Bad Daddy

(November 17 , 2012) – Opportunities sometimes come in clusters, sometimes in rare forms, but sometimes opportunity is right there in front of you and it may have been overlooked time and again. Over the recent summer season and this past year, The Bad Daddys have not only created their own opportunity, but have brought an enjoyable and moving experience to music lovers and fans of the blues here in Maine, and beyond. Pay no heed to grammar and spelling in a name, that's just marketing, there's always been certain growing "grass-roots" support for the band since the beginning when the "Daddys" launched in 2005, from a basement in Brooksville, ME. Born to this great state, The Bad Daddys represent all we know about modern blues and convey an edgy style all their own -- a tangible reflection on the individuality that comes from success stories of hardworking folks, artists, musicians and business leaders here in Maine.

This is a hardworking crew, incredibly well-rehearsed and their live sound is tighter than a tourniquet. Their music is gritty, full of "vintage" tone and is inspired by both classic blues legend and the many personal influences each member carries in their playing style. Band founder and front-man, Paul Waring, is driven by the sounds of his blues heroes that inspire his own voice and tenor in the creative process. As can be told by the debut CD of 2008, many of Waring's songs reflect a story and a sound that is both modern and timeless. Waring's vocals have been said "the finest amongst rising stars in the blues community here in Maine" and New England.

Currently, the "Daddys" hail from Hancock County, though the band's epicenter is soon to migrate across the Penobscot Bay to Belfast, where Waring plans to relocate nearer to his day job as owner of a yacht design firm in the downtown district. "The amount of time working for a living while balancing a music career can be overwhelming, and I think I'll be better served by managing life closer to my business and from a more central location--I love Belfast." Launching a band in Maine does not go without its challenges--the distances traveled to gigs really add up; Maine has a low density population and the fan base is scattered across miles of country-side; the exposure to large music markets is limited and takes sticking your neck out there to get noticed.

A Blues experience, The Bad Daddys move through the state on a broad schedule and the love they receive is warm and enthusiastic. The "Daddys" have begun writing material for their second CD project as they continue to purvey some of the blues-iest sounds in Maine. You will be grateful to get the live experience as they begin to debut the material. “I’ve always loved covering classic numbers from the blues greats that I grew up listening to, but my real interest is writing original material. In my spare time, I’ve been working on some new stuff that’ll become part of our set lists this year and eventually we’ll get to our 2nd CD...gonna get so funky, you can smell it!”, says Waring.

Though fans will miss the band while on hiatus this winter as they focus their effort on writing new music, the boys shall resume their schedule in the Spring. This Fall, blues lovers will have great opportunities to hear the Bad Daddys in Bangor, Bar Harbor and Belfast, notably on New Year's Eve in Belfast's "By the Bay" New Year's celebration. The band will play two long sets consisting of a mix of old and new, original music by the band and select blues favorites from the 50’s to present day.

The band is one of the gems of Maine-- live and local, original blues. Check their website to sign up for the mailing list and note the schedule at http://www.baddaddysband.com. One can also link up on facebook, The Bad Daddys. Once you’ve made all the right connections then be sure to pick up the first self-titled CD, The Bad Daddys, visit http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/baddaddys to order for only $9.99.
- Republican Journal, Belfast, ME

(November 17 , 2012) – Opportunities sometimes come in clusters, sometimes in rare forms, but sometimes opportunity is right there in front of you and it may have been overlooked time and again. Over the recent summer season and this past year, The Bad Daddys have not only created their own opportunity, but have brought an enjoyable and moving experience to music lovers and fans of the blues here in Maine, and beyond. Pay no heed to grammar and spelling in a name, that's just marketing, there's always been certain growing "grass-roots" support for the band since the beginning when the "Daddys" launched in 2005, from a basement in Brooksville, ME. Born to this great state, The Bad Daddys represent all we know about modern blues and convey an edgy style all their own -- a tangible reflection on the individuality that comes from success stories of hardworking folks, artists, musicians and business leaders here in Maine.

