[caption id="attachment_788" align="alignleft" width="373" caption="The John Evans Band"] [/caption] Before John even took the stage, I liked what I saw. Sitting upon the stage was an upright doghouse base. Got to like that! Then, up to the stage strolls this tall lanky character, with the Buddy Holly glasses. He and his band take there places, and rip into one of his cuts from his last release titled Lucky 13. My first impression was this guy is a great mixture of Buddy Holly and Junior Brown, with even a touch of The Cars thrown in. You can't go wrong with any combo there. John and his band continued tearing through the songs from his last record, gaining momentum as he went. By the end of his 45 minute opening set, the Houston, Texas artist had definitely gained a few fans, and I was among them. After chatting briefly with him between shows, I was even further impressed by his warm character and genuine friendliness. I left the show with his latest CD, and promised to spread the word on this talent. While the record can not possibly capture the energy of his live show, it is still quite addictive. From the opening cut titled "Sweeten Up My Game," Evans kicks it into gear. I dare you not to tap your foot as the drums and guitar pick up the pace in support of his enticing baritone vocals. Joined by Chris Masterson on lead guitar and background vocals, Jake Marchese on base, and Mike Lewis on drums, the instrumentals are solid throughout. Songs that are sure to be added to many ipods, and rattle around in your head for days, include the catchy "Electric Gum Drop," the instant classic "Hoochie in a Honky Tonk," and the final cut "Bad Thoughts in a Good Way." Each of these songs capture the raw rocking energy from this throwback talent. John also has prior releases available as well that you might want to check out:  Ramblin' Boy, Circling The Drain and Out of Control. Check out his web site, plus hear some great samples as well at: http://www.johnevansband.net/jebland/index.html or visit his myspace page at: http://www.myspace.com/johnevansband