It's a Wrap!

The recording of our new CD is complete!  Since the last post on Dino's rhythm guitars:

• Danno ripped through the bass tracks on his Thunderbird including chords, harmonies and other fancy finger-work that will make for a deep, rich sound.
• Next Dino delivered, as usual, on lead guitars including an incredible array of solos.  Most of it was with his trusty Les Paul Custom, but he also borrowed a new Telecaster from Chris at Belle City Sound for a different guitar voice on some embellishments.
• After that, Danno was back in the hot seat for the vocal tracks.  We play a wider variety of song styles on this CD and Danno brought the right vocal tool for the job on each and every one of them.
• Last but not least, we teamed-up for some "Gang Vocals", which amounted to all of us shouting a key phrase in a key song over & over again in a relatively non-musical way, which was perfect for me.  I'm sure you'll agree my non-musical shouts were the best......you can tell.

This leaves all our material in the more-than-capable hands of Chris Wisco at Belle City Sound, whose work we greatly admired on our first, self-titled CD.  Like HWY 13, Chris rocks and we can't wait to hear what he can do with a bigger/better studio and some new equipment to work with.  In a few weeks we should get our rough mixes to listen through to see if there's any remaining adjustments to be made before it's carved in stone.   

We should also give a shout-out to Chris' daughter (aka "Mini Me") who definitely kept things from getting too serious in the studio.  It was all fun & games, though, until she sat in Chris' chair while he left the room for a few minutes, declared herself "The Boss" because she was sitting in the boss' chair now, and ordered me to put on a tutu.  Sorry kid, I may be a rock & roll drummer but I still have my dignity!

In any case, the hard part is over and we're happy to have it all off our minds in time for the Christmas & New Years holidays with our families.  Next gig is Saturday, January 11 at the Blue Rock in Racine, so best wishes to you for a happy holiday season, hope to see you on the 11th and keep rockin!                 

Rhythm's In!

With his trusty Les Paul Custom and an ample supply of Mountain Dew, Dino polished-off the recording of his rhythm guitars for our next CD on Friday.  If you're a follower of Dino's playing, you know he doesn't just find a style of guitar playing, he IS a style of guitar playing.  It's amazing how many other great players in town tell me they were inspired to rock at the level they're at either by playing in a band with Dino, jamming with him on the side or just watching him in action over the years.  Regardless of the band you remember him in, they were all great and they all had one thing in common...Dino!  

Next on the recording docket is bass tracks and if you hear thunder later today, don't run for the basement and hide under a sturdy table, it'll be Danno launching the heavy artillery with his Thunderbird rockin' the house at Belle City Sound.  Bass takes on a whole new meaning in a power trio and when you bring on Danno, you've opened up a whole can of "whup-ass" in the rhythm section.  

As for me I'm still in "consulting mode" with the drum tracks finished a week ago, and I'm successfully taking mental notes on us for the blog during the recording process.  Let me clarify.........I'm mentally taking notes about our success in the recording process, not successfully taking notes about our recording process being mental.  Now that I cleared that up, thanks again for tuning into the blog and keep rockin'!
  

The Beat Goes On...

No, the title of this post doesn't mean we're covering Sonny & Cher songs now.  The title refers to the completion of phase 1 of making our new CD, which is recording the drum tracks.  This is where the band plays together like a live gig, only you're not playing for drinkers while drinking and hearing everything distorted through crappy PA's & monitors. In this case, we were playing for one of the best producer/engineers in the business, Chris Wisco...and at his new & improved studio at Belle City Sound, you could hear and play everything perfectly tuned and balanced.

Making CD's is one of the few times drummers have the best job in rock & roll.  The rest of the band has to play all the attempts it takes to get the drum tracks right, then all their hard work gets tossed with only the drum tracks being saved.  Next, they have to do it all over again & again to record their various parts off the edited drum tracks.  All this, while "Yours Truly" kicks back on the comfy couch with a cold one and offers free advice on their work in progress.

