Fat Maw Rooney

Rick's Cafe Music Magazine - January, 2005
By Patrick Stutz

After nine years of bouncing around Wisconsin and Minnesota, playing gigs and small festival circuts, the Oconomowoc band Fat Maw Rooney hit the studio to turn out their first CD, End of the Beginning. The eleven original tracks by the band help to fuel the desire of the small but growing fan base by providing a cleaned-up, produced version of what the band has been trying to do for nearly a decade.

Taking cues from Stevie Ray Vaughn, Miles Davis, Jeff Buckley, and Jerry Garcia, Fat Maw Rooney has created a southern blues album that is alive with jazz and funk undertones. End of the beginning is a disc that will disappoint neither loyal nor newly interested listeners, for the five-man group demonstrate their diverse playing styles through an audio journey that stays true to the band's sound and feel regardless of changing techniques.

The band opens the album with the funk-flavored "Grassroots," but instantly moves away from this genre as if to say "Now it's time for some blues." The second track, "Bourbon Street" sends the CD down the southern blues trail and illustrates why the band has so often been compared to the Allman Brothers.

For fans who have been around a while and enjoy the longer songs that appear during live shows, Fat Maw Rooney has included the 12-minute-44-second gem "Blue Angel." Track four on the disc, this song contains a nearly eleven-minute flowing instrumental that would surely bring out the swaying and spinning space dancers found at most outdoor jam band festivals.

If you're not a fan of the jam band scene, Fat Maw Rooney certainly should not turn you off, as the band's versatility throughout the entire album affords something for nearly everyone. From funk-laden tunes to southern blues and the slow-hand style on the title track, this band has come together to successfully cap off the past nine years with a CD that can only enhance the band's reputation as stellar Midwest musicians.

Having been around for many years, the band has learned to work with successful methods used by other bands in the past in order to push its way to the top. Fat Maw Rooney has been promoting the recording and trading of its live shows for quite some time and recently won a spot at the 10,000 Lakes Festival in Minnesota, where they shared the stage with Keller Williams, Buckwheat Zydeco, and Leftover Salmon. With success apparently on the horizon for these five gents, it is only fitting to release a series of tracks that not only represents the band's style, but serves the listener with a musical collection that draws them in and hooks them like a drug.
- Rick's Cafe Music Magazine

Oconomowoc Focus - June 16, 2004
Local Band Set to Break Nationally
Jonna Clark, staff writer

Forget any notion that this group of talented young guys from Oconomowoc is the fruition of teenage angst or the product of a high school garage band.

Though they met and formed while still cutting their teeth in the Oconomowoc High School jazz band nine years ago, they are, as one fan put it, truly innovative, expert musicians.

They are Fat Maw Rooney (FMR), and if early press and fan enthusiasm is any indicator, they are poised for a long and storied career in the music business.

Craig Baumann, Kevin Rowe, Ryan Necci, Ryan Peterson, A.J. Dexheimer and Jim Holzem are FMR, and all hail from Oconomowoc, though most in the group attend college during the school year and pursue degree programs that will help further their band's success.

From college campuses in Platteville, Madison and Eau Claire and points between, band members said, they do a lot of driving year-round to make it to weekend performances.

"Our gigs are our practice sessions," Baumann said in a group interview full of rapid-fire conversation and good-natured banter. Practice sessions they don't really need, according to one fan.

Rick Layman of Hartland has been following FMR for years. Layman is a friend of Baumann's parents. He said that once he heard FMR, he recognized their talent.

"The guys are music students, and you don't run into that very often," Layman said, adding that band members' ability to play more than one instrument and solid knowledge of the mechanics adds variety and excitement to their performances. "It keeps me coming back."

Layman said FMR's musical chops allow them to do live jams and riffs, and while they cover some songs, they write and produce their own. "You have to understand the rules to break them, and FMR has a grasp of what makes music not just pleasurable but fundamentally good," he said.

Good enough to record their first studio CD in January 2004.

Maximum Ink music magazine reviewer Peter Kolesari calls FMR Southeastern Wisconsin's torchbearers of blues/rock spontaneity and their first CD release, "End of the Beginning," buoyant. With outstanding guitar work, very tight vocals and harmonies, and a cohesive and impressive work that blends funk and improvisation, FMR gives a powerful live performance, Kolesari writes.

