“Lawn Chair Kings have been a band for 20 years. That’s twice as long as The Beatles were together, 17½ years longer than the Sex Pistols and they’re catching up to The Ramones, who called it quits after 22. In that time, they’ve played every venue in town along with every KDUR Cover Night, and dropped five full-length records, all while creating a genre that’s part punk rock, part garage rock, part country rock and all catchy – a sound self-described as “Suburban Rock” or “Western Garage.”... Their latest release, “Before It All,” has all of the Lawn Chair Kings’ trademarks, where subtle twang dances with click-clack punkabilly rhythms, and lyrical content addresses myriad issues, from broken hearts to bullfights and invasive water creatures… The band hasn’t been without its changes over the years. They’ve gone through a handful of drummers and second guitar players, while also existing as a trio, quartet and, for a brief moment, quintet. The current lineup includes founding members Nordstrom and bass player Leek; drummer, guitar and mandolin player Pat Dressen; and the newest member Justin Richert, who will play guitar, drums and lap steel… This latest recording caught guitar player and banjo player Hap Purcell on his way out of the band, but not before laying down aggressive banjo to a number of tracks, standouts being “Food Fight At The Golden Corral” and “Hell Fish.”... But it's not all rock banjo. A cut like “Saddle” digs into slacker-country, “New Clothes” has a new-wave vibe and “Runaway Truck” has a cowpunk shuffle; they’re a band that connects the dots between Buck Owens and Camper Van Beethoven.”” - Bryant Liggett, KDUR station manager and freelance writer

The Durango Herald

"It’s no secret that I’m a fanboy of The Nord’s. So when Erik dropped off a copy of the fifth proper LCK album a few weeks ago, I knew it would find a home in my Tundra’s CD changer, probably never to be ejected. The Kings are at their best when they rock, and the 2019 lineup of original members Nordstrom (guitar) and Dan Leek (bass) and more recent additions Patrick Dressen (drums) and Hap Purcell (banjo, guitar) is my favorite of their incarnations. “Runaway Truck,” “Malacrianza” and “Food Fight at the Golden Corral” are welcome additions to their canon."” - Chris Aaland, KSUT and The Durango Telegraph

The Durango Telegraph

The Lawn Chair Kings have morphed from garage rock to alternative country to bluegrassy Americana in their 17-year career. Quite simply, they’re the best bar band in town. They held the release party for their fourth record, “Virtually Acoustic,” last Saturday at the Ranch. The album was recorded in Erik Nordstrom’s scary basement a few years back. Ever since Patrick Dressen joined on drums and mandolin, they’ve mastered the subtleties of an acoustic set. Dressen is a four-decade veteran of the Durango bluegrass wars with such bands as the Badly Bent, Heart & Soul and, for you old-timers, the Marmot Mudflaps. Factor in ace-in-the-hole Hap Purcell on banjo and newcomer Alissa Wolf (fiddle, although the “Virtually Acoustic” recordings happened before she joined LCK), and you have the makings of a bluegrass tour de force. Anyone who has sat around or joined campground picks at Pagosa festivals in re- cent years knows that Nordstrom is an acoustic guitarist well- versed in classic bluegrass. And Dan Leek’s transition from electric bass to the doghouse has been remarkably seamless. Highlights from the disc includes “Rock and Roll Feelin’ in My Heart,” “Big Day in the City” (which features Robin Davis on fiddle) and “Alien Abductee.” The latter has been in the group’s repertoire since the beginning, first appearing on a hard-to-find radio EP called “Suburban Rock Favorites” and remaining a popular request at their shows ever since.” - Chris Aaland