This is a hardworking crew, incredibly well-rehearsed and their live sound is tighter than a tourniquet. Their music is gritty, full of "vintage" tone and is inspired by both classic blues legend and the many personal influences each member carries in their playing style. Band founder and front-man, Paul Waring, is driven by the sounds of his blues heroes that inspire his own voice and tenor in the creative process. As can be told by the debut CD of 2008, many of Waring's songs reflect a story and a sound that is both modern and timeless. Waring's vocals have been said "the finest amongst rising stars in the blues community here in Maine" and New England.

Currently, the "Daddys" hail from Hancock County, though the band's epicenter is soon to migrate across the Penobscot Bay to Belfast, where Waring plans to relocate nearer to his day job as owner of a yacht design firm in the downtown district. "The amount of time working for a living while balancing a music career can be overwhelming, and I think I'll be better served by managing life closer to my business and from a more central location--I love Belfast." Launching a band in Maine does not go without its challenges--the distances traveled to gigs really add up; Maine has a low density population and the fan base is scattered across miles of country-side; the exposure to large music markets is limited and takes sticking your neck out there to get noticed.

A Blues experience, The Bad Daddys move through the state on a broad schedule and the love they receive is warm and enthusiastic. The "Daddys" have begun writing material for their second CD project as they continue to purvey some of the blues-iest sounds in Maine. You will be grateful to get the live experience as they begin to debut the material. “I’ve always loved covering classic numbers from the blues greats that I grew up listening to, but my real interest is writing original material. In my spare time, I’ve been working on some new stuff that’ll become part of our set lists this year and eventually we’ll get to our 2nd CD...gonna get so funky, you can smell it!”, says Waring.

Though fans will miss the band while on hiatus this winter as they focus their effort on writing new music, the boys shall resume their schedule in the Spring. This Fall, blues lovers will have great opportunities to hear the Bad Daddys in Bangor, Bar Harbor and Belfast, notably on New Year's Eve in Belfast's "By the Bay" New Year's celebration. The band will play two long sets consisting of a mix of old and new, original music by the band and select blues favorites from the 50’s to present day.

The band is one of the gems of Maine-- live and local, original blues. Check their website to sign up for the mailing list and note the schedule at http://www.baddaddysband.com. One can also link up on facebook, The Bad Daddys. Once you’ve made all the right connections then be sure to pick up the first self-titled CD, The Bad Daddys, visit http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/baddaddys to order for only $9.99.
- Republican Journal, Belfast, ME

By Emily Burnham
BDN Staff

Paul Waring wasn’t working on the railroad or the chain gang when he started singing the blues. He was doing it Pine Tree State style. Back to that same old place — sweet home Brooklin, Maine.
Waring is the guitarist and lead vocalist for the Bad Daddys, a blues-rock four-piece based in Hancock County. He’s an Oregon native who moved to Maine with his wife 15 years ago, so he could work on boats, starting in Kennebunk and eventually moving Down East for a job at the Brooklin Boat Yard. It was there that he met his future bandmate and musical kindred spirit, lead guitarist Al Strong.
“Conversations always tend to gravitate towards music, and we sort of discovered that we had similar interests when we’d get to talking.” said Waring. “We decided to try playing together, just with acoustic guitars in our living rooms. We realized we had a really nice balance.”
Those impromptu practice sessions led to songs. The songs led to a reawakening of Waring’s childhood fantasy: to play in an electric blues band. As a kid growing up in the age of arena rock, Waring was listening to Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters.
“Growing up, everybody else seemed to be right at the cutting edge of new rock. All my other friends were listening to Def Leppard and AC/DC. I was listening to jazz and blues,” said Waring. “I was always really immersed in other kinds of music than what was popular at the time.”
Waring and Strong played as a duo for some time, but the lure of expanding their sound kept calling. The opportunity to legitimately play in a blues band was something Waring couldn’t pass up — so like Jake and Elwood, he and Strong donned their shades and suits, found a crack rhythm section in bassist Jimmy Klemmenz and drummer Scott Mills, and were transformed into the Bad Daddys.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to play in an electric blues band,” said Waring. “I kind of like having a duel personality — yacht designer by day, blues guy by night.”
The Bad Daddys play a gritty, gravelly grab bag of blues and rock, showcased on the band’s superb self-titled album, released last March. Produced by Blue Hill engineer John Dyer and distributed by Ellsworth-based record label Reversing Recordings, it’s one of the finest local albums released in Maine this year — due in no small part to Waring and Strong’s friendship, musical or otherwise.
Songwriting duties are split up exactly evenly between the two, from the woeful workin’ stiff wail of the Strong-penned “Workin’ Man Blues,” to Waring’s moody, slow-burning “Change of Heart.” It’s solid, soulful stuff, showcasing Waring’s swaggering blues growl and Strong’s clean, funky riffs.
Live, the Bad Daddys play original songs, plus some well-known blues and R&B nuggets to satisfy a bar crowd. The band plays the Maine blues circuit regularly, including the Bar Harbor Blues Authority and the Myrtle Street Pub and Time Out Pub in Rockland, and the band was showcased earlier this year at the Maine Blues Festival in Naples. They’ll play on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Myrtle Street, and then on Saturday, Sept. 27, at Carmen Verandah in Bar Harbor.
“We do stuff that veers sometimes more to the blues rock side of things, but we’ll switch it up depending on the kind of crowd we’re playing for,” Waring said. “The crowd for blues in Maine is small, but it’s there. We’ve got some very talented musicians and some really devoted people in the community.”
To purchase the Bad Daddy’s self-titled debut album, or to get a full schedule of the band’s upcoming gigs, log onto www.baddaddysband.com.

