Sidewalk Driver

Artist Information

Biography

· Direct support for The B-52s - House of Blues Boston (12/1/2011); Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom (9/30/2011)

· 2011 Rock 'n' Roll Rumble Semi-Finalists

· 2010 Boston Music Awards Nominees for "Rock Artist of the Year"

The music of Sidewalk Driver is high energy, highly-infectious, hook-driven, Rock with a capital 'R.' The sound is modern but the heart of the band seems to be more in line with 1970s rock culture... the Bowies and the Belushis of the world. Lead singer Tad McKitterick's voice has power and clarity, is expressive without falling off the pitch and is forceful but without losing subtle moments. Guitarists Kate Murdoch and Jared Egan seamlessly weave crunchy rhythms with soaring solos while bassist Jonn Smith and drummer A.J. Locke hold down the bottom end. The songs always come with some odd bent but not one that repels; rather, they welcome you to join in the celebration like a carnival barker hyping a freak show.

Instrumentation

Tad McKitterick - Lead Vocals
Kate Murdoch - Guitar & Vocals
A.J. Locke - Drums
Jared Egan - Lead Guitar
Jonn Smith - Bass

Discography

· For All the Boys and Girls (2009)
Radio airplay: "Dancing with Her Friends," "Radio," "Jenny Don't Really Like the Boys," "Memo to Mrs. Tindle," "Marianne," "Wake Up, John," "Seeds and Stems"

· Sidewalk Driver EP (2005)
Radio airplay: "Christmas in Fallujah"

Links

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Last.fm
• MySpace
• ReverbNation
• Bandcamp
• Blog

Audio

• Dancing with Her Friends
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• Radio
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• Jenny Don't Really Like the Boys
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• Tornado
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• Memo to Mrs. Tindle
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• The Sun Shines
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• Marianne
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• Fremont, NE
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• Never Quit
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• Wake Up, John!
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Lyrics

• Dancing with Her Friends
• Radio
• Jenny Don't Really Like the Boys
• Tornado
• Memo to Mrs. Tindle
• Wake Up, John!

Video

Sidewalk Driver - Dancing with Her Friends - Live - Middle East - 9-11-2010

Sidewalk Driver - Memo to Mrs. Tindle - Live - Middle East - 9-11-2010

Photo Gallery

Press

• Show Review - April 14, 2011 [+ Show ]
  

  The morning after Semi-Final Night #1 of the 2011 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble I found myself in my kitchen ...The morning after Semi-Final Night #1 of the 2011 Rock ‘N’ Roll Rumble I found myself in my kitchen trying to describe the night to my son. He’s 4 years old. For several minutes I told him about platform boots, confetti cannons, playing guitar behind your head, layers of outrageous costumes, facial adornments, winged shirts and glitter. I told my wife about the witty and outrageously infectious songs. “The singer, Tad, wore a little hat… and he shot confetti out of the hat!” I explained excitedly. There was a brief pause while my son took it all in... "Is this real?” ...Yup. It’s real. It’s called Sidewalk Driver...

• Show Review - April 10, 2011 [+ Show ]
  

  After 16 months of noteworthy (often legendary) live performances here in New England, McKitterick a...After 16 months of noteworthy (often legendary) live performances here in New England, McKitterick and Sidewalk Driver played one of the most inspired sets in modern Rumble history on Saturday night before a sold-out crowd...

• Show Promo - March 31, 2011 [+ Show ]
  

  Led by chrome-domed, platform-booted frontman Tad McKitterick, Sidewalk Driver is a band of cheeky c...Led by chrome-domed, platform-booted frontman Tad McKitterick, Sidewalk Driver is a band of cheeky culture vultures who like to name-check ABBA, Frank Black, and Baryshnikov in songs, but never forget to fuel their dance-floor fun with rock ’n’ roll fire — not to mention glitter-encrusted hooks galore. Call it glam, call it power pop, we’re calling it hard to beat.

• Show Promo - January 14, 2011 [+ Show ]
  

  Sidewalk Driver is fronted by a powerfully flamboyant singer, but they're more than just a gimmick b...Sidewalk Driver is fronted by a powerfully flamboyant singer, but they're more than just a gimmick because their music is so much stronger than just his stage antics. Tad McKitterick preens and frolics around the stage like a sparkling, coked-out luchador, but it’s ok because he’s backed by some of the best players around. Every member of the band holds their own and demands attention of the audience, even when he’s at his his craziest.
  
