Chico Peace and Justice Center

Tuesday, June 28th at 7:30
Chico Peace and Justice Center garden (526 Broadway)
Suggested donation: $5, no one turned away

Join us for a night of traditional American Folk, Bluegrass, Irish and Gypsy with elements of Jazz, Swing, and Rock. Fast Rattler brings a new sound to familiar stories and new arrangements to old classics.

Fast Rattler started as a way for a son to get to know a little bit more about a father.  Brendan grew up listening to his father’s music. He began to learn his songs, and the stories behind them, after discovering an old songbook Utah had put out titled “Starlight On The Rails.” After learning a hand full of Utah’s songs, it didn’t take long before love for his dad’s music grew into a full-fledged appreciation of the power of songs to pass on critical information about who we are as a people.

“…Phillips has clearly inherited his father’s stature and stage presence, not to mention a book-worth of his forgotten songs.” Kim Ruhl-Seattle Sound Magazine

Fast Rattler is a band of friends who love to share and learn songs together. Blending traditional American Folk, Bluegrass, Irish and Gypsy with elements of Jazz, Swing, and Rock, Fast Rattler brings a new sound to familiar stories and new arrangements to old classics. For over 5 years, Fast Rattler has involved many musicians who have all brought new perspectives and knowledge about various musical traditions. Over time, the project has grown to include original songs that build on our love of traditional music while fusing other styles we grew up with like punk rock, soul, and reggae.

“I had never heard Brendan sing at all. He was playing my 1935 Gibson [guitar] that I had loaned to him, and there he was with [a full band], doing these songs I had practically forgotten… I wasn’t just a little impressed. I was knocked down at the time and attention he put into putting these songs together.” - Utah Phillips

Fast Rattler (n): a train you catch when you gotta to get out of town in a hurry.

When traveling through life, it’s important to pay attention to the signs.  They may be scratched in fence posts and rock walls like the hobo hieroglyphics one old ‘bo would leave for another, passing along just a enough information so they can get a good meal or avoid a watchful sheriff.  It may be a story overheard in a crowded bar that holds the key to understanding a little bit more about the place you come from or the place you’re headed. But the most potent, the most ingenious signs and messages to pay attention to are those that are left in songs.