THE BAND

When legendary music impresario Phil Walden signed Boston’s Swinging Steaks to his iconic Southern rock label Capricorn records in 1993, there was no term for the genre now known as “Americana”. Blending rock, country and other roots styles was described as hard-to-market, ‘in the crack’ content by many record and radio execs who passed on what visionary Walden heard as simply great music.

The Steaks’ national debut “Southside of the Sky” still stands as a sterling example of Americana music and what award-winning music journalist Ben Edmonds called in Creem magazine - “the best country-rock out of Boston since Harvard student Gram Parsons launched his International Submarine Band.” Nearly thirty years, seven albums and thousands of shows later, the Steaks are still swinging.

Recognized for their “musical chops….and tight vocal harmonies,” Boston’s Swinging Steaks have been acknowledged as pioneers of the roots rock/alt country movement. In fact, Dirty Linen said, “Musically and artistically, the Steaks rank among the best of the roots-rock leaders.” Propelled by top-notch songwriter/guitarists Jamie Walker and Tim Giovanniello, keyboardist Jim Gambino, and bassist Paul Kochanski, they are also known for their dynamic stage presence and upbeat, catchy tunes that attract a wide diversity of fans. From full-tilt rockers to mandolin-driven melodies and soulful ballads, the band’s material explores a rich diversity of musical Americana.

Right from the release of their 1992 debut CD, Suicide at the Wishing Well, people stood up and took notice. They were named one of the “10 Best Unsigned Bands in the Country” by CMJ, whose writer declared the album, “without a doubt, one of the best albums I’ve heard all year”. A prized showcase at the renowned South by Southwest Conference in Austin, Texas followed, and so did a deal with Capricorn Records who released the band’s second CD “South Side of the Sky” distributed by Warner Brothers.

South Side saw the band achieve two Top ten AAA singles (‘Beg, Steal, or Borrow’ and ‘Circlin’) and exposed the Steaks to a nationwide audience, with appearances on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and NPR’s Mountain Stage as well as tours with Los Lobos and The Band. The album made several critics Top 10 Albums of the Year, including that of The Boston Globe’s Steve Morse. they were also featured in a Billboard Magazine cover story sharing the spotlight with Uncle Tupelo and the Jayhawks. Movie and television song placements plus guest spots with the likes of well-known artists such as Hank Williams Jr, the Black Crowes, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Poco, Jimmy Dale Gilmore, Paul Westerberg, and John Fogerty clearly show their pedigree as well as their musical diversity.

With seven albums currently to their credit, the Swinging Steaks resume boasts multiple Boston Pheonix and Boston Music Awards and appearances at the CMJ Music Marathon in New York City and the Nashville Extravaganza. Their CD Bare, recorded at the Old Vienna Kaffehaus in Westboro, MA saw the band come full-circle, returning to their roots under the alter-ego name, ‘The Steaks’, capturing live and acoustically the sheer naked quality and power of this band’s live magic. Their 2002 release, Sunday Best released in Europe on Blue Rose Records and on their own Thrust label in the U.S. introduced sideman Steve Sadler on dobro and lap steel. In 2012 the band released their second live CD as a 20-year anniversary retrospective which captured the band in a smokin’ youthful swagger mid-tour in 1993.

As impressive as their credits may be, it’s their charismatic live performances, reflecting the sheer joy of playing music together, that keeps their fans coming back for more and making new ones at every show. This kind of magic cannot be manufactured or simulated!