Kory Montgomery invites Northwest Arkansas to the 'Rockhouse'
Listen Up!
Brian Washburn
Issue date: 3/30/09 Section: Lifestyles
Channeling Clapton. It's definitely not an easy thing to do in the blues/rock genre. Many have tried, and, believe me, many have failed.
While Arkansas native Kory Montgomery might not have the exact punch and melodies as the guitar god, he is definitely on the right track. And what better place for him to come from than the home state of Bikes, Blues & BBQ?
Montgomery's new album Born in the Rockhouse gives the Northwest Arkansas music scene it's first taste at guitar greatness. Montgomery - along with his guitarist Drew Packard, bassist Garrett Jones and drummer Tyler Wright - are looking to give an otherwise aging genre a new twist with the new release.
"It's a blues, funk fusion between James Brown and the Black Crowes," said Montgomery, attempting to classify his retro-sound that is collectively written by himself and a few of his close friends.
"(Rockhouse) has been good (for fans) and (is) getting a good response. I am continuing to write and add more, but it's had a really good response so far," he said.
Montgomery's blues-influenced guitar licks resemble those of Hendrix mixed with the funk/blues style of Clapton. However, it is not only the tone of his axe that makes Montgomery's guitar work fascinating - it's the way he can switch from a slow, mellow riff that can make women swoon to a fast, hard-hitting '70s-style blues solo that can make guys bang their heads.
The blazing first track off Rockhouse gives listeners a classic rock feel that could possibly transport them as if they were in Doc Brown's time machine back to the '70s. But this is not the '70s. This is Montgomery's time, and with his guitar licks, modern blues might just be revived in the NWA music scene.
Although guitar work, along with the rhythm sections on Rockhouse, prove to be the cornerstone of the album, Montgomery's lyrics are a bit cliché for the blues genre and his vocal performance fluctuates between decent and moderately good. His vocal's lyrical content stays fairly consistent throughout the release, which is not new in the blues genre (revenge, a relentless drive, loving women, etc.).
However, Montgomery does seem to switch between a dead-on Stevie Ray Vaughn impression (for the moderately good voice, see "Cold Chicken" and "Beggars and Choosers") to a mix of a sub-par Clapton and a funk-esque, almost James Brown voice (see "PaPa's Never Satisfied"). While the guitar wails and soothes throughout the entire release, the vocals and lyrics can largely be passed by just for the fact that the listener is either rocking out to the guitar riffs or getting their moves on with one of Montgomery's funky licks.
Montgomery will be celebrating his birthday next week at George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, bringing his "high energy, Southern raw feel" to his local followers. However, this will definitely not be the band's last show in Fayetteville for a while. They will play on Dickson Street, and the rest of the South, throughout April, May and the summer.
"I'm just going to keep on keeping on," Montgomery said. "I'd like to be on the road constantly (for the rest of 2009). I want to be playing every night on the road and get a good following."
It is just not the South he will be traveling to this year. Montgomery plans to head west and visit Los Angeles sometime during this year. But he is not looking to make a big splash in LA just yet.
"I'm not looking for a record deal, just someone who can introduce me to the right people," he said. "More of a manager type, the higher-up managing."
Montgomery will not be heading to LA with the same old tracks he is playing at this moment. In fact, he is already planning on hitting the studio again and completing another record by the end of summer.
"I plan on releasing about six to eight tunes every six months to keep it fresh and people interested," he said.
Even though the release of Rockhouse might not propel the Kory Montgomery Band to the top of the blues charts just yet, it has the powerful guitar styles and the prominent, unique (for modern standards) songwriting to get national exposure. But then again, for a man that has already performed alongside the likes of B.B. King, should we expect any less?
Final Thought: Summer is approaching at lightning speed. While the Northwest Arkansas scene will host several mainstream concerts and festivals over the upcoming months (Wakarusa, Guster, Cake, Ben Folds, etc.), music junkies should not forget those local bands in the scene that will be touring and have homecoming shows this summer. Summer is the time for touring, and I would not want to be one of those to miss a final homecoming show for a NWA band that is about to take off. Don't we all want to be that fan who said we knew them before they were famous?
