This evening the front man of the subdudes will be performing at the Maple Leaf Bar with his new ensemble, Blvd Jr. The band is another New Orleans super group with former subdude bassist and vocalist Johnny Ray Allen, guitarist Shane Theriot, keyboardist David Torkanowsky and drummer Carlo Nuccio.
The group’s name comes from a street sign that was visible in Central City in the months after Hurricane Katrina. It read “Martin Luther King Blvd Jr.”
Malone and Allen were responsible for some of the most memorable songs in the repertoire of the subdudes. Allen left the band when the roots rock group’s first incarnation came to an end in 1996. Malone has released one solo album, “Soul Heavy,” which was released in 2001.
The music of Tommy Malone and Blvd Jr. promises to be a cross section of songs both old and new. I also expect some guitar pyrotechnics when Theriot and Malone cross necks. Here’s a video of Malone performing with the band that supported “Soul Heavy.”