Dirty Bourbon River Show

Just months after releasing their
debut, Volume One, Dirty Bourbon
River Show brings the world yet
another offering in Free Love. A nine-
song EP of sorts, it shows some promising growth from
their freshman efforts. From the opening note, the group’s
collective musicality is on full display. (It should be noted
that singer Noah Adams alone commands respect with
his mastery of piano, guitar, accordion, harmonica, banjo,
vocals and lyrics; that’s no easy feat for any musician in
this town). “Intro to Act I” melds smoky jazz piano with
classical keys. The rest of Act I artfully utilizes the army
of instruments at the band’s disposal, weaving in punchy,
soulful sax (“Ballad of Mary Fairweather”) and slurring
clarinet paired with taut percussion (“Up To No Good”).
Act II is considerably slowed down – a welcome change
from the band’s usual circus atmosphere. “There She Goes”
is an accordion-driven Cajun gem, simple and swinging and
“Brighten Up My Day” is a warm, acoustic ballad, evoking
barefoot innocence. “Intro to Act III” is a morose sax+keys
interlude of Lynchian proportions. Unfortunately, Act III
is the weakest section of the disc, attempting to tap into
deep soul, but falling a bit short. While the instrumentation
remains solid, the lyrical pacing of “So Sweet It Hurts”
feels somewhat forced and lacks the necessary smoothness
to pull the shift off. The final track, aptly titled “In The
End,” is perfectly enjoyable with its quiet-loud-quiet
aesthetic, until the “hidden track” appears. It amounts to
essentially four minutes of drunken scatting and is pretty
much completely unnecessary; it adds nothing to the album
experience. Still not flawless, but rising above the pack of
sound-alikes abundant in these parts, Dirty Bourbon River
Show is making good headway and setting itself up as one
of New Orleans’ promising local talents. –Erin Hall - Antigravity Magazine

With their eclectic vaudevillian styled New Orleans influenced music, The Dirty Bourbon River Show has been known to incite a drunken good time. So, be sure to catch their last performance on June 5 at Banks Street Bar before they temporarily disband for the summer.

Their extremely varied song repertoire ranges from slow blues based jams with an intensely emotional saxophone to the folksy type circus music that sounds as if it could score Donnie Darko. The band is comprised of Noah Adams (vocals), Jethro Celestin (bass), Dane Schindler (drums), Wayne Mitchell (multi-instrumentalist), and guest guitarist Michael Franco (formerly of Funk Soul Family). They decided to play seven back-to-back gigs in area clubs to accommodate for the members who do not permanently reside in the city.

“Well, most of the band left for the summer, and I had to try to pack all these gigs in back to back for the members who flew in for it to be worth the money,� Adams said. “But we want to be more regionally known and there’s so many amazing venues to play here.�

Adams moved to New Orleans as a transfer student at Loyola University where he first embarked into music as a one-man-band writing, singing, and playing all of his ownmusic. But he soon realized that he couldn’t do everything by himself, and needed more people “if you want to have a unique sound.�

So, Adams recruited fellow Loyolians Schindler and Celestin to carry the groove of his “circus funk� and the Dirty Bourbon River Show expanded from there. They went on to play their first gig in Dec. 2008 at the Neutral Ground Café, and garnered the attention of local club owners around the city who began to book them for certain gigs. This led them to play at Tipitina’s in March 2009, boasting the third biggest draw for Homegrown Night in Tipitina’s history following behind Flow Tribe at number one, and Funk Soul Family at number two.

Their Dirty Bourbon River Show might be playing their last show before summer on June 5, but the boys aren’t putting up their Bourbon bottles just yet. Fans can hear them live once again this Fall when all the members are reunited. The band has also already released some home-made CD samples, but plan to continue recording their debut album slated to come out by the end of this year.

- Briana Prevost, May 29th, 2009 - Gambit Weekly

In the band’s self-proclaimed first show ever, The Dirty Bourbon River Show gave fans a one-of-a-kind performance March 11 at Tipitina’s.

