Chattanooga Pulse

I remember hearing a buzz about a new band that was apparently melting faces off the kind people of Chattanooga around this time last year. I hadn’t seen them yet, but I was looking to book a good local band to help open up the first day of the 4/20 Festival, so I hit them up immediately.

I made it a point to attend the River City Hustlers’ next show at Midtown, to see exactly what I would be getting. When I did, the only disappointment of the evening was that I didn’t have a better time slot or a longer set time for them. If I had to sum it up in one word, that word would be “powerful”. The energy of the band is immense. I am not sure if it’s from the rocking beats or if it’s from the hot blonde fireball that bounces all over the stage with such fervor you can’t help but stare.

While eye candy is a definite bonus, this band isn’t a No Doubt situation, where a more fitting name would have been the Gwen Stefani Band. They radiate a collective familial vibe, and everyone gets their own spotlight. When I asked if there was any strangeness among the men folk in having a front woman instead of a front man, the band mates answered quickly and in unison that there was no such weirdness in the band; they were perfectly comfortable with it.

When I asked Bethany what it was like being a chick lead singer, she said, “My guys are awesome. But it is a little different because people assume that it’s going to be sweet or soft and not as hard rocking as it is because I’m a girl. I could barely get an audition to play for bands because they were looking for a guy. It has encouraged me to step it up a bit. But on stage I feel more like me than anywhere else in my life. It feels like home to me. It’s also kind of like having an out-of-body experience, where you are just in another world.” Well, whatever world that is, stay in it, because it sounds amazing from here.

The closeness and equality of the band members might lend a hand to the tightness of their music. They simply mesh well. Their sound makes you feel like you might be doing something bad by listening, followed by the immediate thrill that you might get caught. It’s dirty. Dirty in the best way. It’s rock and roll, for sure, with elements of backwoods bayou blues, basement punk, and a twist of classic badass.

It has the refreshing effect of making you think that the South might not rise again, but it will sure as hell drink you under the table. It’s almost like you become a fan by default, because there really isn’t any other option when faced with this melting pot of awesome. The many different levels of influence and full spectrum of genres that each member brings to the table make an original, yet familiar-sounding music.

When I asked them what their two biggest influences were, it was no mystery where the diverse sound originated. Bethany “B” Stump, the sexpot singer, stated, “Guns N’ Roses and The Rolling Stones”. Cavin Helton, the bassist, chose Led Zeppelin and AC/DC. Chris “Jersey” Wiegand, on guitar, selected The Misfits and Teen Idols. Roland “Rolls” McCoy, the drummer, listed Kiss and The El Caminos, while Matt “Rowdy” Clark, picked Tony Iomi and The Melvins, as his favorites. This would explain the array of tastes being represented in their sound.

I was curious about their name, and asked “B” how they came up with it. The band basically started out making a list of around 20 names that everyone didn’t absolutely hate, and then from that list narrowed it down to five that everyone in the band could officially handle. They chose River City Hustlers because, for one, they identify with where they are from, and also because knowing the fair-weather nature of our Scenic City scene, they realized that you definitely have to “hustle” a bit to get people to come out and see shows with any sort of regularity or zeal. The band has gone through a line-up change, adding Chris Wiegand to their group, and everyone seems to think he is a great fit for them. They have obviously been doing something right because they’ve been added to many of the larger festivals and events in town, as well as bringing a reliable following to the local clubs.

If you haven’t seen them yet, then I suggest you come down next weekend and see them at Parkway Billiards with Planet and The Icons. We all know that the Parkway bash is a pretty big party, as Parkway only becomes a venue once a year, on account of the Great Pumpkin. So hustle down.

River City Hustlers
with Planet and The Icons
$7
9 p.m.
Monday, October 30
Parkway Billiards, 35 Patten Parkway.
(423) 265-7665.
www.parkwaybilliards.com