Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers Opening Act at Electric Factory

Reviews for Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers' opening act gig at The Electric Factory on Thanksgiving Eve have been coming in -- DJ Caterina has graciously received the following highlights:

- Jim C. said, "Tommy was great! He really looked happy to be playing in front of a Philly crowd again! He sold his first release "Walkin' on the Water" on CD for the first time and autographed them. He played every song from that release except “Million Pretty Girls” (which bummed me out a little because it’s a great tune!). …Chris Day was jamming pretty good, and Paul, Rob, and Jim played their usual solid parts in a great show!"

- Tommy M. at MySpace captured some great concert shots (including the great picture above) and made the statement: "Tommy thinks that the Young Rumblers oughta tour the world!"

- Smallest Mom Ever on MySpace: "Tommy was perfect--this was the best concert yet. i had so much fun. they rocked the house!"

- (Note: These videos have been set to private.) See some brief clips from the concert: Love's On Fire, I'm Home and I'm Not Your Man. Courtesy of teachrMom on YouTube.

- Mark Tassoni Photography has some great images, too!

DJ Caterina stayed in Dallas for Thanksgiving weekend with her family and friends -- selfish, I know!

Jules Shear - If We Never Meet Again

"If We Never Meet Again" is written by Jules Shear and appears on Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers first national record release, Rumble.

In the book, "Songs Without Rhyme: Prose By Celebrated Songwriters," Grammy award-winning singer and songwriter Rosanne Cash gathers a select group of songwriters and creates a unique volume of prose. Convinced that songwriting is a literary form unto itself and that those who dedicate their careers to this endeavor are unappreciated as writers, Cash asked 13 writers, including David Byrne, Paula Cole, Shawn Colvin, and Jules Shear, to join her in compiling this book. With the premise that songs are an accomplished form of storytelling, Cash requested that each author use one of his or her own songs, characters, or themes as the basis for a new prose piece.

Excerpts from the book: Jules Shear and "If We Never Meet Again."

(On the origins of the song from a movie script)

"...I felt like I knew the music part before I even wrote it. Before it escaped, I captured it on my Walkman, singing the only words I had. “If we never meet again/if goodbyes remain unspoken.” I sat on the floor of my apartment, stared out of the window at a tree on East 11th Street, and tried to become this kid (in the script).

...A record producer whose taste I respected heard it and said, “I’d jump out of a plane holding onto just that song.” He wanted to record it with a newly signed act from Philadelphia with high hopes and lots of money behind it. I said sure."

…this song wasn’t meant to be the big song in a movie. It wasn’t destined to be a huge hit on the radio, either…Tommy Conwell from Philly [and others] would do a version of “If We Never Meet Again”…listened to intently by a small group who found their relationship to the song all the more special for its privacy.”

If We Never Meet Again Music Video - Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers

If We Never Meet Again by Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers. Written by Jules Shear.

Tommy Conwell and Young Rumblers – MTV Walk On, 1988

An interview with Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, featuring Chris Day and Rob Miller. Promotion for Rumble, 1988. With Adam Curry.

Tommy rocks every party - including the one happenin' at the Electric Factory next week!

WMMR Gobblaroo 2008

Get ready to party in the town that rocked the nation - Phi- Philadelphia - PA!"

It's the concert of the year -- WMMR Gobblaroo 2008 featuring The Hooters with Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers at the Electric Factory in Philadelphia.

Go to LiveNation.com and order your tickets. It’s gonna be a great show!

Get your party started early with some ‘old-school’ videos from The Hooters and Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers.

An interview with Buzz Zeemer and Tommy Conwell. Conwell calls himself "Just another guitar player..."

Just another guitar player?

DJ Caterina doesn't think so...

Magazine feature article on the release of 'Rumble' by Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers.

Cheers | Made In Philadelphia

A quick rundown of the fruits of various hometown labors, all either coming soon or available in finer stores everywhere:

Records

Rumble, the debut album of Tommy Conwell and the Young Rumblers, on Columbia Records. It's produced by Rick Chertoff and features collaborations with Robert Hazard and Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman of The Hooters. Conwell says, "I'll miss Philadelphia when we tour the country this fall, because we're so deeply rooted here. There's no guarantee that we'll be playing larger places, but it'll be nice to come home."