NEPA Scene Staff

Dustin Douglas remembers Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Wilkes-Barre concert with Kirby Center tribute show on Nov. 9

Dustin Douglas remembers Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Wilkes-Barre concert with Kirby Center tribute show on Nov. 9
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From a press release:

Wilkes-Barre’s own blues rock powerhouse trio, Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen, will bring their critically-acclaimed “Stevie Ray Vaughan Retrospective” to the F.M. Kirby Center in downtown Wilkes-Barre on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 8 p.m., adding a unique local twist to this entry in the venue’s “Live from the Chandelier Lobby” series.

On Tuesday, July 11, 1989, Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble brought their In Step Tour to the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts in support of their fourth and final studio album together, “In Step.” Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen will remember that Tuesday night concert 30 years ago with this show, playing some of those same songs.

Tickets, which are $15 for general admission in advance, $20 for general admission the day of the show, and $30 for limited reserved seating in the first two rows, plus fees, go on sale this Friday, July 26 at 10 a.m. and will be available at the Sundance Vacations Box Office at the Kirby Center (71 Public Square, Wilkes-Barre), online at kirbycenter.org, and by phone at 570-826-1100. A Kirby Member pre-sale begins Thursday, July 25 at 10 a.m.

Capturing the vibe of late ’60s and ’70s blues-laced rock ‘n’ roll, Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen mix retro style and groove (à la Jimi Hendrix Experience, SRV, Joe Bonamassa, Led Zeppelin, and ZZ Top) for a lightning-charged vintage sound all their own.

Led by transcendent lead guitarist, singer, and songwriter Dustin Douglas (Lemongelli, The Badlees), The Electric Gentlemen – Tommy Smallcomb on drums and Matt “The Dane” Gabriel on bass – leave even the most discerning music fans with little left to ask for at the end of any live performance. They played a stunning release show for their latest album of original music, “Break It Down,” at the Kirby Center last year.

“Break It Down” features 12 tracks recorded by Paul Smith (The Badlees, The Cellarbirds) at Eight Days a Week Studios in Northumberland, along with “No More Tears to Cry,” which was previously released on the band’s 2017 EP, “Blues 1.”

With a reputation as one of the area’s hardest working musicians, Dustin Douglas (born Dustin Drevitch) brings an energy to the stage and delivers some hard-rocking blues with an attitude that’s all his own. Since the time he learned to walk, he had a guitar in his hands and a song in his soul. Performing his first show at the age of 13, Douglas has never stopped, first gaining popularity with his original power trio, Lemongelli. Lemongelli released three independent records and shared the stage with Heart, Cheap Trick, Def Leppard, and Eddie Money, to name a few.

Becoming one of the most sought-after live and session guitarists in Northeastern Pennsylvania, Douglas joined the legendary Pennsylvania rock band The Badlees, in which he recorded “Epiphones and Empty Rooms” and supported Bob Seger on his 2013 arena tour.

In 2014, Douglas released “Black Skies and Starlight,” his first solo record, to rave reviews. Self-proclaimed as “a mix of big guitars with pop-laced hooks and an alternative attitude,” “Black Skies and Starlight” propelled him back into the lead role, leaving his sideman days behind.

The following year, he was ready to get back to his blues rock roots. The self-titled debut record “Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen” sold out of its first pressing in 2016, garnering attention from fans and critics alike. Tracks such as “Baby Girl” and “Ain’t Your Poppa’s Blues” found Douglas right back where he belongs – leading a bombastic power trio.

The summer of 2017 saw the release of “Blues 1,” a collection of classic blues covers including cuts by John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Albert King, and Freddie King, as well as a new original song. With “Blues 1,” Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen cemented themselves in the blues world.

Beginning to play the drums at the age of 10, Tommy Smallcomb grew up in a drumming family. His father, brother, nephews, and sister all found themselves behind the kit. Playing his first gig at the age of 14, He became one of the region’s premier session and live drummers, working with John Plantania of Van Morrison on his solo material and touring the East Coast with Strawberry Jam, supporting such acts as Steppenwolf and Edgar Winter, among others.

Beginning his career in the college circuit at Bloomburg University, Matt “The Dane” Gabriel has played bass in a wide array of original progressive rock, bluegrass, instrumental post-rock, bluegrass, jam, and folk bands, along with tribute acts of Bob Dylan, Grateful Dead, Motown, and Led Zeppelin.

Prior to the Electric Gentlemen, The Dane toured the East Coast and the Midwest with MiZ from Scranton, playing clubs, theaters, and festivals supporting such acts as The Allman Brothers Band, Lukas Nelson, and America.

See NEPA Scene’s photos of Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen performing with Ed Randazzo at the Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe last year here and listen to all three members of the band talk about blues music, the local music scene, their next album, and more in Episode 35 of the NEPA Scene Podcast:

Photo by Jason Riedmiller Photography/NEPA Scene