The FMR guys describe their sound in a hail of tongue-in-cheek music lingo tossed out too fast for attribution to anyone in particular. Funk and bluegrass fusion, eclectic neoblues, a sonic buffet, jam funk, and all set to a pounding percussive beat. Listening to their give and take in an interview, you get a hint of their agility.

According to the band, the CD was recorded at Roundtable Studios in Eagle with the help of generous family members, loans and donations. For $7,000, the band was able to get 1,000 CDs made, rent the studio and necessary equipment, and have enough left over to get some promotional T-shirts and stickers made.

So far the band has sold 600 CDs and already said they are gearing up to record another CD as soon as possible.

And these guys are no slouches on the business and marketing side of the music business. The said they have already formed a limited liability corporation called Grassroots to enable them to act as a business entity to diversify their products, provide legal protection for the band, and even allow them to take on younger bands someday.

And they clearly understand what it means to be a young band starting out. According to Baumann, FMR, formerly Roadhouse Blues Band, got its first exposure at Oconomowoc Middle School's seventh-grade talent show. Their first paying job was at a party in Hartland, soon followed by a gig at the Roadhouse in Okauchee.

While the band has had its share of personnel changes, Ryan Necci, Craig Baumann and A.J. Dexheimer have been around the longest, and the current FMR roster has remained stable since 1996 when they began making the rounds locally as Roadhouse Blues Band.

Why the name change? FMR collectively said the old name was somewhat limiting and not especially appealing to younger audiences. While a name change can be risky, plenty of local recognition has made the transition smooth.

"They clearly have a lot of fan and family support," Layman said, describing the typical FMR crowds as having a "nice" vibe. And maybe that has something to do also with the FMR guys. "They are straight-up, clean, refreshing guys," Layman said, and care more about their music than adopting any sort of the usual foolishness often associated with rock bands.

The fan following also helped FMR gain entry to an upcoming music event in Minnesota. The 10,000 Lakes Festival is a large venue, and FMR competed against 70 bands from around the country for a spot on the weekendlong schedule. Online voting also was a factor in being chosen. "Our crowd stepped up to vote," Baumann said. "Thanks to all - Oconomowoc Focus

Maximum Ink Music Magazine - April 2004
By Peter Kolesari


“End of the Beginning” is the initial studio release from Southeastern Wisconsin's torchbearers of blues/rock spontaneity, Fat Maw Rooney. Having recently changed their name from the Roadhouse Blues Band, Fat Maw Rooney remains true to their blues roots, while at the same time successfully blending tinges of funk and improvisation. According to the band's web site, "our music has a redemptive and open ability to turn in any direction and to jump from mood to mood and genre to genre.” “End of the Beginning” is composed of 11 original tracks, including the ultra-funky “GrassRoots,” the buoyant “Shine On,” and “Blue Angel,” which features a lengthy Allman Brothers-ish instrumental section. The band has been playing together for nearly nine years, and it shows on the outstanding guitar work, very tight vocals/harmonies, and overall cohesiveness of the album. Fat Maw Rooney continues to develop a strong local following through powerful live performances, and with the release of “End of the Beginning,” the future appears very bright for these musical troubadours. - Maximum Ink

Volume One Magazine - May 2004
Fat Maw Rooney: Seeking a fresh faced crowd with funk, rock, and blues
By Kelly Perkins

Having recently changed their name from the Roadhouse Blues Band, Fat Maw Rooney also opted for a musical change - adding funk and inventiveness while staying true to their blues roots. Fat Maw Rooney consists of five natives of Southeastern Wisconsin seeking to replace their old crowd of blues-hungry parents, and gain a following of fresh faces looking for solid, captivating music with growing alteration.

With an incresed interest in quality songwriting and influences ranging from the Allman Brothers to Miles Davis, the band is attempting to set itself apart from the recent onslaught of regular jam bands. Lately, due to geographical distance between the members, it's been difficult for the band to get together and rehearse, but their strong local following doesn't seem to mind too much. They're tremendously excited for the upcominsummer, when they'll have the opportunity to dedicate the majority of their free time to rehearsing, playing shows, and hopefully moving a few people along the way. During and after this upcoming summer, these guys could become one hell of a band. - Volume One

Fat Maw Rooney set to teach rock some lessons

Fat Maw Rooney set to teach rock some lessons


by Christine Holm
Thursday, November 18, 2004

Jam bands are not for everyone. The defining element of improvisation is something not every musician can be trusted with.

