DUSTBOWl

about DUSTBOWL

“Thoughts on Dustbowl"

Nick West(Bucketful of Brains)

Way back in 2010 (and BoB#75) Jeremy Gluck introduced us to the Athens band Dustbowl. They’d just released their third album “Goin’ Down” and Jeremy, along with Phil Shoenfelt had guested on it; At that point there was a markedly Americana vibe about them; an emphasis on the pedal steel sound of John Hardy and the guitar of Nick Fysakis.

Now there’s singer Panos Birbas and they’ve added an extra guitar-player in Mike Dremetsikas. Along with these changes has come a fascinating shift of emphasis; first evident on 2016’s “The Great Fandango” but even more so now on “The Story of Mr. Dandy Gasoline” (2019). The high lonesome sound is mostly subdued; now subtler varieties of both darkness and light are on offer as they execute a change of course and approach the psychedelic.

A definite baroque mood haunts, along with an unmistakable Paisley Underground sensibility. The guitars and pedal steel are invariably given their heads, and the latter stands in, at times, for a string section;

It’s certainly an addictive sound; Still sometimes that’s exactly what you need, though it’s enough to be a fan of the Paisley Underground, the country Stones and their cohort to be taking a close interest in Dustbowl”.

" It is an esoteric elegy of sentiments that draws us "down" with them, and signifies that the only catharsis, the one way road for Dustbowl comes from the earth…"

BUCKETFULL OF BRAINS / JEREMY GLUCK (THE BARRACUDAS)

2006 MAY

Dustbowl formed in 2016. They call their music “Mother Earth Rock”

2009 NOVEMBER

“Goin’ Down” album released (Feat. Jeremy Gluck & Phil Shoenfelt)

2014 MARCH

"Dustbowl: Johnny Cash / The Tribute Show" live at Megaro Mousikis Athinon (Dustbowl became the first local “underground” band to play at Megaro Mousikis Athinon)

2016 MAY

“The Great Fandango” album released

2017 NOVEMBER

Live with The Dream Syndicate (“How did I find myself here” European Tour at Fuzz Club, Athens)

2019 OCTOBER

“The Story of Mr. Dandy Gasoline” album released (Feat. Chris Cacavas)

2019 OCTOBER

“The Story of Mr. Dandy Gasoline” album released (Feat. Chris Cacavas)

“The Story of Mr. Dandy Gasoline” first live presentation with The Dream Syndicate at Fuzz Club (the closing of their "These Times" album European tour)

2019 NOVEMBER

Live with Mark Lanegan Band (for Mark’s "Night Flight to Kabul" album European tour) at Gagarin 205 Music Space (Ejekt)

2020 DECEMBER

“Here Comes Warren Oates” released (Digital single. A small tribute to Warren Oates and Sam Peckinpah)

2021 APRIL

Dustbowl’s version of Chris Cacavas “Better Days” included at Polythene’s Records various artist compilation album “Songs for the fans: Chris Cacavas 60” along with:

Steve Wynn (The Dream Syndicate), Jason Victor (The Dream Syndicate), Linda Pitmon (The Baseball Project, Filthy Friends), Calexico, Chris Eckman (The Walkabouts), Howe Gelb (Giant Sand), Stephen McCarthy (The Long Ryders), Pat Thomas (Mushrooms), Russ Tolman (True West), Jonathan Siegel (Camber Van Beethoven), The Plastic Pals, Hakan Soold, Pete Jay Funk, Edward Abbiati.

2022 APRIL

Live with Steve Wynn at Gazarte [Athens,]. It was the 6th time that the band shared the stage with Steve or with the Dream Syndicate.

"We don’t want there to be any doubt as to which side of this discussion we fall on, we don’t want there to be any misunderstanding of where we stand, we’re not trying to be everybody’s favourite band and we are not concerned about "fitting in" or being a part of what anybody else was doing but our "deviant chain-gang thing"

band members

Panos Birbas - Vocals, Guitar
Nick Fysakis - Guitar
John “Hardy” Houstoulakis - Pedal Steel
Mike Dremetsikas - Guitar, Backing Vocals
Lydia Grammatikou - Bass, Backing Vocals
Giotis “The Shoeshine Boy” Petrelis - Drums
Costas Stergiou - Keyboards & Piano

Ex - Members: Dionissis Stefanopoulos - Drums I Dimitris “DD Dynamite” Douranos - Lead Vocals, Guitar I Big George - Lead Vocals I Ion Nikolaou - Guitar