What's New?
11/3/06: A big thanks goes out to all of you who made the last few gigs at Oktoberfest and Philby's. A special thanks goes out to J.D. "Doc" Wheeler (guitar/vocals) and Craig Edwards (keyboards), who came out and sat in with us at Philby's last Friday. If you missed that one, you missed one helluva good time!! By the end of the night the place was rockin', with people dancing everywhere! November is a little thin right now, but we've got a couple of really good venues to play. Next Thursday (9 Nov) we'll be at Humphrey's. Then we'll be back at Philby's on 17 Nov (Friday). We hope to see some of you at one of these excellent clubs. BTW, if you're looking for something to do New Year's Eve, we just found out that we'll be playing the Redstone Arsenal Officer's & Civilian Club New Year's Eve Party. Don't know the details yet, but we'll post them as soon as we get them. Make sure you check back for updates on other shows that come up. Catcha all y'all later.
9/1/06: Hello again everyone. I know..it's been awhile!! The Ramblers have gone through a bunch of changes over the last 8-9 months, and the website was sorely neglected. But, it's about 95% updated now, so check back frequently for new happenings. We've undergone a slew of personnel changes, but we've been marching on and many of you have caught us out playing here and there. Briefly, here's what has happened personnel-wise:
Lance Smith left the band in Nov 05 to start his own project. When you get a chance, check out his new band "The Lance Almon Smith Band". He and good buds Nick Waldrep & Joe Harbin are really tearin' it up. You can also catch him sitting in with The Ramblers from time to time.
Keyboardist Dan Hoctor, joined the band in Dec 05. After several months of memorable shows, Dan decided that his musical palate needed a little more variety than the blues could offer. Dan resigned from the band as a full-time member in Aug 06. But, you never know, we might be able to convince him to show up at a show or two in the future. He's an excellent keyboard player and we do like dem keys!!
Guitarist Bob Walters also left the band in Jul 06. We wish both Bob and Dan the best of luck in their musical pursuits.
In Aug 06 we were most happy to welcome guitarist Freddy Faust into The Rambler fold. Freddy brings an agressive, in your face, style of guitar to the band. The man has some good vocals to go with his tasty guitar chops. Check him out at one of our upcoming shows. Oh yeah, you can also catch him (and Geary) every Sunday night at The Kaffeeklatsch "Sunday Blues Jam".
Speaking of upcoming shows, we've got a few this month. Philby's on the 9th and Oktoberfest on Redstone Arsenal the 14th & 16th. Check the schedule for details and any new gigs that might come along. Oh yeah, if you haven't already done so, don't forget to sign the guestbook. There's also a link to get on The 4-Door Ramblers official gig notice email list. Catch ya later!
8/17/05: If you're wondering why there's not much booked compared to recent months, we've decided to slow down a bit and learn some new material. Playing the action packed schedule we played this summer really has been fun but now its time to slow down and learn some new stuff and gear up for the fall and next year. It looks like we'll probably be playing all over the place.
On a side note, pics from the Furniture Factory gig on 7/23 have been added in the Photos section.
8/08/05: I posted some thoughts about Ray Brand. Sorry its long, but he's worth it. :-) Don't forget about the Benefit Jam for his wife detailed below.
8/01/05:
First, let me remind everyone that we're playing at the Huntsville Bicentennial Party at Merrimack Park Tuesday night from 6-9pm. Huntsville's newest soccer park is located on the old site of the Merrimack Mill. The fields are on the corner of Triana Boulevard and Linden Avenue (just north of Drake Avenue) and are within walking distance of City North and City South fields. From Memorial Parkway (US 231), exit on Drake Ave and go west to Triana Boulevard. Turn right on Triana. The Soccer Park will be on the right.
Secondly, last Friday, Ray Brand, guitarist for the Crawler's, passed away from complications of colon cancer. Ray Brand was a good friend of the band and a mentor to me (Lance) personally. He could play circle's around anyone in town but you'd never hear anything like that from him. He was one of the most humble, yet awesomely talented, people I've ever met. I'm going to post a few stories about him in the next few days.
