Musical Wednesdays: Black Joe Lewis!

I had never heard of Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears when I saw them perform last September, opening for Okkervil River. I didn't even know, going into the show, that there would be opening acts. But they accomplished a feat rarely seen at indie rock shows: they got people to dance. Well, not many. There were still those who stood, arms crossed, wondering what all of this noise was. They probably didn't get it, the horns and the blues, but we did, and we danced.

They are, to put it simply, a blues band of the old-school variety, with the daring and showmanship of the funk that old blues inspired. There's a horn section that drives the music, and the frontman, Black Joe Lewis himself, has a voice that is unlike anything out there right now. Just looking at the roster of the band, you can tell who they're inspired by, and the kind of image they want to project: Black Joe Lewis, Sugarfoot Watson, Rooster Andrews, Big Show Varley, and Wild Bill Slyder are all members of the band, rounded out by McKnight the Night Train and Sleepy Ramirez.

While the idea of starting an Austin, Texas-based blues band in 2007, with nicknames inspired by Howlin' Wolf and Guitar Murphy, might seem arch and self-conscious, there is nothing tongue-in-cheek about the music they're making. I was really glad to hear the single "Sugarfoot" circulating on satellite radio, because I think this is a band that deserves coverage. They were, without a doubt, one of the best live bands I've ever seen, and they understand that having a hell of a live show can make your band: before South By Southwest 2009, Esquire magazine predicted that they would be a breakout band of the festival, and Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears performed seven times that week to prove the magazine right. It worked. Their album sold a ton of copies, and since then, I've kept hearing about them. Tomorrow, they will be featured on NPR's World Cafe. They also were chosen as a video of the week on iTunes and featured as a promotional download on Amazon.

I want to see this band again. They're not touring the East Coast anytime soon, but if you're on the West Coast, and they're coming through, get out there and dance. It's gritty, amazing blues, and you won't be able to stop listening to it. I have "Sugarfoot" in my head just from thinking about it. Once you hear the horn part, you'll understand.