The Cheaters at The Whiskey
An ol’ fashioned rowdy rock ‘n’ roll show

Previewed by Rob Goszkowski

The Cheaters play every show like they’re in front of a broken-bottle and pool cue-swinging outlaw crowd at some dusty outpost, as if their survival is contingent on the energy they bring to the stage. Singing songs about booze, good times and girls over screaming blues-based guitar solos, The Cheaters aren’t trying to rewrite the rock ‘n’ roll handbook they picked up from AC/DC and Led Zeppelin. What these dudes know is how to hit an audience with a testosterone-driven good time.

Photos by Kim Hutchens “The mission of the band [pictured center] is to continue to rock the faces of everyone in the world, and we will not stop until we do,” says lead singer and guitarist Jason ‘Bumpy’ Morton (top). Drummer Kevin Shook (bottom) knows when to bang like hell on the skins.

“The mission of the band is to continue to rock the faces of everyone in the world, and we will not stop until we do,” says lead singer and guitarist Jason ‘Bumpy’ Morton in complete seriousness. “A solid live performance is what attracts fans, and it truly is our favorite thing, too.”

You see the time and energy the band puts into touring Friday, Aug. 15, when The Cheaters band plays The Whiskey, an appropriate venue for a band that’s written an homage to Evan Williams bourbon and pitches their music as “whiskey-fueled, home-fried rock ‘n’ roll.”

Morton in particular hurls himself around stage with relentless reckless abandon, working up such a sweat that you can’t help but wonder if playing barefoot runs the singer the risk of electrocution. Bassist Dave Wolf — whose furry, Amish-style beard suits his surname — leaves the theatrics to Morton while keeping the low-end moving with a more-funky groove than is usually heard in southern-style rock bands. H. Brett Wilmer is the band’s obligatory guitar virtuoso, playing Slash to Morton’s Axl Rose. He plays the role with showmanship and mesmerizing solos. Drummer Kevin Shook knows when to bang like hell on the skins or sit back in the pocket and let the song ride. 

As the phrase goes, luck is what you get when opportunity meets preparation and “we definitely work our butts off when we’re not on stage,” says Shook. This summer, Lady Luck smiled on The Cheaters. The band is just back from their first international tour, playing festivals in Sventoji, Lithuania and Frankfurt, Germany. 

“The festivals’ promoter picked up our CD at a world trade music fair in south France and loved it,” says Morton. “He decided to put on a last minute festival, called the Saltsound Festival, in Sventoji, and wanted us to be part of the line up. There were 20 bands from all over the world. We were the only ones chosen from the U.S.” 

The band describes the experience as the best they’ve ever shared. “The production was over the top!” marvels Morton. “There was smoke, lights and 11 giant TV screens suspended high above us for the backdrop of the stage.

“Immediately after the performance the promoter walked up to us and said, ‘You’re coming back next year! That was fantastic!’”

While making the most of their time abroad, the band inevitably had some fun too, described as “completely out of hand,” according to Shook and seconded by Morton. “It was everything from having beer-chugging contests on tables to arm wrestling over fire,” says Morton. “I’ll tell you what, when your night ends with jumping off a pier into the Baltic Sea 700 meters off shore, I think you had a good night!”

Hear The Cheaters in Annapolis Fri. Aug 15 at The Whiskey, 1803 West St.: 410-626-0622; www.thewhiskeyannapolis.com; or anytime at www.myspace.com/thecheaters.