Tommy Conwell at 118 North, 10/23/2020

Check it out! Tommy Conwell - Tailgate Takeout Series at 118 North on FRI · OCT 23 2020

TCYR at Chameleon Club, 1987

Tommy Conwell from the Young Rumblers at the original Chameleon Club, 1987. Images from photographer Richard E. Ruoff.

30 Years - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers and Guitar Trouble

Released 30 years ago this month in 1990--Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers’ Guitar Trouble album!

Featuring I’m 17, Let Me Love You Too, Nice N’ Naughty and Rock With You.

Review the release of the band’s album through videos, interviews, and images from the 25th anniversary release entry on Audio Rumble blog in 2015.

Happy anniversary to TCYR’s Guitar Trouble! 🎸🎸🎸

Philadelphia Hard Rock Cafe - March 2, 2004

The Philadelphia Hard Rock Cafe adds an autographed guitar from Tommy Conwell to their Hall of Fame on March 2, 2004. 

Tommy performs with Octane. In 2004, Tommy was the midday personality at rock station WYSP in Philadelphia. He also hosted the station’s weekend local-music program called, "Loud & Local.” 

• Here’s a brief video of the event from George Manney.
  
  
  
  
• Two Tommy Conwell guitars have been donated to the Hard Rock Café at different times and locations. 

Amps & Axes 2016 Tommy Conwell Interview - A Review

What happened when I was listening to the Amps & Axes Show Podcast interview with Tommy Conwell on July 23, 2016…

Tommy:  If a kid tells me they want to learn to play the blues, I tell them to listen to those first two Fabulous Thunderbirds albums.

Podcast Host:  Nobody plays like Jimmie Vaughan. I don’t know anybody that plays like Jimmie.

Me:  {holding back tears and waving a sign that says, “TOMMY PLAYS LIKE JIMMIE!”}

Interview link - http://ampsandaxes.com/amps-axes-137-tommy-conwell

[Tommy's interview begins at 19 min, :35 sec.]

Built on TCYR

It's 100% true.🎸🎶💯

Rock Pop & Roll Podcast - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers

Some great music on this podcast--in my opinion, just sayin'... 😜🎶🎸

It's the Rock Pop & Roll Podcast from Rob Nichols - check it out!

TCYR at The Fillmore's Foundry Room in Philadelphia

One year ago, Tommy Conwell and The Young Rumblers "Showboats and Grandstanders" had a record release party at The Fillmore Philadelphia's Foundry Room! 

A week after the concert, WMMR DJ Jacky BamBam shared with me his amazement of the “real-deal rock n’ roll sound” of the Young Rumblers and the awesome inclusion of the horns: “No one does rock n’ roll horns anymore!!!” 🤘🏻🎶🎸 

The concert celebrated the release of the first Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers’ album in 30 years called, "Showboats and Grandstanders"—made possible by TCYR fans through a crowdfunding campaign. The album dropped on June 18, and the official record release party was held on Sat., June 22. Tommy, Paul, Jim, Rob and Chris played songs from the new album as well as many favorites from the 80s! 

Some highlights: Cliff Hillis, engineer on "Showboats and Grandstander" was a special guest and performed with the band on “Until the End.” Also, Tommy Conwell, Chris Day and Jay Davidson served an all-out blues jam during “Million Pretty Girls.” 

Check out the concert in glorious 4K on YouTube in video from Chris Cafiero.

 

'Cause You're Looking For A Hero

Read this May 23 tribute post on Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers from WNST.net's Nestor Aparicio in Baltimore called, “Cause You’re Looking For a Hero.”

'Cause You're Looking For A Hero
by Nestor Aparicio, WNST.net
May 23, 2020

You had to be there.

Amidst the mad scramble and #AlmostFamous testosterone and leather and lace and beer and sex, drugs and rock and roll lore – and the allure, quite frankly – of Hammerjacks Inner Harbor Concert Hall in the late 1980s, I had a unicorn unique gig as the music critic at The Evening Sun.

I had a one-of-a-kind, universal all access backstage pass. (I never told anyone that they spelled my name wrong on it! Nestor with O, not Nester with an E…)

I showed up at the back door in the alley behind the club whenever I wanted, hit a little red button and smiled up at the camera – and they waved me in. Conservatively guessing, this happened 500 times over six years.

