The Real Nasty

October 4, 2011 No comments yet

The Real Nasty – Can’t Stand It
The Real Nasty – Precious Time

If you’re into that soulful style of southern rock and blues, then I can safely say that this is one of the better bands that you’ve never heard of. Self-described as a power country trio, The Real Nasty is an Oakland, California based trio. But here’s the kicker… They play southern rock! Now I’m a southern boy myself, having lived in North Carolina and Tennessee for most of my life. But I despise country music. No joke, I literally can’t stand the stuff. But the Real Nasty is not actually a “power country trio,” as they say. Otherwise I would have just left their show Tuesday night. These guys caught my attention and really intrigued me. The Real Nasty does a real solid job of incorporating a little southern twang into their Skynyrd-meets-moe.-meets-Ben Harper-eque style of play (minus the slide guitar), but falls well-short of country music, and keeps within the realm of southern rock with that delightful west-coast spin. You can stream all of their tracks from all of their albums here, and can download directly from the website.

The band is on tour right now to promote the release of their latest album, Dirty Dollars. I think the album highlights their unique sound. Incorporating elements of rock, country, blues, funk, and soul, the album sees blending of a ton of different musical styles that clearly draws from an enormous range of musical influences. I caught a show Tuesday night at Quixotes True Blue theater in Denver, and felt compelled to make you all aware of this band. First of all, the venue was fantastic. The crowd was small but that just made for a more intimate setting. Posters of the all-time greats (Jerry, Jimi, Jim, you name it, not just J’s) adorn the walls of Quixotes in masses, covering every available inch of the venue. Choice of venue? Excellent… But what about the show itself?

The Real Nasty plays deep rockin’ music with the energy of wild animals sweating primal electricity and gets audiences dancing with abandon, pumping their fists with whiskey in hand. Their range of low-down dirty funk, to soulful blues, to “hey girl, get those pants off and come over here” sexy rock was delivered with a smile, a growl and groove. Booties were jiggling, my friends. Booties were jiggling. The trio is talented and versatile, and doubled up on instruments to add a little variety. They even pulled out an upright bass for a couple of songs… Bonus points in my book.

Like I said, The Real Nasty just embarked on tour in support of their 3rd album, Dirty Dollars (released 9/30/11). Wherever they’ve been, it’s been love at first listen for audiences. The band turns heads. Check out their website. Below is a list of where they are touring. If you get the chance, I highly recommend spending a few hours at one of your local bar/venues and checking these guys out. Though not off of Dirty Dollars, this track, Leave it Alone, is my favorite that I’ve heard thus far. But I intend to listen to these guys a lot more.

Leave it Alone by The Real Nasty

10/6 – Wichita, KS @ Kirbys Beer Store
10/7 – Linn Creek, MO @ Viking Post 306 (Formerly Donna’s Ice House)
10/8 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Frank and Lola’s
10/11 – Athens, GA @ Nowhere Bar
10/12 – Asheville, NC @ MoDaddys
10/13 – Charlotte, NC @ The Double Door
10/15 – Kill Devil Hills, NC @ Goombays
10/16 – Beaufort, NC @ Backstreet Pub
10/18 – Bristol, TN @ Machiavellis
10/19 – Boone, NC @ Cascades Café, Appalachian State
10/19 – Roanoke, VA @ Martins
10/20 – Greensboro, NC @ The Blind Tiger
10/21 – High Point, NC @ Blue Bourbon Jacks
10/22 – Boone, NC @ Murpheys
10/23 – Raleigh, NC @ Pour House
10/25 – Knoxville, TN @ Preservation Pub
10/26 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree (Not Fully Confirmed waiting for contracts)
10/27 – Oxford, MS @ Roosters
10/28 – Sandy Springs, GA @ Old Crow Tavern
10/29 – Statesborough, GA @ Nat’s Landing (Not Fully Confirmed waiting for contracts)
10/30 – Nashville, TN @ (Working on this One)
11/03 – St. Louis, MS @ Pop’s Blue Moon
11/04 – Mission, KS @ Clarette Club
11/05 – Denver, CO @ Quixotes
11/12 – Berkeley, CA @ The Starry Plough

Keep in mind: I’m not a critic, I just review shit.