Keeping ‘old school' rock ‘n roll alive

Rebel Red performing at the Huntsman, Feb. 27 West Milford - Award-winning singer/songwriter Red will appear with her band, Rebel Red, at the Huntsman, on Friday, Feb. 27. The lineup of both local and national musicians will include veteran drummer Greg Bal, from Mahwah, N.J., guitarist David Hammond, a mainstay of the Austin, Tex., music scene, and bassist Mike Taplinger, from Nashville, Tenn. Both Hammond and Taplinger are members of Grammy-nominated country-rock singer Jimmie Dale Gilmore’s touring band. Red’s recent album “Sex, Religion, Politics,” reached the number four position on the Americana Music Times top ten albums of 2008. Press reviews have likened her voice to Grace Slick, Eartha Kitt, Patti Smith, and Joan Jett. Her song writing has been compared to Creedence Clearwater Revival, Tommy James and the Shondells, JJ Cale, and Tom Petty. “This is a great line-up for me; Greg, David, and Mike are seasoned sidemen who know how to bring out the best in a song and have fun on stage,” said Red, who lives in nearby Warwick, N.Y. “Rebel Red is an ‘old-school’ rock and roll band. My main influences as a songwriter come from ‘60’s folk/rock and country blues. It’s toe tappin’ with a lot of guts, and it creates a party atmosphere. But we buck rock music’s established trend of playing deafeningly loud. Instead, we play at a comfortable volume so folks can relax, hear the melody, swing with the beat, and enjoy the music.” The Huntsman is located at 1745 Macopin Road. The show starts at 8 p.m. For more information about Rebel Red, including upcoming shows and music samples, log onto www.rebelredmusic.com. If you go Rebel Red The Huntsman 1745 Macopin Road, West Milford Friday, Feb. 27 8 p.m. www.rebelredmusic.com