Jim Weeks Band
Clinton, Massachusetts, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2017
Music
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A group of seasoned musicians varied in history and scope come together to be the current formation of The Jim Weeks Band.
One thing they all have in common, they are extremely good at what they each do.
This is a beautifully "earthy" rock n' roll band.
Alternative?
Roots rock?
"Kick your teeth out!" rock band?
punk angel?
Is that a country song?
Yeah, there's all that goin' on...
Jim Weeks stands "head to toe" with (any) rock n' roller that Massachusetts ever spawned!
There are no Rock Gods, just posers.
Even if there were, Jimmy would some how manage to get on their shit list.
He just writes songs with his unschooled approach on an acoustic guitar. His melodies are generally rooted in a major scale that he sound shifts around using alternate chords, half of which I'd bet he don't know the names of...
He just makes music.
His lyrics are beautiful, sensitive, dark, aching.
His physical and spiritual presence on the stage
is immense!
And then, there's that voice!
A beat up Irish tenor!
Perfect!!!
Michael Robert Kelly is "super glue in the pocket" layin' down the botton line. His vocal harmonies are spot on
and clear. His steady presence will keep this band movin' in the right direction. Straight up and Straight Ahead!
Mike Levesque is a journeyman with serious chops on a drum kit.
Some drummers play drums, and then there are musical artists that happen to play drums...
There's no doubt where the beat lies. He makes his point!
Brook Meggs is another man that gets around a bit. His musical experience is all over the map, and he works his ass off!
It's been pretty cool to see him come to terms with the songs Jimmy writes. The selection of notes he plays are smart and appropriate. He's got nice colors and aural shadings splashing around behind Jim's vocal lines, and he can put it right in your damn face, too!
This is an awesome band!
If you're an agent, book 'em!
If you're a fan, get to the shows and support these guys so they can get to where they should be.
Austin City Limits! - Rob Leach
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
This band brings you over a century of collective performing experience, ranging from Los Angeles to New York, Austin to Boston, and all the way across the Atlantic to Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. This newly-formed collaboration focuses on the song above all. Whether in the studio or on stage, they are dedicated to delivering the song to the listener as directly and effectively as possible.
Jim Weeks has long been recognized as one of the finest singers and songwriters in the business, but he doesn't stop there: his live performances are dynamic celebrations of survival in the face of life's daily challenges, big and small. His songs are laced with candor, courage and self-awareness -- they challenge his audience to be as honest with themselves as he dares to be.
Bassist/songwriter Mike Kelly was struck by the emotional power of Jim’s songs the first time he heard him perform at Slater’s in Bolton MA. Having already heard through the grapevine about Mike’s career and talents, Jim's first words were: “Hey Mike, I’m Jim Weeks. We're going to be in a band together.” Several years later, after honing a deep friendship together, they made Jim’s prediction a reality.
Mike started his professional bass career playing all over New England at the age of 15 in a hardcore band called Hatchetface (formerly "Bound"). By 19 he had formed a group, Naked Vinyl with local singer, Matt Dionne which soon became the band TREBEK. He has been the backup bass player for the James Montgomery Blues Band since August of 2009 and has backed many musicians including Trombone Shorty, Paula Cole, Joan Osborne, James Cotton, J. Geils, Willie Alexander and has performed with the likes of Simon Kirke (Bad Company), G.E. Smith (Saturday Night Live), Dropkick Murphys, Quinn Sullivan. He has toured in Germany several times with Jimmy Kelly (The Kelly Family) & the Street Orchestra and has toured as a tech with the Dropkick Murphys. Mike is a multi-instrumentalist (electric bass, upright bass, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, 5-string banjo, mandolin, bouzouki, ukulele, voice).
For their first gig together - unrehearsed other than some hastily emailed charts and a last-minute run-through before the show - Jim recruited lead guitarist Brook Meggs. Luckily, Brook brought a telecaster, so he was immediately accepted by all. Brook spent his youth around many legendary musicians, as his father was a senior exec at Capitol Records in the 60’s and 70’s. In recent years, he’s divided his time between songwriting and playing lead guitar for live acts from California to Boston.
Brook brought drummer and longtime friend Mike Levesque into the fold by booking a gig, then scheduling a rehearsal. Jimmy and Mike K weren’t sure what to expect, but after a couple of hard-hitting rockers and dynamic ballads, it was obvious that Levesque was the real deal and a perfect fit for Weeks and company: he embodies the rule that a great drummer understands the structure and feel of a great song. He has performed live and recorded with a long list of stellar artists, including David Bowie, Seven Mary Three, Susan Tedeschi, Juliana Hatfield, Reeves Gabrels, Dave Navarro and many others, and was nominated in both 2017 and 2018 as Session Player Of The Year at the Boston Music Awards.
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