Paul Hatchett performed with Swamp Funk Society at Tidballs. Photo by Pennman 2010.

When Deb Tomlin sent me the message that the Dead String Brothers and Swamp Funk Society would be playing at Tidball’s, I was over the moon. I had been waiting weeks to see Paul Hatchett play, especially since I had missed most of the DSB’s set at Cosmic Charlie’s weeks before in Lexington when they had opened for Goose Creek Symphony. I stood against the wall outside of Cosmic Charlie’s that night after interviewing Paul Hatchett and meeting the rest of the Dead String Brothers, and chatted with some of the local Lexington musicians. They were all very positive and praised the DSB’s performance. A smile broke across my face when one of them asked why I had come all the way from Bowling Green to see the Dead String Brothers and I said, “To tell the truth, I came to see Paul Hatchett. I’ve been a fan of his now for well over 10 years and this is the closest I’ve been able to get lately.” The inquiring Lexington musician said, “Oh yeah, the keyboardist…awesome. That dude was awesome.” And they all chimed in and nodded. Awesome is not the half of it.

As the days passed and the show date got closer, things started going array. First the gig was canceled completely due to an illness in the DSB. Then Paul announced that Swamp Funk would still play and then there would be like a jam session afterwards with a multitude of guest musicians stepping up.  Finally it was decided that SFS would open for Fat Box. What a treat, right? Of course Penn Man was all in hearing that Fat Box was playing, since he had booked them for the Grateful Gathering.

Anyone not knowing Paul Hatchett could say that Swamp Funk Society is just one more band Paul plays in, but that’s not true.  Not true at all. As Pennman and I pulled up to Tidball’s he asked if I had ever seen ‘these guys’. I said, “Nope. Just Paul. I reviewed the CD which is as I said, ‘smack ass’ good.” We walked inside and continued the conversation about SWS. We introduced ourselves to drummer Randy Rush and looked around at the crowd. They all looked quite skeptical at the four older guys prepping their instruments on stage. Pennman leaned close, as I readied my blue notebook, and asked, “So what do you think?” I replied with the cocky self knowledge, “I know Paul Hatchett and I know that means these guys can hold their own.” I knew from the interview weeks before in Lexington that Paul Hatchett had picked these guys and that Swamp Funk Society’s debut CD Sound Escape was Hatchet’s first venture into producing a record from start to finish. The ever stoic and serious Paul Hatchett had joked and even snickered about just where he had found vocalist Mike Bailey, guitarist Andy Wells and the never-a-disappointing drummer Randy Rush. Paul never did tell me; he just kept shrugging and raising his eyebrows. Evil geniuses can be a pain in the butt.

To be honest I was just as excited to witness Mike Bailey’s performance live as I was to see Paul play. I have high standards for male vocalists and Bailey has made my list in the company of Chris Cornell, John Cowan & Jarrod England. His performance from moment one was one from the gut. Pulling from somewhere inside his soul he gave forth all he was. Like an evangelical preacher at a tent revival, he pushed and pressed his voice forward through the crowd of young people that had moments before had looked uninterested and guided them to same of level of devotion as himself. It took less than a minute for the neo-hippies in the crowd to get their hips moving. Not too long after that the many musicians in the crowd, like Craig Brown of Canago, looked about at each other and got into the show as well.    

Watching Bailey that night he is like a wedding ring quilt of Joe Cocker and Tommy Castro with Leon Russell decorating the edges. His ability to hold a word at the end of his tongue to give it the inflection needed has to be one of many things that Paul Hatchett values. Digging in his vest for the right harmonica was so reminiscent of a young Neil Young I almost got teary eyed. Through nearly everything off of Sound Escape like “Doctor” and ‘Wound Up” and my favorite “Long Gone” and some new material, Bailey dished it out again and again.

These guys are so tight and can pull off a transition as smooth as 40 year veterans of the stage—just another mark of Paul Hatchett’s influence. Andy Wells plays with a concentration on giving his best that you almost want to goose him to get him to relax. Randy Rush sat behind his kit and Troy Mimms sat snuggled in next to him as a guest percussionist  and the two of them hammered and pounded out a full fleshed out sound that brought out a rarely seen laughing on stage Paul Hatchett. He didn’t go near his signature Wurlitzer and stayed on the bass, but without fail Paul played like the master he truly is. I asked Paul after the set, “How in the world are you guys that tight with you’re on the road with the Dead String Brothers most of the time?” Again with evil genius look and he replied, ‘I guess we’re just lucky”. BULL. I’d guess each one of these guys has a practice tape and puts hours and hours towards each and every week. They are playing with Paul Hatchett after all.

As Murf Adams of Fat Box paced waiting for his chance to gain the stage, there was a feeling in that crowd that could be seen on their faces. It said, “Man who are these guys and where have they been?” As for myself, all I had to do was wait and wait but I knew Paul would deliver. About half way through the show, again Pennman leaned in to my left ear and whispered, “How lucky are we to get to see music like this in this tiny little place?” And I added, “Don’t you know it.” I pointed to the crowd, and yelled, “They do!”  Our many thanks to multi-talented and always giving Paul Hatchett for the smack ass grooving that is Swamp Funk Society.

About the author: Franne J. has lived in 5 major cities and 7 states, but has always loved this area and considered Bowling Green home. She’s been a part of and writing about the local art and music scene, off and on, since the mid-90’s. Find her on Facebook.