Fat Bottom Special

BEST BLUES BAND
BEST ROCK ACT

Fat Bottom Special

Just call their sound a bad-ass
brand of big blues and classic rock …or just call it bad ass. With sultry Miss Katie on vocals, The Brando and Jefferson Del Rio taking lead guitars and rhythm, H on bass, and Sean Feather drumming out the rear, Fat Bottom Special has proved to be one of the
hardest-hitting rock acts in the city.
Best known for belting out big blues
hits (“Let Me Love You Baby,� “Who
Do You Love?�) and classic rock, er,
classics (“You Can’t Always Get What You Want�), FBS went and got what was theirs to lose in 2004—best rock and blues act in Milwaukee. In the immortal words of Buddy G. himself, “Damn Right I Got the Blues.� (Jenn Danko) - The Shepherd-Express

BEST FEMALE VOCALIST

Katie Tushkowski (Miss Katie)
w/ Fat Bottom Special

With a laundry list of musical influences that include Janis Joplin, Robert Plant and tequila, Miss Katie has the true makings of a blues-rock vocalist. Who would have known she got her start singing at karaoke bars and house parties?
Since 2001, Katie and her FBS crew
have stormed local blues and rock
clubs with gritty-turned-charming
vengeance. “I love playing at the Up and Under the most,� Katie says. “There’s something about that place that gets us going and is so much fun.� So is singing some of her favorite tracks by Led Zeppelin, a band she continues to draw inspiration from while strutting on stage. “Confidence is about the most amazing thing you can have on stage,� she adds. “You get to a point where you’re not afraid to break out of your shell.� Lucky for local audiences. This blues-rock diva sings a better “Black Dog� than anyone in town.
(Jenn Danko) - The Shepherd-Express

(Published in J-S Dec. 31st, 2004)

Band name
Fat Bottom Special

Who's Who
Singer Miss Katie, guitarist Jefferson Del Rio, guitarist The Brando, bassist H and drummer Sean Feather. Del Rio spoke on behalf of the band.

When formed
"Late 2001. Some of us were in a few other bands together. Three of us entered a battle-of-the-bands contest that year and won. We later added H and Sean to the roster."

Web site
www.fatbottomspecial.com

Most recent album
"Fat Bottom Special," a six-song demo, available through the band's Web site.

They say they sound like
"A freight train with a haul of heavy blues and heavy rock."

We say they sound like
Blues-rock played with youth and inspiration.

Describe your look
"We leave the looks to Miss Katie. As for the rest of us? There ain't too much pretty about rock 'n' roll."

Sell yourself in 20 words or less
"We're the hardest-hitting and highest-energy rock 'n' roll band in Milwaukee."

Favorite food on the road
"Corn dogs."

Unofficial band beverage
"Various Sprecher brews."

What other band or musician could you take in a fight?
"Stevie Wonder."

First gig
"Milwaukee Ale House."

Worst gig
"We played on a concrete floor at a Marquette University bar called the Annex. I think my friend, the promoter and a band member's girlfriend were the only people there."

Weirdest fan encounter
"The time I stood on a chair while playing and hit my head on a ceiling fan."

Favorite cover song in your live show
" 'Rock and Roll,' by Led Zeppelin."

Biggest band achievement
"We were voted best rock and blues band by the (newsweekly) Shepherd Express."

Why do you do this?
"For the love of rock 'n' roll."

Where do you want to be in five years?
"Still healthy and still giggin'."

What's the greatest song ever written?
" 'Tush' by ZZ Top - a good example of straight-up blues with rock 'n' roll energy."

Next gig
10 tonight at the Up & Under Pub, 1216 E. Brady St. ($10; includes free champagne toast and party favors).

- Nick Carter

- The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel