Whiskey Haulers: News

The Whiskey Haulers proudly closed out 2009 with a fun New Year’s Eve gig at Stumpy’s Pub in Sun Valley. In retrospect, 2009 was a great year for the Whiskey Haulers in terms of musical development and performance. We had one huge setback in April – the loss of our original drummer Nick Klaich – that left us wondering where this band is headed, and if or when we would play another gig. But once we found Smitty, things started to gel really quick. The Whiskey Haulers picked up some great gigs, and rebounded in a matter of months. It turns out that 2009 was our busiest year, and leaves us with many fond memories, including those last few gigs with Nick. The Whiskey Haulers want to give a really big thank you to all of our families and friends for their support. We'll see you soon!

What a great night at Abbys last Friday! Many friends on hand to drink, dance, and enjoy each other and the music. We really appreciate everyone turning out for the show.

The band is playing well right now. I think we have our sound dialed in better than ever. Great tone all around without being too loud. It's not as easy as it sounds, believe me. To the band, everything seams to sound better a little louder. The amps really break up and you get great tone, the cymbals ring and the snare really snaps. Too bad we can't play stadiums every day and turn it up to 11.

Unfortunately, there comes a point where it is just too loud to enjoy as a listener, especially in a small room like Abbys. We gotta face the facts that we aren't kids anymore and the motto "If it's too loud, your too old" doesn't apply. By the way, I used to have a KISS shirt that said exactly that when I was in middle school!

I think, after several years of playing together, that we are approaching that sweet spot of great tone and energy without excessive volume!

Don't get me wrong, we're no lounge band and if you're not paying attention, we may knock the socks right offa' yo' feet!

Check out the new pics from the show in the photo gallery!

 

 

We have been fortunate to have had so much energy at our shows. When the dance floor is hoppin' and everyone is having a ball, it's easy for the band to feed off that energy and rock the house! It's easy for the casual observer to think "these guys are great", or for the bandmembers themselves to think they are really something when it's actually the energy of the crowd that carries the show. I think the true measure of a musician or a band is how they perform when the house is empty. It's inevitable that there will be a night when big things are expected but you end up playing to empty seats for one reason or another. Maybe it's the swine flu, baseball playoffs, confilcts with big casino shows, the weather, or a combination of all of these that lead to an empty house. It happens to everyone and it definitely happened to us last weekend.

I must admit that I let the lack of energy get to me a little during the first set. Things usually start slow but pick up as the night goes on. As things didn't pick up and we played some of the "good stuff" to a tiny crowd of family and close friends, I knew we were in for a long, slow night. I knew we were playing well but it just wasn't translating into a full bar and a big dance party. I was discouraged.

Towards the end of the first set however, my attitude began to change. The band was really playing well. Smitty was perfectly on time, Joe was groovin', and Brad was laying down some of his finest lead licks. The "show" wasn't gonna happen but it didn't matter because the music took center stage and carried the night. I believe it was our best show musically. Without the distraction of the show, I could really focus on the vocals and nuances of the guitar. The band in general was less rushed so the cadence of the music was much improved. There was plenty of time to breathe, and the beautiful simplicity of the 12-bar blues ruled the night.

Even though I love the party and puttin' on the high energy show that the Whiskey Haulers are known for, I feel that we grew as musicians and made the blues proud on the night we played for the music!

Thanks everybody for making the drive up to the Washoe for our show. We had a great time and it was a great festive atmosphere.

Thanks especially to John who waited patiently until the band was all packed up and then gave a great tour of the "haunted" Millionair's Club located directly above the bar. It was a great experience and I recommend his ghost tours to anyone!

We will be back there in September for the Friday Night Street Vibrations party. It's gonna be a rocker, I can guarantee!

For those who missed it.... The Haulers debuted our new drummer Gary "Smitty" Smith at the Reno Tahoe Blues Festival this Sunday. The show was rocking with a good group of dancers and smiles on everyone's faces. We have been rehearsing non-stop with Smitty and all of the hard work really paid off. Thanks everyone for your love and support!

