Call Him Lonesome
Dave Insley Takes The Reins
by Dean Bonzani
10.18.04
Dave Insley is a country gentleman in the truest sense of the word.
This Kansas native, who grew up listening to albums by Johnny Cash, Merle Haggard, Buck Owens, Marty Robbins, Jim Reeves, Jerry Reed and George Jones (with a dash of Stones and Hendrix thrown in for good measure), and moved to Phoenix in 1975, is one of Arizona’s most original and authentic country voices. Well known in local circles for his bands The Nitpickers and The Trophy Husbands, who collectively logged more than 500 shows across a 12-state region, Insley’s been on the scene since his cowpunk outfit Chaingang emerged in 1983.
The barbaric hordes that crowd the porch of Alpine Pizza every happy hour fondly remember the days when yours truly would host open mics at the Mad Italian, and Dave Insley’s 1987ish band, Politics Or Pontiacs would take the stage and tear the place down with their evil hoe-down rockabilly and wry lyrics. Scruffy pools of rabid support would form in a sea of Greekness, and the mountain bike/river runner crowd would rise up amidst the frat and sorority mating rituals to egg Insley and company on.
That was a lot of years ago, and Insley has matured into a consummately professional, polished-with-rough-edges contender in the big leagues. With a newfound dedication, a new approach, and a new bunch of top-shelf musicians backing him, Insley is touring on a soon to be released debut album, with another in the works, and has finally found the winning combination that could take him to the big time.
I had the great pleasure of speaking with Insley, who is always gracious, eloquent, enthusiastic, and eminently polite. He explained how he found himself at the crossroads of his career.
“The Nitpickers are no more. The Trophy Husbands are no more. What I’ve done with those bands is— I found myself being the guy who booked the shows, promoted the shows, spent the money, lost the money— ya know, paid for making CD’s— primary songwriter, etc.,etc.etc. Then I would get to a point where a key member or two would either be lacking in professionalism or quit. I would be left going, ‘What do I do now?’ I’d call clubs to book a show, and they’d say, ‘Oh, The Nitpickers? The Trophy Husbands?’ And I’d say it’s a new band. It’s like starting over.”
Insley took matters into his own hands, and did what so many of his heroes in the Country Western world had done before him, presenting himself as the main performer with a carefully selected crew of dedicated musicians supporting him on the road and in the studio.
“This light bulb went off over my head. I hired my friends, and people who’s work I really like, to make the record. As soon as I made the leap to a professional business model for presenting this work, I began immediately to attract top quality sidemen— guys that have that level of maturity, whose egos didn’t prevent them from supporting the song, and to support what I’m doing with my career.”
Insley’s band, The Careless Smokers, is modular, with excellent players joining up regionally, or as their schedules permit. Insley shares guitar duties with main guitarist Scotty Spenner, a well known rural blues, country, and slide player from the Phoenix area, and guitarist Dave Gleason, a San Franciscan who travels with the band whenever he can manage. Drummer Tom Post occupies the drum chair on occasions when Navarro is absent.
“I was very fortunate,” Insley explains. “The first two guys that I was able to hire are a guy named Mickey Ferrell (bass/vocals), a songwriter, a terrific musician and a terrific person just to hang out with, and a guy named Jesse Navarro (drums). Mickey and Jesse were both in a band called Grievous Angels together. They love honky tonk music— they love rock music, but they’re steeped in this honky tonk playing.”
When asked to give his own definition of honky tonk, Insley gladly obliges.
“That’s the music of the working class. That’s the music that you’ll hear in smoky, blue-collar barrooms across this great land. It’s the music of the downtrodden, it’s the music of rural America. You’re typically going to encounter a steel guitar or a guitar player who knows how to do steel guitar swells, and B-benders— that sort of thing. There’s no mistaking it when you hear it. You walk in someplace, and you hear a husky-voiced vocalist and a guy playing guitar like that, and you say, ‘Oh, yeah— this is the place. Gimme a Pabst Blue Ribbon.’”
Have a PBR with the boys, and hear some damn fine country rock, when Dave Insley and The Careless Smokers come to town tomorrow night.
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Dave Insley and The Careless Smokers, Fri., Oct. 22nd, at The Monte Vista Lounge. Show starts at the usual time. Wear your best Howdy Doodies and slinky buckle bunny togs. And fill your pockets with Gummy Bears. Wear a ponytail. Bring hula hoops.
©2004 by Dean Bonzani, All Rights Reserved