The Durango Telegraph

(as translated by Google): Again a little difficult label to remember this ... After all this band from Durango shows itself than we on this fourth album in a slightly different side were used. The band had some personnel changes and evolved since about the album is recorded one year to five -al for the arrival of fiddler Alissa Wolf grades came amping the rock and punk approach of the previous records temporarily late in the closet and venturing into an almost acoustic setting to tunes that are rolled in country and bluegrass, and thus belong to the folk. However there is very little change to the pointed lyrics of frontman Erik Nordstrom and vocal harmonies sound still as committed as at the time of eg. "Lawn Chair Kings II" from three years ago. Ten songs are on this CD and which are, as far as I could tell that all the work of Nordstrom and they are in that "classic" that they in terms of instrumentation, vocals and ambience right look from the bluegrass to tribes. That means that the instrumental interventions Banjo Hap Purcell and the rhythm parts of drummer Patrick Dressen and bassist Dan Seemed rather refer to Bill Monroe than to Camper Van Beethoven, however the biggest impact of the tire, according to Nordstrom itself. In terms of feeling and intensity, we are again in the punk: you're a musician yourself as obliged to give you one hundred percent in a song, with less can not be satisfied. This attitude leads, along with the excellent song material to a festive image you 32 minutes hips or toetappend takes you on a tour that stops in places where "Who Drink All That Beer" is sung, which, like "Unrequited Love" Commander Cody could have been. With 5 minutes 11 seconds, "Got What You Need" length champion of the plate and the text about a young girl who has lost both literally and figuratively the road and enters eenmilieu that you do not wish for your daughter, a definite highlight. This is great songwriting, at least to my ears. The bittersweet "She Is not My Girl" is almost the antithesis of the Beatles' "She's a Woman" and "Little Me" reminds me again and again thinking of Jonathan Richman. In my musical scale horse is not at all a bad reference. The closing Song 4 U link I again Todd Snider and I think the least wrong. So what to think of this album as a whole? Super innovative is certainly not, but the record does provide a completely different view of a tire, which we had previously set aside a bit of a genre that is no longer ours. With this approach, they find themselves again and I must say that if I would see announced a concert of them, I would rush to the box office for a ticket. Some Youtube videos jive concerts confirm Lawn Chair Kings most rewarding wages to be watched and listened to; This record certainly does not say the opposite because she is witty, danceable, played well and sufficiently varied to captivate from beginning to end.” - Dani Heyvaert

Rootstime (Belgium)

Read Bryant Liggett's review of 11/12/16 CD release party: 17 years later, Lawn Chair Kings still among the greats” - Bryant Liggett

DGO

Read Bryant Liggett's review of 11/22/13 CD release party: http://durangoherald.com/article/20131121/COLUMNISTS30/131129918/Old-is-new-for-Durango%E2%80%99s-Lawn-Chair-Kings-” - Bryant Liggett

The Durango Herald

Stripped down and un-amplified, the Lawn Chair Kings are just as fun, just as quirky, and just as killer. There’s decades of music fandom amongst the members, as a love of Camper Van Beethoven and The Meat Puppets is as equal to a love of Doc Watson and The Osborne Brothers, and all of that comes out whether plugged in or not.The acoustic version of the Lawn Chair Kings gives fans a chance to dig the lyrics of Nordstrom; you’ll find yourself climbing into his world of alien abduction, the acquisition of some cheap beer and the pursuit of the perfect punk rock show. No fluff. No predictable, Centennial State band rehashing of snow covered mountains and frosty rivers, as this is for the weirdos on Colfax or the punk-rock loving Durango 40-somethings taking a pull of a mini of fireball ready to become a lyric in Nordstrom’s next song.” - Bryant Liggett, DGO Magazine and KDUR
...the greatest band ever to call Durango home." -Chris Aaland, Cask Strength, July 24, 2013.   “This is great grungy country, trailer park Americana, dented LeSabres and Fantas and those lawnchairs with cheap webbing that sag in the middle and fray on the sides—the best kinds! It’s clever, beautiful stuff.”—Katie Klingsporn, Telluride Daily Planet, August 22, 2008.   “[Although it] will never take the place of the Lawn Chair Kings, a capella singing is popular on college campuses and in niche markets.”—Carroll Peterson of The Narrowgaugers (Durango’s chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society), quoted in The Durango Herald, December 19, 2008.   “Audiences, to put it in the rock ‘n’ roll vernacular, seem to dig it.”—Ted Holteen, The Durango Herald, May 29, 2009.   “The band formed in 2000 as a power trio, and gained quite a following with their crazy mix of western-punk garage music and use of even crazier stage props…wildly entertaining, prepare for audible and visual stimulation with the Lawn Chair Kings…”—Rebecca Thoreson, The Telluride Watch, March 7, 2008.   “The ‘western’ comes from the band members’ love of old country…Cheating hearts and falling-off-bar-stools country. The ‘garage’ comes from independent rock ‘n’ roll. Shut-the-garage-door-and-turn-the-amp-to-11 rock ‘n’ roll. Collectively, the music knowledge and history the band brings forth musically, and in conversation, is astounding.”—Bryant Liggett, The Durango Herald, March 31, 2006.   “Erik, Dan, and Steve must be the Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson of Durango indie rock, belting out apple pie slices of Americana like ‘Trailer Park’ ‘Ice Cream Truck’ and ‘Take Me Out In Yer Pick Up Truck’.”—Chris Aaland, The Durango Telegraph, July 3, 2008.   “Lawn Chair Kings is a misleading name for a band that forces folks to get up out of their chairs and dance…”—Silverton Jamboree Program Guide, Summer 2007.         “Drawing from an eclectic array of covers, and boasting very fine originals, the Lawn Chair Kings are all about the song. A powerhouse rhythm section propels this very capable three-piece and will most assuredly get the joint jumpin’! Add tasteful vocal harmonies and solid lead guitar work and you have the perfect ingredients for a fun night of live music.”—Rosie Carter, Hearsay, April/May 2002”

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