Codell Rodriguez
Daily Egyptian
Jug Punk? Is that possible? Some think so.
The Woodbox Gang brings various twisted lyrics and mix them with a jug band sound that would make Creedence Clearwater Revival shed a tear.
But the members of the Woodbox Gang aren't too sure about the whole jug-punk thing. They call their style "caustic acoustic." The bearded six-man band is composed of Hugh DeNeal on guitar and vocals, Brian DeNeal on bass, Dean Thiebaud on lead guitar, Sam Boss on mandolin, John Brejc on drums, and Alex Kirt on banjo, washboard, gas can, harmonica and just about anything else. Kirt is also the one without the beard.
The Woodbox Gang has two albums to its name. The first is called "Trashcan Americana," and the latest is called "Wormwood." The band is booked until the end of August with gigs as far away as New Orleans and Fort Worth, Texas. But the band - minus Brejc - decided to head to Booby's Beer Garden, roll some cigarettes, drink some beer and answer a few questions for the inquiring minds at the Daily Egyptian.
DE: How would you describe your music?
Thiebaud: Trashcan Americana.
H. DeNeal: Caustic acoustic as we like to describe it.
B. DeNeal: We found a site on the Internet where someone called us "death folk." (laughter) And I thought that was all right. But the idea was sort of a pumped up jug band music, I guess.
Thiebaud: Without the jug.
H. DeNeal: Without the jug.
Thiebaud: We drank the jug. (laughter)
DE: What's your favorite album at the moment?
Thiebaud: "Lovesick, Broke & Driftin'."
B. DeNeal: Ah, Hank III?
Thiebaud: Yup.
B. DeNeal: I think mine right now would have to be Tom Waits, "Blood Money." I've been listening to that one over and over.
Kirt: That's a tough question. I got this Ramones album called "It's Alive" that I've been listening to a lot lately.
H. DeNeal: Oh, Nick Cave, "Henry's Dream."
DE: Do you have a favorite gig you've ever played?
Boss: PK's
Kirt: (laughs) Think so? I don't know. When we played here [Booby's] on graduation weekend, that was a pretty cool gig.
B. DeNeal: That was probably the most memorable.
H. DeNeal: Everybody threw bottles at us and stuff.
Thiebaud: Yeah there were broken bottles everywhere after that.
Kirt: Yeah, hundreds of broken bottles.
Boss: Yeah, I was here and I hear the bottle schoom! Right past my ear. (laughs)
H. DeNeal: They weren't trying to hurt us.
Boss: They were trying to hurt Alex. (laughs)
Kirt: Yeah, they were trying to get me to quit playing the washboard.
B. DeNeal: I tell you, the second most memorable was a couple of years ago playin' here when that girl got down on the ground without any panties on and was ...
H. DeNeal: That toothless prostitute? (laughs)
B. DeNeal: Yeah, and was trying to entice us while we were playing. The bouncers here said they'd never seen anything like it. The lady started dancing and before it was over, she was on the ground and had no underwear on and her skirt had ridden up. It was unexpected to say the least. Wound up on her back with her stuff spread out everywhere.
DE: What do you think - besides the toothless prostitute - is the craziest fan experience?
Kirk: I'd say the bottle breaking in here was the wildest anyone ever got.
B. DeNeal: No one's ever tried to fight us, I don't think. Well there was a guy at PK's who I think was lunging at us before his wife dragged him out.
Kirt: Oh yeah, the guy who told us he'd built a guitar in the shape of what state?
H. DeNeal: Ohio. (laughs)
Kirk: Or was it Idaho?
Thiebaud: Yeah, he said, "I built guitars for Gibson. I built them in the shape of states." (laughs)
Kirt: Do ya now?
B. DeNeal: And then he kept doing shots and all of a sudden - what was it he was screaming? Oh he wanted to hear "The Crossroads." And we wouldn't play it, and he started to charge the stage, and his wife dragged him out.
Kirt: He really didn't want to get to the stage too bad if his little wife dragged him out. (laughs)
H. DeNeal: No, I think the craziest fan thing is definitely the toothless prostitute.
Thiebaud: She was dancing just like a stripper right in front of us.
Boss: How old was this woman?
H. DeNeal: She looked like she was in her 50s so probably 22. (laughs)
B. DeNeal: She really started to get into it when we were doing "Gin and Juice."
Kirt: Then she wanted to sing, remember that?
B. DeNeal: Yup, "I can sing!"
H. DeNeal: Didn't she solicit you on the way home? (looking at Kirk)
Kirt: She said, "Oh, I don't have no way to get home." And so I said, "I'll give you a ride." And she got in my car and we got right up there on the corner and she goes, "So, what you like honey?" And I just went eeeeek (imitating car screeching to a halt) and I said, "Get out."
B. DeNeal: Didn't she say it would be $20 for her and $20 for the motel?
Kirt: Yeah, something like that. I told her to get out.
DE: Any pre-show rituals?
H. DeNeal: I think this is our ritual. (pointing to his beer)
Kirt: We drink beer and tell each other how bad the other one sucks. (laughs)
DE: If you could bring back Crystal Pepsi, would you?
Kirt: I don't know. The only time I ever tried it, it had vodka in it. It was pretty good.
H. DeNeal: If they had vodka in it, I'd want it back. (laughs)
Boss: It was just a lame excuse for Pepsi to pass up Coke.
DE: If you were a Pez dispenser, what kind of candy would you shoot out?
Kirt: Bile
H. DeNeal: Anthrax
B. DeNeal: I'd say whisky
Thiebaud: Yeah, whisky, there ya go. Now you're thinking.
Boss: Strawberry
DE: So what do you guys want to do in the future?
B. DeNeal: I guess the goal for the future is to be touring, on the road, make money at it, work when we want to and take off when we need to.
Kirt: I'd like to go fishing in every state.
Reporter Codell Rodriguez can be reached at crodriguez@dailyegyptian.com.
See The Woodbox Gang at about 9:30 p.m., Saturday at Hangar 9 with The Bourbon Knights.
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
