Nate Gibson and the Gashouse G

Nate Gibson recently finished writing a book about the history of Starday Records, one of country music's most successful independent record labels, and the music has truly worn off on him. Much like Starday Records, whose slogan was "Preserving Our Nation's Musical Heritage," so too are Nate Gibson and the Gashouse Gang. Whether they're playing '50s East Texas honky-tonk, Memphis rockabilly, western swing, bluegrass, hillbilly boogies, bluesy yodels, Bakersfield instrumentals or any other genre under the mighty Americana umbrella, Gibson and the boys take a scholarly approach to their repertoire of highly energetic hillbilly bop and bad joke telling.



During the fall of 2010, Gibson released his first bluegrass-rockabilly (or, grass-a-billy) CD, Nate Gibson and the Grass House Gang, a 5-song EP recorded live at Event Records. Upon completing the Al Hawkes story for Bluegrass Unlimited ("Bluegrass Music's Maine Attraction," April 2009), Hawkes offered to record and produce Nate in the Event Records [www.alhawkes.com] studio in Westbrook, Maine . Not only did Hawkes produce, engineer, and play mandolin on the session, he even let Nate play Lenny Breau's original Gibson guitar! Drawing from their mutual love of bluegrass music, Gibson chose to record two classic 1950s bluegrass cuts (the Stanley Brothers' 1958 "I'd Rather Be Forgotten" and Jim Eanes' "I Gotta Know"), one standard ("Back Home Again in Indiana"), one original ("I'm Through Lovin' You"), and one of the Event Records rockabilly stompers ("Baby, Baby") written by Hawkes himself. Featured on the session are Al Hawkes on mandolin, Sean Mencher (High Noon, Wayne Hancock) on electric guitar, Carter Logan and his banjo (Jerks of Grass), the fiddling of Zach Ovington (Sean Mencher Combo), fiddlin' Emma O'Donnell (Girl Howdy, Devendra Banhart), and Derek Malone (Sean Mencher Combo, the Rollin' Pins) on upright bass. The CD, featuring jacket art and design by the incredibly talented Fred Chao [www.fredchao.com], is only available at live shows and through Nate's website, www.nathandgibson.com! [link coming soon]. Only $5 +$1 for shipping.



The Gang's 2006 release, All the Way Home, was the result of Nate's many years of research into Starday Records and was released by Cow Island Music [www.cowislandmusic.com]. Starday president and co-founder Don Pierce recorded the album's introduction and even wrote the liner notes just two weeks before his passing in April of 2005. In addition to Pierce's musings, All the Way Home also features covers of several Starday waxings including "My Heart Gets Lonely" by Eddie Skelton, Sleepy Jeffer's "My Blackbirds Are Bluebirds Now" and Wayne Raney's anthemic "We Need A Whole Lot More of Jesus (And A Lot Less Rock and Roll)." Of course, several Gibson originals appear such as "Don't Wait," "The Trolley Tour Boogie," "Ol' Roy," and "My Big 18" among others. Also included is the title track, a cover of Spinal Tap's first written song, a rousing rendition of Merle Travis' "Divorce Me C.O.D." as well as Arthur "Guitar Boogie" Smith's barnstorming boogie, "Who Shot Willie."
The recordings were made and mixed at Appleman Studios in Stoneham, MA by Chris "Cujo" Cugini (Blizzard of '78, Anastasia Screamed) with additional recording by Phil Aiken (Buffalo Tom, Phil Aiken Army) and Clyde Beavers (Mercury-Starday recording artist)!



