Saturday June 27:  GottaSwing Annapolis . . .  Thursday July 2:  JV Restaurant

Don’t miss The Rockabilly RaveUp at Glen Echo with Marti Brom – July 11!

    JP at the Quarry House Tavern July 2008   

"KEEPER OF THE ROCKABILLY FLAME" ~  Joel Sparks, On Tap Magazine

"MASTERS OF RED-HOT ROCKABILLY AND ROWDY HONKY TONK"
 ~ Richard Harrington, The Washington Post

"HONKY TONK THE WAY IT SHOULD BE" ~  Eric Brace, The Washington Post

"NIGHTLIFE AGENDA FAVORITE", "EXCELLENT" ~  Fritz Hahn, The Washington Post

"COUNTRY VOCALIST OF THE YEAR" Washington Area Music Association, 2004, 2006 ­and 2007 !

"YOU’LL LOVE THESE GUYS.  GREAT ENERGY AND FABULOUS VOCALS" ~ Brenda Golden, The Coconut Times

“WITH SOARING VOCALS, HARD-ROCKING ROCKABILLY, AND A HEARTFELT WAY WITH A BALLAD,
D.C. NATIVE J.P. MCDERMOTT IS BREATHING FRESH AIR INTO ONE OF AMERICA’S GREAT MUSICAL TRADITIONS”
~ Debbie Lee, The Washington CityPaper

JP and Western Bop at the Buddy Holly Birthday Party, Sept 2008
Photo by John Onda

Back before they called it rock and roll they called it Western Bop.  In '55, the first time anyone called Elvis a King, they were calling him The King of Western Bop.  Buddy Holly's first business card advertised "Western & Bop".  Western Bop is where it all comes together --  Rockabilly, Classic Country, and Vintage Honky Tonk.  Western Bop is a flattop acoustic beating time like a big eight-wheeler comin' down the track. It's a bass fiddle getting slapped like there's no tomorrow. Throw in a stinging lead guitar, and you know you've found the right place. 

We're talking about high-energy rockabilly, tear-in-your-beer ballads, and hell-raising honky tonk all rolled into one exciting package.  The Washington Post calls it, "Honky Tonk the way it should be."

Forget the tribute bands, the oldies bands, the camp, and the kitsch. This is the real music, played the way it's supposed to be played -- straight ahead, a little bit blue, and one hell of a lot of fun.

 

 The new CD is out and available!

Twelve Buddy Holly tracks you might have missed, performed by

J.P. McDermott & Western Bop

Buy Now  Text Box: Get CDs or MP3s at CDBaby!

 

Or, pick it up at one of the shows, or send a check for $12 (shipping & handling included) to:

Shower-Tone Records
PO Box 8116
Silver Spring, MD 
20907-8116

 

The Washington Area Music Association named J.P. McDermott
Country Vocalist of the Year for 2004, 2005 and 2007 --  Thanks for all your support!

 Western Bop is back and its here to stay!

J.P. McDermott & Western Bop are based near Washington, D.C. and play songs by:  
Buddy Holly, Webb Pierce, Johnny Cash, Warren Smith, Roy Orbison, Mac Curtis, Elvis Presley, Ray Price, Stonewall Jackson, Johnny Bush, Jerry Lee Lewis, Hank Williams, Carl Smith, Billy Lee Riley, Lefty Frizzell, Bob Luman, Willie Nelson, Eddy Arnold, Marty Robbins, Wynn Stewart, George Jones, and more, plus great original tunes in the same vein.....


THE SHOWS
 

Friday
June 19

BRADDOCK NIGHTS at Royal Lake Park
5344 Gainsbroough Dr.
Fairfax, VA

7:30 pm
FREE!

Family Friendly, Fun, Free, and Outdoors!

(In the event of threatening weather, call 703-324-SHOW to get the scoop!)

Saturday
June 20

THE QUARRY HOUSE TAVERN
8401 Georgia Ave
Silver Spring, MD
301-587-8350
9:30  pm - 1:00 am
$5 Cover
 
Smoke Free
Dancing:  Yes -- Wooden Dance Floor (not a big floor,  but big fun!)

Just two blocks from Silver Spring Metro

Friday
June 26

DUNDALK MOOSE LODGE
2800 Sollers Point Road
Baltimore, MD

Dancing: You bet!

Open only to Lodge members and invited guests.  Email moose@westernbop.com to get invited.  (Or just come on by – last time they were very happy to have some guests!)

Saturday
June 27

SWING DANCE!
Annapolis Rec Center
9 Saint Mary's Street
Annapolis, MD

Drop-in beginner swing lesson with Craig and Susanne, 8-8:30pm,
Dance
8:30-11:30pm
$15

Dancing in the gym at the Annapolis Rec Center!

