Gregg “Cheech” Hall is the real deal
LA CROSSE, Wis. (WLAX/WEUX) – One of the things I wanted to do with this segment of WI Proud was shine a light on the people and artists who are making a living doing this thing right here in the Coulee Region. Those people who were moved enough to make creating their art the way they make it in the world. The dreamers and believers who put in the 10,000 hours to become experts and, capital P intended, Professional. Gregg “Cheech” Hall is the epitome of that very mission. He has worked tirelessly to get his brand off the ground. He has put in the blood, sweat and tears that are necessary to call oneself a “Professional Musician”. He has the scar and stories to prove it.
Hall has been playing music for audiences since he was in 3rd grade. He has been making a living writing, recording and performing music for the past 20 years. If you know of a band or musician from the area, he has probably played with them or, at the very least, shared a line-up with them. And, if they have been around for any part of the last five years, they have probably played at Deece Fest; a festival right here in our backyard that Cheech brought to us with his partners in Deece Productions.
I think the beauty part of a hometown music scene is the way that everyone tends to buoy everyone else. A local scene, of any sort, has to live by the adage, “Rising tides lift all boats”. Cheech lives that. Not only does Deece Productions offer booking for countless Midwest bands, but Deece Fest allows those same bands to play a festival in front of fans who are there to see them, specifically. He has led, and organized, countless tribute shows where those same musician friends strap on their gear to pay homage to greats of the past as well as impress those audiences with their own music. He also has found himself as a member of some pretty iconic bands. White Iron Band, Smoking Bandits, Nicholas David and The Feeling Band just to name a few. Heck, the lineup of his OWN band, Gregg Hall and The Wrecking Ball reads like a who’s-who of Midwest musical icons. Tim Powers on bass, Ben Rhode on drums, Alexandra Green with vocals, Kale Olson-Reed playing fiddle and mandolin, and Dan Kimpel on the pedal steel.
Now, as for his music? There is only one way to describe what he is currently doing: Country. Not the bedazzled pants, slick hair and bro’d out, poppy version of what country has become. No, what Hall does is right at home with Waylon and Willie, Hank and Johnny and every outlaw that has slung a guitar over their back. If you like the stylings of Tyler Childers, Sturgill Simpson, Jason Isbell or any artists making (what “they” call) Americana today…then you will like the work of Gregg Hall.
This is just part one. We will hear from Gregg again next week and I will talk more about the music he makes and what moves me about it. I will talk about the new album he made and is taking a big swing with. We will talk about his lineage of artists from the La Crosse area. We will talk about Deece and, most importantly, we will hear the man play a song for us, live.
Until then, stay Deece… and go see Gregg Hall wherever he might be and whoever he is playing with tonight.
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