On tour with Sons of Fathers

What is a 60 year old man doing out on tour with a rock and roll band? That's a good question. The answer is: having a hell of a good time, hearing some incredible music and watching history in the making.

It's no secret that I am very high on a new band called Sons of Fathers. Since last fall when I first heard their debut album, I have been spreading the word about this very talented group. In spite of my enthusiasm for the band, I had only been to one live show until recently.

 Last week with a few days to kill, I decided to sign on to the tour as photographer, unpaid roadie and life coach. I began with a show in Washington DC at the Hill Country BBQ. Can't say much about the food at that joint, but the room was good and the show was excellent. The after party in the wine cellar at the Mansion on O was even better. BobCat Numero Uno is still talking about it.

The unique sound of Sons of Fathers comes from the blended vocals of Paul Cauthen and David Beck. On the record, this sound sets them apart from anything being played on the radio today. Seeing them live is even better. On stage, the visual combination of Cauthen's inspired guitar work and Beck's love dance with his upright bass is captivating. When you add the rest of the band to the sound, you have something that is about to explode. Listen to this song from the DC show which will be their next single:

From DC, the tour moved on to Asbury Park, NJ. With visions of Bruce in my head, I walked the boardwalk and admired the sights. What a funky, interesting old town.

 The band played at The Saint which is nice old venue. Once again Paul and David delivered the goods, but that night I was also struck by the playing of the band. Dees was channeling his best Levon on the drum kit and the addition of Bryan Mammel on keyboards gave the band a fatter live sound. Considering that Bryan just joined the band on this tour, I can't wait to hear him once he really gets settled in.

Another recent addition to the band is Tony Browne. His lead and slide guitar adds punch and depth to the SOF sound. His playing and contribution is growing nightly. I hear a young Jimmy Page in the making.

Here is another song from the upcoming album Big Diamond Waltz recorded at The Saint: