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Texas Rockabilly Revival '09: The Music

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- Rated: 313 ↑
May 8, 2009 7:46 p.m. Proteus:

A thread wherein we find nothing but coverage of the bands playing the 2009 Texas Rockabilly Revival – in living color and stereophonic sound.

Each of the bands will appear here in their order of appearance at the event, with short introductions, a brief review of their sets, audio clips, and lots of pics.

The audio varies in phase and balance. It was captured with a hand-held recorder which went everywhere I went as I took pictures. Sometimes Mrs P was the casual recordist. Occasionally you get snippets of conversation - all just part of life's rich texture.

There was no intention to create CD-quality tracks. With both sound and pics, the aim is to let y'all experience the event pretty much as we did. We hope you get a sense of the sun, the heat, the breeze, the dust, the trees, the people, the venue, the artists, and the music.

Note to artists: if there are inaccuracies in my coverage of your band - or you have an objection to any image or audio coverage, please just let me know and it will be corrected immediately. The point here is just to recognize and promote your work.

First up, taking the stage at 6:30 Friday night,

Two Tons of Steel

This legendary San Antonio Texas "countrybilly" band was a great kickoff to an event dedicated to rockin' roots, and held in Texas.

The band is featured in the IMAX Film "Texas: The Big Picture" and have a performance in a documentary screening continuously at the Country Hall of Fame in Nashville. If that's not enough Texas cred, one of their swing tunes is used as the theme of Lone Star Beer commercials.

You can't escape the band in Texas - but why would you want to?

The lineup:

Kevin Geil - lead vocal, acoustic
Dennis Fallon - guitar
Chris Rhoads - bass
Chriss Dodd - drums/perc

From honky tonk boogie early in the set, drawing from a variety of traditions from western swing to goodol'billy, the band morphed late in the set to include mid-and-late-60s influences. (Which seemed cool to me!)

What's more, they all looked happy, they were wearing pretty much street clothes - and the drummer had long hair in a pony tail. Which just goes to show, sometimes it's about how you play.

More about the band here:

http://www.twotons.com/
http://www.lonestarmusic.com/artists.asp?id=153#
http://www.myspace.com/twotonsofsteel

Two Tons of Audio

Two Tons Once
Two Tons Twice
Who does Two Tons love?
- Rated: 313 ↑
May 8, 2009 8:43 p.m. Proteus:

Hot Rod Walt & the Psycho DeVilles

Hot Rod and the DeVilles came out of Atlanta Georgia in 2002 with a commitment to constant touring and sharp-dressed rocka-psychobilly excursions.

Their discography includes 2005's Psycho Cadillac and 2007's Supercharger – and if I understood Walt aright, there's a new CD coming this summer.

What's more, Walt DRIVES his "classic" cars over the road, regularly. He lives his life doing the things he most loves - music and cars - and that's a lucky man to me.

The band sounded great, with a tight set of good songs. Fine playing from all three members - with professionalism and a good-time vibe that was well-received by the growing audience.

http://www.myspace.com/psychodevilles

Pyscho Audio

Wicked Time
Now I'm Having Fun
Supercharger
Addicted to Your Love
It's A Long Way
- Rated: 27 ↑
May 9, 2009 3:06 p.m. fjr_wertheimber:

Dude, get some sound clips up, ya slacker!!
- Rated: 313 ↑
May 9, 2009 3:45 p.m. Proteus:

Wayne "The Train" Hancock

... was the third act of the night. Thanks to some recent turmoil in Wayne's touring band, he was working with other local musicians, which gave the set a spontaneous feel.

It's almost a cliché to compare Austin native Wayne Hancock to Hank Williams (as in Senior); his voice and honky tonk approach certainly make the connection. But he's an original too, with a wry populist approach in many of his songs which suggest Woody.

He comes by it honestly; a veteran of the Marines, he works over 200 shows a year; the new album, Viper of Melody, is his seventh since 1995.

Huck Johnson, Wayne's regular bassist, was on the job last night. In addition, Danny B Harvey and a rippin' Tele-slinger whose name I haven't been able to verify filled out the roster with some great twin-guitar byplay. (It may have been a Jim Hunnicutt – still trying to find out.)

The quartet jelled as their long set went on, and the interplay got increasingly smooth - and hot. From the grins, Wayne seemed to enjoy the hot licks coming from behind him in stereo.

More about Wayne Hancock here: http://www.waynehancock.com/.