As for the festival, there were some decent acts on the main stage including a show stealer set by Tommy Castro. Larry McCray and Ronnie Baker Brooks also played entertaining sets. The set up was the same as usual, lots of empty chairs and several levels of reserved seating available at extra cost. The general admission people or as I like to call them - MY type of people - were forced to sit on the grass in the scorching sun while the main stage artists played to empty, shaded, seats. As I have said before, I have been to many, many, festivals and this is the only one that doesn't promote love and community.

HOWEVER.... The Reno Blues Society was able to talk the organizers into incorporating a second stage for local bands. We were way in the back and were fighting for every minute of stage time but the local bands definitely stole the show! I saw almost every band and we all played with heart and soul. We all rose to the occasion and turned the festival on it's ear. We've got some increadible local talent and really showcased it. I don't know how many people I ran into that said that the local stage was their favorite part. Even when the headliners were playing, there was always a large group hanging around the locals stage, socializing, laughing, eating, drinking, and just enjoying the day together.

And that, my friends, is what it's all about!

Joe, Judy, and I went to the Sonora Blues Festival last weekend. We've been going to this one for a number of years and it's one of our favorites. Alot like Taylorsville with many more people.

Our good friends, the Mofo Party Band, stole the show as usual both on the big stage and the indoor stage. Other performers included Shane Dwight, Paul Thorne, Jason Ricci, Coco Montoya, Watermelon Slim, and Johnny Winter headlining. Is that a killer lineup or what?

We towed our little trailer down and were glad to have a cool place to take breaks, eat sandwiches and drink cheaper beer than inside the festival. Also camping was fun and saved us the cost of a room!

We're looking forward to playing the Reno  Tahoe Blues Festival this weekend and hope to see you all there.

Geno

The Blackhawk Solar Cookoff is in the books! We have been going up to the show just for the party for years, and this year we were finally invited to perform. Our big chance! Unfortunately, Brad was going to be in Brazil and Nick was in the process of leaving the band so it was up to Joe and I to make the decision. We knew there is only one chance for a show like this and knowing we have the love and support of our friends and fellow musicians, we decided "The Show Must Go On!".

A short but rockin' set was put together and our good friends Mike Thompson and Pad Dodson from Blue Haven helped us out on guitar and drums. A couple nights in the basement and we were somewhat dialed in.

We were on at 11 in the morning and the crowd was just waking up and having coffee and breakfast after dancing all night to Blue Haven. We jumped right into Champange and Reefer and put on the full show with all the moves, kicks, and callbacks that you would expect. Pat and Mike stayed in the background and let Joe and I front the band. It turned out great and had a real Whiskey Haulers groove.

The organizers said they would like us back next year. Hopefully with the full band!

LATEST NEWS: Nick has decided to take an extended leave from the band for personal reasons. He has indicated that he is available to cover a show now and then but will no longer be an active member of the Whiskey Haulers. We are going to miss his signature "Flat Tire" backbeat and general enthusiam. We wish him the best in whatever he does. Bootleggers, don't worry because we aren't going anywhere! We are still charging ahead to provide you with fine boogie blues as only the Whiskey Haulers play it. Keep an eye on the schedule and stop in to see the latest news!

We are off to Taylorsville for the weekend. We have been excited about playing this festival for years! I'll be sure to give you all of the details as soon as we return.

We invite all of you to come camping with us!

Check out the website for details.

http://www.plumasarts.org/solar/index.html

the Whiskey Haulers’ ladies Paula and Judy were caught hanging out with Tab Benoit after his gig at the Crystal Bay Casino, January 30, 2009.


the Whiskey Haulers attended Tab Benoit’s show at the Crystal Bay Casino on the last Saturday of January 2009. Actually, ¼ of the Whiskey Haulers did not attend! Nick stayed home to learn the harmonica on this very special night. No problem. This was going to be a great night no matter what.

