STILL GOING STRONG: Little Feat to celebrate Waiting for Columbus album at Wagner Noël

Nov. 18—Scott Sharrard grew up loving the band Little Feat.

It's been a dream come true as he was named as a new member to the band back in 2020 and has enjoyed every minute of playing and being on tour.

He'll get a chance to stop by the Permian Basin in a few weeks when Little Feat performs at the Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center.

The band will perform at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5.

"There's nothing like going through Texas," Sharrard said. "So much of my favorite music is from there. I can't wait to get some barbecue. As a guy who lives in New York City, that's the first thing I'm looking forward to."

Over the years, the band has been a classic example of a fusion of many different styles of musical genres made into something utterly distinctive.

They've transcended the boundaries, uniting California rock, funk, folk , jazz country, rackabilly and New Orleans swamp boogie into a rich gumbo that has been leading people in joyful dance ever since.

The band started in 1969 when Frank Zappa fired Lowell George from the Mothers of Invention and told him to start a band of his own.

Soon after, Lowell connected with Bill Payne which stirred up sparks before bringing in drummer Richie Hayward.

The band was signed by Warner Bros. and began working on the first of 12 albums and the rest became history.

This tour commemorates the 45th anniversary of the Waiting for Columbus album.

Sharrard and Leone are the newest members of the group.

"The Waiting for Columbus album is one of the most important albums in rock history and my own life," Sharrard said. "It's probably my own top 10 most influential records. To get to perform that album and set of music every night has been a very unique challenge. It's been a privilege for Tony Leone and I, the new guys. Tony and I were both raised on this album and played music from it. It's been a really challenge and rewarding experience. We have three more weeks of doing it in December and then next year, we're going to turn the page to new music. This will be a great celebration of that album and this band."

Over the years, the band has seen changes.

50 years on the road cost them George, Hayward and Barrere but the music has carried them forward.

Little Feat today contains Bill Payne on keyboards and vocals, Sam Clayton on percussion and vocals, Fred Tackett on guitar and vocals, Kenny Gradney on bass, Sharrard on guitar and vocals and Leone on drums.

For Sharrard, following Little Feat as a kid inspired him to play music.

"I saw my first Little Feat show when I was 13," Sharrard said. "I saw a couple of concerts on that tour and it changed my life. My father's a musician and I was raised in a very creative music household. They wrapped all these genres that I was exposed to in one laboratory. It didn't hurt at the time I was just learning how to play guitar seriously."

It also inspired him to start his own band in junior high.

"I wanted to put together my first junior high school band," Sharrard said. "The first band I put together, I was thinking about not only little feat but also the almond brothers band, led zeppelin, rolling stones. When you listen to their albums, you hear every style of American roots music in every song and that still holds true today. It creates the high level of elite musicianship that you can have. The bands that approach everything narrowly are the ones selling themselves short of a true vision, especially in rock and roll. It's all about melding styles into one big gumbo and there's no one better at that than little feat."

During this tour, the crowds have been a blast to play for, Sharrard said.

"Little Feat crowds have always been filled with music fanatics, connoisseurs with a lot of love for the band and understanding of the deep roots of the band," Sharrard said. "Those are the best fans. We've had an unbelievable great turnout at the shows. We've had some that are light and I think that has to do with some big sports game on or the time period where we were touring during the pandemic because we've been touring for over a year. It's had its up and downs during the tour but the fans have been voracious. They're the best fans you can ask for. They give you so much energy. They've given me so much confidence to take this thing on and it means a lot when you have to fill this role. It's been a great experience."

For tickets to the show, go to tinyurl.com/rdjn6wfc.