Cowtown Playboys

With their beginings in 1997, the Cowtown Playboys have been a virtual rockabilly boot-camp for up and coming singers and musicians in the ever-growing and ever-trendy international rockabilly scene. There are a handful of succesful band players across the country, some of whom are now world travelled, that list a stint with the Cowtown Playboys on thier resume's. Never the fortunate sons venturing far from their home in Kansas City, the last few years has seen the line-up solidify into a trio of well seasoned regulars who lay the smackdown on rockabilly with a steel fist wrapped in a calf-skin glove. With more than a few local festivals and countless sweat-filled regional gigs under their collective belt, the trio has demonstrated itself embued with the determined grit to become a Kansas City institution. They play hard rocking roots music in the style of the Paladins, Stray Cats and the Blasters. McCann's bass lines prove him to be the the groovemiester of the band. Thornton plays drums, not like a drummer, but rather a shaman possessed by the beat. O'Bryan's psychoacoustic waves of twang guitar playing is his own amalgamation of influences that reflect Kansas City as a crossroads of style. His drawl, blonde hair, lanky frame and baritone voice is said by some to be somewhat reminiscent of the late and very great Ronnie Dawson. Their first and all original CD entitled, "K.C. Moo!", shows their musical prowess and slick technical abilities across several divergent genres of roots rock such as surf, rockabilly, jump blues, country, hardcore bar room bop and straight ahead no nonsense rock n' roll.Matt and Eric's extensive professional training in rock, jazz and classical, mixed with Tony's years of expereince fronting a rockabilly band make the current version of the Cowtown Playboys unique in the field of Americana music. It is the best line-up of the band ever put together. Despite the vintage hollowbody guitars plugged straight into an old Fender amp, old school drum kit and a banged up upright bass; they play rockabilly and traditional rock n' roll that is fresh and modern sounding, not bound by any false sense of nostalgia.