It can be no more inspiring than that guy in the front row of every Political Science class who attempts to develop his own political theories during the two-hundred plus lecture. There is no cohesion, no focus; the end never seems to be in sight. At the other end, some skills are equivalent to that professor whose intellectual epiphanies are as enchanting and captivating as anything experienced. Such seemingly mythical professors are rare, indeed.

Think of Fat Maw Rooney as the doctorate student. The teaching assistant that is ultimately adored even when neither the students nor he himself is exactly sure where he is going with that sudden tangent from ethnographic theories to camera lenses and insects.

These boys have the abilities. Their craft is six years in the making, but even spontaneous invention needs continual refinement.

Originally hailing from southeastern Wisconsin’s Oconomowoc, guitarists Craig Baumann and Ryan Peterson, drummer AJ Dexheimer, bassist Kevin Rowe, percussionist Ryan Necci and techie Jim Holzem have been hard at work. Not only are most pursuing university degrees at various Wisconsin schools, but FMR also found time to record and release their first album, End of the Beginning, this past year. For Baumann, this album “symbolized the start of our collective musical quest for a centralized groove and a group entity. The first disc set a benchmark for those to come and served as a true learning experience for all of us.”

That centralized groove is something of a chiller version of the Allman Brothers, a touch funkier than early Stevie Ray Vaughan. That group entity further revolutionizes its genre and is as unafraid of vocal experimentation, with the harmonies in “Shine On” as the group is with the improvisation of guitar interplay in “GrassRoots.” While the debut record does a decent job of capturing Fat Maw Rooney’s artistic ability, it only offers a taste of those demonstrated in the live arena.

“Our shows are unique in a way that we are constantly trying new things within the band and with the audience,” Baumann explained.

That audience, unique in nearly every venue, is essential in fueling the FMR sound.

“Most of our show is improvisational, including the interaction with each other and the audience. The audience is truly what drives our show. It is not necessarily the size of the audience that controls our act, but we try to tap into certain special energies from the people that are reacting to what they are seeing and hearing.”

An appreciative audience encourages most musicians. The transfer of energy naturally makes both rock all the harder. But not many artists can so adeptly produce an auditory representation of that energy in the very moment of its existence. The fact that these five boys have the intuition to improvise not just as individuals but also as a group is quite a feat all on its own. This ability likely came from the high school band training. Yes, most of these guys are former neo-band geeks, uniformed in the parades, named in the holiday concert bulletin, the whole bit. Yet knowing the classical rules makes it all the easier to defy them. And that defiance begins with the very basis of making a jam band in the face of such a rock-heavy, production-based musical culture. There can be moments of musical indecision, southern blues bass lines backing up a circa 1970s funk riff, a calm before the spontaneity breaks into a storm, a sharing of vocal responsibilities among band members.

The best opportunity to appreciate the band that rocked HarvestFest and the 10,000 Lakes Festival is to catch it at one of the various Midwestern venues the group performs at.

Baumann said: “We love to play music for ourselves, each other and anyone else who will listen. To me, a good show is like winning a sporting event. We practice hard and learn the plays and moves that are true to our field, and we go and execute them both thru script and audibles.”

Only at shows can the listener understand what really makes Fat Maw Rooney a noteworthy band. “Feel the Love” may sound fun on the stereo and the horns may inject energy through the headphones, but knowing you aren’t the only one feeling it adds a whole new dimension. And in the presence of this kind of greatness, the audience cannot help but enjoy themselves.

“Music is my favorite drug,” Baumann offered. “It can take me high or low or somewhere in between without any warning. The freedom is delightful.”

That kind of freeing drug is only available where FMR plays. Luckily, the band will be hitting Madison this Saturday, debuting at the King Club and returning Dec. 10 for a gig at the Memorial Union.

