Lil’ Ed’s got those healthy, happy blues

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In 1986, professional car washer Lil’ Ed Williams, then 31, went into a recording studio with his band, the Blues Imperials, to cut a song for an Alligator Records compilation. The venerable Chicago blues label liked what they heard so much, they offered the band their own album.

Their eighth album for the label, Jump Start, is now out, full of boogies, shuffles and burners, mostly co-written by singer/slide guitarist Williams with his wife, Pam. The band has toured the world since they broke through, landing everywhere from Germany to Japan; Lil’ Ed’s even appeared on “Conan,” where he attempted to teach the TV host how to play the blues.

It’s not always glamorous on the road, of course. Our interview was conducted shortly before a visit to the dentist.

LEO: Have you been flossing properly?

Ed Williams: Yeah, well, I don’t have too many to floss these days! (laughs) I got bad cavities … you get on that road, and you eat that crazy food — hamburgers and candy bars — that’s all you can eat when you’re in the van. It ain’t like you can stop and pull over and grill.

LEO: One of the songs I wanted to ask you about was “No Fast Food.” (Note: The song asks, Why go out for hamburgers, when at home I eat prime steak?)

EW: (laughs) Oh yeah, I’ve been getting a lot of questions about that!

LEO: You know, I get the metaphor, about how you should be faithful to your woman; but it’s also timely, as so many people are worried now about their health and obesity.

EW: (laughs) Yeah, yeah! And that’s a good song for not eating a lot of fast food. All fast foods are fattening. I mean, you can go to Olive Garden and you can still find something that’s fattening in there, you know?

Actually, my wife wrote that song. She’s always talking to me about my belly. She says, “You know, you’ve got a pot-gut from eating all them burgers.” (laughs) And candy bars, like I said earlier. This is so weird — when you’re at home, you crave the good food. You know you can cook it, you can stew it if you wanna; we eat stuff like vegetables and little strips of chicken, and that all tastes real good. I use olive oil, something that ain’t fattening. But the minute you hit that road, man, it’s like McDonald’s and Burger King (laughs), you know?

LEO: How involved is your wife with the band?

EW: She’s pretty involved. When my wife and I first got married, she was actually singing a little bit. She’s real shy — ladies are like that. She sang, and she’d drop her head down a little bit, and finally she said, “Baby, I ain’t gonna do this, this is not for me.”

My next CD — and you’re the first one I’m telling this to — I’m actually gonna have her do backgrounds, like the old Elmore James and Jimmy Reed records. I think that would be really cool. I tried to talk her into it this time. Some of those songs she could’ve done backgrounds for me. But she was like, “Nooo, I ain’t goin’ there! I ain’t goin’ to no studio.”

But she’s really involved. I take her out to clubs, and I sing and inspire her. She’ll take a pen and pad out, and start writing something down. She’s always doing that. And she always amazes me.

The Blues Imperials also include Lil’ Ed’s half-brother, bassist James “Pookie” Young, drummer Kelly Littleton, and guitarist Mike Garrett. The band took a lengthy hiatus in the ’90s but has been going strong for the past decade, about as long as his marriage, says Williams. “We been together so long now, it’s not even about keeping the band together. We’re all family now. We love each other like brothers. And that’s a good thing, because they know me, they know what I like and dislike. And I know what they like and dislike. So, we try to keep the dislikes from coming into the likes. And that keeps the band rolling together.”

Lil’ Ed & the Blues Imperials
Wednesday, Aug. 1
Stevie Ray’s
230 E. Main St.
stevieraysbluesbar.com
$10; 8 p.m.

c. 2012 LEO Weekly

Workers for the Weekend

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Jeremy Johnson wants his rock back.

The singer-guitarist has been making music with drummer Drew Osborne and a few different bassists for more than a decade now, with The Helgeson Story, Your Black Star, and, these days, Workers. The band’s latest full-length album, Both Hands, was recently released by sonaBLAST! Records, though its production began two years ago.

