Welcome to my page! This page is dedicated to the shameless promotion of ...me... and The Deacons

The new Deacons CD "Jump Tonight" is available for sale at our gigs also at CD Baby and I-Tunes
The Deacons at Padrino's II - Dumfries, VA........................Jan. 23, 2010 9:00PM
The Deacons at The Cowboy Cafe - Arlington, VA .........Jan. 29, 2010 9:30PM
The Deacons at The Cowboy Cafe - Arlington, VA .........Feb. 26, 2010 9:30PM
The Deacons at Down Under Pub - Occoquan, VA .......Mar. 12, 2010 9:30PM
The Deacons at Padrino's II - Dumfries, VA........................Mar. 20, 2010 9:00PM
The Deacons at The Cowboy Cafe - Arlington, VA .........Mar. 26, 2010 9:30PM
I'll be appearing with Pauline and The Boys for a reunion gig at JVs Restaurant - Falls Church, VA .................................................................Mar. 28, 2010 9:00PM
The Deacons at Down Under Pub - Occoquan, VA .......May 14, 2010 9:30 PM


The following is an article about The Deacons in the January 1, 2009 edition of The Washington Post Live!
Who: The Deacons When: 9:30 p.m. tomorrow Where: Cowboy Cafe, Arlington
The Deacons, an eclectic blues band led by John "Rev. Jake" O'Connor, return to their regular gig at Arlington County's Cowboy Cafe. (By Bill Langhorst)

Thursday, January 1, 2009; Page VA10

The Deacons are, at heart, a blues band. But that doesn't mean they can't dip into jazz, country, rockabilly or even punk when they're working up a groove.

The band's original material includes such blues numbers as "Why Me?" as well as the reggae-driven "Mona." And as for what it might do in terms of cover songs, bandleader John "Rev. Jake" O'Connor said in a phone interview, "There are thousands of songs. I've forgotten more songs than a lot of young guys know."

In the course of a night spent with the Deacons, you could hear classic Jimmy Reed or Champion Jack Dupree, obscure tunes by Ray Charles, perhaps something from the catalogue of classic rock's Jethro Tull or punk hero Ian Dury. Throw in a medley of Bo Diddley or Chuck Berry beats, and chances are, if you catch two shows by the band in a month, you won't hear the same song twice.

The original Deacons were formed in 1995 by O'Connor (bass, most lead vocals and occasional harmony), who has performed professionally since 1976, mostly in the Washington area, but also in such distant spots as California and Germany. The Deacons performed more than a thousand times in the D.C. area in the decade that followed but then took a two-year break, as O'Connor said he wanted to cut back his schedule to spend more time with family.

About two years ago, encouraged by new management at the Cowboy Cafe, which wanted to host regular blues nights, O'Connor re-formed the band with former Deacon Cliff Schaumburg, a guitarist with 40 years of musical experience. With Jim "Georgia Slim" Wilson on keyboard, guitar and slide guitar, and drummer Dennis "Thrash" Hash, the quartet has become a fixture of the club, performing twice monthly, often with guests from the D.C. scene.

Tomorrow night will offer visitor: Doc Reed, sitting in for Wilson. "We use a lot of guest stars," O'Connor said, pulling from a Rolodex of musicians he's met over the years. "I have a lot of friends that I like to hire."

The Deacons have self-released two live CDs (1996's "1, 2, 3, 4 . . . Live at the Courtyard" and "Live at Bangkok Blues" in 2003) but only the 1999 studio album "Maiden America" is available (at shows and through CDBaby.com). According to O'Connor, the band has plans to return to the studio and record in the near future.

"You never know what you're going to get" at a Deacons show, O'Connor said, but he's sure a good time is on the menu. "We have a fairly good little following," he said, "and so does the cafe. It's small -- it holds about 60 people -- and the gumbo's great." If you can't catch the band tomorrow night, you'll have opportunities again Feb. 13 and 17 and March 6 and 14.

Asked for any final words, O'Connor thanked the local scene: "We really appreciate the great support we've received from the D.C. area. Please wish everyone a happy new year from the band." And from Live!, too.

-- MARIANNE MEYER

The Cowboy Cafe is at 4792 Lee Hwy. in Arlington. There is no cover charge to hear the music. A full bar a menu of Tex-Mex fare are available. Children may attend with parents; otherwise, patrons must be 21 and older. The phone number is 703-243-8010.