on this night, the Whiskey Haulers reminisced about watching Tab playing in the ultra-cool now-defunct Garage inside the Grand Sierra Resort, almost 10 years ago! This time Tab played inside the Crystal Bay Casino’s Crown Room. This is a great little venue built inside the old historic bowling alley from the 1940’s. He played a few old classics including a 10-minute Dirty Dishes. He played an emotionally extended These Arms of Mine, that left me wondering where he found those blues. He did an incredible solo medley between sets, got silly and toyed with the audience to segue into another little diddy. Tab capped off his medley with the best version I’ve heard of Stackolina. True to his style, Tab broke a string on every other tune, after he squeezed as much tone out of that string as he could.

on a side note, the following Saturday night, RBrad and Paula skipped security to check out TESLA at the Grand Sierra Resort. they still know how to rock

- RBrad

An empty stage. Tubes warmed up and glowing. A slight hum from the amplifiers. Drum kit sparkling. You can feel the energy in the air. The show is about to begin!

The Haulers have a great December lined up for you. We are at 3rd Street Friday December 5 and then at Abby's for the Santa Crawl on Saturday December 13th. These are two great venues and we promise to do our best playing smokin' hot blues so come on out and celebrate with us!

With no snow in the mountains, what better way to spend the night than shakin' on the dance floor. We're really excited about these shows and hope to see you all!

Sirius Blues, the finest blues radio I have ever heard appears to have been canceled in favor of BB King's Bluesville. Daily Cup of Joe with Joe Bonamassa, Shemika Copeland, Chess Records Hour with Marshall Chess, all gone, another victim of the corporate world. I am sure it was just too expensive to have all of these cutting edge musicians and expertly produced shows.

Instead of stories from the road or the good old days, BB King's Bluesville has changed to well known blues and psuedo-blues music with plenty of self promotion thrown in (Think McDonalds or Wal-Mart).

This is a huge bummer for my brother and I. Catch us on a set break and let's reminisce about the great radio station that was......Sirius Blues!

Skip Leedy sportin' a Whiskey Haulers shirt while competing in the Colorado State Mining Championships. Skip is a world champion single jack driller and more important, a good friend of the Whiskey Haulers. If you see him at a show, please buy him a beer. You can recognize him by his monster forearms!

Remember, send us pictures with our shirt in cool and unusual places and you can be in the Whiskey Haulers Tee Shirt Hall of Fame and get a free copy of our first CD due out this winter!

We know the last few months have been a little slow for shows but don't worry, the calendar is getting full. Be sure to check the dates on the site because we have been busy in the basement working on new tunes and making the old ones better. Geno just purchased a professionl recording studio so we should release our first CD by the beginning of next year. That show will be a party you don't want to miss. Hope to see everyone soon and make sure you wear your Whiskey Haulers shirt with pride, and shine up those dancin shoes for the next show!!

Nick

June 20, 2006 is the birthdate of the Whiskey Haulers!

Modesto Blues Festival is in the books and what a time we had! The Haulers and Blue Haven brought a bucket of Northern Nevada blues down to the Central Valley and spread it around with style!

The festival was held in beautiful Graceada Park in downtown Modesto. The temperature was tickling triple digits but the blues fans were out. Special thanks to all of you who made the trip down to see us and hang out. We really appreciate all of our friends and sharing this experience with you was the highlight of our trip!

Here's how it all went down:

Joe, Nick, and Brad went down to scout the place out Friday and ended up hitting the town a bit to calm the nerves. Geno arrived about noon on Saturday, just in time to hit the pool at the hotel with the gang. Friends arrived throughout the early afternoon and the party was on!

We checked out Rhythm deluxe and DJ Slate, a couple of fine local bands. Next up was Rene Solis and the Guitar Extravaganza featuring Laura Chavez and Johnny Cat. We didn't see too much as we were preparing to go on stage but let me tell you they were great. Check any of them out if you have a chance!

The Haulers and Blue Haven set up together, and before we knew it, the show was on! We played a short but solid set and had people dancing and shakin' in their seats. We ended with Velvet Elvis and had the crowd dancing, laughing, and singing along. Special thanks to the sound crew as the mix was absolutely killer! Before we knew it, our show was over and we could relax and listen to Blue Haven.

