| West 34 - This is our story, and we're stickin' to it! |
| West 34 was assembled in the latter half of 2007 and played their first show as a headliner at Penny Road Pub on November 30, 2007. West 34 was founded and assembled by band leader “Big Wave” Dave Johnson and band manager Fred "Uncle Freddy" Gade. Our vision then and now is to perform deep cut classic rock and blues covers by such greats as Robin Trower, Deep Purple, Jimi Hendrix, John Mayall, The Allman Brothers and Led Zeppelin as well as working out original material and improvisational jams in front of our live audiences. There is also a little bit of Surf Rock thrown in just because we dig it. Dave is a highly talented and accomplished guitar virtuoso who also plays keyboard, trumpet and sings. He is the son of a music instructor and has been playing trumpet and piano since the age of 5. He picked up and excelled at guitar in his early teens. West 34 also includes Aaron Allan on drums, who has been with West 34 since day 1. Aaron hails from Gardner IL and is one of the most exciting and energetic players on the local music scene. He also sings and can play guitar. Our front man and second guitarist is Tim Majewski from La Grange, IL. Tim was raised on the blues and has a silky smooth voice to go along with his awesome rhythm and lead guitar work. Our newest addition is Eugene Mcghee on bass, who was born and raised in Chicago. Eugene is an accomplished electric and upright bass player and is a recent graduate of The Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University with a Masters Degree of Music in Jazz Studies. Together we are West 34, a high energy rock and blues band that is not only fun and exciting to watch, but highly accomplished musically. We have performed close to 100 shows in and around Chicagoland since our debut in November of 2007. We have played such notable venues as The Checkerboard Lounge, Reggie’s Music Joint, Cubby Bear, Shark City and until recently were the house band at Walter Payton’s Roundhouse in Aurora. The Roundhouse gig also included hosting a weekly open mic jam there. Other notable appearances by “Big Wave” Dave include, performances with Chicago West Side Bluesman Melvin Taylor as a member of Melvin’s Slack Band at the Navy Pier Beer Garden stage and at The Taste Of Chicago. That band also included the legendary Chicago rhythm section of bass player Greg Rzab (Buddy Guy, Black Crowes, Allman Bros, Stevie Ray Vaughan) and drummer Jay Davenport (Sugar Blue, Junior Wells, Pinetop Perkins). That rhythm section is currently on tour and recording with the legendary John Mayall. |
Visit our My Space Page:
www.myspace.com/west34band
www.myspace.com/west34band
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Website by Uncle Freddy
| Next Show Sun 8/8 - 7pm to 9pm - Concert in the Park Main Park - 10925 S. La Porte Rd - Mokena, IL Fri 8/13 Maple Ave Pub - Lisle, IL - 9pm OUR 100th SHOW!!!!!!!! |
From the Morris Daily Herald: Taste of Greater Coal City:
“After the band started and after things started cooling down, you could see a lot of people coming back again,” Cora said. “The band was awesome
and the crowd was really yelling and screaming for them."
As day gave way to evening and darkness began to crawl in, Cora estimates that approximately 200 people were there to see the band.
“After the band started and after things started cooling down, you could see a lot of people coming back again,” Cora said. “The band was awesome
and the crowd was really yelling and screaming for them."
As day gave way to evening and darkness began to crawl in, Cora estimates that approximately 200 people were there to see the band.
| Recent Press |
| West 34 High Energy Rock and Blues |
From www.CenterStageChicago.com:
Taking its name from Illinois Route 34, West 34 Blue is a spin-off of classic rock cover band, West 34. Led by soulful strummer Dave "Big Wave"
Johnson, West 34 sticks to a good five decades of everything from the Beatles to Van Halen, while the ‘Blue’ incarnation sticks with a more select
crew, like Howlin’ Wolf and Eddie Taylor. Either way it’s cheap, filthy, chase-it-with-a-shot of-whiskey, nostalgic fun. Consider it playtime after the
real fire when Texas-bred guitarist Dave Herrerro and his big-brass play drag-your-feet Motown numbers that will either transport you to the still of
some dock on some bay, or tickle your feet with post-war sock hop.
Taking its name from Illinois Route 34, West 34 Blue is a spin-off of classic rock cover band, West 34. Led by soulful strummer Dave "Big Wave"
Johnson, West 34 sticks to a good five decades of everything from the Beatles to Van Halen, while the ‘Blue’ incarnation sticks with a more select
crew, like Howlin’ Wolf and Eddie Taylor. Either way it’s cheap, filthy, chase-it-with-a-shot of-whiskey, nostalgic fun. Consider it playtime after the
real fire when Texas-bred guitarist Dave Herrerro and his big-brass play drag-your-feet Motown numbers that will either transport you to the still of
some dock on some bay, or tickle your feet with post-war sock hop.
| Todays Date is: |
| Mark Fera (West 34 fan) - Lake of the Ozarks, MO - 2007 |
From The Mokena Messenger: Rockin' In The Park
The Park District held a 'free concert in the park,' at Main Park at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2. Laurel Welch, marketing coordinator for the Mokena
Community Park District said that turn out has been strong for this years concerts in the park.
Playing on Aug. 2 was the blues and rock band West 34.
The band, "covers some of the greatest rock, blues/electric blues and pop songs ever recorded while working out some great original ideas in
rehearsal as well as in front of a live audience," according to their Web site.
http://www.mokenamessenger.com/Articles-c-2009-08-11-198532.112113_Rockin_in_the_park.html#123
The Park District held a 'free concert in the park,' at Main Park at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 2. Laurel Welch, marketing coordinator for the Mokena
Community Park District said that turn out has been strong for this years concerts in the park.
Playing on Aug. 2 was the blues and rock band West 34.
The band, "covers some of the greatest rock, blues/electric blues and pop songs ever recorded while working out some great original ideas in
rehearsal as well as in front of a live audience," according to their Web site.
http://www.mokenamessenger.com/Articles-c-2009-08-11-198532.112113_Rockin_in_the_park.html#123
67 MPH BABY!!!!
| Lime Kitty by Kris Bouchard |
| From the Suburban Life Online On The Go section: http://otg.mysuburbanlife.com/2009/10/27/west-34-concert-rock-dead#comment-174 |
| Dave Johnson interview for The Suburban Life Newspaper: http://otg.mysuburbanlife.com/2009/12/07/chit-chat-musician-dave-johnson-west-34-plugs-entertaining-audiences |
| DudeImTellinYa.com blog posted by Gmoney: http://www.dudeimtellinya.com/?p=559 http://www.dudeimtellinya.com/?s=west+34 |
West 34 superfan Bob Gould (right) with
the legendary Warren Haynes of Allman
Bros and Gov't Mule fame. Rock on Bob!
the legendary Warren Haynes of Allman
Bros and Gov't Mule fame. Rock on Bob!
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| Ritchie Sombrero |
