Member Since: 6/13/2005
Band Members:
Pete Wood -- Lead vocals, acoustic guitar, tin whistle
Bill Williams -- Backing vocals, tenor banjo, mandolin, guitar
Erin Daugherty -- backing vocals, bass
Mike Oberst -- backing vocals, mandolin, accordian, tin whistle, harmonica, guitar(Special thanks to Ben Dean, who supplied the fiddle.)
Influences: The Dubliners, the Clancy Brothers, Doc Watson, Woody Guthrie, Bill Monroe, James Brown, the Pogues, the Tossers, Pete Seeger, the Bothy Band, the Clash, The Weavers, The Stranglers
Sounds Like:Owing to their background and side projects in punk rock, the Blue Rock Boys have created a very stripped down, driving, but traditional folk sound. Drums and electric guitar are conspicuously absent, so their percussion energy comes from thumping their instruments, stomping their hoofs, and grunting occasionally. Their odd synchopation follows their enthusiasm for reggae, shuffle, and funk. It has been called the Cincinnati Donkey Beat.Cincinnati, depending on which side of the Ohio River you stand, is either the very bottom of the North, or the crown of the South (as local bluegrass historian Jon Weisberger says). Consequently, a type of Irish or Celtic folk usually found in northern US cities like New York, Chicago, and Saint Paul, takes on a slight southern or Appalachian twist. Sad Irish ballads slide into country songs; bluegrass solos spring out of bar room sing-a-longs. Likewise, Appalachian songs find themselves treated to gaelic style.Like the city they hail from, and the neighborhood that gave them their name, the Blue Rock Boys are a musical bordertown. The mixed heritage they revere pays tribute to folk traditions from north and south, black and white, Irish and Appalachian, modern and ancient, maritime, rural, and urban. In their shows, they hope to convey their appreciation for these traditions, while inducing sweat, stomping, singalong, imbibery, and general foolishness along the way.
Record Label: Reggieville Records
Type of Label: Indie