- 03:53
- 04:14
Albums
Songs
- 03:53
- 04:14
About Whelan
Sid Whelan
Guitarist /Singer /Songwriter/Bandleader
A blues-influenced Americana guitarist and songwriter, Sid Whelan cut his teeth on rock & roll and charted on Midwestern indie college radio in the mid ‘80’s with his song “NY Taxi.” Early in his career, Whelan was lead guitarist with various world music acts including the Lijadu Sisters and later Afroblue, which also experienced indie radio success with their cover of Jimmy Cliff’s “You Can Get it if You Really Want.” Following the breakup of Afroblue, Sid left his guitars in their cases for the better part of a decade while he made a life and family in New York City. Now he’s back and again on the radio and web with Americana and Blues show airplay around the country of “Frisco Lines,” the rollicking country-blues opening track on his comeback album “Flood Waters Rising.”
The comeback all started in July 2012 when Sid’s niece, the NPR award-winning singer/songwriter Lora-Faye, called him to replace her previous lead guitarist. Whelan joined her for a baptism-by-fire return to performance for a string of gigs in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Rejuvenated, he began writing music again, returning for inspiration to his love of pre-1960 American music, particularly the blues but also country, folk, bluegrass, Tin Pan Alley, Broadway and jazz. His songs tackle difficult themes of contemporary American life.
In 2013 He created the band “Whelan,” featuring Naido Vargas on keys and harmonica; Richard Huntley on drums; and Doug Berns on bass. The group’s first CD “Flood Waters Rising,” a blues-inspired collection of nine songs, was self-released last October. It is the first installment in Whelan’s “Americana Trilogy” project – a concept run of three discs. The next installment in the Trilogy will be “Grandpa’s Rye,” a country-inspired collection, followed by “New York Taxi,” a rock and soul inspired collection. Songs from all three CDs are part of the band’s current live show, as is repertoire from their upcoming blues recording, “The Story of Ike Dupree,” which has begun tracking as of August 2014 and will be the first Whelan album to feature a horn section, with Charts by funk/soul trombone legend Fred Wesley (James Brown) and NYC-based Jazz trumpet master Ron Horton (Jazz Composers Collective).
A big fan of bottleneck guitar playing, Whelan’s primary influences for the “Flood Waters Rising” project were Robert Johnson, Howlin' Wolf, Willie Dixon, Son House, Ledbelly and Fred McDowell. Inspirational figures and other guiding lights were Woody Guthrie, Cole Porter, Bob Dylan, Kelly Joe Phelps, Eric Clapton, Carl Perkins, Robert Randolph, Bonnie Raitt, Cassandra Wilson, Taj Mahal and Ben Harper. Whelan studied guitar, jazz and/or world music with Woody Mann, Howard Morgen, Jack Baker, Steve Tarshis, Bob Sinicrope, Wendell Logan, Roderick Night and Ronny Lee.
Whelan plays the following guitars: A late-model Martin DC16E cut-away; a 1970 Les Paul Custom; a Custom Schecter Tele modified with Tom Anderson & Lindy Fralin Strat-style pickups; a 1968 reissue Fender custom shop Strat relic; an Epiphone Emperor AS Archtop; an early 1940's Oahu lap steel and a 2012 Fender American Standard Tele with Custom Shop pickups. He uses hand-blown glass slides and Ernie Ball, D’Addario and Martin strings.
# October 2014
Plays Today: 46
Total Plays: 121,315
Profile Views: 124,954
Subscribers: 1,546
Followers: 196
Whelan has no Merchandise yet.
Past Events
Sat
Oct 18
8:00 PM
All Ages
The West End Lounge
United States, New York, New York City, 955 West End Avenue, 10025
Sun
Oct 26
6:30 PM
18+
Blackthorn 51
United States, New York, Queens, 80-12 51st Avenue, Elmhurst NY, 11373
Sat
Nov 22
6:00 PM
18+
Santos Party House
United States, New York, New York City, 96 Lafayette St - Tribeca, 10013
Fri
Jan 09
7:00 PM
All Ages
The West End Lounge
United States, New York, New York City, 955 West End Avenue at 107th St, 10025
Thu
Feb 05
9:00 PM
21+
The Bowery Electric Map Room
United States, New York, New York, 327 Bowery Between 2nd & 3rd Streets, 10003
Fri
Feb 20
7:00 PM
All Ages
Sheffield Auditorium at the First Congregational Church
United States, Connecticut, Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Rd Old Lyme, CT, 06371
