Dearest Daddy O's and Cuddly Kittens:
Cop a squat, focus your audio, and let me lace up your boots to the serious dusting of the elephants' teeth that's going down with two gone kats known as Pianist Envy.... They are straight out of the 'fridge cool, and solid as the fence around a convent. Allow me to hip you to the tale of these advocates of the eighty-eights.
It’s the winter of 2007, and Rev. Billy C. Wirtz, the High Holy Prophet of Polyester, has been spreading his gospel of sanctified Shake, Rattle and Roll for the better part of three decades.
Although there was [and still is] plenty agitating of the gravel to be done, the miles were getting no shorter, and his health was coming apart like a Goodwill suitcase. He wasn't headed for Crashville just yet, but he knew the turn-off wasn't too far down the road. The Rev. was beginning to wonder if it wasn't time to pull over to the curb before the dreamboat became a battleship.
The Piana From Savannah.
Just about that time, a young Hepcat from Memphis by way of the Peach State appeared on the Rev's radar, and proceeded to lay down some wig-fryin' boogie woogie, that sent the anointed one into another zip code. They met at a jam session, and shortly thereafter split a gig at a Daytona establishment catering to those with credit ratings in the seven hundreds, and by the end of the night they had the joint rockin' like a roadhouse. Young Mr. Victor Wainwright made those keys jump like a chicken on a hotplate at the county fair. He also had a set of pipes that had the honeys' hiding their wedding rings.
When he and The Rev. played together, and beat it eight-to-the-bar, it was high, fly and too wet too dry, right from Jump street.
Before long, from Daytona to Memphis, the gin mill cowboys and young chicklets were diggin' this duo deeper than a backhoe on Ritalin. With their four hands full of piano, frantic threads, and their stratospheric boogie woogies, the Rev. and Victor decided: "Let's brush it hard, and see where the dandruff falls."
The result? A combination of barroom boogie, gut-bustin' chuckles, tore down blues, tear-jerkin' hillbilly, and original compositions guaranteed to knock the polish off your toes. Dig the downloaded tunes, snag a glance at the video, and see if you don't find certain portions of your anatomy moving involuntarily. Check our schedule, and put your face in the place when we land in your metropolis for the evening. As the Rev says: "If we don't turn you on, you ain't got a switch!"
Rev. Billy C. Wirtz
Web Site
Reverand Billy's MySpace
Listen Rev. Billy perform "Female Problems" (mp3)
From the moment he sits down at the piano and lights into his Southern old-time gospel and blues with a twist, the six-foot-five-inch, goateed, tattooed tongue-in-cheek "Rev." commands the stage and spreads the "gospel" like nobody's business. With puns flying as fast as his fingers, the Rev. plays masterly boogie-woogie and barrelhouse riffs while holding forth on subjects as diverse as W.W.E.D.? (What Would Elvis Do?), Mennonite Surf Parties, and dubious relationships between people you are terrified that you may actually know.
While widely recognized as a humorist, music is his forte. In the early 80s, he shared a walk-up with the late blues legend Sunnyland Slim, learning to appreciate the Blues and to perform it with fervor. A recognized musicologist, Billy has written about music, legendary performers and life on the road for Musician, Keyboard and BluesWax. His workshops and shows on Blues and/or Gospel Music at festivals and universities have left audiences clamoring for more.
Victor Wainwright
Victor's MySpace • Victor's Facebook
Wainwright is an MTV-weened twenty something who’s sold his soul to blues roots rock R&B. He effortlessly pays frequent homage to past music greats, while simultaneously adding his own youthful excitement. He's a raucous high-octane boogie-billy crowd pleaser. The Reverend Billy C. Wirtz and Victor Wainwright have been busy spreading the good word across the states!
In addition to his gigs with the good Reverend Billy C., Victor is also extremely busy as a solo act and with his two bands – his Florida based band, Victor Wainwright and the WildRoots, is releasing their new CD “Beale Street at the Bayou” in September. And his Memphis-based band, The Victor Wainwright Boogie and Blues Revue, is one of the most sought-after club bands in Memphis. There is no doubt your life will not be the same after seeing the Reverend and Victor at this year’s Big Lick Blues Festival!
Listen to "Hound Dog" (mp3)
Stacy's musical career began at the age of five, in Zweibruken,
Germany. Her mother sung in a Gospel Choir and decided to have Stacy open
for them that evening. Her solos were "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and
"Jesus Loves Me". After receiving her first standing ovation that night on
an Army Recreation Center stage, there was no turning back. She had been
bitten by the music bug.
She wrote her first song at the age of 6 (a
Broadway type tune) performed in her parents living room on the coffee table
for company. She performed at every musical opportunity anyone had to
offer. Recognizing her energy as a child, her parents kept her enrolled in
Tap and Jazz dance classes.
Returning back from Germany her passion for music continued to
grow. She performed with a Sweet Adeline Group (female barbershop quartet),
Jazz Choir, High School Concert Choirs, and her Youth and Young adult choir
at Patuxent United Methodist Church in Calvert County, MD. Her sophomore,
junior and senior years she competed and won a position with one of the
Tri-County Chorus' in Maryland. Her senior year she competed, and receive
the opportunity to perform with The Maryland All-State Chorus.
She also was
awarded The National School Choral Award that year, which is given to one
student per school per year. Her senior year her peers voted her "Most
Talented". After school she relocated to the DC Metro area and immediately
started singing local radio jingles, singing with various Go-Go Bands,
doing R&B tracks for LaFace records, and providing voice-overs. She also
performed at the Apollo in Harlem, NYC with Reggae Artist Culture Ranks.
Fast forward to the present... with her diverse background she
continues to give you toe tapping, head bobbing feel good music that crosses
all barriers. After forming The Stacy Brooks Band in February 2007, she was
nominated for "New Artist of the Year" by The Washington Area Music
Association. Since she began her quest of the blues she has been working
non-stop up and down the east coast bridging the age gap on the blues
circuit and importing fans from other genres. She has shared the stage with
blues greats like Kenny Neal, Bobby Parker, Memphis Gold, Randy Lippincott,
Lonie Shields, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, just to name a few. Her
arrangements keep the integrity of traditional Chicago & Delta blues while
adding a spruce of rejuvenation. The musicians in her band have played with
many other great artists worldwide and bring with them fans of their own.
The music they make together with Stacy's dynamic vocals, will have you
wanting more and hooked on their groove.
The Mo’Hippa Band
Waynesboro, VA
Winner of the
2009 Blue Ridge Blues Society Competition!
Website
Watch The Mo’Hippa Band at the Blue Ridge Blues’ Society Competition
