The Peyton family returns to the Circle City

Of all the original bands that have been birthed in this state, Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band may well be the one poised to go farther than any Hoosier act since, well, John Cougar. With the Rev. Peyton playing a National Steel guitar, his wife, Breezy, on the washboard and his brother, Jayme, behind the drum kit, the Big Damn Band has forged its own path to success, releasing albums on their own and touring 40 to 50 weeks out of the year.

All this hard work has paid off, as the act has reached a buzz band status across the nation. It is also teaching a pretty important lesson to aspiring bands: The best way to make it is to play anywhere and everywhere. In the past few years since the good Reverend and family have been on the road, they’ve reported stories on their MySpace blog, a few of which have become Indy folklore.

There was a recent escapade involving a hitchhiker in Washington state, who turned out to be an escaped con with a duffel bag of stolen guns, and there is the story that involves the band hiding in an illegal gambling room as a gun and knife fight went on outside in El Centro, Calif.

“We have played at some of the seediest punk rock places in the country,” the Peyton says. “The only times we get nervous is when they are not used to having drums, because though we are technically acoustic, we play pretty hard.”

It’s music, rather than luck, that keeps winning fans over. As pure a strain of down-home country blues as you’ll find nowadays, the Big Damn Band dips into the primordial sound that people like W.C. Handy and Charley Patton birthed almost a century ago, and in its raucous ruckus, it has made fans out of everybody from punk rock kids to hippies. More than any other musical group out there, the Big Damn Band has found a sound that appeals across the board, because it has followed the root of all American music.

“I love it, and I keep it all true to myself,” Peyton says. “Musically, I stay close to the great masters of rural blues from Mississippi to Indiana to North Carolina, but lyrically, I write about my family, things that happen to me and some of the country-ass Hoosiers I grew up with.”

When the band returns to Indianapolis, they will bring with them a new CD, The Gospel Album, recorded by Paul Mahern. Featuring old spirituals many of the blues masters regularly performed, the album opens a new dimension in the band’s repertoire. “These days, I don’t care much for organized religion, but I still love these old songs, and they still influence my music greatly,” Peyton says. “Many of these are veiled protest songs, songs of freedom, songs of joy and songs of peace. I hope people enjoy them as much as I enjoy playing them, regardless of what they believe.”

Besides having two of the better Hoosier rock bands around, Creepin’ Charley and the Boneyard Orchestra and Murder By Death opening, the homecoming gig will also have a bevy of surprise guests, including an Indiana blues legend. The show will also be recorded for future release.

When asked about his return to Indianapolis, Peyton has other things on his mind. “It has been a great summer, and I am not complaining, but out here, a good Indiana-style meal is hard to find,” he says. “The day after the show, we are going to eat fried biscuits and apple butter, sweet corn, fried chicken, and I have asked my mom to make some of her trademark fried potatoes. It is a little early for persimmon pudding, but maybe I can track some down.”

Sensing a tinge of homesickness, Peyton remarks on his decision to live life on tour. He pauses a beat and says, “I have learned this ... This life is not for everyone, but it is 100 percent for us.”

WHAT: Rev. Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Murder By Death, Creepin’ Charley and the Boneyard Orchestra
WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 23, 8 p.m., $12, 21+
WHERE: The Vogue