I’ve not seen Randy McAllister since his appearance a year ago, and dragged myself out of my sickbed for the privilege. Having done everything but beg to get him booked into Whiskey Junction, I was happy to see him playing a better room than the now self-defunct Blues West. They sound better than I remembered - Randy McAllister has Chris Isaak good looks and a voice that sounds like the Fine Young Cannibals; a Texas blues harpist whose music pours from every limb- he plays harp WHILE he’s playing drums ! The band continues to be very solid on its own, with imaginative and wide-ranging guitarwork by Texas Slim to powerful drumming that supports but is not over-shadowed by Randy’s own drumming. This band plays with the energy of a TapDogs performance.
The band has spent much of the last few months in Florida - hopefully they didn’t make the mistake of voting there. Having toured through Nebraska and Iowa, the band now heads back to Texas to finish production of their still-untitled new CD.
Randy McAllister plays only original material, ranging from a rockin tribute to Bo
Diddley to lyrics that range from the bitter, "I dreamed you were run over by a truck" to "I thought that S stood for Superman but now I know it stands for Sucker." He sings, "I know that it’s evil, I know that it’s wrong," with a Ferris Buehler twinkle. When asked about writing, he said that for him it always starts with lyrics, which evidently come from his own life experiences. Randy McAllister brings alot of humor to his music and continues to apply unexpected lyrics to traditional blues sounds, like "She’s a coffee-grindin mama." After last winter’s appearance, this southern band’s radiator froze outside of Blues West, resulting in a Tex-Mex song that will be on the new CD titled, "Tryin not to lose it in Minnesota." I’m still hoping that they’ll find Tab Benoit’s following in Minnesota.
This review is copyright © 2001 by Rebecca West, and Blues On Stage, all rights reserved. Copy, duplication or download prohibited without written permission. For permission to use this review please send an E-mail to Ray Stiles.
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