Hurray for the Hillbilly Winos by Paula Mchugh
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Volume 18, Number 21 Thursday, May 30, 2002 Hurray For the Hillbilly Winos by Paula McHugh They’re three guys loaded with talent who call themselves the Hillbilly Winos. The three musician-artists live here in Northwest Indiana. They love to play here in Northwest Indiana. Many of us know of them from Mighty Mic nights at the Michigan City Library, or from their open- air “concerts” at a former café in Sheridan Beach. Hillbilly Winos. What kind of name is that? Make you think of Conway Twitty’s or Hank Williams’ twangy tunes? Fugeddabouditt. Instead, think “roots music.” Jeff Ham, Kent Arnsbarger and Matt Teolis know that their music fits no neat category, just as each of these three singular men and very good friends nicely escape any particular category. The finger of fate and The Hillbilly Winos live in Jeff Ham’s living room. Percussionist Kent Arnsbarger, lead gui- nimble fingers on frets played a major tarist Matt Teolis, and lead vocalist Jeff Ham. The guys are holding Jeff’s acrylic paintings, role in introducing Matt to Jeff. Then which you’ll find on the album liner of Live From the Living Room. along came Kent with a pair of sticks and other per- their first CD, Live from the Living Room. cussive tricks. Thus evolved a collaboration woven from This Beacher writer sat in Jeff Ham’s beachside home an intuitive understanding of one another’s melodic, last week, in the very same living room where the harmonic, soulful, and rhythmic feel. Their musical Hillbilly Winos coaxed out their musical muses to cre- skills meshed into an easy trine. And now, they’ve cut ate their cache of well-crafted tunes. Gathering the three men together at the same time, except for gigs or weekly rehearsals, is no mean feat. Thanks go to Jeff for facilitating the get-together. Matt drove in from Dyer, putting his alter ego, Dr. Teolis, D.O., on hold for a few hours. Kent drove in from the oppo- site direction—Plymouth—where his high school band students absorb their mentor’s drumming expertise. Jeff, on home turf, sat holding and tending to his daughter, 4-month old Daryn. Jeff, Matt and Kent act and talk and think like brothers, despite their different gene-sets. Jeff and Matt became acquainted with one another while they both were attending the Men’s New Warrior programs in Chicago. They discovered a shared passion. It was fate and a guitar that brought Matt and Jeff together. Hillbilly Winos Continued on Page 2 Page 2 May 30, 2002 911 Franklin Street • Michigan City, IN 46360 219/879-0088 • FAX 219/879-8070 In Case Of Emergency, Dial e-mail: News/Articles - [email protected] email: Classifieds - [email protected] http://www.bbpnet.com/ Published and Printed by THE BEACHER BUSINESS PRINTERS Delivered weekly, free of charge to Birch Tree Farms, Duneland Beach, Grand Beach, Hidden 911 Shores, Long Beach, Michiana Shores, Michiana MI and Shoreland Hills. The Beacher is also Subscription Rates delivered to public places in Michigan City, New Buffalo, LaPorte and Sheridan Beach. 1 year $26 6 months $14 3 months $8 1 month $3 Hillbilly Winos Continued from Page 1 “I went to Matt’s house one day. He had told me (earlier) that he played gui- tar,” Jeff said. What Jeff’s ears heard, he said, “shocked” him. Jeff had no idea that this doctor and guitar player and fellow New Warrior was that good. Here was a medical director for a chemical dependency clinic starting to get work as a studio musician. Jeff, on the other hand, had seen his own early and very promising musical career take a steep nose-dive. Jeff admitted that his uncon- trolled drinking had steered him away from his upward spiral those many years before. “If it were not for Matt, I would not have gotten back into music,” Jeff said. Jeff was spellbound by the sounds created from Matt’s guitar. They started playing togeth- er and they knew what they were creat- ing felt right. But they also knew that a piece was missing. Until Kent came along. The three experimented, blended, creat- Here they are, larger than life, and just as playful offstage as on. ed. Kent suggested that “they should do Live from the Living Room is currently #5 on the hit this more.” And they did. And they continue today to charts. build a fan base as local as Michigan City and as far Kent said that the groups’ popularity in Belgium away as Belgium. In Belgium, their Hillbilly Winos is “an Internet phenomenon.” According to Kent, some people there heard samples of their tunes on the Hillbilly Winos website (hillbillywinos.com), ordered the CD, played it for friends and created