Image: Eli Medellin
Boogie / BackStage360
Pullman Standard is one of those bands that when you start listening to them you immediately think to yourself, who are these guys? After a few minutes of listening you start thinking that you’ve been out of the loop too long and find that your feet start wanting to move the harmony of the music.
There have been a lot of changes in the music industry over the last few years and one of the negative changes has been with the airwaves being controlled by corporate suits. They have changed the programming schedule and format so much that it’s damn near impossible for emerging artists to get their music any air time on the radio to be introduced to a new audience. This change alone is responsible for the creation of a new breed of artists called “Indie Artists.”
Pullman Standards music deserves to be heard by a larger audience as their music is original, fresh and catchy with a solid hook. They are actually the kind of band that help the music industry explode when radio stations took a chance on new talent and spun their music in the heyday of AM & FM. To say that they are a commercially viable band is an understatement.
Image: Eli Medellin
Boogie / BackStage360
As they gear up for a slew of regional dates over the summer, we were fortunate to attend two of their recent performances. The first one was at a charity event that raises money for musicians that are struggling with addiction. Bridging The Gap to Recovery (BTG) was established by a remarkable woman that took a tragic event in her life and decided to use that to help others. Sharon Gipson, aka Mama Duke, has built BTG into a full-fledged 501 C. It was their 3rd annual event and Pullman Standard was the headliner. In order to give full disclosure I should mention that BackStage360 proudly serves on its board of directors for BTG. Due to technical difficulties, Pullman Standard went on much later than scheduled and the crowd had become somewhat sparse as old farts like me had to call it a night to be able to obtain the proper amount of beauty sleep. However, the crowd that remained more than made up for their numbers by their enthusiastic response. The band plays their heart out as if there were thousands in attendance. The cell phones went up and everyone left must have been videographers! It’s no wonder that the fair asked the band to extend their set for the second year in a row. That should say something all by it’s self.
Two weeks later Pullman Standard takes over the paddock stage at the San Diego fair. It’s a large crowd and the reception is the same. One of the great things about Pullman Standards music is that it is hard to define and seems to transcend generations. Just about everyone in the audience was moving and grooving to the music. People were banging on whatever was in front of them to keep the beat. It may be fair, or not, but I have a tendency to gauge new artists and all show on the response of the crowd. I watched many people that night trying to simply get through the sea of humanity to the other side simply decide to stay in place and enjoy the band. Good call! You want to be entertained and have fun at a show? Go see Pullman Standard.
Image: Eli Medellin
Boogie / BackStage360
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