A beloved blues rock band with a devoted and adoring fan base is reuniting for a series of shows in three Texas cities.
The Arc Angels — Charlie Sexton, Doyle Bramhall II and Chris Layton — will play Jan. 20 at the Aztec in San Antonio; Jan. 21 at 713 Music Hall in Houston; and Jan. 22 at the Echo Lounge & Music Hall in Dallas. Sexton and Brmahall share lead vocals and lead guitar duties with Layton on drums.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 10, at Ticketmaster.com.
The Arc Angels were founded in 1992 following the death of Stevie Ray Vaughan by the two remaining members of Vaughan’s band Double Trouble — Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon — along with Sexton and Bramhall. The band’s name was a nod to the Austin Rehearsal Complex (ARC) where they first began jamming.
At the time, Sexton was working on a solo album, Bramhall had a deal with Geffen Records, and Layton had a drum room where he’d practice.
The initial idea was to assemble a band that could jam when people happened to be in town or not on tour with Vaughan. But after Vaughan’s death, they formed the band as an outlet, playing live and just for fun. Eventually Sexton and Bramhall put aside their solo projects and began creating music specifically for the Arc Angels.
They released their self-titled debut in 1992, which charted on Billboard, then toured and appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman, performing “Living In A Dream.” They returned to the Late Show in 1993, where they played “Too Many Ways to Fall,” but internal friction and Bramhall’s heroin addiction ultimately led to the band’s breakup in 1994. The band reunited in 2009 for a performance at SXSW, and released an album, Living in a Dream, that included live renditions of Arc Angels songs old and new, and three new studio tracks.
Bramhall has since toured with Roger Waters and Eric Clapton. Sexton has released two acclaimed solo albums, toured with Bob Dylan and produced a number projects for other artists. Layton has recorded three albums with the Texas soul quintet Storyville and backed such artists as Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Buddy Guy and John Mayer.
For this reunion, the band will perform with a new bass player since original bassist Tommy Shannon has retired.
