>The Gully Jumpers are a bluegrass outfit fronted by a guy from Zeke (I
>kid you not). Anyway, the Zeke fella (I don't remember his name either --
>that's what happens when you hang with boozers) is in need of a much
>better supporting cast -- the old hippie geezers on mandolin and banjo
>would have a hard time keeping up with Jerry Garcia, let alone some
>bluegrassers with chops. Still, the Zeke fella's heart is obviously in
>the right place (I really enjoyed hearin' him sing "Ashes Of Love"), and I
>wouldn't be surprised if he makes some waves with his bluegrass thing in
>the future
If the singer in question is also the singer from Zeke he goes by the name
of Blind Marky Felchtone. I think his name is Mark, but I don't think he's
blind (he does wear glasses, though), and as for felchtone, I ain't going
there. But Zeke are the real deal. In fact, after seeing them a few years
back at the dreadful Colourbox in Pioneer Square, all subsequent
Supersuckers shows I saw were more and more lackluster and schticky, in an
increasingly annoying way. Similar to the Suckers, Zeke's got a genuine,
Motorhead-via-Chuck-Berry thing going on, and they sing songs about cars,
bikes, and scoring, um, stuff. In other words, "classic" rock 'n' roll.
Marky's guitar playing is also very heartfelt and "rootsy," in a
fifth-gear-kinda-way. What's weird, is that it doesn't really surprise me to
see him tackle bluegrass, and I really hope they record (and tour). As for
the Suckers, I don't know. If you say they passed muster, Don, I ain't gonna
question you. But these guys have struck me as being schticky without the
requisite creativity needed to back up their schtick. How they got to record
with Willie Nelson AND Steve Earle is one of the great wonders of my world.
Here's hoping they stop cutting the cheese.
Lance . . .
