The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band

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The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band
Breezy, Jayme and Rev Peyton
Breezy, Jayme and Rev Peyton
Background information
Also known as Big Damn Band
Origin Flag of the United States Indianapolis Indiana, US
Genre(s) Roots music
Delta Blues
Label(s) Family Owned
Website http://www.bigdamnband.com/
Members
Josh "The Reverend" Peyton
"Washboard" Breezy Peyton
Jayme Peyton

The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band is a 3-piece American roots blues band, playing original music in the style of rural blues musicians of the 1920s and 1930s.

Contents

[edit] Members

  • Reverend Josh Peyton - Guitar, lead vocals and principal songwriter.

[edit] History

Josh "Rev" Peyton was born April 12, 1981 in rural Eagletown, Indiana. His brother Jayme was born in 1983. Their father was a concrete man, as well as performing many interesting jobs during the winter months for extra money, from plowing snow, chopping wood, and for a time trapping. Rev Peyton's first introduction to music was via his father's record collection of blues-oriented rock, including Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young and Bob Dylan. At 13, Rev Peyton's father gave him an electric guitar and amp. Shortly after, Jayme Peyton started playing the drums and, with a bass player formed a band called Drive-Thru and played parties. A friend pointed out the blues sound of Rev Peyton's guitar playing, sending Peyton off on an exploration of the blues of BB King, Muddy Waters and Muddy Water's cousin Bukka White. Further exploration led to pre-World War II "country blues", and a desire to learn the finger-picking style of artists like Charlie Patton, but at the time Peyton was unable to master it, instead playing more pick-oriented blues. Peyton played a party following his high school graduation, and the next morning suffered excruciating pain in his hands. Doctors told Peyton he'd never be able to hold his left hand in fretting position again. At that point, he gave up on music and spent a year working as the desk clerk in a hotel.

Peyton sought other medical advice, and eventually the Indiana Hand Center operated on his left hand, and removed a mass of scar tissue. While recovering from surgery, Rev Peyton met Breezy. She introduced him to the music of Jimbo Mathis and the Squirrel Nut Zippers, and he introduced her to delta blues. When the bandages were removed, Peyton discovered a new flexibility in his fretting hand that enabled him to play in the "finger" style that had long eluded him.

Breezy bought a washboard, and started writing songs with Rev Peyton and Jayme Peyton. A trip to Clarksdale, Mississippi inspired them to resume playing music, and their first gigs were at Melody Inn Tavern in Indianapolis, Indiana. The band played blues festivals, headlined two nights at actor Morgan Freeman's Ground Zero Blues Club in Clarksdale, and tours as the opening act for Mary Prankster.

Eventually, a 40 hour drive from Indianapolis to El Centro, California to open for the Derek Trucks Band and Susan Tedeschi convinced the band to devote themselves to music and touring full-time. They received an offer from a blues record label, but discovered that they had sold more copies of their independently pressed CD "The Pork'n'Beans Collection" at their concerts than the label had managed to sell of any of their other artists. Since that time, The Big Damn Band has been touring the United States, and a tour of blues festivals in Italy and Switzerland, pausing only for holidays and to record their next CD "Big Damn Nation" with producer Paul Mahern and Jimbo Mathis. Their 2007 and 2008 tours includes opening dates for the Celtic punk band Flogging Molly and progressive bluegrass band Hot Buttered Rum.

In June of 2008, they signed with Los Angeles-based SideOneDummy Records. They will release "The Whole Fam Damily" on August 5th, 2008 through the label.

Rev Peyton is a Kentucky Colonel.

Their music is featured in the award-winning film Mississippi Cold Case by Canadian documentarian David Ridgen.

[edit] Notability

The Reverend Peyton's Big Damn Band has been featured on Sirius Satellite Radio, has played multiple showcases at the South by Southwest music conference, has been the musical guest on NPR's Wad'Ya Know?.

[edit] Discography

[edit] The Pork'n'Beans Collection

This first album is all original material, except for Charlie (or Charley) Patton's "Pony Blues". The album featured a less rough vocal sound, and is less reflective of the sound of the band in concert.

  1. My Soul To Keep
  2. Plainfield Blues
  3. Sure Feels Like Rain
  4. Never Seem To Mind
  5. Pork Chop Biscuit
  6. Ain't Got Nothin'
  7. Pony Blues
  8. Wejusgetinba
  9. One Bad Shoe
  10. Rich Man
  11. That Train Song

[edit] Big Damn Band sampler

Sampler of songs from the album to appear the next year as well as re-recorded versions of songs from the previous album, this more accurately reflected the evolving style of the band and The Rev's lower, rougher voice. Packaged in a simple cardboard slipcase and sold at a lower price, was only available in concert.

  1. Aberdeen
  2. My Old Man Boogie
  3. Plainfield Blues
  4. My Soul To Keep
  5. Pork Chop Biscuit

[edit] Big Damn Nation

Produced by Paul Mahern and Jimbo Mathis of the Squirrel Nut Zippers, Recorded direct to analog tape with no overdubs, this album most accurately captures the sound of the band in concert. All original material, it includes re-recorded versions of several songs from the first album. The Reverend's voice is lower and gruffer in the style of 1930s American southern blues singers. Jayme Peyton's drum kit has simplified to a single 18" kick, cymbal and an 8" snare, placing the drums in a much higher register than average.

  1. My Old Man Boogie
  2. Long Gone
  3. Spreadin’ Your Love Around
  4. Boom Chank
  5. Worryin’ Kind
  6. Left Hand George
  7. Mud
  8. Another Bottle
  9. Aberdeen
  10. Plainfield Blues
  11. My Soul To Keep
  12. Sugar Man

[edit] The Gospel Album

Produced by Paul Mahern at White Ark Studios, The Gospel Album has similar production and style to that of Big Damn Nation. The album features Big Damn Band versions of seven gospel classics and one original song, "Blow That Horn", written by Josh Peyton. In terms of instrumentation changes, Jayme Peyton's 'simplified' drum kit from the band's previous album sees the inclusion of a 5-gallon plastic bucket, featured prominently on the song "Tell All The World John". Packaged in a limited edition tin, The Gospel Album officially went on-sale September 12th, 2007.

  1. Blow That Horn
  2. Down By The Riverside
  3. Glory Glory Hallelujah
  4. Tell All The World John
  5. I Shall Not Be Moved
  6. Rock Island Line
  7. Let Your Light Shine
  8. Amazing Grace (Instrumental)

[edit] External links

  • Big Damn Band - official website as well as "comic biography"
  • Myspace - The band's MySpace page
  • SideOneDummy - The band's Artist Page on the SideOneDummy official site.