A $50 guitar tuner would have made an enormous difference in rockabilly legend Sleepy LaBeef's Friday night performance at the Black Swamp Arts Festival. LaBeef's set consisted of an extended (and when I say extended, I mean extended), extemporaneous medley of rootsy rock-and-roll and country classics. LaBeef performed the first half of the set on an a red Gibson guitar that was just enough out of tune to cause the muscles in your jaw to tense — a physical condition that complicates the beer-drinking process.
LaBeef delivered a rapid-fire series of song snippets, singing just enough of the lyric to allow the audience to identify the tune before abruptly moving on to the next number like a drunk driver making an unannounced lane change.
LaBeef has a wonderfully deep, sonorous voice, and it is a genuine pleasure to hear him sing. His back-up players, however, sing like some of the smaller Muppets. So it was grievous tactical error when, halfway through the set, LaBeef moved to the drums and turned the lead vocals over to the drummer (who moved to the bass), and the bass player (who moved to an in-tune guitar).
The hour-long set was not without moments of real rockabilly energy. Those moments made it clear that with a good four-piece band and bit more structure to the set, LaBeef could have a truly first-rate act.
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1 - Bob Timmers
PRESS RELEASE
An Important Event in Rock and Roll History!
Rolling Stone magazine called Gene Vincent and the Blue Caps “The
world's first Rock and Roll band." That’s quite an honor but one that’s well deserved.
Gene Vincent, most noted for his hit recording, "Be-Bop-A-Lula," was a huge influence on many of the top rock stars of the 1960s: Jim Morrison, Robert Plant, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, etc. Even today, The Stray Cats continue to perform Gene's songs at their sold-out shows. It's almost impossible to find a rock band anywhere in the world that doesn't have "Be-Bop-A-Lula" on its set sheet. Tragically, Gene died at the age of 36 on October 12, 1971. His band, The Blue Caps, regrouped in the 1980s and ‘90s but has not played together for several years.
However, that’s about to change. Dickie Harrell, Johnny Meeks, and Tommy Facenda will reunite for a one-time-only tribute to Gene. The show, called "Bop Street" after one of his hits, will take place Saturday, October 15, 2005, at the Elks Club in Van Nuys, California.
Joining the Blue Caps on stage will be many other artists, both young and old, who were greatly influenced by Gene: Glen Glenn, Tommy Sands, Billy Zoom, Diamond Dave Somerville, Ray Campi, Pep Torres, and Don Weise, to name only a few. Several notable rock stars also have been invited and may drop in to pay tribute to one of America's rock and roll legends.
At the show, Dickie Harrell, Gene’s original drummer, will release his new CD, which was recorded at Sun Studios. It’s a compilation of Gene’s songs performed by artists such as Rosie Flores, Billy Swan, Tracy Nelson, and Roman Self.
Earlier in the day, a VIP memorial service will be held at his grave site near Van Nuys. The evening’s performers, Gene’s family, friends, and fans will attend.
The Rockabilly Hall of Fame®, a nonprofit organization, is sponsoring the entire event. Seating will be limited at the memorial service, and the show is expected to sell out, so the public is encouraged to contact the Hall of Fame early for ticket information. This truly will be an important event in rock and roll history!
The Web site for this event is:
http://www.rockabillyhall.com/bopstreet.html
Gene Vincent's official Web site is:
http://www.rockabillyhall.com/GeneVincent.html
Contact:
Bob Timmers
615-740-7625