Bloodshot Briefing: Sounds Like Beer

By Matt Harness

Second of a two-part preview.

Five Bloodshot bands will take to the Illinois Lottery Taste Stage on Saturday for Bloodshot Records Day at the Taste of Chicago. One of them will be the Deadstring Brothers, playing their own brand of red-blooded rock and roll.

Beachwood Music caught up with guitarist and singer Kurt Marschke, a Detroit native, and asked about the band's date in the Windy City and, as usual, touched on a few other topics, including the Motor City's meltdown.

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Beachwood Music: Where's the warm-up for Taste going down?

Kurt Marschke: Marshall, Michigan. In a little honky tonk place in the middle of nowhere with our friends, Whitey Morgan and the 78's. They are an outlaw country band, straight up the real deal. We do a lot of gigs with them. They are our brother band in Michigan.

Beachwood Music: Bloodshot's Web site calls your music "pure rock and roll." Others compare Deadstring Brothers to the Rolling Stones during the band's Exile on Main Street years.

Kurt Marschke: I am trying to write country, classic rock tunes, the late 60s country, drawing from The Band, Dylan's Nashville Skyline. The American South at that time, with Muscle Shoals.

Beachwood Music: The bio also writes you're a "studio magician." You pulling rabbits out of hats? Swallowing swords?

Kurt Marschke: I don't know about that. We are performance-based music. Just put mics in front of us. There's no magic going on, no trickery. We go for vintage.

Beachwood Music: You are one of the newer bands on the label's catalog. Signed in 2006. Your last release was 2007's Silver Mountain. Working on anything new?

Kurt Marschke: Our next one is done. We're trying to line up a release date with Bloodshot. It looks like we will go to Europe and tour and after the first of the year it will be released in America. It's just sitting there.

Beachwood Music: The new album is like a loaded gun you want to fire. That would bug me.

Kurt Marschke: We learned a harsh lesson with the last one, releasing it too soon. Kind of backfired. Everything wasn't lined up properly. We want to do this one right. We basically will tour all through next year off this record. I don't mind. I am a touring musician, not really an artist. The only way for me to make a living is by touring. If I could play gigs every night, I would. The plan is to stay on the road and create that life.

Beachwood Music: What's the mode of transport?

Kurt Marschke: Conversion van and trailer. Home sweet home. It's nice. There's TV, video games. I am usually driving.

Beachwood Music: In case you didn't know ,Taste of Chicago is the world's largest food festival. How do you feel about competing with gluttony?

Kurt Marschke: It'll be sweet.

Beachwood Music: OK. Pair Deadstring Brothers with a food.

Kurt Marschke: Beer.

Beachwood Music: Is that a food?

Kurt Marschke: We are a beer band. How about whiskey? I don't know BBQ. Eat as much as you can for all the liquor and beer you will be drinking.

Beachwood Music: Now that everybody's stuffed and drunk. Let's head over the jukebox. Give me your playlist.

Kurt Marschke: Oh, man. You just sent me into a complete tailspin. That's like going to a candy store and trying to pick my favorite pieces. How about some "Tumbling Dice" by the Rolling Stones, "Whiskey River" by Willie Nelson, "Lonesome, Ornery and Mean" by Waylon Jennings. It's like asking me to pick from the stars.

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Deadstring Brothers plays the Illinois Lottery Taste Stage at 1:45 p.m. On Saturday evening, the band will share the stage at FitzGerald's with label-mate Andre Williams. Here's a little taste.

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See also Bloodshot co-founders Rob Miller and Nan Warshaw previewing their day at the Taste.

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Bloodshot Briefing appears in this space every Friday. Matt welcomes your comments.

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