Too Slim and the Taildraggers returns to the Olympic Venue in downtown Boise upon their reopening after the COVID hiatus. Opening the show for them is another crowd favorite, Gary Tackett and Full Moon Rude. A return to live music in a big way, this will be a show that you won’t want to miss. Too Slim and the Taildraggers has been a perennial favorite for years with their blues and rock based music. With fourteen studio and five live albums under their belts, they are not only fan favorites in the Pacific Northwest, but in places as diverse as Des Moines, Iowa; San Jose, CA and Helena, MT. Thrown in there are several tours outside the US, giving Too Slim and the Taildraggers a nice international fan base. Too Slim is no stranger to The Olympic Venue, having played there several times pre-COVID.
Too Slim and the Taildraggers has also garnered awards such as several Blues Rock Albums of the Year and nominations at the Jimi Awards, Blues Music Awards, Blues Matters Writers Poll , Blues Music Foundation Awards; and Blues Blast Music Awards. They have several #10 and higher chart topping appearances on the Billboard Blues Charts. Their 2014 Anthology release won the #1 Blues Album of the Year by the Blues Matters Writers Poll in 2015. They’re also heavy rotation play favorites on BB King’s Bluesville channel on Sirius XM. In addition, Tim Langford has received several Lifetime Achievement and Hall of Fame awards from three Blues Societies, along with over 40 regional and national music awards.
Too Slim and the Taildraggers features Tim “Too Slim” Langford on guitar and vocals, Zack Kasik on bass and vocals; and Jeff “Shakey” Fowlkes on drums and vocals. Tim told The Boise Beat, “we are just really excited to be back playing live shows and hope everyone will come out and support us…”. The Olympic Venue has just recently reopened and it is a great sign for live music in the Treasure Valley. When the pandemic struck it was difficult for the musical community. As Tim Langford said, “we also put out a new CD last summer called The Remedy and weren’t able to tour with it because of COVID, but will be playing some new songs off the album”.
The Remedy shows Too Slim and the Taildraggers at their best. With ten original songs and a cover of Elmore James’ classic Sunnyland Train, the album gravitates between blues, rock and Americana. Augmenting the basic Taildraggers sound on The Remedy are some of the band’s favorite harmonica players, a little banjo and some of Tim Langford’s tasty slide guitar. Recorded in Nashville, the album shows the continuing evolution of the Taildragger’s sound, keeping the band’s music fresh while still staying true to their powerful blues-rock roots.
Opening the show are Gary Tackett and Full Moon Rude. Gary has brought to Boise one of the top guitarists in the country. His career includes playing on Merle Haggard’s Blue Jungle album; 20+ years as a guitarist in Nashville and a stint in the Grand Ole Opry; and playing in places like the Oakland Coliseum. In his own words, he describes his playing, saying  “Gary’s style is pure Guitar Driven Rockin’ Roadhouse Blues/R&B with the Coolness Of Austin, the Twang Of Bakersfield, the Soul of Memphis, and the Style of Nashville. His acrobatic style of guitar playing was influenced by all of the greats from every genre!”. Playing with the likes of Merle Haggard, Billy Currington and Antsy McClain and opening for acts including Gregg Allman, The Tubes, Alan Jackson, Keith Urban and Coco Montoya has given Garry a stellar reputation in the music world.
Gary comes back to the Olympic Venue, the location of which served as the site of Gary’s debut album release party. The album, Blue Eyed Sole, features a mix of original tunes as well as several of Gary’s crowd-pleasing covers. It was recorded in Nashville with sidemen such as Robbie Kearns (Lynrd Skynrd, Sheryl Crow) on bass, Mark Beckett (Kenny Chesney, Grand Ole Opry) on drums Rich Redmond (Jason Aldean, Bryan Adams) and Scotty Simpson (Travis Tritt, Oak Ridge Boys) on bass.
Gary said, “”The Olympic is one of my favorite places to showcase some new originals before I record them. Opening for my friend, and world class blues artist Too Slim and the Taildraggers is going to be a party in itself”. “These guys are going to blow the roof off of the place, and we are honored to be greasin’ up the runway before they take-off!!!”. Not one to just sit around, Gary stayed busy during the COVID hiatus; and he said, “I’ve been writing a ton of new songs, waiting to get back to Nashville to record another album, hopefully before the end of 2021”.
Gary’s band, Full Moon Rude, consists of bassist and vocalist Kevin Jensen; and drummer and vocalist Barry Carlman. Both have been playing with Gary for years; and form a tight, cohesive unit which puts on a great show. Their recent shows at Pengilly’s Saloon in Downtown Boise, the Gold Mine in Idaho City, the Barrelhouse in Boise; and an open-air concert at Indian Creek Plaza in Caldwell with Jesse Dayne & the Sagebrush Drifters have drawn fans from all over Idaho.
The show at the Olympic Venue is on Thursday, July 29. Ticket prices start at $15 and are available on eventbrite.com. Doors open at 7pm and Gary Tackett and Full Moon Rude hit the stage at 8pm, followed by the headliner, Too Slim and the Taildraggers. The Olympic Venue is a 21 and older show.
This is a must-see show in one of the prime locations for music in Downtown Boise. Too Slim and the Taildraggers with Gary Tackett and Full Moon Rude showcases two of the best blues-rock bands to ever hit the Treasure Valley.
Too Slim and the Taildraggers
Gary Tackett and Full Moon Rude
Thursday, July 29, 2021
Doors open 7pm, show starts at 8pm
The Olympic Venue
1009 W. Main Street
Boise, ID 83702
(208) 342-0176
Tickets available thru the Olympic Venue website on eventbrite.com.
Olympic Venue website
Too Slim and the Taildraggers website
Gary Tackett Website
Too Slim photos courtesy of Tim Langford. Gary Tackett photos by Ed Simon.
