Didi Deluxe and The Dirty Devils

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          Watch out, greasers! DiDi Deluxe and The Dirty Devils have broken into the music scene like a bat out of hell! These central Pennsylvania natives are taking timeless troubles of heartache and crime and wrapping them up in a warm blanket of straight honky tonkin' rockabilly. 


          DiDi Deluxe and The Dirty Devils consists of Jesse Austin on lead guitar, Paul Keaveney on rhythm guitar and lap steel, Eric Hamilton on the drums, Chris "Socko" Elliott on upright bass, and of course the lovely DiDi Shilling on the mic.

          I saw DiDi Deluxe and The Dirty Devils open for The Chop Tops in Martinsburg, West Virginia. This was, hands down, one of the best shows I've ever seen. Let's be honest, opening bands can tend to seem a little lackluster to the audience. I know through personal experience that it's a lot rougher being on stage as an opening band than as any other band in the line-up, but DiDi and her Devils tore up the stage like lightning! Don't get me wrong, I've been a fan of The Chop Tops for years, but DiDi Deluxe and The Dirty Devils should have headlined that show. The second the first riff of their song, "Racing Johnny Law", came through the speakers, I couldn't keep myself from dancing. After their set I made a beeline for their merch table to pick up their demo, which became a staple in my stereo's diet.

          No matter who you are, I guarantee there is something for everyone to relate to in their music. There are songs for the working class, such as "Working Woman", songs for the "Rude Screwed and Tattooed", you know who you are, and of course the duet, "Rockabilly Baby" for all the rockabilly couples out there. I could sit here for eternity and write about all their songs and how incredibly badass they are, but I'm gonna wrap it up with my personal favorite, "Midnight Creep". It starts off with a haunting bassline that's slowly picks up all the other instruments as it goes. Then DiDi comes in with these powerful, "I am woman, hear me roar" type lyrics. The Chorus makes me feel like I can put any bad man in his grave with just a mean stare. Ladies, I'm tellin' ya, if you're ever feeling put down, listen to this song. You'll feel like a lioness by the end of it.

         If you want to check out DiDi Deluxe and The Dirty Devils live, which I guarantee you'll want to do, you can catch them in Pennsylvania on May, 4th, June, 2nd, and June, 16th in York, May, 18th and 19th in York Springs, and in Marietta on June, 29th. Catch them in Martinsburg, West Virginia on June, 9th and Dundalk, Maryland on May 5th. Don't forget to pick up a demo at their show and  check out their facebook page for more future show dates. They're heading back to the studio in late May to record an album that could possibly become a double album because they've got too much music for one, so keep your ears peeled for the release of this rockabilly explosion.

         DiDi Deluxe and The Dirty Devils are like a machine, cranking out rockin', spinnin', hoppin' tunes that you just can't keep from dancing to. Don't fight it! Let your feet skip to the beat and hips swing to the riffs. Open your world to these cats and their classic rockabilly sound. I promise it'll do your ears some good.


- Tunage 


Written by Laura Sullivan



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