The Weary Boys: Delivering the Music of the Lord
Live Preview – The Weary Boys
February 24 @ The Tactor Tavern
Seattle, Washington
By Lisa M. Smith
Austin-based electric bluegrass-gospel-rockabilly quintet The Weary Boys have played the Tractor so many times in the last three years that they can already call themselves seasoned veterans of the venue. Like Bobby Bare Jr., no sooner are you coming down from the last round than you open up the paper and see them listed on the Upcoming Shows column. It’s a scary reality check on where the time flies. And to think, these guys have been touring most of the time they were away. They’re that kind of band.
And speaking of where the time flies, the Weary Boys are so firey and so galvanizing, that you sort of wonder what drug they’re taking. Frontman Mario Matteoli will probably tell you it’s nothing more than the medicine of the Lord. The group regularly weaves traditional gospel tunes and sacred songs into their revved up repertoire, building its sound around four-part harmonies, telecaster, fiddle, acoustic guitar, upright bass, and snare.
In an age where band work ethic seems to be on the decline, it would take most twenty-something bands years of grueling rehearsal to pull off the robust harmonies and effortless execution of song that the Weary Boys can pull off in their sleep. They clearly have an intuition for the old-time genre that is exceptionally rare today. And, being such high caliber musicians in a scene that isn’t dominated by Top 40 bombshells in low-rider jeans and black eyeliner (or guys with Abercrombie haircuts and mesh shirts) means that the Weary Boys have been able to rub shoulders with country legends like Merle Haggard, Dale Watson and Emmylou Harris.