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Photo by Jimi Giannatti

HONKYTONK COUNTRYBLUES

PRESS KIT


Based in Tucson, AZ, singer / songwriter Hank Topless delivers a honkytonk countryblues sound unlike any other. Drawing unpredictable energy from the razor’s edge between tragedy and triumph, the battle between right and wrong, he views the world through the prism of a hardscrabble past.

Five albums’ worth of dark, soulful, weird, humorously twisted, even tender tales. Whether alone with his guitar, or fronting a rocking band – in a local dive or on theater boards, Hank Topless never does the same show twice.

Topless is one of Tucson’s most tenacious entertainers, having worked its downtown bars since the late 1980’s. Along the road, he’s shared stages with and / or provided support for:

Les Paul, Junior Brown, Kinky Friedman, Scott Biram, Jesse Dayton, Joe Ely, Ryan Chrys & The Rough Cuts, Robbie Fulks, The Outlaws, Whitney Rose, Pete Anderson, Jim Bachmann, Skip Heller, Brea Burns, Mack Stevens, Reverend Payton’s Big Damn Band, Kevin Daly, Kaci Bays, Al Perry, Jim Goad, Jenny Don’t & The Spurs, Tom Walbank, Split Livers, Al Foul, Gary Stockdale, Calexico, and many more.

2023 /20212020 “Best Of Tucson” awardee, country music category.

Mr. Topless also co-produces music and vlogs with partner Suzi Gardner (L7).

“It’s So December” (2011) and “Big Black Heart” (2017) showcase songs written largely in the early to mid 2000’s, prior to and during a stay in the Arizona Department of Corrections.

“Songs I Hate To Sing” (co-produced by Jim Waters, and featuring a team of Arizona studio players),  and “Hank Me Crank Me I’m Dead” (live solo / acoustic, recorded 2018) were digitally released in October, 2019.

Single / music video “I Can’t Tell The Boys From The Girls” released on 1/1/21. 

Single / music video  “300 Roses” released on 6/25/21.

 “Thank Your Dirty Stars” (with The Dead Horsemen) was digitally released on January 14, 2022.   

       Complete discography available for digital download/ streaming. Links below. 

LIVE VIDEO

If someone doesn’t do it, who will?

 

Albums

Thank Your Dirty Stars (2022)

Stream the full album.

Songs I Hate To Sing (2019)

Stream the full album.

Hank Me Crank Me I’m Dead (2018)

Stream the full album.

Big Black Heart (2017)

Stream the full album.

Skeleton’s Blues 7″ (2012)

Stream the single.

Download the track (from Bandcamp) here.

If you’d like to order the 7” vinyl click here (secure PayPal).
$13 including shipping.

Take Their Time (2012)

Stream the single.

It’s So December (2011)

Stream the full album.

STYLE / INFLUENCES / PERSONNEL

WHAT?: Sad songs, bad songs, death songs, love songs, get-lost songs, come-back songs, weird songs. 

In addition to 4 albums’ worth of original material, lots of covers: old honkytonk and hard country (Ernest Tubb, George Jones, Hank Thompson, Ray Price, Conway Twitty), old country blues (Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Charley Patton), 60’s / ’70’s pop songs (Leon Russell, Fleetwood Mac, Doors, Beatles, Dylan),and outlaw country (Waylon Jennings, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Nelson)- a sort of mashup of these styles, with something broken thrown in.

 

WHERE /WHEN? Solo show will play whenever and wherever there’s fair pay. 

Band books out four months in advance.

Email for event rates.

HANK TOPLESS & THE DEAD HORSEMEN:

J Claymore Koweek on guitar and vocals.

R. Swelling on electric bass. 

Dani Ponce on drums. 