In HWY 13's case, the drummer has an an even better job because his partner in rhythm...bass player Danno Armstrong...writes 98% of the songs.  Almost all our songs come from a riff or beat that one of us tripped over during a warm-up, but it's Danno who ultimately puts the complete package together with structure, lyrics and grooves that a drummer can truly feast on.  Also, Dino is such a great lead guitar player you almost forget what a great rhythm guitarist he is to play with.  Well played sirs!  

With such great songs & players to work with, we were able to get all the necessary drum tracks done in only two takes, with the first take selected for use on every song but two. As for the drumming itself, you never know how you're going to sound to the listener, especially without being able to hear all the other parts wrapped around it.  I can say, however, that the drumming felt good while I was playing, and as usual I tried to keep the beat strong & steady while mixing-in enough syncopation (off-beat stuff) to keep it from being too predictable or cliche song after song.  

You can be the judge when it's done, or you can get a sneak preview of the new songs at our upcoming gig Saturday January 11 at the Blue Rock in downtown Racine.  Thanks again for tuning into the blog and keep rockin'! 

                   

Thirteen on the Thirteenth

As expected, we'll be playing our last "thirteen on the thirteenth" gig this year on the last Friday the 13th of this year......yes folks it's HWY 13, 12/13/13 at Motor Alley, 1402 52nd St. in Kenosha (one block west of 13th Ave.!).  This time we'll be hitting the stage with Kenosha rock legends 38DD (pictured below) featuring the amazing Jamey Buencamino on guitar and the front-man of all front-men, Pat Garrett, on vocals.  These guys rrraawwkk! and Motor Alley is a great venue where players & fans can get "up-close & personal" in the stage area, and on the other side of the wall, get properly fed & lubricated at their full bar with food service.  We'll be looking forward to rocking one of our favorite venues with one of our favorite bands this coming Friday the 13th, and you should too.              

As noted in the last blog, we'll be going into the studio the very next day to start recording our 2nd CD.  We'll be placing ourselves in the capable hands of Chris Wisco at his new & improved recording studio at Belle City Sound.  Chris did a great job of capturing the power of HWY 13's sound on our self-titled debut CD and it'll be great to hear what he brings out of us on our new material...songs that include a couple of rockabilly-type rockers and a murder ballad to boot!  The fun begins Saturday the 14th by laying down the drum tracks.  

As always, we'll keep you posted on our progress and thanks again for tuning into the blog!  We've had well over 5,000 page views since our first posting back in March 2012 and we hope you've had as much fun reading about our exploits as we've had living them. Hope to see you all at Motor Alley on Friday the 13th and keep rockin'!                  

Thanksgiving!

Before we get started, we have a few upcoming gigs:

• This Wednesday night, November 27 at McAuliffe's Pub, 3700 Meachem Rd. on the south side of Racine. 
• Friday, December 13 (13 on the 13th!) with 38DD at Motor Alley in Kenosha
• Saturday, January 11 with the Blood Skulls at Blue Rock in Racine

I promised Tim I wasn't going to do this, but I'm a salesman and my lips were moving.  It'll be impossible not to notice we'll be carrying-on as a three-piece band (we just got our new health insurance premiums & deductibles, you know!).  Seriously, the four of us had a "meeting" as far as our wives know and we mutually agreed it was a good idea to part ways as a four-piece band, leaving Danno, Dino and me as a three-piece.  

Tim is a man of many talents and...proving once again that "no good deed goes unpunished"... Tim is in high demand from many different directions as a craftsman at his full-time job with a long commute, as one of the best sound men in the business with his sound company, as a musician with many great musical ideas that deserve a stage of their own (check-out Some on the HWY 13 CD) and most importantly, as a friend and family man.  HWY 13's sound comes from everybody that's ever been in the band including Johnny Sehlnik, Rick "The Hammer" Shepard and, of course, Tim Thilleman. Tim has a great ear for music, great playing ability, a great work ethic and his fingerprints are all over our sound on the HWY 13 CD, so thanks for everything Tim!

