Live Review: The Surreal McCoys (Featuring The Legendary Billy Morrison) at House of Blues and Dragonfly
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Jena Ardell. The Surreal McCoys with Billy Morrison at House of Blues.
WHO: Surreal McCoys
WHERE: House of Blues, Dragonfly
WHEN: 6/3/11
Who are the Surreal McCoys? Your new favorite cow punk band.
We followed them on Friday while they played back-to-back shows at House of Blues and the Dragonfly.
To say this band has a good sense of humor would be an understatement. During the average work week, these guys are working professionals, but while on tour, they are better known as the Surreal McCoys: Billy Saul McCoy, Cletus McCoy, Clint McCoy, Elvis McCoy and Goat Boy McCoy.
This fun lovin' group of five met while attending Notre Dame in the '90s and began playing as the "Surreal McCoys" during fraternity parties. They describe themselves as "a whiskey-soaked psycho-billy musical assault team that specializes in BOTH kinds of music: Cow and Punk.![]()
Jena Ardell Cletus McCoy on lead vocals.
If Howlin' Wolf and Patsy Cline guzzled moonshine while having snarlin' backwoods fever sex under the full moon at the crossroads of Highways 61 and 49 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, the Surreal McCoys would be their star-crossed demon seed offspring." We're in.
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Jena Ardell Elvis McCoy of the Surreal McCoys.
Usually, their lyrics are just as colorful as their description. The McCoys put their own spin on a song called "Amsterdam Dogshit Blues" by Mojo Nixon by renaming it "Hollywood Dogshit Blues", which chronicles an afternoon spent hiking along Runyon Canyon and stepping in ... well, you guessed it, a giant pile of dog shit.
Despite being located in different cities (only Clint McCoy lives in Los Angeles), the McCoys tour 4-5 weekends per year, hitting up contiguous cities and notable venues, like the Viper Room.
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Jena Ardell Boot stompin' fun with the Surreal McCoys!
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Jena Ardell Clint McCoy is the "shy guy" of the group.

































