Sunday Valley Gig List (Sturgill Simpson's 1st band)

Sunday Valley Gig List

A Sunday Valley T-Shirt

Photo by Matt McDonald

This is an attempt to wrangle together a gig chronology of Sturgill Simpson's first band Sunday Valley, the Cowpunk legends of Kentucky. This by no means a COMPLETE account of the band. What it is is a START. If you had the good fortune to see one of Kentucky's best undiscovered bands in the mid-00's to the early 10's - please feel free to email me or leave a comment. 

Before diving into the chronology I'd just like to give a big thanks & shout out to Trigger over @ SavingCountryMusic.com  I don't know him personally but I've long enjoyed his website that is chock full of loads of info, spirited discussions & passionate defenses of country music. His early support of Sturgill Simpson & Sunday Valley are greatly appreciated and his website serves as a valuable archive of pre- & post-fame Sturgill info too.

Be sure to check out his site & follow on the socials.

The following chronology was compiled using local newspapers such as the Courier-Journal (Louisville) and the Lexington Herald-Leader as well as the alt-weeklies Ace Weekly (Lexington) and Leo Weekly (Louisville). 

If you ever saw Sunday Valley or you have gig information for a show not listed here - please email or leave a comment. I'm always on the lookout for adding to the gig listing. Thanks.

2004

10/07/04  PHOENIX HILL TAVERN  Louisville, KY - Audition Night on the Saloon Stage

PHT was a long-running music venue 'in the Ville Since 1976' as their website states. Sadly it was closed in 2015. PHT had a wide range of acts from B.B. King to the Ramones to the Marsalis Brothers. Check out the list of acts that have played one of the venue's multiple stages HERE.

11/12/04  RUDYARD KIPLING  Louisville, KY w/Shinerunners, The Shooting Gallery

"The Rud" was a long-standing coffee house in Louisville. It ran from 1984 to 2015 at this location and sadly just like the PHT it closed in 2015.

2005

01/22/05  RUDYARD KIPLING  Louisville, KY w/Shinerunners, The Shooting Gallery

03/24/05  CD CENTRAL  Louisville, KY In-Store performance

04/21/05  DUTCH'S  Louisville, KY w/Straight Laced  

Since 1929, Dutch's Tavern was a long-running bar  in St. Matthews. It sadly was closed in 2011. Many, many local bands played the tavern over it's 80 years in existence.

05/06/05  DUTCH'S  Louisville, KY w/Retrospect, The Thin Man

05/12/05  DUTCH'S Louisville, KY 

06/23/05  DUTCH'S Louisville, KY w/John Gage and the New Country Folk

07/02/05  AIR DEVILS INN  Louisville, KY

Air Devils Inn is still open! Here's an ARTICLE on the Inn.

11/26/05  THE DAME  Lexington, KY

Here's a camera-phone video from 2007-2008 of SV at The Dame. Sound is pretty rough but its shown here for its historical value.

Here's a time-lapse shot outside The Dame

Yet another of Sunday Valley's venues that is sadly long gone. Any cursory research on The Dame shows that it was integral to the Lexington music scene. The Dame began life at 156 West Main Street in 2003. It quickly established itself on the music scene. In 2008 the club moved to bigger, fancier digs at Main Street Live complex at 367 East Main Street. I believe this is the location that is shown in the time-lapse video above. Sadly The Dame didn't last much longer at its new location and closed down less than a year later in 2009. Sadly both buildings that housed The Dame are demolished.

2007

01/17/07  RED BARN RADIO Lexington, KY

02/09/07  POUR HAUS  Louisville, KY w/Shinerunners, Rifle

The Cure Lounge was once the Pour Haus

Pour Haus did not last long yet the building continues to live on as a music venue. The building was built in 1887 as a grocery/saloon. After it was the Pour Haus it was then Club 21 for a handful of years. It is now called The Cure Lounge and is still open.

03/24/07  UNCLE PLEASANT'S  Louisville, KY

Uncle Pleasants is no more but the building at 2126 S. Preston is still a music venue - The New Vintage.

04/21/07  HEADLINERS  Louisville, KY  w/Shinerunners, Bodero

Some great pull-quotes from Puckett's preview:

"Buckaroos on Dexedrine" 

"Honky-Tonk House Band for the Apocalypse."

Headliners has been serving up shows since 1998 in their 700-person capacity room. Still going strong.

