Neal Francis, Dos Santos

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Liina Raud

Neal Francis

While Derek Trucks won’t be playing guitar in Neal Francis’ band Thursday night at the High Noon, his slide work on Francis’ new album, In Plain Sight, signals a whole new level of success for the group. Three years ago, the Chicago-based Francis played a late afternoon slot at the Marquette Waterfront Festival; recently he’s been on the road in support of My Morning Jacket. Francis is old school funk with a manic, Midwest sensibility. Opening is Dos Santos.

$17 ($15 adv.).

media release: Chicago-based singer-songwriter-pianist Neal Francis has shared his new video for the song “Problems,” the latest single from his new album, In Plain Sight (ATO). In Plain Sight is Francis' second album and it was mixed by GRAMMY® Award winner Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, Tame Impala, MGMT). The hilarious and raucous clip, directed by Alec Basse and Max Moore, finds Francis singing on a microphone dropped down from the ceiling in a doctor's office waiting room. As the walls close in on the disparate cast of characters, the dance party ensues.

"To us, the song is about indecision and choosing or not choosing paths in life based on various levels of apprehension," says video directors Alec Basse and Max Moore. "Naturally, this inaction leads to unforeseen consequences. To visualize this, we aimed to squish Neal between the walls of time and, while he messed about singing and dancing, his world becomes smaller and smaller. Eventually, life chooses your path for you. We also wanted to match Neal’s love for tried and true analog creation and shot the video on a late 60s 16mm Eclair NPR. There is no beating film."

Besides "Problems," In Plain Sight also includes the recently released singles, “Prometheus,” “Alameda Apartments,” and “Can’t Stop The Rain,” all available now at all DSPs and streaming services. “Prometheus” is joined by an official visualizer, while “Alameda Apartments” arrived last month alongside an official companion video – filmed on VHS in the church where Francis lived, wrote, and recorded In Plain Sight – streaming now via YouTube; a stirring live performance of the track – filmed at SHIRK Studios in Chicago, IL with backing from Francis’s crack touring band – is also streaming now via YouTube.

In Plain Sight was first heralded this summer with the lead single, “Can’t Stop The Rain,” featuring GRAMMY® Award-winning guitarist Derek Trucks and hailed in its world premiere on KCRW’s Morning Becomes Eclectic as “an invigorating heatwave banger… hits with an unapologetically joyful, electric feel that makes for just the jolt to the system we needed.” The track – which quickly ascended to #1 Most Added at Triple-A and Non-Commercial Radio outlets nationwide – is joined by an official music video, streaming now at YouTube; an electrifying live version, filmed at Chicago’s SHIRK Studios and showcasing Francis and his band’s infectious on-stage energy, can be viewed now as well.

Francis continues to celebrate In Plain Sight with a truly epic North American tour highlighted by headline dates (including an exclusive Album Release Party, set for November 5 at Rosa’s Lounge in Chicago), shows supporting My Morning Jacket, and more festival appearances including Wilco’s sold-out Sky Blue Sky, a curated concert vacation set for January 17-21, 2022 at Mexico’s Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya. From there, Francis will cross the Atlantic for a much anticipated European/UK tour, making stops in London, the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Belgium in early 2022. Additional dates will be announced. For complete details and ticket availability, please visit www.nealfrancis.com/tour.