The Gasoline Bros.
They say rock and country stem from the same family having evolved from common roots. Think Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash, artists who were true pioneers of both idioms. That being the case, there’s no one better to host the family reunion between these two genres then the band that calls itself The Gasoline Bros.
Born and bred in Atlanta, Georgia, the Gasoline Bros. draw from both in equal measure. Their songs are stirring and soulful, sung from the heart, with an honesty and integrity that evokes back porch banter and gritty home- grown realities. And yet, they also
possess a drive and determination that’s equal in its ferocity to even the most lethal rockers. The Stones wailing about Dead Flowers and Honky Tonk Women. The Faces extolling the virtues of booze and babes. Led Zeppelin doing that Misty Mountain Hop. The
Byrds and the Burrito Brothers hoisting themselves on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry and shit kicking their way to acceptance despite the reluctance of Nashville’s Old Guard. That’s the tradition the Gasoline Bros. draw from. Indeed, in many ways, the Gasoline Bros.’ roots are intertwined.
Those looking for easy references might want to start by exploring that juncture where Waylon and Willie meet the Georgia Satellites and the Black Crowes. It’s not just a random encounter; it was the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson who first suggested the group call themselves “Gasoline.” The two bands met while rehearsing in the same warehouse space in Atlanta during their formative years in the early ‘90s. The bonds were further strengthened when future Gasoline members Ray Strickland (vocals/guitar) and Doug Kees (guitar) played in a band called GI Wife with Johnny Colt, a member of the Crowes during their early incarnation.
Gasoline Bros. member Billy Pitts once played with the Georgia Satellites, and Strickland spent a year as a guitar tech for the band’s Rick Richards. Looking back, Strickland cites Richards as a prime influence on his personal development.
The Gasoline Brothers currently consists of Strickland, Pitts, Piper, Kees and guitarist Brian Huffman. In addition, they’re frequently joined onstage and in the studio by keyboard player Joey Huffman, a veteran of Hank Williams Jr.’s band, Soul Asylum, Matchbox 20 and the Georgia Satellites. And while Strickland is responsible for writing the songs, he credits a mutual mindset for making the music sound like it’s so in sync.
After spending the past few years opening shows for the likes of Blackberry Smoke,The Band Perry, Rodney Atkins, The Georgia Satellites, The Marshall Tucker Band, and Chris Knight, the band is making a solid name for themselves on the road. And with a new album looming on the horizon later this year, Strickland couldn’t be happier. The songs, which Strickland wrote late last year, were cut live with Jeff Tomei, a producer whose resume includes work with Smashing Pumpkins, Matchbox 20, Jerry Cantrell, Skid Row, Soul Asylum, Edwin McCain, Colt Ford, Warren Haynes, and Collective Soul among others. “We’ve known Jeff for twenty years,” Strickland” says. “We could not have done this record without him. He’s like a member of the band… the real deal.”
Opening the show is Habersham Counties own “Space Angels”
