The Rockabilly Love Cats started out by receiving a call from a friend that needed an opening band for their show. They killed it. "We basically just jumped at the chance to play with the internationally famous PYRONOUTS" said Ivan (lead vocals and rhythm guitar) at the time The Love cats were without a Bass man and recruited the bass man from the Pyronouts, the show comprised of the some of the greatest musicians in California. After the shows amazing turn out the Rockabilly Love cats were booked out 6 months.  The Love cats were then asked to Play live on the radio for the Vinyl Avenger show! They played and rocked the airwaves for close to 2 hours. The show was so great that they were asked to return several times. After the release of the Love Cats first album "Two left feet" The Rockabilly love cats were nominated for several Sammie awards. The Band began to tour.

 The Rockabilly love cats are the cats meow ~ 

 The Rockabilly Love Cats deserve a plug.  The combination of Ivan, Brett, and Rob is a family affair of sorts.  Ivan and Rob are father and son.  Brett and Ivan are brothers from another Mother (and father)

As the band name makes clear, the Rockabilly Love Cats play rockabilly music.  Like many of the early rockabilly performers, the band relies on percussive bass and guitar for its underlying rhythm and beat.  No drums required.  Brett plays bass.  Rob handles the electric guitar duties on a Gretsch white falcon hollowbody -- the essence of rockabilly style.

Ivan sings and does duty on an acoustic electric.  As the frontman for the Rockabilly Love Cats, he is engaging and mischievous.  With a twinkle in his eye, Ivan will announce, “Good evening, we just flew in from Hollywood.” 

Ivan also has the “look” -- that is, rockabilly style.  Flaired sideburns precisely cut at the bottom.  Neatly combed and pomaded pompadour.  Skinny tie and narrow lapeled jacket.  Black slacks.  Blue suede shoes.  An occasional snear.

The look and personality and sound define the band.  Rob is the are the perfect lead guitarist.  Rob, who started out playing lead guitar in the Sneaky Tikis, is a precise and creative picker on the big box Gretsch.  He moves easily up and down the guitar’s neck.  His licks and double stops compliment Ivan’s singing and also provide fills between verses. 

 Brett -- coming from a huge list of bands and primarily from the Pyronouts -- is perfect for the Rockabilly Love Cats’ music.  He provides the bottom and keeps the bass line moving.  Rockabilly bass requires an active player.  Single notes do not work.  Walking lines do.  Bretts’ surf rhythm sense serves the Rockabilly Love Cats perfect -- percussive and substantial.

Rob’s and Bretts’ musicality provide the foundation for Ivan’s vocals.  His voice is perfect for songs made famous by Johnny Burnette, Gene Vincent, and Carl Perkins.  Ivan takes on Elvis Presley songs with perfect lower range found in much of the King’s work.  By doing that, Ivan makes those songs his own.  But traditional rockabilly underlies every song the band performs.

Despite Ivan’s large personality and style, the Rockabilly Love Cats are perfect.  Their line-up finally is settled.    Ivan kept his love for performing contained for years.

Fortunately, the cork now is out of the bottle, and we are all better off for that.  Check out the Rockabilly Love Cats at there next show!!

We bet that you will glad you did. 

~ Bill T.

The love cats Play Rockabilly which is one of the earliest forms of rock and roll as a distinct style of music It flourished in the mid 1950's based mainly in the American south, and several of its leading practitioners were among the most famous early rock and roll performers.

The classic rockabilly sound was "a brash, lively, hybrid of blues and country," characterized by a "slapping string bass, twanging lead guitar [and] acoustic rhythm guitar - with plenty of echo."

While usually thought of as a white southern genre, rockabilly's blend of blues and country crossed racial boundaries. Elvis Presley's rockabilly music was popular on northern radio stations that catered to blacks, while white stations often refused to play his records on the grounds that it corrupted the youth. Chuck Berry on the other hand, is an example of a black musician whose songs—though rarely characterized as rockabilly—often closely resembled it.The Love cats bring back the Rockabilly to the new generation of fans and prove to channel the great Rockabilly Gods gone but never forgotten.