Celebrated folk-rock band Dispatch recently released their ninth studio album, Yellow Jacket via Bomber Records/AWAL Recordings. The band have embarked on a USA tour that lands at Wolf Trap on on Saturday, July 5.
Dispatch returned “home” to Boston to record and produce nearly all of Yellow Jacket with Craig Welsch at Rear Window Studios, and the 11-song collection of music harkens back to the infectious blend of reggae, ska, and roots rock that built the band’s heralded career and dedicated fanbase. It’s a bold addition to their legacy — one that continues to explore the human experience with introspection and unshakable groove.
“For us, this album is a way to acknowledge what our culture is facing and the effects of the abuse of power,” said Chadwick Stokes. “In this album, you’ll find the effects war has on family in ‘Johnny Whoops,’ the complexity and brilliance of Emily Dickinson’s words in ‘Trinket (ft. John Butler),’ and we pay homage to the great activists of our time alongside Ani DiFranco on ‘Everyone’s in the Street,’ as a reminder of how crucial it is to not sit back idly. But mostly, our goal with this album is for listeners to enjoy the tunes in whatever way, hopefully at times collectively, and in community.”
Ani DiFranco added, “It makes my heart so happy to have company in this political song racket. So crucial that none of us go slack, as you say,” and John Butler shared, “I have a lot of respect for Chad, Brad, and all the guys outta Dispatch. When they asked me to guest it was a breath of fresh air.”
Stream “Everyone’s in the Street” performed by Dispatch featuring Ani DiFranco on YouTube:
Dispatch kicked off their Summer Tour 2025 alongside John Butler (with band) and special guests G. Love & Special Sauce, Donavon Frankenreiter, and Illiterate Light (select dates) the tour is rolling through the USA, making stops in major markets including Chicago, New York City, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Francisco, and more.
Throughout their rise, the band has taken every opportunity to use their success for good, launching charitable organizations to fight inequality and mass incarceration, raising funds and awareness for environmental causes, schools and hospitals on the road, and even traveling as far afield as Zimbabwe to work with children and communities in need. Chadwick Stokes’ Calling All Crows joins bands and fans together in collective activism that has raised more than half a million dollars for feminist movements, while Brad Corrigan’s Love Light + Melody helps amplify the stories of children who live in extreme poverty.
Formed by Chadwick Stokes and Brad Corrigan while in college in Vermont, Dispatch has forged their own path outside the mainstream music industry as one of the most successful artists in the roots rock scene. Over the course of a slew of acclaimed studio and live albums and countless tours and festivals, the band has gone on to become one of biggest success stories in independent music history, selling out three nights at Madison Square Garden and drawing over 100,000 fans to a massive outdoor show in their adopted hometown of Boston without any traditional radio or major label support.
Dispatch
W/ John Butler, G. Love and Special Sauce, Donavon Frankenreiter
Wolf Trap
Saturday, July 5
Gates @ 5:30pm
$61-$100
All ages
