by Phillip Smith
PhillyCheeze Interviews Buckmiller/Schwager
By Phillip Smith; Nov. 7, 2023
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com
Interview date : Nov. 7, 2023 Phillip Smith aka PhillyCheeze interviews Tom Buckmiller and Brian Schwager of the Des Moines-based blues act Buckmiller Schwager Band.
Buckmiller
Schwager Band
Live at XBK
2023 – Buckmiller Schwager
Band
By Phillip Smith; Sep. 2, 2023
After nearly a year and a half
since the release of Buckmiller Schwager’s debut album To Memphis and
Back, the Iowa boys have returned with a fabulous new album Live
at XBK. XBK, where this performance
was recorded on April 6, 2023, is a 250-seat entertainment venue/listening room
in the Drake neighborhood of Des Moines. Performed with a full band comprised of
vocalist/guitarist Tom Buckmiller, guitarist Brian Schwager, drummer
Larry Mersereau and bassist Eric Smidt, this album of new songs,
favorites, and covers wonderfully captures the electric essence of their live
shows.
The set starts off in a bodacious way with their smoking original “Thrill of the Thrill”. Schwager lets loose on guitar with a searing performance, and it sounds great. Their cover of Luther Allison’s “Cherry Red Wine” steals my heart as I feel every note navigate right into my being. The mood swings one hundred eighty degrees to their rocking anthem “These Are the Good Days”. This one keeps me focused on the bright side of life. Schwager ushers in a vibrant boogie shuffle on John Lee Hooker’s “Boom Boom”, with Buckmiller delightfully delivering his deep growly vocals. I love the sampler platter of music they serve on “Keeping the Blues Alive”. This mini class on the genre brings a smile my face as they cover various styles of blues as found in different regions of America : Chicago, West Coast, Texas, and Detroit.
If the new originals are a taste of what’s to come on Buckmiller Schwager’s next studio album, I am all-in. Live at XBK has been on heavy-rotation in my ear-pods for the past couple of weeks, and I don’t think that will change any time soon.
For more information about the artist, visit this website : https://www.buckmillerschwager.com/
Check out other
PhillyCheeze reviews for Buckmiller Schwager Band at : https://phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com/search?q=Buckmiller+Schwager
Click on the link below
to purchase this terrific album from Bandcamp.
2021 – Buckmiller Schwager
By Phillip Smith; Mar. 5, 2022
Original source : phillycheezeblues.blogspot.com
Together Tom Buckmiller
and Brian Schwager are taking the Iowa blues scene by storm with
their original working-man blues. This
Des Moines, Iowa – based blues duo pulled down first place in the 2021 Iowa
Blues Challenge Solo/Duo category, securing their entry into the
2022 International Blues Challenge in Memphis, Tennessee coming up in
May. Buckmiller has authored
three blues books and teaches a class on the Blues at Drake University. Schwager, lead guitarist and
multi-instrumentalist, has a list of influences which reads like my record
collection, naming guitar legends such as BB King, Jimmy Page , Eric
Clapton, Keith Richards, and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He has shared the stage with acts Blake
Shelton, Thomas Rhett and Eli Young Band. To Memphis and Back maintains a high level
of excellence both lyrically and performance-wise on all ten songs.
A big dose of swampy slide blues leads the record in on “Whisky Man” before becoming electrified, Texas-style. Buckmiller’s vocals take charge as Schwager absolutely rips it up. “Thrill of the Thrill” intensifies the pace, and steps it up a notch, making for a barn-burner of a song. A lush bluesy groove rolls in and hangs tight on “Tylenol and Templeton”. This salute to hair-of-the-dog remedies proudly displays its Iowa roots with the mention of Templeton Rye. Templeton was a total whisky game-changer in the state, touting a recipe that originated during the prohibition era and was supposedly enjoyed by Al Capone. Topped off with horns and a hip soulful rhythm, “These Are the Good Days” catches me off guard in a very good kind of way. The Velvet Underground vibe is absolutely delightful. The album closes out with “Time To Come Home (Memphis Mix)” which absolutely cooks. Heavy doses of resonator guitar, and hard-driving, George Thorogood-friendly riffs bring this one to a boil. It’s plumb terrific.
“To Memphis and Back” is a solid-as-hell album, and I certainly look forward to hearing more from Buckmiller Schwager in the future.
For more information about these artist, visit their
websites :
https://www.tombuckmillerblues.com/
https://www.brianschwager.com/
Available on Bandcamp
