Who: Dave Wolfmeyer, Chad Hines, Mike Wood, Brett Sixel
Truckers on Speed were preparing for a three hour set at The Turf in Phoenix. Quite a lengthy set, but the Speed boys owed their fans a stellar show after a recent benefit at the Hard Rock Café in which they followed two of the most tedious acts in Arizona’s music history. Not even the crowd-pleasing energy of Truckers of Speed could resurrect the Hard Rock audience.
A second chance was only fair.
This is a tried-and-true bar band. Their distorted, clamorous sound resonates best against drinking bodies and cocktail waitresses. Truckers on Speed create a guileless South(west)ern Rock completely free of pretension. Dave Speed’s voice sounds as if it’s been dragged across the washboard a couple times and is all the better for it. His lack of vocal training, and I feel safe assuming no formal training has taken place, lends itself to dusty, painfully honest lyrics.
The most unique aspect of Truckers on Speed definitely manifests itself through the strange guitar work of Dave Speed and Chad Hines. The two comprise the "Odd Couple" of Tempe Rock. Chad appears more your straight-laced rock n’roller. His cool-guy, but always friendly, veneer seems a little too clean for the distortion level of a Trucker. And, while Dave has a stage persona I might be tempted to describe as “demure” there is the rare occasion he’s feeling a little extra sassy and busts an Axl Rose shuffle. His guitar work is bold.
The visual clash quickly gives way to a musical brotherhood. They don’t rely solely on their guitar strings to make noise. They beat and shake sound from the wood as well. Brett Sixel on bass and drummer Mike Wood provide the versatile framework that allows Dave and Chad to do whatever they can think up at live shows.
They are a bar band. Their albums have continually failed to capture the true essence of the band's live shows. Their most recent release, To Fall Seven Times, is no exception. It is filled with solitude and apocalyptic visions. I had a difficult time getting into the album. A recent conversation with Dave Speed may have isolated the reason… this is a psychedelic album and I lacked the tools for a proper listen. Nevertheless, the record should hit this listener regardless of sobriety level.
Like other Truckers’ albums, once the songs hit the stage they are transformed into rollicking numbers that make depression fun again.
