Updates on the Steepwater Band, including details from their latest show
A standout night in a cool, new venue and ... NEW MUSIC COMING!
Immediately as I walked into the Music Box in Rockford, a man sitting at a barstool got my attention and asked my name.
I told him, he checked a list and said I was good to go. I looked down the bar and to a couple tables with people all around them, then back at the guy and said, “Where do I go?”
He laughed and said, “You’re here. Get up as close as you can.”
Upon further inspection, behind that wall of people, there was a stage. Soon, the Steepwater Band took that stage and put on their usual amazing performance in a great-sounding venue.
This was my seventh time seeing the Steepwater Band and I haven’t watched them at the same venue twice. This was my first time at the Music Box and also my first time seeing a show in Rockford. The Music Box is a fairly new venue, having opened just a few months ago. It’s co-owned by Miles Nielsen, who is the son of Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen and lead singer of Miles Nielsen & the Rusted Hearts.
The Music Box, as the name suggests, is small — it probably holds 150 or so — but the small space somehow has great acoustics, like the sound has nowhere to go but directly in your ear. There was also a bar area with a cool vibe and plenty of parking nearby.
I was in the back of the room for the first set but moved up front during the second. There was a good crowd that was into the show — high volume in a small room limited talking.
Set-wise, getting “Mama Got to Ramble” was a nice surprise — I hadn’t heard that one live before. “Abandon Ship” with Eric Saylors on lap steel, and “Lord Knows” are always welcome treats.
Other than usually kicking off sets with “Please the Believer,” the only thing you know you’re going to get at a Steepwater show is “High & Humble,” complete with Joe Winters drum solo, into “Come On Down,” which starts with a funky Joe Bishop bass solo and also features a filthy Jeff Massey slide solo. Those are always crowd pleasers. They could easily make that the end of the show, but the fact it’s not always makes the rest feel like found money.
It’s hard to pick out a highlight instrumentally with this band, but Massey’s slide solo on “Tell the Truth” was one of them.
There was a technical difficulty — the band had to stop after starting “Vanishing Girl,” because Winters broke his bass drum beater, but he was able to replace it and restart the song within a minute or two.
The show was recorded and will be posted on archive.org, I was told.
Other news and notes
As always, the Steepwater guys were generous with their time afterward and I got a chance to talk to each of them.
The big news item is: New music is coming in 2025. The band is planning to record songs over the next month. Unlike their last few albums, Steepwater plans to release some singles in advance of the full record. There will be more information on concrete dates for the new music to come over the next couple months.
Following a month that will include rehearsal, recording and some time not playing gigs, Steepwater will head south for a 10-show tour through North Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia and Florida — the Southbound 2024 Tour. They’ll return home for a New Year’s Eve show at Austin Community Tavern in Steger along with Chris Grove, Billy Ozzello, Daryl Grady and Pete Calacci.
If you’re in a couple hour radius, it’s worth the drive to check this band out. Be sure to wait around after and say hi — they love to meet fans old and new.
Here are the Steepwater Southbound 2024 Tour dates:
Wednesday, Dec. 11 — Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, N.C.
Thursday, Dec. 12 — The Pour House Music Hall, Raleigh, N.C.
Friday, Dec. 13 — Barley's Taproom, Knoxville, Tenn.
Saturday, Dec. 14 — Eastside Bowl, Nashville, Tenn.
Sunday, Dec. 15 — Smith's Olde Bar, Atlanta, Ga.
Tuesday, Dec. 17 — Cafe Eleven, Saint Augustine Beach, Fla.
Wednesday, Dec. 18 — Pinto's Lounge, Titusville, Fla.
Thursday, Dec. 19 — The Funky Biscuit, Boca Raton, Fla.
Friday, Dec. 20 — Cottonmouth Southern Soul Food, Bradenton, Fla.
Saturday, Dec. 21 — Heidi's Jazz Club, Cocoa Beach, Fla.
Tuesday, Dec. 31 — Austin Community Tavern, Steger
More photos and videos
Dance Me a Number
Lord Knows
Great stuff, Justin! Great review!
Southside Bill - St. Louis
I was there…cool little venue, another great show