Tuesday Artist Spotlight: Cowboy Mouth (6/15/17 Aboard The Jewel)
It’s not every day you get a chance to see a band perform live whose centerpiece and band leader is the drummer. For whatever reason, whether it be the natural pairing of vocals and guitar or the association of melodies to the identity of a band, groups who’s drummer grabs your attention as much as Frank LeBlanc does of Cowboy Mouth is simply a rarity.
Founded by LeBlanc (lead vocals, drums, front man) and guitarist John Thomas Griffith in 1992, Cowboy Mouth saw immediate mainstream success in the early 90’s with charting record sales and a hit single, “Jenny Says.” However in 2000 the band’s success in the world of mainstream music and record sales started to decline, leading to their label dropping them at the turn of the century. One would typically view this change in the group’s multi-decade career as a loss for the band, but in reality, Cowboy Mouth saw this as an opportunity to re-identify themselves as a band that you need to see live – as a group that values and places more importance on the live experience than the sales of a record.
Ever since that watershed moment, Cowboy Mouth has built a reputation as one of the best live alternative rock bands in Louisiana, racking up impressive accolades including but not limited to an induction into the Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2011, as well as several live national TV appearances such as a performance on The Ellen Degeneres Show during Mardi Gras in 2006. What’s more – Cowboy Mouth has released an astonishing 12 studio albums, 9 live albums / EPs, and 3 different films. What I’m trying to say is this is a historic band with a historic catalog that’s currently boasting an identity as one of the nation’s premier live acts.
Since its inception in the early 90s, Cowboy Mouth has seen a rotating cast of talent and is currently comprised of LeBlanc, Griffith, Brian Broussard (bass, formerly of the New Orleans power-trio Dash Rip Rock with band-mate LeBlanc), and Matt Jones (rhythm guitar and vocals, formerly of Jimmie’s Chicken Shack). In a few weeks Cowboy Mouth is bringing their highly-acclaimed live music experience up the East coast to the world’s most active, thriving music market. On Thursday, June 15th, the band is hosting a special, one of a kind concert booze cruise aboard The Jewel, which docks at E 23rd St & FDR on the East Side of Manhattan. At 7pm, live music enthusiasts will start to pile into the vessel before taking off at 8pm to cruise around Manhattan while enjoying premier live music and a stockpiled bar. Tickets are flying, but you can still grab your passes here.