The Fabulous Horndogs Rule Again as Best Rock Band

March 5, 2003

It has been cold, real cold, but warm weather is on the horizon. Soon the morels will be popping up, cherry blossoms will blanket the area, the warm sun will glisten off the bay and Newt Cole will return from his winter hibernation in Florida to once again take the stage with The Fabulous Horndogs. Since their inception seven years ago, The Horndogs have become the band that seems to best define Northern Michigan musically. They‘ve been voted “Best Rock Band“ by Express readers nearly every year that the paper‘s best of Northern Michigan survey has been conducted.
The seven-piece band includes Cole on tenor saxophone, lead guitarist Mike Marois, Joe Williams on bass, keyboardist Tim Wire, Jimmy Gallagher the trombone, Jamie Carlin on trumpet and drummer Jim Murphy. Their infectious upbeat sound mixes blues, reggae, big band, rock and roll, swing and funk and keeps the band in high demand.
“We do a lot of private functions, and this year is no different,” said Mike Marois. “We limit our club appearances in the area so that helps keep interest in the band.”
The band has reduced its number of public appearances from 120+ annually a few years back to around 80 today. The cut-back in shows and Newt’s winter disappearance sparked rumors that the band was breaking up.
“I don’t know how the rumors started but it is the furthest thing from the truth,“ said Marois. “Newt couldn’t handle the winters anymore so we call him a part-timer now that he has semi-retired to Florida. No, just kidding-- Newt likes the sun, so he plays a little duo thing down there to keep up his chops, but he is still a Horndog and will be back in the spring. This band gets along great and we don’t see an end to it. In fact this is the first band that I have been in where everyone gets along; we actually like each other, and I think that is reflected in our music when we hit the stage.”
Joe Williams echoes Marois‘ feelings of what keeps The Horndogs popular and successful:
“We don’t have egos in this band. There is no vision of any label deal. The labels don’t hire old guys like us anyway,” said Williams. “Another appeal is our versatility, there is 20 years that separates the oldest member from the youngest, so we each bring a different perspective to the stage, and I think the audience grooves on that.”
Williams is quick to add that the group’s reduction in public appearances isn’t a result of losing interest in the music or that the guys are slowing down:
“We all have jobs and families and it was tough trying to work the day job and play 25 gigs a month,” said Williams. “Certainly with Newt gone in the winter that helps in reducing our gigs, but we still play some and we get a fill in, plus the rhythm section plays every Wednesday night at the Cedar Tavern under the name of The Straydogs. We all love music and have a great appreciation for it, maybe more so now then when we were younger.”
The band has had opportunities to take the show on the road, but with seven guys it isn’t easy, so they have opted to stay in Northern Michigan and keep their style of music close to home, playing 12 shows a year at Union Street Station, several festivals and a lot of upscale weddings in country clubs and private homes; and they get to Mackinac Island annually to perform for the Port Huron to Mackinac sailboat race.
“All the guys in the band have traveled in the past. Newt and I are original members of Newt & The Salamanders and we did our share of traveling during the seventies,” said Marois. “A band with seven players to take on the road gets expensive, plus we all have things that keep us busy outside of the band. Plus who wants to leave this area during the summer?”
Williams agrees and likes the fact that the group stays close to home.
“When it gets down to it we really are about the music and it doesn’t sound better on the raod. There is no pressure in what we do. All of us have other things going on. For me I have my own business so this is a great creative outlet,” said Williams. “It would be tough to be on the road and try to run my business, and the other guys either have families or jobs. So we can hit the local stage, play our music and have a good time.”
That good time on stage resonates with the audience. The Horndogs maintain their popularity playing upbeat danceable tunes and add a dash of showmanship. They mix popular tunes, with originals and some not so familiar tunes.
“Having a horn section allows us to do a lot of things including playing B-side tunes or songs that were near the end of some album. Great tunes but they just didn’t get airplay,” said Marois. “We also have several originals that have been written by band members. One of our more popular songs is ‘Summertime Shoes,‘ in which Newt’s wife wrote the lyrics for us.”
Having several originals must mean a CD in the works for the band?
“We released a live CD a couple of years ago but that sold out. Time has prevented us from going into the studio to record,” said Marois. “I would like for posterity sake to record a CD, but nothing is in the works right now. For us going into the studio is the same as taking the stage: we are not going to do it unless we can do it right. So we will see, but I do think it is a goal for the band.”
CD or not, catching The Horndogs is a summertime requirement. The group is working on several public gigs and festival appearances weaved into their already hectic private party schedule. If you can’t wait till summer the band takes the stage March 15 at the Cedar Tavern for a St. Patrick’s Day party. U of M music student Chuck Navyac will fill in for Newt on the sax. For additional information on the band and their schedule visit their website http://users.netonecom.net/~horndogs/.


