By Bethany Kohoutek bethany@dmcityview.com

Midwest, via Mississippi

Matt Woods and The Thunderbolts bring hill country blues to Iowa

The first time Matt Woods put Son House's "The Original Delta Blues" into his CD player proved to be a pivotal moment in the then-22-year-old's life.

"Somebody had handed me a CD or told me about it, and I dug it up and listened to it in my apartment," he says. "That was pretty much it."

Woods had grown up listening to classic rock and reggae, but when he heard the organic blues stylings of the Delta legend, he was hooked. Three years later, Woods found himself in his car, driving south, with a guitar as his only passenger. His destination: Mississippi. It was a spur-of-the-moment trip, and Woods' only intention was to soak up the rich history of music that had so inspired him.

"It was incredible," he says, looking back on the journey. "All of a sudden, I decided that this was the place I needed to be for a while. If I was going to take it to the next level, to have that understanding, I needed to be part of it. I sort of bounced around northern Mississippi and played wherever I could, met people, hung out and just talked to people about it. It was a really spiritual thing."

Woods, now 26, brought back to Des Moines a brand of blues not often heard in the Midwest. Hill country and true Delta blues are rarities in these parts, often overshadowed by the Chicago-flavored licks that most Iowa-based blues groups serve up.

"I don't like a lot of contemporary blues, like the quote-unquote popular blues bands. With all due respect, that's not my thing," Woods says. "I like a really raw sound, from a roots type of music. Real simple and straightforward."

So when Woods met drummer Michael Swanger and bassist Scott Cochran and realized that they shared his passion for Mississippi blues, the experience was magical. Swanger (also Cityview's managing editor) is a veteran of the local blues circuit who's played with the likes of The Soul Searchers, Mojo Machine and T-Bone Blues Revue, and Cochran's musical resume spans four decades with groups like Chicago Rick's Blues Band, The Nightcrawlers and Tough Enough. Together, Swanger and Cochran played in the Bad Boys of the Blues featuring Jimmy Pryor and have served as the house band for the Iowa Blues Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

In late 2005, the three became Matt Woods and The Thunderbolts, a name that is now ubiquitous in local music calendar listings. Three shows per week is not an uncommon schedule for The Thunderbolts, who also have a standing Wednesday-night gig as the house band at Blues on Grand.

"I've played with a lot of people before... but I've never had the chemistry I have with Michael and Scott," Woods says. "I had an idea of what kind of direction I wanted to go with this outfit, and they were both really into it. They knew what I meant."

That chemistry has only intensified during the last year. In the blues scene, the band has become known for its on-stage charisma - particularly Woods' wild stage antics - and its penchant for propelling any crowd to its feet.

"It has that kind of appeal," Woods says, of the music. "It's the original everything: the original country, the original rock 'n' roll, the original blues. It's raw, and people can dance to it, so they like it. And they can get drunk to it."

It's an energy that translates well on Woods' inaugural album, "If I Was A Fish," which the band recorded after only one session playing together. Woods' masterful fretwork and smoky, old-soul vocals are high in the mix, bolstered by the steady, swaggering rhythm section of Swanger and Cochran. The CD release show is slated for 9:30 p.m. this Saturday at Blues on Grand.

The band's inclination toward nontraditional blues has paid off, not just in terms of its popularity with audiences, but also with critics. Four years after his life-changing trip to the birthplace of the blues, Woods found out just how critical that voyage was. Two weeks ago, he and Swanger - the duo named Bad Luck City - beat out five of the state's best blues acts to claim first place in the 2006 Iowa Solo/Duo Blues Challenge. Their reward is an expenses-paid trip to Memphis, where they will represent the state in the International Blues Challenge and square off against blues acts from around the world.

Woods and Swanger are taking the acclaim in stride. To them, it's just one more step along the road for Matt Woods and The Thunderbolts - a road that Woods hopes will extend for many miles.

"It's such a huge part of my life - the whole thing, basically - and when you put so much time and work into it, it's nice when somebody, even one person appreciates it. I hope it just keeps picking up steam. ... I want to play every night, and I want to play all over the country." CV

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