Appalachian punk bluegrass band to play Kennewick on Feb. 12

Its members were bred in the Blue Ridge Mountains, sure.

But don’t expect Gallows Bound — the six-piece band headed to Kennewick on Feb. 12 — to play traditional Appalachian or bluegrass music.

The group’s songs are infused with punk sensibility.

The result? A unique, rootsy, rocking good time.

“We’re a little more gritty and aggressive. A live set gets pretty fast, high energy,” said Jordan Joyes, who plays guitar and sings for Gallows Bound.

Showtime is at 9 p.m. Feb. 12 at The Roxy Bar and concert venue in Kennewick.

Doors open at 7 p.m. Singer-songwriter Caryn Jamieson also will take the stage.

The show is for people age 21 and older.

Joyes shares primary songwriting duties with fellow guitarist and singer Jesse Markle, with all the band members contributing elements.

On Black Widow Woman, a standout track from the band’s self-titled album, Gallows Bound spins a raucous tale of woman who has a way of “turning men to fools.”

“Born in old Kentucky, raised in West Virginia, don’t you know that damn black widow woman’s gonna kill you?” the song goes. “Woah Woah-oh-oh, she gonna kill you.”

Another album highlight, Dominion Flowers, is a bit slower — at least at first. On it, Markle sings of loss and letting go.

“Old Dominion flowers drink Virginia rain. And I’m going off to that spot where your last words were made,” the song goes, before building to a frenzy of strings and voices.

Along with Joyes and Markle, the group includes Rob Shultz on drums, Aaron Blow on bass, Forrest Veatch on mandolin and Justin Carver on banjo.

The musicians all hail from Winchester, Va., and they were friends for years before they started playing together.

“We have a small local punk scene, and we would all go to shows, go to the same parties,” Joyes said.

They eventually started jamming, writing their own songs — in a style that’s been described as Appalachian punk bluegrass.

When they needed a band name, they looked to mandolin player Veatch for inspiration.

He had the words “Gallows Bound” tattooed on his chest, from collarbone to collarbone.

Joyes, a tattoo artist, is the one who did the work. It was an evocative phrase, and it seemed to fit the band.

Gallows Bound is stopping in Kennewick as part of a national tour. The group will head home in a couple of weeks, with festivals and more dates later this year.

The plan is to be working on a new album by year’s end.

Joyes said the live show is something to see. Performing, connecting with the audience — she loves that.

“I think it’s really cool to be able to have this experience, to be able to meet so many different people the road,” she told the Herald. “Playing music is a really cool way to tell your story. It can be really cathartic. You can sing your story and see people just get it. You don’t have to explain it, people just get it.”

Tickets are $5 for general admission and $18 for a reserved table for four. They’re available through Ticketfly and at the door.

The Roxy is at 101 W. Kennewick Ave., Suite 201.

This story was originally published February 10, 2016 at 12:47 PM with the headline "Appalachian punk bluegrass band to play Kennewick on Feb. 12."