Tahoe Onstage photo by Clare Foster
Hooting and hollering concertgoers had the chance Friday to be on the Scott Pemberton Band’s next album.
The Portland, Oregon, “timber rock” band is recording each show on its Western tour, which included a first-time appearance at Vinyl in the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
“This is our first time on tour with our own console and sound engineer,” Pemberton said. “When we get back at the end of the tour, we’ll pick some of the best cuts and make an album.
“A lot of the songs evolve on the road and every show is different. I thought it would be a neat way to document what we’re doing. I like our studio CDs but the live shows are a little different, so I thought it would be cool.”
Pemberton has two studio albums, last year’s “Timber Rock” and 2012’s “Sugar Mama.” Both were produced by Steve Berlin.
Formerly known as the Scott Pemberton Trio, the Scott Pemberton Band now is a quartet and includes keyboard bassist Tony Glaser, drummer Sam Berrett and steel pans/percussionist Rudy Slizewski.
Pemberton’s shows are a sight to be seen. The frontman dons a full beard that rivals that of Billy Gibbons. And due to injuries sustained in a bicycle accident, he does not wear a guitar strap so he puts his instrument on a stool and attacks it from different angles, fingering the strings as if he is playing piano.
Since the accident, Pemberton decided to quit his other bands and production projects and focus on touring and recording with his own band. He is on a leave of absence from teaching music at Reed College in Portland.
“My boss said I could take one year off or 10 years,” he said. “The job will be there for me when I want to come back.”
The Scott Pemberton Band plays about 15-17 shows a month.
“It’s like watching your puppy turn into a dog or watching your garden grow,” Pemberton said. “You don’t always notice big jumps but it’s always growing. It’s working out great. We’re having a great time.”
With help from promoter Ryan Kronenberg of Pet Projekt Presents, Pemberton has appeared in the Lake Tahoe area numerous times. He also will appear this summer at the High Sierra Music Festival for the fourth-straight year.
- Scott Pemberton Band
When: May 6
Where: The Saint in Reno
