If you’re planning to go out to ring in the new decade, you might as well do it with a Big Damn Band.
The Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band will play an all-ages show on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at the Brown County Music Center.
This show is not one you can experience by watching a clip on YouTube later, because it’s choreographed to the literal second before midnight, said “the Rev” Peyton.
“You’re going to see a show that is not just your regular run-of-the-mill kind of show because of that. We always try to make sure that New Year’s Eve is something that is special,” he said.
Another Brown County duo, the Hammer and the Hatchet, will open the show alongside guitarist Chance McCoy of the popular alternative bluegrass band Old Crow Medicine Show.
The audience can expect some collaboration on stage among the artists along with a few possible surprise guests.
The Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band headlined the Bean Blossom Blues Fest over the summer and performed a New Year’s Eve show at the Brown County Playhouse a few years ago.
This is the first time the three-person band — featuring the Rev on guitar and lead vocals, Breezy Peyton on the washboard and Maxwell Senteney on drums — has played at the new, indoor, 2,000-seat music center.
“We want this (music center) to succeed. We want not just our show, but the entire music center, we want it to succeed and we want it to do well,” Peyton said.
“We figured the best way to do that is to try to sort of throw our hat into the ring as well and try to bring what we think is a pretty good show.”
Peyton said the music center is “top notch” in lighting and sound. “I’m really hoping that it goes well and that people come out and get their tickets,” he said of the NYE show.
“I am really hoping the county supports it. I know there are people coming from literally all the over United States for this show. I’ve even heard of a few people that are coming from actually Europe for this show. I’m really hoping the county comes out and supports it, too.”
The show will conclude a busy and exciting year for the band.
Peyton was selected to appear on the cover of the January 2020 issue of Vintage Guitar magazine. The group was named Artist of the Month in December by B.B. King’s Bluesville, a SiriusXM radio station.
As the band gears up for more worldwide touring next year, Peyton said it will be nice to perform a show close to home.
“When this county does well musically across the board, be it at Bill Monroe Music Park, be it at the eXplore Brown County from the concerts they have out there and the festivals, it makes everybody look good. It brings us all up,” Peyton said.
“This county, at one time largely thanks to Bill Monroe, was really put on the map and after the Little Opry burned down and things, it took a hit, so it’ll be nice if we could level up again a little bit.”
Recently, the band went down to Memphis, Tennessee, to record a few songs with Steve Cropper, who was the guitar player for Booker T and the M.G.’s. “Steve Cropper is one of the most important guitar players of all time,” Peyton said.
New music will be coming from that experience next year, he added.
The band also is working on a new record and singles that will be released next year, and working with friends on other projects behind the scenes, Peyton said.
“It’s very likely for New Year’s Eve you’ll get to hear some new stuff as well, because I’m going to be kind of honing some of this stuff down and I usually get too excited, then I just play it,” he said.
Down home
For almost 15 years now, Peyton and his wife, Breezy, have called Brown County home. Peyton grew up in southern Indiana where his roots “run deep.”
When the Rev and Breezy began touring, they were homeless, so often, they came to Brown County to camp in Brown County State Park or Yellowwood State Forest.
“I always wanted to be here in Brown County because it reminds me of, like, southern Indiana, my youth,” Rev said.
Now the Rev calls Brown County home. The band even recorded a music video for their hit “Poor Until Payday” in downtown Nashville in July 2018.
“It was great. Working with the town of Nashville was one of the easiest experiences we’ve ever had. It was absolutely incredible,” Peyton said.
“Everyone was out there helping us from the sheriff’s department to the town. … When it was all said and done, if the opportunity ever arose again, I would love to have that opportunity again to do another video with the town because it was just so, so, so easy.”
While traveling the world, Peyton said the band sings about Brown County and southern Indiana.
“We’re trying to do our part to shine a light on Brown County music just as we travel around the world and play,” he said.
With the music center being open to all ages, Peyton said he hopes to see more young music fans in the audience. It’s important for young people to experience live music shows, he said.
“It’s tough to go see live music, and live music is so important. I just believe in it. … I think it’s a communal experience. … You can download a million songs and it doesn’t give you the same experience of going to see one good, strong, live show and sharing that with your entire community and your family and your friends.”
“When I was a kid, I did everything I could to sneak into shows so I could see live music. It wasn’t about the drinking and everything for me, it was literally about live music,” he said.
And this will be a good show, Peyton said.
Tickets are still available and start at $16.80. They can be purchased through browncountymusiccenter.com or by visiting the box office.
Keeping ticket prices affordable was important to the Rev and his band.
“We have a very blue collar fan base. It’s not easy for everybody out there. I wanted to make sure it was an affordable ticket. … You look at what else is happening New Year’s Eve, a $16 New Year’s Eve ticket is pretty much unheard of,” he said.
