BERTHA Announce Debut Live Album, ‘Slayin’ in the Band Vol. 1’
BERTHA, photo by @chriscapturesitall
BERTHA, the celebrated all-drag Grateful Dead tribute ensemble, have announced their debut live album, Slayin’ in the Band Vol. 1.
After three years of earning acclaim for their top-tier interpretations of the foundational jamband’s songbook, the all-star collective of queer and allied East Nashville artists will release a collection of their finest live moments so far on April 18. The 19-track set is available to pre-order now, with a portion of all proceeds benefitting Trans Aid Nashville, and preceded by three preview singles
BERTHA includes vocalists Caitlyn Doyle and Melody Walker, guitarists Thomas Bryan Eaton and Michael Wheeler. Keyboardists Alex Jordan and Henry Long, bassist Jacob Groopman and drummer Justin Vorp. Since their April 2023 debut protesting Tennessee’s drag ban, they’ve made a name for themselves with widespread touring, including high-profile spots like Newport Folk Festival and Sea.Hear.Now, and raised over $25,000 for more than 30 LGBTQ+ organizations by contributing $1 from every ticket sold.
“We booked our first show at this tiny, kind of dive-y bar. You couldn’t really buy tickets for it,” Doyle recalls of the band’s origins and burgeoning acclaim in a recent Relix feature. “We had no idea of the supportive and warm reception that we would get because everyone in Tennessee was starting to awaken to this reality that our governor wants to tell us what we can and can’t wear and that we can’t express ourselves the way we want.”
Learn more about BERTHA and find tickets for the band’s upcoming tour dates at gratefuldrag.com.