Going forward you're going to get HWY 13 with the raw sound of a three-piece.  Danno's songs aren't for the faint of heart and, delivered as a  three-piece, it's a musical left jab to the face...simple, straight forward and it'll get your attention in a hurry!  If anything, you're going to get a "second helping" of Dino on guitars...which ain't the worst thing in the world either.  In December we'll be diving into the studio with the fabulous Chris Wisco at Belle City Sound for our second CD, so stay tuned to the blog for further updates, hope  to see you at our upcoming gigs and keep rocking!  

ow...ow...owOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo...

Count Floyd says this one's going to be reeeal scary kids!  We're talking a virtual "Monster, Chiller, Horror Theater" of music this Saturday night October 26 at Motor Alley, 1402 52nd Street in Kenosha, for their 2nd annual Halloween Bash.  The thrills begin 8 pm with great rock & roll featuring:

• The Ugly, an unholy mixture of horror-punk...like Slayer meets The Beatles
• HWY 13, voted the best HWY 13 cover band...ever!
• The Gravetones, a great punk/goth/surf rock stew in a hot broth of rockabilly

There's also a "PsychoBetty Cash Prize Costume Contest" so dress-up like something you're not (responsible adults in our case) and you may actually leave the bar with more money than you arrived with!  As for us, we're putting together a set list for the occasion that features more of our rockabilly-type originals & covers.

We promise you, thrill-seekers, that this is going to be scarier than Dr. Tongue's 3-D House of Stewardesses, or even Blood Sucking Monkeys from West Mifflin, PA...which won a fright award in 1978...and had blood-sucking baby monkeys dropped from a rocket ship from space...and they grew up and started jumping on the farmers and eating them...then they jumped on a freight train into a nice suburb of Pittsburgh...where they practically ate the whole city...until the Air Force dropped an A-bomb and killed them...and That's Scary!

Thanks again for tuning into the blog, see you at Motor Alley Saturday night and keep rockin!  ow...ow...owOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo....      

Fall Schedule

After a highly successful & enjoyable pre-HarleyFest gig at the Route 20 Outhouse (R2O) with EZ Livin', we're happy to report the R2O has developed into one of the best live music venues in the area with a great bar, menu, stage, light & sound system.  One of our fans who's not afraid to tell me when I've had a bad night...my wife...said we never sounded better, so thanks go to Steve Hawkins at the R2O for his expertise at the controls and herding us cats.

One of the lesser-known laws of nature (For lack of an official name we'll call it "Norm's Law".) holds that as the Fall & Winter temperatures drop, there is an equal-but-opposite increase in the urge to go to a pub for some good times with friends & neighbors over a few drinks.  We're in no position to fool with Mother Nature, so to satisfy these primitive instincts HWY13 has booked 2 new gigs starting this weekend:

• 8 pm Saturday, Oct. 5 at Hatttrix in Kenosha 2425 60th St. with 38DD and Lyden Moon
• Saturday, Oct. 26 at Motor Alley in Kenosha with The GraveTones for a Halloween party

So get out of the house for some great live rock by some great local bands, before the shit-storm known as Winter in Wisconsin rears its ugly head!  Thanks again for tuning-in to the blog and keep rockin'!  

Get Your Motor Runnin'!

It's been a while since our last update, so in case you were wondering we took most of July off as a band for a musical vacation.  This allowed us to pursue our other interests, which  basically amounts to carousing and naps...not to mention our day jobs.  That said, we did hold a few practices, worked on some new material and ended July with a nice gig at the Lily Lake Resort. Can't wait until vacation is over so we can get back to our usual routine and do some serious slacking-off!

Next on the docket is the Route 20 Outhouse's celebration of Harley Davidson's 110th Anniversary, with a no-cover-charge "pre-HarleyFest" party on Thursday night, August 29.  Our advice to you, is to take that Friday off for Labor Day/HarleyFest Weekend, and get it started on the right foot Thursday night with great food, beverages and live rock & roll.  If you're into Harley's, there'll be a museum's-worth in the lot near the outdoor stage. HWY 13 will be rocking the house from 7 to 11 pm with our old friends & classic rockers, EZ Livin'.

