tribute

It’s funny where life takes you.

I love 50’s style rock & roll – the style, the history, the under-credited performers and songwriters, the innovation, the sound… I love where it came from, how it got there, and where it went. I love that it was a rebellious response to the way things were… I love hot rods and upright bass… all of it.

That said, I’ve never really been a purist. I think I’m more the type to try and take it where it’s going, rather than to put it back where it’s already been… which is how I write songs, build my car, and ultimately live. It’s also what the vision for The Confusionaires is – completely unbridled vintage-inspired hillbilly rock & roll.

So, in a twist of fate, I’ve found myself playing in not just one, but three different tribute bands. I play guitar for Robin Kelly’s Long Live The King show, which is a tribute to Elvis Presley, I’ve recently taken on some guitar work in David James’ Johnny Cash tribute (and he also does a Waylon Jennings tribute that I’m excited to play with), and I’ve been doing my own Buddy Holly tribute.

I take these tributes pretty seriously, though I’m never expected to play everything perfectly note-for-note what’s on the album, I want to give a good show and be respectful to the craft, and it’s not lost on me that I am playing peoples’ favorite songs when I’m doing this. So – it’s not natural for me to do these. It becomes natural with time, because I am a professional, and these artists are historically significant and have thereby influenced my musical trajectory. So these things take up a lot of mental space as they approach – Especially the Buddy Holly – because that’s me playing the way Buddy played and trying not to fuck up the words – and even tell some stories.

And so, I think the Buddy Holly show will be seeing some changes. I aim to build a new show that is a bit more Confusionaires-centric, but also pays tribute to the great artists that paved the road we do burn-outs on every time we set up & play. I’m optimistic it will take some of the pressure off of ‘doing it the right way’ and open things up, so we can put on proper display the wildness that these primitive rock & rollers put forward in their day… because they weren’t trying to do anything the way other people were doing it.

For what The Confusionaires do – I think that’s the right direction… so although I am totally happy to play Johnny, Waylon, and Elvis tunes on my guitar the way they were meant to be heard, I think the gospel I need to spread is more about rock & roll in all of it’s glory, rather than just one small section.

Anyway… that’s what I’m thinking about right now.