The Steepwater Band
| The Steepwater Band | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Chicago, Illinois, US |
| Genres | Rock music, blues rock |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Labels | Diamond Day |
| Website | www |
| Members | Jeff Massey Joe Winters Tod Bowers Eric Saylors |
| Past members | Michael Connelly |
The Steepwater Band is an American rock band formed in Chicago in 1998 by the trio of Jeff Massey (guitars and vocals), Joe Winters (drums), and Tod Bowers (bass). The band took their name from a cargo vessel that Massey sighted in a port on Lake Michigan.
Initially the band concentrated on playing their own versions of classic blues songs, particularly electric Chicago-style blues, and performed their first concert at Phyllis' Musical Inn in Chicago on October 29, 1998. The band quickly progressed from covering blues tunes to writing their own music. In 1999 the band met singer-songwriter Michael Connelly, who collaborated with them on their inaugural effort, the five-song EP Goin' Back Home. The Steepwater Band returned the favor by performing on Connelly's project, Bottles of Wine. Connelly officially joined The Steepwater Band in 2000.
The years of 1999 and 2000 saw the band performing frequently in Chicago and the surrounding region. On June 8, 2000, The Steepwater Band performed at their first Chicago Blues Festival, kicking off that year's event at noon.
The band released its first full-length album, Brother to the Snake, in 2001 with the support of radio station WXRT and Jim Beam to a packed house at Chicago's Double Door. During the year the band also released a live-in-the-studio album, Live...Half in the Bag.
The band continued to play in the Midwest in 2002 and 2003, often as an opening act. The band also signed a recording, management, and publishing deal with Funzalo Records/Mike’s Artist Management during this period. This relationship resulted in the production of one album, Dharmakaya, which was recorded with producers Sean Slade and Paul Kolderie (Radiohead, Warren Zevon, the Pixies, Uncle Tupelo) in Boston and released on May 18, 2004. Connelly departed in October 2004, and the band and Funzalo/MAM ended their relationship in early 2005.
In April 2005 the band performed on television in Nashville, Tennessee, with Little Milton, who died a few months later. In June, for their fifth time playing the Chicago Blues Festival, they received a headlining slot on the Best Buy Showcase Stage. In September they performed their first European concert at the Azkena Rock Festival in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. In addition to their own 70-minute set, they hosted a late-night jam session with members of the Drive-by Truckers and the Basque band The Soulbreaker Company. In November 2005, the band was invited by Chicago rock radio station WLUP to open for Bon Jovi at the sold-out United Center.
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