¡Se hace el viaje de la costa oeste!

The West Coast tour is finally in the history books, and after everybody has a chance to take a little vacation, we get right back at it in Louisville on June 1 & 2. What a trip the last month has been! My Uncle Wayne is always kidding me about the fact that we take out 3 guitar amps with us when we tour. I finally had a chance to call him and tell him that, this time, 3 wasn't enough! I got my guitar back from the repair shop yesterday (Thanks Mike Lennon @ The Apprentice Shop!!) and Tim (Obrien) tells me that my red amp is fixed and ready to go. Still have to fix the 100 watt Obrien and my emergency back up amp. Maybe I should start taking 4 amps out with me! The new record is ready to come out on June 26 and we are playing the songs live every night in the show, so come check 'em out live! The June 17 gig at Buddy Guy's will be a special night for us since the record will be out a few days later. We are trying to figure out if we'll be able to sell copies of the record at the show or not. (fingers crossed!)
A lot of people asked me after everything that happened on the last leg of the tour, how I'm staying so up and positive? Even though I'm not really a negative person to begin with, I really think it's because I believe that 2007 is going to be the biggest, most amazing year yet for the SHB. We are sitting on the best record we've ever made, we have an amazing group of people supporting us and musically this band is the best I've ever been in. Just watch what happens!

When The Deal Is Done (or how to fight a fish)

Four lonely, haggard figures moved slowly across the desert floor. "Water...water", Chris moaned weakly. Richard took a long drag from his last cigarette and said, through a cloud of blue smoke, "Does anybody else have cell phone service out here?" Tom winced with pain as the strap from his Djembe dug deeper into his shoulder, "we've got to find some shelter, and get out of this heat,". "Yeah," said Scott, riding his Segway in circles around the group, "it's hot out here and I need to get down this idea I have for a new song. Plus, I'm really getting hungry." Scott whistled a jaunty tune and rolled out of sight over the next dune. Chris dropped to his knees, "I can't...go...on..." Richard reached down and placed a hand gently on the back of Chris' neck, and yanked the short hairs there as hard as he could, "You're on my bass case son."
Suddenly Scott came back over the horizon drinking a Starbucks, "I've got great news!" he shouted, "I found a cave that we can shelter in." Everyone cheered with relief. "There's only one problem, only three of us may enter."...

TO BE CONTINUED

The SHB and The Legend of the Lost Chord (or How Richard got online)

A harsh desert wind blew across the horizon in front of the group, burning their skin and robbing their vision. The trail curved first one way and then another. "This is worse than a pig trail!", said Tom. The equipment wagon rocked to and fro from the rocky terrain as Chris tried valiantly to hold the reins and steer. In the cloud of dust that surrounded the boys, only Tom, Richard and Chris could be seen. "Where's Scott?" Richard wondered, "Did he fall off a cliff? Was he lay ed upon by highwaymen? Did he find a record store?" Just then Tom noticed that the whine of the wind was growing louder and more pronounced. "What the hell is that?" wondered Tom, "It sounds like...like...FEEDBACK!"
Suddenly, right in front of the boys, a large silver ship descended from the sky. As it landed in the middle of the trail, 2 O'Brien 4X12 cabinets extended from either side of the craft and Scott's voice came booming out at 120db, "HEY GUYS! I FOUND THIS SPACESHIP IN THE DESERT BACK THERE. IT'S GOT ROOM FOR OUR HORSES AND A JACK TO PLUG MY GUITAR INTO!" With that, the air was filled with a flurry of notes that crashed into a whammy bar dive and the door to the ship opened. There was Scott, sitting on a large sofa playing his guitar. As the boys led their horses and the equipment onto the ship, Tom was struck in the back of the head by a cellphone. "Let's get out of here!", exclaimed Tom, "it's agents trying to change dates on our tour and they've got club owners and old people who just want to have dinner and not have to listen to music with them!"
"I'm trying to get us out of here, but the door's stuck!", said Richard, as another cellphone and a rock with a request for Sweet Home Alabama tied to it struck him in the forehead. Chris began to sob uncontrollably, "We're doomed! Doomed!" Scott grabbed his guitar and said, "Don't fret little bear, I have an idea."...

