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