All Them Witches

All Them Witches is a throwback to dizz-buster, heavy reverb, melodic bands of the 1970’s — but completely new and different. When you hear them you hear their influences of Led Zeppelin + Cream + The DOORS + Black Sabbath + Pink Floyd — but spun in entirely new ways.

The DOORS influence was even more pronounced until Fall of 2018 when the keyboardist Jonathan Draper left the band. They are now a 3-man band of Charles Michael Parks, Jr. as lead vocal and Bass player — a singer reminiscent in his approach and dulcet baritone voice to Jim Morrison; Ben McLeod at lead guitar — playing the Les Paul with the melodic riffs that haven’t been heard since Jimmy Page, and with more reverb than Page; and Robby Staebler laying down frenetic drumming reminiscent of Keith Moon.

I caught them live at the Bowery Ballroom in NYC in April, 2019 — and had a phenomenal night watching/listening to one of the best bands in the world right now. A packed house — there were many there who had flew in from Europe — All Them Witches sound has caught on globally. (The band is from Nashville, Tennessee.) If this was the 1970’s, they’d be a super group you heard constantly on the radio.

Touring their 5th Album — “ATW”

All Them Witches have put out 5 albums now — their latest is self titled (ATW) released Fall of 2018, and their first, “Our Mother Electricity” released in 2012. In between there have been albums released in 2013 (“Lightning at the Door”), 2015 (“Dying Surfer Meets His Maker”), and 2017 (“Sleeping Through the War”).

Below are some tracks recorded at the show at Bowery Ballroom (advertisements disabled; information only).

Tell me you don’t hear Led Zeppelin here:

And some pure Blues:

Live Full Performances

All Them Witches have a very different sound post- and pre-keyboard. When keyboardist Draper was in the band, his keyboard kind of dominated the sound. Without Draper, McLeod’s guitar dominates, the way Page’s guitar dominated Zep.

Post Keyboard Live Performances

To listen to what they sound like now you want to watch a live concert on youtube from 2019 onward.

A good one is at Bourlon in France in 2019:

Another good post-keyboard live performance is Hellfest in 2019:

Keyboard Witches

The keyboard version of Witches is also a treat live. The two performances below both feature the band still with keyboardist Draper — you can hear their DOORS influence (which is still there because, as said above, singer Charle Michael Parks Jr reminds one of Jim Morrison).

This is the performance drew me to the band — a live show at Ancienne Belgique in Belgium in 2016.

And here is another terrific full live performance, at KEXP radio studios in Seattle in 2017, also still with keyboardist Draper:

Gear

And here’s a terrific interview with lead guitarist Ben McLeod on All Them Witches gear:

Tour dates, merchandise, and their albums can be purchased from their website:

http://www.allthemwitches.org/