TO BE CONTINUED

The SHB rides again (or how Chris found the light)

The coals from the campfire were glowing with the last heat as Richard emptied the last of his coffee cup and swung into the saddle, saying, "Let's ride boys, we're burning daylight." The dust from the trail was held close with the morning dew as our four intrepid riders of the purple sage headed off into the violet dawn. With Tom riding point and Scott riding drag, they were sure that the equipment wagon would be safe from road agents. The first arrow caught Chris in the shoulder blade. "Injuns!" he cried. "No", said Tom, "it's worse...it's...clubowners!" With a bloodcurdling war cry of "TURN DOWN!" the pack of rouge club owner warriors swarmed our faithful little troop and tried to do them in. The air around the boys was filled with bar tabs and song requests. "Let's get out of here." said Scott, "We can out run them!" Suddenly Richard exclaimed, "Look! Up ahead!" It was a canyon rim, and the boys were headed straight for it...

To Be Continued

Western Tour '07 / Our story so far...

Blew up amp #1. Blew up amp#2. Blew up amp #3. Broke the headstock on my #1 guitar. Broke headlight dimmer switch. Broke trailer taillight. Lost 3 socks. Tom has dysentery. Have only 2 high "E" strings left. Can't find parts to fix amps. Paid amp repair man in Seattle to fix amps...didn't fix amps...Tom yelled at them and got half our money back. Tom threw up. It was very cold, now it's very hot. Motel 6 doesn't have Internet...they do have a Denney's in the parking lot...I hate Denney's. Borrowed amp (thanks Kyle). Richard says he's having a glorious day...I agree.

From Lettsworth To Legend

Get ready kiddies, here we go. The new record from the SHB drops June 26 (my birthday). It is called From Lettsworth To Legend - A Tribute To Buddy Guy. I am so proud of this record. It not only represents the music of my biggest guitar influence, Mr. Buddy Guy, but it also represents what I feel to be the best representation yet of the SHB as it sounds live. Like most of our records, we record them fast and live, no overdubs, and try to catch that elusive live edge that seems so hard to capture in the studio. I really think this time we got it.

Here's what you'll find:

1. Intro


2. First Time I Met The Blues


3. Damn Right I've Got The Blues


4. My Time After Awhile


5. Nice And Clean


6. I Dig Your Wig


7. She Suits Me To A T


8. Ten Years Ago


9. Nobody Understands Me (But My Guitar)


10. When My Left Eye Jumps


11. My Mother


12. Too Many Ways


13. One Room Country Shack


14. You've Been Gone Too Long


15. Outro

The songs were chosen by the following criteria; Buddy Guy wrote it or Buddy Guy recorded it and as a result owned it musically. Some of these songs, such as Damn Right I've Got The Blues, are songs that I played with Buddy while I was in his band. Others, such as You've Been Gone Too Long, are the songs that I learned when I first discovered Buddy's music. One Room Country Shack was the first Buddy Guy song I ever heard.

None of the songs were approached with the intention of imitating Buddy. That's not possible when you're talking about someone as distinctive as BG. We took each song, stripped it down to the lyrics and meaning and then built them back up like the SHB would do them. Richard and Tom are both at the peak of their powers on this record and I think it's the best recorded work for any of the 3 of us individually or collectively.

I really want this record to be heard. I was very disappointed by the way our last record got treated. The distributing label folded almost immediately after it's release, making it almost non-existent except at our shows. It deserved better. This record deserves a better fate also, and I hope it gets one. We're working with a new label this time around, Audio Fidelity, and they seem very excited about the project. I just want all of our fans to get a chance to hear it. Let me know what you think.