Ray's funeral will be at Valhalla on Wednesday, 3 Aug at 2:00pm. Visitation will be at 12:00pm. Following the funeral, there will be a memorial jam session at Rockabilly's on Pratt Ave.
On Sunday, August 28, there will be a Benefit Jam at Club 721 starting at 12:30pm. All proceeds will go to Ray's wife to defray medical and funeral costs. More details to follow.
Ray's band mate Billy summed it up best: "God was tired of listening to Jimi & Stevie Ray and wanted to listen to Ray for awhile."
God's speed Ray...you'll be missed by all whose life you've touched.
7/18/05:
We were selected to compete in Battle of the Beers and Bands this Thursday, July 21st @ 6pm at Humphrey's Bar and Grill. So everyone come out and support us. There will be 3 other bands (from 3 different genres) and the competition will be judged by "celebrity" judges. The winner will get a spot at this year's Big Spring Jam Saturday night and some studio time. There will also be a write-up about the competition and each band in the Go insert in this Thursday's Huntsville Times. Here's a link with more info:
7/12/05:
So everyone's wanting to know about Memphis. Well, we had a great time. Both nights, as more people came in, we played on until 3-3:30 am. We enjoyed the second night especially as we played probably the best we've ever played and the crowd was excellent all night. After the show the bartender told us that was the most people he'd seen in there in a long time and said the owner was going to "freak" when he saw the returns. So of course that means we'll be going back in a couple months. :-) So, we'd like to thank everyone who made the trip up. We had a blast and we hope you did too. We'll keep you posted on a future trip.
6/15/05:
Just wanted to let everyone know that in order to book a room at the Best Western Benchmark or the Holliday Inn Select on Union St. (across from the Peabody a couple blocks off Beale St.) that you'll need to actually call the hotel. Both hotels are listed as booked up on websites such as Travelocity, Orbitz, etc but if you call, you can get a room. The number for the Best Western Benchmark is 1-800-380-3236 and for the Holiday Inn Select is 1-901-525-5491. Again, if you just want a clean room and a bed stay at the Best Western. If you want something nicer stay at the Holiday Inn.
6/2/05:
Hey everyone. First let us say that thank you to everyone that has come out and supported us. We've had people drive from Huntsville to come see us in Scottsboro, from Guntersville to Huntsville, etc, etc so we really appreciate each and every one of you. Second, we wanted to let everyone know that the Memphis trip has been officially rescheduled for July 1st and 2nd. That's right!!! July 4th weekend so make plans to make a full weekend vacation out of it. There is tons of stuff to do in Memphis if you've never been. For food and lodging recommendations read below (5/13/05). Hope to see you there!!!
5/25/05:
Due to a conflict, the Memphis trip got postponed. We're hoping to go in July. Keep your ear to the rail and check the schedule.
5/13/05:
What would a blues website be without a post on Friday the 13th? Anywho, we've got some big news. The Memphis trip has been booked for June 10th and 11th at the Beale St. Tap Room, one of our favorite venues. The weather should be great so make plans because there's no excuse to miss THIS summer road trip. If you need a good hotel, we recommend the Holiday Inn on Union Ave. across from the Peabody. If you want to go budget, try the Best Western Benchmark right next door. Both are two blocks off of Beale St. And if you want some good chicken, we recommend Gus's Chicken. :-)
4/21/05:
We've got a bunch of cool road trips scheduled and some others in the works so check out the schedule and make plans.
2/24/05:
New sound clips have been posted in the Music section. Check em out!!!
1/21/05:
Hey everyone! Happy belated New Year! Just wanted to let everyone know that we were voted 3rd Best Blues Band in the Valley by readers of the Valley Planet. We want to thank all of you for your support. It really means alot to us. You can read more about it here.
I also wanted to let everyone know of a cool website I found. All Blues 4 U is a great blues website with bios and info on most of the blues legends and some of the new current ones touring around today. Check it out.
12/01/04:
Added a few sound clips to the music section. Don't forget to vote!!! Read below.
