A raunchy, fun-loving, and hard-hitting rock band led by chainsaw-wielding frontman Jesse James Dupree, Georgia's Jackyl emerged in the early 1990s with a sound rooted in Southern hard rock and no-frills heavy metal. The group's eponymous 1992 debut album was certified platinum on the strength of the rock radio hits "Down on Me," "When Will It Rain," and "The Lumberjack," the latter of which featured Dupree's infamous chainsaw solo. Jackyl's mainstream success eventually waned, but through heavy touring and the releases of well-received efforts like Best in Show (2012), Rowyco (2016), and 30 Coming In Hot (2022), they have maintained a dedicated following that few other bands from the era can claim. Jackyl was founded in Kennesaw, Georgia in 1991 by vocalist Jesse James Dupree, guitarist Jeff Worley, drummer Chris Worley, bassist Tom Bettini, and guitarist Jimmy Stiff. A shared fondness for AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd led the five-piece to start crafting their own blend of hard rock and Southern boogie around their native state. Record executives got hip to their live show, which included chain saws, among other things, and soon the band signed to Geffen. Jackyl's 1992 self-titled debut quickly found favor with hard rock audiences through the singles "When Will It Rain," "I Stand Alone," and "Down on Me." However, the most attention was drawn by "The Lumberjack," an ode to burly chainsaw-wielders that witnessed a power tool solo by Dupree. His chainsaw abilities became their recognized gimmick, and the like-minded Ted Nugent took the band on the road. Jackyl's sophomore long-player, Push Comes to Shove, appeared in 1994 and peaked at number 46 on the Billboard 200. Recorded in Vancouver with Juno Award-winning producer Bruce Fairbairn, the album's title track charted both at home and in the U.K. After playing Woodstock '94 and touring with ZZ Top and Aerosmith, the band parted ways with Geffen and moved to Mayhem, marking the occasion with a live album before leaving the label only a year later for a jump to Sony. Arriving in 1997, Cut the Crap got some traction on rock radio -- the single "Locked and Loaded" featured guest vocals from AC/DC's Brian Johnson -- but was ultimately overshadowed by popular alternative rock acts. Sony dropped Jackyl, so they signed to Shimmering Tone and released the ancillary B-sides collection, Stayin' Alive. Dupree issued a solo album, Foot Fetish, ahead of the release of the band's fifth full-length effort. Arriving in 2002, Relentless featured a new lineup -- Bettini and Stiff departed, and former Brother Cane guitarist Roman Glick was brought into the fold -- and saw the group working once again with Brian Johnson. An eight-year hiatus preceded the release of 2010's When Moonshine and Dynamite Collide, which was released on Dupree's own Mighty Loud Records and featured a cover of Janis Joplin's "Mercedes Benz" and a lyrically retooled cover of "Just Like a Negro," originally by the funk rock band Mother's Finest. The band issued Best in Show two years later, which included the mainstream rock-charting single "Favorite Sin." The reliably rude and rowdy Rowyco appeared in 2016, and in 2022, the band celebrated its 30th anniversary with the aptly named 30 Coming In Hot. ~ James Christopher Monger, Rovi

Upper Peninsula State Fair 2013

Craig Morgan

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