Route 20 Outhouse Harley-Davidson 110th Anniversary Celebration

For details, click on the link above or check-out our "Upcoming Gigs" section at the upper-left of the blog.  So "get your motor runnin'" for some "heavy metal thunder" on the 29th, and thanks again for tuning into the blog.  We've had over 4,000 page views, with the post featuring Dino titled "Amped Up" getting the most views...yet another example of guitar players getting all  the attention!       

Top Heavy

Headlamps will be on high beam and pointed toward Hattrix Bar, 2425 60th St. in Kenosha, where HWY 13 is honored to open for 38DD's self-titled CD release party this Saturday night June 8 starting at 9 pm.  Featuring the amazing Jamie Buencamino on guitar, 38DD gives you more than two handfuls of industrial-grade metal in a tight, explosive live act.  We teamed-up with 38DD last December at Motor Alley in Kenosha, and our bands' sound fit together like two puppies under a blanket.

If it's merchandise you want, in addition to the new 38DD CD, we'll bring our own supply of HWY 13 CD's for $5, and new-logo men's & women's t-shirts for $15.  Proceeds will go toward a second CD of new originals, some of which we'll be playing Saturday.  So if you're groping for something to do Saturday night, shimmy on over to Hattrix Bar to see some great live rock and support the local music scene.  Thanks again for staying abreast of things by tuning in to the blog and keep rockin'!   

At Witts End

First, sorry about last Saturday's gig at McAuliffe's On The Square getting cancelled.  No, our drummer didn't choke on somebody else's vomit...but we were a bit worried why they announced they were temporarily closing so abruptly just before our gig. Given the recent news we thought either:

1. The IRS slammed their doors shut because one of their agents found-out they were serving Long Island Iced-"Teas"...., or
2. Black Ops swooped-in after The Justice Department wire-tapped their phone and heard one of their bartenders whisper..."The conservatives ain't so bad."

Needless to say, we were happy to hear from J.J. that the Feds had nothing to do with it, and that they simply needed to close for some necessary improvements.  We'll try to reschedule our gig with 3 Car Collision within a month or so at McAulifffe's on the south side, so stay tuned on that.

In the meantime, Summer weather has finally made a few appearances just in time for Memorial Day weekend...unless of course you live within 5 miles of Lake Michigan where the weather is more like Thanksgiving Day......in Saskatchewan!  The best thing to do around here this time of year is to "Go West!" for some fun in a better climate.

And wouldn't you know it?  The new & improved Witts End is about 9 miles west of Lake Michigan at 11601 Hwy G in Caledonia.  And wouldn't you know it?  Next Saturday, May 25 they're hosting a Memorial Day Weekend Bash with live music at 8 pm by HWY 13 and the amazing rockabilly & showmanship of Steve Crucianelli and Old Junk.  We rocked Motor Alley in Kenosha with Old Junk back in April and they are definitely one of the best local live acts you'll see, and an absolute hoot to jam with.  

Witts End just had their first anniversary under new ownership and over the last year they've made it into one of Racine County's best outdoor entertainment venues with a full-sized band stand, bar area and plenty of room for boot-scootin' all under roof.  With preferred parking for bikers, it's a great place for beverages and a pizza after a long ride...and if you have a designated driver and Memorial Day off, you've got 48 hours to recover from a really good time there. 

So thanks again for tuning-in to the blog, sorry about the last-minute cancellation at McAuliffe's On The Square, hope to see you Saturday May 25 at Witts End.......and whatever you do.....don't use the words "tea" or "party" in the same sentence in any written communications to our band.....oops.....Keep rockin'!

Just Like Downtown...

HWY 13 will be rocking McAuliffe's on the Square, 213 6th St. on the south end of Monument Square in downtown Racine this Saturday night May 18.  Opening will be 3 Car Collision, a hard rock/alternative band of talented young musicians out of Union Grove. They've got an impressive list of original songs & covers, and word is they put on one helluva live act so we're pretty pumped-up for this gig!

One thing most of us have in common is we have mothers.  If there was a motherhood version of the military's Purple Heart, it should go to all the mothers of rock & roll musicians.  In the military, they are awarded to soldiers that are wounded by an instrument of war in the hands of the enemy.  If that doesn't sound like a mother losing her patience, hearing or mind by an Ampeg, Marshall or Slingerland in the hands of a deadbeat teenager I don't know what does.  So on this Mother's Day 2013, HWY 13 salutes our mothers....SALUTE!!!

