Barroom Honky Tonk

Knoxville TN

Description

I once made a Craigslist post seeking a drummer for a (gritty) two-piece Midwestern rock and roll band and it resulted in one hell of a run that included 3+ years of playing in the absolute best of local dives that Indiana had to offer, along with two full length albums. Good times. Every once in the while the Universe just seems to have a way putting the right people together at the right time. Like many artists, I'm an introvert by nature. Very social in the right settings, but my ways keep me pretty well confined to small groups and quiet settings. Exceptions are made when it comes to playing live shows. Live shows are how I prefer to party and really get after it. I may not talk much (unless you approach me or I know you quite well, in that case I'll talk your ear off), but if I were to describe a hell-of-a-night, so to speak, it involves having a show lined up at a reputable East TN establishment. I usually prefer to be the opening band. In that case, I can grab a glass or two of Maker's pre-show, take a beer with me to the stage, crank out a solid 45 minutes of (virtually) nonstop barroom tunes, and leave the stage feeling like we just won a state championship of some sort. The rest of the night is spent enjoying the hell out of the bands to follow, wandering out the backdoor to enjoy some of nature's finest, and gradually slowing down the beer intake because, after all, we've gotta make it home. Side note: you'd be doing yourself a favor by tuning in to WNCW's Cosmic American Music Show every Friday night from 6:00 - 9:00 PM. If the title alone doesn't convince you, follow this link and find out for yourself: https://www.wncw.org/listen-live I've always maintained that, "I like my shit with grit", whether it be rock and roll, blues, country, bluegrass, or any other applicable genre. In the absence of grit, tunes generally have to be dark and/or weird to maintain my attention. As a teenager, I saw a White Zombie t-shirt with the words "Ugly Music for Ugly People" printed on the back. That phrase always resonated with me. After years of oscillating back and forth between gritty, blues inspired, garage rock type bands and boot stompin' country tunes, the pendulum is hereby swinging back toward honky tonk vibes. If you were to ask me what my ideal band situation would look like this day in age, I'd reply by placing myself on the pedal steel. I'd put a fellow vocalist/guitar player and songwriter up front who shares similar tastes, appreciations, bad habits and writing styles as my own. I'd place a female bass guitarist on the opposite side of the stage who knows all those badass country walks, and choose a steady, no nonsense kind of drummer who just so happens to be one hell of a guy (or gal, for that matter). I've included a handful of pictures for reference.