Saturday Night it’s great music at Eighth and Rail. Equal parts modern troubadour, back road poet and outlaw rocker, Connor Christian creates gritty, soulful songs of experience revealing solace in hardship, hope in destitution, and a dustbowl sensibility. His powerful music draws on influences ranging from Ryan Adams, G. Love, and Counting Crows to The Band and Tumbleweed Connection-era Elton John and makes a heartfelt statement found at the crossroads of Roots Rock and Americana.
Connor left home at the age of 14 and forged a path of personal and musical discovery that took him to Indonesia, South Korea, France, Belgium, Singapore, and beyond. It was in these places that Connor cultivated his deeply felt views on American life and found strength in the perspective he could deliver through song. “I try to be realistic…” says Connor. “But, we live in a time where it is crucial to pay attention to what’s going on around us… if I can get people to stop and think about it for a minute, well that’s a pretty good start.”
In 2007, Connor’s song ’3 Times’ was featured in “the most award winning independent film of 2007,” ‘Last Stop for Paul.’ Audiences from Denver to New York City have embraced Connor’s whiskey-soaked vocals and give-’em-hell live show. Performing as Connor Christian and Southern Gothic, Connor averages 250 shows per year and has sold thousands of CDs and downloads.
Following up 2007′s release of A Southern Gothic, Connor Christian released ‘90 Proof Lullabies’ in March of 2009. This set of 14 songs was produced by Jeff Tomei (Matchbox 20, Jerrry Cantrell), mixed by Shawn Grove (Collective Soul, Sevendust) and features Charlie Starr of Blackberry Smoke, Mark Van Allen of Blueground Undergrass and Bobby Emmett of the Shooter Jennings Band.
When asked why Birmingham singer/songwriter Chris Porter assembled the back Row Baptists, his reply was simple and direct: “I wanted to make something real.” After years of consistent touring and recording with his alt-country bar burners, The Stolen Roses, Porter seems to have finally found his voice. “I’m sick of the lack of substance in country music! There has been so much heartache and turmoil to hit the Gulf Coast in the last decade its hard to believe that there hasn’t been an honest voice to rise from the rubble.”
Led by this unique and soulful voice, The Back Row Baptists are a collection of seasoned troubadours completed by Sarah Green (The Sunday Lovers, The Good Neighbors, and the Contraband) on vocals, drums and percussion; Heath Green on vocals, piano and harmonica; Stephen Riley on upright bass guitar; Susan Nuckols (the Contraband, Blue Galaxy, Wayne Newton, Neil Diamond, and God knows who else) on fiddle; and Adam Guthrie (PAIN, The Wayne Mills Band and the Starmakers) on ukulele.
Currently The Back Row Baptists are touring in support of the raucous “Me and the Devil” while working on new material for an anticipated 2009 release.
With musical roots as deep as the iron buried in The Magic City’s soil, The Back Row Baptists have a must-hear sound and a must-see live show.
From the Archives — originally published on the Opelika Daily News on April 20, 2009. View the original page.
