Festival of The Rivers- Hinton, WV Labor Day Weekend 2005
- TOMMY TWO FINGERS
Clawhammer Banjo, vocals, and shit talking
- JAYMO
Washboard, Vocals Various Other Percussion Instruments
- CLETUS SPECKLEBOTTOM
Jugs, Jaw Harp, Vocals and Crowd Control
- REV JJ BURNS
Harp, Guitar, Vocals and Shit Talking
- BIG BIRD
Guitar, Vocals, Kazoo and Shit Talking
- THE MANIAC
Upright Bass, Vocals, and Shit Talking
In the winter months of 2003 two friends were hanging out, playing acoustic guitars, in a living room, on a Sunday afternoon. Week after week, Sunday after Sunday, they did it again. The more beers they drank, the more they mixed random blues and country songs into their song list. It was much more loose than your standard band practice. More like hanging out and playing acoustic music for fun. They'd play a few tunes, shoot the shit, smoke a few cigarettes, play a few more tunes, and repeat in different order. Because of the relaxed nature to these "sessions", family and friends were often known to swing by at anytime. What happened next is that these family and friends wanted to play music with them as well and quickly started becoming part of the fabric of the music that was being played. Two guitars expanded to became three and a harp. Three acoustic guitars became too much, so one guitarist switched to a mandolin to mix it up. Once that happened the flood gates were open for something a little different. It was in these early stages that the idea of a jug band came about. They were already playing lots of old blues and country tunes that they started to investigate jug band music. They realized that it would be ridiculous, but to do it right they needed to get some homemade instruments into the mix. Almost immediately they found a washboard player, a jug player, and a washtub bass player sitting on the living room couches and the idea was in full swing. Throw a handful of kazoos in there and a Massachusetts jug band was born!! Sometime in these early stages the mandolin was switched out with a banjo. This gave everything a much more rhythmic/driving sound which seems to be the signature of the band today. The intention was never really to go out and play shows, it was more about hanging out and having a good time. However, in the Fall of 2004, after many Sunday afternoons of hanging out on Cedar St drinking beers and having a few laughs while belting out tunes, "Thunderpants Johnson's Hillbilly Orchestra" got together on stage at Evos Arts Institute in Lowell, MA and played for an audience for the first time. No one in the band will say that they sounded good, but they definitely made an impression. From that point on TPJHO have been playing shows month after month with many of the people from that night at Evos still in attendance. A few instruments have been added and/or changed hands over the years, but the spirit and attitude of the band is still a bunch of friends hanging out, playing music, and having a good time. The vibe they give off is infectious and sure crack you up and make you stomp your feet.
Thunderpants Johnson's Hillbilly Orchestra's Friend Space (Top 39)
Thunderpants Johnson's Hillbilly Orchestra has 1240 friends.
This Wed: Lil Wyte, DJ Crumbz, & Above Only - Wednesdays just got better than the weekend! Join us at The Hard Rock on Beale Street!! Doors at 9pm/ 18 & up/ $5 to enter
Happy Sunday. Hope your feeling easy. I wanted to remind you, if you didn't know already, we have a kick ass show coming up this friday 4/24 at The Worthen Attic in Lowell, MA. Were playing with our friends Lost in Stereo and The Murder Weapon (Portland, ME). Come by and show some support to the local music scene. Local shows are always a good time.
I'm gonna leave are newest homemade music video as well. It's for our song "The Raft" It was made by Lincoln Flood and Joey Explosive one not so lazy afternoon ditching work. I hope you like it. Keep in touch. Peace.
What's going on? Thanks for adding us to your friends. I hope you dig the music and keep on listening. I also have a pretty funny blog if your into that type of stuff.
I'm gonna leave you a present below. It's our first music video ever and we made the whole thing ourselves. Shot in lovely Hudson, MA. Keep in touch, let us know what you think. Hope to see you at a show sometime. Peace.
They are set to film a movie version of the A-team you guys should submit a demo of Mr. T to them although they will probably use a different actor and the character is actually B.A. Barackus. Still they would be wise to use it in the film despite these minor problems.
March 21st is your next show? Well hopefully the snow and ice will have melted by then. It has been awhile since I have been to a Thunderpants show.
I started a new site w/ the help of the Burns brother not in the band. Make sure to check it out. It is brand new so it is still a work in progress. http://www. dickness. com/
