This week’s Alive After Five headliner: Whitey Morgan and the 78’s
Go Listen Boise local opener: Matt Hopper and the Roman Candles
ABOUT WHITEY MORGAN AND THE 78’S
“My job is to show you how much fun drinking is.” — Whitey Morgan
“In a world of soft rock-driven country music, there’s little place of the kind of outlaw country pioneered by Willie Nelson (pre-iconic status), Waylon Jennings and Johnny Paycheck. Bullshit, says Whitey Morgan … the band’s barroom country sound – instrumentally full, but naked-sounding compared to the crap on country radio – isn’t retro. It’s classic.” — the Big Takeover
Whitey Morgan and the 78’s (whiteymorgan.com) are a Honky Tonk band from Flint, Michigan. They haven’t re-invented the wheel. They just picked it up and started it rolling all over again.
In Flint, most of the factories are closed, jobs are scarce and the people are bitter. Whitey sings songs these people can relate to. In much the same way his grandfather and mentor did over 3 decades ago, to a whole generation of southern transplants who came up US-23 to Flint looking for the good life. Whitey sings it straight, with a “gawd, I wanna keep this guy on my side in a bar fight” urgency that’ll help people forget their problems for a few hours and serve as the guideline for drinking the sorrows away. The 78’s halftime groove brings out everyone’s dancing shoes and while Whitey and the 78’s play, the world is a better place.
Since the release of their first album Honky Tonks and Cheap Motels, Whitey and the band have revived a forgotten genre with a fierce dedication and determination. They’ve toured the country spreading their sound and real deal vibe everywhere they go. They play honky-tonk tunes in any club in any town without apology and with a purpose. Look out, this bad news sounds real good.
Around 200 shows a year you can count on Whitey Morgan and the 78’s to deliver. Whitey’s whiskey tinged vocals, the 78’s foot stomping beats, all relentlessly stirring up dance floors everywhere they go. The bottle turns up, spirits elevate and in this world, there isn’t a person who couldn’t use Whitey Morgan and the 78’s.
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Neon Indian‘s highly-anticipated new album Era Extrana hits the mean streets on Sept. 13, but right now — as in, the glorious and resplendent PRESENT — you can get your hands on an exclusive 7-inch featuring “Polish Girl,” which they’re slated to perform on Fallon Aug. 29, and “Fallout,” which you may have heard on Pitchfork if you’re into that sort of thing.