Solid slate of veterans returned to top honors for “Best Music“

Express readers were as dependable as plowhorses this year, returning many of the same musicians in our “Best of Northern Michigan“ as have won on numerous occasions in the past. The sole newcomers to this year‘s pantheon of greatness are Jay Webber as best solo folk artist, and Pocketwood Mandingo, which tied for best alternative rock band with The Dopes. Rounding out the roster were the Fabulous Horn Dogs as best rock band, Song of the Lakes as best folk band, Dominic Fortuna as best all-‘round entertainer, Mojo and the Boogieman as best blues band, the Jeff Haas Trio as best jazz artists, and Don Julin as best all-‘round musician.

Jay Webber -- Best Solo Folk Artist
Former Royal Oak resident Jay Webber moved to Leelanau County 13 years ago and began playing the local club scene in addition to venues all over the nation as a sideline to a career that allowed for plenty of travel. Last March, he released the CD, “I Can See,“ an upbeat album with Brazilian accents. It‘s the second album for Webber, who released “Innocent Child“ seven years ago. Your best chance to see him perform is in the summer, when he plays dates at North Peak and Scott‘s in TC, the Dillworth Inn in Boyne and O‘Keefe‘s in Suttons Bay.

Song of the Lakes -- Best Folk Band
Always a winner by a landslide, Song of the Lakes will be performing their popular St. Patrick‘s Day show at the Left Bank Cafe in Traverse City this year. Of note, this will be their fans‘ last chance to enter their annual “Danny Boy“ singing contest, which they‘ve offered for the past 20 years. Big things are happening for the band in their 20th year together: they‘ve been invited back to the Montreaux Jazz Festival in Switzerland for the third time and are also releasing a new CD this summer, their first in several years.

The Dopes - tie - Pocketwood Mandingo -- Best Alternative Rock Band
The Dopes are hotter than ever, charged up with the release of their new CD, “Cloud Ten,“ which is being distributed nationally by Speed Records in Los Angeles. The CD includes a number of new songs as well as well as fan favorites, positioning the band for a tour this summer. Catch them at The Loading Dock on St. Patrick‘s Day, following a show of local Celtic musicians.
Pocketwood Mandingo bills itself as a “progressive cajun newgrass band“ on its website. Pocketwood Mandingo are regulars in Petoskey at City Park Grill and the former Bear River Brewery. They also perform frequently in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids.

Dominic Fortuna -- Best All-‘Round Entertainer
Dominic was an easy choice for most readers because his energetic lounge act includes a tour of pop, Latin, country, blues, romanitic ballads -- you name it, all delivered in the style of a born showman. Raised in Bellaire, Dominic began singing at the age of 13 at Brownwood Acres in Central Lake. He toured the nation with the Young Americans, performed “West Side Story“ in Europe and the lead role in “Grease“ througout the Midwest, and has been a DJ for Disneyworld to name a few of his many accomplishments.

Jeff Haas Trio -- Best Jazz Artists
This has been a big year for pianist Jeff Haas and his Trio. Recently, Haas and area high school jazz students performed his suite honoring Rev. Martin Luther King, which was commissioned by Traverse City‘s Human Rights Commission. He also earned acclaim for a jazz composition honoring the 350th anniversary of the founding of the City of Detroit which debuted in the Motor City. These days, the Trio‘s appearances are limited to a few major concerts throughout the year in Northern Michigan, but the band frequently performs at jazz clubs in Detroit and Ann Arbor with some of the Midwest‘s top jazz players.

Don Julin -- Best All Around Musician
Don Julin is just getting back from his annual two-week tour of northern Italy as this issue hits the streets. The maestro of the mandolin goes to the Florence/Milan area each year to perform some American fusion licks for appreciative Italians. Most weeks, however, you‘ll find Julin and his bandmates kicking out the instrumental jams at Poppycock‘s on the weekends and at L‘il Bo‘s on Monday jazz nights, both in TC. Julin‘s Neptune Quartet band will perform with the jazz/rock group Blue Dog at Milliken Auditorium on March 15.

Mojo and the Boogieman -- Best Blues Band
Another landslide win for this ace group from the Gaylord area. Mojo and the Boogieman just returned from Memphis where they competed in a three-day Blues First Competition, finishing eighth out of top blues bands from all over the country. In November, they won the Detroit Blues Society‘s First Annual Detroit Blues Challenge.