The two performances wi - The Badger Herald

Fat Maw Rooney is a vibrant, fresh, young jam band, revitalizing the soul with a positive vibe and thick beats that make you move. With an incredible stage presence, it is obvious that these guys are on stage to have fun and feel the energy that the audience echoes. During their shows, band members exchange glances and smiles with each other on stage, displaying the true camaraderie that exists between them. Packed with solid harmonies and talented musicians, Fat Maw Rooney (FMR) impresses with lightening fast rhythm changes. Concert-goers are undoubtedly starting to notice what an incredible music experience Fat Maw Rooney creates.

I first discovered FMR at Harvest Fest in Minnesota where they played on an afternoon in August 2004 to an eager and excited Midwest crowd. I was surprised to learn that it was their very first performance at a music festival. My colleague, Missy, and I purposely left our campsites that afternoon to take in the performance of the band that everyone was talking about. Even after all the hype, we were electrified by their performance.

Some shows in recent past prove their fan base is growing, including the Moe pre-show in October and the show in Oconomowoc over Thanksgiving weekend. At the Moe pre-show at the Rave in Milwaukee, the room was packed solid. Desert Rose Promotions caught up with the charming FMR after the show and witnessed their upbeat nature first-hand. In their hometown of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, they didn’t even have to promote their high-energy show and 300 people came. Extra security had to be called in to ensure that the crowd didn’t get out of hand. Although it was an explosive night of music, all remained jovial and the extra security was not needed.

Fat Maw Rooney is definitely going places and their positive energy will keep people coming back for more. Look for the exclusive interview of this up and coming band when Desert Rose Promotions brings them to the Windy City to make their Chicago debut in February. You definitely don’t want to miss them; we see big things for FMR.
- Angela Rose, Desert Rose Promotions- Jan. 4, 2005

Fat Maw Rooney, a band made up of three UW-Eau Claire students and two UW-Platteville students, will perform at 9 p.m. tonight at the House of Rock, 422 Water St.

Although the band has undergone several lineup changes and a name change, it has been playing for almost nine years, said junior Ryan Peterson, guitarist and vocalist.

"We played our first show in seventh grade," he said.

Originally a cover band, it has learned nearly 200 cover songs, but the band now has changed its focus to writing new material, said senior Ryan Necci, percussion and vocalist.

"It's pretty much strictly originals when we get together now," he said.

The band's sound is "neo-blues," Peterson said.

Necci said he thought other people would refer to them as a jam band with funk influences.

Members agreed that the fact that the band has been together so long has had a large affect on the music.

"I think what makes our band intense, and I think what makes it emotional, is we all have been through a lot together," Peterson said.

Members agreed that together, they have dealt with problems. Those problems range from relationship issues to losing loved ones.

"Pretty much everyone has gone through relationship issues," Necci said.

Peterson said he also has had to deal with his parents' divorce while in the band.

He added the band also prays together before each show. However, it is not a Christian band, he noted.

"We all believe in a creator, but we all have different beliefs," Necci said. "It's a non-denominational thank you."

Members said they feel dealing with hardship and praying has made them very close and able to communicate musically.

"Craig will play a solo, and I'll ask him, 'Were you thinking about your senior year of high school?'... He'll say, 'Yeah,'" Peterson said.

Despite the emotional inspiration, members said they feel there is a lot of musical and lyrical depth.

"It's not emo-rock," Peterson said. "It's not three chords and talk of your lost love."

He said he thinks the band has grown a lot lyrically since Necci joined eight months ago.

"I think Ryan brought words to the band," Peterson said.

Necci agreed he has focused on lyrics.

"I was never really into jazz," he said. "I was kind of raised on Bob Dylan."

Members said the merge of existing members who came from their high school jazz bands and Necci's lyrics complete the band.

"What one lacks, the other one gives," Necci said.

The band also tries to play to the crowd, Peterson said. It tries to mix things up and keep things interesting. At their Halloween show, members threw 500 glow sticks into the crowd.

"Our biggest philosophy is, 'It's not just our music; it's their music too,'" Peterson said.

The band has played for audiences throughout Wisconsin and is just now starting to break into Minnesota, members said. It played two big festivals there over the summer - Harvest Fest in Geneva and 10,000 Lakes Festival in Detroit Lakes.

