Bill Callahan And Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy - Blind Date Party (2LP)

The Blind Date Party hosted by Bill Callahan and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy and featuring AZITA, Matt Sweeney, Alasdair Roberts, Matt Kinsey, Sean O’Hagan, Bill MacKay, George Xylouris, Dead Rider, David Pajo, Mick Turner, Meg Baird, Ty Segall, Emmett Kelly, Cory Hanson, Six Organs of Admittance, David Grubbs, Cassie Berman, Cooper Crain and Sir Richard Bishop happened online in the fall and winter of ’20–’21 — but the party planning dated back to the spring of 2020. Stuck at home, with no gigs in the foreseeable future, Bill, Bonnie and Drag City needed an outreach program to keep themselves busy, not to mention sane. In the absence of any company or anything on the calendar, playing songs they loved was an idea; playing with people they loved, the desire. And making it fun — so pairing someone with someone else having no say in the matter, the essence of the blind date, was the plan. Favorite songs were chose; players from around the Drag City galaxy were messaged. Pretty soon, songs were flying back and forth — music in the air!

And thus, they were entertained throughout the summer of 2020, when so much else in the world seemed so completely wrong. By the fall, the songs started to appear online: Bill and Bonnie singing a song by someone they loved and admired; each song cut by another another artist they loved and admired, then sent to Bill and Bonny to provide the finishing touches. The spotlight pointed in every direction each week: toward the singers and writers who’d originally played the songs (Yusuf Islam, Hank Williams Jr., Dave Rich, The Other Years, Billie Eilish, Steely Dan, Lou Reed, Bill Callahan, Jerry Jeff Walker, Robert Wyatt, Lowell George, Johnnie Frierson, Air Supply, Will Oldham, Leonard Cohen, David Berman, Iggy Pop and John Prine), toward their featured collaborators, the artists whose artwork adorned each digital single and videos made by still more collaborators. And you, the listener.

Like the best parties, it turned out to be everything and more than they’d even hoped for. So many more people were involved in the process that we can get on the page here. Suffice to say, making records over the years has required a broad sense of community and an always-surprising mix of independence and unity, inspiration and utility. Some of our best memories are those where as many of our folks as as possible were together in one place at one time. In those moments, it was just a great thing just to be there. And with others looking in . . . this was a joy one could only be infinitely lucky to feel and to take for granted, as well.

The Blind Date Party was one of these, maybe the most improbable one yet. It’s for everyone who’s here and it’s in the name of everyone who’s gone but will never go and will always live with us here. This album will too.

And thus, we are entertained.

1. The Blackness of the Night (feat. Azita)

2. OD'd in Denver (feat. Matt Sweeney)

3. I've Made Up My Mind (feat. Alasdair Roberts)

4. Red-Tailed Hawk (feat. Matt Kinsey)

5. Wish You Were Gay (feat. Sean O'Hagan)

6. Our Anniversary (feat. Dead Rider)

7. Rooftop Garden (feat. George Xylouris)

8. Deacon Blues (feat. Bill MacKay)

9. I Love You (feat. David Pajo)

10. Sea Song (feat. Mick Turner)

11. I've Been The One (feat. Meg Baird)

12. Miracles (feat. Ty Segall)

13. I Want to Go to the Beach (feat. Cooper Crain)

14. Night Rider's Lament (feat. Cory Hanson)

15. Arise, Therefore (feat. Six Organs of Admittance)

16. The Night of Santiago (feat. David Grubbs)

17. The Wild Kindness (feat. Cassie Berman)

18. Lost in Love (feat. Emmett Kelly)

19. She is My Everything (feat. Sir Richard Bishop)