By Will Roper
April 18, 2018

A prestigious and decorated blues band will be performing at the Zoo for an evening of music following the Nebraska Huskers Spring Game.

On Saturday, April 21, American blues band Too Slim and the Taildraggers will be performing at the Zoo Bar.

Currently, the band is comprised of Tim “Too Slim” Langford on guitar and vocals, Jeffrey “Shakey” Fowlkes on drums and Zach Kasik on bass and vocals.

Langford formed the band over 30 years ago in 1986 when the band began playing in Spokane, Washington. Inspired by blues and rock bands like the Allman Brothers and Muddy Waters, Too Slim and the Taildraggers have been performing a unique blend of blues, rock and alternative music for both live audiences and 13 studio albums.

After years of putting out solid, ever-evolving music, Too Slim released one of their best albums to date in “Blood Moon.” Combining hard-hitting blues and rock beats with Langford’s stylish guitar playing and unique voice, the album could be classified into a variety of genres. Softer songs, like “My Body,” contrast immensely with the classic blues rock of “Twisting Rails.” Even after 30 years, Langford shows he can still crank out famous blues solos.

Their forthcoming album, “High Desert Heat,” will be released on April 27, and the group is now based in Nashville. Prominent Nashville musicians, like drummer Fowlkes and bassist Robert Kearns, are featured on the album.

Langford himself is an expert guitarist, the skills of which formed the basis for creating the backing duo of the Taildraggers. His range of influences go from Lynyrd Skynyrd to Freddy King, and like his band, his style of singing and playing is constantly in motion and growing. Langford’s stardom is so monumental that his personal image is on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville. He’s known in the music world as a musician who never settles for a signature sound, and is always on the lookout for something new. If there’s a barrier or obstacle in the way of creating a good blues or country album, he’ll bust through it.

There’s no question Too Slim and his group are among blues music’s best in the country, and it’s shown for the last decade. Along with constantly putting out new music, the band has continued to garner high spots on Billboard’s Top 10 Blues Albums with five out of their last six albums reaching a spot on the illustrious chart. The Washington State Blues Society also awarded the group a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012.

Too Slim and the Taildraggers are just beginning a long stretch of their tour that will take them across the Midwest and into parts of the Northeast, from Missouri, Nebraska and Iowa to New York, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The journey starts April 18 in Kansas City and ends May 15 in Bourbannais, Il.

Many of their past tours have taken them to several continents, where their style of blues, bluegrass and rock is met with a warm reception wherever they go.

Before stopping in Lincoln, the band will be playing up in Omaha at the Chrome Lounge on April 19. If you can’t catch them at the Zoo, you can find them there.

Will Roper is an editorial intern with KZUM.