By Joe Hyde
Publisher
February 18, 2008

Stage names pretty much define this Texas “garage-a-billy” band: Alotof Rockowski plays the bass, Johnny Cat stands up while jammin’ on the drums, and Clem Hoot, a Norwegian, is the lead guitarist and lead vocalist. Well, they all do vocals.

Clem Hoot explains the “garage-a-billy” sound: “It’s not so traditional. It does have the influences of Johnny Cash and Hank Williams—but then again it also has The Ramones, Dead Kennedys, and Sex Pistols, and all the great punk rockers.”

“All the rebels,” drummer Johnny Cat summarizes.

From his perch behind the band, Cat announces the songs and provides much of the vocals. But he’s not hidden, sitting down like most drummers. He’s standing. Meanwhile, Hoot and Rockowski pour on the melody with more vocals, guitar, and electric bass.

The band is appreciative of live venues outside of the crowded Austin music scene. That is what The Deadhorse is.

It is hard for musicians to make a living in Austin, because there are so many acts, according to the band. “Most of that [profit] gets swallowed up parking downtown [in Austin], there are no parking spaces for bands at the clubs,” Rockowski says. “So you’ll end up paying. And then you have a bar tab, and you get paid and you’ll go, ‘Hey I almost broke even!’” Cat bemoans new Austin city ordinances requiring bands to stay below 85 decibels, or police ticket them.

Moving out into the hinterlands gives bands like Johnny Hootrock access to whole new audiences, absent the distractions of crowded Austin.

“This place [The Deadhorse] has got to be what is happening for miles around,” Cat says. “It’s a new market for us and we are dying to tap into it,” Hoots adds.

The band is newly formed. Hoot and Cat were a part of the Flametrick Subs for five years. Band Johnny Hootrock will release their first live album, titled “Live from Lamberts.” You can sample their music on their MySpace page, www.myspace.com/johnnyhootrock.