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lexas guitarist history
rooted in jazz, blues, punk
By Ann Stack
Senior Reporter
Just call him a chameleon, because
that’s the only label guitarist Chris
Duarte is truly comfortable with.
The musician from Austin, Texas,
is best known for his skill as a blues
guitarist, however, and is currently out
on a mini-tour on the heels of his 1994
debut album, “Texas Sugar/Strat
Magic.”
His tour will make its Nebraska
stop tonight at Omaha’s Ranch Bowl.
Originally from San Antonio,
Duarte took off for the more music
friendly climate of Austin at age 16
after a mere two jazz lessons. He was
a quick learner, though, and began
playing in a jazz outfit a year later.
“When I moved to Austin, that’s
when I started getting into the blues,”
he said. “I was a jazz snob at the time.
I thought blues was so easy. Then4.fi
nally got in a blues band and realized
that wasn’t the case at all. But me be
ing the prideful individual I am, I
wanted to be good at it.”
But the stamp of jazz guitarist
seemed to be etched in indelible ink.
“I don’t really consider myself a
blues or a jazz guitarist; I’m just a
musician,” he said. “But I couldn’t get
the label of jazz guitarist off my back.”
But before the jazz, before the
I—
blues* the raw primal power of punk
and early heavy metal made its mark
on Duarte’s musical DNA. Listen hard,
and you can hear that aggressive edge
of influences like Black Sabbath, the
Dead Beys, Sex Pistols and AG/DC in
his explosive blues rock.
He began touring as lead guitarist
with Junior Medlow and the Bad Boys,
and through that had the opportunity
to play with some of his blues idols,
including Albert Collins, Buddy Guy,
and Howlin’ Wolf guitarist Hubert
Sumlin. This whet his appetite for
forming his own band.
“We appealed to the younger kids
because we were so aggressive and in
your-face,” he said.
Since forming the Chris Duarte
Group more than a decade ago, he’s
toured almost nonstop, building a
strong fan base in his quest for world
domination. One man from Lincoln has
helped in his quest, Zoo Bar owner
Larry Bbehmer. X~. \
“Lincoln is one of three places
that’s been an epicenter in my career,”
he said. “It spread by word of mouth,
and all because Larry Boehmer gave
me a break.”
Although Duarte didn’t tour as
much last year as he would have pre
ferred to because of making the new
album, he plans to make up for any
missed time on the road as soon as
possible.
t
“I love touring. I know not many
people can do what my band does,” he
said. “I’m here for my fans. They want
to see crazy,aggressive music, and we
try to deliver it with passion.”
The most obvious comparison
Duarte’s music brings up is to the late
guitar virtuoso Stevie Ray Vaughan.
On his album, he pays homage to the
Vaughan brothers, Stevie and Jimmie,
on “Shiloh”
The Chris Duarte Group will per
form Friday at 9 pan. at the Ranch Bowl
Entertainment Center, 1600 S. 72nd St.,
in a 21-and-over show. Tickets are $13.
In addition to his past favorites,
Duarte will also give the crowd a sam
pling of new material from his album,
which is to be released in late May, he
said.
“It leans more toward rock; we’re
trying to explore more musical direc
tions.”
Fugitive Kind shines eclectic
Missouri roots-rock band brings Americana sound to Lincoln
By Ann Stack
Senior Reporter
The Webster’s New World Dic
tionary defines “Americana” as hav
ing to do with the United States, its
people and its history.
That term can also be applied to
the Columbia, Mo., band Fugitive
Kind. This roots-rock group, named
fora 1960 Marlon Brando flick, will
play Sunday night at Hangar 18,
1118 O St., with Lincoln’s Shithook.
The band literally embodies
eclecticism — the members range
in age from 21-50—and have in
fluences as varied as their ages. But
'* those all blend together to forman*'
unholy matrimony on their new al
bum, “Glory Road.”
“We recorded at the same place
Blue Mountain and Wilco did,”
singer and guitarist Eddie Boster
said. “Lou Whitney of the Skeletons
produced it; he’s a good roots-rock
producer. I was kind of in awe of
him — he’d done so much of the
stuff that I listen to.”
Fugitive Kind formed in late
1991, from the ashes of another
Columbia band calfed Dreams
About Guns. After relatively few
lineup changes, the band consists of
co-singer/songwriter and acoustic
guitarist James Kamp, bass and
ii——-—
We push as hard as we can without
making anyone lose their job ”
Eddie Boster
singer/guitarist
banjo player Matthew Bossaller,
guitarist Nathan Stammeyer and
drummer Bryan Foote.
“We used to tell people we were
roots-rockwhen we first started, but
we couldn’t find a term we were
vpqptfortable with,” Boster said. “We
■get booked with alternative-coun
try bands, and generally we’re more
rock ‘n’roll.”
That’s where the Americana fits
in—the twangy sounds of Appa
lachian hillbilly combine with Mid
western folk-rock, Kentucky blue
grass and early New York punk to
create a smorgasbord for the ears.
Of course, there are traces of
certain St. Louis bands on “Glory
Road.” Boster said he’s never sure
how to take those comparisons —
he considers it a sacrilege to cover
Uncle Tbpelo (and its subsequent,
off-shoots).
Fugitive Kind has done shows
with several card-carrying mem
bers of the No Depression set —
Blue Mountain, Ditch Witch, All,
the Starkweathers, the Bottle-Rock
ets and the Palace Brothers.
Although Fugitive Kind’s mu
sic may be considered No Depres
sion, Boster’s lyrics aren’t quite in
the same vein.
“We have a running joke that
every time I bring a song to the band
I say, ‘OK, here’s my most cynical
one yet,’” he said. “I’ve had plenty
of trying life experiences.
Fugitive Kind are true weekend
road warriors, because all the mem
bers have day jobs — Kamp is a
physical therapist — or are in col
lege.
“We push as hard as we can
without making anyone lose their
job,” he said.
The band pushes into Hangar 18
Sunday, taking the stage around 10
p.m.
Cold ducks
From Staff Reports
Saturday afternoon marks the con
tinuation of one of rural Nebraska's
most eccentric and entertaining festi
vals, the Avoca Quack-Off.
The event, which started 17 years
ago, is the first outdoor festival of the
year in Nebraska and for the most part
entails the racing of ducks across an
ice-covered tennis court The ducks—
with wings clipped—are urged across
the ice by human participants who may
do anything other than touch the duck
to move it across the finish line.
Cash prizes are given to the top
three finishers, and a good time is had
by all. But the real winners every year
are the members of the Avoca Volun
teer Fire Department, who have raised
over $20,000 for the department since
the event began.'
Other activities include the “Duck
Drop** and a whole lot of eating and
drinking.
Avoca is located about 25 miles east
of Lincoln on Hwy 34; just follow O
Street east until you see the billboard
that says “Avoca, Home of die Quack
Off,** and take a right. Registration for
the event begins at 10 am in the Avoca
Town Hall, and the races start at the *>
tennis courts at 1 pm.