I was born on October 14, 1968. I started reviewing concerts there as often as three times a week in March 1986.

You do the monthly math.

Usually, Mickey Cucchiella and Jill Deville and Ann Marie were my backstage conversation foils while I took in the night of music and mayhem as an underage reporter watching beer and bands and bar backs and girls and groupies and guitar techs and band managers all zoom in various directions of fame, fortune – or misfortune. Or as the song coyly says, “Miss Whatever-Her-Name-Was”…

My dude Bud Becker, who promoted and retained all of the bands in the heyday, says I never had a drink inside Hammerjacks as a kid and he is not lying. It wasn’t that I was square ­– far from it – but I certainly didn’t want to get fired at the newspaper because I clearly had one of the greatest gigs on earth.

Sobriety was an easy ask and the only ask. At least that held until the Bad English show happened on October 14, 1989. Then I got $1 beers and life somehow got even better…

There were always incredible national bands like Poison or KISS or Ozzy Osbourne on stage and an endless stream of celebrities or wrestlers or athletes rolling through Hammerjacks’ halls and walls. But it was the local rotation of hair metal and great touring rock bands that ruled my memories of the incredible nights under the freeway and the glowing blood orange neon light that entranced and called every child of rock music in the region to “Hammers.”

If anyone asks me the best show I ever saw, I usually tell them The Alarm at Hammerjacks. (Their 1986 album “Strength” deserved to make my list. Perhaps this means you’ll be subjected to even more #MusicalNes in the future?)

And if anyone asks me about the best times I ever had at Hammers, it had nothing to do with the sex or the drugs but it was all about the rock and roll for me and the many times that Tommy Conwell and The Young Rumblers destroyed the place.

Conwell had some Elvis, some real showman in him and was such a “kid sensation” in his youth with Rocket 88. Everyone in Ocean City and the Jersey Shore knew about him.

There was no hype, no big record company shit with Tommy Conwell. He was managed and borne of the same Cornerstone folks in Philadelphia who made The Hooters dance and zombie their way into MTV fame as Cyndi Lauper’s band.

I literally have no recollection of the first time I saw Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers or how I even wound up at the show – but I couldn’t stop seeing them.

I still can’t!

TCYR - Friday, February 2, 1990 at Hammerjacks

They were the best band that ever regularly played at Hammerjacks. And if you ever saw them there, you remember it.

There were several nights when Conwell jumped on my shoulders and rolled around clubs in several states – and states of sobriety – over the years. Michael Beatty and Batman and boats at the beach. Booze cruises. And Network and A.L. Gators and The Stone Balloon and the 8X10 Club and all of his incarnations of blues and funk and rock and, well more blues. The Little Kings were cool, too!

Every night with Tommy Conwell and The Young Rumblers was a party. And as much as I would recommend his previous EP, “Walkin’ On The Water” and a great song called “Do You Still Believe In Me?” from that Philly street release, this 1988 album “Rumble” is the best rock album you’ve never heard.

“Everything They Say Is True” and “Love’s On Fire” are just great songs.

Later on, veteran local rocker Billy Kemp joined his band and then it just all ended kind of quickly when Conwell didn’t sell enough records after his second album. I saw him open for Thorogood one night at the Patriot Center in Fairfax and he blew Lonesome George and Delaware Destroyers off the stage.

I’m sorry he never became rich and famous but I am grateful for every workout!

Tommy Conwell is still kinda a big deal around Philly – and a school teacher last I heard and he shows up on the radio spinning new music and bands. He was always a swell up-and-comer rock star that I cheered for and promoted. His brother played football for the Philadelphia Eagles. So that was another sports connection.

TCYR - Friday, February 2, 1990 at Hammerjacks

I knew Tommy well and always tried to write about him and his travels. And I never missed a Conwell show in Baltimore.

I have seen Tommy Conwell and The Young Rumblers in tact just three times this century – and all of the reunions are truly a joy for me in Philadelphia whenever I can make it up there. These are the kinds of shows I miss with the Covid lockdown great club shows and bar bands. And it makes me appreciate just more than the Rolling Stones or Rush or Springsteen or Pearl Jam in my life.

