Tommy Conwell's Young Rumblers | First Concert [3-Man] February 24, 1984

The debut performance of Tommy Conwell's Young Rumblers at the Skid Row Beach Party, University of Delaware in Newark, February 24, 1984.*

Songs from the set list include:
- Rumble
- Workout
- Million Pretty Girls
- Walkin' on the Water
- Sweet Little Rock 'n' Roller

Vintage Interview with Tommy Conwell about his infamous 3-man band

Q: Tell me about the early garage band years starting the Young Rumblers.

A: “The Young Rumblers' first gig was February 24, 1984, at Bacchus, the on-campus club at the University of Delaware. There were a bunch of bands, and we went over pretty good, but of all the bands on the show, our picture was on the cover of the widely read school newspaper the next day. We ended up being in that paper a lot that first year, and I really think it helped get people into us.
The band was me, Chaz Molins on bass, and Mark Walls on drums. Mark quit after that first show--I forget why--and my old roommate Brad Fish became the drummer. After about six months Chaz was replaced by Paul Slivka, who I had played with in a jazz group, and six months or a year later Fishy quit 'cause it was just too brutal. We worked!
We played anywhere we could get paid, and we were getting a lot of jobs. It was definitely full time, and rough. We played 3 or 4 sets a night, traveled up to 3 1/2 hours to a job, and worked 5 or 6 nights a week. My larynx was a bloody nub! My fingers were literally split open; I used to put crazy glue on them to close them up so I could play, but when a string went in there, as they did frequently, it hurt! I didn't care, I was gonna rock every where we went! I took it personally, and there were no excuses.”

[Interview courtesy of Marc Pelletier's tribute website]
*Note: This performance does not include the band's encore of the beach classics “Hawaii Five-O” and “Walk, Don’t Run.”

An Interview with Drummer Jim Hannum

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

Jimmer rode shotgun on drums and silently commanded the Young Rumblers' hard-drivin’ rhythm section from 1984 to 1991. After his subsequent departure, Jimmer joined up with another former Young Rumbler, Chris Day, and played in Delaware Valley clubs from 1991 to 1996.  Today, Jimmer still drives his beloved Harley Davidson and plays drums in a Delaware-based band called Wrekkadge.

What were your thoughts after performing on national television at the American Music Awards in February 1989?

I was completely star struck. It was a night like no other! I sat behind the Judds in the audience. We were talking to Axl Rose right before we went on stage to perform. It was great meeting the guys from G' n R.


How did you join the Young Rumblers?

Paul Slivka (who I have known since we were in the 9th grade) and I were in a band called The MIB (Men in Black)…..(p.s. Will Smith was not the frontman!). We were playing around the University of Delaware area, which at the time had a big punk scene. Tommy was attending school at the University and had seen us play. Tommy asked us to join his band. Paul had joined the band before I did. One night I received a call from Paul who was doing a gig with Tommy at the Ambler Cabaret when their current drummer had car trouble and could not make it to the show. Quickly I got my gear and went to the Ambler Cabaret. The club was packed. I nervously setup my drums and we played. That was my first Rumbler show and from there I became a permanent member of the band.


When did you first recognize the Young Rumblers were special?

Tommy had a huge draw and I knew it was going to be big! When Chris Day (guitarist) and Rob Miller (keyboardist) joined around ‘86, I recognized that the band could go all the way. It sounded much fuller after that.


I once read that you played drums with the cymbals facing upside down. Why?

An article once said that I played the symbols in reverse order. This is partially true because my setup is unconventional. Basically it's a left-handed setup that I play right-handed. The symbols were off position, but not up side down.


What was the relationship between the Hooters and the Young Rumblers?

Dave Uosikkinen, drummer in the Hooters, and I are good friends and he was in the studio to make sure I didn’t screw up. He made me nervous, so I played good.

What is your reaction today when you listen to some of the vintage Young Rumblers?

It was often difficult to capture the live sound on the records. I liked our live sound.

Who are your favorite bands?

U2, Third Eye Blind, Foghat (who we played with one night when I was playing in Chris Day’s Band), Beatles and Patti Loveless (who is a country performer).

Workout - Part II (Instrumental)

"Workout (Part 2)" -- An instrumental-only version of song.
Year: 1988

Jail House Rock (live) - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers

Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers in Boston, 1990, perform a cover of Elvis Presley's "Jail House Rock." Promoting Guitar Trouble. Recorded live on 104.1 WBCN.

Haddon Heights - Tommy Conwell concert images

Concert images from this evening's performance at Haddon Heights with Tommy Conwell.

Image by @karschsp on Twitter.