Honey Bear Black Joe Lewis Credit: Photo by Aubrey Edwards

The Underdog

Saturday night marks the end of an era at the Continental Club as the Weary Boys ride off into the sunset with original lead singer Mario Matteoli in tow. Don’t expect opener and longtime running mate Black Joe Lewis to pause and reminisce, though. “My new band is off the chain,” says Lewis of the Honey Bears, the matching eightpiece collective that transforms his gritty Texas blues into a retro-soul shakedown à la Don Covay. The band has already sold out the first run of its eponymous new EP and has made an unlikely ally in Spoon. “Britt Daniel happened to be at our first real show at Beauty Bar,” Lewis recalls. “We turned his head, straight up.” Lewis and company open for the indie icons for six dates on their upcoming tour, beginning Sept. 5 at the Showbox in Seattle, with the Honey Bears accentuating Spoon’s horn-laden new tunes. “This is my first time to go west,” Lewis admits. “I’m a little nervous to leave Austin, but it’s gonna be on.”

This article appears in August 24 • 2007.

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