Forgive me, but Brian Pelky really is a little bit country and a little bit rock ’n’ roll.
The veteran of 24 years with the popular R&B band 5 Guys Named Moe has gone to the yee-haw side.
“It’s my new passion,” Pelky said. “Country is in my roots.”
The Vancouver native is the leader of Flexor T, a band with talent, flash and (good heavens, Martha) dancers. Yep, it’s Buck Owens meets “Viva Las Vegas.” And there’s a heapin’ measure of rock still there.
Pelky is a trumpeter who turned to the guitar for rock, rhythm and blues, and even folk. He still plays with his dad, Howard Pelky, in The Stellar Fellers, the group that makes audiences happy with Kingston Trio covers and hootenanny favorites.
But now, he is flexing his chops with Flexor T. He says he’s been pulled to country since hearing his dad’s records as a boy.
Other band members are Rebecca Brown on guitar and lead vocals, Bob Baker on fiddle, Michael Braun on drums and Joe Becker (think KGW-TV sports) on bass. Pelky plays lead guitar and sings. The dancers, Clark County’s Dee Dee Anderson and Desiree Goode (both ex-Portland Blazer Dancers), add some sparkle (hint: they are easy to look at). Three other dancers are on call, and the shows feature two dancers on the stage.
“It’s a really good talented group of people, and it’s magic,” Pelky said.
His experience with 5 Guys taught him that three women in Daisy Mae outfits bring a new excitement to the stage. And the band rocks.
The set list ranges from Big & Rich’s “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy),” to ZZ Top’s “Gimme All Your Lovin’” to Miranda Lambert’s “Gunpowder & Lead,” to the Owens classic “Tiger by the Tail.”
Last month, Flexor T was nominated for a 2012 Portland Music Award for Outstanding Achievement in Country Music and is one of five nominees. Voting is done by the public online at http://www.portlandmusicawards.com.
The group also does some originals and was recently showcased on KUPL radio’s “Locals Only” show.
A CD is expected next year. So are more gigs, including at casinos. The band earlier this month played the Quinault Beach Resort & Casino at Ocean Shores.
So, if you feel like doing the boot scoot boogie, you can catch Flexor T this Friday at JB’s Nightclub and Lounge at the Red Lion Hotel at the River at Jantzen Beach. The show is from 9:30 p.m. until 12:30 a.m. Cover is $10.
— Dave Kern
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