Q&A with Crafty Bastards Silver Spring Main Stage Performer JP McDermott and Western Bop
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. Check him out online at www.westernbop.com and at Crafty Bastards Silver Spring on 6/28 as part of the Rockabilly Rave Up on the Main Stage at 3:30 pm!
1. Explain your band/stage name and define your sound.
The J.P. McDermott part is not too hard to figure — people called me J.P. when I was very young, then switched to calling me by my middle name (Patrick). When I started playing rockabilly in earnest, I decided to go back to J.P. because Patrick McDermott sounds a little too much like a guy who wears a green vest and sings “Danny Boy” and “The Unicorn Song”. My version of “Danny Boy” is pretty respectable, but I only sing it on St. Patrick’s Day.
“Western Bop” was one of the earliest names for rock and roll — they hadn’t quite settled on the name yet. Buddy Holly’s first business card advertised “Western and Bop” music. When Elvis Presley first toured Texas, back before he was a big national star he was billed as “The King of Western Bop”. Since these guys and their music is a primary source for me, Western Bop seemed like a natural fit.
2. What are your influences and worst equipment experiences?
My influences are the pioneers of rockabilly and rock and roll — people like Buddy Holly and Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison and Elvis and Warren Smith. Tex Rubinowitz was a Washington area legend who played a lot when I started seeing live music. He was like the original rockers in that he really put his heart and soul into getting the song across. It was absolute surrender to the song and the energy in the room every time. Those shows really inspired me.
My worst equipment experiences all relate to my less-than-delicate style with the guitar. I’m not a finesse player, to say the least. This leads to a lot of broken strings. I’ve gotten better over the years, but even today if the weather is hot and humid, and the crowd is really into it, I might finish a song with a lot less than six strings on my guitar. Out of necessity I’ve gotten relatively proficient at finishing up a set with only a few remaining strings.
3. What’s your favorite local hangout and best stage you’ve played?
Favorite hangout is the Quarry House. The beer menu, the interesting bar staff, the inebriated regulars, the tater tots, the stage tucked in right by the ladies room — it’s really kind of magical.
The best stage was definitely a place called Kahunaville in Wilmington, DE. We played a big car show there, and it was quite impressive — huge stage, gigantic lighting grid above — the full rockshow set up. Plus — an entire warren of dressing rooms. Journey had played just a couple of days before us, and there were signs all over the place like “Catering”,”Massage Room”, and so forth. Unfortunately, the masseuses had moved on, but it was a brush with the big time.
4. How do you feel about being a Crafty Bastard?
A little bit seedy, but in a good way.
5. Where can the adoring public see you next?
Lots of places, but the best bet is the Quarry House Tavern, every other Saturday night — June 28, July 12, July 26, etc, ad infinitum if all goes well…