Furthermore, if you don't already have the self-titled Gashouse Gang record, you are missing out on a slice of New England country music history. Aside from the Gang's usual raucous honky-tonk, you're also treated to two songs with New England country music legend Rex Trailer (host of Boomtown, New England's own Saturday morning cowboy television show) as well as two ditties with Starday recording artist and King of the Yodelers, Kenny Roberts. This album was voted by the Boston Globe as one of the "Best Local Releases of 2002," was a nominee for the 2002 Best Country Music Release by the Massachusetts Country Music Awards Association, and contributed to Gibson's placement as a Top 30 (of 1,000+) semifinalist in the 2007 Prairie Home Companion "Talented 20s" contest.
Recorded and mixed by engineering wizard Rob Lowe in Boston, MA, the debut disc includes Gashouse classics such as "An Immaculate Confection (The Necco Song)," "The King of the Yodelers," "She Won't Wear A Bra (Cause She Don't Need It)," "I Can't Sell My Broken Heart On eBay," "Don't 'Nathan David' Me" as well as five other Gibson originals with excessively long titles.
To purchase albums, please visit www.nathandgibson.com where you will be redirected to a Paypal page. CDs are $12 and $5 (or $26 for all three), shipping included, and payment can be made by credit card or with your Paypal balance. CDs may also be purhcased through Amazon or CDBaby. Individual tracks can be downloaded from iTunes or Amazon.com.
Nate Gibson and the Gashouse Gang were a fixture of the New England honky-tonk and rockabilly scene for eight years (2001-2009). The group, in various incarnations, has played nearly every major rockabilly festival in North America and headlined in front of audiences ranging from just one bartender to 10,000 fans. Though Gibson is presently attending graduate school at Indiana University, the group still unites to play festivals, fairs, weddings, and clubs anywhere traditional country music, honky-tonk and/or rockabilly is heard. If you are looking to book the Gashouse Gang for your club, event or private function, an Electronic Press Kit can be found at www.sonicbids.com/nategibsonandthegashousegang. An extended bio, full press reviews, promotional photos, input lists, and stage plots are available. Contact information is also made available through this website.



What They Are Saying About Nate Gibson and the Gashouse Gang:
"The terms 'renaissance man' and 'honky-tonk singer' don't often describe the same person, but both fit Nate Gibson. As frontman for his throwback country band, Nate Gibson and the Gashouse Gang, the Kansas-reared transplant is one of the leading lights of Boston's emerging honky-tonk scene." – Christopher Blagg, Boston Herald



"The music has a hard-core, classic country feel, with upright walking bass lines, snappy acoustic guitar and pedal steel licks, and a dusty old-West feel in the steady rolling rhythms." – Sarah Rodman, Boston Herald
"It's a good, tongue-in-cheek, shit-kickin' (can I say that?) album, and it needs to be in everyone's party CD collection to liven things up. The most perverse song is 'Immaculate Confection.' It's about Necco wafers and the factory over in Cambridge. Why perverse? These guys take an unnatural interest in the damn wafers. I'll be the first to coin the phrase. the name of Nate and the boys' music. NECCOBILLY." – Mike Loce, The Noise
"Country Music is dead. Nashville killed it. But wait! Here comes Boston, the country-rockabilly capital of America, to save the genre from itself, with local boy Nate Gibson (Boston by way of Kansas) leading the charge." – Paul McMorrow, Weekly Dig
"Every so often, peripheral liner notes reveal the essence of an album. Take what Nate Gibson says about the song "My Big 18": 'OK, kids, this is the last song. Time to gather 'round the campfire for this one. We're gonna have a happy, hand-clapping hoedown jamboree old-time get-together barn dance sing-along hootenanny truck-driving jubilee-type thing. Sing along!' That's an accurate description of this entire album." – Brian T. Atkinson, Country Standard Time
"Hailing from Boston, the group is what I would describe as a Rockabilly friendly Country act. You know, upright slapped bass, the right dance grooves… Sounds like Boston is still a fun place!" – Marc Bristol, Blue Suede News



While you're at it, why not buy 101 Pirate Jokes by Nate Gibson and Tim Barney (and illustrated by Bradley Smith) as well? Only $4 + $2 (shipping) on its own, or you can just add $4 to your CD order for both! It'll make you laugh. It'll make you cry. It'll make you want your $6 back! Over 100 witty pirate jokes (and about 17 which leave something more to be desired). ARRR, matey, put it in the bag! Available through www.nathandgibson.com.



Thanks so much for stopping by and please come see us soon!
Country Musically,
The Gashouse Gang