Rock and Blues News

Rockabilly Fest 2000/June-July '00

Dave Crimmen, San Francisco's rockabilly sensation took the stage and performed a frenetic version of Billy Lee Riley's "Red Hot." It was vintage Crimmen with the energetic and the multitalented Dempseys adding zest to an already astounding stage show in the Farmer's Market Pavillion, downtown Jackson, Tennessee, April 16,2000.

-Lee Cotton

The Son Of Sun/May-June '99

From the San Francisco area, Crimmen is shakin' up the rockabilly world like few of his peers with songs that have broken into the rarified world of motion picture and TV soundtracks, where the real money is. Listening to this, his next to latest CD, it's obvious why his material has been chosen for such diverse uses as the recent movie "The Game," NBC's "Dateline," CBS' "Guiding Light" and FOX's "Melrose Place." Crimmen is also getting buckets-full of radio airplay from Alaska to Kansas City on stations that cater to listeners who want their music varied and not Top 40. The tunes here range from the driving rockers, "Baby Shake It Up" and "One Time More" to the tragedies "Looking Back" and "Come On and Take Me." In between, there's "Devils Music" and "It's Got That Beat," two gutsy paeons to rock 'n' roll. Crimmen has a rockabilly heart, through and through. One never gets the feeling that this is an act, something to be shed like a business suit at the end of the day. The Son Of Sun is being reserviced to the industry in early May to take advantage of Crimmen's May 20 appearance at the Imperial Hotel in Las Vegas at the Emerging Artist and Talent Conference. Order copies from P.O. Box 2213, Daly City, CA 94017.

-Lee Cotton

Where He Left Off/Dec. 98-Jan.99

Here's a rock 'n' roller who's been around for a few years. In that time, his two previous CDs (along with a 7" 45 rpm single) have each received rave reviews from the critics. Unlike so many of the current crop of rockabilly sound-a-likes, Crimmen works hard to make his music interesting and diverse. He can do a throwaway raver like "Let It Rock" in a style that might make Jerry Lee Lewis think twice, then pour his heart into the Chris Isaak-styled "It Was Love," which was recently used in an episode of "Melrose Place" (now there's a career-making move for you!) Crimmen's also unafraid to expand his backing group beyond the requisite bass and drums to include piano and sax. The latter is superbly highlighted on "Go, Cat, Go." Crimmen's voice has traces of Elvis, without the staged overtones of so many imitators. Keep your eye on this cat; he's going places!

-Lee Cotton