Noah Adams, music industry business junior (on vocals, guitar, piano and harmonica) led the Loyola student-filled band, which included music composition sophomore Jethro “Chocolate Tender� Celestin on the bass; music business sophomore Dane “Bootsy� Schindler on the drums; music performance freshman Charles “Big Charlie� Skinner serving as the emcee; jazz studies sophomore Wayne “The Renaissance Man� Mitchell on saxophone, clarinet and guitar; and music performance freshman Hisham “The Shaman� Alzoukaimi on violin.

The band played New Orleans classic, “St. James Infirmary� a couple of songs in, giving the song new vitality. The bass was laid thick while the drummer cradled his cymbals, but it was Mitchell, who played a smooth solo on saxophone, that polished the song’s tone. Adams was raunchy on vocals, singing with an old time feel that paid tribute to those who sang it before him.

The Show’s version of “American Landscape� seemed more like a modern-day jam than “St. James Infirmary� as the band trailed off on the silkier rock vocals, allowing the instrumentals to become the song. Celestin played lightly, but was still innovative on the bass. Adams, and then Mitchell, then played heavier solos on guitar.

The band’s rendition of “Ain’t No Place (Like New Orleans)� included a New Orleans styled saxophone, less drumming and the dirtiest vocals of the night which got the crowd cheering for an encore as the band stepped off stage. To rile the crowd further, Skinner, who had been telling jokes between each song, called for more and more noise.

The Dirty Bourbon River Show played an impressive debut, but the band’s freshness and the lack of live shows, lack of band member practice time and a cautious approach hindered the bands potential. Still, keep an eye on this band because, in time, that caution will only lead to professionalism and the band will only get better.

The Dirty Bourbon River Show will be performing at Satchmo’s on March 20 and at Loyola’s Battle of the Bands on March 27.

- Garrett Cleland, March 19th, 2009 - The Maroon

The Dirty Bourbon River Show is working on their first album and is looking forward to their tour this summer.

The Maroon talked to Noah Adams, music industry junior and lead singer, about the band. Jethro Celestin, music composition sophomore, plays bass; Dane “Bootsy� Schindler, music industry sophomore, plays drums; and Wayne Mitchell, jazz studies sophomore, plays saxophone.

They will be on tour May 28 through June 5. For more information, visit their Web site http://www. myspace.com/dirtybourbonrivershow.

What are your goals/sounds as a band?
We want to continue the New Orleans tradition of presenting eclectic music to its residents by making each song authentic and meaningful.

What are some of your biggest influences?
Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, Louis Armstrong, ManMan Gogol Bordello, The Decemberists, New Orleans Bingo Show, Captain Beefheart and Paul Sanchez, to name a few.

What have been some of the highlights in the bands career so far?
We have definitely enjoyed our debut at Tipitina’s and working with great artists around the city. Certainly playing at New Orleans’ great venues as we turn from a Loyola grassroots band to a citywide recognized act.

Do you have any recordings/albums out or coming out?
We are working on our first studio album, tentatively titled, “Ladies and Gentleman, The Dirty Bourbon River Show,� with an expected release in the late fall/early winter.

Any plans for the fall?
We would like to play more shows and adjust to the feedback of our fans and family. We are also currently seeking a bourbon sponsor.

- Garrett Cleland, April 30th, 2009 - The Maroon

The young, uproarious Dirty Bourbon River Show sealed the evening with a short set high on histrionics. With a lineup that includes a myriad of multi-instrumentalists in addition to a 6’4” cigar-smoking, whiskey drinking master of ceremonies, their festive, foolhardy antics have made them favorites on the local college scene. Under the direction of frontman Noah Adams, the riotous jamboree combined swashbuckling sea chanteys, paranoid polkas, and carnival jazz – often in the same song. Their obtuse take on The Beatles “Happiness Is a Warm Gun” worked well with the theatrics, as did the raucous “Ruffians Since Birth,” and the fan favorite “A Spectacular Magnificent Day.” Like many new bands, the DBRS was a little rough around the edges – something that they more than made up for with their enthusiasm. Of course, sucking down swigs of bourbon and passing out shots amongst the crowd between songs helped to get things rolling. Now, that’s my kind of party! - Groovescapes.com

Have you ever been nestled in the nook of your New Orleans neighborhood and wondered, "I need to know what's new in New Orleans!" Now there is no need because the Nola Wolf, in conjunction with Chicken 'N Egg Productions is bringing you What's New New Orleans II.

