New Orleans is a city known for its music scene and contributions to the nation’s musical fabric.
In this city, there are many great local bands, and it can feel overwhelming to try and sift through all of the different acts. However, every once in a while, a band stands out for their originality and talent. One of these bands is Kid Eggplant and the Groovy Melatauns. This group, lead by local father and son, Sidney and Robert Snow, has an eclectic discography spanning from blues music, to rock and roll, to swing.
Recently, I had the chance to sit down with both Robert and Sidney, or better known by their stage names, Kid Eggplant and Dr. Guitar, to discuss their upcoming CD release event.
Their newest album, Peace Love & Donuts, is set for physical release on Saturday May 22, 2021 at a release party at Pirogues Whiskey Bayou from 8PM to 10PM. Pirogues Whiskey Bayou is worth the short drive to Arabi and is located at 6940 St. Claude Ave. The band will be playing a set including tracks form their new album.
Half of proceeds made on CD sales during the event will be donated to Bean Coin (a local organization helping music clubs and bars in the New Orleans area stay open despite Covid setbacks). The band will be giving some free t-shirts featuring the cover art from the new album away as well.
What got you into creating music, and how long have you been in this industry in New Orleans?
“I’ve been playing since 1954 when I had my first gig. It was with Herman Gilmore. We played Mary’s Tavern on Magazine Street.” -Sidney Snow (Dr. Guitar)
“My first gig was in 1983 at the tomato festival in Chalmette.” -Robert Snow (Kid Eggplant)
“Growing up watching my dad play got me into playing music. I started writing lyrics about 11 years ago. A good friend of mine as well as Earl Stanley told me I should start writing songs. My friend gave me a book on rhyming and that helped me become a better lyricist.” -Kid Eggplant
“I just had a song I wanted to right down, and so I wrote it. My brother got me started playing and so we started making up songs.” -Dr. Guitar
How would you describe the music on this album?
“It goes from blues at the beginning to straight up rock and roll at the end.” -Kid Eggplant
Right on. So tell me about your band! Have y’all always been called Kid Eggplant and the Groovy Melatauns?
“The band was originally called The Melatuans. When the lead singer left the band for health reasons it became kid Eggplant and the Melatauns. This is our sixth album, of all original music.” -Kid Eggplant
What are y’all most excited about in terms of this upcoming album release?
“I am most excited about the release. There’s an emotional high with this kind of event.” – Kid Eggplant
“I’m just waiting for Willie Nelson to buy one of them suckers.” -Dr. Guitar
You had mentioned that there were other local musicians on the album. Tell me about some of them!
“Other musicians playing on the record include Brian Stoltz from Funky Meters, Ronnie Snow jr., and Matt Rhody on violin playing on a heavier song as well as Bruce Brackman and Pat Ricks (our former lead singer) and Ricky Stelma.” -Kid Eggplant
What motivates your songwriting? In other words, what’s your muse?
“They just kind of come to me, especially when I’m driving.” – Robert Snow
Cool! I read something in the CD booklet about the Man on the Moon track. Tell me more about that.
“Man on the moon comes from a dream that I had about George Harrison asking for directions on Frenchman street, I asked him for some lyrics and he said, “there’s a man on the moon, eating cream cheese with a big fat spoon.” – Kid Eggplant
Track 9, Gloria, was written about my mother, I wrote that one about ten years ago. And the first part of track 3 was written about an experience I had in Italy with a friend interacting with a communist girl handing out pamphlets on the street.” -Kid Eggplant
What’s the community and competition like in the local music scene?
“The community of New Orleans musician is pretty close and tightknit. There’s some competition with the performers who are really famous. As far as the working guys, the ones in the trenches, there’s a lot of comradery and helping each other get gigs.” -Kid Eggplant
Peace Love and Donuts starts out with rhythm and blues and gets into rock and roll later on. The album is being released only on CD on May 22nd, but this will be followed by a digital release across all streaming platforms in June.
Other notes:
Without Your Love, track 2, was written by Sidney Snow in 1959, it was sung by Eddie Powers back in the day and was re-recorded by other local, regional, and national artists as well.
Kid Eggplant and the Groovy Malatuans would like to extend special thanks to Lovesick Due. They are a couple from Italy who perform on the second half of track 3, Siamo Donne, an old communist women’s song.
“They’re great musicians we met on Frenchman street.” -Kid Eggplant
