Americana-roots-punk outfit the Shotgun Quartet performs at the Cinema Bar this week, number 17 of the Americana Night series. Founding member Shotgun Bo Pollock told the News about what they have in store for Culver City…
When did you start playing and performing?
I started playing around 1999. My sister died in 1995 and I had her old, cheap, nylon string classical [guitar] covered in dust. I just picked it up and started strumming it. Eventually, I learned a few chords like Bob Dylan’s “Knocking on Heavens Door,” and writing some other simple songs like that. I performed as a backyard BBQ player for, I guess, 20 years, and at after parties or somewhere where there were a few folks and a guitar lying around. I promised myself I’d start a punk band at 40 years old and I did, called LAX. COVID wouldn’t let us play out in bars, so we played for the neighborhood in Venice. It was fun. So after Frank, my friend that I started LAX with, moved back to Philly, I went solo as Shotgun Bo Jackson, which became our band The Shotgun Quartet. My first ever real show was at the Dollhut in OC, around early 2023.
Shotgun Quartet started as my songs being played solo, and needing the hella bad-ical turbo radness of Ryan Allen on drums, the smooth steez of Freddy Schubert on bass, and the groovy guitar licks of George Blecher on lead guitar. It started with Jaime Sol Black and Abraham Geary pushing me to take music seriously. We’ve had Shane Burroughs and Kyle Vandekerkoff on guitar as well as some other players on banjo, fiddle, harmonica etc., but my solo stuff just isn’t much without amazing band members and friends to make it magical sounding.
Describe your sound/style?
Johnny Cash is my hero so he’s in there. Social Distortion, Misfits, Ramones, and Violent Femmes. It’s country rock or country punk. A lifelong friend who’s an incredible musician, [and has] been in dozens of bands, called it a cross between Hank Williams III and David Bowie. Those are some heavy hitters and I can’t even read music so I don’t know about all that but I love playing music now for others and they seem to like it so far he dedicated my 40s to it.
What are your career highlights so far?
Highlight so far is playing the Townhouse & Del Monte Speakeasy, that was an actual operating speakeasy during prohibition, opening for Danke Sound who’s an incredible multi-genre artist that herself opened for Jack White (another hero of mine). She also sang a duet with us and wants to produce a couple songs for the record and sing duets on them.
What recorded music is available — particularly the most recent?
We just finished our five-song demo that’s dropping one video per month starting this month on YouTube and YouTube music exclusively. I personally will never use Spotify or any other platform that doesn’t pay or support the artists. All our music until we get a record deal will be on YouTube only and exclusively. You can get the links from our instagram @shotgunquartet.
Have you performed at the Cinema Bar before?
We have a once-per-month residency at Cinema Bar called Americana Night. We are on month 17! It’s mostly American-rock, country, blues, etc but we have had every type of artist play besides reggae and classical pretty much so if you’re an artist let us know and we will get you on stage! Lord knows, it took my friends pushing me for decades for it to happen for me.
What can the audience expect from the set this time?
We have a couple of new songs. The new stuff is coming out harder rock and more punk/alternative etc. I thought I was going to go more country because it’s pretty much all I listen to and it’s fascinating to see mainstream country frosting over with hip-hop and rock etc., but my punk roots are coming up strong. Especially with the political state of our nation and how upset so many people are with American fascism I find it cathartic to scream loud rock as well as to see and hear other artists screaming their music out in release of pain or stress or trauma or whatever.
What else do you have coming up?
We play the Universal Bar & Grill Friday January 24th, as well as Maui Sugar Mill. But the Cinema is our only show with no cover and great prices on drinks so we highly recommend y’all come out to the Cinema and drink in the history of a legendary Culver City music venue as well as enjoy all the great restaurants on that block and nearby. See y’all soon and happy 2025.
The Shotgun Quartet perform on Americana Night at 9 p.m. on Thursday, January 9 at the Cinema Bar. Go to thecinemabar.com for more information about the show.
Elsewhere this week
The Culver Hotel will be hosting the likes of Sylvia & the Rhythm Boys, and Scotty Bramer. Go to culverhotel.com for more info.
Boulevard Music hosts Joscho Stephan at 8 p.m. on Saturday, January 11. Visit boulevardmusic.com for more info.