Thu
Apr 16
9:00 PM
All Ages
The Bayou Restaurant
United States, New York, Mount Vernon, 580 Gramatan Avenue, Mount Vernon NY, 10552
Wed
May 20
8:00 PM
All Ages
Perks & Corks Cafe
United States, Rhode Island, Westerly, 62 High Street, Westerley, RI, 02891
Sat
May 30
8:00 PM
All Ages
The West End Lounge
United States, New York, New York City, 955 West End Avenue. New York, NY, 10025
Wed
Jun 17
8:00 PM
21+
Bar9 NYC
United States, New York, New York City, 807 Ninth Avenue New York, NY , 10011
Fri
Jul 24
5:30 PM
All Ages
The West End
United States, New York, New York City, 955 West end Avenue at 107th Street, 10025
Sat
Jul 25
9:30 PM
All Ages
The Bayou
United States, New York, Mount Vernon, , 580 Gramatan Avenue, 10552
Fri
Aug 07
6:00 PM
All Ages
Issaquah Artwalk
United States, Washington, Issaquah, 232 Front Street North , 98027
Sun
Aug 16
4:30 PM
All Ages
Woodstock Black Potatoe Project
United States, New Jersey, Clinton, Red Mill 56 Main Street Clinton. NJ, 08809
Wed
Aug 26
8:30 PM
21+ or w/ adult
Bar 9 NYC
United States, New York, New York City, 807 9th Avenue Bet 53rd 7 54th Streets, 10019
Thu
Aug 27
9:30 PM
All Ages
The Bayou Restaurant
United States, New York, Mount Vernon, 580 Gramatan Avenue, 10552
Fri
Aug 28
8:30 PM
21+
The Silver Dollar Room
Canada, Ontario, Toronto, 486 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5S 3E6
Fri
Sep 25
7:45 PM
All Ages
The West End
United States, New York, New York, 955 West End Avenue at 107th Street, 10025
Fri
Oct 02
7:00 PM
All Ages
Eastport Arts Center
United States, Maine, Eastport, 36 Washington Street, 04631
Thu
Dec 10
9:30 PM
All Ages
The Bayou Restaurant
United States, New York, Mount Vernon, 580 Gramatan Avenue, 10552
Fri
Dec 11
8:00 PM
21+
The Stanhope House
United States, New Jersey, Stanhope, 45 Main Street, 07874
Sat
Dec 12
8:00 PM
All Ages
The West End
United States, New York, New York City, 955 West End Avenue at 107th St, 10025
Wed
May 18
8:00 PM
All Ages
Perks & Corks Cafe
United States, Rhode Island, Westerly, 62 High Street, 02891
Fri
May 20
8:00 PM
All Ages
The West End Lounge
United States, New York, New York City, 955 West End Avenue, 10025
Fri
May 20
8:00 PM
All Ages
The West End Lounge
United States, New York, New York City, 955 West End Avenue, 10025
Fri
May 20
8:00 PM
All Ages
The West End Lounge
United States, New York, New York City, 955 West End Avenue, 10025
Thu
Jun 23
6:00 PM
All Ages
Brooklyn Commons Cafe
United States, New York, Brooklyn, 388 Atlantic Avenue, 11217
Fri
Oct 14
10:00 PM
21+
Parkside Lounge
United States, New York, New York City, 317 East Houston (At Attorney St) , 10002
Thu
Nov 03
10:00 PM
21+
Parkside Lounge
United States, New York, New York City, 317 East Houston St, 10002
Sat
Apr 08
8:00 PM
All Ages
Sheffield Auditorium
United States, Connecticut, Old Lyme, 2 Ferry Rd,, 06371
Sat
Apr 22
1:00 PM
All Ages
Maxwell's Tavern Front Room
United States, New Jersey, Hoboken, 1039 Washington St., 07030
Wed
May 03
8:00 PM
21+
Perks & Corks
United States, Rhode Island, Westerley, 62 High Street, 02891
Sat
May 06
8:00 PM
All Ages
The West End Lounge
United States, New York, New York City, 955 West End Avenue at 107th St. Manhattan, 10025
Sat
Jun 17
6:00 PM
All Ages
Brooklyn Commons
United States, New York, Brooklyn, 388 Atlantic Avenue, 11217
Wed
Oct 18
8:00 PM
21+ or w/ adult
Perks & Corks
United States, Rhode Island, Westerley, 62 High Street, 02891
Thu
Oct 19
7:00 PM
All Ages
Nightingale's Acoustic Cafe
United States, Connecticut, Old Lyme, 68 Lyme Street, 06371
Sat
Oct 21
7:00 PM
All Ages
East Port Arts Center
United States, Maine, Eastport, 36 Washington Street, 04631
Thu
Dec 07
6:30 PM
21+
Departed Soles Brewing Company
United States, New Jersey, Jersey City, 150 Bay St Suite 2A, 07302
Wed
Apr 18
8:00 PM
All Ages
Perks and Corks Cafe
United States, Rhode Island, Westerly, 62 High Street, 02891
Thu
Apr 19
7:00 PM
All Ages
Nightingale's Acoustic Cafe
United States, Connecticut, old lyme, 68 lyme Street, 06371
Sat
Apr 21
7:00 PM
All Ages
Eastport Arts Center
United States, Maine, Easport, 36 Washington Street, 04631
Sat
Jun 09
1:00 PM
All Ages
Corkscrew Bar
United States, New Jersey, Jersey City, 61 Congress St, 07307
Sat
Jul 14
7:00 PM
All Ages
Heart of the Arts Festival
United States, Pennsylvania, Titusville, Scheide Park, 16354