Thanks again for tuning into the blog, hope to see all you mothers down at McAuliffe's on the Square Saturday night and keep rocking!!  

     

Back on Top

Once again, HWY 13 takes top billing over "ATM Inside" at George's, 1201 N. Main St., this Saturday night April 27.  Opening around 9 pm (musician time) will be The Blood Skulls, a really good alternative rock band from Racine.  Unless I'm nuts (no comments!), we jammed with them at their very first gig back in November 2010 at Hattrix in Kenosha.  I think "Help Wanted, Inquire Inside" took top billing at that one.  Either way, since then they've honed their aggressive, guitar-laced performances playing several shows at some of the best venues in Milwaukee & SE Wisconsin.  They have also released their debut CD, Lovecult, which I'm sure you'll have a chance to hear and/or purchase at the gig.

Down the road, we'll be playing and selling our CD's Saturday May 18 at McAuliffe's on The Square in Racine (closing for "Happy Hour"), and then on Memorial Day weekend, Saturday May 25, at Witt's End in Caledonia (twin billing with "Brats & Beans").  In the meantime, come see HWY 13 with The Blood Skulls at Geroge's this Saturday night the 27th.  The bridge is open and the glacier is receding...let the good times roll!

Motorin' Down to K-Town

Had a great time jamming at Joey's on Taylor for Savage Bash...right up until 5-0 knocked on the door to tell us we were violating various unspecified noise statutes.  With only one song left in the final set, we thought about sneaking it in anyway but apparently noise statutes are more strictly enforced after 1 am and we decided not to tempt fate by rattling the windows with Ace of Spades.  Even so, it was a great gig at a great place, and our thanks go to Sarah Savage for inviting us to rock her birthday party, and to a new band in town, Casual Head, for warming-up the crowd.  Next year we'll bring a couple dozen doughnuts in case we start smelling bacon after midnight.

Next up is one of our occasional "13 on the 13th" gigs, 9pm Saturday night April 13th at Motor Alley, a way cool rockabilly bar at 1402 52nd St. in Kenosha.  Also rockin' the house will be Old Junk, with the amazing Steve Crucianelli on bass & vocals.  Old Junk is one helluva "slap 'n wiggle"-type rockabilly band, which is one of the earliest forms of rock & roll.  They're guaranteed to get the crowd shakin' with their own interpretation of hits from the likes of Elvis, Johnny Burnette and Gene Vincent.

We first gigged Motor Alley last December with the fabulous Jamie Buencamino and 38DD.  The place must have rubbed-off on us as, soon after, we came up with our new rockabilly-type song called Wild One.  So get in the spirit!  Grow your rockabilly sideburns (ladies excluded), knock-out a few teeth, bring your cousins and howl at the moon with HWY 13 and Old Junk down at Motor Alley on the 13th.

Thanks again for tuning in to the blog and keep rockin!   

March 23 Savage Bash!

HWY 13 hits the stage again this Saturday night March 23 at Joey's on Taylor, 1863 Taylor Ave. Racine, for the lovely and talented (and young!) Sarah Savage's @#*% 'th birthday.  This is a no-cover show and we'll be rocking the house with another great local band, Casual Head, opening at 8 pm.  Sara's one of our favorites behind the bar before and/or after practice, so it will be our pleasure working for her for a change.

Unless you're a slab of salmon, age really doesn't matter.  As the wise old philosopher Tom Petty once said, "If you're not getting older you're dead."  All women should embrace their age with enthusiasm, and if not, we're willing to serve!

Another thing that isn't decomposing yet is our list of original songs.  We've been spending a fair amount of practice time working on new material and last Monday we recorded a practice CD of 7 new original songs that are about 87.9% figured-out.  We have a couple more riffs that are about 12.1% figured-out and a couple more that are right around the corner if we continue listening to the voices in our heads.

All this, plus songs from the HWY 13 CD and some cover songs we haven't played for a while should make Savage Bash at Joey's on Taylor a Saturday night to remember.  Hope to see you  there  Saturday night, thanks for tuning in to the blog and keep rocking!      