The show will feature all that's emerging in New Orleans underground culture. The Dirty Bourbon River Show will be performing, as well as, the New Grass Country Club and 27 Lights. There will also be visual artists, tattoo artists, and food!!

The Dirty Bourbon River Band is currently set to release their first album, and is rising through the ranks of the New Orleans music scene with their Vaudevillian experimental swamp-stomp style. They are quickly coming close to filling the hole left in New Orleans by the Morning Forty Federation, and we gladly welcome them to this venerable spot.

So don't be a neanderthal and not know what's new in New Orleans. Come out the the Howlin Wolf on November 6 and find out!! - Howlin' Wolf Blog

Generally speaking, most recording artists fall into one of two categories: recording act or live act. Obviously, most working musicians make records and perform live, but the difference is most are in their element either in the studio or on stage. Young local vaudevillian rock act Dirty Bourbon River Show’s Volume One shows their identity as a live act with a record that offers a taste of their live performance.

Aside from the crisp performances and ample, open-ended jamming found on the disc, the main argument for this is that Dirty Bourbon River Show—living up to its name—lays out as if it were a dark, twisted variety show. The album’s opener, “Anything Goes Tonight,” announces the beginning of the show with the lines “Don’t look ahead, just go / to the Dirty Bourbon River Show,” with the track’s circus-like barrage of sound serving as entrance music for the band’s magical mystery tour of whiskey-soaked French Quarter back alleys.

“Anything Goes Tonight,” like the opening of any good show, also gives the audience an idea of what’s in store for them, showing the disparate genres at play by jumping from Gogol Bordello-style punk polka to psychedelia to jazz and back again. The album-as-variety-show format allows DBRS to get away with such genre-jumping, especially with the prominent Eastern European circus music influence giving an impression of a traveling gypsy troupe rather than a young rock band. The album’s final song, “Chromatic Circus Fantasy,” even quotes Julius Fucik’s “Grande Marche Chromatique,” a piece of music typically associated with circus music. The drifting band proves DBRS to be a live act in the carnival sense, with the impression that the tents are rolled up and shipped to the next stop not long after the final notes ring out. Given Volume One’s fresh sound and heartfelt performances, it will be a welcome sight when Dirty Bourbon River Show’s circus returns. - Offbeat Magazine

When most New Orleans musicians think of a carnival, the brass and second lines of Mardi Gras come to mind. However, the sounds employed by the Dirty Bourbon River Show are more like those typically associated with the circus. According to front man and songwriter Noah Adams, his affection for the genre is deep-seeded, having grown up listening to the music. “When I was a kid my mom gave me this (film composer) Nino Rota CD with all these great circus tunes,” Adams says. “I love circus music. It’s festive and spirited, but sometimes it’s creepy and has a lot of uncertainty.”

Not only does Dirty Bourbon River Show utilize the sounds of the circus on its debut album, Volume One, but it also takes that mentality into live performances as well. “I love to bring five incredible music freaks on stage and go crazy,” says Adams. “Even the most straightlaced people like to be opened up in that weird way.”

Dirty Bourbon River Show is more than just flash and spectacle, as proven by the autobiographical and open songwriting of Adams. “I dropped out of high school and traveled for six years writing songs, but I’ve stayed in New Orleans longer than anywhere. Finally sitting still has given me some insight into all of the wild running around I’ve done, which makes sense in the music,” he says.

Just as the Ringling Brothers’ circus has evolved into Cirque du Soleil, Dirty Bourbon River Show is in musical flux. “We’re getting more into funk and folk styles, as well as some Latin beats, Cajun reggae, and Italian hip-hop,” says Adams. “It’s important for us to be constantly exploring and spreading musical styles around.”
- Offbeat Magazine

If there’s anything the Loyola-bred band Dirty Bourbon River Show wants people to leave their shows with, it’s the knowledge that it won’t be the last they will see of the group.