If you've never been, come to the free lesson at 8:30 – GottaSwing dances are a lot of fun, and you'll be dancing with authority by 9:00!

 

Thursday July 2         

JV RESTAURANT
6666 Arlington Blvd
Falls Church, VA

703-241-9504
9:00
No Cover

Dancing:  A little bit of room, on carpet, but yes!

We play the first Thursday of every month at the friendliest little beer joint in Virginia!

Saturday
July 4

THE QUARRY HOUSE TAVERN
8401
Georgia Ave
Silver Spring, MD
301-587-8350
9:30 pm - 1:00 am

$5 Cover

 
Smoke Free
Dancing:  Yes -- Wooden Dance Floor

Just two blocks from Silver Spring Metro

OOPS – No Show – The QHT is closed for Independence Day!

Saturday
July 11

ROCKABILLY RAVE-UP
AT GLEN ECHO --
WITH MARTI BROM!

Spanish Ballroom at Glen Echo Park, 7300 MacArthur Boulevard
Glen Echo, MD

Drop-in beginner swing lesson with Tom and Debra
8-9pm
Dance 9pm-12midnight

Only $15!!!

 

You know her, you love her, you gotta dance to her – Marti Brom!

“Possessing a driving, expressive vocal style influenced by the likes of Janis Martin, Patsy Cline, and Dorothy Shay, the Missouri-born singer-songwriter, Martí Brom has crafted a compelling body of work that has earned her a loyal following at home and overseas. Whether performing rockabilly, western swing, or rhythm and blues, her vocal style is noted among roots music fans for its authenticity, taste, and heart”

This will be a night long remembered as we team up with Marti for a fantastic night of music and dancing.  Marti plays at 9:00, Western Bop at 10:00, and a great big joint jam at 11:00!

MARK YOUR CALENDAR NOW FOR THESE UPCOMING SHOWS!

Sat

13-Jun

PRIVATE -- Wedding, VA

Fri

19-Jun

Royal Lake Park, Fairfax, VA

Sat

20-Jun

Quarry House, Silver Spring, MD

Fri

26-Jun

Dundalk Moose, Baltimore, MD

Sat

27-Jun

GottaSwing, Annapolis, MD

Thu

02-Jul

JV Restaurant, Falls Church, VA

Sat

04-Jul

Quarry House, Silver Spring, MD

Thu

09-Jul

Head Over Heels Dance, Fairfax, VA

Sat

11-Jul

Rockabilly Rave-up at Glen Echo with Marti Brom!

Fri

17-Jul

Holiday Park Senior Center, Wheaton, MD

Sat

18-Jul

PRIVATE -- Wedding, Washington, DC

Sat

25-Jul

PRIVATE – Party, Takoma, DC

Sat

25-Jul

Quarry House, Silver Spring, MD

 Check back often to see what's coming up.

Click here to sign up for the announcement list.

 

SOME STUFF FROM THIS YEARS BUDDY HOLLY CELEBRATIONS

Thursday
Jan 22

The Professor Rocks!

WEBR Radio
Fairfax Virginia

4pm – 6pm

JP joins Colin Davies, The Professor of Rock for a live radio broadcast about the life and music of Buddy Holly!

The Professor Rocks is broadcast live on WEBR, Fairfax, Virginia on Thursdays from 4:00pm – 6:00pm EST, and can be heard live on the web at www.fcac.org/webr

He can also be heard live on Friday from 10pm to midnight EST on www.wyou.fm - WYOU, Norfolk, Virginia!

The latest weekly shows can be heard 24/7 here on www.live365.com/stations/colindaviesdc, with listeners in over 50 countries, from Estonia to Eritrea.

Friday
Jan 30

MetroConnection
WAMU 88.5 FM

1pm – 2pm

JP and the whole band live in studio with David Furst on DC’s most popular show about arts and culture!

 

Listen over the air, or via the internet.

Saturday
Jan 31

THE SURF CLUB
4711 Kenilworth Ave
Bladensburg, MD
301-927-6310

Doors 7:30 pm,
Show
9:00 pm

Admission: $15

Smoke Free

Dancing:  Yes -- Great Wooden Dance Floor!

Tons of Bands!

On February 3, 1959 Buddy Holly lost his life in a tragic plane crash outside Clear Lake Iowa, and the world lost one of the most creative and engaging performers of the rock and roll era. Though it has been fifty years, Buddy’s music lives on to this day.  The Washington area will remember Buddy and celebrate his life with ahuge party on January 31 at The Surf Club

 

Holly’s Legacy

Buddy Holly was only 22 years old on that bitter cold night when the light plane he was traveling in crashed in a corn field, killing all on board, and putting an end to one of the most creative and prolific careers of the rock and roll era. In a scant three years, Buddy left behind nearly 100 recordings, including at least 40 original songs, among them some of the greatest in the rock and roll canon. Though we lost Buddy, songs like "Peggy Sue", "It's So Easy", "Rave On", and "That'll Be The Day" live on through the years.

