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Too Slim and the Taildraggers:

If Tim "Too Slim" Langford only played slide he would slither around most other blues guitarists and put a ferocious bite on their pride. However, as the sole six-string slinger, main songster and lead singer of the power trio he founded in 1986 in Seattle, Washington, he is a total force of nature. Leaving musical tracks for others to try and follow with now 16 albums and countless gigs, he remains as untamed and menacing as ever.

New bassist Polly O'Keary and drummer Tommy Cook provide bone-rattling punch as Langford makes his estimable presence known via eyeball-melting slide stomps, melancholy ballads and butt-kicking rockers on 12 far-reaching, original tunes. "Stoned Again" shows his razor slide in open D, a tuning he owns along with Blind Willie Johnson and Elmore James as he makes a startling pitch for justice regarding getting high with, "The devil drinks his whiskey and Jesus drinks his wine." The melancholy minor key blues of "Daddies Bones" is a bracing change of pace with Joe Doria providing Hammond B-3 pads for Langford to pick straight lead while he sings a brooding tale about a wayward father that seems to reference the recent movie Winter's Bone. The big arena rock sound of "Can't Dress It Up" would give Tom Petty a run for his money as Langford uses his signature vocal growl to dramatic effect in contrast to the rousing horn hits and anthemic chorus. "In Your Corner" continues the fist-pump with a rocking Memphis boogie groove and vocal hooks that stick to the ribs while Langford unleashes his slide.

Guest soul man Curtis Salgado brings his vox bono to preach understanding on "I Heard Voices," a smooth slice of funk that Langford gooses with tart lead licks that leads into "Everybody's Got Something,'" a heartfelt plea for unconditional love with, "Everybody's got something to give." Langford next delivers a pointed rant on the insouciant lazy funk of "Workin'" about the current economic plight of the working folk that evolves into an angry, runaway train of a rave-up in the coda before fading. "She Sees Ghosts" is another funky slice of R&B driven by catchy hooks and fills as Langford employs an inventive tale about a dog who "sees things that nobody sees" as a creative metaphor for his own fears.

"Inside of Me" extends his uneasiness musically with a minor key, medium rocker featuring Doria on keys while Langford wearily expresses his consuming passion for his woman with the restrained, resigned line of "I'm inside of her, she's inside of me." With a different take on love and a riff that acknowledges SRV, Langford rocks the shuffle on "As the Tears Go By," snapping off prickly fills and a solo that is Texas as well as blues-approved. The title track visits grunge city and finds Langford stepping back with his guitar while his rip-picking son Austin Elwood acquits himself with the exuberance and angst of youth as the father emotes with chilling passion about his demons. Closing with a melodic and moving instrumental named for the Mexican town where he honeymooned, "Bucerius" also pays homage to the instrumental bands that came out of the Northwest in the early sixties.

Langford has used the evocative images of cattle and human skulls as talismans on his album art while his music laughs in the face of life's challenges. In addition, it exudes the deepest blue feelings that flow through it like the muddy Mississippi. It is an experience often imitated and rarely replicated, but in great evidence throughout Shiver.

Dave Rubin, 2005 KBA winner in Journalism

Rogue Rage:

Don "Harpo" DeRoma - Harpo has been performing in bands on the West Coast for 35 years. He has recorded with Rolling Stones keyboardist Chuck Leavell and drummer Buddy Miles. Both were contributors to Harpo's CD "Halfway To Cleveland". Harpo was also frontman for The Nightcrawlers - working along side of legendary guitarist Henry Vestine of Canned Heat.

Bill Eckart - Played with the "Canterbury Blues Band" and "Father Grumble." Worked as a session musician for "David Rubinson" with "Fillmore Records" providing keyboard tracks for the "Chambers Brothers" and the "Pointer Sisters." Musical director of the "Goldiggers" for "Dean Martin Presents." In Los Angeles, he played with numerous artist including "Al Stewart"; "Spike Jones Jr"; "Chico"; producer "Jimmie Haskell"; "Joe Pacaro"; "Bobby Shew" ; "Larry Carlton" and "Bobby Clayton." Recorded the solo piano album of original compositions titled "Diamonds" with "Alex di Grassi" producing at "Different Fur Studios" in San Francisco. Bill is still searching for the lost chord.