HANK ME CRANK ME I'M LIVE

Upcoming performances

Hank Topless  

Date City Venue Country
03/29/24 Phoenix, AZ Maverick Saloon United States
Time: 9:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 9605 N. 19th Ave.. 9pm-12am, solo.
04/03/24 Phoenix, AZ Rhythm Room United States
Time: 7:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 1019 E. Indian School Rd. Songwriters, etc.
04/04/24 Albuquerque, NM Tractor Brewing (Nob Hill) United States
Time: 7:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 118 Tulane Dr. SE. 7-9pm.
04/05/24 Ajo, AZ Fat Cactus Pizza United States
Time: 5:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 1135 W. Hoover St.. 5-8pm?
04/06/24 Yucca Valley, CA Giant Rock Meeting Room United States
Time: 7:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 1141 Old Woman Springs Rd, Unit A. Deets TBD.
04/07/24 Tucson, AZ Music Box United States
Time: 7:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 6951 E. 22nd St.. Losers’ Lounge, 7-9pm.
04/10/24 Salem, OR Shades Of Brew United States
Time: 6:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 4743 Lancaster Dr. NE. 6-9pm.
04/12/24 Hood River, OR Double Mountain Brewery United States
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 8 4th St.. With Forest Grove Outlaws.
04/13/24 Portland, Oregon The Fixin’ To United States
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 8218 N. Lombard St.. With Bad Assets / Forest Grove Outlaws.
04/15/24 Salem, OR HonkyTonk Bar & Grill United States
Time: 7:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 2275 McGilchrist St. SE. 7-10pm.
04/16/24 Snohomish, WA Pie Dive Bar United States
Time: 6:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 921 First Street. Solo, 6-8pm.
04/17/24 Portland, OR Starday Tavern United States
Time: 5:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 6517 SE Foster Rd.. Happy hour.
04/18/24 Turner, OR Angel’s Share Barrel House United States
Time: 6:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 5420 Denver St. SE. 6-9pm?
04/19/24 Hayward, CA The Bistro United States
Time: 4:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 1001 B St.. 4-6pm.
04/20/24 La Honda, CA Applejack’s United States
Time: 2:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 8790 La Honda Rd.. 2-4pm.
04/21/24 Los Angeles, CA Blind Barber United States
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 5715 N. Figueroa. TBA: Lone Quail, Skip Heller, Kern Richards
04/22/24 Taft, CA Oasis Bar & Grill United States
Time: 5:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 414 North St.. 5-8pm?
04/25/24 Tucson, AZ JoJo’s United States
Time: 6:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 76 W. Washington St.. Solo, 6-8:30pm.
04/26/24 Bisbee, AZ Bisbee Grand Saloon United States
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 61 Main St.. Solo, 8-11pm.
04/27/24 Bisbee, AZ The Quarry United States
Time: 11:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 40 Brewery Ave.. 11am-1pm.
04/28/24 Phoenix, AZ Front Row Moto Show United States
Time: 11:00am. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 747 W. Roosevelt St.. Front Row Moto Show, at Walter Studios.
05/10/24 Nashville, TN The Bowery Vault United States
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 2905C Gallatin Pike. More TBA.
05/18/24 Alpine, AZ Ye Olde Tavern United States
Time: 7:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 42640 Coronado Trail. 7-10pm.
05/23/24 Tucson, AZ JoJo’s United States
Time: 6:00pm. Age restrictions: All Ages/Licensed. Address: 76 W. Washington St.. Solo, 6-8:30pm.
07/19/24 Bisbee, AZ Bisbee Grand Saloon United States
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 61 Main St.. 8-11pm.

Hank Topless & The Dead Horsemen  

Date City Venue Country
04/11/24 Gaston, OR Ace Tavern United States
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 114 Front St.. Plus, Forest Grove Outlaws.
04/28/24 Tucson, AZ Che’s Lounge United States
Time: 7:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 350 N. Fourth Avenue. Special guest TBA.
05/02/24 Tucson, AZ Tap & Bottle United States
Time: 8:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 403 N. Sixth Avenue. Deets TBA.
05/17/24 Phoenix, AZ Chopper John’s United States
Time: 9:00pm. Age restrictions: No Minors. Address: 2547 E. Indian School Rd.. Guests TBD.

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HUH?

Proof that I exist outside of my own mind.

Hank has a heartfelt, throat-aching voice that brings #GeorgeJones and #WillieNelson to mind. Big Black Heart is a fantastic group of stripped down, lonesome songs and not one of them is filler. An extremely underrated musician. “#BigBlackHeart” displays his talent as a storyteller just as much as a singer, writer, and guitarist. His heartfelt music is worth checking out and I suggest anyone into country blues, #honkytonk, #RealCountryMusic, and #folkmusic to give this guy a listen, and a follow! 10/10 for this motherfucker!”

Wesley “The Gunslinger” Gray, Instagram post

”Classic covers and damn-well written originals, too…one of the sweetest country voices in Arizona, possibly the Southwest.”

Kris Kerry, Rialto Theatre

“Topless plays classic country, with some blues around the edges, with skilled guitar playing and a rich voice that rings with a bit of Willie Nelson.”

Eric Swedlund, Zocalo