Wayne Hancock Audio

Wayne Hancock 1
Wayne Hancock 2
Wayne Hancock 3
Wayne Hancock 4
- Rated: 111 ↑
May 9, 2009 3:48 p.m. Curt:

Great stuff!
- Rated: 313 ↑
May 9, 2009 4:03 p.m. Proteus:

Just a note that audio is now appearing for the bands - which is really the heart of the matter!

Let me respectfully encourage y'all to check it out...
- Rated: 59 ↑
May 9, 2009 4:10 p.m. bobbyrivera:

Still no dyna guitars at the Gretsch table??? What the heck You need to give Joe and Mr. Gretsch a stern talking to I would have liked to see Danny playing with Wayne.
- Rated: 313 ↑
May 9, 2009 4:25 p.m. Proteus:

Levi Dexter

Levi is one of the legends of the early London neo-Rockabilly scene of the late 70s, first with his seminal band The Rockats (heard last year on the Texas Rockabilly stage), and then with the Ripchords.

Levi was influenced both by the Teddyboy scene which was going on in England as he came of age, and by the early rock & roll greats of the 50s.

He drew from those sources for the Rockats in 1977, going on to success in the US in '78 and '79, first tearing it up in LA clubs, then featured on CBS news, Merv Griffin, and Midnight Special. The 'kats were also the first rockabilly band on the Louisiana Hayride since Elvis' last 1956 appearance.

After the Rockats broke up in late '79, Dexter formed the Ripchords, working with Brian Setzer and his brother for a time before settling in with Danny B Harvey, Jimmy Reed, Dave Curry, and Pat Brown.

For Levi's set of classic rock & roll last night, he worked with Kevin Smith on bass, Bobby Trimble (of Big Sandy's Fly-Rite Boys) on drums, and Danny B on guitar.

Learn more about Levi here:
http://levidexter.com/
http://www.myspace.com/levidexterrockabillyrumble
http://www.rockabilly.com/levi.html

Levi Dexter Audio

Levin mixing it up
Some Levi blues
Levi shakin' it
Motorhead
Levi #5
Levi Six
Levi VII
Levi the VIIIth
- Rated: 313 ↑
May 9, 2009 7:10 p.m. Proteus:

Wanda Jackson,

uncontested "Queen of Rockabilly" – and a 2009 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductee – was Friday night's headliner.

Wanda looked sharp and commanded the stage, guiding an all-star band through her hits and other favorites of the 50s and 60s, sometimes providing rhythm guitar herself on a pink cutaway Daisy Rock.

Wanda came by music inevitably; her father, a musician during the depression, moved the family from Oklahoma (where she was born) to California in 1941, where she heard Tex Williams, Bob Wills, and Spade Cooley.

It was back to Oklahoma when Wanda was 12, where she won a talent contest that gave her a regular radio show. Country star Hank Thompson heard her on the air in 1954, when she was still in high school; her first hit, "You Can't Have My Love", was recorded with his Brazos Valley Boys.

She started touring in 1955, chaperoned by her father and wearing flashy stage clothes made by her mother. She had an early connection with Elvis, who encouraged her to include rock & roll in her repertoire, and during her active recording career, spanning the 50s, 60s, and 70s, she alternated country and rockabilly approaches.

Wanda charted both country and Top 40 hits in the 60s, from "Let's Have a Party" to "The Box It Came In." A two-time Grammy nominee, she became a Christian in 1971 and has recorded several gospel albums. (Wanda gave a brief testimony during her set.) She's performed sine the 80s at rockabilly and roots revival shows here and in Europe.

For Friday's show, her stellar back-up crew included Danny B Harvey on guitar and as music director (actually, Wanda does the direction); Scott Chopper Franklin (Cramps, Charley Horse) on bass; Slim Jim Phantom (need we mention?) on drums; and the great Don Randi on keyboards.

Randi is an LA-based pianist, composer, and arranger who was part of the infamous 60s wrecking crew responsible for countless hits; he composed, among other things, the ABC Sports theme music. He's also played and/or arranged for a list of artists daunting in its scope (click for details).

Wanda gave the crowd 100%, keeping the band on their toes to follow her sometimes intricate material – and giving much opportunity for spontaneous musical interplay among the musicians.

After the set, Wanda signed autographs and visited with fans for nearly an hour.

Transcript of Wanda's comments before "Good Rockin' Tonight":

It was Elvis Presley who talked me into singing the rockabilly music, and I'll forever be very grateful to him. And I told the people at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony because Dj Fontana was there and Scotty Moore ... and I said, "I don't know but I just feel the presence of Elvis very much," and that's the way I felt.