Two weeks in Austin with producer Erik Wofford were completed before family issues brought the band (including bassist Brandon Duggins) back home. Wofford later flew to Louisville to complete the album, and they recorded half of it in Zanzabar’s green room with a mobile unit.

Recording in Germantown also meant they could bring in friends and family, from members of The Ladybirds and VHS or Beta to Cheyenne Marie Mize and Carly Johnson, Jeremy’s singing sister.

The extra time gave the band an opportunity to think more about the music they love. Now over 30 and a father, a Cubs fan and a wine expert who loves running, Johnson is unconcerned with what is trendy in modern music, and he’s increasingly willing to reveal more of his true self through music.

“We’re not afraid to rock,” he boasts. “I think American bands have become really afraid to rock out.” The band never felt comfortable in the indie bin and continue redefining their sound in a way that might surprise older fans that haven’t heard them since they changed their name in 2008. “Why wouldn’t anyone want to do this kind of music? It feels really good.”

Johnson has gone through some personal upheaval since their last record and has increasingly taken to rocking out as he deals with it. The visceral nature of the music is more cathartic than sitting alone with an acoustic guitar. “I’ve got a lot I can whine about, but what’s the fun in that?”

Lately, Johnson says, they’re writing from their pelvises, not their brains. “We’re a damn rock band! We’re kinda mean. And we really don’t care what you think … We’re not afraid to write a song that sounds exactly like Def Leppard. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.”

While there’s only one direct “butt rock” song on the album, it’s the opener, “Get Wet.” The statement is clear. “It evens out a bit, it turns into a (more diverse) record, but if you can’t have fun, go home. I think that is a big part of our Cheap Trick love … The band, as a whole, we all love Cheap Trick.”

Johnson sees many today with their “big beards and long hair — they’re not doing anything with it.” He clarifies that he’s not referencing old pals My Morning Jacket (“They rock! I think they do a really good job of just being a rock band and appealing to the indie kids”). “I’m talking about the Iron & Wine kids … I’m sorry, there’s a lot of hair there; if you have that much hair, you should be able to rock!” he laughs.

The band had not scheduled any upcoming performances as of press time, but a listening party will be held at Nachbar on Aug. 9 at 9 p.m.

c. 2012 LEO Weekly

Over the Line

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A scene veteran, Evan Bailey has played with Plunge, Fever Pitch, The Flats, Itch House, Spritely, and, for more than a decade, with Second Story Man. He steps out as a solo act Friday night at the Highlands North End Café at 10 p.m., sharing the bill with Cory Wayne, formerly of Nerves Junior.

LEO: How many times have you performed as Piñata Me? Why so infrequent?

Evan Bailey: Probably a handful of times, if I had six fingers. That really is the $64,000 question. Considering music is my passion and what I’m best at, you’d think I would be playing out a lot more. I’m very easily distracted by other things in my life, therefore the music has often taken a back seat. With that being said, I’m on a good musical path right now and don’t plan to let up!

LEO: Will you be making a Piñata Me full-length?

EB: A Piñata Me full-length is imminent and absolutely necessary. I often think of the quote, “Don’t die with your music still inside you,” by Oliver Wendell Holmes. If I’m lacking motivation, these precious words usually get me going.

LEO: What inspires you to write songs?

EB: Inspiration is everywhere, especially in vocal melodies. Once I have something good, I have to finish it, even if I don’t really have much to say.

LEO: What’s up with Second Story Man?

EB: Second Story Man is slowly but surely in the resurrection phase right now. We’re trying to figure out what we’re gonna do next. We’re kind of assigning each other projects right now. Like, since the last song we worked on was all over the place with mixed meters and odd time signatures, the next song we work on has to be no more than three chords and in 4/4.

LEO: What’s your favorite joke?

EB: My favorite joke is probably my favorite because it’s the only one I have memorized. It goes a little something like this: How many tennis players does it take to screw in a light bulb? The bulb wasn’t out, it was IN!

c. 2012 LEO Weekly