Rock And Rumble

The ShotGunBillys are all over Bikes, Blues and BBQ

Memphis blues with a steady Arkansas handshake, that’s how The ShotGunBillys describe their style of Southern rock. It also explains their geography.

Bassist David Snell has lived and worked in Northwest Arkansas since 1999. Lead guitarist and vocalist Lance McDaniel and drummer/ percussionist Case Cooper live in Marion, over in eastern Arkansas, while piano/ Hammond B3 organ player Joe Boogie lives in Holly Springs, Miss., just south of Memphis.

Snell agrees with the consensus that the 1968 recording of “Hey Jude” by Duane Allman and Wilson Pickett at the FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Ala., was the moment Southern rock was born.

“That’s where it all came from, was in that moment. Then other contemporaries, Lynyrd Skynyrd and other bands like that, just came along and fell into that same vein — it’s a clash of blues — old blues, rock ‘n’ roll (Beatles, Elvis, early Elvis) and then throw in some country and some gospel.

“We’re just carrying the Southern rock flag forward,” he adds.

Snell and friends came together with former member Theron Woods to form TheShotGunBillys after McDaniel and Snell’s “Let’s Get Country” was picked up for the soundtrack of “The River Within” in 2009. The group has released three albums, “BAM!” in 2014, “Capricorn” in 2017, and “Mississippi” in 2020.

Snell says that they are getting ready to record a fourth album, and since they are so far apart, most of their songs are being written in their home studios.

“We’re about three songs away from being ready to record; we’ve got all of them written except two songs,” he explains. “Basically what happens is whoever comes up with an idea for a song sends it to everyone.”

Then when they get together, he says, they will work on the tunes during soundcheck and at shows.

This year’s Bikes, Blues and BBQ Sept. 20-23 will offer several opportunities to catch the ShotGunBillys with two shows at The Auditorium in Eureka Springs and three shows in Rogers.

“We play a lot of motorcycle rallies, like we play Sturgis every year and Daytona [Bike Week],” Snell says. While he and the keyboardist roar in on their motorcycles, he jokes that his lead singer is more of a mountain biker.

“He says he brings something with two wheels that doesn’t have a motor,” Snell laughs. “We always bring our motorcycles with us when we play the rallies because we’re normally there for several shows.”

Snell is already getting ready for a lot of guests at his home in Bentonville.

“There’s going to be a lot of friends coming down, and they’ll be staying here. It’s gonna be a wild weekend.”

See the Bikes, Blues and BBQ schedule on page 14.

(Courtesy Photos) The ShotGunBillys will perform each night of the Bikes, Blues and BBQ motorcycle rally next weekend in Northwest Arkansas. Gary Hutchinson, George Brothers Band, The Juice and Simply Seger will also perform multiple dates for the rally. Headlining the live music offerings this year are Ian Moore and Quiet Riot. Earl & Them also perform in Rogers. Find more live music, ride maps, barbecue and, of course, motorcycles at bikesbluesandbbq.org.