Among the many acts that have covered Holly songs you'll find The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Linda Rondstadt, The Knack, The Trashmen, Nancy Griffith, Skeeter Davis, The Thirteenth Floor Elevator, The Searchers, The Stray Cats, Conway Twitty, and Los Lobos, not to mention the Serendipity Singers, and many more.

Both the Smithsonian event and the Winter Dance Party at the Surf Club will feature Buddy's exciting, fun, and heartfelt music all night long, with diversions into the careers of Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper who also perished in the same plane crash.
 
From The Surf Ballroom to The Surf Club
 
The last venue Holly, Valens, and the Bopper ever played was the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.  Three years ago, when J.P. McDermott was looking for a larger place to hold the annual celebration it just seemed right to move it to the Surf Club in Hyattsville, MD.  With its mirror ball, hardwood dance floors, and vintage bandstand, the Surf Club has the real feel of a great old dance hall, and has been the site of many great shows from the time it opened in 1955 right up until today. 

 

J.P. McDermott & Western Bop to Host

As it has been every year, the Winter Dance Party is hosted by Washington Area Music Association award winner J.P. McDermott (Best Country Vocalist, Country Recording of the Year). McDermott has an abiding love for Buddy's music, and a vast repertoire including more nearly 40 Holly tunes. J.P. says, "The Winter Dance Party is always a blast -- we get to play a lot of fantastic music, share some of Buddy's story, and explore some of the connections and influences he had on rock and roll through the years."

McDermott's versatile and hard-rocking combo, Western Bop (Bob Newscaster, Louie Newmyer, and Tom Bowes), will serve as the house band, backing a plethora of special guests representing some of the finest musicians from the diverse and compelling music scene around Washington and Baltimore.

Artist scheduled to appear at the Winter Dance Party include:

J.P. McDermott and Western Bop

Marti Brom
Mark Noone (Slickee Boys, Rhodes Tavern Troubadours, Hula Monsters)

Ginger Richards The Hall Monitors

Chris Watling (The Grandsons)
ellen cherry
The Billy Coulter Band
Dagmar (The Seductones)
David Kitchen & Andy Rutherford (The Thrillbillys)
Bill Williams & Scott McKnight (Last Train Home, Jelly Roll Mortals)
And more to be announced!
 
The Winter Dance Party has been a fixture on the DC music scene since 2001, is one of the highlights of the season, gets bigger and better every year, and is one whole heck of a lot of fun. This is a once-a-year chance to hear some of the greatest rock and roll music ever written performed by a wide range of great talent, and dance at a classic venue that dates back to Buddy's time.
 

Tuesday
Feb 03

THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION

National Museum of Natural History
Atrium Cafe'
10th &
Constitution Avenue, NW
Washington,
DC

6:45 pm

$30 Members, $40 Non-Members

 

Buddy Holly was only 22 years old on that bitter cold night in February 1959, when the light plane he was traveling in crashed in a corn field outside Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all on board and putting an end to one of the most creative and prolific careers of the rock and roll era. He left behind nearly 100 recordings, including at least 40 original songs. Though we lost Buddy Holly, songs like “Peggy Sue,” “It’s So Easy,” “Rave On,” “Not Fade Away,” and “That’ll Be the Day” live on.

Washington area musician and devoted Holly fan J.P. McDermott discusses Buddy’s life and his music—and performs some of his songs, along with ones by J.P. “Big Bopper” Richardson and Ritchie Valens, who also died in the crash. From Holly’s early days playing Hank Williams tunes at local dances, through the birth of rockabilly and his meteoric rise to the top of the charts, McDermott puts the stories and songs in context with the times and places that shaped them.

 


ELECTRONIC PRESS KIT

See our latest interview with The Washington City Paper by clicking here...

A review of our CD release party by Joel Sparks of On Tap and MetroMusicScene...

Click these links for press quality pictures!

300 dpi headshot (193K jpg)

300 dpi B&W Band Photo (694K jpg)

300 dpi Color Band Photo (1.4 MB jpg)

High Res headshot (2.5 MB jpg)

8x10 Glossy (3.7 MB pdf)

Read the great reviews of "Last Fool Here"


It’s Not Too Late:
Nearly Forgotten Buddy Holly Songs

The new CD is out and available!

 

 Twelve Buddy Holly tracks you might have missed, performed by

J.P. McDermott & Western Bop

Buy Now  Text Box: Get CDs or MP3s at CDBaby!

 

Or, pick it up at one of the shows, or send a check for $12 (shipping & handling included) to:

Shower-Tone Records
PO Box 8116
Silver Spring, MD 
20907-8116

Hear some free clips at   

 

Last Fool Here