Live Music: Fred Love

MY STORY

Fred Love is an Americana singer, songwriter and guitarist from Ames, Iowa. A native of an isolated farm town, Fred has always thought of his music as an extension of the most primal forms in the American songbook. His direct blend of country, folk and blues with a DIY/punk delivery creates a ruggedly original cowpunk approach that taps into the hearts of the wanderers, misfits and strangers that haunt America’s rural interior. Fred’s hometown seldom attracted the attention of traveling musical acts, so he usually had to drive an hour or more to reach the nearest music venues for live shows. Now, as an established DIY musician, he embraces every opportunity to play the local bars and honky tonks of the rural Midwest in an effort to bring live performances to communities that rarely host them. You can often find him setting up his guitar and microphone stand in an out-of-the-way watering hole on the plains, serving up his original compositions alongside classic numbers from the likes of Merle Haggard and Hank Williams.He sometimes teams up with drummer Cal Rebuhn and bassist Pat Blair, forming a sizzling cowpunk three-piece known as Fred Love and the Bakersfield Brawl. This electrified approach amps up the energy and volume, offering a unique punk spin on the honky tonk sound. To be sure, the Bakersfield Brawl ain’t your grandpa’s country band!