    

Well Played Sir!

Can't say enough about our Dino.  Spends a week out of town mourning the loss of his mother, catches a red-eye flight home so he's back in time for a charity gig, shows-up at Thoughts for Food with little sleep, no practice, no 2nd guitar player...and promptly knocks the ball right out of the park with his guitar!  We're not big on slathering compliments on each other, but Dino rocks and it's an honor to be in the band with him.

That said, you can only imagine what Dino's capable of with a full band, a good night's rest and 2 weeks of HWY 13's rigorous practice regimen.  You'll get that chance Saturday night March 23 at Joey's on Taylor, 1863 Taylor Ave. in Racine, with Casual Head opening at 8 pm.  This is a no-cover birthday bash for Sarah Savage, one of Joey's finest bartenders and one of HWY 13's favorite "advisers" at our post-practice strategy sessions at Joey's on Lathrop.  Should be a great gig and, again, no cover!

We'd also like to thank our HWY 13 blog followers as we've now had over 3,000 page views from 10 different countries.  We try to capture the sights, the sounds...the smells of a hard-working rock & roll band, but most of the content is about us instead.  Either way, we hope you enjoy reading about the band and what's going on behind the music.

Hope to see you at Joey's on the 23rd & Keep Rockin'!!!       

                     

Mark Your Calendars!

Saturday, March 2 from 7 pm to 2 am will be the 21st Thoughts for Food multi-venue benefit concert for the Racine County Food Bank.  As of today's schedule there will be 53 bands & DJ's performing at 15 venues within a few blocks of the lakefront up & down Main St. in Racine from Monument Square on the south end, to the River North neighborhood........on the north end.  Last year's event raised about $18K and a ton of food for the Food Bank.  Tickets are $10 and you are also strongly encouraged to bring 2 non-perishable food items.

HWY 13 will be playing from 10-11:15 pm at the Eagles Club Downstairs, 319 Hamilton St. on the SE corner of Main & Hamilton, just north of the Main St. bridge.  We'll be playing hits from our HWY 13 CD, some pre-CD hits, some post-CD hits-to-come, and a cover hit or two.  Any more hits and we'll need a ride home and 4 frozen pizzas!

If the lines outside the Eagles Club to see HWY 13 are too long, there's plenty of other great local bands playing many types of music...all donating their time, effort & talent for the cause.  Click on the link below to see the latest schedule and find your favorite bands & venues.

Thoughts for Food Schedule

Times are still tough and the Racine County Food Bank's mission is as important as ever. This is a great opportunity to help your neighbors in need, and have a great time with your friends hearing some truly great local musicians.  So mark your calendars for March 2, thanks for tuning-in to the blog and keep rockin! 

It's Our Year!

...and another lap around the sun brings us to the 13th year of the 3rd millennium...2013! The superstitious may worry about bad luck in a year ending in 13, so our team of researchers scanned the headlines from 1913 to see if musicians suffered any particular hardships that year.  Following were the major events:

• The 16th Amendment, the federal income tax (only 1%!!!), was ratified.  As this tax was based on "earned income", musicians weren't affected much.
• Henry Ford invented the assembly line, which became the basic songwriting process for bands like Boston, Nickelback & Coldplay.
• Gideon Sundback of Sweden patented the zipper and Mary Phelps Jacobs patented the modern elastic brassiere, both of which greatly enhanced the quality of life for both musicians and groupies. 
• Harry Brearly invented stainless steel, which made premature instrument corrosion due to spilled drinks and other people's vomit a thing of the past.

As you can see 1913 was a great year for musicians!  With our current CD and a number of really good new songs in the works, we're looking forward to 2013 being a great year for the band and our fans.  Our calendar is open the next few weeks so we can put the finishing touches on the new songs and come-up with a few more.  After that, we'll re-start the gigging machine in hopes of saving some dough for a follow-up CD.

Thanks again for supporting HWY 13 & local music in 2012, and we hope you have a happy & healthy new year in 2013.  Stay tuned for updates and, as always,...keep rockin!