Local 'Howlers' to jam Saturday with Clemons
Williams’ own Moonlight Howlers to open for Joel Clemons Route 66 Tour
Go to any of the Moonlight Howlers gigs in Williams and you're sure to see a handful of devoted fans. Like the band members themselves, made up of Williams residents Raffael Weatherly on upright bass, guitarist Calen Koenig, Tory Putman on lead guitar and drummer Ariel Weatherly, the group's fans never miss a show. The Moonlight Howlers perform Saturdays at Wild West Junction in Williams, with shows beginning at 7 p.m. This Saturday, however, the Howlers will do something a little different.
The group will open for Joel Clemons and the Lemons in Williams during a special "Route 66 Music Tour" concert to be held at the Williams Elementary-Middle School (WEMS) Saturday beginning at 6 p.m. The Williams Main Street Association will host the special performance, with money from the event going to repair work for the WEMS auditorium. Admission to the concert is by donation, according to officials with the Williams-Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce.
Clemons and the Lemons will perform in 14 main street American cities, from Chicago to Los Angeles. Besides his Sept. 6 gig in Williams, Joel Clemons and the Lemons will also perform in Flagstaff Sept. 5. More information on the upcoming concert can be found online at
www.joelclemons.com or by visiting www.route66musictour.com
Weatherly said the opening gig came when they heard Clemons was looking for an opening act for his Route 66 performance in Williams.
"I heard he was looking for someone and we found out that we could do it, so we just kind of nosed our way in there," he said. "It's pretty big to open for somebody like that."
Besides Wild West Junction, the Moonlight Howlers have also performed at Pancho McGillicuddy's and recently played their first show at Cruisers. They have also performed in Flagstaff and will do so again for a benefit concert planned in the middle of September during the Flagstaff bed races.
"We have a following of at least 10 to 15 people at every show, sometimes more," Weatherly said. Three of the four members of the Howlers also share in vocals for the band, he said. Weatherly, along with Tory Putman and Ariel Weatherly are also cousins.
The band plays regularly in the Williams area, according to Koenig, thanks to their strong fan base.
"We play like '50s rock and roll, rockabilly music, older country tunes like Hank Williams and Johnny Cash," Koenig said. "We do pretty good. We play pretty consistently every weekend. The town has been pretty supportive of, definitely the Wild West Junction. They have helped (us) a lot."
Weatherly said the Howlers are currently at work on their first CD, which he said he hopes to see released within the next couple of months.
"We're in the studio now working on that. We're having some technical difficulty, but we're doing that now. Once that gets going, we're doing the state fair in Phoenix. It's exciting," Weatherly said.
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