Brian Washburn is the News editor for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Monday.
While Arkansas native Kory Montgomery might not have the exact punch and melodies as the guitar god, he is definitely on the right track. And what better place for him to come from than the home state of Bikes, Blues & BBQ?
Montgomery's new album Born in the Rockhouse gives the Northwest Arkansas music scene it's first taste at guitar greatness. Montgomery - along with his guitarist Drew Packard, bassist Garrett Jones and drummer Tyler Wright - are looking to give an otherwise aging genre a new twist with the new release.
"It's a blues, funk fusion between James Brown and the Black Crowes," said Montgomery, attempting to classify his retro-sound that is collectively written by himself and a few of his close friends.
"(Rockhouse) has been good (for fans) and (is) getting a good response. I am continuing to write and add more, but it's had a really good response so far," he said.
Montgomery's blues-influenced guitar licks resemble those of Hendrix mixed with the funk/blues style of Clapton. However, it is not only the tone of his axe that makes Montgomery's guitar work fascinating - it's the way he can switch from a slow, mellow riff that can make women swoon to a fast, hard-hitting '70s-style blues solo that can make guys bang their heads.
The blazing first track off Rockhouse gives listeners a classic rock feel that could possibly transport them as if they were in Doc Brown's time machine back to the '70s. But this is not the '70s. This is Montgomery's time, and with his guitar licks, modern blues might just be revived in the NWA music scene.
Although guitar work, along with the rhythm sections on Rockhouse, prove to be the cornerstone of the album, Montgomery's lyrics are a bit cliché for the blues genre and his vocal performance fluctuates between decent and moderately good. His vocal's lyrical content stays fairly consistent throughout the release, which is not new in the blues genre (revenge, a relentless drive, loving women, etc.).
However, Montgomery does seem to switch between a dead-on Stevie Ray Vaughn impression (for the moderately good voice, see "Cold Chicken" and "Beggars and Choosers") to a mix of a sub-par Clapton and a funk-esque, almost James Brown voice (see "PaPa's Never Satisfied"). While the guitar wails and soothes throughout the entire release, the vocals and lyrics can largely be passed by just for the fact that the listener is either rocking out to the guitar riffs or getting their moves on with one of Montgomery's funky licks.
Montgomery will be celebrating his birthday next week at George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville, bringing his "high energy, Southern raw feel" to his local followers. However, this will definitely not be the band's last show in Fayetteville for a while. They will play on Dickson Street, and the rest of the South, throughout April, May and the summer.
"I'm just going to keep on keeping on," Montgomery said. "I'd like to be on the road constantly (for the rest of 2009). I want to be playing every night on the road and get a good following."
It is just not the South he will be traveling to this year. Montgomery plans to head west and visit Los Angeles sometime during this year. But he is not looking to make a big splash in LA just yet.
"I'm not looking for a record deal, just someone who can introduce me to the right people," he said. "More of a manager type, the higher-up managing."
Montgomery will not be heading to LA with the same old tracks he is playing at this moment. In fact, he is already planning on hitting the studio again and completing another record by the end of summer.
"I plan on releasing about six to eight tunes every six months to keep it fresh and people interested," he said.
Even though the release of Rockhouse might not propel the Kory Montgomery Band to the top of the blues charts just yet, it has the powerful guitar styles and the prominent, unique (for modern standards) songwriting to get national exposure. But then again, for a man that has already performed alongside the likes of B.B. King, should we expect any less?
Final Thought: Summer is approaching at lightning speed. While the Northwest Arkansas scene will host several mainstream concerts and festivals over the upcoming months (Wakarusa, Guster, Cake, Ben Folds, etc.), music junkies should not forget those local bands in the scene that will be touring and have homecoming shows this summer. Summer is the time for touring, and I would not want to be one of those to miss a final homecoming show for a NWA band that is about to take off. Don't we all want to be that fan who said we knew them before they were famous?
Brian Washburn is the News editor for The Arkansas Traveler. His column appears every Monday.
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