Pat Savage Keeps On Rollin' With "Wind And Fire"

Pat Savage. Photo by Nick Davies

When you really love something, you want to sing it out, loud and proud. For world-travelling bluesman Pat Savage, love means hot licks, cool blues and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. Many a musician has tried to write about the love of riding on two wheels, but many get bogged down, trying to find something that rhymes with "Shovelhead".  Others leave you feeling like you've just ridden over 4 and a half miles of loose gravel. "Wind and Fire", the 7th solo album for this 30 year blues veteran, is a smooth highway ride on a sunny day, full of sweeping turns and straightaways that allow you to really twist the throttle.

"Wind and Fire" opens with "Born To Ride" a rockin' homage to his love for the motorcycle, and ends with 'Wind And Fire", a tribute to all of the brave firefighters across the globe. In the middle, Pat picks it up with kickin Southern Rock, on songs like "Ridin Hard Livin Free" and "I Got To Ride", cools it  down with smooth ballads like "Keep on Rollin", and adds a little country twang with "Big City Lights". My personal favorite, however, is his take on the Gospel / Blues classic "John The Revelator". It got stuck in my head for days.

"Wind And Fire" was recorded in Phuket, Thailand, where Pat has been filming "Savage Roads, a reality adventure series, that takes riders  through the back roads of some of the world's most exotic places, exploring local culture and entertainment. Check out some of the clips on Youtube.. 

Pat has taken some time off from touring after a nearly 30 year career of playing the greatest bike rallies and event in the world, but with "Wind and Fire"  and "Savage Roads" now wrapped up, it's safe to say you'll be seeing him rocking audiences again soon! Pick up Wind and Fire at his website, either on compact disc or digitally. 

Detroit Bike Week Revs It Up July 27-29th

If ever a city needed a weekend to blow off some steam, it's Detroit Michigan. With an unemployment rate pushing 20%, a poverty rate of over 30% and some really curious ideas on how to deal with the rising crime rate, residents of the Motor City, while still fiercely loyal to their city, have not had a lot to look forward to in the last few years. This coming weekend, however, people from all over Michigan will get a chance to once again lose their mind in Detroit Rock City.

The Third Annual Detroit Bike Week is really cranking it up this year with a chopper giveaway by Poor Boy Choppers, Miss Detroit Bike Week Babe contest, Buffalo Wild Wings wing eating contest and Lucky Monkey Tattoo's ink awards. Multiple Guinness World Book of Records will be attempted this year - and Detroit Bike Week attendees will be invited to help break records in a variety of motorcycle categories. Over 20 band will be playing throughout the weekend, including favorites of ours, Badd Habitz and Iron Cowgirl Missy. Ryan Hurst, Opie from FX's Sons of Anarchy, will appear on Sunday for a meet and greet, and will lead a world record attempting bike run at 1:00.

Detroit Bike Week is making sure you'll have plenty to do all weekend long. There are bikers games, a Biker Babe contest, cage fights, stunt riders, bike shows, a Traveling Wall Escort ride, a bikini bike wash, and much, much more. There's even a bar onsite (And we love bars!).Over 100 vendors will be on hand during the event.

Held at the Multi-Lakes Conservation Association in Commerce Township, MI, about 20 miles northwest of Detroit, tickets for Detroit Bike Week are $10 per day, $20 for the weekend. Proceeds benefit several charities, including Cell Phones for Soldiers, MDA Ride For a Cure and the USO . 

Detroit Bike Week has come a long way in a very short time. Last year's even brought in over 10,000 bikers. This year is sure to top that. Get on up to Detroit Bike Week, and see what hard working, blue-collar partying is all about!

Easyriders Saloon Turns Up The Heat

The 72nd Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is less than a month away. Hundreds of thousands of bikers roar into this little South Dakota town every year for a week of riding, camaraderie and entertainment. This year, the entertainment part may cut a bit into your riding.  Easyriders Saloon and Steakhouse has a week's worth of bands and shows that may make you want to sleep in the parking lot, so you don't miss any of the next day's shows. Foghat, Fuel, Blue Oyster Cult, Reverend Horton Heat, Shooter Jennings and the Kentucky Headhunters are the headliners, but every day brings you several shows by some awesome bands that you'll see at rallies all over the country. Incredible blues from The Dan Lawson Band and The Don Ray Band, hard rocking Jasmine Cain, rally favorites Blackberry Smoke and some serious metal by Texas Hippie Coalition, Plus awesome tribute bands like ZZ-3 and Aultimate Ozzy! It's all going to be hosted by Brett "Big Schwag" Wagner, formerly of Monster garage, and Riki Rachtman, from MTV's Headbangers Ball. Here's the lineup for the outdoor and indoor stages.