Blue Haven came out and blew the crowd away. Mike, Rich, Funky, and Pat put on the best Haven show I have ever seen and really had the place rockin'. Mike's tone on the harp was amazing and Rich really laid down some serious licks on the guitar! Funky's bass was bumping and the Rev's drumwork was tight! Blue Haven's show really defined them as a professional-level blues band! They would make most headliners nervous with such a strong set.......

Not these headliners!

The Mofo Party Band, just back from their latest European tour, took off like a rocket and never looked back! From Fresno, this was practically a home town crowd and John Clifton had them in the palm of his hand. I won't go into too much detail (Check out my previous posts about Mofo shows!) but Nick shot a bunch of video that should make it to Mofo's site and YouTube. Check it out!

The post-festival party and jam was just as fun as the show. It was held at a courtyard bar close to the show. When we arrived, the Mofo's were on stage and the place was going crazy! Shortly after we arrived, they turned the stage over to the Haulers and we closed the night with some rippin' dance numbers. Thanks to Rich, the house guitar player, and some guy on harmonica for sittin' in. When we finished, there was nothing but smiles all around!

That's what the blues is all about!

Join Angel Kiss Foundation on June 21, 2008 for our Annual Whitewater Raft & Music Festival at Wingfield Park in Downtown Reno from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The park is free and open to the public so don’t miss a thing!

Music
A fantastic variety of bands will be playing all day long. First to take the sage is Kate Cotter, followed by Smokin Joe Banana, Whiskey Haulers, Jason King Band, The Bad Neighbors and Drinking with Clowns. Each band will have CD’s available for purchase during the event.

Rafting
Participants enter a two and a half mile long river race in eight different categories from serious racing to most creative floating device, best dressed crew and the corporate challenge.

Entry fee is $30 for the first person and $15 for each additional team member with up to seven people in a team. Registration begins at 9 a.m. with shuttle service to Crissy Caughlin Park where the race officially begins at noon.

You may register on-line by using the link below, or download a registration form to fax or mail in.

Food & Beverages
Enjoy morning treats including coffee provide by Blind Dog Coffee Roasters,BBQ provided by Vista Grille, micro brews provided by Great Basin Brewery andice cream treats! Each vendor generously donates all proceeds to Angel Kiss Foundation.

Garden of Hope
Tour our “ Garden of Hope” featuring unique flowers created by local children and artists. With each flower purchase you will receive raffle tickets. Over eighteen one-of-a-kind gift packages are available to select from. Each item is generously donated by local merchants.

http://angelkissfoundation.org/Home/Special-Events.html

Thanks to everyone for showin' up and making it a wild night at the Washoe! It was a non-stop party Virginia City Style. We had bootlegger's, bikers, cowboys, tourists, Clampers, Marines, hippies, a wedding party, and even Nick's sister and her crazy friends tearing up the dancefloor all night long! We finally shut 'er down only because Cliff (the owner) had to get up first thing in the morning to watch his son in a motorcycle race. His plan didn't work out because by the time the joint cooled down and everyone went home, he figured it was just easier to just stay up all night long!

Special thanks to our good friend Mike Thompson from Blue Haven for sitting in on the harp. Mike played dirty, he played mean, he played low and he played clean. He fits right in with the haulers!

Big props out to R. Brad for lighting up the lead guitar despite being sicker than a dog and not eating for a day or two. He got stronger as the night went on despite arriving 5 minutes before showtime looking ill. I guess John Lee Hooker was right........Blues is the Healer!

Thanks for hangin' out with us at Third Street for our show and then supporting the blues at the Mofo Party Band Show.

If you haven't heard, the Mofo Party Band show was a great party and a cool way to say thanks to Greg Shanklin, local blues icon and the proprietor of the Third Street Blues Bar. Greg has decided to sell the bar and move on to new adventures.....

The Whiskey Haulers would like to thank Greg for all the hard work over the years creating the finest blues club in Reno. He has also been a big supporter of the Whiskey Haulers since we started on this musical adventure. We've had lots of fun playing and hanging out at the club and wish Greg all the best.

