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Sardinas to deliver 'Dobro thunder' in Winder

date >> on or before october 1, 2003

author >> dyana bagby

photographer >> neil zlozower

Sardinas to deliver 'Dobro thunder' in Winder

Eric Sardinas looks at you longingly from his newest album cover, "Black Pearls," his right hand gently pushing back his long locks.

You can't help but notice those long, long locks, hanging past his shoulders, that are neatly woven into dozens of thin, tight braids.

"It takes a long time to braid," he says in a phone interview from a Florida hotel room, where he and his band are currently on tour. Sardinas comes to Winder next Thursday to Chip's, an intimate setting renowned for its blues acts.

"Hours and hours. I had it done on a flight to Hong Kong," he added. "I go back and forth between braiding and not braiding."

One thing he sticks to, however, is the blues.

At 6 he was already playing guitar, influenced by gospel, Motown and R&B, and listening to the likes of Elvis Presley and Ray Charles.

Both his 1999 debut, "Treat Me Right," and 2001 follow-up, "Devil's Train," are filled with Sardinas' signature electrified Dobro "thunder" but stay true to the traditional blues he was raised with.

With "Black Pearls," released just last month on new label Favored Nations, Sardinas tapped celebrated studio legend Eddie Kramer to produce and help find the sounds he loves to play with bassist Paul Loranger and new drummer Mike Dupke.

And, for that extra touch of reality, the album was recorded completely live and direct to analog tape.

"Working with Eddie Kramer was a real good experience," Sardinas said.

"We captured the essence of the band and caught a real actual moment in time," he added. "I'm pleased with it."

In between several of his own band's shows, Sardinas is also opening at a few shows for David Lee Roth, the former frontman for Van Halen.

And how is it to perform with Diamond Dave?

"It's cool," Sardinas answered simply. "He has a wild show and we have a wild show. If you like blues and you like rock, it's all there. We give as much as we get back from the audience."