Joe Diehl - As a young boy, Mom's record collection included Louis Armstrong. Henry Mancini & Leonard Bernstein and various dixieland jazz and movie soundtracks. Older sister Robyn's collection included Otis Redding, Ray Charles, The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown and various soul artists. I started messing around with the guitar at about age 10, but did not get really into it until I heard the "Dueling banjos" (Deliverance theme). At that time I began private lessons and my Mom bought me "Chester and Lester" ...a record of Chet Atkins and Les Paul. Chet instantly became my first guitar hero. At age 16. I joined my first "garage band" playing covers of Zep, Trower, Deep Purple, Allmans, Montrose, etc. At 17 joined first "pro" outfit an 8 piece horn band called "Savory" playing top 40, rock and funk at high schools and weddings all over northern California. At age 19 studied with Tower of Power guitarist, Bruce Conte and eventually played a show with T.O.P. members Stephen "Doc" Kupka and "Rocco" Prestia. Continuing in the 80s to play in a wide variety of projects that included a soul review, a couple blues bands, punk-influenced "art-rock", and many singer-songwriter projects. Collaborating with Suzanne Sterling and forming "Skyclad" an experimental original band that performed all over northern Cal. opening for the Counting Crows, Jefferson Starship, Michael Franti, and many others. Also through the 90's becoming a regular, the "Sweetwater" performing with Jenni and Maria Muldaur, Bob Wier, Gregg Allman and Steve Kimock, as well as opening for Train, and Linda Perry.

Rick Bolz - In addition to playing bass guitar for Rogue Rage, Rick is a songwriter and producer. Rick's claim to fame is his 1960's psychedelic band, "The Neighb'rhood Childr'n". Their CD is available at Amazon.com or download it at iTunes. Music is my mistress and I gave her my soul. Peace, Rick Bolz.

Sandy Ficca - Watching Ringo play with the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show was all the inspiration Sandy needed to passionately pursue playing drums. His dream finally came true a few years later when his mom went behind his dads back and bought him a drumset. The next day he was in a band and has never looked back. Sandy's first big gig was with the 1960s R&B greats, The Drifters, who had such hits as "Under The Boardwalk" and "Up On The Roof." It was an incredible learning experience at 18 years old. Sandy left the road to play the club and lounge circuit around Florida. He then played with another R&B singer on CBS named Thelma Jones, a phenomenal singer who never received the success she deserved. Later Sandy tapped into the rich music scene in the Miami and Ft. Lauderdale area where hundreds of club gigs and recording sessions kept him busy for about ten years. In October of 1984 Sandy was offered the drum seat in Firefall where he has stayed since. Rogue Rage is also pleased to have Sandy's driving force on drums!

Jeff Schrick - Originally from Southern California. Joined the group Jara in the 70's as their drummer. After about a 4 to 5 year jaunt, left the group to move to Oklahoma where he played with several country bands not to mention getting to play with some of Bob Well's (The King of Country Swings) survivors from the day. Jeff had an opportunity to drum for whom some believed to have been the original Cherokee Fiddler 'Herb Meeks' A song made famous by Johnny Lee. For the next couple of years Herb mentored Jeff in the fine art of southern fried music. Jeff has taken what he has gleened from Tris Imboden i.e. Latin, Rock and Jazz, not to mention Terry Bozzio, Neil Pert, etc. He had the opportunity to play with and attend several music seminars throughout the Midwest sitting under some of the country's best Praise and Worship leaders, such as Kent Henry, David Grothe, Danny Chambers, and Bob Scorge. He has vocally backed Christian Artist like Sharon Daugherty, Steve Brock,and Alvin Slaughter.He is also one of the voices in concert of a thousand voice choir held at the Mabee Center in Tulsa Oklahoma. Jeff continues to push forward in his quest for that seat, pulling from those that he can and giving to others as needed. Jeff is currently back up drummer for the group.

The Vipers featuring Deb Cleveland

Since their formation in 1992, The Vipers have supported the best of Eugene, Oregon's blues musician. Their 1993 CD Venom featured the incendiary guitar work of the late Canned Heat guitarist Henry Vestine. After Vestine's untimely death in 1997, veteran bluesman Eagle Park Slim joined the band. Several of his original songs are featured on the 2000 release Good Times Live! and he toured Europe with The Vipers in 2002. Deb Cleveland has been with the band since late 2002 and is featured on The Vipers' 2004 release Tickle My Toes. She toured Europe with the band in 2004 including an appearance at Sweden's Linköping Blues and Jazz Festival. In 2006 The Vipers Featuring Deb Cleveland won the Eugene Weekly Readers' Poll as Best Local Blues Band and in 2007 and 2008 Deb won as Best Local Blues Personality. She received the Rainy Day Blues Society's Rooster Award for Female Blues Vocalist in 2009. Currently the band is working on a new CD with a planned release date of late 2010.

