. I

0 : still mouthin' off

Now you know you're cool when just so 0 you. walk out on stage in overalls and happens () 0 the crowd goes wild. That's usually that this what happens when a group of anxious down-home fans gets a first glimpse of Cowboy band has a Mouth's zealous drummer I frontman, knack for Fred LeBlanc. Bare feet, buzzcut and having all, LeBlanc takes a seat at his signature shows as canary yellow drum set arid sets out to animated as do a little proselytizing, "Mouth" style. gospel An amalgam of gospel, rockabilly, folk, revivals. I Cajun, punk, country and That's the rhythm and blues, a live show by this o n 1 y group is nothing short of an explanation enlightening experience. to how four I Playing somewhere between two guys get and five-hour sets, the local boys of 40,000 Cowboy Mouth intend to show the people to crowd a good time. "Whether you pay jump up $10, $15 or $20, we're going to make and down, sure you have fun," LeBlanc said. On a maniacally wing and a prayer, this band forsakes screaming the traditional set list, personalizing at their each live show. "We never use a set list. request. Night after night, it would just get "Gospel has boring," LeBlanc said. "We play what been a big we want and when we get short on influence,"

time, we play Jenny." Aside from their LeBlanc FILE rHOTO originals, Cowboy Mouth plays cover said, "I Local boys (L-R) Rob Savoy, , and Fred songs by everyone from Buck Owens to watched a LeBlure like to entertain. Loretta Lynn and does it with immense lot of positive energy. gospel shows on TV when I was a kid." Savoy (bass), have been in other bands Inspired by the name of a Sam At a Cowboy Mouth show, the which varied in genre. Consequently, Shepard play, Cowboy Mouth band's enthusiasm is nothing short of the band's range of influences includes motivates the crowd by "throwing out contagious. Guitarist Paul Sanchez virtually everything, but as LeBlanc something positive and making people often takes over the drums while an succinctly puts it, the result is an think ... even if just for a second," ardent LeBlanc, microphone in hand, "intense musical orgasm." LeBlanc said. Ironically, the play casts a paces the stage like an evangelist. LeBlanc got started in the early 1980s character trying to convince another he Spreading the word in his own way, with Sanchez in a band called The could be the next messiah. He says, LeBlanc says that the band and their Backbeats. Experimenting with "you gotta grab all the little broken-up, music are about celebrating life. everything from folk-rock to the busted pieces of people's frustration ... Cowboy Mouth's first major label traditional '80s pop sound, they you gotta give it back to them bigger release, Are You With Me? on MCA, is released an EP in 1983 that is now only than life ... you gotta be a rock'n'roll dedicated to the memory of Le Blanc's available on vinyl and pretty hard to Jesus with a cowboy mouth." And it late brother, Patrick, who died in 1995. find. After they disbanded in 1984, As an inspiration to remind people of LeBlanc joined a group of Tulane the joy of living, the band quoted him: students to form a rockabilly I R&B "To you who are still alive, what are band called The Mistreaters, while the things that are truly important? Sanchez ventured off to New York in And while you arc still alive, what arc pursuit of a solo career in the anti-folk you doing about them?" music scene, inspired by groups like Cowboy Mouth's reality-based Michelle Shocked and King Missile. In songs are primarily co-written by all 1985, LeBlanc joined another local four members. "Every song has a story band, Dash Rip Rock, and stayed with behind it, whether it's intentional or them long enough to record two not," LeBlanc said. The four albums before leaving in 1989: Dash Rip FILE PHOTO Ace Clubs. Cowboy Mouth and Gumby at a show on songwriters, LeBlanc, Sanchez, John Rock and of After ·leaving campus. Thomas Griffith (lead guitar) and Rob Dash, LeBlanc produced a solo album,

4 February 20, 1998 arcade