I am so happy to have had this music and this energy and joy in my life back in those days.

And just like Tommy told it:

“There ain’t no tomorrow baby, there’s just right now…”

Can I get a “Hell yeah!”?

TCYR at 2020 XPoNential Music Festival - Cancelled

The 2020 XPoNential Music Festival has been cancelled due to COVID-19. 

 

Tommy's Guitars and the Hard Rock Cafe

Two Tommy Conwell guitars have been donated to the Hard Rock Cafe at different times and locations.

The first event was an unveiling and presentation of a signed Tommy Conwell guitar to the Hard Rock Cafe Philadelphia on March 2, 2004.

Tommy donated his infamous 1969 Guild X500 (the one with all the signatures, of course!) to a Hard Rock Cafe location in Florida.

At this writing, neither guitar is on display in any Hard Rock Cafe location.

Update: April 28, 2023 - Tommy Conwell's Guild reappears onstage with Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers at Ardmore Music Hall!

TCYR at Ardmore in November 2020

** Rescheduled to Saturday, May 1, 2021 **

WXPN welcomes Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers with Stolen Rhodes at Ardmore Music Hall. 

Link for tickets here. 

TCYR at 2020 XPoNential Music Festival

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers are just one of the many artists announced for the 2020 XPoNential Music Festival presented by Subaru — WXPN’s signature annual concert event! 

The Cars - My Best Friend's Girl

42 years ago, The Cars entered the studio in February 1978 to record their debut album, “The Cars,” with producer Roy Thomas Baker. 😎🎸🎶 

Watch video of Tommy Conwell as he performs an acoustic cover of the classic Cars’ song “My Best Friend’s Girl” (min 44:57) in his tribute to Ric Ocasek at Ardmore Music Hall last November. 

Happy Birthday, Tommy Conwell!

Happy Birthday, Tommy Conwell! [January 14, 1962]

 

Audio Rumble’s Countdown to 2020 – Fave Performances (2010-2019)

#10 - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers at The Bay Center at Ruddertowne, Dewey Beach, Delaware, on Aug. 21, 2010.
This concert was a rehearsal of sorts for TCYR’s “reunion” concert at The Blockley three months later that year in Philadelphia. From all evidence, this Delaware show was a great one!



The Blockley concert on November 6, 2010, was touted as a big show for the Young Rumblers—the first time the band would be headlining in the Philly city limits since the early 90’s. The location was also the site of the old Chestnut Cabaret at 38th and Chestnut St., a historically important music venue for the Rumblers.

With the original line-up of Tommy, Chris, Rob, Jim and Paul, it was a great concert event!

#9 - Travel Lanes at MilkBoy Philly on April 12, 2013, promoting the band's EP, “Hey, Hey, It’s Travel Lanes.”
Featuring John Bicer pounding out the beat on drums, Derek Feinberg on guitar, Mitch Cojocariu providing background vocal and bass support, and Flight of Mavis/Buzz Zeemer’s singer/songwriter Frank Brown singing and playing guitar.

The band’s performance was sprinkled with new songs from the EP, old Buzz Zeemer classics, one Flight of Mavis cover (“Rain Fallin’ Down) and a David Bowie cover song. This band just rocks!



The latest version of Travel Lanes includes Frank, Mitch, John, Jim Fogarty on guitar and Albert Kleinschmidt on keyboards.

Travel Lanes next show will be their Record Release Show at 118 North in Wayne, PA on Friday, Feb. 28, 2020, with Dave Cope and the Sass opening. Tickets here. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/travel-lanes-album-release-tic…

#8 - In 2011, Steve Acito's fan video compilation from David Uosikkinen's In The Pocket all-star Philly jam at World Cafe Live, celebrating the release of their new single, "You Can't Sit Down."



#7 - Tommy Conwell at Coffee Works on March 3, 2013 🎶 

In the last decade, Tommy Conwell has been performing and re-visiting some of his older, unreleased songs. In 2013, Tommy updated the lyrics to an unreleased demo called “Until the End” – and played the song acoustically at Coffee Works in Voorhees, NJ.

The song is now track #7 on the new Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers’ “Showboats and Grandstanders album, released in 2019. 