- Bangor Daily News

By Emily Burnham
BDN Staff

Paul Waring wasn’t working on the railroad or the chain gang when he started singing the blues. He was doing it Pine Tree State style. Back to that same old place — sweet home Brooklin, Maine.
Waring is the guitarist and lead vocalist for the Bad Daddys, a blues-rock four-piece based in Hancock County. He’s an Oregon native who moved to Maine with his wife 15 years ago, so he could work on boats, starting in Kennebunk and eventually moving Down East for a job at the Brooklin Boat Yard. It was there that he met his future bandmate and musical kindred spirit, lead guitarist Al Strong.
“Conversations always tend to gravitate towards music, and we sort of discovered that we had similar interests when we’d get to talking.” said Waring. “We decided to try playing together, just with acoustic guitars in our living rooms. We realized we had a really nice balance.”
Those impromptu practice sessions led to songs. The songs led to a reawakening of Waring’s childhood fantasy: to play in an electric blues band. As a kid growing up in the age of arena rock, Waring was listening to Howlin’ Wolf and Muddy Waters.
“Growing up, everybody else seemed to be right at the cutting edge of new rock. All my other friends were listening to Def Leppard and AC/DC. I was listening to jazz and blues,” said Waring. “I was always really immersed in other kinds of music than what was popular at the time.”
Waring and Strong played as a duo for some time, but the lure of expanding their sound kept calling. The opportunity to legitimately play in a blues band was something Waring couldn’t pass up — so like Jake and Elwood, he and Strong donned their shades and suits, found a crack rhythm section in bassist Jimmy Klemmenz and drummer Scott Mills, and were transformed into the Bad Daddys.
“It’s always been a dream of mine to play in an electric blues band,” said Waring. “I kind of like having a duel personality — yacht designer by day, blues guy by night.”
The Bad Daddys play a gritty, gravelly grab bag of blues and rock, showcased on the band’s superb self-titled album, released last March. Produced by Blue Hill engineer John Dyer and distributed by Ellsworth-based record label Reversing Recordings, it’s one of the finest local albums released in Maine this year — due in no small part to Waring and Strong’s friendship, musical or otherwise.
Songwriting duties are split up exactly evenly between the two, from the woeful workin’ stiff wail of the Strong-penned “Workin’ Man Blues,” to Waring’s moody, slow-burning “Change of Heart.” It’s solid, soulful stuff, showcasing Waring’s swaggering blues growl and Strong’s clean, funky riffs.
Live, the Bad Daddys play original songs, plus some well-known blues and R&B nuggets to satisfy a bar crowd. The band plays the Maine blues circuit regularly, including the Bar Harbor Blues Authority and the Myrtle Street Pub and Time Out Pub in Rockland, and the band was showcased earlier this year at the Maine Blues Festival in Naples. They’ll play on Saturday, Sept. 13, at Myrtle Street, and then on Saturday, Sept. 27, at Carmen Verandah in Bar Harbor.
“We do stuff that veers sometimes more to the blues rock side of things, but we’ll switch it up depending on the kind of crowd we’re playing for,” Waring said. “The crowd for blues in Maine is small, but it’s there. We’ve got some very talented musicians and some really devoted people in the community.”
To purchase the Bad Daddy’s self-titled debut album, or to get a full schedule of the band’s upcoming gigs, log onto www.baddaddysband.com.