We are hopefull that the new owners run the joint with the same class and enthusiasm for live music!

Thanks to everyone who came up to the Washoe Club to see us on the 8th. It was a great party!

If you missed it, don't miss the Whiskey Haulers live at Third Street Blues this Friday night! We are laying it down funkier than ever so bring your dancin' shoes!

See you there!

Happy New Year from the Whiskey Haulers! We have a couple of new gigs lined up at our favorite local clubs and are putting in new songs to keep it fresh.

Special Thanks to Bob and Rae in Virginia City for hosting the Haulers, Blue Haven, and the Mofo's for a delicious BBQ before the Mofo Party Band show at the Washoe Club last December. Bob and Rae pulled out all the stops! The pork ribs were my favorite as well as the good company!

I think just about everyone made it up to the show as the place was really jumpin! Bill Clifton surprised me by handing me his guitar in the middle of the crowd during his solo. I just about had a heart attack but had a great time playing with the crowd going wild all around me. Definitely one of the highlights of my career! Joe, Nick, myself and Funky, Rich, and Mike from Blue Haven all got up on stage at the end of the show for an all-star jam. For those of you who left early, I gotta tell you it was smokin!

I hear the Mofo's are coming back to Third Street Blues in March so keep your calendar open!

Joe and I were in Texas for Christmas and caught the legendary Pine Top Perkins (Muddy Waters Band) at Antone's (SRV, T-Birds) in Austin. What a show! Pinetop in 94 years old and was signing his latest CD before the show. The band warmed up the crowd and then Pinetop walked slowly up on stage and took his place at the piano. He signaled the band and then jumped into a 90 minute set with all the energy and enthusiasm of a 20 year old! He was absolutely remarkable, singing and playing boogie piano like I have never heard before. It was a great night of blues in a great town! We also caught a local Dallas band playing at the Hole-in-the-Wall. A tiny joint that reminded me of Abby's..... Shoulder to shoulder dancing and good burgers to boot.

In January, Judy and I took a road trip to San Fran with our good friends Mike (Blue Haven) and Kim to see Ron Hacker and the Hacksaws at the Saloon. The Saloon is the oldest bar in San Francisco and has live music every night. The Hack is a local legend and his show is something to see. He played some mean slide on an acoustic guitar from 1930 with a pickup duck taped across the sound hole. His wicked tone and aggressive playing style had the place going crazy. Mike happened to have a harmonica in his pocket and Hacker invited him up to jam for a couple of tunes. Mike played great as expected and won the approval of Hacker as well as the locals! It was quite an honor, as Hacker is not known for inviting anyone up on stage with him! We are trying to bring him up to Reno for a show in the near future.

Brad spent some time in Brasil with his wife Paula and returned with a brand new energy and some say a slight Latin feel to some of his leads. He is ready to rock, Santana style!

Nick has been busy tuning his drums and is learning to play the harmonica. As soon as he is ready, we're going to bring him up front for a song to showcase his talents on the harp and Joe's talents on the drums. Nick has this to say..."It may be awhile!"

Come on up to the Washoe Club this weekend and party with us. We have lots of stories and I'm sure you all do too. Like any old friends, we have some Catchin' Up to do!

Geno

I think it was the summer of 1990, I was a bright young college kid just getting ready for the long drive back to Michigan for fall semester. I had a good job bustin’ rocks at All-Lite Aggregate in Lockwood and had a wad of money just burning a hole in my pocket. I wanted a guitar! I only had one problem....... I didn’t know anything about guitars.

I called up my buddy Jason (King) Roxas because he was the only one I knew that was into the music scene and he agreed to meet me down at Bizarre Guitar on a Saturday afternoon. We looked at a bunch of guitars and I decided on a white Squire Stratocaster and a Peavey Audition 110 amp. The amp was 20 watts through a generic 10-inch speaker and had a clean channel and a distorted channel that really cranked. 100 percent solid state rock ‘n roll joy!

