Joe Whaley and The Benders

Crowds get ready for headliners

"The lawn in front of the Coca-Cola Classic Stage was sparsely populated as Joe Whaley & The Benders took the stage at 2 p.m. Although it was likely to be more than eight hours until Hank Williams Jr. took the stage, several fans wearing Bocephus shirts began gathering in Linn Park as Whaley’s guitar brought people to their feet."

Jeremy Gray - al.com - The Birmingham News

Thursday, June 15, 2006

Local Band debuts at City Stages

In the April 19 Liner Notes, I got to tell you a bit about Joe Whaley and the Benders, one of our newest local bands - newcomer Joe teamed with veterans Robert Staggers, John Staggers and Lee Graham.

Over the past year the group has been recording an indie/folk rock album of original material written by Whaley but has yet to appear in public. That all changes this Saturday. Their strong demo netted them an invitation to perform at Birmingham's massive City Stages festival this weekend, at 2 p.m. on the Coca-Cola Stage.

“It's a little overwhelming and nerve-wracking, but we're so excited. It's a great opportunity, and I hope we'll make everyone proud,” the 27-year-old songwriter said.

The Benders follow City Stages up with two performances at Dave's Dark Horse Tavern in Starkville on July 1 and July 7. You can hear three tracks from the upcoming album at www.sonicbids.com/joewhaleyandthebenders or www.myspace.com/joewhaley.

City Stages is three days of music, nine stages, 126 performances, and a crowd estimated last year in excess of 100,000. Artists this weekend include the Allman Brothers, the Beach Boys, Los Lonely Boys, Snoop Dogg, Hank Williams, Jr., John Hiatt, Puddle of Mudd, Shinedown, Subdudes, Marty Stuart and oh, so many more.

For more details, explore www.citystages.org .

### - Jan Swoope, The Commercial Dispatch

Thursday, April 20, 2006
Joe Whaley and the Benders

In the customary course of things, most grassroots bands seem to form, work the grueling gig circuit until they've figured out (or not) what works, develop a following, large or small - then build up the material, confidence and bucks to record the demo, EP or album.

I'd like you to meet Columbus-based Joe Whaley and the Benders, a band that tossed that syllabus out the window.

For almost a year, singer/songwriter Whaley, 27, has been quietly visiting Music Alley Studios on Catfish Alley whenever he could - after work, at night, on weekends - patiently crafting and recording his original songs under the public radar and acquiring some well-seasoned bandmates in the process.

The Benders are the Staggers brothers - Robert at drums and John on bass - who own and operate Music Alley, and Lee Graham on lead guitar.

Combined, these three bring the heft of tenures with the Puerto Rican Rum Drunks, Maxwell Lummus Band, Soul Biscuit, Muzik, the Mississippi Bluebloods and more to back up newcomer Whaley.

And, as a precursor to an album expected later this year (working title: "For the Birds," co-produced by Robert), the group has made their first three songs public via www.sonicbids.com/joewhaleyandthebenders and www.myspace.com/joewhaley.

Dressed in descending tempos and textures, Joe's lyrics tackle the undertow of love in the pulsing "Intermission," the mid-tempo, subtly harmonied "Lullaby" and finally the aching, minimalist "Drive."

Listen to all three. The Internet sound quality may not be as rich as listening on disc, but you can get acquainted with one of the latest to come out of Columbus' music garden.

If you lack computer access and really want to give these a listen, please make it known; we'll find Plan B.

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- Jan Swoope, The Commercial Dispatch