At Hardware House 

When the nights start to draw in and the temperatures begin to drop, then I know it is time to head north and east for a fall music event at Hardware House in Watseka, Illinois. The show was another in the Wooden Boxes and Steel Springsproductions series, co-produced by Burt Kaperand James "Skyy Dobro" Walker. Appearing were Northwestern-based band Too Slim and the Taildraggers, making their third appearance at Hardware House. Too Slim and companywere enthusiastically welcomed by Hardware House regulars into this unique smoke and alcohol-free venue, with ticket prices $10 or less.

Too Slim and the Taildraggersare Tim "Too Slim" Langford on lead guitar and most of the lead vocals also, Dave "Groove Master" Nordstrom on bass and John "Midnight" Cage on drums. Too Slim, who does not seem to be too slim to me, was dressed in white western hat, black jeans and black tee shirt that revealed the fine tattoos he was sporting on both arms. The guitar that Too Slim opened the set with really was a solid body model - it very obviously had once been part of a tree complete with annual growth rings and bark! This was in keeping with the Northwestern Man mien of the band, the band originally hailing from Spokane, Washington.

The band opened up with slide guitar instrumental, "Sunnyland Blues," and Too Slim did three numbers on the log guitar, finishing this set-within-a-set with a Z. Z. Top-style number. He then switched to what is clearly his workhorse guitar, a gold-top Gibson Les Paul, for most of the rest of the first set, and for the balance of the second set. "One More Shot," played Rock style, was followed by a straight Blues number, with Too Slim treating us to some playing with his teeth. In the remainder of the set we heard a fifties Rock number, a Rock number - "Chickenshake," the Southern Rock of "She Blows My Socks Off" (part of it played with Too Slimsitting in the audience front row), a swamp Rock number, another Southern Rock song, two Blues Rock, and one up tempo Blues. They closed out the set with Too Slimswitching to a black and white Slingshot guitar made by Reverend for the last two songs. These were a Lynrd Skynrd/Allman Brothers-style number and "Big Barn Boogie," a Tim Langford original. 

The second set continued in a similar vein. To close out the evening Too Slimswitched to his fourth guitar, a one-off composite job with a Les Paul body and a Stratocaster neck that Tim described to me as a "Les Paul O'Caster." This guitar was used for his own interpretation of The Allman Brothers'"Whipping Post," and then to bring the house down with Jimi Hendrix's"Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" as the show ender. 

Tales of Sin And Redemption
By Too Slim and the Taildraggers
Click On Cover For More Info!

I have never seen a band with such an eclectic repertoire as Too Slim and the Taildraggers. However, they are not dilettante practitioners of the various styles that they play, being more than capable of holding their own in Rock, early Rock, Blues Rock, Blues, and Country Rock. Too Slim is a master guitarist, playing searing solos, and rarely, if ever, playing a misplaced note; his playing was underpinned by his top-shelf rhythm section. Although the band is a trio, they had a full sound with no empty space. Too Slim and the Taildraggers are a very tight and professional band having honed their craft doing 250 dates per year, most of them club dates. This might have something to do with the extensive stylistic repertoire of the band. Also, Tim Langford is a prolific composer of original material. Although the band has won several Blues awards in their home state of Washington, they are not a straight-ahead Blues band in the way that of, say, Charlie Musselwhite. Clearly, Too Slim and the Taildraggershonor the Blues, and the Blues are a major influence. 

Interestingly, the band has a cult following in Scandinavia and they tour there regularly. They also have a strong following in Iroquois County, Illinois, and it is easy to see why they keep on being welcomed back.

Brian J. Wilkinson is a freelance writer based in Bloomington, Illinois and a contributing editor at BluesWax.