THE WEARY BOYS 2000-2007
The Weary Boys roots trace back to Humboldt County California where Darren Hoff, Brian Salvi and Mario Matteoli got their start. In the beginning Darren, Brian and Mario left Northern California for Austin, Texas to make a living playing music. In a place like Austin, of course, aspiring musicians arrive everyday. Something about The Weary Boys, was different.
Initially, they toiled in the trenches of a notoriously competitive music scene. Their first jobs were on street corners where one of their first tips came from ace Austin bassist Darren Sluyter, weeks later he was in the band. Two years later the boys talked Cary into dropping out of collage to replace their first drummer Cade C. Callahan. Almost immediately, word of the young California vagabonds began to crisscross the circuits of Austin’s music scene. With their huge cowboy hats, tattered jeans, and the infectiously manic combination of telecaster, propulsive rhythm guitar, demented fiddle and close harmony singing, the young trio snapped Austin music lovers awake.
In many ways, The Weary Boys seemed to have stepped out of Austin’s musical past, reminding people of the reasons Austin first gained fame as the home of outlaw country music in the 1970s. In rapid succession, street corner gave way to happy hour, happy hour to opening slot, opening slot to headlining slot, headlining slot to festival stage.
By the summer of 2001 and the release of their first album, The Weary Boys had dramatically ascended to the top of the Austin music scene. Building on their popularity and critical acclaim in Austin, the boys ventured into neighboring states, establishing enclaves of support in cities throughout the South and Southwest, particularly in towns with vibrant interest in roots music. In the process, they have also opened shows for the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson, Leon Russell, The Drive-By Truckers, Southern Culture on the Skids and many others. They have played in backyards, front yards, notorious dives, not-so notorious dives, festival stages and the Angola State Penitentiary (twice).
In the independent tradition of Austin musicians, The Weary Boys have maintained control over their music, releasing a self-produced album every year, and managing themselves. When banjo phenom Matt Downing joined the band in January 2007 loose rehearsals turned into loose recording sessions. Those recording sessions turned in to their sixth release Coalinga, an energetic mix of new arrangements of traditional and bluegrass tunes along with two originals.
Texas has been good to the boys and they have returned the favor. A band of outlaws in an outlaw town in a state that does things its own way, The Weary Boys continue to remind us what country music is all about.
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