Classic Outsider Musicians White Boy and the Average Rat Band Coming to Portland’s Tonic Lounge

Heaven and Hell Records will soon be reissuing a square-peg of a sort, which might leave a few scratching their heads. For the first time ever officially reissued, and first time ever released on CD, White Boy and the Average Rat Band will be made available for collectors and introduced to new audiences.

White Boy and the Average Rat Band formed in the small secluded Virginia mountain town Richlands around 1979 after guitarist and founder Mike Matney returned from a short stint with a band in Nashville, Tennessee. Once back home Matney began to put together his Average Rat Band consisting of bassist Tommy Altizer (R.I.P) , rhythm guitarist Seth Kelly and Tim Gilbert. Matney was a staggerly talented musician referred to by Ron Garmon in LA Record as Richland, Virginia’s Roky Erickson. Ron added, “I think that one of the reasons people like this record is its isolated, alienated quality. It’s not an expression of anybody trying to get anywhere. Rather, it’s a raw power urge to make rock ‘n’ roll—a pure thing.”

On top of this reissue, White Boy and the Average Rat Band will be playing at Portland’s Tonic Lounge on January 28th, alongside P.R.O.B.L.E.M.S.

Tickets to the 21-and-over show are priced at $10.00, and can be purchased here.