Les Gallier

BRIAN CAPPS AND THE PRISON KEYS/THE DOMINO KINGS

(June 27, 2014; LUTTRELL’S AUCTION BARN/PATTON ALLEY PUB, Springfield, MO)

Springfield, Missouri, is probably not the kind of town that most folks not in the know would consider a significant music center. However, in the past decade or so, the city has evolved, grown and given rise to an astonishing number of gifted musicians; you can’t throw a stone in the town without hitting some talented player. Locals tend to take their own talent for granted, and the major musicians in the city are modest and self-deprecating to a fault. Nonetheless, you can go hear some fantastic music in Springfield almost any night of the week, and any music connoisseur NOT from the town might be surprised by the number of amazing talents who reside there.

This is only one reason I head for Springfield at least a few times a year, and there is ALWAYS some concert of interest; I miss way more than I ever catch. One of my very favorite local acts is Brian Capps, a Lebanon (less than an hour to the northeast of Springfield) native who nonetheless is a regular on the Springfield circuit and plays with several different groups of musicians in town, as well as being a touring member of Branson On the Road throughout the US. The chance to see Capps play in two different configurations in one night (something a lot of dedicated local musicians seem to do down there) was too good to pass up, and so I headed down I-44 bent on losing myself in some awesome, rootsy tunefulness during a rather stressful time. Talk about the healing power of music! Up first was Brian Capps and the Prison Keys, who on the surface appear to perform traditional country music and vintage rock and roll for a predominantly older crowd (certainly the case here at Luttrell’s Auction Barn). The odd little structure, on the west side of Springfield, is literally an auction house AND music venue, where bluegrass and old-timey country artists play semi-regularly to small but enthusiastic crowds.

The Prison Keys are a quintet but were missing one member this particular night. No matter; any long-time follower of music hatched in Missouri would naturally be thrilled by the fact that two members of this assemblage were also founding members of one of the most memorable acts ever to emerge from the Ozarks – the Skeletons. Donnie Thompson is one of the finest guitarists anywhere around, and can damn near play ANYTHING, which in the Skeletons and another of his past outfits, the Morells, he sure DID. And drummer/vocalist Bobbie Lloyd Hicks is simply a brilliant, staggeringly versatile musician who has toured and played with the likes of Dave Alvin, NRBQ, Jonathan Richman, Robbie Fulks and many others too numerous to mention. Hicks adds layered quirkiness to any band he plays with, and that made a significant difference here. Fiddler John Wynn was also a vital part of the blend. Capps fronted this amiable outfit with his huge, gorgeous blue upright bass and dollops of easy humor. A fantastic singer and charismatic front man, Capps is one of the few musicians I’ve ever seen who is able to effortlessly charm listeners of all ages. Fans were treated to pleasing if sometimes low-key versions of Johnny Cash tunes (“Southwind” and “I Guess Things Happen That Way” – it’s worth stating that Capps does a stellar, respectful take on Cash that is never mere imitation but always engaging and familiar), the Marty Robbins’ classic “A White Sport Coat (and a Pink Carnation)”, Chuck Berry’s “You Can’t Catch Me,” Ernest Tubb’s “Waltz Across Texas” (shouted by request, which often happens at these shows and is always gamely agreed to by Capps and company), and Porter Wagoner’s “Woman Hungry,” which Capps humorously decried the somewhat misogynistic lyrics of.

Hicks stole the show several times by spearheading the catchy George Jones classic “Who Shot Sam,” inexplicably singing most of the Chuck Berry classic, “Memphis,” in a mocking early Dylan style (the humor of which may have escaped some of this crowd), launching into the Ventures’ “Wipe Out” with his own unique laugh, and doing a delightful version of “Honey Don’t,” the Carl Perkins tune most people became familiar with when Ringo sang it with the Beatles. As for Capps, who was always gracious and attentive to his audience, each of his turns at the mic brought a new aural pleasure: a hearty version of Don Gibson’s “Sea of Heartbreak,” the Elvis tune “You’re the Devil in Disguise,” his own original “Walk Through Walls,” and the irresistable Gene Vincent classic “Lotta Lovin’,” which in any venue but Luttrell’s likely would’ve packed the dance floor. Guitarist Thompson tended to underplay for this crowd, but had plenty of shining moments nonetheless, notably on several instrumentals and on anything where Hicks’ unique energy cajoled him into something more offbeat. It was all thoroughly entertaining, and the sound was good and volume-balanced. I shouldn’t fail to mention Wynn’s excellent fiddle work either, and a high-energy take on “Orange Blossom Special” was one of his showcase moments.

