Blockley Announcement from Jeffrey Gaines

Poster announcement from Jeffrey Gaines with a reminder about The Blockley acoustic show -- Snowplowed to Thursday, Jan. 31. 

Daily Collegian article - April 28, 1986

Images from Penn State's The Daily Collegian, April 28, 1986.

[Original Caption: In 80 degree weather, more than 25,000 people gathered at the beaches of Bald Eagle State Park for the 12th annual Beta Sigma Beta Sy Barash Regatta. Above, Tommy Conwell and below, Paul Slivka (bass guitarist), along with Jim Hannum (drums) performed in Tommy Conwell’s Young Rumblers, one of three bands to play yesterday.]

Didn't Want to Sing the Blues [demo] - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers

Demo version of Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers' "Didn't Want to Sing the Blues." Song was officially a release on the band's sophomore effort, Guitar Trouble.

 
A review of Guitar Trouble courtesy of AllMusic's Stephen Thomas Erlewine: 

          It's clear that Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers were given a bigger budget on his second album, 1990's Guitar Trouble, a record that has clean, slick punch thanks to Dwight Yoakam producer Pete Anderson and star cameos from the likes of Chuck Berry pianist Johnnie Johnson. Anderson's presence and his drafting of Johnson conspire to give Conwell a roots rock credibility he never aspired to in the first place, probably because he was writing boogies like "Let Me Love You Too" to get the barroom rocking -- and when he wasn't doing that, he could toss off a bit of Sun rockabilly in the title track, or turn introspective in songs like "I'm Seventeen," an angst anthem that plays like shorthand Paul Westerberg.
          Instead of picking up in these two almost contradictory instincts in Conwell, Anderson pushes him toward easily digestible roots rock, possibly on the label's urging, so he winds up with a generic boogie like "Nice 'n Naughty" and too-clean blues shuffles like "Do Right" that threaten to turn him into bluesy background music. Conwell was better than that -- and, besides, he "Didn't Want to Sing the Blues," as he says on one of the better co-written tunes here -- and he is able to show his skills a few times on Guitar Trouble, but this was a troubled project, caught between Conwell's blue-collar roots and the label's aspirations, so it sounds compromised in a way Rumble never does.
          Like that record, the best moments are quite effective -- the title track rocks like nobody's business, "Hard as a Rock" gets that heartland rock anthem right in a way Rumble didn't quite do, and "I'm Seventeen" does have a ragged heart. Tellingly, those are all compositions credited to Conwell alone, suggesting that he may have known what he was about better than his major-label benefactors.

In the Pocket - The Colonial Theatre | Phoenixville, PA

A couple of performances posted on YouTube of Tommy Conwell performing with the In the Pocket band Friday, January 11, 2013.

I'm Not Your Man

   

Workout
 

The night also featured the first live performance of In the Pocket's cover of "I Ain't Searchin'" as performed by Eric Bazilian. 

Looks like it was a great night!

"I wanna smoke cigarettes..."

The following is an excerpt from an article originally found on www.mpprojects.com/tc.

"If you have ever seen Tommy live, you will recognize the 'cigarette' routine during "Walkin' on the Water." I must say that I miss hearing some of the old Rumblers tunes at shows, but his newer stuff is great, too. I have seen Tommy Conwell over 20 times in the last 12 years, most of these times traveling nearly 3 hours to get to the club. The first time I ever saw him, I had to go with my parents as they were the only way my 16 year-old self could get in! My dad still says to this day... I tell ya, that man had a nasty mouth!

When I was in college, a friend and I drove 4 hours just to listen to him play from the back door parking lot of Scandals in Ocean City, Maryland. We were too young to get in, but was it fun listening. We got our highlight when he came around back during "Workout" and actually was playing near our car. It was awesome!!!

The funny part was when nobody would let Tommy back in the door to get on stage. He was kicking at the door for a good couple of minutes!"

Daily Collegian article | Friday, June 26, 1987

Daily Collegian article

Friday, June 26, 1987

Tommy Conwell Heads 'Music Mania' Show

          The featured band, Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, is billed as "the next big thing out of Philadelphia" and their newly acquired contract with CBS Records adds strength to that statement. They play a brand of charismatic rock 'n roll featuring all original tunes from their album, Walkin' on the Water. The group has had eight shows broadcasted on Prism Television out of Philadelphia including a Labor Day concert at Veteran's Statium.
          Aside from being one of the hottest night club bands in Philly, the group has opened up for the likes of the Hooters, Bryan Adams, and they are scheduled to be the opening act for Crosby, Stills and Nash on July 3 at Hershey Park Arena. Their act is scheduled to begin around 4 p.m. and last for at least 75 minutes.           

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