Who the *&$#!! is Dick Smith? Well, they WERE three fellers from the Chicago regions who play a greasy, swampy, acoustic roots style o’ music, yessiree. But now they are four. The core of the band is Dave Nelson on Dobro and other various reso-guitars, jawharp, harmonica, and chortlin’. He plays with lotsa lucky folks and likes to soak things in brine. Dave Ramont vocalizes and plays banjo, concertina, and jug. Now and again he gets out and plays behind his own CDs when the fellers are sick of each other. Mr. Bob Kuhn sings too and plays mandolin and mandola. He has a dog named Daisy. And they all pass the ‘ol guitar around like it was the last Tall Boy. And Scott Stevenson adds accordion, piano, organ, and singin'. He has a jar full of change.

And the Band-O-Dicks stop by to have a cocktail and stir the stew: Gerald Dowd whacks a lot of stuff, Christopher Walke plays lap steel, Randy Henry plays upright bass, and Tom Jancauskas plays electric bass. All Chicago music scene vets, all old enough to know better. Logging time with Robbie Fulks, Jon Langford, Chris Mills, Reyna Larson, and on and on.  

They’ve released 3 CDs -”Swill,” “Smoke Damage” and "Woozy" - receiving airplay on public and college radio both here AND there. Their songs and live shows have garnered excellent reviews from DJs, critics, drunks, and drunken critics. "...these cats are mighty whacked. But they're hella good. It's bluesy old-timey, it's inbred urbane country. It's...hell, I don't know what it is, but I'm diggin' it." (Frank Goodman, www.puremusic.com)

Dick Smith has built a loyal base o' fans, mostly slippery characters, around the Midwest. So take a pull, have a look, take a listen. Check back now and again to the Ballyhoo page for the latest news and ramblins. Step right in this thing and track it all over!