Hey kids! LOTS more Hot Rod Trio on tap here.
First, more videos from their NAMM gig...
Hot Rod Trio Video 1
Hot Rod Trio Video 2
Hot Rod Trio Video 3
Hot Rod Trio Video 4
But wait, that's not all!
Buddy Dughi is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. He's all about talking cars and guitars till the twang comes home, and you can see the good nature in his eyes...just a genuinely good guy. You sense he'd go out of his way to do anything for you.
His wife Suzi Q must be just as fine a person, I just didn't have a chance to spend as much time with her, while I bumped into Buddy several times around the show, and always had a friendly talk.
In fact, he invited us to his Friday Night gig at a small local club, and after Joe's Footsteps of Leo tour, Joe and Lindsey, bonedaddy, Ric12, his dandy friend Chuck, and I found the little venue on a neighborhood side street.
This was a bare-bones local bar, just a small stage, a bar, and tables. Dark as all git-out, and a big guy at the door checking IDs as necessary and putting bracelets on us.
For some reason, as we queued up and made our way in, he started a conversation about the bar, telling us it was "not a liberal bar, you know what I'm saying?" He gave a few examples, one of which was the inadvisability of talking much about Obama.
As near as I can figure, this was because I had longish non-rockabilly hair and John Lennon glasses (though I was wearing my Elvis Crown Electric workshirt). Despite the fact that none of us was wearing an Obama button or anything, this security chief repeated this vaguely ominous admonition several times, leaving us all mystified and amused and, for some reason, not in the least intimidated.
Despite any political leanings I may or may not have (and I ain't fessin' up to nothin'), I've always managed to get along with rockers of all persuasions, because as far as I'm concerned, music is beyond all that business anyway. (Is rockabilly fundamentally Republican or something? Don't tell me, I don't wanna know!)
Maybe it wasn't my shaggy hippie hair anyway. I bet it was bonedaddy's spiky do and naturally belligerent look.
ANYway, enough'o'my yappin'. We stayed for the better part of a set (miles to go before we slept, and all that) and could not have had a better time.
Buddy, Suzy, and drummer Pete Bonny were all dressed in their Saturday boogie best, and several guests who sat in matched the look. (Actually, they stood in more than sat - including Spaz from the Brian Setzer organization.)
Pete stood up properly at the drum kit, Buddy was his usual entertaining self, equal parts cool and amiable – and Suzy Q was cool, elegant, and a bit aloof. (Really, she intimidates me...)
Sound was tremendous: Buddy plays through a Standel, and every one of his guitars sounded flat gorgeous.
There's something very engaging and entertaining about the dynamic among these players on stage, and about their sound and their personal take on the music. Suzy's voice is a force of nature in and of itself, pretty much unlike any other I've heard, and somehow when they're onstage, it's always 1956. Maybe '57.
Lindsey had her camera, and caught some video which looks pretty good. Enjoy!
Hot Rod Trio LIVE 1
Hot Rod Trio LIVE 2
Hot Rod Trio LIVE 3
Hot Rod Trio LIVE 4
Hot Rod Trio LIVE 5
More about the band here
