TOMMY HOWELL

The Whisky A GoGo West Hollywood, CA

Contact: nicole@richlynmarketing.con

Web: tommyhowellmusic.com

Players: Tommy Howell, vocals; Matt Wade, mandolin; Sweepy Walker, harmonica; Eric Dalton, electric guitar; Zachariah Malachi, acoustic guitar; Luca Chiappara, bass; Eric Stroud, drums

Trixie’s Bar Detroit, MI

Contact: Tino Gross, tinogrossdetroit@gmail. com

Web: .tinogsdumpstermachine.com

Players: Tino Gross, lead vocals, harmonica, percussion; Garret Bielaniec, guitar, backup vocals; Mike Smith, guitar, backup vocals; Dennis Burck, bass; Johnny “Bee” Badanjek, drums; Erin Marie, backup vocals

Material: Anything soulful and funky will do! This is music rooted in the blues and filtered through the seminal rock, punk and Motowninfluenced sounds the Motor City is famous for. And with a lineage linked to Mitch Ryder, The Rockets, Parliament Funkadelic and Kid Rock, the band tears into tunes like “Detroit Girl,” “I Wanna Be Your Dog” and “Ain’t No Party (Like a Detroit Party)” with unbridled passion and steely confidence.

Musicianship: Their moniker “Dumpster Machine” is most apt as all these disparate musical elements are dumped in a blender and assembled on stage with mechanized precision. The two-guitar lineup of Bielaniec and Smith is a formidable force to be reckoned with. They trade rhythm and lead parts like second nature. And they each play with a ferocity and attention to detail that’s air tight. Lead vocalist Gross and primary backup singer Marie have simpatico and a seamless working relationship as well. Their timbre is evenly matched, with no one overshadowing the other. The rhythm section of Burck and Badanjek is well orchestrated, with rich tones and deep grooves. Together they create a

Material: Playing to a busy house, despite unusually cold weather, actor-musician Howell opened with full backing harmonies including all but the bassist and drummer, alongside great harmonica from Sweepy Walker, on “Raised by Wolves.” Howell continued with “Whiskey Demon,” pushing his vocals over the solid band, electric guitar solo from Dalton, and killer drumming from Stroud.

Musicianship: “Rosehill” showcased three-part harmony with Howell, Walker and Zachariah Malachi and continued the ‘Kid Rock sound.’ Recounting Howell’s acting journey, “Hell of a Life” brought a solid country opening and bluegrass flavor, while “Ride”—written for his stuntman bullrider father—shared solos from all in the band, leaving no doubt as to the level of musicianship backing Howell’s vocals. Dark and heavy southern rock track “Cold Dead Hands” introduced brassy lyricism with the line “Nothing like the fear of God that’s built by Smith & Wesson.”

Performance: The mandolin and harmonica continued on “Miss Maybelle,” with Howell showcasing his softer side in trail-ride shuffle “Hope I Ain’t Dead.” “88” followed with great unison band shots emphasizing refrain “can’t take no more!” and a fabulous harmonica outro, before adding ballad “Damn Good Man.” A showman committed to banter with his fans, Howell took the time to explain the meaning of each of his songs and showed a genuine respect for the musicians on stage, interacting with bandmates during the performance.

Summary: Closing out with crowd favorite “Pony Girl,” Tommy Howell and The Pony Express deliver a jovial country evening with well-projected gravely vocals and beautiful harmonies in their mandolin-driven southern mountain rock. – Andrea Beenham