The Return of The Leatherwoods

 

The Leatherwoods - Palmer's Bar - 8/6/16

Hailing from Lawrence, Kansas, The Leatherwoods (aka Todd Newman and Tim O'Reagan) moved to Minneapolis around the turn of the decade in 1990. The music scene in Lawrence was pretty hot at that time, but the scene in Minneapolis in the 1980s was positively incendiary, as has been documented ad nauseum. They played a few gigs in town and eventually hooked up with former Replacements manager Peter Jesperson who was in the process of setting up a new record label after enjoying over a decade of success with Twin/Tone. He eventually signed The Leatherwoods and released an album in 1992, Topeka Oratorio, that featured a stunning slate of great songs and covers. Co-produced by the band and Jesperson, TO was also notable for including instrumental and co-writing contributions from one "Pablo Lousearama," aka Paul Westerberg using one of his classic pseudonyms.

Over the last 3 decades, the album has acquired legendary status as power pop classic and a true buried treasure, not only because of the excellent tunes & Westerberg's involvement, but also due to the fact that The Leatherwoods broke up very soon after the album's release and the buzz around them faded before it could ever really start. Newman went on to record several great releases, very much still in the power pop vein, and O'Reagan soon found himself in Joe Henry's live band along with some Jayhawks. Not long after that he hopped over to touring with The Jayhawks and eventually landed a full time gig with them, where he remains to this day. He also released a magnificent solo album in 2006, first on a local label and then in a slightly re-tooled version after signing with Lost Highway, and toured that with a powerhouse band featuring Jim Boquist, Peter Anderson and a young Frankie Lee.

Few ever expected further chapters of The Leatherwoods story to be written, but that's exactly what happened in early August 2016 when "Todd Newman's Secret Society" appeared on the tiny corner stage at Palmer's Bar in the West Bank neighborhood of Minneapolis (coincidentally right across the street from the old Five Corners Saloon, where The Jayhawks played very early gigs almost a decade before O'Reagan joined the band). Those in attendance were shocked to see Tim O'Reagan in the band - his first gig with Newman in 24 years - as they worked their way through a 10 song set that included many Leatherwoods classics. This turned out to be essentially a live rehearsal for an advertised Leatherwoods gig a few months later at the Turf Club in St. Paul opening for Tommy Keene. That gig was glorious in every way and for the first time in forever, folks were talking about The Leatherwoods. More please!

[UPDATE 2020]. Sadly, all has been quiet on The Leatherwoods front since these shows 4 years ago. Topeka Oratorio still remains unreleased. Todd and Tim are still both busy with their respective activities. And the great Tommy Keene left us 13 months after the Turf gig. Here's to hoping it won't be another quarter century before the next chapter in The Leatherwoods story is written.

LEATHERWOODS LINKS

Video from 8/6/16 Palmers show HERE

Topeka Oratorio release page on Twin/Tone website HERE (with samples & bio)

Topeka Oratorio on Apple Music HERE

The Leatherwoods discography HERE


Various live and studio audio links

• 27 Year Old Actress Majoring in English (Topeka Oratorio outtake, recorded by Brian Paulson) HERE
• Happy Ain't Comin' Home (1992 single A-side) HERE
• Something Ain't Right (1992 single b-side) HERE
• Off of the Top of My Head (Live at the Uptown Bar circa 90/91) HERE
• Baby Hold On (Eddie Money cover, live) HERE
• Eighteen (Alice Cooper cover, live 2/9/89 at The Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS with Clay Galbraith) HERE
• We're an American Band (Grand Funk Railroad cover, live) HERE
• Cracklin' Rosie (Neil Diamond cover, live in Minneapolis) HERE
• Treat Her Like a Lady (Cornelius Brothers & Sister Rose cover, live 2/9/89 at The Bottleneck in Lawrence, KS with Clay Galbraith) HERE
• Nighttime (Alex Chilton cover, live) HERE
• Junior's Farm (Paul McCartney & Wings cover, live at the Uptown Bar in Minneapolis, MN) HERE