Madison music Profile: Jim James and the Damn Shames
We start a new feature with this Madison Music Profile. In order to increase interactivity, we will be requesting the bands and musicians we profile to pick one other band to be profiled in the future and ask them a question. As Jim James is going first, no other musician was available to ask a question, so he asked himself a question. The question posed to another musician will be at the end of each profile and that question will hypothetically be answered when the next musician is profiled. To prevent just one segment of the music scene from being continuously profiled, we will mix up the profiles so the recommended musician may not always be the next one profiled.
*Who is in the band and what instruments do they play?*
James Travis: Lead Vocals, Acoustic Guitar, Harmonica, songwriter
Tim Haub: Lead Electric guitar, mandolin, lap steel, vocals
Jeff Hammes*: Upright Acoustic Bass, vocals
Brian Bentley: Drums, vocals
*for this upcoming gig at the Crystal Corner (02/18),
Michael Gruber will be sitting in on bass guitar and singing
like a real Damn Shame
*Website or MySpace page*:
*How long have you been performing?*
about 3.5 years
*What are your plans for 2006?*
We plan to start working on recording another album. We have some great songs and just need to get into a studio. We will be taking a little time off in April and May though. I am going to be a new Dad soon but we plan to gradually get back in the groove by the summertime.
*If tomorrow morning Jim James and the Damn Shames were one of the biggest bands in the world, how would you use that infamy?*
Would we be "infamous" already!?! Geesh, I would think it would take a little time for the truth to leak out! However, if we were just plain "famous" we would make a point of hitting every honky-tonk from here to Terlingua, and probably not stopping there. Jeff knows a guy in Brazil where we could....
A question to the band: Why are you so special?
Short answer: because we were born that way, of course!
Longer answer: Jeff and Brian have been playing together for years and provide a lock-tight rythm section. We can pull off shows, and we have many times, as a trio because we just get on the rhythm train and ride it hard, baby, all night long. Tim is pretty new to the group but has the skills and tone that fit in perfectly. He's been someone I've wanted to jam with since I moved to town in '97, and it's finally happening. I couldn't be happier about that. As for me? Well, I've gotten so much better as a performer by playing with these guys over the past few years. I look forward to continuing to gain more skills and have a lot of fun in the process.
Question for another band?
Mad Trucker Gone Mad: What the hell took you so long ?
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