We’re playing at Conor Byrne’s tomorrow night, that’s Friday November 21st, with our friends the Black Crabs, and will dedicate the show to Chris Gomez’ memory. He was a good man, and the accident is our loss and a tragedy.

We hope to see you all there- we’ll raise our glasses to Chris in farewell- and go from there.

There’s still a lot in this world to be thankful for, something we try to remember this time of year, and something we hope to pass on to each and every one of you. Happy thanksgiving, a week early, we know, but fitting considering the news.

We’re thankful for you all out there! Keep on rockin’, and we’ll do the same,
Ruby

She’s a little bit country: Following last week’s powerhouse performance by Victoria LeGrand and Alex Scally’s Beach House, this Monday Muddy Waters Cafe will play host to yet another dynamic duo. The Seattle-bred Ruby Dee And The Snakehandlers, led by leading lady Ruby Dee Philippa and guitarist Jorge Harada, is nothing short of a rockabilly lover’s dream. Combining country twang with vintage swing and an obvious affinity for all things Cash and Carter, the duo are about as delightfully retro as they come without sounding derivative. And the band’s swagger, combined with Philippa’s classic pitchy vocals and captivating stage presence, make this a night of throwback goodness that should not be missed. Show starts at 8pm at Muddy Waters (508 E. Haley St.)

If country, rockabilly, Americana and fried chicken gizzards suit your musical tastes, Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers serve it all.

In support of a solid second studio album, “Miles From Home,” the band plays Thursday, Oct. 9, in the Boathouse Theatre at Valhalla’s Tallac Historic Site on Emerald Bay Road. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Advance tickets are $12, the cover at the door $15.

The five-piece band also played in South Lake Tahoe in March. It is wending its way back to Seattle after touring Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas and the Southwest.
Ruby Dee Philippa is a vocal force to be reckoned with, a cross between Dolly Parton and Colleen Duffy of Devil Doll.

Band co-leader Jorge Harada is a skilled guitarist, and his song “Gunslinger (Return Of Nobody)” would make Link Wray wheeze and Quentin Tarantino want to use it in a movie.

Versatile Bob Knetzger plays pedal steel guitar, mandolin, banjo and Dobro. The rhythm section is bass guitarist Sean Hudson and drummer Kipp Crawford.
The Seattle Post-Intelligencer’s readers voted Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers best band in its 2005 People’s Picks.

Band members list their favorite musicians as Buck Owens, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn, Hank Williams, Los Lobos, Stray Cats and Merle Haggard.

Wednesday, October 8

Ruby Dee and The Snake Handlers
Risky–and perhaps just a bit risqué–Ruby Dee and the Snake Handlers conjure forth all sorts of visions of another time. Rooted firmly in the classic country and rockabilly tradition, the band is an authentic backdrop for lead singer Ruby Dee’s blend of Wanda Jackson sass and Patsy Cline pathos. The band holds it down with the insistence of a chugging train while Dee, a pinup heartbreaker of yesteryear with thoroughly modern attitude, commands the stage. Supporting the band is local honky-tonk DJ Tom LG, who has earned his stripes in town spinning rare and classic country, traditional rockabilly and western swing cuts at appropriately divey venues. Don Quixote’s; $8; 8pm. (PD)

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:gjfqxzljld0e

Charming Snakehandlers: The first time I heard “Miles from Home,” the new disc from Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers, I just assumed they were another in a long line of rootsy honky tonk bands from Austin. Not even close.

The group, which plays at 9 tonight at Take II, 6135 N. Mesa, is from Seattle, though singer Ruby Dee says a move to Texas’ Live Music Capital of the World is in the offing later this year.

“In Seattle, there’s a lot of people that don’t understand this music, musicians that is. They don’t get the beat or they can’t (commit) to it,” she said by phone from the road. “In Austin, they have a much deeper bench to pull from.”

Plus, she added, the support for live music in Texas is unparalleled in other parts of the country. Even in El Paso, which often suffers from geographic and cultural isolation, the honky tonk revivalists made enough of an impression at last year’s Ardovino’s Desert Crossing gig that they compelled the group to put the Sun City on the itinerary this year.

“We told all our friends in El Paso that, sorry, we cannot do a show this time and a group of them got together and said, ‘No, no, no, you have to play. Please come and play,” she said.

Guitarist Jorge Harada believes audiences like that are charmed by the honesty of the Snakehandlers’ music, which combines rockabilly, honky tonk, vintage rock ‘n’ roll and Western swing in a way that’s both retro and contemporary.

“We just really try to do it as sincere and honest as we possibly can play our music,” the Mexican native said.

Both the new album and debut “North of Bakersfield” explore the intersection where country and rock first met, but the duo’s not interested in dusting off old museum pieces.

“We’re definitely paying homage to who went before us, the old honky tonk players … we nod our heads to them,” Ruby Dee said. “But everything we do is contemporary and related to the here and now. It’s all original music.”

Doug Pullen may be reached at dpullen@elpasotimes.com; 546-6397.

http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_10593345?source=most_emailed

Miles From Home Bottom Line:
There’s a single truism out there in the little honky-tonks & barrooms, & that’s there’s some mighty fine music being made that really isn’t being heard by all that many people. It’s music that’s been stuck with a couple dozen old and new genre names: Americana, alt-country, honky-tonk, rockabilly, Western swing, etc., etc.; but what it all boils down to is actual country music. So choose whatever you want from the list above - and listen to Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers.