11/30/04:
Hey everyone, we need your help. A local entertainment magazine, the Valley Planet, hosts a Best of the Valley "award" every year in subjects ranging from Restaurants to Shopping to Entertainment and Sports. This is where you come in. One of the categories is Best Blues Artist. So we are shamelessly campaigning for your vote. Simply click on the link and type in the names of your favorites and click Submit Query. Its that simple. As far as we know, the Valley Planet won't send you spam so you shouldn't worry about that. And you can vote as many times as you want. Also, don't hesitate to spread the word to anyone you think might be interested. These awards are the only type of recognition local bands like us receive so they mean a lot to us and other artists as well. Kind of like a mini-Grammy Award. :-) Here's the link:
http://www.valleyplanet.com/bestEntertainment.php
11/26/04:
The gig at Scooters on December 11th has been cancelled due to a mixup at Scooters. Don't worry, we'll be back in January sometime.
11/16/04:
Everyone's asking, "Hey, how'd ya'll do at the Battle of the Blues Bands?" Well, I gotta tell ya, there were alot of REAL good bands this year. Every band was tight and there were a few that stood out and grabbed you. And evidently they thought we were one of em because we placed 3rd. WOOHOO!!! Not too bad and I was real proud of the guys...especially for only having formed a year ago. Not too mention the fact that we picked up Trent on bass about 3 gigs ago. So what this means is that we'll be playing at the MCBS Birthday Party in January. Here's an excerpt from the Magic City Blues Society's Newsletter:
Hey everybody, thanks to all who attended The Battle of the Blues Bands contest last night. And the winners are:
Electric:
1st place - Electric Voodoo
2nd place - The Charlie Soul Band
3rd Place - 4 Door Ramblers
Acoustic:
1st place - Fatty Pink
Next on the docket is Blues Ball 2004. It will be at Zydeco on December 10. Scott Boyer and the Decoys will headline. BOBB winner Electric Voodoo will open. Tickets are $10. Look for more details as we get closer to the event.
10/13/04:
Trent Gilbert, of Crosscut, is going to be filling in for us for awhile on bass. Maybe this will become something more permanent. Who knows? Trent definitely is an accomplished bass player and we're looking forward to seeing where this goes.
10/01/04:
Doug and the band have decided to part ways so we're auditioning new bass players as we speak. Don't worry...we're gonna keep playing and honoring the gigs we have booked. So come out and see us. A new bass player usually puts an interesting twist in the sound of a band.
8/05/04:
Well, we haven't been playing live much this month. We took a little break and did some rehearsing for new songs, etc. If you're wondering how the 4th of July Celebration at the Vineyard went, it was a great event. Tons of people. We could've used some shade though, Ha!!!. We took a tour of the Winery and sampled all their different kinds of wine. Muscadine, Blueberry, Apple, etc. Who even knew Alabama had a winery? If you're ever around Harpersville you should definitely stop by. As I understand they are distributed to many grocery stores in Alabama. Here's there website: Morgan Creek Vineyards
5/04/04:
Last year, Lance, Bob, and legendary blues drummer Ardie Dean provided the backup band for Lee Gates debut CD. The CD has just gotten a very positive review in this months issue of Living Blues Magazine, the one with B.B. King on the cover. Bob has already gotten a copy of it at Barnes & Noble. Also, there was a special this past weekend (4/30/04) on ABC's World News Tonight with Peter Jennings about the Music Maker Foundation which produced the CD. Here's another positive review of the CD by Bad Dog Blues Radio.
4/23/04:
Pics from the All-Star tribute to Keith Beal at the Sunday Night Blues Jam @ the Kaffeeklatsch are posted on Lynn Faust's website.
4/15/04:
Our friend Keith Beal, from Hot Rod Otis, passed away this week. Keith was one of the nicest guys we knew and one heck of a guitar player. A class act all the way. We will miss you Keith.
3/08/04:
Due to a booking mixup at the Klatsch, our gig there this Friday has been cancelled. I'm sure we'll be back though in a few weeks so keep your ear to the rail.
1/23/04:
Last year, Lance and Bob, along with legendary drummer Ardie Dean, provided the back up band for a recording with Lee Gates, who just happens to be Albert Collins' cousin. Well, the CD's out and you can get it here at Music Maker Relief Foundation, along with many other great blues CDs. Check it out.
1/9/04:
Happy New Years. Thanks for checking out the new site. Check our schedule for our latest show dates as we gear up and start playing around town.