Hillbilly Swinger

All right, all right... it's true. Wayne "The Train" Hancock's voice sounds more than a smidge like Hank Williams' (maybe that's why Hank III is such a fan). But the truth of the matter is, the critics who have at times suggested Hancock's little more than a Williams imitator don't...

By Cole Haddon

May 25, 2006

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All right, all right... it's true. Wayne "The Train" Hancock's voice sounds more than a smidge like Hank Williams' (maybe that's why Hank III is such a fan). But the truth of the matter is, the critics who have at times suggested Hancock's little more than a Williams imitator don't really get the genius that he brings to the stage. It's not like these critics are calling Toby Keith a Neanderthal imitator; what he's doing to country music is just about as unoriginal and nutty as the early-morning sounds Hancock makes in the outhouse. Hancock, on the other hand, is more than some kind of bastard son of Williams; as "the master of hillbilly swing," Hancock could be Brian Setzer's second cousin as well. Hancock's sound combines honky-tonk country, swing, and rockabilly and distills it into something utterly retro but entirely new. Maybe it's time you paid attention. Of course, you could always hit Wal-Mart and pick up Keith's latest audio ejaculations instead.

Wayne Hancock plays at 10 p.m. Friday, May 26, at Maguire's Hill 16, 535 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale. The show costs $10. Call 954-764-4453.

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