REVIEW: Blue Footed Boobies headline Reggie’s Two-Piece Festival

Calvin Shomaker | Copy Editor | @cshomaker12

Wilmington-based band Blue Footed Boobies capped off the Two-Piece Fest at Reggie’s 42nd Street Tavern on Jan. 27, 2017 with a deafening resonance. Blue Footed Boobies did not walk on stage until after midnight, but the crowded bar was ready for the main act. The duo, consisting of guitarist Logan Chaucer and drummer Taylor Jones, made it clear why they were the headliner from the very first song.

Blue Footed Boobies played various tracks from their self-titled debut album, released last October, and extended many of their originals into continuous jam sessions. The music has a hard rock drive, 1960s psychedelic edge and blues core. The drumming of Jones compliments the riffs from Chaucer’s guitar in an innovative sound unlike anything played on mainstream pop radio today.

Chaucer, wearing a headband and a button up, and Jones, in a ball cap and t-shirt that said The Doors, revealed their love of The Beatles with a striking cover of “Don’t Let Me Down,” a song written by John Lennon that originally appeared on the B-Side of the 1969 single “Get Back.”

Later on, Blue Footed Boobies covered the No. 1 hit “Wild Thing” in a way that resembled Jimi Hendrix’s live covers of the song. Chaucer did not burn his guitar like Hendrix did at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, but he did play his guitar behind his head.

“I can kind of get away with anything on stage so I just wing it,” Chaucer said. “You got to keep the crowd on their toes . . . If you’re walking around the stage playing behind your head, more people are going to be into it.”

Jones and Chaucer’s fathers grew up best friends in Jacksonville, N.C. and went to UNC Wilmington together. Jones grew up in Greenville, but went to school at UNCW. Chaucer and Jones linked up to jam over two years ago, and their musical bond is undeniable.

“My dad is really big on classic rock,” Chaucer said, “so that’s my favorite stuff. He put me on Hendrix and Zeppelin and guys like that from the time I was 6 years old.”

Chaucer said he likes to keep it simple. The “Wah-Wah” pedal is his go-to and most frequently used sound effect. He also uses a classic analog chorus pedal for cleaner tones that “airs it out and makes it spacey,” he said, and sometimes an overdrive or different fuzz. It’s easy to overdo it, he cautioned, using so many pedals you forget which one to use.

Chaucer’s vocals are as unique as his guitar playing. With reverb used to distort his voice, he helps create a musical experience that is reminiscent of early experimental rock and blues bands.

“I definitely would say if there is anyone we try to emulate it is the big psychedelic rock groups from the mid to late ’60s and early ’70s and good hard rock groups from the early ’70s,” Chaucer said. “Also a lot of blues guys. We both really love the blues, American and British blues. Guys like Freddy King, B.B. King, Albert King, Elmore James. I’m a huge Robert Johnson fan, Muddy Waters . . . You gotta have some dirty blues in there somewhere.”

In October, Blue Footed Boobies opened up for the Grammy Award-winning, record-breaking band Blues Traveler at The Throne Theater in downtown Wilmington. Chaucer even played a song with the band that made “Run Around” one of the most recognizable songs of the 1990s.

Jones and Chaucer’s first album can be bought at Gravity Records, Yellow Dog Discs, Finklestein’s, Angie’s and on iTunes. It can also be streamed on Spotify. For unreleased tracks, visit their page on SoundCloud. For show dates and more information, visit their newly launched website at thebluefootboobies.nc.com. Follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter—they are a headliner-worthy hometown band sure to draw a crowd. 

“It’s cool having gigs in your hometown where people come out and actually see you play and have a good time,” Chaucer said. “When we have a show it’s totally just a party, everyone is getting down and having a good time, so that’s what it’s all about. . . More and more young people are starting to go to these events and see these really good bands, and when that happens it definitely spurs on the music scene.”

Chaucer said he and Jones have so much material they hope to put out another four to five albums together.