05/24/07  RUDYARD KIPLING  Louisville, KY

05/26/07  THE DAME  Lexington, KY  

06/10/07  RUDYARD KIPLING  Louisville, KY  opening for Ben Nichols (Lucero) , Cory Branan

06/23/07  RUDYARD KIPLING  Louisville, KY  w/Tim Berry, Josh Sands, The Wading Gallery

2008

12/27/08  THE DAME  Lexington, KY

2010

3/06/10  BUSTER'S BILLIARDS AND BACKROOM  Lexington, KY w/Cougar Express, Accordions, Mellow Down Easy

Lexington's Buster's Billiards & Backroom had been around since the mid-90's. In 2009 it relocated to its Manchester Street location. Sadly it closed in 2014.

04/17/10  NATASHA'S BISTRO  Lexington, KY

Natasha's Bistro started in 1990 as the Russian Cafe. In 2001 Natasha's moved to 112 Esplanade where it lasted until 2015 as an intimate theater & music venue.

04/29/10  KENTUCKY THEATER  Lexington, KY  w/The Other Brothers, The Ravenna Colt

The historic downtown cinema has been open since 1992, serving up the best in independent and foreign film while also putting on concerts. 816-person capacity.

07/03/10  BUSTER'S BILLIARDS AND BACKROOM  Lexington, KY w/The Sundresses

07/24/10  COSMIC CHARLIE'S  Lexington, KY  w/Jesco White, Pick Up the Snake

07/30/10  SOUTHGATE HOUSE  Newport, KY  Juney's Lounge Free Show 

09/04/10  ZANZABAR'S  Lexington, KY  w/Edgehill Avenue

09/18/10  BUSTER'S BILLIARDS AND BACKROOM  Lexington, KY  w/Cora Lee & the Townies, Vibrolas

09/22/10  NATASHA'S BISTRO Lexington, KY Kentucky Environmental Fundraiser w/the Metafours, Reel World String Band & Carla and the Fabulous D's

12/04/10  THIRD STREET DIVE  Louisville, KY

12/10/10  THIRD STREET DIVE  Louisville, KY

2011

01/14/11  WRFL  Lexington, KY Radio performance Noon - 2 PM

Article & Preview in AceWeekly by Bianca Spriggs HERE

01/15/11  COSMIC CHARLIE'S  Lexington, KY  CD release party for TO THE WIND AND ON TO HEAVEN  w/J.D. Wilkes (Legendary Shake Shackers)

02/25/11  LEXINGTON ART LEAGUE'S FOURTH FRIDAY

05/20/11  HONKY TONK ON THE SQUARE Bowling Green, KY

05/31/11  3RD & LINDSLEY  Nashville, TN

06/03/11  THIRD STREET DIVE  Louisville, KY

06/23/11  THURSDAY NIGHT LIVE  London, KY

07/22/11  ZAZOO'S  Louisville, KY w/Your News Vehicle, The Flying Carpets

The West Coast Sunday Valley Tour to Pickathon and Back

This is from Sturgill's manager Mark Dottore interview on NPR. You can read SCM's review HERE

This tour appears to be the only time that Sunday Valley would have had a chance to play in Colorful Colorado. Sadly I've yet to turn up any information on a gig here. 

08/06/11  PICKATHON  Portland, OR 

08/07/11 PICKATHON Galaxy Barn

08/07/11  SAM BOND'S GARAGE  Portland, OR

08/08/11  KIMO'S BAR & PENTHOUSE LOUNGE San Francisco, CA

Here's a REVIEW of the show at Kimo's Bar & Penthouse Lounge.

Sadly only a few months after Sturgill played at this 34-yr old venue it closed.

08/13/11  MAXINE'S  Hot Springs, AR

08/19/11  THIRD STREET DIVE  Louisville, KY  w/The Japanese Schoolgirls

10/xx/11  AMERICANA MUSIC FESTIVAL  Nashville, TN

11/04/11  DOUGLAS CORNER CAFE  Nashville, TN

11/26/11  COSMIC CHARLIE'S  Lexington, KY  w/Fifth on the Floor

* - video claims 11/30/11 as date for this which could mean they played CC twice in 4 days or it should be listed as 11/26/11.

Here's an undated Cosmic Charlie's video:

12/03/11  ZAZOO'S  Louisville, KY  w/The Delta Saints, Floorwalkers

12/28/11  MAXINE'S  Hot Springs, AR  

2012

02/15/12  THIRSTY BEAVER SALOON  Charlotte, NC

03/03/12  ZAZOO'S  Louisville, KY w/Your News Vehicles, Blackfoot Gypsies

03/17/12  XSXSW AUSTIN MOOSE LODGE  Austin, TX  5th Annual Hillgrass Bluebilly

03/30/12  UNCLE SLAYTON'S  Louisville, KY  w/Your News Vehicle