But I began working with him in '55 and did a lot of tours with him. Uhhh - we dated what we could, on the road, you know, and he took me to his home and showed me how to perform rockabilly music. It impressed me that he cared that much about me doing well. And he was a wonderful person.

So, finally ... (someone in crowd shouts something about Jerry Lee Lewis) ... Jerry Lee's alright. I worked with him not long ago in London. Yeah, killed the killer. (Comment from crowd.) I don't know about that anymore - I think he's slowed down a WHOLE lot.

But anyway, I had an opportunity to do a tribute album to Elvis, and I was just fortunate enough to have Danny B Harvey produce it for me, directed everything for me. And he and I picked out all of the songs, which went back to the days when I worked with him, the songs I got to see Elvis perform night after night from the wings of the stage; it was a very exciting time.

So anyway, we picked out a bunch of songs; also on the album, the last track, I told some stories about having - the first time I met him, and when he asked me to be his girl and gave me his ring and things like that. So we tell some stories about that.

OK, Danny, let's give'em a little sampling of some of those.

More about Wanda Jackson & the band:
http://wandajackson.com/
http://www.dannybharvey.com/
http://www.myspace.com/charleyhorseband
http://www.donrandi.com/home3_v4_content.html
http://www.slimjimphantom.com/

Wanda Jackson Audio

Mean Mean Man, Rock Me Baby
Hard Headed Woman
I Gotta Know
Memories of Elvis, Good Rockin' Tonight
Fujiyama Mama
Tunnel of Love
Right or Wrong
There's A Riot Goin' On
I Saw the Light
Let's Have a Party
Rock & Roll Medley
- Rated: 313 ↑
May 9, 2009 7:11 p.m. Proteus:

Pickled Punks

You might say Saturday was psychobilly night at the Texas Rockabilly Revival.

Pickled Punks are really about as psycho as you might want. This young Austin-based band presents themselves as "freak-show pyschobilly," and clearly contrive to be the extremists in a genre that sometimes prides itself on southern gothic aberration.

Spike delivered rapid-fire Shack-Shakey vocals (possibly of similar subject matter and wordplay, though it was hard to tell). Spike is a self-proclaimed founder of "one of America's first psychobilly bands," Sand Diego's Barnyard Ballers, circa 1992.

Destin (of Comombre Zombi) on drums, Jasenstein on bass, and "Gretsch-slinging Marine Sgt and Iraq Vet" Mike on guitar all demonstrated chops as the band buzzsawed through their carefully arranged originals –

and the sparse early evening crowd alternately cringed and chuckled at the band's opening threats to infect everyone with swine flu, ongoing potty-mouthed patter, and theatrical sideshow antics. Meanwhile a small wrecking crew whirled (only somewhat self-consciously) to the music (video to follow), and Spike bashed himself in the head repeatedly with the mic.

To the sound of genres and cultures colliding, I would say.

Under all the theatre, I thought I detected well-crafted songs, actual melodies, and lyrical content.

Spike told my GDP compadre AJ that the band's music is actually "emobilly." I won't argue with that.

And they did open the show with a crowd-warming bang.

http://www.myspace.com/pickledkrew

Pickled Punks Audio
Pickled Punks 1
Pickled Punks 2
Pickled Punks 3
Pickled Punks More

Video coming soon.
- Rated: 313 ↑
May 9, 2009 8:45 p.m. Proteus:

For a Gretsch barstool - who's riding the bassist's back (does that make it a double double bass?) in the third to last picture during Wayne's set?
- Rated: 64 ↑
May 9, 2009 8:50 p.m. fieldhdj:

Is that Lee Rocker?
- Rated: 58 ↑
May 9, 2009 8:51 p.m. dmanlow:

Jimbo Wallace?
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 9, 2009 9:04 p.m. Calacas:

Chris Rhoads from Two Tons of Steel.
- Rated: 58 ↑
May 9, 2009 9:08 p.m. dmanlow:

Great eyes Calacas!
- Rated: 4 ↑
May 9, 2009 9:08 p.m. Cadaver:

Chris Rhodes

...and a little too late... drats!
- Rated: 64 ↑
May 9, 2009 9:18 p.m. fieldhdj:

Holy guacamole - it is Chris Rhodes!
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 9, 2009 9:23 p.m. Calacas:

I kinda know Chris Rhoads...
- Rated: 58 ↑
May 10, 2009 3:31 p.m. JC:

Pro ,does Joe know if those Gretsch barstools will be available in the Uk?

I know the Fender ones are but Gretsch?

Good stuff here btw!
- Rated: 313 ↑
May 11, 2009 11:44 a.m. Proteus:

Calacas is our winner! Yes, Chris from Two Tons of Steel opted to hop on for a bass ride.