"We're focusing on building a big following in the Midwest," Necci said.

Other than tonight's concert, the band also is playing at 9 p.m. Friday, at Howie's in La Crosse and 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the King's Club in Madison.

The band is working on holding a benefit concert for Aaron Spina, Peterson said. Spina is the son of philosophy and religous studies professor Stephen Spina. He was in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Now, the Spinas need to find a house that easily could be converted into a wheelchair-accessible one.

The band is looking into holding the concert at Higherground next semester and needs volunteers to help with the show. Anyone interested should contact the band through its Web site. - Chris Henson UWEC Spectator- Nov. 18th, 2004

About the FMR show...

“It was amazing, I didn’t expect this at all. I’ve run 400 shows here and this is one of the top 5 that I’ve done, definitely.” – Dan Babrocki, sound engineer at Griffins




"The Ladies of DRP"Desert Rose Promotions (DRP) presented the Chicago debut of the hottest, up and coming jam band in the Midwest; Fat Maw Rooney (FMR). In an exceptionally short amount of time, while most of the guys are still finishing their degrees at WI universities, FMR has managed to carve a name for themselves in shows and festivals throughout the Midwest and beyond. The upcoming summer will prove to be their most exciting tour yet! It is shocking to believe that Missy and I were introduced to their music less than a year ago in Minnesota when they made their very first appearance at a music festival. Now their summer roster includes nearly ten festival appearances including the return to the 10K Lakes Festival (www.10klf.com) in MN and 2 nights of FMR on the main stage at the Touch of Jerry Mountain Summer Festival in Boulder, CO.








The DRP show at Griffins on May 14, 2005 was an evening of unparalleled music, dance, and diversion. The guys in FMR leave the crowd wanting more. In fact, everyone that I talked to at our show was “blown away” by this band. Chicago was very receptive to the music and vibe of this young and vibrant funky, blues jam band. The only time the ladies of DRP stopped dancing was at set break! These guys are in a music genre of their own as they are successful at blending a vast array of sounds and beats.



If you missed this show, don’t despair! Fat Maw Rooney is returning to Chicago on Thursday, May 26 at 9pm at Wise Fools Pub, $7.



Angela Rose, DRP Director, caught up with Dan Babrocki, who ran the sound at Griffins for the FMR show



AR: What did you think about the show tonight?



DB: I was blown away, I just bought tickets to 10K Lakes and I had no idea that I’d be running sound for one of the bands that was going to be there.



AR: And sound wise?



DB: Oh my god, yeah. After the first five minutes, I just let it go and they did everything on their own. And what’s the average age, 24 or 25?



AR: Younger actually



DB: There’s no maturity like that, they’re amazing. They really have it together.

It went from country to fusion jazz to psychedelia to almost heavy metal at one point.



AR: Do you find that rare in the jam band scene?



DB: The thing that I find rare in the jam band scene is what they did today and that is listen to each other. I gave them what they wanted and I didn’t have to mix tonight. They did that themselves, they mixed to what they heard. Most jam bands try and force stuff, but these guys let what happen, happen. They’re definitely young, and they’re definitely on their way somewhere, and 2-3 years from now I can’t wait to see what these guys are up to! I can’t wait what to go up to Minnesota for the 10K lakes fest and run into them again.



AR: How is FMR different than the average jam band?



DB: The biggest difference is your average run of the mill jam band just covers a lot of songs. But these guys did their own stuff and after a while I wasn’t even paying attention to the songs, I was just listening to where they were. In the first set, they got to some points that were all liquidy and my shirt was vibrating while the keyboard player was hitting the high-end stuff. It was amazing, I didn’t expect this at all. I’ve run 400 shows here and this is one of the top 5 that I’ve done, definitely. Sound wise, maturity, I mean you don’t find a band this young that listens to each other. The drummer came in and set up this big area and I thought he is going to be an obnoxious, loud bastard. But he actually let the band ride on top of him as opposed to try and force it. It was a great evening, really amazing.



www.FatMawRooney.com - www.DeserRosePromotions.com



Email Angela Rose, Angela@DesertRosePromotions.com




- Desert Rose Promotions

"There’s always something special about seeing live music in Madison, Wisconsin. The guitars howl with a bit more ferocity, the drums roll with a bit more of a stroll, the funk seems a bit stickier, and all the notes just seem to be cleaner, even more pure. The beautiful Majestic Theater is located on King Street, just off of Capital Square, and since it reopened its doors in September of 2007 as a music venue, it has become a popular stop off for many great bands passing through the Midwest and is a venue known for treating their artists and patrons well, providing an overall great atmosphere.