#6 - Tommy Conwell at Haddon Heights in 2012 

Performing a cover of Tom Petty and the Heartbreaker’s “American Girl”--with an excellent guitar solo from Cliff Hillis at the end. And Jim Hannum on drums! 

Part of the Sundown Music Series held during the summer on Wednesday nights at the McLaughlin-Norcoss Dell in Haddon Lake Park in Haddon Heights, NJ. 

#5 - In 2012, Tommy Conwell and TJ Tindall dueling guitar solos during "Workout" -- it’s In the Pocket! 😎🎸🎶 



Capturing Tommy Conwell and TJ Tindall's guitar duel on video during the TCYR classic "Workout" -- in January 2012 at the New Hope Winter Festival -- is one of the greatest pieces of concert footage I'll ever hope to record.

The whole experience made me feel like I was channeling Martin Scorsese filming “The Band” documentary. That's how I feel about the greatness of David Uosikkinen's In The Pocket -- such an accomplished and first-rate group of musicians! 

#4 – Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers perform their old classics!

When Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers perform and bring out old-school song gems like “Cruisin’ Slow” and bring it with the same energy that they used to play the songs back in the day…that’s amazing!

In this concert at Ardmore Music Hall in 2014, listen to that extra kick (at 2:25 mark) that Jim Hannum brings to the track! 

#3 - Reunion of Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings 

Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings began a decade of “reunion” shows on Saturday, December 17, 2011, at Tom n Jerry's in Folsom, PA. 

With Pat Coppa on bass; Paul Ramagano on drums; Tommy Conwell on guitar, vocals; and Darryl Ray Jenkins on saxophone, their sets were sprinkled here and there over the last several years. TC and the Little Kings had a great performance at the Rockabilly Rumble on Aug. 17, 2014, at World Cafe Live at the Queen in Wilmington. 

In April 2018, Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings [Pat Coppa on bass; Paul Ramagano on drums; Tommy Conwell on guitar, vocals; and Darryl Jenkins on saxophone] performed two amazing sets at 118 North, in Wayne, PA. They also performed again in December.

TCLK Set 1 Video (4/14/18)
TCLK Set 2 Video (4/14/18)

As videographer Chris Cafiero states: "The quality of the music, lyrics and performances is as fine as anyone could ask for. This is Tommy Conwell doing music on his own terms."

Sadly, Darryl Ray died on May 2, 2019, but we’ll always have the memories of these great performances.

God bless Tommy Conwell and the Little Kings! ❤️

#2 - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers at the Electric Factory, 11/23/12 

It was a magical Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, and with an intro from WMMR’s Pierre Robert, this was an epic night--Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers live at the Electric Factory! Different about this gig was that Tommy Conwell (along with Chris Day) was everywhere in Philly that week promoting the concert: an acoustic set on WMMR's Preston and Steve show, an interview on CBS Philly, and TC on 88.5 WXPN with an acoustic set and stories. It briefly felt like the 80’s all over again! 😎🎸🎶 

#1 - Tommy Conwell and The Young Rumblers "Showboats and Grandstanders" record release party at The Foundry Room at The Fillmore in Philadelphia. 

WMMR DJ Jacky Bam Bam later shared with me his amazement of the “real-deal rock n’ roll” sound of the Young Rumblers at this concert and the awesome inclusion of the horns—“No one does rock n’ roll horns anymore!!!” (I heard this quote from Jacky on the phone while driving down a Texas highway, so it was a variation of that…couldn’t exactly take notes while driving!) 😊

The concert was the culmination of several years of studio work that finally saw the release of the first Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers’ album in 30 years called, "Showboats and Grandstanders"—made possible by TCYR fans through a crowdfunding campaign. The album dropped on June 18, and the official record release party was later that week on Saturday, June 22, at the Foundry. 

Tommy, Paul, Jim, Rob and Chris played songs from the new album as well as many favorites from the 80s! Some highlights: Cliff Hillis, engineer on Showboats and Grandstanders, was a special guest and played with the band on “Until the End.” Tommy Conwell, Chris Day and Jay Davidson served an all-out blues jam during “Million Pretty Girls.” Check out the concert in glorious 4K on YouTube. 

Happy New Year in 2020! 😀 
❤️ from Audio Rumble