Maybe if he'd had a Gretsch stool he would have remained properly seated.

Calacas, make sure I have your shipping address...
- Rated: 313 ↑
May 11, 2009 12:09 p.m. Proteus:

Lowdown Shaky Chill

Another young Austin band followed the Punks.

Lowdown's set began with a blooming pillow of mutating feedback (which I wish I'd been sufficiently on-the-ball to record) from Orlando Rio's purple leopard print 5120.

Orlando is, of course, the organizer of the Texas Rockabilly Revival, and though he told me he felt a little weird about playing his own gig, his band more or less insisted. And since LSC has sometimes worked gigs with the Punks, the placement made some sense.

Orlando describes the band as a punk, rock, and psychobilly trio. Members include Orlando on guitar and vocal, Ralphy on bass and vocal, and BJ Crusher on drums.

Despite some technical difficulties, Orlando and the Chill kept the crowd rocking. (Orlando's girlfriend – shown in the last pic, with the guy who isn't Orlando – tells me technical problems seem to follow Orlando everywhere. At a recent gig, the stage collapsed beneath him. Not even the Pickled Punks could upstage that.)

I'm digging the seat-belt guitar strap, too!

More about the chill here:
http://www.myspace.com/lowdownshakychill

Lowdown Shaky Audio

Lowdown
Shaky
Chill
- Rated: 313 ↑
May 11, 2009 12:26 p.m. Proteus:

Hillbilly Casino

The only Casino I know of where you're guaranteed to leave happier than you came.

Home base for Hillbilly Casino is Layla's Bluegrass Inn on Lower Broadway in Nashville – where I saw the band last summer. They'd been recommended to me not only by Joe – guitarist Ronnie Crutcher is a Gretsch endorsee – but by TV Jones, who calls them his favorite live band.

Hillbilly Casino has also toured widely, providing stage-burning opening services for the Rev, Brian Setzer, Rancid, Los Straitjackets, Southern Culture on the Skids, Th'Legendary Shack Shakers, The Blasters, and Doyle Bramhall. That resumé puts them near the front rank of contemporary roots-rockers, and one set is enough to prove why.

From the first note to the last crash, Hillbilly Casino brings it. Singer Nic Roulette (formerly of Indiana's Blue Moon Boys) is in constant motion, both directing and riding the energy from the band, punctuating the lyrics with gesture and posture, and making it clear that if you ain't having fun, it ain't his fault.

Geoff Firebaugh (BR549) on bass and Andrew Dickson (Brian Setzer's Nashvillains) on drums provide seamless, grooving propulsion through an original repertoire combining elements of rockabilly, punk, ska, honky tonk, every kind of 'billy, plain ol' rock & roll, and even hip-hop.

Then there's the quiet, unflappable, dignified and composed Ronnie Crutcher's blazing red Hot Rod spitting out notes like a gattling gun. Dude can play! (Other credits include Tabasko Kat and the Nashvillains.)

The band is self-produced, self-recorded (in the drummer's garage), self-promoted, and self-merchandised; albums include their debut Sucker Punched (2006), Three Step Windup (2008), and last December's Christmas romp Hang Your Stockings...Say Your Prayers.

If Pickled Punks and Lowdown Shaky Chill were here to bring the dark side of billitude, Hillbilly Casino brought the grins and the groove along with the rebel yell.

Highly recommended!

http://www.thehillbillycasino.com/bio.html
http://www.myspace.com/hillbillycasino

Hillbilly Casino Audio

THC 1
THC 2
THC 3
THC 4
THC 5
THC 6
THC 7
THC 8
THC 9
- Rated: 89 ↑
May 11, 2009 12:35 p.m. Ratrod:

That guy's got a pretty cool setup: two bassmen, an old space echo and a Gretsch Hot Rod.

Cool tunes.
- Rated: 58 ↑
May 11, 2009 1:20 p.m. JC:

Love the G Branded doghouse of LSC
- Rated: 31 ↑
May 11, 2009 2:29 p.m. Calacas:

GREAT COVERAGE PROTEUS! I really dig the Two Tons photos.

Hey and I'm thrilled to win a Gretsch bar/practice stool. I am very bummed that I didn't get the opportunity to hop up to Austin for the Revival and Hang with Dennis Fallon and meet Tim and Joe...I had a TV/video gig that took all of my Thu, Fri and Sat.

Okay, just for fun and a chance to win a t-shirt- I'd like to post my own trivia question.

What other San Antonio,TX band does Dennis Fallon play the electric guitar in?

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