McLemore Avenue: Bio
McLemore Avenue
The STAX Influence:
The band takes its name from the street over in Memphis, Tennessee where STAX Records--a name synonymous with Southern soul music--once stood. It was home to a host of legendary recording artists including Otis Redding and Isaac Hayes, as well as Booker T & the MGs, who performed the double role of house band and solo act.
In 1977, it went out of business and was eventually abandoned and demolished. However, in April of 2003, ”Soulsville, USA” was rebuilt as a museum of American soul music, at its original 926 East McLemore Avenue location.
Sadly, in February 2004, Estelle Axton, cofounder of STAX (her last name provided the "AX" portion of the company name) passed away.
Austin’s McLemore Avenue was formed in 1997 and began as the musical act for the Continental Club’s “Blue Comedy Night”. It featured a rotating line-up of renowned Austin musicians including: "Scrappy" Jud Newcomb, Larry Lange, Michael Christian and many more.
After a number of years, the band finally got down to business and established its permanent arrangement with Patrick Barker-Benfield on the Hammond B-3, Landis Armstrong on guitar, Chris Johnson on bass, Eric Hughes on drums, and Kevin Pearson doing percussion.
Since their start at the Continental Club, McLemore Ave. has played a wide variety of venues--from Austin's best dance parties like Sue Davis' "Fuzz Club" and Waxploitation!'s "Soul Happening"--to punk clubs like Emo's and the Room 710 -- even to the world-famous blues venue Antone's, the Hole in the Wall, Stubb's BBQ, and Club de Ville.
McLemore Avenue currently performs regularly at Club de Ville, the Hole in the Wall, Beerland and the Continental Club.
Patrick Benfield - Hammond Organ
Patrick has been playing the organ since the tender age of fourteen, when his mentor and friend, Ian "Mac" McLagan showed him how to play Booker T. and the MG's classic "Green Onions". He's been playing it ever since.
His first band, Los Angeles' Our Band Sucks, played with cult favorites TSOL, The Mummies, and The Fingers. After moving back to Austin, Texas in the early nineties, Pat joined local ska group, The Fabulous Bowler Boys; after they disbanded, he played surf with the Sir Finks and southern soul/R & B with King Soul Revue, before putting McLemore Avenue together in 1997.
He has contributed organ tracks to recordings by The Normans, Jack o' Fire, the Lord High Fixers, The Dead End Cruisers,The Kodiacs, the Japanese act Howling Guitar and Mojo Nixon. In addition to McLemore, Pat performs with Estrus Records act the Total Sound Group Direct Action Committee with Tim Kerr.
Patrick is now officially endorsed by the Hammond Organ Company.
Landis Armstrong - Guitar
Landis picked up on playing the guitar at an early age around family campfires in the Texas Hill Country. After exploratory outings in psychedelic music as an angst ridden teenager and a brief but monastic devotion to blues (with a little help from a fellow named Jim Mesi who taught him the importance of Surf among other things), it was southern soul music that made him into a musician.
Since then he has played all manner of musical styles from country to Vegas-style lounge music. Occasionally he is accused of being a jazz player, but he usually laughs that off.
Landis was one of the first members of McLemore Avenue and previously played with Patrick in Austin's legendary King Soul Revue. He and Chris Johnson have been in the Privateers together since 1995. Landis has worked with the R & B cult hero Swamp Dogg on several occasions.
Besides McLemore, his current bands include the Allen Oldies Band , Fluoxetine, the Small Stars, and the Paula Nelson Band.
Chris Johnson - Bass
"Guitar players are a dime a dozen in this town, you oughta learn how to play bass..."
With that brotherly advice Chris gave up the guitar and ventured into the world of the rhythm section. Chris has played in and around Austin for the past 15 years in bands ranging from classic R'n'B to lounge to hard-core country. In 1987 Chris landed his first working band gig with the Motown cover band Hot Wax. This was followed by a 3 year stint with alt-country act Mary Cutrufello.
Over the past several years Chris has worked in bands with such diverse styles as the El Orbits (swing/bingo), the Privateers (instrumental), Ted Roddy's Tearjoint Troubadors (countrypolitan), Shakerag (blues), and the Naughty Ones (exotic lounge),
Libbi Bosworth (country) and since 1998, McLemore Avenue.
Besides McLemore, his current bands include Roky Erikson and the Explosives, the Freddy Steady Five, and the Paula Nelson Band.
In his spare time Chris works as an Administrator at the University of Texas at Austin.
Kevin Pearson - Percussion & Drums
Drummer/Percussionist Kevin Pearson came into this world banging out rhythms before he could talk. Raised in the “good ol’ days” of Austin, He saw Willie Nelson’s family band performing their now legendary street parties in various downtown locales, and saw some of ZZ Top’s first Austin performances, accompanied by very supportive parents. These early influences, as well as listening to everything from the Beatles to Mozart would have a lasting impression.
Over the past decade Kevin has worked with the likes of Alejandro Escovedo, LA Guns, The Holidays, Darin and Trish Murphy, and recently Patricia Vonne. In addition to these he helped assemble the instrumental group Gnappy.
Kevin performed on the debut release of McLemore Ave. in 2003 and decided he would become the fifth member of the band whether they liked it or not. Taking a departure form the drumkit, he works a digital electronic instrument recently described by the band as the “Woo-Woo Machine” in addition to playing mored "traditional" percussion equipment.
Besides McLemore, his current bands include Roky Erikson and the Explosives, the Freddy Steady Five, and the Paula Nelson Band.
Eric C. Hughes - Drums
Upon hearing The Beatles performing "Birthday" in a Paris hotel room Eric immediately began playing drums on whatever he could reach out to hit. His first instrument was a short lived paper-headed drum set purchased through the Spiegel catalog and its untimely demise was through no fault of his own. From his humble beginnings in the northern frontier of New Hampshire to the sunny shores of Miami and finally to Austin in 2001 Eric has made it his life's ambition to study and play the drums. And to at least play them somewhat well.
Since arriving in Texas Eric has quickly immersed himself in the Austin music scene. He can be heard around Austin and the rest of Texas, with Two Hoots and a Holler, The Privateers, The Allen Oldies Band, and the The El Orbits, .
When not performing he can be found hanging out with Cali the Dog or enjoying the company of Miss Liz.