Serving as this here rag’s editor and director of day-to-day operations couldn’t possibly be a better hobby-gone-wild. For the past 17 months it’s truly been a pleasure to serve as
For Back Door Slam, it all started with C-sharp.
Seventh grader and budding guitar prodigy Davy Knowles approached Adam Jones in their Isle of Man schoolyard and asked whether the young bassist could play in that key. Jones snickered and replied, “Of course,” and the rest will one day be history. Drummer Ross Doyle eventually joined his mates behind the kit, and now nearly a decade later, their Back Door Slam blues trio is touring thousands of miles from home to support their brilliant debut album, Roll Away.
BDS’ Davy Knowles at ACL 2007 — photo by Danfun
And even though “Back Door Slam from the Isle of Man” sounds more akin to the name of an XXX movie in San Francisco’s Castro District, they’re nonetheless building a solid name for themselves. The blues stars-to-be seem to constantly be on the road, headlining club gig after club gig and opening for more established [nostalgia] acts like REO Speedwagon, Styx and George Thorogood, earning their stripes the old-fashioned way by organically building an audience, rather than growing exponentially with hollow blog endorsements.
The precocious trio — think early Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble or Rory Gallagher — wrapped up another tour of the States last week, but they’ll be back here soon. They’re loving their growing slice of Americana so much that they’ll return for their fourth tour of the States later this month, a run that begins in Anaheim in late February and ends at the Beale Street Music Festival in early May.
I sat down with the three members of Back Door Slam before their recent show at New York’s Mercury Lounge, and since I try not to contribute to the delinquency of minors (only one of them is 21 years old, the other two are 20), we shared Cokes and Sprites as they shared tour stories and their impressions of the road to stardom. Read on after the jump for much more on the best young band of blues musicians on the road today…
You gotta love an edition of the Friday Mix Tape that begins with unreleased ’70s pornofunk and ends with Mason Jennings. If that doesn’t scream eclecticism, I suggest cleaning the
Dean Ween continues to provide outrageously brown content on his NING blog. Just yesterday Deaner shared some amazing shots from his photo collection. Where else can you see photos of
Last week Hot Buttered Rum made another appearance in the cold and snowy northern Arizona town of Flagstaff. The show at the Orpheum Theater however, was anything but cold.
At the Zombieville VIII party at the Knitting Factory, a variety of styles and acts were on display, but the talented up and coming musicians owned the spotlight. Hymns, were a delicious throwback to 70’s country-rock and blues.
Folk/pop singer-songwriter Glen Philips leaves the comforts of home and blasts off into space on new E.P. and U.S. tour to reveal The Secrets of the New Explorers beginning February
Amy Winehouse will reportedly perform by satellite at Sunday’s Grammy Awards ceremony, it was announced today (February 7). The singer’s publicist issued a statement earlier today saying that the US
When I received an e-mail from Ace last July asking me if I had any interest in a private Crowded House concert, I quickly jumped on the opportunity.
As a young whippersnapper I would often throw their debut album and Temple of Low Men in the ol’ cassette player. I really enjoyed their music but had never seen them live (of course, they took a hiatus from 1996-2007 making it difficult to see them play). So I went to that concert in July and was blown away by their performance. Neil Finn’s tight compositions, interesting lyrics and catchy hooks kept me enthralled all night.
Six months later, the concert, which was recorded for the Artist Den television series, will finally air on Ovation tonight at 8:00 PM. Now everyone will have a chance to experience what I witnessed that night. In order to celebrate we’re offering a quick list of 10 incredible tunes that we hope made the cut. Read on after the jump to enjoy these videos, as an appetizer for tonight’s main course…
We’re proud to announce that Rupert of The Ghosts of Wayne Fontes has joined Hidden Track as a full-time contributor. Let’s celebrate this glorious occasion by debuting one of his new columns…
Today marks the birthday of a new brainchild here at Hidden Track. This is the inaugural edition of Bust Outs, a recurring segment dedicated to the finest surprises thrown down by our favorite bands. The idea is to highlight some of the special moments that blow your mind in the live setting, be it a setlist rarity, a stellar cover selection or a back-from-retirement resurgence.
Phish – 2/28/2003 – Destiny Unbound
Obviously, the inaugural episode would be utterly remiss, and not nearly cliché enough for us, if it didn’t include the ‘03 Destiny Unbound bust out. The lucky Long Islanders at the Uniondale show were treated to one of the most sought-after bust outs in all of Phish history. Hearing Destiny became huge. It was THE song that had to come out of retirement. It became bigger than any old favorite, bigger than a giant black boner, bigger than even bringing back Halley’s or Boogie On. Destiny was everyone’s dream bust out. Well, they just did it one night in 2003…randomly. It was monumental, if not a little anti-climactic. Nevertheless, they busted it out and played it well, which is always the worry with a big bust out. What’s the point of packing the heat if you don’t know how to use it?
Read on for several more prized bust outs from the road…
