Black Bottom Lighters

Arizona is where desert-reggae rockers Black Bottom Lighters call home. They are well on their way to outgrowing their town like other recent native products such as Jimmy Eat World, Authority Zero, and Chester Bennington of Linkin Park. Black Bottom Lighters are affectionately known as BBL to a large, animated following. A following that started when they were a young, house party band originating in 2010. Since then, BBL has released a self-titled EP, full length album “2 or 2,000,” as well as made several music videos on YouTube, like “Home Grown,” which has generated over 150,000 views alone! They were also voted as Phoenix New Times Reader’s Choice Award for “Best Local Band” of 2015!

After supporting the debut full length album “2 or 2,000” in the summer of 2015 from Mexico to Michigan, Black Bottom Lighters officially updated their band lineup. One of the originating members “T” (Taide Pineda, vocals/guitar) decided to gracefully exit as well-acquainted Mike Proctor was able to fill the heavy void left behind. Lead guitarist, Phil Kaiser, and Mike go back many years and the band had played with him several times as an occasional fill-in so he was a natural fit. Mike and Phil have an accustomed style feeding off each other that is audibly gratifying to the listener. The musicianship definitely speaks for itself during live performances and on the 2016 “Pipe Dream EP.” Also, on the EP you will find their very first guest feature, a collaboratoration with Layzie Bone from Bone Thugs & Harmony on a track called “Peace, Love & Smoke Rings.” A song that very well could be one of their most popular songs yet with heavy bass and a hook that could be found on a regular rotation on the radio.

Despite the band’s lineup change their style stays the same; unmistakable vocal rhymes from Ryan Stilwell (Stilly), hard hitting beats from drummer Ryan McPhatter (McPhatty), the groove-filled bass of Jose Aquino, electrifying keys of Keyln Weaver, as well as their signature call and response and tremendous harmonizing! Black Bottom Lighters has ruled stages from Mexico to Texas, California, Oregon, throughout Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, to Florida, and even Legends of Notre Dame in Indiana! The bands and artists they have shared the stage with is much too long to list but they have been featured at Big Ticket Music Festival in Jacksonville, FL and numerous Southwest music festivals: Wild Wild West Fest, Uplift Music and Arts Festival, Unity Festival, True Music Festival, McDowell Mountain Music Festival, Pot of Gold Festival, Apache Reggae Jam, and Tempe Beach Park with headliners Rebelution and Atmosphere. Their determination to bring the top shelf quality, all-original, reggae-rock sound from the Arizona desert across the country is quite clear. And even if it’s a show of “2 or 2,000” they are going to give it everything they got all the same!