Workin' Band

Chicago is a music town, and a diverse one at that. From blues and rock to jazz and world music, the Windy City has all of the bases covered. That melting pot of styles led guitarist Giles Corey and drummer Rick King to form Lubriphonic. Both were well-respected sidemen touring with some of the biggest acts on the blues scene, such as Buddy Guy, Koko Taylor, and Otis Rush. Lubriphonic’s sound combines the gritty sound of urban blues with a rock feel, and adds a dash of ’70s-era Tower of Power.

Joining Corey and King in the group is bassist Pennal Johnson, trombonist Norman Palm, saxophonist Garrick Patten, and keyboardist Andrew Toombs. The band is currently recording their third studio album entitled The Gig is On. It will feature vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Ivan Neville from the band Dumpstaphunk, and will be released this fall.

History
The seeds for Lubriphonic were planted during a residency at a club in Chicago called AliveOne. “We wanted to start a band and make our own music that infused the blues and funk with rock n’ roll music,” says Corey. “It was a total part-time thing in the beginning because we all had other gigs. Rick was with Koko Taylor and I was playing with Otis Rush. We were all jobbing as sidemen. Eventually, we put together a residency at AliveOne in Chicago. We played there every Thursday for a couple of years and that really built up the momentum for the band.”

Bright Ideas
The residency opened up some doors for the band and gave them a place to get their act together. Literally. “A residency is a real blessing when you start out,” Corey says. “We were real fortunate that the owner really liked us and believed in what we were doing. There’s not a lot of places that will give you a weekly gig where they let you play what you want to play. Many times when bands start out they play a gig here and there. It was easy to get people who were in a position to help us, such as managers and agents, because we were there every week. That consistency was a big help in building up our draw and fan base in Chicago.”

Booking Advice
There really is no secret to how to go about booking gigs. In the early days, Corey would hit the streets and try to be as persistent as possible. “When you start out, there is really no easy way to go about it. All you can really do is cold call and send out your stuff and try to hopefully find a connection.” This approach led to both the residency and the band making some important contacts. “When you are starting out, nobody has heard of you and you don’t have much of a draw. These guys get like 200 promo packs every week. Even if they listen to all of them they get really burned out, so the key is to be persistent. There is no sort of secret to that in the beginning. My advice would be to utilize every connection you can get. If you have a friend who is the barback at the Double Door, then use that. Basically, when it isn’t about numbers, it is about who you know.”

Best Gigs
Throughout the life of the band it was important to them to get in front of as many people as possible. Opening for more established artists really helped with developing a fan base. “The internet was a great resource, obviously. Our residency was in a good spot and through being on the scene with other bands, we were able to get a few key openers at bigger venues,” says Corey when asked about important gigs. “We opened for the Derek Trucks Band, The Greyboy Allstars, and George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars. All that stuff counts because not only are you playing in front of potential fans, but also promoters and talent buyers as well.”

Other Tips
According to Corey, staying true to your music is the most important thing to remember about being a musician. “Make sure you aren’t sacrificing musically to get ahead. Don’t make it all about hype. It is a desperate business and there is a temptation to stop thinking about your art and creativity. Don’t forget why you are playing music in the first place.”

Set list:
The Chicken is Worth More Alive than Dead
No Blues
Say Something Good
Under the Line
Coming Together
The Gig is On
Be Thankful for What You Got
Pay The Man
Whatever You Do
Don’t Stop
If There’s Hell Below (We’re All Gonna Go)

If you would like your band featured in this column, email Jason Shadrick at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it