THE ROCK REPORT: THE REVEREND DEADEYE @ THE DISTILLERY, BRADENTON, FL.

I finally crawled out of my post-SxSW fox hole a couple of Saturday’s ago to make the trip down to Bradenton for the First Annual Punk Blues Revival being put on by the fine folks from Poorhouse Productions. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I wanted to go as I gathered my shit to head out the door. I hadn’t been home from SxSW for a week yet and spending an entire Saturday night out at another show didn’t sound all that enticing from the comfort of my living room. As it turns out, though, the best way to get over a post show overdose funk is the same as getting over a hangover; hair of the dog.

I saw quite a few bands at the P.B.R., but it was Reverend Deadeye who provided the most compelling story of the night. The Rev. followed a less than compelling act whose name I can’t remember and who only managed to capture the crowd’s attention when they played the obligatory Johnny Cash cover, and pretty much left the stage starring at backs of people engaged in converstion. As people mulled about, ordering drinks, smoking cigarettes and trying to get laid, a lone man started dragging gear up onto the stage. A bass drum, a couple suitcases, some cymbals, and so on were carried up onto the stage with little fanfare and less notice. It was when he carried the washtub on stage that I think people first took any notice at all.

There were a few of us mulling about the stage who’d seen Deadeye before, running the typical PR lines to the other people slowly taking notice, “You seen this guy before? No? You just wait…he’s fucking amazing.” “How many people are there? Just him. Yeah. He’s a one-man band.” You know the drill, and as Deadeye began meticulously setting up his stage you could feel the attention slowly shifting from basketball games, future sex efforts and fish stories to the stage, as a thread of curiosity started pulling one eye at a time toward the stage.

The Reverend Deadeye’s stage rig serves as its own silent carnival barker, with the theater of watching it being set up acting as its voice. From the various handwritten signs on old cardboard, to the day of the dead skeleton sitting on the bass drum, to the washtub kickdrum and the collection of well-placed lamps, it all serves the purpose of gaining your attention and making you ask questions. At The Distillery these pieces of the sideshow worked their magic like a charm. As the rig started to take shape in its final form, folks, whether they realized it or not, were slowly closing in on the stage waiting to see this travelling one-man band from parts unclaimed and his curious collection of knick-knacks and instruments.

Now, all of these visual curiosities would do nothing once the music started if Rev. couldn’t hold the attention they’d netted, but Deadeye has no issues with that. After sitting down behind his rig and tuning up, the Reverend, sans soundcheck, promptly launched into some blistering slide guitar while is feet meticulously worked a kick drum, washtub kick drum, crash cymbal and high-hat, instantly capturing what remained of the crowd watching the basketball games at the back of the bar. Over the next hour Deadeye ripped through new songs, old songs and a cover song, though I don’t think the (mostly rockabilly) crowd knew the difference. That said, the crowd knew they were having a good time, barely moving through the entire set, save for the 5 or 6 couples swing dancing behind the initial stage crush.

I don’t know if Rev. sold any merchandise that night, but I do venture a guess that he won a full house next time he rolls through Bradenton.

The Reverend Deadeye – Bible Thump

Here are some live videos for you:

Reverend Deadeye – Fuck The Devil

Reverend Deadeye – Jesus Knocking