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here to read the review of Hobo's Lullaby in the
May 2009 issue of "Maverick" magazine from
the UK |
Cliff Wagner
& The Old #7: Press Release August 2008
This past fall,
Cliff submitted a video of the band to the producers
of “American Idol” as an audition for a
new show they were starting called “The Next Great
American Band”. The Old #7 was chosen out
of 8,000 bands to appear with the top 12 bands, as the
7th runner up on the show. The show’s panel
of judges enjoyed the band’s musicianship, but
insisted that a “bluegrass” band would not
be accepted by the general public and be voted off immediately.
To everyone's surprise Cliff Wagner’s Old # 7
was on the show for 6 weeks playing for over 10 million
people every week. Which just goes to show you
that after over 20 years of performing, with just a
couple of months the television exposure, Cliff Wagner’s
Old # 7 has gone from “industry secret”
to “national act”? Cliff and the band
are working on becoming “Overnight Sensations”
! ! ! !
The Band has just recently
completed work on their latest album which will be entitled,
“Hobo's Lullaby”. The album contains recordings
of many of the songs the Band performed on “The
Next Great American Band” TV show, along with
some choice originals. Cliff and the band made this
latest record with the gold & platinum award winning
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producer/engineer,
Michael Vail Blum. “Working with someone with
the caliber of talent and experience of Michael Blum,
has helped grow, expand and develop the band both as
individual musicians, as well as made the band stronger
as a whole unit, by ten fold.”
The Old #7 has an original
sound that utilizes traditional Bluegrass, Blues' and
Honky Tonk to create an American roots music that people
of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy. "If Bill
Monroe had started a band with Muddy Waters and Levon
Helm, this is what it would sound like."
The Old #7 has played all over Southern California,
Nevada, and Arizona at bluegrass festivals such
as Huck Finn and Summergrass, local Americana clubs
like The Mint, and they are opening for IIIrd Tyme Out
at the Ford Amphitheatre this summer. |
2007 News Briefs:
Cliff will be joined by some new faces this year. Devitt Feely will be playing mandolin and singing harmony and Craig Ferguson will be playing guitar and singing as well. Lucas Cheadle (former bass player for alt. country heros Mike Stinson and Randy Weeks) will be playing doghouse bass and Steve Mugalian (formerly with Dave Alvin) will be playing drums. Of course Cliff will be playing banjo, fiddle, and singing his heart out. The Old #7 has an original sound that utilizes traditional Bluegrass, Blues' and Honky Tonk with modern lyrics that preserve the “high lonesome sound” and bring it into the 21 Century for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy. Combine that with great harmony singing and lightning fast instrumentals and you have a live show that gets you out of your lawn chair and onto dance floor.
January 2007 Cliff and the boys released a new album called “My Native Land”. This mostly original album includes the band plus some very special guests. Bill Bryson from Bluegrass etc. lends some singing help; Eric Uglem from Lost Highway also sings and plays guitar on “Thy Burdens Are Greater Than Mine”. “Old #7 and me” is a song written by Chris Stuart that he said was written with Cliff in mind; Megan lynch from Three Fox Drive adds some beautiful fiddle parts ; Mike Witcher from the Witcher Brothers burns up the dobro on three of the tracks. Mix that with a Mexican Conjunto band on one track and you have one of the most original sounding bluegrass albums to come out in a long time.
In the fall of 07' Cliff submitted a video of the band to the producers of “American Idle” as an audition for a new show they were starting called “The Next Great American Band”. The Old #7 was chosen out of 8,000 bands to appear with the top 12 bands on the show. All reviewers of the show enjoyed the musicianship of the band but insisted that a bluegrass band would not be accepted by the general public and be voted off immediately. To everyone's surprise the band was on the show for 6 weeks playing for 10 million people every week. Within a couple of months the band became a national act. Now in 08' the offers are pouring in and the old #7 is planning several tours across the U.S
| Music Reviews |
Performance Reviews |
"Hobo's Lullaby" - CD
... an excellent CD of bluegrass infused Americana....this is the best work yet by this journeyman group
"My Native Land" - CD
From Bluegrass Unlimited:
"'My Native Land' is vintage Cliff Wagner and should appeal to anyone who appreciates bluegrass with a unique twist." (read the whole article)
"Take Me Back to the Delta" - CD
From Folkworks: "Wagner and company have created a debut disk that deserves to be heard...Wagner penned 5 of the 11 tunes, including a burgeoning standard Little White Chapel...this one wouldn't sound out of place rounding out a George Jones set, and with a little justice in the world, maybe it will." (read the whole article)
From Bluegrass Unlimited: "For straight ahead bluegrass with a tinge of ingenuity, the music of Cliff Wagner & the Old #7 proves to be highly entertaining." (read the whole article)
From GhostRocket Review: "CLIFF WAGNER has got a resume that stretches further than the tattoos on his arms, and is one talented mother." (read the whole article) |
The band played their “homecoming” gig Saturday, February 9 th at 8 PM at The Grand Vision Event Center 464 West 6 th St. San Pedro, CA. A portion of the proceeds benefited Grand Vision Foundation whose purpose is the restoration and preservation of the Historic Warner Grand Theater in San Pedro.
From the Greenwood Commonwealth: 'Next Great American Band' provides Boost for musician Wagner and his group (read the whole article)
Cliff Wagner & The Old #7 appear on Fox's The Next Great American Band (watch the show videos)
From the Daily Breeze: "Toes instantly go tapping, and heads nod to the infectious rhythms that conjure Southern scenes filled with moonshine, mosquitoes and misty mountains." (read the whole article)
The Colorado River Bluegrass Festival at Davis Camp (read the whole article)
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