Walter Trout Is Going Fishin’ for Recognition
Walter Trout has played well more than a thousand gigs at Perq’s, his homey little hometown club in Huntington Beach.
He says the one coming up Thursday night probably rates as the most important ever.
Trout’s mission will be to fire up not only his loyal local fans but also a new set of ears: the music industry figures who could help him achieve his elusive goal of a strong national profile.
Trout, 47, is a legitimate blues-rock guitar hero, a singing-songwriting-fret-burning triple threat who did his woodshedding in the 1980s with Canned Heat and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. Since 1989, he has enjoyed a successful solo career in Europe, where he has released seven albums, played regularly at major festivals, and won honors in various listeners’ polls.
But Trout’s lone U.S. release, “Tellin’ Stories,” was commercially stillborn in 1994 when Silvertone Records failed to give it a promotional push or fund a touring campaign. “The whole time that album was out in America, we were playing at Perq’s,” Trout recalled. “That was really, really disappointing.”
Which brings us to why his next show at Perq’s, where he has performed regularly since 1975, is so important. In January, Ruf Records, a German label with U.S. distribution through PolyGram, will release “Walter Trout” in America. On Thursday, Ruf’s promotional and marketing staff will be at Perq’s, along with publicists and booking agents, to get their first look at the artist they’ll be trying to sell. Instead of their usual Perq’s regimen of playing all night, with breaks between sets, Trout and his band will perform a two-hour concert.
Trout knows from his Silvertone experience the importance of winning over the people whose time, energy and money can catapult an unknown artist. He is treating the show as an important audition.
“This is a chance for the record company people and [booking] agents and promotion people to get an idea what it is they’re going to be working with,” Trout said. “We need our fans to come down so we can show the effect we have on a crowd, how we can work an audience.”
The label’s owner, Thomas Ruf, has seen Trout play in Europe over the past few years. Jim Gaines, the Memphis-based producer of Trout’s new album, sent Ruf tapes of the sessions, sparking Ruf’s decision to sign Trout for a U.S. release. (In Europe, the album has already been released under the title “Positively Beale Street” by Trout’s longtime overseas label, the Dutch-based Provogue.)
The CD is a typically versatile collection ranging from blues to soulful balladry and paying tribute to such influences as Fats Domino, Chuck Berry and the Stylistics.
Trout says Ruf has outlined a marketing and promotional plan for his album. This time, he says, he will get financial support for his first U.S. tour as a solo artist.
“They’re sincere people,” Trout said. “I’m really excited. It’s the best shot I’ve had in the States.”
* The Walter Trout Band plays Thursday at Perq’s, 117 Main St., Huntington Beach. 9 p.m. (714) 960-9996. $3. Also Nov. 29 at Perq’s and Nov. 28 at Hop City Blues & Brews, 1939 S. State College Blvd., Anaheim (714) 978-3700.
Blues Celebration
One of the highlights of the annual blues calendar is the Battle of the Blues Harps, which isn’t so much a competition as a celebration of Southern California’s wealth of traditional blues talent.
The ninth installment is at 7 p.m. Nov. 26 at the Golden Sails/Best Western Hotel ballroom, 6285 E. Pacific Coach Highway, Long Beach. The lineup features Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, the James Harman Band, the Johnny Dyer Band and Lynwood Slim and Band, with hosts Juke Logan and Doug MacLeod starting the show with an acoustic set. $20-$25. Information: (562) 498-6942.
Rapping for Kids
O.C’s hard-hitting rock/rap band, (hed)p.e., will headline at the Roxy, 9009 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood, on Nov. 28 in a benefit for the Independent Musicians Foundation, a new nonprofit group aiming to bring music and art to Los Angeles kids. Opening are Slambookey and Static. A snowboarding/skateboarding film will premiere. 7 p.m. $10-$12. (310) 364-3656.
Unplugged Country
Two area country music talents, Patty Booker and Rick Shea, are teaming for a series of unplugged duo shows each Wednesday from 8 p.m. to midnight at the Dixie Belle Restaurant & Lounge, 9559 Imperial Highway, Downey. No cover. (562) 803-4943.