- Bangor Daily News

Unfortunately, there are so many excellent regional bands that most of the world never gets to hear of. Fortunately for me, doing what I do exposes me to a large share of them. Simply stated - this is the principal reason I enjoy my work.

The latest band I've had the pleasure of being musically exposed to are THE BAD DADDYS, from the great northeastern state of Maine, and it is my hope that what I'm about to write will give them even the greater exposure a band of this caliber deserves.

THE BAD DADDYS consist of PAUL WARING, lead vocals and guitar; AL STRONG, lead guitar; JIMMY KLEMMENZ, bass; SCOTT MILLS, drums; with special guests PHALAN GALLAGHER on saxophone and JOHN DYER on Hammond organ. Their self titled disc - "THE BAD DADDY'S" consist of all very well written original music.

I was immediately impressed by the discs opening track, "CUT YOU LOOSE". The second PAUL started singing I thought to myself that this was a voice destined to sing the blues - then the rest of the disc reinforced that thought. Strong guitar by AL and very tight rhythm from JIMMY and SCOTT add to this tracks highlights.

"AIN'T GOT THE TIME" might just be what PHALAN said to the guys when they asked him to appear on the disc. Unfortunately, this is only one of three tracks where he gets to work his magic on the sax. Great lead and rhythm guitar from PAUL and AL also make this another good one. Oh, did I mention the great vocals yet?

"CHANGE OF HEART" is a burning ballad with absolutely wonderful guitar work and deeply emotional vocals. John's only appearance on the organ help make this one of the discs finer tracks.

THE BAD DADDY'S share that ill-fated ailment that affects most of us today, they have those "WORKING MAN BLUES". Ya see, the way PAUL tells it - his children need shoes, his wife needs clothes and he needs money for drinking. At least he has his priorities in order. Some of AL'S best guitar work can be heard right here.

Everyone that's ever read my reviews knows that the Blewzzman's favorite type of blues are those low down "SLOW BLUES".....they just don't get any better than that. This track is slow blues at it's incomparable best. The soft and steady rhythm, the scorching blues guitar riffs and the heart felt vocals make this the most impressive track on the disc. I could have easily taken another eight minutes of the nearly eight minute track.

OK, you're done reading this, now close this screen and get over to www.baddaddysband.com and grab a copy of "THE BAD DADDY'S". While you're there, tell them you heard Blewzzman tellin' the world this band is a bunch of real bad daddy's.

Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro
Blues Editor @ www.mary4Music.com
- Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro

from the Morning Sentinel
I know not how I ended up receiving this week's offering, but I'm sure glad I did.
This CD comes to us from a quartet of blues-rockers from the mid-Maine coastal region (Castine, to be exact) called The Bad Daddys. The group features Paul Waring (lead vocals and guitar), Al Strong (lead guitar), Jimmy Klemmenz (bass), and Scott Mills (drums).
The nine tracks that make up "The Bad Daddys" are all original compositions (three from Strong, three from Waring and three from Waring and Strong together) and are rock-solid and display a total understanding of their genre. In fact, I would be hard pressed to pick a single song that I prefer over the others -- they are all that good.
Waring's got the perfect voice -- rough-hewn and gravelly with just a hint of swagger, while Strong's chops are tasty, tight and immaculate. Klemmenz's bass walks with authority while being clean and deep at the same time and Mills' stick work keeps everybody right where they should be.
All told, this self-titled CD is as good as anything I've received from Alligator or Blind Pig -- meaning that they have everything that the national acts have in the spades and they come from our own state.
Anyone who loves blues-rock should check out this exceptional album.
Check out www.baddaddysband.com for more information.
- Kennebec Journal Morning Sentinel

