Frank on Johnny Rivers

I became a fan of Johnny's back in 1965 I watched him on American Bandstand and I think Shindig, any way there was and still is something about his style that moved me. he has always had a little blues in him you can tell by the way he plays his guitar.

Johnny has a great way of doing cover songs as well as his own. It is a pleasure bring him to Knuckleheads on Aug 11th I know its going to be a great show and I personally am excited. As I was making a CD compilation for the radio station it got me back into Johnnys music again and thats a good place to be.

David Lindley, The Blasters, Anthony Gomes, and Jim Suhler and Monkey Beat this week at Knuckleheads!

The weather's cooled off a bit here in Kansas City, perfect for live music outdoors. But even though it's cooled down a bit outside, things this week are still hot at Knuckleheads!

David Lindley
Multi-instrumentalist David Lindley performs music that redefines the word "eclectic." Lindley, well known for his many years as the featured accompanist with Jackson Browne, and leader of his own band El Rayo-X, has long championed the concept of world music. The David Lindley electro-acoustic performance effortlessly combines American folk, blues, and bluegrass traditions with elements from African, Arabic, Asian, Celtic, Malagasy, and Turkish musical sources. Lindley incorporates an incredible array of stringed instruments including but not limited to Kona and Weissenborn Hawaiian lap steel guitar, Turkish saz and chumbus, Middle Eastern oud, and Irish bouzouki. The eye-poppingly clad "Mr. Dave's" uncanny vocal mimicry and demented sense of humor make his onstage banter a highlight of the show

The Blasters
The Blasters stink of rockabilly. They project the essence of small streets of post-war neighborhoods, car culture and the sun-bleached concrete of Downey, California. They are lead by Phil Alvin's soulful bellowing about causing chaos, chasing women and the loss of the citrus groves. Influenced by the likes of The Rolling Stones, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and many others who came and went during the 1950's, The Blasters play the songs of the working man's curse and rock and roll romance. Founding members Phil Alvin and John Bazz, with the addition of Keith Wyatt on lead guitar and Jerry Angel on drums, are carrying on their hard-won legacy of one of the most credible and recognizable bands in Americana music.

Anthony Gomes
From the Intrepid Artists website:

Anthony Gomes is an artist who has fused the sum of his influences into something that is truly fresh and exciting. Drawing from Soul, Gospel, Rock, and R&B, then blending it all together with blues, Gomes has created a sound that is uniquely his own. In the process, he is leaving his imprint on American Roots music.

It is rare when an artist can tap into several styles of music and create a sound that has focus and signature, but this Nashville based artist manages to mix up his American Roots styles, compromising nothing. The cross-cultural musical reflection provided by his hometown of Toronto, Canada, along with the first-hand tutelage from his musical mentors that came with a relocation to Chicago, have undoubtedly played a prominent role in influencing Anthony’s sound.
In addition to his talents as a creative musician, Gomes has earned the reputation as an tireless performer. His live shows often leave his audiences in foot-stomped, hand-clapped, danced-out fits of exhaustion. Gomes struts and growls like a preacher on Sunday, and plays guitar in a manner that makes one wonder if he met the devil at the crossroads.

Anthony’s first recording, released in 1998 on the Urban Electric label, Blues In Technicolor, was a highly flammable mix of stone-cold blues-rock inclinations. In 2000, at a time when most of his contemporaries were playing it safe releasing blues-rock CDs, Gomes made a gutsy move and released Sweet Stringin’ Soul, a predominantly acoustic blues CD favoring heavy gospel and country blues accents. His third CD, Unity, on 33rd Street Records, is a gathering together of the musical impressions, Anthony holds in high esteem. Unity was produced by Jim Gaines and is an American Roots Rock masterpiece.

Anthony Gomes is an experience.

Jim Suhler and Monkey Beat
From Texas Blues Music:
Jim Suhler has rapidly become one of the top driving forces in the Texas Blues scene. Born in Dallas in 1960, Jim has shown the world that 'Texas Blues' is a passion and not just a phrase. Jim started playing guitar at the age of fourteen and after being hooked on the blues because of artists like T-Bone Walker, Freddie King, Robert Johnson and others, he became obsessed with the slide guitar emotion that only a few musicians can master. Jim can certainly consider himself one of these masters. This is really evident in the great song, "Where were you when the lights went out", which can be heard on his CD 'Radio Mojo'. Jim and Monkey Beat (which got it's name from the hard-funk grooves that some of the older bluesmen would call for "Gimme the monkey beat") have been playing the blues together now for over seven years together and have plans for yet another CD full of Texas Blues.

So come on down, grab a seat, and enjoy the best danged live music in Kansas City at Knuckleheads Saloon!