The Waco Brothers was formed by
Jon Langford of the
Mekons. The group grew out of Langford's wish to play more country-influenced music as the Mekons concentrated more on a
punk sound. They were originally put together simply for local Chicago shows, but the success of their
Bloodshot Records albums allowed them to tour the US occasionally. Some of the members also participated in Langford's
Pine Valley Cosmonauts project.
The band recorded the first of its studio albums in 1995. Their album, Waco Express: Live & Kickin' at Schuba's Tavern is a concert recording which
Ken Tucker, the pop music critic for
NPR's Fresh Air and
editor-at-large at Entertainment Weekly, described as "country as it should be written and played, with a long memory for roadhouse honky-tonks rather than TV-ready music videos."[1] Author and music critic
Sarah Vowell told the Chicagoist, "I’ve never been able to find a live band in New York as consistently thrilling and funny and fun as the Waco Brothers."[2] Until the COVID-19 epidemic, the Waco Brothers made a point of performing every year in
Austin, Texas, during the
South by Southwest (SXSW) festival.[3] In 2020, their annual December performance at
Schubas Tavern in Chicago had to be livestreamed without the usual live audience.[citation needed]
In 2012, the Waco Brothers collaborated with
Nashville mainstay
Paul Burch to produce Great Chicago Fire. The Chicago Tribune said of the album, "If the
Rolling Stones were still making great records, this would be it."[4][5]
Members
For their first albums, the Waco Brothers included Dean Schlabowske (guitar/vocal), Tracey Dear (mandolin/vocal),
Alan Doughty (bass/vocal),
Mark Durante (pedal steel guitar), and Mekons drummer
Steve Goulding). Joe Camarillo (drums) often filled in for Goulding, who had moved to New York City.[6] By 2015, Camarillo had fully replaced Goulding, and Durante had left. Camarillo died of complications of congenital cardiac disease in January, 2021, after surviving
COVID-19.[7][8][9] Dan Massey, who had previously substituted on drums whenever Camarillo had been unavailable, became the Waco Brothers permanent new drummer, starting with the band's 2021 concerts.
Jean Cook, who had played violin intermittently with the band for years, officially joined the band in 2020.[10][11]
Current members
Tracey Dear (The Peterbilts, Dear Productions)[12] – vocals, mandolin (1993?-present)
Alan Doughty (
Jesus Jones, Skull Orchard, Bad Luck Jonathan) – bass, vocals (1995?-present)
Joe Camarillo (born September 3, 1968 – died January 24, 2021;[7][8]Hushdrops,[17] Number Nine, Gear,[7] Skull Orchard,
Kelly Hogan, Bad Luck Jonathan, the Renaldo Domino Experience,
NRBQ[18]) – drums (substituting on stage from 1998;[7] 2012?-2021)[6][9]
Nine Slices of My Midlife Crisis – with Uncle Dave (a.k.a. David Herndon, journalist) (Buried Treasure Records, 2004)[6]
Freedom and Weep (Bloodshot Records, 2005)
Waco Express: The Waco Brothers Live and Kickin' at Schuba's [sic] Tavern (Bloodshot Records, 2008) [The tavern is actually named Schubas, for the TWO Schuba brothers.]
Great Chicago Fire – with
Paul Burch (Bloodshot Records, 2012)