  - Richard Bouchard

• Band Promo - December 20, 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  One of the best Live Acts in New England... We're a fan of the band and their hardworking and likabl...One of the best Live Acts in New England... We're a fan of the band and their hardworking and likable singer Tad McKitterick. Ignoring all the guitar and stage flair, folks; this guy could be the most talented male voice this city's live music scene's got to offer. Not convinced? You gotta see this band live!
  
  - Ryan Spaulding

• Album Review - December 17, 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  "For All the Boys and Girls" From the tick-tock guitars of "Dancing With Her Friends" to the open..."For All the Boys and Girls"
  
  From the tick-tock guitars of "Dancing With Her Friends" to the opening hand claps of "Radio," the band jubilantly regresses to the days of the Cars, the Sidewinders and the Real Kids. In other words, there's nothing new here - except the energy and ingenuity that keep reinvigorating rock-and-roll...
  
  - Mark Jenkins

• Show Promo - October 27, 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  Sidewalk Driver... never disappoint. Fronted by a glitter-covered cape-wearing pansexual demon, they...Sidewalk Driver... never disappoint. Fronted by a glitter-covered cape-wearing pansexual demon, they combine flamboyant theatrics with tight and powerful instrumentation to create a beast that commands attention.
  
  - Richard Bouchard

• Song Review - August 18, 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  "The Sun Shines" What is up with these Sidewalk Driver kids? Are they going to ever take a break ..."The Sun Shines"
  
  What is up with these Sidewalk Driver kids? Are they going to ever take a break from writing these infectious and addictive songs? They haven't yet, so why start now? It's like they are all vampires and are just continually glamoring us every time we gaze into their (musical) eyes.
  
  - C.D. Di Guardia

• Show Promo - August 13, 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  ...Sidewalk Driver will descend from their mothership to entertain us. Watching them is like walking......Sidewalk Driver will descend from their mothership to entertain us. Watching them is like walking into an orgy in which the Thin White Duke, Pirate Ziggy, Aladdin Sane, and Jareth the Goblin King are all running a train on Vegas era Elvis. Beautiful and horrifying at the same time, it will be impossible not to get swept up in the sweaty, sparkling love...
  
  - Richard Bouchard

• Album Review - June 2, 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  "For All the Boys and Girls" What can be said about Sidewalk Driver that hasn’t been already? The..."For All the Boys and Girls"
  
  What can be said about Sidewalk Driver that hasn’t been already? They’re pop royalty, but they don’t preach or issue decrees – they lead by example. Tight, chugging guitars, perfectly-placed harmonies, and an impeccable rhythm section set the stage for Tad’s skipping over, weaving through, and soaring high above.
  
  - Cullen Corley

• Album Review - April, 2010 [+ Show ]
  

  "For All the Boys and Girls" INSANELY AWESOME! Sidewalk Driver's "For All The Boys & Girls" is a..."For All the Boys and Girls"
  
  INSANELY AWESOME! Sidewalk Driver's "For All The Boys & Girls" is an album that you listen to and if you do not end up in a more happy, joy induced state, you may need medication to pull you out of your funk. With choruses of handclaps, armies of singalong melodies and a band bonhomie that makes the band your new band best friends. There is no way around it: Sidewalk Driver are a power pop band with a decidedly 70s glitter pop twist who committed to enhancing your life`s enjoyment, like a warm breeze blowing over the listener. After 4 listens the last few weeks, it has been added to my Top 10 list for the year, so far and the competition to displace it from this halfway-point status better be ready to deliver the goods to top this passionate achievement. Strains of "Ziggy"-era Bowie, late 70s new wavey pop combine to a modern rock strain that fans of Locksley and The Killers anthemically float in and out this highly textured music. All of it infused with endelible melodies, warm harmonies and the production values that picky pop fans will appreciate.
  
  -by Bruce Brodeen

• Album Review - December 23, 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  "For All the Boys and Girls" Sidewalk Driver's long-awaited debut LP perfectly channels their ene..."For All the Boys and Girls"
  
  Sidewalk Driver's long-awaited debut LP perfectly channels their energetic live performances into a smartly crafted, deftly produced party platter. Bursting with flavors of glam rock and hook-filled pop that owe to the Cars, Elton John and the Pixies, there isn't a single skippable track on it.
  
  -by Selene Angier

• Band Promo - December 10, 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  Sequins, capes, fake eyelashes: Tad McKitterick busts out these big guns, in addition to his octave-...Sequins, capes, fake eyelashes: Tad McKitterick busts out these big guns, in addition to his octave-leaping pipes, as frontman for Sidewalk Driver. Their showmanship and epic balladry make them one of most legitimate glam acts in Boston...
  