Most groups would’ve been exhausted after serving up two hours of the trad (quirked up a bit for those of us paying close attention), but in less than an hour, Capps was off to join his other regular outfit, the Domino Kings, at downtown’s Patton Alley Pub. The Kings have been around for 15 plus years, with a few different lineups, but this was the original trio and best incarnation of the band: Capps on upright bass, Steve Newman on guitar and Les Gallier on drums. All three men sing and write songs, and they are absolutely, unquivocally superb musicians. The mild conservatism of the Luttrell’s show gave way to fiery, edgy rock and hard country showmanship at this venue. You know what it’s like to hear a band who have a sound, a unique musical flavor that somehow no one else can duplicate? Well, the Domino Kings have that in spades – a punchy, danceable, ballsy brand of Americana that is loaded with character, unpredictable and physically invigorating. It’s too limiting to call them one of the best trios in Springfield; I’d say they are one of the best rockin’ trios anywhere when they are on. And they were this evening, despite the inexplicably small crowd. Guess there is just too damn much to do in Springfield on a weekend night (including the rowdy Pub Crawl contingent next door to Patton Alley).

The Domino Kings think about gals and relationships a lot; their own songs and their choice of covers deal with issues involving the fairer sex continuously. There is Newman’s rousing “Ballad of Katie,” a staple of their shows; Capps’ wickedly catchy “Alice,” about a girl who is “one bad piece of mean”; the Ronnie Dawson classic “Veronica” (which Newman sang the crap out of) and the laser-sharp Blasters tune “Marie, Marie,” on which Newman’s guitar was flat out incendiary. Newman makes zippy, high-energy electric guitar playing look easy; he doesn’t move that much on stage, but man oh man, the sounds coming out of his guitar certainly do. It’s clean, animated, aggressive fretwork that miraculously always manages to be musical and ear friendly, hardly ever self-indulgent, and that’s no easy trick. Even on a crazed medley that I’ve seen the Kings do many times, a bizarrely diverse sonic summation that has room for the “Jeopardy” theme, a quote from Black Sabbath’s “Iron Man,” “Secret Agent Man” and at least a dozen other pop/rock standards from all eras, Newman exhibits awe-inspiring control and discipline, with Capps and Gallier matching him all the way. Capps has written many of the Kings’ most memorable tunes; performed this night were “Dark Side of Love,” a personal favorite, and the rockin’ “Where Your Lies Stop,” along with what I think is an unrecorded tune called “I Don’t Wanna Forget,” not sure. Capps also shone, as he always does with Johnny Cash stuff, on “Delia’s Gone.”

Gallier also deserves special praise here, not just for the tunes he sang such as “My Mind is Ramblin’” (from the band’s debut, LONESOME HIGHWAY), the snarling “Show Me” and the as yet unreleased “Would You Let Me Be Your Man” and “Some Kind of Power,” but for his laser-point timing. Gallier’s “snare ‘n’ stick” style is utterly distinctive, especially given the relatively small size of his kit; he is truly one of my favorite drummers. If Steve Newman and Brian Capps represent “two distinct types of visionaries” (thank you, Spinal Tap!), Gallier is not merely “lukewarm water,” but instead the unexpectedly zesty third element that often pushes the group into the realm of the sublime. He sings and plays with real gusto. Capps must feel very fortunate to work with no less than TWO of the most interesting singing drummers around. I’d personally put these guys up against any similar act in Nashville or the coast that I’ve heard. Each member of the DKs is a vital, perfectly matched part of a rock-solid entity that really deserve more credit than they get. But they haven’t put a record out since 2005, although a new one is reportedly in the bag. And, audiences are fickle; in that regard, Springfield doesn’t differ much from larger cities. Certainly it should be stated here that the Kings rarely have captured on record how good they are live. Their best album, LIFE PLUS 20, comes close in moments and features a handful of stellar Capps compositions and a smooth Lou Whitney production. But you have to hear these guys live to truly experience their gritty, anchored musicianship at its best. “Lonesome Highway” (a real Americana classic), a newer Newman song called (I think) “The Second Luckiest Guy in This Room”, virtually any Capps tune such as “Alice” and an instrumental called “Thrown Clear,” all have this thing about them, a revved-up, rock and roll-abilly, real-life-reflecting edginess that transcends whatever genre you want to call this stuff. Labels be damned. The Domino Kings BRING IT, baby, and it’s some of the best dancing, drinking, carousing music you can ever hope to hear. They oughta be packin’ these dang bars!

The next day, despite not feeling his best and having played for nearly five hours, Mister Capps was off to the Farmers‘ Market in south Springfield for yet ANOTHER Domino Kings gig, an outdoor deal, one that saw rain bursts, nervous vendors, and trucks pulling up halfway through the set to load supplies, interfering with what I would expect a “musician’s mojo” to be. But yet again, the Kings rocked, for an appreciative crowd of about 15 or so that ranged from an elderly man named Harrison (whom I struck up a memorable conversation with) to a couple of young’uns dancing at a stall nearby to an attractive hottie that showed up to hear a couple of tunes, one of which she claimed her uncle co-wrote. It was all just another day’s rockin’ for Capps, one of the area’s most dedicated and talented musicians, and his extraordinary colleagues. You wanna see a musical work ethic at its finest? Try Springfield, folks. No wimps allowed.