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| The Blue Dogs > Albums & Lyrics |
2002 marks the 15th year of the Blue Dogs, the roots-rock band based in
Charleston SC, and they are celebrating with a live CD release, their seventh from their own Black River Records label.
Live at the Florence Little Theatre was recorded in May of 1998 in Florence SC, the hometown of lead vocalist/guitarist Bobby Houck and bassist/vocalist Hank Futch, before an intimate theatre audience of 500. The 17-song set features acoustic and electric sets including unreleased and reworked original songs as well as choice covers. Former members of the band appear as special guests. According to Houck, "This CD has on it probably some of the best live band performances that we've ever found on tape--we were on that night, and the recording is great. Plus the unreleased acoustic songs will give our fans something new and exciting to listen to." The CD was made available to fans in November of 2001, and then was released in stores on 02.12.02.
2001 and Rockstar2K
Over the past year, Blue Dogs continued to tour and perform, primarily in the southeast. The band performed on the bill with artists such as Bruce Hornsby, Edwin McCain, Hootie and the Blowfish, Pete Yorn, 311 and more. In addition, Charleston radio station WAVF (96 Wave) submitted the band as its nominee for "best unsigned band" in a contest with 40 other bands from around the country. The contest was sponsored by Rockstar2K, the artist development/marketing arm of the New York-based McGathy Company.
The Blue Dogs took first place in the internet-only vote and performed in the final round with four other bands at CBGB in NYC on September 8th. Although they did not take home the final prize, the band regrouped to begin work on new material and to prepare for nationwide touring in 2002.
Letters From Round O: 1999-2000
The band's last studio recording, Letters From Round O, produced by Cracker front man David Lowery (fresh from producing Counting Crows and Joan Osborne), was released in October of 1999 to rave critical reviews and 30-something AAA radio adds. Round O sold so many CD's in the first week of release, that the band landed at #20 on the adult alternative chart next to Dave Matthews, Sting, and Natalie Merchant. Newspapers from the Denver Post to the Washington Post, Athens GA's Flagpole to music web-zines both at home and international gave the recording high marks. Album Network said: "Every now and again a CD by an unknown artist grabs me and reminds me why I’m in the music business." The band spent the better part of year 2000 touring in support of the record, hitting markets from South Carolina to Salt Lake City, including Colorado, Texas, Chicago, and New York.
Blue Dogs: 1997-1998
In 1996, the band entered the Washington DC studio of producer John Alagia (Dave Matthews Band, Vertical Horizon, and most recently John Mayer), and the result was the band’s first album of original music, Blue Dogs, which was released in March of 1997. The CD caught the ear of Chicago's Aware Records staff, who included "I'd Give Anything" on the Aware 5 compilation . The subsequent six-week Aware Tour in early ’98 throughout the Midwest featured Blue Dogs with Train and Pat McGee Band. Snippets of songs could be heard on MTV shows, and two independent films included Dogs music in their scores.
Again, their home radio station, WAVF-96WAVE, gave the band support from the beginning and in 1997-98 spun "I'd Give Anything" and "Long Gone Goodbye" over 1500 times. As a result the band moved 10,000 copies in a year, and radio play made them the best seller out of all records at one local Charleston record chain.
They followed up with a live recording from one night in 1998 called For The Record, marking the debut of current guitarist David Stewart'and showing the band at their gritty best in a club setting.
Early Days
Blue Dogs have evolved around the long time friendship of Houck and Futch, who first met in the Cub Scouts. They were reintroduced through music later in high school and performed together sporadically during college days, joining forces for good in the Blue Dogs in the late 80's. Drummer/percussionist Greg Walker, originally from Charlotte NC, joined the band in 1993. Electric guitarist/vocalist David Stewart came to the band in 1998 out of Winston-Salem NC.
They released three CD's early in their career -- Music for Dog People (1991), Soul Dogfood (1993) and Live at the Dock Street Theatre (1995). These are essentially homegrown affairs, smaller budget recordings that reflect their early days and their roots, and feature unusual cover songs mixed with some originals.
Thanks to Kyle Clayton for submitting the biography.
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