  -by Hilary Hughes

• C.D. Release Show Promo - October 1, 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  Four years is a VERY long time to have a band together and not have put out a CD (in recent times at...Four years is a VERY long time to have a band together and not have put out a CD (in recent times at least). And if you've witnessed Sidewalk Driver's live show (complete with costume changes, glitter, smoke machines, fake eyelashes and MORE) you've wanted to take some SD home with you. So it was with great anticipation and total dread that I approached listening to our press copy of their DEBUT CD, For All the Boys & Girls. Dread, because I was worried that this would not live up to the live renditions of the songs that I often find myself humming days after seeing a show. After a week of the new record being on repeat at HQ I can say that it is totally awesome. The songs, hooks, and performances are incredibly strong and this debut will make a big splash.
  
  -by Sophia Cacciola

• Song Review - August 28, 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  "Dancing with Her Friends" A good chorus can and will get you everywhere. The chorus to Sidewalk ..."Dancing with Her Friends"
  
  A good chorus can and will get you everywhere. The chorus to Sidewalk Driver's "Dancing With Her Friends" might get them free admittance to Disney World, the upcoming Winter Classic and the Oval Office all at once.
  
  It's a simple thing really; your standard I - V - VIm - IV trip through the chords, but the band works the hell out of these four chords. Vocalist Tad McKitterick does this weird thing where it's not how forcefully he sings, but how he plays with the words like a cat plays with its own favorite catnip toy.
  
  McKitterick sings as if he really, really enjoys this melody to the point where singing it is an act of self-gratification. When McKitterick hits the glorious third iteration of "DANCE-ING..." you feel it. And anxiously wait for the next go-round. McKitterick sings like a man chemically dependent upon the chorus, an addiction he soon passes along.
  
  - C.D. Di Guardia

• Show Review - July 30, 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  Provincetown Rocks - The Festival: Day 4 Recap ...I think they might have had the most memorable...Provincetown Rocks - The Festival: Day 4 Recap
  
  ...I think they might have had the most memorable set of the entire festival... words alone cannot possibly describe this spectacle... the band pulled off a jaw-dropping performance. They were tight, they were talented, and I loved hearing guitarist Jared Egan lay down some ridiculous solos as Tad McKitterick’s vocals soared, displaying his incredibly vast range.
  
  Sidewalk Driver’s final song was perhaps the most powerful moment of the week... Sidewalk Driver came out with one of the most moving, soulful, and absolutely beautiful versions of David Bowie’s “Rock n Roll Suicide” that has EVER been played - anywhere. I’ll stand by this broad statement, no question...
  
  The entire crowd - which had filled out since the beginning of the set - was stunned into silence for a good ten seconds after the close of the song before breaking out into an awestruck standing ovation. It was clear that I had just bore witness to one of the most heartrending performances I’ve ever seen, and I think all in attendance would most likely agree.
  
  - Bryan Donoghue

• Band Promo - May 10, 2009 [+ Show ]
  

  Sidewalk Driver are always an absolute pleasure to witness. They rock hard by pulling a lot of '70s ...Sidewalk Driver are always an absolute pleasure to witness. They rock hard by pulling a lot of '70s arena rock in, packaging it with some glam, wrapping the whole thing in awesome and shooting it back out at the audience with glitter cannons and smoke machines. They are one of the best live bands in Boston and I look forward VERY much to the release of their debut album later this year.
  
  - Michael Epstein

Setlist

Our typical set list is about 45 - 60 minutes and consists primarily of originals. We occasionally play one cover song - sometimes more covers for longer sets.

Current Originals:
Dancing with Her Friends
Radio
Jenny Don't Really Like the Boys
Tornado
Memo to Mrs. Tindle
The Sun Shines
Small Talk
Marianne
Fremont, NE
Never Quit
Seeds & Stems
Wake Up, John!
The Plane Crash Song
Kidnapped
Karaoke Guy
Call My Name
So Close

Selected Covers:
Keep Yourself Alive - Queen
Star Collector - The Monkees
Elenore - The Turtles
F**k You! (Cee Lo Green)
Moonage Daydream (David Bowie)
Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight (Spinal Tap)
Never Tear Us Apart (INXS)
The Metro (Berlin)
Rebel Yell (Billy Idol)
Surrender (Cheap Trick)
Your Bedroom (Alex Ruiz)

Basic Requirements

Calendar