Hooters Grand Outdoor Stage

Thursday, August 2nd

11:00 am    Dan Lawson

3:00 pm    Aultimate Ozzy

6:00 pm    Ryan Rolando

9:00 pm    Texas Hippie Coalition

Friday, August 3rd

11:00 am    Blue Moon Swamp

3:00 pm    Aultimate Ozzy

6:00 pm    Arch Allies

10:00 pm    Monsters of Southern Rock

All Day    Hellzapoppin Side Show

Saturday, August 4th

11:00 am    Aultimate Ozzy

3:00 pm    Blue Moon Swamp

6:00 pm    Arch Allies

10:00 pm    Shooter Jennings

All Day    Hellzapoppin Side Show

Sunday, August 5th

11:00 am    White Buffalo

3:00 pm    ZZ-3

7:00 pm    Foghat

10:00 pm    Monsters of Southern Rock

All Day    Hellzapoppin Side Show

Monday, August 6th

11:00 am    Dan Lawson

3:00 pm    Kyle Turley

7:00 pm    Warrant's Cherry Pie Tour

All Day    Hellzapoppin Side Show

Tuesday, August 7th

11:00 am    White Buffalo

3:00 pm    Blackberry Smoke

6:00 pm    Blue Oyster Cult

9:00 pm    Jasmine Cain

All Day    Hellzapoppin Side Show

Wednesday, August 8th

11:00 am    White Buffalo

3:00 pm    Blackberry Smoke

6:00 pm    The Kentucky Headhunters

10:00 pm    Hairball

All Day    Hellzapoppin Side Show

Thursday, August 9th

11:00 am    Slick Willie

3:00 pm    Kyle Turley

6:00 pm    Sick Puppies

10:00 pm    Hairball

All Day    Hellzapoppin Side Show

Friday, August 10th

11:00 am    Slick Willie

3:00 pm    Reverend Horton Heat

6:00 pm    Gilby Clarke

8:00 pm    Rikki Rachtmann

10:00 pm    Fuel

All Day    Hellzapoppin Side Show

Saturday, August 11th

11:00 am    Joe Santana

3:00 pm    Reverend Horton Heat

9:00 pm    Rikki Rachtmann

10:00 pm    Gilby Clarke

 Easyriders Saloon Indoor Stage

Thursday, August 2nd

3:00 pm Don Ray Band

7:00 pm Lucas Hoge

11:00 pm Dom Wier

Friday, August 3rd

3:00 pm Don Ray Band

7:00 pm Jared Blake

11:00 pm Dom Wier

Saturday, August 4th

3:00 pm Don Ray Band

7:00 pm Dom Wier

11:00 pm Jared Blake

Sunday, August 5th

3:00 pm Don Ray Band

7:00 pm Dom Wier

11:00 pm Jared Blake

Monday, August 6th

3:00 pm Cash'd Out

7:00 pm Righteous Rectifiers

11:00 pm Jared Blake

Tuesday, August 7th

3:00 pm Slick Willie

7:00 pm Cash'd Out

11:00 pm Righteous Rectifiers

Wednesday, August 8th

3:00 pm Big Jim and the Whiskey Benders

7:00 pm Cash'd Out

11:00 pm Righteous Rectifiers

Thursday, August 9th

3:00 pm Big Jim and the Whiskey Benders

7:00 pm Righteous Rectifiers

11:00 pm Moustache Bandits

Friday, August 10th

3:00 pm Righteous Rectifiers

7:00 pm Big Jim and the Whiskey Benders

11:00 pm Moustache Bandits

Saturday, August 11th

3:00 pm Slick Willie

7:00 pm Big Jim and the Whiskey Benders

11:00 pm Moustache Bandits

Sickie's Garage Stage

Thursday, August 2nd

3:00 pm    Eclipsed Unplugged

7:00 pm    Slick Willie

11:00 pm    Joe Santana

Friday, August 3rd

3:00 pm    Dan Lawson

7:00 pm    Slick Willie

11:00 pm    Ryan Rolando

Saturday, August 4th

12:00 pm    Slick Willie

3:00 pm    Dan Lawson

7:00 pm    ZZ-3

11:00 pm    Jasmine Cain

Sunday, August 5th

12:00 pm    Blue Moon Swamp

3:00 pm    Slick Willie

7:00 pm    Ryan Rolando

11:00 pm    Dan Lawson

Monday, August 6th

12:00 pm    ZZ-3

3:00 pm    Joe Santana

7:00 pm    White Buffalo

11:00 pm    Slick Willie

Tuesday, August 7th

12:00 pm    Dan Lawson

3:00 pm    Eclipsed Unplugged

7:00 pm    Lucas Hoge

11:00 pm    Farrell Weber

Wednesday, August 8th

12:00 pm    Dan Lawson

3:00 pm    Slick Willie

7:00 pm    Josh Weinbrenner

11:00 pm    Farrell Weber

Thursday, August 9th

12:00 pm    Dan Lawson

3:00 pm    Kyle Turley

7:00 pm    Broadband

11:00 pm    Josh Weinbrenner

Friday, August 10th

12:00 pm    Dan Lawson

3:00 pm    Ryan Rolando

11:00 pm    Farrel Weber

Saturday, August 11th

3:00 pm    Dan Lawson

7:00 pm    Broadband

11:00 pm   Ryan Rolando

Easyriders Saloon and Steakhouse features over 25,000 square feet of space, including the Triple 8 Grille on the first floor. 400 feet of second floor balcony lets you catch all the happenings on Lazelle Street. There's even a VIP room. Check them out when you go to Sturgis this year. You may not want to leave...

I'll be back next week with more of what's coming up at the Sturgis Rally. Til then, RIDE safe...

Jeff
Bars4Bikers.com