a huge following. Recently, a radio station in Connecticut has start- ed giving the Hillbilly Winos recorded tunes airtime. Not bad for three guys who, on a shoestring, created a top-notch recording using minimal equipment to cut their first album. Live From the Living Room began distribution just two months ago. “We were thinking of doing a demo (record- ing),” Jeff said. “But we thought that since it would take as much work to record, we might as well just forgo the demo and put out a (full-blown) CD.” And knowing that the pro- ject could cost upwards of $50,000 when hand- ed over to a recording outfit, the three decid- ed to make the most of the equipment that they Holding Jeff and Gwen’s baby daughter Daryn, Kent looks at Jeff’s portraits of the three already had. They made their recording on a musicians. When not writing, composing, strumming, or caring for Daryn, Jeff squeezes shoestring. in time to complete illustrations for children’s books for a publisher in Volo, IL. May 30, 2002 Page 3 Open ‘til 6 p.m. Evenings www.littlehousefashions.comElegant Apparel for the [email protected] Conscious Woman Women’s Apparel SPRING 1/2 Price SALE Mix & Match Buy one at Regular Price…Get 2nd at Half Price (Of equal or lesser value) The disc makers, CrispyTunes, presented the group this plaque when Live From the Living Room was released in March. Hard to believe when you get your copy and listen to it. You would never in a million years guess that Kent mixed the album in his car, using the equipment he had. The Hillbilly Winos celebrated their album release a few weeks ago at the Boulevard Café in Chicago. Fans as far away as Minnesota and Madison, Wisconsin showed up. Fans familiar with the many gigs the group has performed in Chicago showed up. And of course, fans from Michigan City and Mighty Mic nights showed up too. Kent estimated that it took the three about 400 hours and close to a year to complete the CD. But, each musician will tell you that each moment in its production was an outpouring of love and heart- felt commitment to their collective inner spirits. Hillbilly Winos Continued on Page 4 Christine Alexander has truly designed wonderful denim shirts, tee-shirts, sweaters, jumpers and studded apparel. 100% cotton, embellished with metal studs in gold, silver, black and colors. This is a proven company for us and we are pleased to offer it to our customers. Sizes XL to XXXL Matt Teolis remi- nisced about his first guitar—which he drew and cut out of 50% Off Clearance Sale cardboard to pretend he was playing John Plus an additional Lennon’s tunes. 40% Off Winter Items Meet Us For Lunch And A Style Show THURSDAY, JUNE 6 - TIPPECANOE PLACE, SOUTH BEND WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12 - HANNAH’S, NEW BUFFALO 409409 AlexanderAlexander StreetStreet LaPorte,LaPorte, IN IN 326-8602 OnOn Hwy Hwy 35 35 - - 55 BlocksBlocks South ofof Lincolnway Lincolnway TTurnurn RightRight on Alexander MondayMonday-Friday - Friday 9:3010 to to 6 7 Saturday Saturday 9:30 9:30 toto 55 Page 4 May 30, 2002 Hillbilly Winos Continued from Page 3 Matt, as a little boy emulating John Lennon, cut his first guitar out of cardboard and pretend-played. A few years later, he built a more “sophisticated” guitar out of plywood. His inner ear and his soul heard tunes and guitar licks that no one else could hear back in those days. Then after early lessons in jazz, and a saxophone suggested by his father, Matt acquired his first real guitar. And he admits that it’s a part of him, almost like an appendage. Kent, in his earlier years, marched and performed for the Star of Indiana (drum corps). His percussive bag of sounds includes more than sticks and skins, though. Kent is as likely to pound on a marimba as to tweak a triangle—whatever feels and sounds right for a Hillbilly Winos composition. Jeff is joyous to be back on the road that he once detoured from. He combines his considerable talent on guitar, mandolin, harmoni- ca and vocals, lyric writing, and visual art in a spirit of serious fun, meaning soberly, playfully. Jeff’s visual art graces the Live From the Living Room cover. The liner notes show off Jeff’s talent in portrait sketches—of himself and his two best friends. When not writing lyrics or music, Jeff works as an illustrator for children’s books. He created the “doubletake” name for the musical triad. It gets atten- tion and gives pause, he’ll tell you. But, you already know that. The Hillbilly Winos brand of alternative country, a term that Kent says fits their sound best, is gearing up for their next appearance at Mighty Mic at the Michigan City Public Library on Thursday, June 6.