Event

Scud Mountain Boys

The Scud Mountain Boys began simply as the Scuds in western Massachusetts' Pioneer Valley in 1991. Back then the group played loud rock 'n' roll in local clubs and had an appreciable number of fans who would frequent their live shows. But after those shows ended, three members -- Joe Pernice (vocals, acoustic and electric guitars), Stephen Desaulniers (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, and bass), and Bruce Tull (electric guitar, lap steel, pedal steel) - would retreat to Bruce's kitchen to unwind. There, late at night, the trio would break out their old country favorites, playing the songs they thought too quiet and too slow for live performances.

The band found that these were the songs they really lived to play, so they decided to make a change. Adding "mountain boys" to their name, the re-christened Scud Mountain Boys played their first show in 1993. They described the stripped-down approach to Northampton's Union-News: "We took simple gear like acoustic guitars. We borrowed the kitchen table from the club. We sat down in chairs around the table, put a lamp on it, and had a convenient place to put our beers and ashtrays.... Then we played our set."

In August 2011, after being out-of-contact for many years, Pernice, Desaulniers and Shea had an almost-impromptu reunion in Cambridge, Mass., after which they announced the full Scud Mountain Boys line-up would do some shows in 2012. Ashmont Records re-released The Early Year in 2012. Now, they've got an actual new album.

http://www.scudmountainboys.com