Honky Tonk Knights
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Honky Tonk Knights

Newport, Rhode Island, United States | SELF

Newport, Rhode Island, United States | SELF
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"Bill Murray loves to party in Newport"

Ok folks so we’ve been hearing all of the rumors about the many Hollywood celebs hanging out in Newport this summer and we love it!
They’re here shooting Moonrise Kingdom and it has really given a shot in the arm to the Newport nightlife scene this early in the season.

Steve Cerilli of The HonkyTonk Knights



Sure some have seen Bruce Willis while others have seen Ed Norton and Wes Anderson hanging in some of our best Newport restaurants, we even spoke with a couple on the launch this morning who had just eaten breakfast next to Vincent D’Onofrio…but last night we saw the king, the seventh son of the Lama, the gunga galunga, a former greenskeeper about to become The Masters Champion, Bill freaking Murray! And he was cool, really cool.

He hung with the capacity crowd in the sweltering heat, singing along with the band, clapping his hands stomping his feet, and dancing around all night long. It is easy to see why this guy is a star.
We can’t tell you where we saw him because we’ve been sworn to secrecy and want to drink tequila with him again next week.
But here’s what we can say, if you follow the schedule of the amazing, amazing band The HonkyTonk Knights then maybe when you die, on your death bed, you’ll receive total consciousness. Which is nice.. - Newport Buzz


"Live Music in Newport – The Honky Tonk Knights"

Keeping the Bakersfield sound, roots country and rockabilly blues alive and well on the east coast.
Formed as an acoustic trio in May of 2009, The Honky Tonk Knights (HTK) have been playing multiple shows every week, digging deep into old country jems, 50's rockabilly, the bakersfield sound and jump blues. The band has expanded (space permitting) to a four piece electric act.
The Electric “HTK” features Bill Cote on lead guitar, Steve Cerilli on rhythm telecaster and slide, Wil Cooley on Upright slap bass & Jay White on drums. All members are seasoned players and vocalists sharing a common love for roots music and making people dance. The two guitar sound delivers entwined stereo rhythm, licks and leads around the solid slap & thump of the Cooley/White bass and drum foundation.
The Honky Tonk Knights perform as a trio featuring upright bass, and two acoustic guitars or as the Electric Honky Tonk Knights with drums and twin telecasters. Oh and Billy Murray loves them!!! - Newport Buzz


"For a good time call - The Honky Tonk Knights"

This is what happens late at night after a few drinks.
Nearly three years ago, veteran local musician Steve Cerilli was hanging out at Perro Salado with friends Dan Hall and Andi Johnson, who own the place. "Dan is a music fanatic and we put on a CD with Johnny Cash and Buck Owens on it," Cerilli recalled. "That's when I said, ‘I'm going to start a honky tonk band.'"
Of course, once he said it, he needed to actually find musicians with a kindred love of the Bakersfield country sound, rockabilly and other roots music. Cerilli connected with guitarist Matt Wunsch (later replaced by Bill Cote of Chelley, Bill and Dyl), augmented the sound with occasional percussionist Jay White and tracked down standup bassist Will Cooley through a Craigslist ad.
And now the Honky Tonk Knights are one of the hardest working bands in Newport. Thursday nights at Perro Salado are becoming a tradition, as is Sunday brunch at the Fifth Element. At the down-home Billy Goode's, the Knights trade in acoustic guitars for electric Fender Telecasters.
"We found out that there's a demand for this kind of music," said Cerilli, a pianist-turned-guitar player. "We're filling a niche that needed to be filled. Each venue in Newport has its own particular crowd. And then we bring in our own crowd."
The Honky Tonk Knights sound and look like no one else in town. Cerilli, who also plays keyboards for the reggae veterans The Ravers, latched onto the roots country sound through the Rolling Stones' steel-guitar laced "Dead Flowers" and then country rock pioneer Gram Parsons. He dug further back to find Buck Owens and Merle Haggard.
"It's a music that speaks directly to people and gets them to party and dance," he said.
Cooley, the youngest member of the group at 29, came to Rhode Island via Orlando, Fla. - where his father ran a music store - with a stop in Brooklyn, N.Y., in between. He sports a set of thick muttonchops that would grant him honorary membership in Elvis' Memphis Mafia.
When the music revs up and the spirit moves him, he'll hop onto his bass and tip it forward: "I haven't fallen yet ... knock wood."
At a recent Fifth Element brunch, some in the audience celebrated a birthday party and others watched football on TV, but the Knights were well received. Brunch crowds are reserved while night-timers let loose.
The Honky Tonk Knights have about 12 original tunes and mix in a stash of covers, with Cerilli and Cooley taking turns at vocals - singing into a bulky Grand Ole Opry-style microphone - and Cote's acoustic guitar solos are torrential.
Covers included the Old Crow Medicine Show's "Wagon Wheel" and "Ooh La La" by Faces. It's a funny thing about "Ooh La La." It caught the attention of a guy who's become their most famous fan.
One night last spring at Perro Salado, Bill Murray - in town to film "Moonrise Kingdom" - took a seat in back as the Honky Tonk Knights performed. They got to "Ooh La La," which appears in the Murray movie "Rushmore."
"I had no idea he was even in the place," Cerilli said. "In a smaller place, you don't want to end up staring at the customers. After the set, he bought us drinks."
And perhaps in a subliminal nod to another Murray classic, "Groundhog Day," the actor and crewmembers showed up for the next five Thursdays.
These days, the Knights are focusing on lining up gigs and getting their music heard. They post recordings (both Cerilli and Cooley are sound editors) on their Facebook page and plan to release tunes online.
"The day of the CD is essentially over," Cerilli said. "But we have other ways to get our music out in order to promote our shows. Online is the way to go."
Meanwhile, the group is enjoying the amount of work it's landing. Cerilli, 42, recently took a vacation trip to Nashville and found veteran music pros playing bars for tips.
"We've been lucky to work as much as we do," he said. "The way I'm feeling, I want to play in the Honky Tonk Knights and the Ravers for the rest of my life." - Newport Mercury