About Rube Dee and the Snakehandlers:
Ruby Dee and the Snakehandlers hail from Seattle, who gave us the alternative rock movement of the early 90’s; now, it seems, they also produce country music that makes no excuses, just draws from early tradition and mixes and mingles it with the developments that country made over the decades (from Memphis rockabilly to Bakersfield honky-tonk). They rock, they swing, and they just flat-out entertain; it’s pretty clear from this disc that this group must knock ‘em dead in their live shows (as a quick check of their online reviews shows), and like a lot of great live bands, their studio recordings don’t capture all of that energy and sparkle. Still, there’s enough great stuff here that you might not miss the dance floor, the dim lights, and thick smoke. You’ve got the loud, loud music, after all.

This is Ruby Dee’s second full-length CD (fourth overall), and it’s loaded with terrific sounds, from outstanding originals “Since You Went Away” and “Don’t Need A Man” to a pretty rip-roaring cover of Hank Williams’ “Settin’ The Woods On Fire.” Ruby Dee is a sure-fire excellent lyricist, and her words fit like a glove to music written and played by her Snakehandlers, or Jorge Harada. The Snakehandlers are Ruby Dee and Jorge, Sean Hudson, Kipp Crawford, and Bob Knetzger; they’re joined by Liz Smith, Pete Smith, and Lewis Warren, ripping it up on guitars, bass, pedal steel, and drums.

Miles From Home - The Songs:
The original songs on Miles From Home speak in a crystalline manner about love and longing, loss and memory; for all the upbeat melodies, some of the lyrics are crushingly emotional. “The musty smell of things undiscovered, back when you and I were so much younger; Do you remember when we had time on our hands?”

Now there’s poetry in this country, in its rambling roads and words, in the voices of the simple people, in the white cross of Willie Hatcher the thirds. Now Willie drove down 40 about Memphis, Tennessee, but Willie drove a mite too fast, with a mite too much to drink. “I’ve been standing in the shadows waiting for my life to start, holding onto my withering heart, I’ve been standing in the shadows next to you. I’ve been hoping and a praying ’bout crossing over that great divide that’s keeping me wrapped up inside. I’ve been hoping and a praying to get over you.” There is so much to listen to, you might find yourself stopping the dance and just tilting your head to catch those lyrics, those surprising, astounding, interesting lyrics. Ruby Dee is a prize.

Release Date: June 24, 2008 - Dionysus
http://countrymusic.about.com/od/cdreviewsal/fr/MilesFromHome.htm

Blending snarling rockabilly with honky tonk heartache, Ruby Dee and The Snakehandlers have crafted their best recorded set thus far. The heart of the 13-song set emanates from Dee’s original material which combines poetic expressionism and hillbilly sass. Aided by Jorge Harada’s top-flight guitar work - which alternates ballroom tenderness with rowdy roadhouse rock - she sounds like a Texas dance hall chanteuse visiting us from another era. Produced by Conrad Uno and Harada at Egg Studios in Seattle, the set conjures its finest rockabilly moments when Dee growls ala Wanda Jackson (”Since You Went Away”), torches noir style (”Round and Round”), and delivers tough put-downs (”Don’t Need A Man”). Harada enjoys some stellar moments as well, igniting his guitar with Link Wray style noir riffs (”Gunslinger”) and playing with biting cowpunk ferocity (”Shameful Breaker”). Yet, it is the slower moments that prove most memorable. Augmenting her regular band with solid guest pickers [Liz and Pete Smith, Bob Knetzger and Lewis Warren]*, Dee is able to deliver country music with a genuine sawdust on the floor feel. Sounding coy yet ironic (”Drunk Talk”), she delivers hook song emotions (”Standing In The Shadows”) and backwoods mythology (”Cold Pines And Red Dirt”) that sound completely authentic in both setting and delivery. Occasionally a performance runs longer than necessary, but overall, this is inspired work. - Ken Burke

*[Liz Smith, Pete Smith and Lewis Warren performed on "Shameful Breaker". Sean Hudson on bass and Kipp Crawford on drums make up the rhythm section on Miles From Home. - RDSH Admin]

We’ll also be hosting a fun send off party at Highway 99 on Friday January 23rd, along with the Black Crabs, and Tom Bennett and the Rolling Blackouts, plus surprise guests joining us on stage all night. That will be a super fun last chance to see us off before we head on out, and we really want to see you all there- folks we’ve come to know and love over the years.

See you down the road, one way or another! Ruby Dee

This tour, I have to say, has been, overall, the best yet. I want to send a sincere thanks to all our friends, fans, other bands, venues, radio and press folk, and all y’all for putting us up, taking us in, and sharing your time with us. We really appreciate you!

We played at DX’s Knockout in the Mission last night, along with Texas Steve and his Git Gone Trio, 1/4 Mile Combo, and Charlie Roman. We’ve shared the stage with Texas Steve before, and loved both times now. And 1/4 mile combo sounded great! Check this lil’ band out- mostly covers, but they do them justice for certain.

A few old friends came out to say howdy- Ethan and Annabelly, Tina(!), and of course Jeff and Lonnie. Oh, and Jose, sporting Snakehandlers gear and dancing up a storm!

One thing I’ve learned on the road though, I have to say, is who is out there for the community music, and who’s in it for their own small worldly gains. You know, when we share the stage with a touring band and we’re the home base act, we make sure they get the lion’s share of the door, as well as putting them up if need be, and feeding them. We know what it costs to be on the road. There are some bands, however, that don’t make that consideration, and they keep a large portion of the door, not thinking about generosity and sharing what’s there with a band from out of state and town. We experienced that last night sadly, and I have to tell you, it colours my opinion of some folks. While we would like to think well of everyone, with bits like this, you just can’t, all the time.

However, that being written out, we did have a great time, and look forward to a few months resting up, working in some new tunes, and then moving on down the road…

See you all out there somewhere, Ruby