Phoenix can be a bit of a wasteland when it comes to good roots music; we have a few excellent
blues clubs and some rock joints, but Americana, roots, and alt-country artists have it rough. We
can't even get an Americana radio station of our own (especially those of us who don't have
satellite radio). Heck, a bunch of our local bands have already relocated to Austin. (Fortunately,
not all!)
Those of us in Central Phoenix are lucky enough to have the Rhythm Room (located between 7th
and 16th Streets on Indian School Road, it's most definitely in PHOENIX, and not Scottsdale, as
some websites occasionally report). During the middle of the week, it sheds its own blues-based
traditions and lets us roots music lovers have a home. The spring and early summer is when we
get graced with the glorious sounds that folks in Austin and Bakersfield get regularly. This year's
been no exception, and on June 11, 2009 the Rhythm Room welcomed the always superlative Bastard
Sons of Johnny Cash.
The doors at the Rhythm Room usually open between 7 and 8 p.m. during the work week, with
the show starting up about an hour later; in my experience the doors always open right on time,
but the band might hit the stage at any time thereafter, depending on how quickly they get there
and how fast they get their gear ready. Because I'm always at the mercy of fate, I've found that if I
wait until closer to showtime, the bands have already started and I've missed something, so I get
there pretty much right when the doors open. I usually kick back by the wall with a rum & diet,
take notes and check my camera, listening to the mix tape the audio guy plays, in this case a
terrific blend of Wayne "The Train" Hancock, Truckstop Honeymoon, and Arizona expat Dave
Insley, and watch the guys do their set up and sound checks. The wait staff at the Rhythm Room
is awesome, and their drinks are killer.
The opening act on this particular night was local band 13 to the Gallows, a group I've now seen
twice at the Rhythm Room and really, I want to like 'em. I do. There is some seriously excellent
guitar picking in this group, astounding doghouse bass playing and a great steel guitarist - yet
both times I've seen them mostly what I hear is, well, just loud (mostly drums). I don't know if
it's the audio mix or the acoustics at the 'Room or something else, but the distortion is just too
much for me (I suspect I'm getting old). I watched the playing (especially Brandon Segarra on
the bass, he is bad ass!), but I couldn't tell you a thing about the lyrics or even the melodies,
especially. What I need to do is sit and have a listen to these boys' in the studio, because
honestly, when it's just heavy duty hardcharging drums and guitar, you can't even HEAR the
steel. They played for about an hour, and sadly, I couldn't tell you even what songs they played;
then they stepped down for the Bastard Sons.
Mark Stuart fronts the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash (a name that was approved by the Man in
Black himself), a solid group of guys that may change from show to show or recording to
recording, but never produce anything less than great western-flavored solid traditional roots
music. On this particular night Mark was backed by the amazing Lars Albrecht (The Telecaster
Master) on lead guitar, amiable Vance Hazen on bass and harmony vocals, and Jim Adair on
drums, a guy who looks like he'd be at home on the Geek Squad, but appearances can be
deceiving.
They got things going with one of my all-time favorites, "Austin Night," a track from their 2005
release, 'Mile Markers' (which, I have to say, is also my favorite of their discs). It was followed
by another from the same disc, "Road to Bakersfield." Mark sounded a little scratchy, off his
usual smooth tones, but he explained after a few more songs, including "Walk Alone," "King of
the World," and the Dale Watson tune, "Truckstop in LaGrange," that he was suffering a bad
head cold. I've long been impressed with artists who can actually get up and give a performance
at all when they're sick, much less do it this well. Headcold notwithstanding, Mark Stuart and his
Bastard Sons know how to entertain!
Mark may have been off his game somewhat, but even high on cold medicine and a lot of, um,
medicinal bourbon, he gave us song after song, bouncing from tunes off the first three Bastard
Sons discs, including the awesome driving songs "1970 Monte Carlo" and "Interstate
Cannonball" to some new tracks from the upcoming 'Bend In The Road,' such as "Carolina,"
"Power of a Woman," and "Seven Miles to Memphis." He threw in a few covers for good
measure, amongst them "Big River" and "Only Daddy That'll Walk the Line," and all in all, it
was hard not to be wowed.
The Bastard Sons rocked the Room for almost two solid hours, and while Mark's normally
smooth baritone may have been a little off, the show did not lack for entertainment value. The
guys didn't do any encores - once the last song was played, it was done. Mark staggered to his
merchandise table and seemed quite happy to chat and sign autographs. I didn't want to bug him
'cause I know what it's like to have to work sick, so I just bought one of the advance copies of
'Bend in the Road' (officially due out in late August or September) and thanked him for a great
show, then took myself on home (I still have a day job, so these weekday shows can be killers!).
Thank God for the Rhythm Room and groups like the Bastard Sons of Johnny Cash! It keeps us
here in Phoenix safe during these hot dog days of summer.
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