Following Soularcat on the road in 2005, was some of the best memories of music Ive ever had, said band groupie Lonnie Robinson. It helps our case.". February 27, 2021 @ He's not trying to impress you with his chops, speed or prowess. Starr: Well, I had the kind of grandmother books are written about. out there. How is this living in this man's brain? (Durrett) Shanks on March 20, 1984 in Rockwall County, Texas. Billy is the best. That's completely accidental, butwe've absorbed the music of the Band, Little Feat and many others. To watch him construct a solo is mind blowing. Benji Shanks and Britt (Turner, drummer) said, Id love to hear Preston playing percussion live with us, not just have the percussion as an overdub as you often hear with recordings. Hes a great drummer. He had one that was very special, but it wasnt that one. "Same thing. Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Blackberry Smoke is an American rock band formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000. So wed all turn to each other and grin to each other and be like, How weird is this? It was the new normal for sure, at that point. This was good enough to put it also at No. We were out on the road with ZZ Top in 2007, and we went to the NAMM Show, where there was a Dan Armstrong booth. In my pedalboard, I have a Fulltone Supa Trem mach one that I love.". Im very fortunate to be able to see them live in a few days in Tampa. Blackberry Smoke was the last band I saw live, the day before everything shut down here in Quebec. BA1 1UA. Ill never pass up a chance to see these guys within a few hours drive. Blackberry Smoke has a new album it recorded during the pandemic and is about to begin its first tour since COVID-19 hit. So experience it live and be there in person for a 2023 Benji Shanks Rock concert. It may lack some certain frequency that you'll hear when you play a vintage Gibson humbucker guitar, but it more than makes up for it. And she was quick to chastise me or any others for doing such. Blackberry SmokeBrenda SteppCharlie Starr, For advertising and sponsorships, email David Wright at [emailprotected]. ArtsATL: When COVID-19 hit, how did Blackberry Smoke adapt to the abrupt change from being a heavily touring band to no longer being able to tour at all? Your email address will not be published. Shanks How does that change things? Capricorn called and invited us down to record, since the studio was up and running. What are you waiting for. Well, I had the kind of grandmother books are written about. He knows what sounds best for what you're trying to accomplish, and everything has its place in that room, so that's a huge part of the equation taken care of. The lineup consists of Charlie Starr (lead vocals, guitar), Richard Turner (bass, backing vocals), Brit Turner (drums), Paul Jackson (guitar, backing vocals), and Brandon Still (keyboards). I prefer the P90 to a humbucker, really. I write songs based on the way I feel about writing a song. You can get so many different sounds with a single-pickup guitar, just the way where you pick the strings. Nancy Shanks - Wikipedia "And then you start to dissect his compositions and it's just otherworldly. The song is "Not Fade Away" (live at The Tabernacle) from our concert film and live The way that he plays and sings, too good grief. ", Thank you for reading 5 articles this month*, US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year, UK pricing 2.99 per month or 29.00 per year, Europe pricing 3.49 per month or 34.00 per year, *Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription. But I didn't listen to him and brought tons and tons of stuff of my own because half the fun of making records is playing with your toys! The whole band sounds great! Charlie Starr: Well, there was really nothing we could do. The album also racked up another nearly 1 million streams its debut week. He was in The Grapes, a long-running and great Atlanta jam band. You know all the shaky stuff youd miss if it wasnt there and would cause you to say, Somethings missing. Preston and Britt make a good team playing together. I heard you explain the new albums title song, You Hear Georgia, as being lyrically about those of us from the South sometimes being misunderstood and then it expanded to discord among folks in general. WebBenji Shanks Profile: American guitarist, engineer and producer. Excellent new song! On November 12, 2014, they appeared among many others Jamey Johnson, Trace Adkins, Warren Haynes, Peter Frampton, Gregg Allman, etc. Blackberry Smokes Benji Shanks Provides Rig Rundown. one problem with the songwriting, and, the band in general, tunes are indistinguishable, and its really charley starr with backing band. The name of the band was called Spit Shine, a small punk rock band out of Rome high school. Kirby ", I'm definitely not just a collector and I don't have a whole lot of mint-condition guitars. We didn't go in there with the intention of making a recorded project, just to capture video with Jimmy Halland the Bettys and Marcus Henderson to promote the Spirit of the South tour. Im a terrible schoolteacher. 7:43 am. I'm proud to know those two fellas. Their 2018 album Find a Light went #3, and became their 3rd consecutive album to hit #1 in rock as well. Benji had previously appeared on acoustic tours with Charlie Starr as an accompanist, and both were on tour with Blackberry Smoke when they paired up with the Tedeschi Trucks Band. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Timm Shanks. (Image credit: Jason Kempin/Getty Images), 11 guitarists who shaped Derek Trucks' sound, a 22-year-old guy playing with Wilson Pickett, Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Big in China: My Unlikely Adventures Raising a Family, Playing the Blues and Becoming a Star in Beijing, That time Guthrie Govan covered Rage Against the Machines Bulls on Parade and took Tom Morellos solo to mind-boggling new heights, Ana Popovic: "The cancer took a lot out of me, and so did working towards getting better. February 26, 2021 @ Benjis been playing with us a long time, off and on. 8:56 pm. This feat was matched in 2016 with Like an Arrow. Web"Red-Haired" Shanks, commonly known as just "Red Hair", is the chief of the Red Hair Pirates and one of the Four Emperors that rule over the New World. "Warren taught me about the Stephen Stills tuning that he used, a low C tuning that I used on a new song. How did you start working together now? Starr: It was one of those truly special things that was completely spontaneous. 9:16 am. "I asked Warren if he would please play on it, and he said absolutely and that he wanted to sing on it, too. So having him join us was sort of inevitable. "I think they are my favorite band. And so, I was never able to really play that Duane stuff very well andwould always lean a little more toward Lowell George. . Happy to see Hey Delilah make the cutFantastic Tune! So, its just a very personal thing as to whichever guitar speaks to you. "Thanks, man. Seaside We started sending little voice memos back and forth, then we got on the phone and hashed it out. ", "Zac Brown Launches Southern Ground Artists Label Southern Ground", "Blackberry Smoke The Whippoorwill (2012) Something Else! Aug 17, 2022. Other people are also so influential to me. Blackberry Smoke also managed to record the EP. Aug 2, 2022. Charlie Starr is Blackberry Smokes primary songwriter, lead vocalist and lead guitarist. Hes a sweetener, who adds so much to what is already there. Fillmore East is one long guitar lesson.". Shawn tackett Just, 'We're here to make music.' All rights reserved. Old Enough to Know (Charlie Starr, Travis Meadows) 8. Web4,340 Followers, 1,308 Following, 458 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Benji Shanks (@shanksforeverything) Artist. What a show it was. And that's why God made volume knobs. He knows what to play and not to play, but with three guitars, we do talk about the parts quite a bit, about staying out of each other's lane. Benji Shanks tickets provide an opportunity to be there in person for the next Benji Shanks concert. And I said, 'Well, I got this song.' ", "I used an Echoplex, a '70s EP-3, quite a bit, and a Drybell Vibe Machine, a really great Univibe sound in a tiny little pedal. If you came here from a link, please go back and correct the link for one of the heroes listed below. And I love all his P90s! WebBlackberry Smoke was formed in Atlanta, Georgia in 2000. A P90 is really responsive as to where you put your volume knob, especially if you're playing through a really loud amplifier, when you come down with it, you can get really into Tele territory. Benji and I have been playing together as a duo for about 15 years and are just kindred spirits. I love this band, also love when Black Bettys performing with the band. My first gig was in Rome (GA) when I was 15 with a bunch of guys that seemed really old to me, they were like juniors and seniors in high school, said Shanks. Eventually we started to do some drive-in shows as those became the new model. I absolutely agree! Dawg Fan 1:59 pm. It made sense to go to the studio, where some of the songs were originally recorded. February 28, 2021 @ We have some more songs in the works.". While there are many great legendary guitar players that preach the Southern Rock sound, there are few as good as Benji Shanks. When I saw he would be doing acoustic I immediately thought it can only get better. Join Facebook to connect with Benji Shanks and others you may know. February 26, 2021 @ "It would be a lie to say the first day, but the first time we sold out a headlining club show playing our musicthey're there to see us, not some band were opening for. February 25, 2021 @ I'm not pretty. So thats the South Im talking about. Benji, sat in with Widespread Panic in Knoxville, Tennesee, for a song cover Panic plays called Ophelia by The Band. Keep on tellin' yourself. Charlie Starr and Benji Shanks - Aint Wasting Time No More What we get to do is not forced. Look forward to hearing the rest of them. Benji Shanks Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted. Im going to be 69 this year and I still love to hear this band. The studio was great, of course, and the vibe in the room is just magical. They moved to Rounder Records in 2014,[8] and released Holding All the Roses produced by Brendan O'Brien in early 2015. Benji Shanks's (@shanksforeverything) profile on Instagram 458 All Over the Road (Charlie Starr) 10. Warren Haynes co-wrote All Rise Again and plays and sings on it. Starr: They were odd. The album was produced by Dave Cobb and also features appearances by Jamey Johnson and Warren Haynes. We were so far away from the audience, which was all cars. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. "Then I went through the years of just playing the guitar, terrified to sing. He just put a lot more energy into the show than they did. Its been on every one of our records. I also have a couple of Fender Esquires, a 63 and a 65, that I used on the record and they're both really magical. Die hard fan, Jillian Franz says, it doesnt matter who Benji is playing for, he makes every band he plays with sound amazing, I just cant wait to see him again., Guitar prodogy of Rome, Georgia gets recognised. Guitar prodogy of Rome, Georgia gets recognised - Blogger I don't know about my most important influence. I'm definitely not just a collector and I don't have a whole lot of mint-condition guitars. "We all kind of want to be a three-guitar band, way down deep in our hearts, and maybe add another drummer too. Glenn Langley For example I don't think I've ever seen Paul play slide or open tunings - Benji does both which are usually Charlie's domain. Benji is a fantastic player that has killer tone with a pretty simple stage set up and a somewhat modest pedalboard. I found out pretty quicklyprobably in Guitar Worldhere's the new guy, and were all going to know him. There's been an evolution of my playing and our music over the life of the band, but I don't think it's drastic, Starr says. [5] On August 26, 2012, they performed at a charity benefit called the Boot Ride with the cast of Sons of Anarchy, partnered with The Boot Campaign at the Happy Ending Bar and Grill in Hollywood, California.[6][7]. On May 28, 2021, their album You Hear Georgia was released. Without a doubt. And always in open tuning, right? This album marks the bands 20th anniversary. Blackberry Smoke fit right into this organic, guitar-based group. 10:23 am, Sir Adam the Great Been a huge fan since thier first album (that was oddly produced by Jessie James Dupree of Jackyl). he was saying it. Benji Shanks | Discography | Discogs 1 on the Billboard Country Album charts in modern history. Corncaster We've made it. You have a better excuse than most of us to keep getting guitars since it's actually your job. Even though there were four extremely important parts in the band, it was mostly his vision, being that he produced all the records. Ive seen them 2 or 3 times in concert and they may be my all time favorite live band. Benji (Shanks) said to me one night, That guitar hits every note of the rainbow. I think that describes it. Benji has gained lots of attention in the last couple of years in his role with southern rockers Captain Soularcat and his work as a guest artist with Tishamingo . I remembered movies over the years that have sort of belittled Southern people and stereotyped the Southern guy as being a toothless, inbred who is full of hate. WebOriginally, Benji did not want Seaside to have a leader or a clear power structure. This year marks the Atlanta bands 20th anniversary together. To me, he hands down, writes some of the most awesome material that lets me, as a rock guitar player, play both rhythm and lead, because its all such beautiful stuff.". He recently sat down with ArtsATL to discuss how the band managed a year-plus of COVID-19 lockdown through new music, two new members, livestream performances and a series of drive-in concerts. Jerry Shanks was married to Billie J. Soularcat), who is Benjis biggest musical influence. Benji is one of the most modest, amazing guitar players I have ever had the opportunity to meet. I love it dearly. Starr: No. Long time best friend of Benji, Dave Kudlats said, Ive been watching Benji grow as a musician for more than ten years, and if he continues to play with musicians like Jimmy Herring, and bands like the Last Walts Ensemble I have no doubt he will land a gig with a famous band in the future.. They were both just so fantastic.". Coincidentally, wed been trying to come up with some ideas about promoting our summer tour, the Spirit of the South tour. Lonnie also grew up in Rome where he has known the band for more than 8 years. You are using an out of date browser. 6:26 pm. I love Benji Shanks style of guitar playing especially when he plays that slide guitar. Initially, the goal was simply to capture some cool video footage while recording some covers live for the tour. That first song sounds great. [Verse 2] Girl, let me guess, you don't like how I dress. Just what youd expect from the guys. One of the best. They are the first independently-released artist to hit No. With a loud amplifier, it's an animal because it wants to take off. The set also included a few covers, including It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry, a Bob Dylan classic that caught the attention of the crowd as the dined and drank while they entertained. 1:31 am. Watching a few live clips it does seem like Benji fills the classic "utility" player position and seemingly takes more of Charlie's parts and spots than Pauls. February 26, 2021 @ WebAverage setlist for tour: Acoustic Shows featuring Benji Shanks. has been featured by Paste magazine and other publications.[1][2]. At one point, I decided that I hold my guitar too low to really get comfortable playing with nothing but the fingers down there.". . setlist Updated: June 20, 2015 Biography ID: 103269493 Jump to: Biography Memories 1 on the US Billboard Country[11] and Americana/Folk[12] charts as well as the UK Rock[13] and Independent Albums[14] charts during release week. Black Bettys harmonies are just golden, too! So I had that banging around in my head, and I had a guitar riff. The Duane Allman and Dickey Betts tones on those records are just unbeatable. So we started to work on some livestream-type things. The two have played together outside of Blackberry Smoke before, several times in years past, so seeing both musicians smiling and genuinely having a good time was a welcome site to those who have missed live, in-person shows over the past year. Yes, that one was fantastic. Thats not an uncommon situation. It was for sale and I kept balking at the price and I finally said alright, I'll buy it. "We were on the phone late one night just sharing our lockdown experiences and he said, 'Man, I've been writing more songs than I ever have, because there's nothing else to do,' and I said, 'Yeah, me tooand collaborating a lot with friends who are in the same position, stuck at home.