Born and raised in east Waco, Texas, Deb Cleveland first began to sing as a child in her Sunday School Southern Baptist gospel choir. Whenever Deb's mother cleaned house she would play the blues, exposing Deb to Bobby Blue Bland, Johnny Taylor, B.B. King, Jimmy Reed, and many others. She was always singing and kind of prayed that way with gospel hymns, "like breathing air." Deb and her mother used to go and listen to the different gospel choirs in the area. Her father was in the Air Force. He played harmonica and sang blues and gospel spirituals in a deep baritone voice. Deb's grandmother sang in church and played piano at home. Every Sunday, after listening to her grandmother play a hymn or two at home, Deb would persuade her to play Boogie Woogie on the piano, much to her mother's dismay. To this day Deb loves Boogie Woogie.Deb moved to Phoenix, Arizona at age six. Her parents ruled the radio at home. Then Deb got the first transistor radio on her block and a world of music opened to her. She listened to everything from the gospel of the Mighty Clouds of Joy and Shirley Caesar to the rock of The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. She listened to Motown, The Supremes, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Wilson Pickett, and quite a bit of Perry Como and Dean Martin. As a little girl Dinah Washington was her favorite. Then at age 11 she was crushed when her mother would not let her go see Tina Turner at the Calderon Ballroom, a local bar. To this day Deb says she still has some issues with that.
By 15 her mother thought Deb was incorrigible. So she sent her to live with relatives in Salem, Oregon. By 16 Deb was more or less on her own. She got pregnant, earned her GED, worked in a plywood mill, became a custodian and spent the next ten years working various jobs and partying. In 1985, when in her 30s, she went to the University of Oregon in Eugene and got a Bachelor's degree in Human Services. She was encouraged to take a "fun" class and auditioned for the University gospel ensemble. To her surprise the instructor, Jack Gaynor, said she had potential. Until then Deb had never thought of herself as a singer. Within three or four years Deb was doing solos with the ensemble. She joined a local band, Willie Dee and Shakabuku, and played congas and sang backup.

Then one evening she sang lead for the first time and was amazed with the audience's response.
Deb went to graduate school in Social Work at Portland State University where she became friends with Judy Vogelsang and sang harmonies in Judy's band, Everybody and Their Uncle. Marty Weissbrath, the band's saxophonist, was impressed by Deb's voice and asked her to sing with another small group. That led to the formation of the Deb Cleveland Band in 1994 and their 1998 release, Live! All Night Long. A song from that CD appeared on the Eugene Blues anthology CD, and in his review Real Blues editor Andy Grigg praised Cleveland as a "big voiced" vocalist who "deserves to be on a big label."

Deb would occasionally sit in with The Vipers. When the band needed a new lead singer. Deb stepped up. Together they produced The Vipers' 2004 release Tickle My Toes and toured Europe in 2005.
Jon Silvermoon began playing harmonica in 1971. In 1992 he founded The Vipers with his good friend the late Henry Vestine, guitarist with Canned Heat. They collaborated on The Vipers' first CD, Venom, released in 1993 and played together throughout Oregon until Henry's passing in October 1997.
Guitarist for The Vipers is Johnny "Guitar" Ward, a long-time veteran of the Eugene blues scene,
Stand-up and electric bass player and vocalist Byron Case had several Top 10 hits with his band The Sunrays in the 1960's.

Rounding out The Vipers' rhythm section is the steady beat of drummer and vocalist Rick Markstrom. A Wisconsin native, Rick toured the Midwest with his band The Tayles before moving to Oregon in 1976.

The 58's

The Fifty Eights are a band comprised of 5 friends who have been playing together in different combinations of bands over the last 4 years, and have come to settle with, what we like to call, The Fifty Eights. Mostly sticking to classic rock and blues, The Fifty Eights venture into the realms of funk, soul, ska and many other genres when needed.

Dave Boettger keeps the groove funky on the bass for The Fifty Eights. A New England transplant, Dave has been an integral part of The Fifty Eights rhythm section, by both layin' down the bass grove, and keeping mischievous smirk on his face, to make u wonder what he will be up to next.

Mark Groshong is The Fifty Eights drum man! Always working in the entertainment business, Mark has always felt at home on the stage. Originally from the northern California area, Mark has been in the Klamath Falls area for a while now, has been a previous Vice President of the Klamath Blues Society, as well as drumming with several other local bands.

Robert Harlow, the baby of the band, is originally from the Sacramento valley and arrived in Klamath Falls in 2001. Starting as mostly a saxophone player, Robert has now found a new passion for playing Hammond organ, as well as Leading the vocal section of the Fifty Eights, while still throwing in some sax when he can!

Lead guitar player J.J. Hannum, born 1974 in Casper Wyoming, started on the drums, until he found his true calling in playing guitar. 20+ bands and alot of later, influences from AC/DC to Zeppelin and everything in between can be heard in J.J.'s edgy playing, and if your lucky you will catch him sing a song!

Brian Baker of Bonanza Oregon on guitar and vocals brings the biker edge to the band. Brian is the touring veteran of the band, playing in several bands from the California Bay Area, in all styles of music from country to hard rock and roll!