The Waco Brothers Explained

The Waco Brothers
Landscape:yes
Origin:Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genre:Alt country, cowpunk
Years Active:1994-present
Label:Bloodshot Records

The Waco Brothers are an American alternative country, or country-punk rock, band based in Chicago, Illinois, United States.

History

The Waco Brothers was formed by Jon Langford of the Mekons. The group grew out of Langford's wish to play more country-influenced music as the Mekons concentrated more on a punk sound. They were originally put together simply for local Chicago shows, but the success of their Bloodshot Records albums allowed them to tour the US occasionally. Some of the members also participated in Langford's Pine Valley Cosmonauts project.

The band recorded the first of its studio albums in 1995. Their album, Waco Express: Live & Kickin' at Schuba's Tavern is a concert recording which Ken Tucker, the pop music critic for NPR's Fresh Air and editor-at-large at Entertainment Weekly, described as "country as it should be written and played, with a long memory for roadhouse honky-tonks rather than TV-ready music videos."[1] Author and music critic Sarah Vowell told the Chicagoist, "I’ve never been able to find a live band in New York as consistently thrilling and funny and fun as the Waco Brothers."[2] Until the COVID-19 epidemic, the Waco Brothers made a point of performing every year in Austin, Texas, during the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival.[3] In 2020, their annual December performance at Schubas Tavern in Chicago had to be livestreamed without the usual live audience.

In 2012, the Waco Brothers collaborated with Nashville mainstay Paul Burch to produce Great Chicago Fire. The Chicago Tribune said of the album, "If the Rolling Stones were still making great records, this would be it."[4] [5]

Members

For their first albums, the Waco Brothers included Dean Schlabowske (guitar/vocal), Tracey Dear (mandolin/vocal), Alan Doughty (bass/vocal), Mark Durante (pedal steel guitar), and Mekons drummer Steve Goulding). Joe Camarillo (drums) often filled in for Goulding, who had moved to New York City. By 2015, Camarillo had fully replaced Goulding, and Durante had left. Camarillo died of complications of congenital cardiac disease in January, 2021, after surviving COVID-19.[6] [7] [8] Dan Massey, who had previously substituted on drums whenever Camarillo had been unavailable, became the Waco Brothers permanent new drummer, starting with the band's 2021 concerts. Jean Cook, who had played violin intermittently with the band for years, officially joined the band in 2020.[9] [10] AS of 2024 and since approximately 2017, John Szymanski has been a regular substitute Waco Brother on guitar or bass, plus vocals, whenever one of the regular members was unavailable for a particular performance; Szymanski has been a regular member of several of Jon Langford's other musical projects.

Current members

Former members

Discography

Compilation contributions

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Public Radio. Tucker. Ken. 10 April 2008. Waco Brothers, 'Live and Kicking' in Chicago . Npr.org . 2010-07-11.
  2. Web site: Interview: Sarah Vowell. Chicagoist. 21 October 2008. 2010-07-11 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100608122206/http://chicagoist.com/2008/10/21/interview_sarah_vowell.php . 2010-06-08 .
  3. Web site: Lone Star Music Magazine. Q&A: Jon Langford – The journeyman alt-country maverick on the Waco Brothers' acclaimed new album, his new outfit Bad Luck Jonathan and the thrill of having his paintings hung in the Country Music Hall of Fame. Schinder, Scott. Scott Schinder. March 28, 2016. 2021-04-28.
  4. News: Margasak, Peter. Peter Margasak. Artist on Artist: Paul Burch talks to Jon Langford of the Waco Brothers. 2013-05-04. Chicago Reader. 23 April 2012.
  5. News: Dickinson, Chrissie. Chrissie Dickinson. Waco Brothers, Paul Burch combine for 'Great Chicago Fire' . Chicago Tribune. 3 April 2012. 2021-03-07.
  6. News: Guarino, Mark. Mark Guarino. Rest in Peace to Chicago drummer Joe Camarillo . Chicago Reader. 26 January 2021. 2021-02-11.
  7. News: Johnson, Steve. Live music coming to Chicago: GMan Tavern sets live music shows in celebration of late Waco Brothers drummer Joe Camarillo . Chicago Tribune. 4 March 2021. 2021-03-06.
  8. News: Ludwig, Jamie. Jamie Ludwig. Joe Camarillo's friends and bandmates come together to celebrate the drummer's life and music. Chicago Reader. 17 September 2021. 2021-09-27.
  9. Web site: Plenty Tuff. The Men That God Forgot, by Waco Brothers. March 2023. 2023-03-05.
  10. News: The Cedar. The Cedar. Q&A with Jon Langford of Waco Brothers . The Cedar. 14 October 2022. 2022-10-21.
  11. Web site: Dear, Tracey. Tracey Dear founded Dear Productions in 1998 with a desire to use his vast knowledge of event lighting to pursue architectural projects.. Dearproductions.com . 2009 . 2021-09-27.
  12. Web site: Schlabowske, Dean. Deano Waco – home . https://web.archive.org/web/20100524003944/http://www.deanowaco.com/fr_home.cfm . dead . 2010-05-24 . 2020-04-04.
  13. Web site: H.L. Mencken [sic] . Dollar Store . Bloodshotrecords.com . 2020-04-04.
  14. Web site: Schlabowske, Dean. Ramblin' Deano . Deanschlabowskemusic.com . 2020-04-04.
  15. Web site: Ankeny . Jason . [{{AllMusic|class=artist |id=p169612/biography |pure_url=yes}} AllMusic.com ]. AllMusic.com . 2012-06-29.
  16. Web site: Jones . Rob . Interview with Hushdrops, Who Play 'Divine' – The Delete Bin . Thedeletebin.com . 2011-02-21 . 2020-04-04.
  17. Web site: M Music & Musicians Magazine » NRBQ . Bessman. Jim. Mmusicmag.com . July 2013. 2020-04-04.
  18. Paul Verna. Reviews & Previews. Billboard. 25 January 1997. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.. 59. 0006-2510.
  19. Web site: Norbert "Nobby" Knape. Nine Slices of My Midlife Crisis – Uncle Dave & The Waco Brothers. 2004. 2021-04-28.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "The Waco Brothers".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.