The Tangiers Blues Band/ Hey Battlefield

Show Description

The Tangiers Blues Band started many years ago as post-Thanksgiving therapy [what would give one the blues more than a meal with your entire family?].

The original jam session consisted of Chris, Huey (Fun Lovin Criminals), King, Dave and Danny Clinch, joined by Mick Jones [Foreigner], Patty Smythe [Scandal] and John McEnroe [7 time Grand Slam Champion, and he plays guitar!]. After that night, da boys knew they had something special.

The band added "Lonesome" Dave on bass and "Sneaky" Pete ..boards and began gigging around New York at such places as Shine, Joe's Pub and the Hog Pit. Whether it was playing traditional blues like "Stormy Monday" or down-dating a modern classic like "My Sharona" into a Mississippi blues stomp, their notoriety grew as did their legendary bar tabs. They started a Monday night residency as the house band at Amy Sacco's Lot 61, playing for such fans as Bono, Gwen Stefani, Michael Stipe, Bruce Willis, Gavin DeGraw and Lars Ulrich. Bruce, Gavin and Lars were inspired enough to get up and jam with the band.

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"Sounding like a mix between Bob Dylan and Joe Strummer, albeit with more irony, singer/guitarist Jason Rossi's perfunctory detached charm, displaying just enough to avoid any potential eye rolling. The music is largely held down by drummer Michael Scheideler who kept the band afloat with a moving pulse that unexpectedly ushered subtle fills into the air.”
-Brooklyn Vegan


Born and breed native New Yorkers 'Hey Battlefield' mix a stylish combination of hard edged rock and roll infused with subtle snippets of catchy melodies that pay homage to the bands main influences; the likes of Tom waits and Elvis Costello. Tempo builds gradually throughout each live show, reaching a crescendo that boils over with an electric energy that's biting and attentive.

Lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Jason Rossi formed Hey Battlefield with Michael Scheideler formally of Pen Pal, and Tyler Krupsky who has played bass for the likes of Bon Jovi and Fuel to name but a few, met only 5 months ago after they saw Jason perform a solo gig at Rockwood Music Hall and fell in love with his songwriting. They approached him after the show, thus the band was born and in only the past few months since May 2009 when the band first performed at Joe’s Pub, the boys got busy playing gigs all summer long and have performed at every music hot spot the city has to offer.

In November 2009 the band opened for Television’s Richard Lloyd at The Studio @ Webster Hall to a packed house hosted by Fashion Designer John Varvatos, Legendary Punk Rock Photographer Bob Gruen and Rock Journalist Legs McNeil. Amongst the revelers was music industry’s favorite photographer Danny Clinch who shot pictures of the band backstage as they downed beers with a few of New York’s original 80’s punk rockers.