The Rowdy Bovines: Rockabilly / Psychobilly / Roots Music
PRESS RELEASE: ROWDY BOVINES TO REUNITE
Pittsburgh, PA Feb. 4, 2007 - The Rowdy Bovines, the band which spawned internationally renowned acts Highway
13 and Memphis Mike & the Legendary Tremblers, will be performing a reunion show Saturday March 24, 2007 at
The Thunderbird Café in Lawrenceville. Also planned is the release of their first official CD, 800 Pounds of Sound
(Rusted Records).
Formed in 1990 after the break up of his band Sonic Ted & the Radio Kings, front man James Morrow had been
performing with pick up bands under the name The Rowdy Bovines. The band really came together when
Morrow met fellow rockabilly enthusiast and multi-instrumentalist Mike Metzger. Their dynamic onstage chemistry was
nothing short of electric! The Bovines went through numerous rhythm sections, most notably bassist Sean Chambers
and drummer Jim Bleyer. Other members included Sean Whalen of The Bad Genes, Blair Powell of Doomwatch and
Rob Jacob of Ploughman's Lunch.
The Rowdy Bovines weren't the 1st rockabilly band in the area but they probably made the strongest impact. Billy
Poore, author of ROCKABILLY: A 40 Year Journey referred to them as "regional legends". Legendary as their
status was, record companies wanted nothing to do with them; even though they were packing bars & clubs from PA
to NY to OH to WV to VA & DC 5 nights a week!
Infighting and artistic differences led to the Bovines officially breaking up in late 1994. James Morrow went on to form
Ethel & the Octanes and The Bessemers, as well as promoting countless rockabilly shows and the infamous Rustbelt
Rockabilly Weekenders. Mike Metzger adopted the nickname "Memphis" and formed the Legendary Tremblers. He
went on to record for Ohio Moon, El Toro, Pixler Disk and Renegade Records before starting his own label. Having a
knack for falling into a good thing, Metzger went on to be part of the Rockabilly Hall of Fame house band from
2001-2003, toured the US, UK & Australia and has had his songs recorded by the likes of SUN Rockabilly Legend
Hayden Thompson. Sean Chambers, Blair Powell and Jim Bleyer, along with Scotty Quay and Woody Bond, went on
to form Highway 13. They released an independent 45 and recorded 2 CDs for Get Hip Records. Chambers and
Bleyer later formed the band El Diablo. Bleyer later went on to drum for The Cheats.
Contact information:
Memphis Mike
c/o Rusted Records
P.O. Box 53
Pittsburgh, PA 15116
U.S.A.
Phone: +1 412.377.7845
michaelcmetzger@gmail.com
http://www.myspace.com/therowdybovines
http://www.thunderbirdcafe.net
Information provided by Mike Metzger