It was warmer than to be expected, or maybe that was just the pangs of excitement for this party.  The Pullman Standard CD Release party was about to begin.  Bodies were busily setting up on the back patio while Jillian Calkins was doing a quick sound check.  This young lady stood there, with that beautiful Gretsch hollow-body, on the stage of The Rabbit Hole, poised like a consummate professional, ready to perform.  The doors have already opened and Jillian is crooning to the diners; they clap after every song she plays.  Her jazzy style makes for a serene, yet exciting dinner scene with her velvety rich voice filling every nook and cranny in the room.  She performed for over an hour, pulling from her plethora of cover songs, and also included some of the brand new tracks for her upcoming album.  People began to gather on the back patio to watch the interviews being conducted on the red carpet when she had finished, and Jon Campos & The Incurables were set to perform.

The sun was setting, turning the patio into a club, where Jon Campos rocked out under the Pullman Standard marquee.  A 45-minute set of pure blues-based rock was getting the crowd pumped up before the big event.  As the set continued, more and more people ventured in from off the street and convened towards the back of The Rabbit Hole in San Diego.  This party was just beginning and everyone was rocking!  Looking around, everyone had something moving.  Whether it was a chin bob, or an arm flail, head bang or a finger tap…something was moving to the beat. Jon Campos graciously thanked Pullman Standard for being invited to join the celebration and made way for the band of the night.  It was, after all, their CD Release party.  The CD is titled Diamond Hearts, and it tells a story crafted by the man behind Pullman Standard, Timmy D.  The idea for this album began many years ago, and it’s taken some time for everything to fall into place.  Now that the Diamond Hearts are formed, there’s no turning back.  Tonight officially marked off that journey with a BANG!

The red-coated Timmy D joined the rest of Pullman Standard on stage looking like Rock Star incarnate.  The moment his voice hit the speakers everyone was locked in.  Showman doesn’t even begin to describe Timmy D; he’s not only an incredible musician and producer, but he also knows how to perform.  Immediately, the front man for Pullman Standard was off the stage, walking through the crowd while singing, even grabbing a woman’s drink to rehydrate himself before going right back to singing.  Not only did he sing, there was a black Les Paul he would sling around like it was a hula-hoop and slam some power chords out of.

Pullman Standard has over 1500 shows under their belt from their past albums, and this album will be no different.  With back-to-back fair dates in July, following the party, Pullman Standard will be wasting very little time getting back on the road.  There are already fall dates currently being booked.  Stay tuned to PullmanStandard.com for dates and locations and there WILL be a follow up tour and much more to come.

Big Jon /  BackStage360

Editors Note:  The interview with Timmy D was not completed at the time of publication so check back soon…………..