MEET THE BAND: Adam Weiner (vocals, piano), James Everhart (lead guitar), Will Donnelly (rhythm guitar), Larry Scotton (drums), and Lucas Rinz (bass).
A JERSEY BOY: Weiner grew up in New Jersey in the '80s and absorbed plenty of classic rock 'n' roll in the process. "I saw Huey Lewis and the News back then," he says. "I'm still a big fan. They put on a great show." He took piano lessons and then got the "the rock 'n' roll and country and blues and country bug."
IT CAME FROM MEMPHIS: Weiner says a stint in Memphis set him "on a path." "I got so deep into the Memphis music and brought that back up north," he says, adding that he began playing the gay bar circuit after moving to New York. "I always had a steady piano gig," he says. "I played restaurants, old age homes, ballet classes. I accompanied singers in cabaret performances. I played for theater shows. I scored silent movies, bah blah blah. I also had my rock 'n' roll band at night. We played dive bars and funky clubs on nights and weekends. I got my chops that way. You learn how to entertain an unforgiving hostile audience that thinks you're ugly and wants you to fail." Over the years, Weiner says about 15 people have come through Low Cut Connie, which came together in 2010 and now calls Philadelphia home. The band recorded its fourth studio album, Dirty Pictures (Part 1), live-to-analog tape at Ardent Studios in Memphis.
WHY YOU SHOULD HEAR THEM: One of the year's best singles, "Revolution Rock N Roll," a tune that opens with a bit of barroom piano, bristles with raw energy. "Touch my body/touch my soul," sings Weiner as the song lifts off. Be sure to catch the accompanying music video which features a blow-up doll in various poses. A gritty blues guitar riff brings "Death and Destruction" to a start as Weiner effectively talks his way through the song. Elton John has become one of the band's biggest fans and plays the band's tunes on his Rocket Hour radio show on Beats 1/Apple Music. "Man, isn't that something else," says Weiner. "He called me. You can listen to the interview he did with me. It's on our website. He said, 'You're the piano player. I bow down to you.' That was insane. I grew up with Elton John. I'm a piano guy. It's like a dream come true."
WHERE YOU CAN HEAR THEM: lowcutconnie.com.
WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM: Low Cut Connie performs with the Yawpers and Hamilton Handshake at 8:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 20, at the Beachland Ballroom.
