About Me
In early 2005, Milwaukee singer/songwriter Joe Crockett set out to make his dream a reality. Following minor success playing with a local band, Vega Star, Joe knew his urge to fine tune his craft as a songwriter and share his work with fans would soon dominate his ambitions. Calling upon long-time friend and drummer Travis Doar, the duo formed The Championship.The spring, Joe put pen to paper, writing a series of songs that would eventually serve as framework for The Championship’s debut album, Dance Casador! After bringing Vega Star guitarist Jordan Burich and bassist John Crocket on board, the group met up at their Water Street loft to rehearse and further collaborate on Joe’s songs. The result was a powerful and moving record, released later that year on Joe’s own label, Bear Rifle Records.With the record finished and local success well on the rise, The Championship turned their efforts toward the national scene. Booked by a Portland agency, the group toured the east coast during February 2006. Following the tour, the band continued to play to large crowds in the Milwaukee area for the next several months.In August 2006 the band hit the road again to do what most young acts would never attempt – tour the entire continental U.S. in five weeks. Exposure to people outside their hometown seemed to them a necessity.After playing to enthusiastic crowds, the band played a venue in Texas, where they met up with Joe’s childhood friend Allen “Tex Coyote†Cote. Tex agreed to join them for part of the tour, playing mandolin and running sound. Following gigs in East Texas, California, and Seattle, the tour ended.When Joe, Travis, Jordan and John returned home, they were exhausted, poor and malnourished from gas station hot dogs. Yet there was an energy they shared, a feeling that this was what they were meant to do. The group convinced Tex to move to Wisconsin and become a permanent member of The Championship.In May 2007, the now five-member group began writing and recording their follow up album. By February 2008, their sophomore record Midnight Golden was finished. Midnight Golden more than satisfies, with gentle finger-picked ballads giving way to rollicking stomps. The addition of lap steel and mandolin provide a solid grounding in traditional styles, while allowing plenty of space for the band to explore new limits in style and genre.Following Midnight Golden’s release, the band has been touring extensively throughout the Midwest and Southeast.Over the last three years, The Championship has accomplished what one would expect from a talented and ambitious young band. Their hard work has earned them critical acclaim in publications around the country and performances at some of America’s most prestigious venues. The Championship’s records and live shows are a must-see for anyone who enjoys what rock and roll once was.