Unfortunately, there are so many excellent regional bands that most of the world never gets to hear of. Fortunately for me, doing what I do exposes me to a large share of them. Simply stated - this is the principal reason I enjoy my work.

The latest band I've had the pleasure of being musically exposed to are THE BAD DADDYS, from the great northeastern state of Maine, and it is my hope that what I'm about to write will give them even the greater exposure a band of this caliber deserves.

THE BAD DADDYS consist of PAUL WARING, lead vocals and guitar; AL STRONG, lead guitar; JIMMY KLEMMENZ, bass; SCOTT MILLS, drums; with special guests PHALAN GALLAGHER on saxophone and JOHN DYER on Hammond organ. Their self titled disc - "THE BAD DADDY'S" consist of all very well written original music.

I was immediately impressed by the discs opening track, "CUT YOU LOOSE". The second PAUL started singing I thought to myself that this was a voice destined to sing the blues - then the rest of the disc reinforced that thought. Strong guitar by AL and very tight rhythm from JIMMY and SCOTT add to this tracks highlights.

"AIN'T GOT THE TIME" might just be what PHALAN said to the guys when they asked him to appear on the disc. Unfortunately, this is only one of three tracks where he gets to work his magic on the sax. Great lead and rhythm guitar from PAUL and AL also make this another good one. Oh, did I mention the great vocals yet?

"CHANGE OF HEART" is a burning ballad with absolutely wonderful guitar work and deeply emotional vocals. John's only appearance on the organ help make this one of the discs finer tracks.

THE BAD DADDY'S share that ill-fated ailment that affects most of us today, they have those "WORKING MAN BLUES". Ya see, the way PAUL tells it - his children need shoes, his wife needs clothes and he needs money for drinking. At least he has his priorities in order. Some of AL'S best guitar work can be heard right here.

Everyone that's ever read my reviews knows that the Blewzzman's favorite type of blues are those low down "SLOW BLUES".....they just don't get any better than that. This track is slow blues at it's incomparable best. The soft and steady rhythm, the scorching blues guitar riffs and the heart felt vocals make this the most impressive track on the disc. I could have easily taken another eight minutes of the nearly eight minute track.

OK, you're done reading this, now close this screen and get over to www.baddaddysband.com and grab a copy of "THE BAD DADDY'S". While you're there, tell them you heard Blewzzman tellin' the world this band is a bunch of real bad daddy's.

Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro
Blues Editor @ www.mary4Music.com
- Peter "Blewzzman" Lauro

“I would like to take this opportunity to tell you about a nice home grown CD by four Maine musicians from the Brooksville area: Paul Waring on vocals/guitar, Al Strong on lead guitar, Jimmy Klemenz on bass and Scott Mills on drums. Not only are these musicians from Maine, but it was recorded and mastered here, as well--in Blue Hill, Unintentional Music, and by Houndog Recordings, in Gorham, ME. These nine original tracks used every soulful octave that Waring could muster, which he did masterfully. I really liked Strong’s guitar picking solos that were supported by full-bodied bass and percussion. The instrumentation was well rounded by Phelan Gallagher’s Sax and John Dyer’s Hammond on several tracks. As always, I listen to a new CD while driving, to pick my favorite song--which on the first run through it was Slow Blues, track 8. But after a couple of more plays, I kept changing my favorite song, until I settled on Workin’ Man Blues, track 6. But I am sure the next time I listen to it, I’ll pick another, because there is no bad song on the CD. My hat is off to a truly fine Blues CD to add to your collection if you like soulful blues with strong guitar supported by a fine bass line.”—Duane Little, President, Maine Blues Society. - May/June 2008 MBS Newsletter