? Did you have a sound in mind from the onset, or did that come together as you started playing together?
It was just a lucky convergence of characters who came together in Fort Collins. The Grocery Story started up as a musical play which flip flopped between a Saturday night blues dive, and a Sunday morning tent revival: it had 3 lead characters…and then it developed into more of an old time, R&B revue based on those songs from the play. We have 3 excellent lead singers, Rhonda Merrick, Peaches Embry and Erik Lunde, 3 harmony singers, and 2 drummers: Steve Amedee and his son Jess, which is a whole world of rhythm there!
What can audiences expect at your concert?
You can expect a soulful and nutritious musical experience!
Do you have a favorite song or two that you enjoy performing live with The Grocery Story? What are they, and why do they stand out to you?
One of our songs was written by Peaches Embry and myself: it’s called “Too Hurt to Cry,” and I love the way it starts, because our guitar man Mike Finders plays this guitar groove that is so funky it actually does hurt!! Mike is known by many Swallow Hill patrons as a member of the FindersYoungberg band and is just such an excellent player. (Article continues below the video.)
John, it’s been a minute since you were last at Swallow Hill, we’re excited to welcome you back! Besides The Grocery Story, can you tell us what you’ve been up to over the last few years?
I just feel very fortunate that after all these miles! I’m 76, if you must know, and I’m having as much fun as ever with music; besides my Grocery Story band here, I have a family band called the Magnie FamJamly with my son, daughter-in-law, and two grandkids. They are in St. John, Virgin Islands, they live and play music there, and I will be going to visit them right after this show!
Is there anything you’d like to add?
I’ve had so many great times playing at Swallow Hill over the years, and this is going to be a big reunion soirée for me: as a Denver kid, for all of the friends who helped The Subdudes so much when we moved up here from New Orleans in 1987; also some family members will be there, some of my Cathedral High School classmates, and even some of my Saint Philomena‘s grade school classmates: one of whom is Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald, the famous TV vet on Animal Planet, who will be doing a very funny opening set for us.
Thanks John, we can’t wait!
TICKETS: See The Grocery Story Presented by The Colorado Sound