Iko-Iko

Artist Information

Biography

Award-winning "soulful swampadelic" Americana/Rock, Iko-Iko is about great songs and performances. With 5 CDs & devoted fans, Graham Drout's songs are covered by artists of various styles. Drout received "Song of the Year" honors from the Blues Critics Choice Awards in February 2007 for "Ghosts of Mississippi."

With performances in the films, "Cape Fear" and "Contact" as well as the original production of Jimmy Buffett's "Don't Stop the Carnival," along with countless collaborations with some of music's finest of the last twenty years, Iko-Iko continues to deliver great shows and great product. Their dedicated fan base, The Voodoo Crew, brings fans, musicians and media together as well via http://www.MySpace.com/voodoocrew

IKO IKO has performed with:
* Bo Diddley
* Ron Wood
* Jimmy Buffett
* Willie Dixon
* Lucky Petersen
* Bobby Keys
* Ivan Neville
* David Bromberg
* Slash
* Jim Belushi
* James Harman
* Mike Utley
* Steven Stills
* Billy Mann
* Albert Castiglia
* Joey Gilmore
* Nil Lara
* and many others

Graham Wood Drout was born in Newark, New Jersey where, at the age of five, he was given a plastic Roy Roger's guitar and a 33-1/3rd LP recording of Western Swing music. All his life he has been dodging abnormal phenomena: From surviving floods to fires to hurricanes to lightning strikes and all forms and shapes of experience that would have caused many to quit in frustration; however, Drout persevered and turned all of that into powerful lyrics and driving rhythms for his music.

At the age of eight, Drout's family relocated to Houston, Texas and, after six painfully hard years he moved to Miami, Florida for the first time. Two years after that, his family's cultural aftershocks took him to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil where Drout farmed his musical diversity even further and, ultimately, returned to South Florida where he received a BFA in Art from Florida International University.

Drout currently appears with Albert Castiglia on their new live and acoustic release, "The Bittersweet Sessions" and is back on Blues radio with as much of the dynamic energy and style that put the band on the map in its earliest days.

Instrumentation

Graham Wood Drout: Lead vocals, rhythm guitar and percussion
John Wenzel: Lead guitar, vocals
Mitch Mestel: Bass guitar, vocals
Ron Taylor: Keyboards
Daniel East: Drums, vocals

Discography

2006 - The Bittersweet Sessions, Little Silver LSR05-001
Orig. 2000/Remastered, reissued 2007 - Shine, Little Silver LSCD005
Orig. 1996/Remastered, reissued 2007 - Protected By Voodoo, Little Silver LSCD001
1991 - Riding on The Rims - Live, Little Silver (out of print)
1986 - Snowstorm in The Jungle, Kingsnake (out of print)

See band's website for radio song samples.

Links

• Iko Iko on Facebook
• Voodoo Crew on Facebook
• Iko Iko on MySpace
• Iko Iko on iLike

Audio

• (I've Got) Gris-Gris
  Listen   Download
• Ghosts of Mississippi (acoustic w/ Albert Castiglia)
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• Spy Boy (LIVE)
  Listen   Download
• Day The Old Man Died (LIVE)
  Listen   Download
• Black Cat Bone (LIVE)
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• 3 Fingered Fellas Named "Shorty"
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Lyrics

• The Ghosts of Mississippi
• The Day The Old Man Died
• American Dream

Video

Iko Iko - "Spy Boy" live 02/22/08

Photo Gallery

Press

• Blues Revue [+ Show ]
  

  Soul-filling ideas that flow out of [Drout's] writing pen and into the heart of the listener...the r...Soul-filling ideas that flow out of [Drout's] writing pen and into the heart of the listener...the result is breathtaking.

• Best Songwriter Award [+ Show ]
  

  IKO-IKO front man Graham Drout's blues-flavored rock songs can transport you to a strange and mystic...IKO-IKO front man Graham Drout's blues-flavored rock songs can transport you to a strange and mystical world, or at least to a hidden corner of the tricounty area. Drout's songs are drenched in dues-paying experience and bubble up as if out of Miami's tropical melting pot.

• San Diego Tribune review
  

  An eclectic mix of Southern musical traditions; the band achieves what others began...

• from Billboard [+ Show ]
  

  Imposing presence and offbeat, down-and-dirty Blues hooks define Iko's sound. Voodoo band, [Iko-Iko]...Imposing presence and offbeat, down-and-dirty Blues hooks define Iko's sound. Voodoo band, [Iko-Iko], is on a roll...

• Louisville show review [+ Show ]
  

  IKO-IKO takes bluesy rock and strains it through Louisiana swamp water, coming up with a groove orie...IKO-IKO takes bluesy rock and strains it through Louisiana swamp water, coming up with a groove oriented twist that fits right in!

• NPR music director comments [+ Show ]
  

  "We played ‘Protected by Voodoo’ and got a response. From listeners, from retail and from venues, we..."We played ‘Protected by Voodoo’ and got a response. From listeners, from retail and from venues, we got a response. It’s just a great record.” - Dan Reed

• Ed Bell from NPR [+ Show ]
  

  "Their original tunes are the essence of Blues & boogie with a dash of N’awlins sauce. There is no b..."Their original tunes are the essence of Blues & boogie with a dash of N’awlins sauce. There is no better!” - Ed Bell

Setlist

A mix of "soulful swampadelic" Americana originals with updated covers to Muddy Waters, John Prine, Van Morrison, and other songs with a new edge and vocal harmonies over a dynamic backbeat.

Shows are usually either:
1 - 90 minute set (headline)
1 - 45 minute set (opening act)
2 - 60 minute shows (depending on venue)

We pride ourselves on being VERY easy to work with and can play according to venue, promoter needs, etc..

Basic Requirements

Calendar