We would like to give our immense thanks to everybody who supported us in the 2012 Boston Rock 'n' Roll Rumble, especially the judges, Anngelle Wood, and the entire staff at TT The Bears. It was a surprise and an honor to be invited to play in the first place and we never expected to take home the crown. But more important than winning was the chance to re-connect with the Boston music scene that I once was so immersed in and have been on the outskirts of now for some time. Seeing old friends, meeting new ones and genuinely celebrating the rich musical diversity that Boston has to offer is what the Rumble is all about. After 20 plus years of playing and traveling I say in all honesty that I truly feel that there is no city out there with such a condensed group of talent. I am proud to be a product of Boston and plan to continue to be a part of its artistic culture for the rest of my career.
The past few weeks have been bittersweet. We have lost some great musicians as well as dear friends along the way. We started the semi-finals with the weight of Scott Ricciuti's untimely death, an extremely talented songwriter who was just about to record his best material with Perfect Trainwreck bassman Jeremy Curtis on board as producer. I only knew Scott for a short time but was lucky enough to make a little noise with him during one of his last performances. It was thankfully recorded, so keep an ear out for that.
Then there was the passing of the late great Levon Helm that shook our souls the day before the finals. He is a legend and a great friend for a long time. We were extremely fortunate to play many of the Midnight Rambles at his home in Woodstock, NY as well as share a bill with him at other venues. We even recorded the Spend It All record together in Boston several years ago. His death leaves a void in American music that could never be filled and will never be forgotten. I believe our success in the Rumble is directly related to the spirit he forged in each of us.
Check out Boston Emissions tonight on WZLX (100.7 FM) at 10 PM. I will be plucking guitar and chewing the fat with Jeremy and Anngelle. Also come see me open for another of his influences, James McMurtry, at the Tupelo Music Hall in Londonderry, NH on Sunday, April 29th
See you all down the road,
Bow Thayer & Perfect Trainwreck