Joey Skidmore

Joey Skidmore was born in Baltimore MD but grew up in the heart of the Ozarks in Springfield Missouri. Throughout the ‘80s he played in a variety of bands on the neo-’60s/psych/garage/punk scene, while recording a string of independent releases with producer Lou Whitney of the Morells fame. After relocating to Kansas City in 1989, Joey reformed the Joey Skidmore Band with guitarist Mike Costelow in 1991. "The first time Mike and I jammed together, we walked outside and saw this big, barren tree full of thousands and thousands of squawking crows, just like something out of Hitchcock’s ‘The Birds.’ I took it as a good omen, and played together for the next 16 years." In 1992 Joey and Mike flew to France to do a series of "unplugged" acoustic shows, encouraged by the success of Joey’s two previous albums "The Word Is Out" and "Welcome To Humansville"--which had received a substantial amount of "alternative" airplay in France and Belgium. "Butt Steak" (a politically incorrect song about food) was also receiving airplay domestically on the Doctor Demento show, and had achieved cult status among New Yorkers, thanks to WFMU’s The Hound show. Subsequent releases have had tracks played on diverse radio shows such as 'Car Talk' and 'Nights with Alice Cooper.' The French gigs led to a deal with Dixie Frog Records, and "Joey Skidmore" came out in France in 1994. One of the songs, "Creature of Habit," resulted in an unreleased dance remix for Carrier Records, but "Joey Skidmore Turns Pop" featuring two Iggy Pop covers, was released on green vinyl on the independent 442 eme Rue label in 1996. In 2000 "Butt Steak" was included on a "best of MP3" CD ROM, with the band receiving a page and a half write-up in The Complete Idiot’s Guide To MP3, by Nat Gertler and Rod Underhill, with a foreword by Byrd’s legend Roger McGuinn. The current lineup includes Joey, vocals and guitar, Gary Paredes, lead guitar, and Cory Corbino, bass. The group has released seven albums including "Ventriloquist Doll," featuring the late Nikki Sudden. Over the years the Joey Skidmore Band has played festivals including SXSW in Austin TX, Summer Jam in Kansas City, July Jamm in Lincoln NE, Big Muddy Blues and Roots Festival in St. Louis MO and Skid-O-Rama Fest in Kansas City. They’ve done five tours of France, and opened up for an eclectic variety of acts including Chuck Berry, Helmet, Blue Oyster Cult, Webb Wilder, Nazareth, Gravity Kills, George Thorogood, the Shadows of Knight and Black Oak Arkansas. They play pure, unpretentious rock and roll.