The Band:
Rod Yearwood - Guitar
Steve Thummel - Bass
George Peel - Drums
EPMS Note: for this show, Eddie Piñeda played guitar with Duck Domino, in addition to Rod. The drummer for the show was not George Peel; I'll have to get the name and post it here later.
I stumbled onto this show after leaving the Dr. Groove show at The Cockpit Lounge, and finding that my Tension buddies had cancelled their show at The Venue. At Handle Bars, I discovered what Rod Yearwood says is "It": When I mentioned to him that someone had asked me about blues in El Paso, Rod responded, "We're it."
Well, if we are to have only one blues band in town, it to El Paso's benefit that it is Duck Domino.
Bass and Drums clearly play support roles in the band, although the drummer was slightly aggressive. The star is Yearwood, who plays absolutely killer blues. I might have seen local players like this in Dallas or Houston, but I know I haven't seen anything close in El Paso. He's a pretty good blues singer, too. Playing the Telecaster right next to him on this night was Eddie Piñeda. He didn't play as much as Rod, but he also played pretty good blues guitar.
Yearwood ably mimics the singing styles of Clapton, B.B. King, and more. Songs played included "Hoochie Coochie Man," as well as a slow version of .38 Special's "Hold On Loosely," and some ZZ Top. They also played The Doors' "Roadhouse Blues," with a guest non-singer.
This band is a must-see for guitar players.
- Charles Hurley