After taking a cold walk with a cup of coffee down State Street prior to the show, hitting up a couple record stores and treating myself to a hot meal from Kabul (Madison’s finest Afghani food!), I met up with some friends right down the street from the Majestic at the Great Dane Brew Pub to have a couple drinks before heading to the show. Hot Buttered Rum was playing their first gig without mando/fiddle player Zachary Matthews, and would be instead joined by Everyone Orchestra conductor Matt Butler on drums. All of us had seen HBR several times over the years, so it was no surprise that the topic of conversation was how they were going to adapt and what their new sound would be with a full kit behind the strings. Butler, having collaborated with them numerous times throughout the years via his Everyone Orchestra, would also be joining them on New Year’s Eve in Denver at the Oriental Theater. Tonight was to be the first night for HBR of a small run through the Midwest with Butler sharin’ in the groove.

Fat Maw Rooney

The Milwaukee based Midwest favorite Fat Maw Rooney opened the night and were welcomed by a great early crowd comprised of their Fat Heads, Butter Freaks, general Grass Hounds, the “on the scene” kids and those who were just trying to warm their bones with a little bit of Thursday night music and dance. Hosts and heroes of the wildly popular Fat Fest held annually in August and Jammin For Jamaica Charity Work Trip (building houses in Porus, Jamaica) in January, plus Operation Adaptation: A Festival for a Healthy Planet in April, Fat Maw Rooney is the perfect match for a band like Hot Buttered Rum as they both share in the mission of “greening the scene” and giving something back to the world community. Fat Maw Rooney is known for their spot-on four part harmonies, their dual guitar attacks, smart song-writing and their thick, rhythmic grooves.

Since their summer 2008 release of their first live album, Migration: Volume 1, it seems as though Fat Maw has become much more conscious of their live sound, taking extra time to allow jams to build and the pieces fall together, and finding themselves in a more mature and complete place than perhaps ever before – the live album demonstrates this very same tightness and control and it seems as though they have a clear path to a great future.

Fat Maw started out with a nearly perfect rendition of Ralphy Stanley’s “O Death.” Sung by percussionist Ryan Necci with a voice that is as full of Soul as it is of Sorrow, it filled the room with a shiver that seemed colder than the night and echoed perfectly over the main floor and into the balcony as the accompanying harmony added the perfect amount of darkness to the fearful song.

“Tanglewood,” always a fan favorite with its maddening composition and audience participation, included a deep and thick jam that peaked out quickly before dropping down into the talented hands of bass player Kevin Rowe and drummer Kyle Keegan. Fat Maw’s rhythm section proceeded to lay down what was probably the overall best groove of the night, albeit early, starting out simple and then taking it back up to the top with Peterson and Craig Baumann (guitar) adding intricate structure before eventually taking it over again into a frenzy of dueling guitars.

“Grassroots,” which serves as something of an anthem or calling card for the band, came next and really got the crowd dancing with its tight harmonies, catchy chorus line and wicked jam. The band continued on with a great version of their “Unload My Head,” again sung by the always passionate voice of Ryan Necci, and with the classic Wisconsin-appropriate drinking songs, “Love and Whiskey” and “Bourbon Street.” All in all, Fat Maw delivered an excellent and quite diverse set of music to start the night out and prep everyone for HBR who was soon to follow.

Hot Buttered Rum with Matt Butler

Hot Buttered Rum came onto the stage soon after Fat Maw was done and dove right into the night showcasing their new (albeit temporary?) line-up by giving Butler a nice, tight drum solo which segued into “Every Stone We Lay.” After a short introduction of Butler as drummer for the night and an accompanying cheer from the crowd, HBR came back with their classic “Guns or Butter” which included a nice little improvised section in the middle that sort of set the pace of the night. Butler, a m - www.jambands.com