UNCLE LUCIUS REVUE

                                                    East Texas Music Scene

                                                            Dennis Kippa

Once and awhile you come across a talented musical group that grabs your interest and renews your faith in the possibility of “the next big sound”. It has been many years sense I heard anything that sparked my interest, but Uncle Lucius has done just that in a very big way.

Uncle Lucius, as the band is known, has been playing all around the State of Texas for about 7 years now. They've played at bars, nightclubs, honky tonks, BBQ restaurants, small theaters and festivals - anywhere they can draw a crowd. Their sound is hard to describe. They don't fit into one genre. Some call it Southern Rock, some call it Northern Soul, some call it Americana. I call it excellent.!

Some one recently asked Joe Walsh of the Eagles “What makes a song become a number one record?” “As far as I'm concerned”, he said, “it has to have a hook.” A hook might be a guitar riff, a lyric line, or a melody that jumps out at you and pulls you into the music. To this, I would add that a song must have good transitions. This is the part in the song where the melody seems to shift into a different and unexpected gear. Both of these points of great music- hooks and transitions - is where Uncle Luciusshines. Their music is full of hooks of every variety that tug at your heart and transitions that speak to your soul. From the haunting true story in the song “Keep the WolvesAway” to the rockin' “Everybody's Got Soul”, along with too many others to mention here, the hooks and transitions will keep you listening to their music over and over again. On most any Uncle Lucius tune, you will be pulled musically one direction, and then when you least expect it, you will be pulled hard in another. It feels like magic. You find yourself wondering what's next and hoping that it isn't about to end.

The band is made up of lead singer and rhythm guitar player, Kevin Galloway, who attended Big Sandy High School, along with Hal Vorpahl on bass, Mike Carpenter on lead guitar and vocals, Josh Greco on drums and percussion, and Jon Grossman on keyboard and vocals. Each member of this band adds his own mark on each and every tune, and on most songs they all share writing credits, which is something that is rare in the business of music. Their music is truly a group effort, and a darned good one at that.

If you think you might enjoy the music of Uncle Lucius, you can listen to all of it on any music archive site. Spotify is one such site. Once you download it, you can listen to anything, as often as you like. When you decide what you like, you can download it (purchase it) from any of several music sites.

If you would like to see Uncle Lucius live, you're in for a huge treat. They have a date coming up in early September at a well known BBQ joint in Tyler. You can check theUncle Lucius website or their Facebook page for current information.

As time and space allow, I hope to direct your musical ear to other Texas-based groups that may be of interest to you. I would love to hear from you all with any comments you might have. My email is easttexasmusicscene1@yahoo.com.