Fred LeBlanc has been known to let off steam — literally — when he and his band, Cowboy Mouth, play live shows in cold weather, as they will tonight at the base of Aspen Mountain.
LeBlanc is Cowboy Mouth’s drummer and lead singer. Often compared to the Tasmanian Devil, he’s developed a raucous style with an infectious energy and a preacher’s knack for whipping a crowd into a frenzy.
“A Cowboy Mouth show is sort of like a gospel revival without the religion,” LeBlanc said this week from his New Orleans home.
Over the rock band’s two-decade history, they’ve played live nearly half the days in the year. They’ve earned a reputation for frenetic rock shows and scored a handful of radio hits, like “Jenny Says” and “How Do You Tell Someone.”
LeBlanc pulls his drum kit to center stage and pulls off the rare combination of drummer/singer in sweat-soaked, inspired performances. He also, as a rule, plays barefoot and in gym shorts. He said he’ll stick to that rule tonight, no matter the temperature or level of snowfall.
“I like to stay barefoot because I feel the music better, I feel the rhythm better through my feet,” he said. “And if you’ve ever seen me play, I pretty much have my own personal central heating system. A lot of times when we play in the cold it’s a weird sight, because I’ll start steaming.”
They’ve played Aspen regularly over the years, and at the Belly Up as recently as September.
LeBlanc has mastered the art of converting crowds far and wide, beyond their base in New Orleans.
“By doing what I do, I let them know it’s okay to pick up their butts and cut loose,” he said of his crowd control skills. Whether it’s on a dance floor or in the snow, the style seems well-suited to the Aspen Skiing Co.’s Bud Light Hi-Fi Concert Series, which Cowboy Mouth kicks off tonight.
“I never look at it as an Aspen crowd versus a New Orleans crowd,” LeBlanc explained. “I look at it as a Cowboy Mouth crowd. A Cowboy Mouth crowd is going to scream a little bit too much, dance a little bit too much, drink a little bit too much, and have a little too much fun.”
Cowboy Mouth plays a free show at the base of Aspen Mountain in upper gondola plaza today at 6:30 p.m., followed by the World Cup awards ceremony and fireworks.
The lineup for the rest of the Aspen Skiing Co.’s free concert series has yet to be announced. Concerts are scheduled for Aspen Mountain on Saturday, Jan. 28, and in Snowmass on Monday, Feb. 20. Two free shows are scheduled during the annual Spring Jam festival, on Sunday, March 18 in Snowmass and Friday, March 23 in Aspen.
Past Hi-Fi performers have included Everclear, The Offspring, Arrested Development and Ghostland Observatory.
andrew@aspendailynews.com
