Red Meat
(CD Release Party!)
plus:
Big Smith
William Elliott Whitmore
& M. Dung as host / MC

Carrying on the strong west coast tradition of creating authentic country and western music with a sharp edge, the San Francisco based band Red Meat is dedicated to keeping honky tonk music fresh and alive. Formed in a garage in the Mission District in 1993, Red Meat takes its inspiration from the likes of Bakersfield legend Buck Owens, Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Sr. and the Carter Family. They also count Gram Parsons as an influence and visually they recall the salad days of the Modesto, California-based Maddox Brothers and Sister Rose.

"Red Meat plays country music, pure and simple. Not the radio-friendly pop of the Dixie Chicks or the self-conscious, languid country rock of Wilco, but a more vintage version that involves a lot of pickin’ and a-grinnin’–not to mention virtuoso musicianship on mandolin, fiddle, and pedal-steel guitar. You won’t hear any power chords; the band borrows its sound from more traditional realms of American music: bluegrass, swing, folk, gospel. Musically, the sound is upbeat and melodic and slightly on the retro side, but lyrically, it’s loaded with modern urban humor. " - Gina Arnold