As the TV’s snowy signal resolved into HBO, the fledgling movie network happened to be broadcasting “The Last Waltz.” Bobby Houck, then a 12-year-old living in Florence, was spellbound by the concert film, which depicts The Band’s final show, which featured a jam-dropping list of guest appearances.
“I was confused,” says Houck, now in his 40s and the frontman of The Blue Dogs, a long-running roots rock band. “Why would these guys have a movie? I knew a lot of the people sitting in: Eric Clapton, Van Morrison…and I sure as hell knew who Neil Young was.”
In 2008, the Blue Dogs released their latest live document, the DVD “Live at the Historic Dock St. Theatre…Again.” The set includes an appearance by North Charleston’s Adande African Drum and Dance Co. The drummers entered in dramatic fashion.
“These five African-American men in African costumes bust through the back door and walked down the aisle,” Houck says. “Nobody knew what was going on. They’re all playing djembe drums and do five or 10 minutes of their own thing before joining us on our song “World Turns a Revolution.”
The Blue Dogs current lineup includes bassist Hank Futch (who co-founded the group with Houck in 1987; they’ve been friends since Boy Scouts), drummer Greg Walker and guitarist David Stewart. The band’s key tracks over the years include “Rain King,” a mélange of bluegrass, jazz and pop;” “Isabelle,” a Tom Petty-like ditty; and “Missed It By a Mile,” a would-be country hit.
“We’re really strange,” Houck says. “A lot of bands that never quite make it tend to break apart at some point. One thing that’s allowed us to continue—and I don’t mean to be crass when I say this—is we’ve always made pretty good money. That’s the origins of the band: guys playing parties and entertaining people. They’re not just there to hear you. There here to have fun, drink some beer and hit on girls. We’re a party band.”
What do you love most about The Band’s film “The Waltz?”
That movie was kind of like the end of an era. Not too much later things got into disco, punk and MTV. But in the movie they have everything covered: from country and Emmylou Harris to the blues and Muddy Waters.
On The Blue Dogs Web site, it says you guys are looking for volunteers to run your merch tables. What are some of your favorite merch from other bands you’ve accumulated over the years?
I bought a Police one on their “Synchronicity” tour in 1983. It was clearly a bootleg—I bought it from some guy in the parking lot for $5. I went to a bunch of Grateful Dead shows back in the day. There was a sticker that said “Air Garcia” and a Nike symbol. Instead of a silhouette of Michael Jordan it was a silhouette of Jerry Garcia
You were telling me how you got into a lot of music, like Neil Young, as a kid by listening to what you’re older sister played on her car’s stereo as she would take you to school. What kind of car did she drive?
An old-school 1974 Ford Bronco. Her next car was a Volvo station wagon.
It’s been a while since the Blue Dogs put out some new music. Any plans for that?
That’s come up in all our conversations about the band since this summer. I think it’s going to happen in 2010. Just the other day I was listening to some old sessions for (2004 album) “Halos and Goodbyes” of us jamming and there were some great ideas in there that we never did anything with.
The Blue Dogs play The Esso Club in Clemson at 8 p.m. Nov. 20. For more information, call 864-654-5120.
Or for more on The Blue Dogs, visit www.bluedogs.com.
