Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys

September 10, 2010

Time(s): 8:00 p.m.
Location: Balloon Park | Map & Directions
Free Admission, Parking $10
Free Dance Instruction at 7:30 p.m.

Anaheim-born Robert “Big Sandy” Williams and His Fly-Rite Boys are such devotees of the formative days of country, R&B and rockabilly that even their pocket change likely predates 1960. There is nothing dated about their music, though. Rather, they’re carrying on the unfinished business of the 1940s and 1950s richly rockin’ genres. Sandy has appeared on Late Night with Conan O’Brien and at the Grand Ole Opry; nice venues, but the perfect place to experience him and his Fly-Rite Boys is a dance floor under the summer stars.

While the punk scene was flourishing in OC venues such as Safari Sam’s and the Doll Hut, Sandy was honing his roots-rocker skills in the same rooms, winning over audiences who were more inclined to spit at anything old. In 1988, he formed the Fly-Rite Boys, and his band-mates share his reverence for vintage Americana. It says something about them that, after years of touring in a balky, drafty converted 1949 passenger bus, they decided to upgrade to a more recent conveyance, a 1950 school bus.

They’ve recorded 11 CDs, along with various LPs, 45s and cassettes, and are presently working an album of retooled acoustic versions of some of their best-loved songs. Big Sandy and His Fly-Rite Boys have been playing together for more than two decades, and have been inducted into the Rockabilly Hall of Fame, but they still sound as fresh and vibrant as when they started out. Official Website