The Third Mind shares the official video for “Reno, Nevada,” the second single unveiled from Right Now!, their highly anticipated third studio album out September 19 on Yep Roc Records.
Shot on location in Reno, Nevada by videographer Jon Luini, of the video (and song), director Victor Krummenacher says, “‘Reno, Nevada’ is a strange song about a strange town. Like many American cities, downtown Reno has seen better days, straining under current circumstances. The video follows Dave and Jesse’s descent into the underworld-or purgatory-where they observe the ghosts of Reno past and present, witnessing humanity in all its forms in the Biggest Little City in the World. Whether they escape or get sucked into the city remains ambiguous. All roads lead to Reno, after all.”
“When The Third Mind considered recording ‘Reno, Nevada’, the late Richard Farina’s 1965 folk classic, we discussed how to make our take of this tune different from other notable covers of it,” offers Dave Alvin. “We decided to try to musically catch the desperation and alienation of the lyrics by mixing the Howlin’ Wolf and Hubert Sumlin lick from Smokestack Lightnin’ with a healthy dose of Captain Beefheart’s abstract blues guitar yowls while Jesse Sykes and I would pay homage to folk/rock pioneers Richard and Mimi Farina with tight twin vocals in tribute to their unique style. I don’t know if the tragic poet, novelist, dulcimer enthusiast and hipster hustler Richard Farina would approve of our version of his song, but I think he would happily dance to it.”
“The wind was blowing something fierce when we shot this video in the streets of downtown Reno”, adds Jesse Sykes, “I imagined being the character the song ‘Reno, Nevada’ must have been written for back in the 60’s when Richard Farina wrote it…..Greasy hair and dirty wind blowing in your face, blowing the shirt off your back while trying to chase down magic in the wake of desperation. I long for the days when forlorn characters and youth itself could turn gritty little pockets of American culture into places of mythological wonder. The streets were strangely empty. Where was everyone? The grit lives on, but differently now. I hope this song and video captures a bit of past meets present, adding to the vast lexicon that celebrates gritty Americana folklore.”
What began as a free-form studio experiment between Dave Alvin and Victor Krummenacher (Camper Van Beethoven, Cracker, Monks of Doom, Eyelids), inspired by the spontaneity of Miles Davis’ improvisational work, The Third Mind morphed into a supergroup enlisting guitarist David Immergluck (Counting Crows, John Hiatt, Monks of Doom, Camper Van Beethoven), drummer Michael Jerome (Richard Thompson, Better Than Ezra, John Cale), and singer/songwriter Jesse Sykes (Jesse Sykes & The Sweeter Hereafter), whose mesmerizing vocal presence Alvin credits as the band’s anchor. “To me, Jesse’s vocals are the glue that holds this whole thing together,” says Alvin. “Her voice is so unique, and she sings with such intense introspection that it just sucks you in.”
Recorded live over four days at 64 Sound Recording Studio in Los Angeles, Right Now! is a masterclass in instinct and improvisation by skillful musicians meeting in real time to find the songs as they go. “Everything about this record is intuitive,” says GRAMMY award-winning singer/songwriter and guitarist and The Third Mind co-founder Dave Alvin. “It’s five musicians walking a tightrope, improvising in dialogue with each other and finding the songs in real time.”
Despite the album’s sprawling nature, The Third Mind abides by a few core guidelines: show up, don’t overthink it, and surrender to the moment; no rehearsals, no written arrangements, no discussions on approach, just a list of songs and keys meant to serve as a guide on the band’s journey toward wherever the spirit takes them. “We record in a circle all looking at each other and cut everything live in just two or three takes,” says Dave. “It’s simultaneously the most old-fashioned and most modern way we could make a record. Every single note we play is in service of the song and our interpretation of it in that moment.”
Their self-titled 2020 debut album earned acclaim from Glide Magazine who hailed “they may just be the coolest jam band out there right now,” while Magnet Magazine exclaimed “Not so much a supergroup as a great f***ing band.” Following the band’s live debut at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass and the 2023 release of The Third Mind 2 the band captured a series of tour dates for 2025’s sprawling The Third Mind – Live Mind, which also featured guitarist Mark Karan (Ratdog, Phil Lesh).
For the first time, The Third Mind will take their electrifying live show beyond the West Coast with an October tour run. Following their September performance to CAMPOUT for its 20th anniversary at Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown, CA, and an October 3 return to the iconic Troubadour in Los Angeles with the Mad Alchemist Liquid Light Show, the band heads east. With stops at fan-favorite venues in Columbus, OH, Davenport, IA, Chicago, Milwaukee, Ferndale, MI, and Cleveland, the tour continues with dates at Daryl’s House Club in Pawling, NY, White Eagle Hall in Jersey City, and The Hamilton Live in Washington, D.C., before wrapping up with a pair of Colorado shows in Denver and Fort Collins.
The Third Mind: On Tour
September 13 – CAMPOUT: 20th Anniversary at Pappy & Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA
October 3 – Troubadour – West Hollywood, CA*
October 7 – Natalie’s Grandview – Columbus, OH – on sale 8/19
October 9 – Raccoon Motel – Davenport, IA
October 10 – Garcia’s Chicago – Chicago, IL
October 11 – Shank Hall – Milwaukee, WI
October 12 – The Stache – Grand Rapids, MI
October 14 – The Magic Bag – Ferndale, MI
October 15 – Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH
October 17 – Daryl’s House Club – Pawling, NY
October 18 – White Eagle Hall – Jersey City, NJ
October 19 – The Hamilton Live – Washington, DC
October 23 — Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox — Denver, CO
October 24 — Fort Collins Armory — Ft Collins, CO
*w/Mad Alchemist Liquid Light Show
Note: tour dates will feature Dave Alvin, Jesse Sykes, Victor Krummenacher, Michael Jerome, and Mark Karan
