Member Since: 12/14/2006
Band Website: nikkimatteson.com
Band Members: Nikki Matteson sings and plays an acoustic blonde jumbo body Guild guitar; Rich Rue adds harmony and plays slide and fingerstyle on his shiny old-timey resophonic guitars.
When we play out as Nikki & The RueMates this includes Rich & Carrie Deans. She plays bass and sings harmony parts.
Every once in awhile "Uncle Professor" plays the washboard & Dr. Twist will add accordion & keyboard. As the psychedelic RueMates Jim Tollesfrud backs us up on drums. Bryce Kastning is the latest addition. For certain shows he will add pre-recorded sounds and minimalistic style drums/percussion.
Influences: The British Invasion, with emphasis on The Beatles and The Rolling Stones (esp. Brian Jones) as well as The Kinks, Pink Floyd, etc...The entire San Fransisco scene in the 1960's, esp. Big Brother and The Holding Company, Janis Joplin, The Jefferson Airplane, Jorma Kaukanen, The Doors and so on and so forth...Dick Cavett...Country Blues artists such as Memphis Minnie, Charlie Patton, Lightnin' Hopkins, and Blues singers such as Bessie Smith and Big Mama Thornton, Other Blues influences include Howlin' Wolf, Magic Sam, John Lee Hooker and his cousin Earl, 60's Folk peoples including Joan Baez, her sister Mimi Farina and Richard Farina, Bob Dylan, Holy Modal Rounders, Current/Local musicians/artists include Holly Golightly, Amy Winehouse, Danielle Dax, The White Stripes, The Flaming Lips, The Roe Family Singers (a group Rich performs with every Monday night at the 331 Club in Northeast Minneapolis), September 29th, Rich Mattson, The Bitter Spills, The LuLu Gals, one of my first guitar teachers Jim Wuerffel, The Strangers (our Rock'and'Roll cover band) and The Seventh Gallery. Other favorites include Gene Vincent, Kevin Ayers, Triona Ni' Dhomnaill, Gram Parsons, Richard and Linda Thompson, Fairport Convention, The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. Oh yes! Cannot forget about the Ska/Reggae bug either: Lee "Scratch" Perry, John Holt, Bob Marley and Willie Nelson's "Country Man" album. I gotta say that Television's Greatest Hits has warped my mind pretty good--and Rich says "let's not forget The Trashmen's "Surfin' Bird" either. Oh my! There are so many to mention and many more to come :)
Sounds Like: Two eggs in a frying pan, without the frying pan.
Record Label: unsigned
Type of Label: None