Joey Only Outlaw Band

JOEY ONLY

DR.JOEY ONLY and JOEY ONLY OUTLAW BAND

Joey Only is the real deal. Born in Trenton and raised on nearby farms to a family employed by the Bata Shoe Factory in Batawa Ontario. At five Joey and his single mother moved north of Hwy 7 and north of Madoc Ontario to a place rich with dried up gold mines and scattered rocky farms. Essentially he was a swampbilly from the brushy Canadian Shield of Eastern Ontario, and he knew the land well.

Willie Nelson and classic rock were fine. But at fifteen Joey met punk rock when local freak Warren “SPIDER” Hastings threw his biggest bush parties called PUNKFEST, ‘the Heaviest Show In The Universe’. To see 100 bands in the swamps of Marmora Joey snuck off to the party. Soon he and Spider became lifelong friends until Spider died at the age of 73 in 2009. One year later Joey and his band The Persecuted kicked the 1996 festival off. The Persecuted played 10 of Spiders parties before they broke up. Spiderland was the last place in Ontario Joey lived, Spider did much to open his mind, Joey Only was a redneck punk rocker with a passion for skateboarding and playing music.

By the year 2000 Joey Only was more involved with activism and started to write acoustic folk songs that told the stories of people struggles. Joey landed on the west coast hungry to climb mountains, squatted at the infamous WOODWARDS Squat in 2002 and played his guitar everywhere he went. After numerous arrests it became obvious to Joey he was being targeted for his activism, barred by bail conditions from attending protests songwriting became Joey’s focus.

He grew confidence, started releasing albums, toured to get to his Montreal court dates, was hired to play all over the country by unions and arts groups…and soon formed JOEY ONLY OUTLAW BAND as his new mechanism for world domination. The Outlaws played 300 shows all across western Canada with some of the best bands. They never had a label, a true manager, any sort of grant or real help from the industry. Their best shows always happened in the remotest towns in Canada.

The Outlaws are a relentless band, they have dozens of songs, love playing Joey’s original tunes the best, rarely stop for breaks and often merge numerous songs into psychadelic medlies. With their new album TRANSGRESSION TRAIL in hand, Joey Only and his all-star cast are preparing to play every town and festival in Canada they can find. Someday, somebody will give them credit for all Joey and his Outlaws have achieved.

JOEY ONLY’S PLAYED EVERY PROVINCE & MAJOR CITY IN CANADA EVERY YEAR SINCE 2004.SOME ARTISTS JOEY ONLY’S SHARED STAGE WITH:
Tempest Grace Gale, Anne Feeney, Geoff Berner, Fred Eaglesmith, RiotFolk (Evan Greer), The Rebel Spell, Killaloe Rastaman-Rick Reimer, Washboard Hank, Lance Loree, Steve Coffey, Jason Burnstick, Leela Gilday, Subhumans, Kinnie Starr, Corwin Fox, CR Avery, Bunchofuckingoofs, Poser Disposer, Mamaguroove, Wax Mannequin, Chris Chandler, The Ripcordz, Po’Girl, Flying Folk Army, Leslie Alexander, Linda McRae (Spirit of The West), David Rovics, Aurora Jane, The Re-Mains, Mr.Plow, The Creepshow, Brooke Wylie…and lotsa more

SOME FOLKS AND THEIR BANDS JOEY ONLY HAS PERFORMED IN:
The Persecuted (bass), Notwithstanding AE (bass), Bloodthirst (e.guitar), Little Miss Higgins (guitar/vox), Smokin 45’s (vox), Cowpuncher (bass), Bob Wayne & The Outlaw Carnies (e.guitar), Rae Spoon (guitar/vox), Traveler (bass), Church in the Box (bass), The Arrested (drums), Hot Footed Haints (a.guitar), David Roy Parsons (everything at one time or another), T.Nile (a.guitar/vox), Knifehammer (drums/harmonica), Genghis Ghandis (e.guitar), Joel Battle (pedal steel), Liqourbox (e.guitar/vox), Denis Delorme from Prairie Oyster (guitar/vox).

POSITIVE REVIEWS:“An anarchist sort of Stomping Tom Connors,” Bob Nixon, Canada Now, CBC News.

“The voice of the movement,” Dr. Heidi Rimke PHD, professor of sociology at the University of Winnipeg

“…sounds a bit like a defiantly DIY version of a young Bob Dylan, this being partly because of Onlys world-weary voice and partly because of his phrasing,” Mike Usinger, Music editor of the Georgia Straight, August 2005.

“In our humble opinion he might be the next Utah Philips,” 16th Annual Under the Volcano programme 2005.

“Joey comes from the Marmora area, a place that’s only got two names in the phone book…and Only is one of them,” Washboard Hank.

“Joining Washboard Hank is Vancouver’s own Joey Only-that is if the pig magnet doesn’t get arrested on the way to the show,” Georgia Straight ‘Straight Choices” section October 26th, 2006.

“Joey Only a textbook example of effective activism,”title of Edmonton SEE Magazine article in May 2006.

“Joey Only provided a clearcutting tone to help project the bands messages, whether they were political or an invitation to party. He also fused his country/bluegrass sound with his advanced skills by playing very nice solos,” Dheni Walsh, Capilano College Courier, February 2007.

“Craziest band to ever play here,” the staff at the Palomino Smokehouse in Calgary

“Best show the Ironwood (Calgary) has seen in a long time,” Steve Coffey (of Steve Coffey & the Lokels 2009)

“The OUTLAWS are the real deal! Last thursday at the Rose & Crown in Banff, 3 hours non-stop boot-thumping kung fu country,” Kenny Konrad, a Kootenay roots musician.