The five musicians — accompanied by their co-manager and over a dozen instruments — have played over 50 shows around New Orleans since forming last spring. They recently released their first album, “Volume One,” opened a show for Rebirth Brass Band at Tipitina’s during Carnival and now they’ve been booked for the South by Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas this March.

Among the self-proclaimed “gypsy band,” only one member is a New Orleans native — drummer and percussionist Dane “Bootsy” Schindler, mass communication junior. He and music industry business senior Noah Adams, who is the main songwriter, lead vocalist, piano, guitar and harmonica player, began playing together under the name “Buck Johnson and the Hootenanny Kid” last year after Adams transferred to Loyola.

Before that, Adams lived in Portland, Ore., and California, and then traveled through Thailand and China before being drawn to New Orleans to work on his music education.

“My grandpa played music, and he told me all sorts of wild stories about New Orleans,” Adams said. “I took some road trips and passed through before and after Katrina. It just felt natural (to come back). There are so many good musicians here, you have to be on your stuff.”

It didn’t take Adams long to find some of those musicians. Over time, the band picked up Charles “Big Charlie” Skinner, performance sophomore and backup vocalist, jazz studies junior Wayne Mitchell on tenor and soprano saxophone, flute, clarinet, electric guitar and piano, and Jimmy Williams, A ’09, on upright and electric bass, tuba and sousaphone. Adams had already found his co-manager, merchandising manager and tour manager in his dorm roommate, music industries business junior Clay Miller. After a brief break from working with the band, Miller is back and said he is in it for the long haul.

“The goal, it sounds kind of cliché, is to be able to do this once we graduate,” Miller said. “If we can do that, we’ve already succeeded.”

They started like many other Loyola-based groups, playing smaller venues around the city before working their way up the food chain.

“We started playing shows almost every other weekend at Café Prytania,” Adams said, “and we got Tipitina’s through that.”

“A lot of people get stuck in a rut with Café Prytania and The Neutral Ground, but now we tend to get these big venues,” Skinner said. They have since played The Dragon’s Den, One Eyed Jack’s, The Howlin’ Wolf and the Blue Nile — just to name a few.

But they haven’t forgotten their roots in the small spots. Their most recent big gig — opening for Rebirth Brass Band Feb. 12 at Café Prytania — was, for Williams, a pinnacle of their success.

“I really admire Rebirth,” Williams, said. “I got here and they were basically the first brass band I got into.”

Williams, a big fan of jazz, brass and funk music, also hones his talents in a separate brass band, and teaches children to play string instruments as part of the New Orleans String Project.

The Dirty Bourbon River Show’s sound is large — sometimes haunting and always unusual; each song is drastically different from the one before it. The array of instruments, welded together with guttural vocals à la Tom Waits, is the only accompaniment to the show and musicians themselves.

And once people hear it, they can’t seem to get enough of it.

“When (people) first hear the music they’re kind of skeptical about what they hear, then they sit down and listen to it,” Skinner said. “It’s a beautiful disaster, it’s great and terrible at the same time. It’s definitely the kind of work I enjoy doing.”

Since the release of “Volume One,” the band is busy creating new songs and preparing for an upcoming Gulf Coast tour, which coincides with South by Southwest.

“We’re working on a whole other set that Noah and I have written together,” Skinner said.

But bigger change has to come at its own pace, according to Adams.

“Right now, it’s very appropriate with the five of us and I’m very wary of tinkering with it,” Adams said. “I would love to one day incorporate an orchestra, but it’s working very well with a five piece. Maybe one day, when the band’s ready. But I think we’re all really happy with the way with things are.”

Luckily enough, they have time until then. Though they’ve only been playing together for about a year, they already get along like old friends and respect each other’s contributions.

“Noah’s got his very crazy demeanor; he’s always 100 percent all the time,” Williams said. “Wayne’s like that too, he’s got his colorful flourishes.”

“Wayne, if you see him play, he’s just a beast,” Adams said. “Bootsy ties the rhythm together; he’s good at that New Orleans sound.”

“I’ve learned so much about interacting with people being in this band,” said Skinner. “We’re all very different types of people. You throw all of us in a room together, you can have some damn interesting conversations. They’re my boys, they’re my Wu Tang Clan.” - The Maroon