"Honky Tonk Knights take on the Newport Music scene"

Next time you’re in the mood for live music in Newport, make sure to look out for the The HonkyTonk Knights. The band performed a gig at Perro Salado last Thursday night and it was a packed house.

“We usually have two crowds,” said Steve Cerilli, a Newport resident who plays guitar for The HonkyTonk Knights. “There are the customers that are finishing up dinner when we begin playing at 9 p.m. who usually stick around, and then the crowd that comes in at around 10 p.m. when we really get going.”

The HonkyTonk Knights have been making music together for the past two years. Cerilli, lead guitarist for the band, said he started the trio to "explore country music and early rock 'n roll on guitar." Since their inception, Cerilli has added a lap steel and telecasters to give the group an electric band sound instead of remaining solely acoustic, and a drummer.

The HonkyTonk Knights began as a trio featuring upright bass, and two acoustic guitars. Will Cooley plays the upright slap bass and also plays guitar for his rockabilly band High Octane. Bill Cote plays guitar as well and also plays in Chelly Bill and Dyl. To give them a more rock 'n roll feel, Jay White splits time on the drums between the HonkyTonk Knights and Rebel Heat.

While the band plays cover songs from genres like country blues, rockabilly, bluegrass, and their eponymous honky tonk, they also play many original songs as well.

"We play about 12 originals from my songbook, some date back to my twenties when I worked with Rolling Stones producer Jimmy Miller, others were written a few months or weeks ago specifically for our new sound," Cerilli said.

The trio has been playing Perro Salado every Thursday night for over a year, and said they have developed a loyal fanbase.

“One thing that I love about The HonkyTonk Knights is that they bring something different to the Newport community,” said Newport resident Kyle Reichman. “I’ve really liked their music since the first time I saw them and it’s great that they are adding another element to the music scene here.”

Each of the band members are seasoned players and vocalists and all share a common love for Roots music, not to mention they said they enjoy getting people to dance. While there wasn’t much room in Perro Salado, mostly due to the crowd piling in, a look around showed a crowd that was getting into the music. Cerilli was right, around 10 p.m. latecomers were vying for space, so make sure to get there early to claim a spot, he said.

If you want to catch up with The HonkyTonky Knights, the band plays Perro Salado every Thursday, the Pier every Friday, the Clarke Cooke House once monthly on a Saturday night, and Jimmy’s Saloon every other month. The band has also played for fundraiser events such as Movember, Newport events such as Winter Fest and the Newport Art Museum's 4th Friday, and they also play at Billy Goode's on occasion.

To view the complete schedule for The HonkyTonk Knights visit :http://honkytonkband.blogspot.com - Newport Patch


Discography

HTK original songs we perform at our live shows:

True Country
Bopo Train
My favorite company
1209
Lady luck
Jagged line
sugarbird
After Sunset
Bushwacked
Bigger Shoes
Words can't describe
Sandcastle
Mustard
Day by day
Download HTK music here: www.honkytonk.bandcamp.com

Photos

Bio

From the beginning, HTK grew from the Bakersfield sounds of California. Lefty Frizzell, Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Bob Wills, Ernest Tubbs and Gram Parsons.
Formed as an acoustic trio in May of 2009, The Honky Tonk Knights (HTK) have been playing multiple shows every week, digging deep into old country jems, 50's rockabilly, the bakersfield sound and jump blues. The band has expanded (space permitting) to a four piece electric act. Electric "HTK" features Steve Cerilli on rhythm telecaster and slide, Wil Cooley on Upright slap bass, Bill Cote on lead guitar & Jay White on drums. All members are seasoned players and vocalists sharing a common love for roots music and making people dance. The two guitar sound delivers entwined stereo rhythm, licks and leads around the solid slap & thump of the Cooley/White bass and drum foundation. New HTK originals are coming on a weekly basis and our debut recordings are slowly getting finished. Listen at: www.honkytonk.bandcamp.com