Country Dan’s Hot Pick: The Band of Heathens
Oh me oh mio,
Would you look at Miss Ohio,
She’s running around with her ragtop down.
She wants to do right,
Just not right now.
—Look at Miss Ohio by Gordy Quist, Ed Jurdi and Colin Brooks of the Band of Heathens.
Umbrage has been taken, by at least one reader. when I’ve posted topics that don’t pertain to Wake. I can see why, considering the name of the blog. But my thinking is maybe for every dozen or so blog entries about Deacon sports I might be able to get away with slipping one by that’s more personal. And hopefully those who don’t give a flip about what I think about music or books or any form of popular culture can just pass those by and not have to wait long to get the next dispatch on the Deacons.
Which leads me to the decision I made last night, between hanging out at the hacienda and watching the last five innings of the World Series or heading down to my favorite watering hole, the Garage, to hear a band out of Austin called the Band of Heathens. Richard Emmett, who along with his blushing bride Kim Lawson keep the bar going, told me it was a show I did not want to miss. Kim, bless her heart, even called yesterday while I was knocking out my piece on Joey Ehrmann (see, there’s the Wake connection) and invited me personally. I was overwhelmed, and decided to be there Hades or high water.
Did I ever make the right call. Thank you Richard. Thank you Kim. The Band of Heathens is the best band I’ve come across in many moons. I’m listening to their CD One Foot in the Ether as I write this, and my foot is tapping. Clean, clean sound, great beat, really contagious energy. All the influences of American roots music, blues, country, rock. Apparently I’m not the first to join their fan club. Both of their two most recent CD’s, Band of Heathens and One Foot in the Ether soared straight the top of the AMA Americana charts. They played Austin City Limits in August, and though I missed it, I’ve seen a clip from the show on their website.
What makes the band so appealing to me is they have three songwriters who are all strong singers and who all know their way around the fretboard of a Gibson Les Paul. I’ve always been partial to the bands with the multiple lead singers. The Beatles, the Band, the Grateful Dead, the Drive By Truckers, Little Feat. Bands like that can all come at you from so many different directions.
The crowd, though of decent size, was not what this band deserved. But one of the charms of catching a band in a club setting is you might get a chance to meet the players and chat a bit while you’re checking out their merchandise. Gordy Quist, one of the front guys, heard I usually ramrod an Open Mic on Wednesday nights at the Garage, and he actually apologized for bumping us. I was dumbfounded. I said we’ll step aside for the Band of Heathens any day.
If they play in your area, do yourself a huge favor and check them out. Chances are you won’t even have to miss the final five innings of the World Series to do so.