The Blue Rock Boys

Bio:

.. The Blue Rock Boys have been thumping their acoustic mischief since September, 2003. Formed on Blue Rock St. in Northside Cincinnati, by longtime friends Bill Williams, Pete Wood and Erin Daugherty, they stumbled their way into creating their own blend of Irish and American roots music. They spent 2004 playing at noteworthy Cincinnati establishments such as the Comet Bar, Northside Tavern (where they reign the last Sunday of every month), the Southgate House, CCM student radio, WAIF 88.3, and events such as the Newport Irish Heritage Festival, the Ten Years Late Scooter Club annual rally, and various productions of the Black Hoody Nation (anarcho-poetry thugs). Having been steeped in Irish and Appalachian traditional music from childhood, the Blue Rock Boys fused this rekindled cultural enthusiasm with the many styles of music they had played previously. Their backgrounds in jazz, soul, ska, and hardcore punk rock become obvious in their rambunctious approach, making traditional songs sometimes quite unorthodox. In August of 2006 they released "Volume 1", a collection of mostly traditional Irish and Americana songs and tunes, to much acclaim (particularly by relatives, close friends, drunks, and the disenfranchised). Still, their real energy is in their live show. Sometimes, even the "I'm too hip to move" head-nodders are clapping their hands, stamping their feet and sloshing their beers around. Large amounts of whiskey are imbibed. Old blue-collar men dance with young tattooed women. It's a hell of a lot of fun.

Member Since:

June 13, 2005

Members:

Pete Wood -- Lead vocals, acoustic guitar, tin whistle Bill Williams -- Backing vocals, tenor banjo, mandolin, guitar Erin Daugherty -- backing vocals, bass Mike Oberst -- backing vocals, mandolin, accordian, tin whistle, harmonica, guitar (Special thanks to Ben Dean, who supplied the fiddle.)

Influences:

The Dubliners, Luke Kelly, the Clancy Brothers, Doc Watson, Woody Guthrie, Willie Nelson, James Brown, the Pogues, the Tossers, Pete Seeger, Planxty, the Clash, The Stranglers

Sounds Like:

Owing to their background and side projects in punk rock, the Blue Rock Boys have created a very stripped down, driving, but traditional folk sound. Drums and electric guitar are conspicuously absent, so their percussion energy comes from thumping their instruments, stomping their hoofs, and grunting occasionally. Their odd synchopation follows their enthusiasm for reggae, shuffle, and funk. It has been called the Cincinnati Donkey Beat. Cincinnati, depending on which side of the Ohio River you stand, is either the very bottom of the North, or the crown of the South (as local bluegrass historian Jon Weisberger says). Consequently, a type of Irish or Celtic folk usually found in northern US cities like New York, Chicago, and Saint Paul, takes on a slight southern or Appalachian twist. Sad Irish ballads slide into country songs; bluegrass solos spring out of bar room sing-a-longs. Likewise, Appalachian songs find themselves treated to gaelic style. Like the city they hail from, and the neighborhood that gave them their name, the Blue Rock Boys are a musical bordertown. The mixed heritage they revere pays tribute to folk traditions from north and south, black and white, Irish and Appalachian, modern and ancient, maritime, rural, and urban. In their shows, they hope to convey their appreciation for these traditions, while inducing sweat, stomping, singalong, imbibery, and general foolishness along the way.

Record Label:

Reggieville Records