atomic jo

Atomic Jo is a three-piece groove rock band from the country roads of Beckley, West Virginia that will be gracing the stage of the Liberty Steakhouse in High Point on Friday, December 5, brandishing their own fusion of rock and roll originality with radio — and crowd-friendly cover song sensibilities. Formed in late 1997 by three kindred spirits, or maybe in this case — particles, Atomic Jo is a sonic alchemical equation composed of Scott Workman on bass and vocals, Stuart Hill on lead vocals and guitar, and William Bailey on drums, percussion, and vocals.

Hill, whose guitar work is highly reputable in the Mid-Atlantic region, along with the organically tight rhythm section of Workman and Bailey, creates an elemental blend of rock and roll that seems at any given time, to possess a myriad of different influences and, more often than not, a musical foundation composed of several distinctly different styles or genres.

Atomic Jo has acquired a widespread grassroots following by playing hundreds of shows and giving back to their fans. Over the course of their six years together, they guys have continued to expand their growing fan base, both at home and abroad. As well as having personal interaction and involvement with the band’s Web site (http://www.atomicjo.com), the WV trio also lures first-time listeners and long-time fans to their rest area on the Information Superhighway known as MP3.com, where rock and roll fans can download the hell out of songs like “Always Been There” and “70M (Fat J)” over and over again, for free, until their hearts content. Currently, there is also an Internet-only track (meaning you won’t find it on a disc at your local record shop), a live tune by the name of “Pearl,” that mysteriously appeared from the band’s secret bootleg archives.

Atomic Jo has released three albums over the course of the last four years and if history repeats itself once again, we should probably be expecting a brand new album sometime in the near future. One of the simple pleasures in listening to Atomic Jo is that each album is an inevitable fusion of rock and roll grooves with pop songwriting hooks that draws the listener in and keeps the Atomic Jo CD in the stereo.

With an impressive live performance schedule that would make even the most seasoned of professionals a bit pressed for free time, Atomic Jo has shared the stage with many national acts, including former bad boys of rock and roll, Buckcherry, Stretch Princess, Ben Swift Band, Raleigh-based local favorites — Far Too Jones, Edgar Winter, Chin-Ho!, the Marshall Tucker Band, Goose Creek Symphony, and Collapsis, just to mention a few. In addition to their own frenetic live schedule, Atomic Jo has also performed at the Mid-Atlantic Music Experience with Moe. and Cracker, as well as having MTV license the song “Lack of Trust” from their second album for the catfight-on-wheels surreality show, “Road Rules,” which, since MTV apparently has forsaken music videos, is one of the best ways to get rock and roll on the airwaves and into the eardrums of the masses.

Given the right chance, Atomic Jo has the potential to make an inventive impression on the music scene, or as the band themselves so succinctly puts it, “Like a branding iron to a cow’s ass, Atomic Jo is bound to leave their mark!” Perhaps then it is all the more appropriate that the band grace the stage of the Liberty Steakhouse in High Point on December 5 where people will be able to enjoy the musical stylings of Atomic Jo along with any part of the cow that they choose. l
- ESP Magazine