ROCK 'N' ROLL Whiskey Daredevils busy, emphasize fun in shows

The band's sense of humor shows in its choice of album names.
By JOHN BENSON
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
YOUNGSTOWN -- No-frills rock 'n' roll is what Cleveland's Whiskey Daredevils is all about.
"If you take all of the best stuff that we like out of punk rock, rockabilly, country punk, surf music, authentic blues -- not any of the horns and guys-in-black-felt-hats stuff -- and mix it up together in one little stew, it's our interpretation of what the real basics of what American rock music is," said singer Greg Miller.
The raucous quartet is quite busy of late with not one but two studio albums in the mix and due out later this year. "The Essential Whiskey Daredevils" is slated for a European label release while "The Very Best of the Whiskey Daredevils" is set for a stateside label.
Considering the band was formed in 2004, and its debut release is "Whiskey Daredevils Greatest Hits," the album titles are purposely tongue-in-cheek, instantly epitomizing the band's sense of humor.
"The titles make it almost impossible for the consumer to decide which album came first, which album is more important than the other," Miller laughed. "And then what's better, 'Very Best of' or "Greatest Hits'? Well 'Greatest Hits' was more popular, but yet 'Very Best' must be the very best of, which is not necessarily the most popular. And then you get into what about 'Essential?' And 'Essential' might not have popularity or be necessarily the best, but it's essential to understand the group."
He quipped, "When you spend a lot of time in a van, you come up with a lot of stupid concepts."
New material
As comical as Miller and his cohorts -- Bobby Lanphier (guitar), Dave Bowling (guitar), Ken Miller (bass) and Leo P. Love (drummer) -- may seem offstage, onstage is another story. The Whiskey Daredevils will be road-testing a good chunk of new material from its upcoming albums Saturday at Cedars Lounge.
"We're a [expletive] machine," Miller said. "We play out like crazy, and it's not a bunch of guys standing up there staring at their shoes. It's an opportunity to see a bunch of guys playing stuff that you're not going to normally hear. This is real music and it's coming from the underground. It's not a prepackaged bunch of crap that is sent out to sell you a T-shirt and a download. It's guys doing what they do, especially in Youngstown."
While the Whiskey Daredevils played Royal Oaks just last month with Uncle Scratch's Gospel Review, Miller, formerly a member of the Cowslingers, said he has plenty of memories of performing in Youngstown. In fact, he likens the entire region to that of his current band, which perhaps is often bypassed by the mainstream but offers something special.
"It's one of those towns that's off the map a little bit and there's a lot of people who might just drive by and they don't stop and play this city," Miller said. "I've always found those cities are the best ones. Usually people are looking for a good time."
He added, "My memory of Youngstown is the club is empty at 11 p.m., and then at 11:10 p.m. the place fills up almost like a bus pulled up because everybody went home, drank the 12-pack they bought after work, and then they're really revved up and ready to go. So we will provide the soundtrack for people to have a great time."