Well, a while back, I went up to the local watering hole in Baytown to have a few beers and check out some local music. The band on tap that night? The Jobe Wilson Band, who embrace the Southern Rock vibe that you cannot help but grow up with in Texas. A 6-piece outfit with a female background singer than brought the sound home. I left that show wishing I could play piano and organ, because I would have asked when the next practice was so I could force my way into the band.

Jump ahead a couple months and I made my way back down to the Dirty Bay Beer Company to check the band out again. There was no background singer for this night, but the core five was there.  These are not guys looking like rock stars, either. They are 5 guys making music they dig. You can see it clearly simply by looking at them. No vintage clothing, no styled looks, no primped long-hair. Just whatever they grabbed out of the closet to wear for the day. Just people making rock music, which is what made so much of Southern Rock from the old days timeless.

If my harping on the history of Southern Rock takes away from your impression of the band, I apologize. Sometimes you just need to figure out where the people are coming from, especially in the all-flair, no substance music world we live in today. These are not karaoke singers dancing around, these are people making the music they are driven to make. This is real.

One of the wonderful things about The Dirty Bay is their willingness to book bands that play THEIR music, not just a bunch of covers to please patrons with short attention spans. The upside is a normally packed house of drinkers looking to hear some good music with the occasional cover mixed in to keep it fun. The Jobe Wilson Band delivers on all fronts.

Originals like Bang, Bang Shoot Em Up, Backslider and Hardline provided a great backdrop for the dueling guitar riffs from Lee Nuckols and Ryan Dickson. These two have different approaches to their guitar playing that blend well enough to co-exist, but differ enough to provide another dimension to the songs.

Bassist Kevin Choate is a madman on the bass and rarely stops moving. Combined with drummer, Anthony Comeaux, the rhythm section is solid as a rock. The paces, melody and vibe of each song is provided by those two and allows Nuckols, Dickson and guitarist/vocalist Casey Royer the room to create songs with catchy lyrics and layers of sound.

My advice is to check this band out when you get a chance. They have been playing all over Texas with a slew of acts that make up a “who’s who” of the Texas music scene. When you see them, you will be very happy you did.