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'The Spokes...lots of potential there. The PT Barnum in me says that any country punk band that has an Asian guy in a cowboy hat wailing on a Gibson guitar and screaming at the top of his lungs has got the seeds of a good idea. It reminded me of Keith Richards trying to sing {Happy}as I listened. Nice in-your-face website starting up as well. Supposed to open for the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash in a few weeks, so keep an eye out.
(Jack Sparks)'~ WWW.OTHERSIDEOFCOUNTRY.COM 'As is always the case, some point I've been trying to make for days, months, or even years, ends up being made for me on some excursion I make into a club as an afterthought. One of the little arguments I've been reiterating for the past couple weeks has been that the local alt country/roots rock/Americana scene is fueled by country kids in the big city incorporating their life experiences into a gritty twang sound of sorts. It's rough around the edges, maybe slightly misguided, certainly drunken, but there's no doubt about its roots: Northern hillbillies.
Last night, after a fine walleye dinner, I stumbled into The Five Corners Saloon because I'd heard about some half-assed listening party for The Drive By Truckers first two albums, which were re-released by New West Records; and, because Alan from The Spokes called me from the ice of Bald Eagle Lake during last week's show, to tell me that he was playing a bluegrass type gig there with something called 9 Mile Creek.
So about halfway into their set, the mandolin player points at the guitarist (who's wearing his carhartt bibs on stage because he just came to the bar from sleddin'), (who also happens to be an Asian kid who grew up on a farm in Wisconsin, drinking, smoking, and taking his old man's combine for joyrides), (who also happened to have built the guitar he's playing), and he says, -Tony just bought the baddest fucking chainsaw ever made, a Jonsered...,- and Tony chimes in saying, -yeah fuckin- 30 horsepower, a real lumberjack sumbitch...,- and then Jeremiah comes back with, -but ya gotta watch the kickback or you'll get fucked up!- So then they launch into a bluegrass song about Tony's new chainsaw. -Watch the kickback or you'll get fucked up- turns out to be one of the lyrics.
I mean, really, why not?
Guys like this are bright spots on the local club scene because of their unbridled enthusiasm, and because of the way they incorporate their lives into their music, and vice versa. They don't get up on stage to sing about how George Bush/Bill Clinton/The Orange Wave of The Ukraine is ruining their future, they're there to sing about their new chainsaws. I'll move heaven and earth to support stuff like that.'~ The City Pages |
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