Davis Live Music Collective is stoked to bring Portland, OR roots rockers Hillstomp to town Friday, December 2, 2022 along with Bay Area favorites The Sam Chase & the Traditional.
Hillstomp is a 2-man band comprised of Henry Hill Kammerer and John Johnson. Henry plays guitar and banjo like a hurricane, and if you close your eyes you’d swear he’s playing 2 parts at once. John Johnson beats mercilessly on his drums, with the fury of a demon loose from hell. Once you get past the pure ferocity of his playing, you notice the parts are intricately crafted patterns that provide the framework for Kammerer’s guitar and banjo sorcery. Hillstomp sounds like a boom box blasting from a shopping cart. Two madmen have strapped an engine to the cart and it’s too big and running too hot. They’ve got a banjo and a megaphone, a washboard and a kick drum. They’ve stocked the cart with guitars, buckets, car parts, and microphones and they are hurtling towards a blown out bridge while the bad front wheel flaps manically. The fools think they can jump the bridge and land safely on the other side. They are very wrong but no one has told them because…well, they just seem so happy. And there you are, bouncing alongside them and deep down you hope they make it. Hillstomp is folk music in its purest form – from loud and gritty, to intricate and poignant, and most importantly, always heartfelt and true.
And if that’s not enough, Sam Chase and his merry band of ne’er-do-wells will close the show with their signature high energy gypsy stomp and holler act. The Sam Chase and the Untraditional hails from San Francisco, California. This juggernaut of a band blends rock n roll with folk music while maintaining the sensibilities and attitudes that come from growing up on a healthy diet of punk rock. The leader of the band is The Sam Chase himself, a natural storyteller with a voice that sounds as if it has weathered many an epic tale. With boot stomping orchestration and lyrics that have been immortalized on the tattooed skin of their fans, The Sam Chase & The Untraditional doesn’t mess around.
You’re going to want to get there early for this one. This event is open to all ages and is wheelchair accessible. A limited number of $10 student tickets will be available at the door with student ID.