This particular guitar was one of those experimental guitars that Fender was putting out in the 1980’s. The neck was narrower and the scale length slightly shorter than full size. It didn’t have a pickguard and had three toggle switches instead of the normal 5-way pickup selection switch. It had a humbucker and two single coil pickups and you could use the switches to turn them on in any combination you wanted. The neck was really beautiful maple that had tiger stripes when the light hit it right. It had a glossy finish and a dark brown streak on the back of the headstock that gave it some character. The rosewood fretboard and very well constructed with frets that were trimmed and filed as smooth as any custom shop axe. The headstock was painted black and it had knurled black metal knobs. To a 19 year-old college kid with no musical background, this guitar was the bomb! I still have never seen one quite like it.

That guitar made it with me through college in Michigan, moves to Reno, Denver, down to Tucson, and then back to Reno. Without ever having a lesson, I learned how to play Wish You Were Here, Long Haired Country Boy, All along the Watchtower, Jimi’s Star Spangled Banner (kind of), Folsom Prison Blues, Life by the Drop, and a whole lot of other songs I have forgotten and occasionally remember and play again. I’ve played with many good friends and drank lots of beer with that guitar. I’ve put it in the closet for years at a time while my life was taking unexpected turns and twists. I’ve dropped it, sat on it, dinged it, scratched it, and fallen asleep on the couch with it many, many times after playing until the early morning hours.

After a couple years of sitting in the closet while I was sorting life out, the guitar was reborn when I moved back to Reno and took a job working with R. Brad Peters and Marty Ugalde. Marty had drums and would jam with Brad in the basement after work every now and then. I dug out my guitar and my amp and sat in one day after work. Soon we were playing a couple of times a week and the Longhauler’s Band was born! I knew that my little guitar and amp had taken me as far as they could. I needed a high-end rig to play the parties and whiskey bar gigs that we were lining up. So my little guitar and amp were put away once again to make room for the American Deluxe, the Hot Rod, and the Super!

Well, I guess there is an end to every story. A friend of mine at work has a 19-year old son who just got a new bass guitar. She knew that I played guitar and asked me if I knew of where she could get an inexpensive guitar and amp so they could jam together.

Just so happens that I knew of a little guitar that had been waiting patiently for a new home................


Geno

Come on out to Third Street Blues this Friday night to celebrate Geno's birthday! He's aging like a fine bottle of wine, smooth and mellow, never sour!

We haven't played at Third Street in about 6 months so we will be ready to put on a great show. We have added a couple of new tunes and swapped our set list around a bit just to keep it fresh.

Another thing you can do while checking out the 'Haulers is get with Judy to set up rooms and a general party plan for the MOFO Party Band show at the Washoe Club on December 14th. It is going to be the show of the season and should not be missed. If you haven't seen them, check out our website for a review of our April show with those guys as well as a link to their website.

If you dig that old style blues like we do, you won't want to miss this show. They are as fun a band as you will ever see!

Lot's of people have contacted me about getting rooms in Virginia City. I don't know if the Sugarloaf is still open (I heard it wasn't). We have shared rooms at the Ramada before which makes it afforable. If anyone has suggestions, email me and I will send them around.

Join us down on Third Street on Sunday, December 9th for a benefit show for Terrapin Road Bassist Michael Ray who is recovering from a near-fatal health crisis. Join the Haulers and all your other favorite local blues musicians for a night of fun, food, and great jammin' to raise money for Michael's medical expenses.

Thanks everyone for hangin' with us at the Washoe Club in Virginia City. We had a great time and the energy was electric. I have not heard such crowd participation on Velvet Elvis is a long time.

Special thanks to Michael Thompson for sitting in on Harp for a set. He's a real pro and added to the sound of the band.

We had so much fun we ended up sitting around at the bar after packing up our gear. Cliff and Jennifer told us all about the history of the Washoe Club including showing us the bullet holes in the ceiling and big mirror behind the bar. We were so engrossed in the stories and so pumped after the show that we lost track of time. I finally looked at my watch and it was 4:30! Luckily, we had a room for the night but, let me tell you, the drive home the next day was pure hell!