Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs Open Tour With Petty Favorites

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Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs (Photo: Chris Phelps; used with permission)

Mike Campbell has begun a new tour with his band, the Dirty Knobs, to support their new album, External Combustion, Campbell’s second as a band leader. The album was released on March 4, 2022 via BMG. Their tour, postponed several times due to the pandemic, finally began Tuesday (March 15) in Nashville, Tenn., with a set that also included many Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers favorites.

As Campbell notes, “And now we have two albums to draw from when writing setlists.” The audience at the packed Brooklyn Bowl Nashville on opening night were also treated to such classics as “Southern Accents,” “You Got Lucky” and “Runnin’ Down a Dream.” The band was joined by singer Margo Price who appears on the album.

Watch Campbell and the Dirty Knobs open the tour with “Wicked Mind” the leadoff track from their new album

Recorded last summer, the album is the follow up to 2020’s Wreckless Abandon. Listen to many of the songs below.

Watch them perform “You Got Lucky,” written by Petty and Campbell

Thanks to MusicCityMadness for the videos.

Watch them perform “Runnin’ Down a Dream” to close the second night of the tour in Philadelphia on March 17

Co-produced by Campbell and George Drakoulias (The Black Crowes, The Jayhawks), the 11-track album was recorded at Campbell’s home studio in Los Angeles. External Combustion also features Margo Price and Ian Hunter as well as piano from fellow Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers founding member Benmont Tench on “Lightning Boogie.” Although Campbell wrote most of the songs on the new album within the past year, two of the tracks had been written in the 90’s, only to be rediscovered in Campbell’s extensive vault of unreleased compositions.

Watch the video for “State of Mind,” featuring Margo Price

Says Price, “The first time I heard ‘State of Mind’ was in the studio when I was about to sing on it. The words were so perfect and I knew right away who the song was about. No one said a thing as we listened and I sat there with tears running down my face. I’ve been listening to the Heartbreakers my whole life and Mike is my hero. I’m honored to get to work with him and call him my friend.”

Mike Campbell’s The Dirty Knobs were joined by singer Margo Price on opening night at the Brooklyn Bowl Nashville, March 15, 2022

The band’s first-ever national tour this spring features an extensive run of sold-out headlining shows. In addition, Campbell & the Dirty Knobs will perform a run of arena and amphitheater shows with Chris Stapleton in June and July.

Campbell turned 72 on Feb. 1.

Watch the video for “Wicked Mind”

Of “Electric Gypsy,” Campbell says, “The song came to me in a moment of inspiration before a session with the band—and we recorded it that day in one take, guitar solo and all.”

On Feb. 2, SiriusXM’s Tom Petty Radio premiered “The Breakdown With Mike Campbell,” a monthly conversation show where Campbell is joined by friends, bandmates and collaborators all united by their connection to TPATH.

Watch the Dirty Knobs perform “Refugee,” which Campbell co-wrote with Petty

The Dirty Knobs came together nearly two decades ago, after Campbell met guitarist Jason Sinay (Neil Diamond, Ivan Neville) at a session and liked the way their guitars sounded together. What began as a less structured project for Campbell in between the Heartbreakers’ touring became something else altogether when they added the rhythm section of bassist Lance Morrison (Don Henley) and drummer Matt Laug (Slash, Alanis Morissette).

What followed was several years of intimate, almost incognito, performances in the band’s home base of Los Angeles and surrounding Southern California cities.

External Combustion Track Listing
1. Wicked Mind
2. Brigitte Bardot
3. Cheap Talk
4. External Combustion
5. Dirty Job (featuring Ian Hunter)
6. State Of Mind (Featuring Margo Price)
7. Lightning Boogie
8. Rat City
9. In This Lifetime
10. It Is Written
11. Electric Gypsy

Mike Campbell & the Dirty Knobs 2022 Tour (Tickets are available here and here)

Mar 17—Philadelphia, PA—World Café Live
Mar 19—Boston, MA—Brighton Music Hall
Mar 20—Boston, MA—Brighton Music Hall
Mar 23—New York, NY—Brooklyn Bowl
Mar 25—Derry, NH—Tupelo Music Hall
Mar 26—Ridgefield, CT—Ridgefield Playhouse
Mar 28—Alexandria, VA—The Birchmere
Mar 30—Indianapolis, IN—The Hi Fi Lounge
Mar 31— Indianapolis, IN—The Hi Fi Lounge
Apr 02—Chicago, IL—Park West
Apr 04—Minneapolis, MN—Fine Line
Apr 15—San Francisco, CA—The Independent
Apr 16—San Francisco, CA—The Independent
Apr 19— Los Angeles, CA—Troubadour
Apr 20— Los Angeles, CA—Troubadour
Apr 23—Boulder, CO—Fox Theatre
Apr 24—Denver, CO—Bluebird Theater
Apr 26—Dallas, TX—Trees
Apr 28—Houston, TX—Warehouse Live Studio
Apr 30—Austin, TX—Antone’s
May 01—Austin, TX—Antone’s
May 04-Tampa, FL-The Orpheum
May 06 – Gainsville, FL – High Dive
May 07 – Gainsville, FL – High Dive
May 28 – Simi Valley, CA – Rancho Santa Susana Community Park
May 31 – Seattle, WA – The Crocodile
Jun 02—Boise, ID—Ford Idaho Center Arena*
Jun 03—Portland, OR—Sunlight Supply Amphitheater*
Jun 04— George, WA—The Gorge Amphitheatre*
Jun 07 – Solana Beach, CA – Belly Up
Jun 11—San Bernardino, CA—Glen Helen Amphitheater*
Jun 12 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Music Hall
Jun 16—Bakersfield, CA—Mechanics Bank Arena*
Jun 17—Wheatland, CA—Toyota Amphitheatre*
Jun 18—Mountain View, CA—Shoreline Amphitheatre*
Jun 19 – Napa, CA – Uptown Theatre Napa
Jun 23—Salt Lake City, UT—USANA Amphitheatre*
Jun 24—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center*
Jun 25—Denver, CO—Pepsi Center*
Jun 26 – Aspen, CO – Belly Up
Jul 23—Chicago, IL—Wrigley Field*