Live Words and Photos: DJ
Acclaim southern rockers OTIS are back and looking to pick up some steam again in the scene. If you keep tabs on the Southern Rock/Blues genre, you will no doubt remember their most excellent record “Eyes of the Sun” in 2017 which garnered critical acclaim and put the guys in a constant touring cycle shortly thereafter.
If the band has been silent, they are no more. They are coming back with new music, a new single in the works soon, and are hitting the road again with a full touring lineup. I had a chance to catch the guys live and also sit down with the frontman and boss man Mr. Boone Froggett for a very enjoyable genuine combo, before their set at Shagnastys in Huntsville, Alabama on September 16th.
Boone explained the few years in between and the silence due to band members moving on to other things, and family life among others. The pandemic hit hard on many fronts but also Boone himself had dealt with some health issues. Quite a few things to consider and that is why the long silence. But rest assured the guys want you to know they are back and they will be heard from again very soon. I enjoyed our conversation with Boone as he is a super nice guy, and came across as very focused and determined to get back on the road and present new music to their fans. It was really good to hear about some of their touring experience overseas, in particular their time at Ramblin Man Fair in 2019, a festival we covered many times, including that year where they played the Outlaw/Country stage. The band has a nice backbone setup from the years of touring so new great things hopefully await in the future with new lineup.
The state of Kentucky has deep roots in blues, classic rock, and soul, and speaking with Boone about some of his influences, is clear to see why he plays the way he does. Their live set is a fusion of Modern Blues Rock, but hints of Allman Brothers, Skynyrd, and ZZ Top are all there. Boone comes across as a quiet mild-mannered human, but when he starts singing and wailing on the guitar he becomes another person; the same can be said for his soulful voice. Enjoyed some of the tunes live, like “Last Fool”, “Rattlesnake” and “Tough Times”. Is clear that Boone and his live band are tight and it showed on the night. His guitar playing (a unique Zemaitis custom) was super melodic and the rest of the band sounded great. Unfortunately, we couldn’t stay for the whole show, though no fault of their own they came on super late in the night, but I can tell you from what I heard, I wish I would have stayed the full set.
If you get a chance to see them on the road the rest of this year, consider yourself lucky as you are bound to hear a lot more where that came from. We highly advise you to check out the very talented crew when new music rolls out and hopefully, a new album is in the works.
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