Splash caught up with the band RYLO a few weeks ago at Marker 20 in Hampton. The official word from the great parvard at Splash is that these guys are smokin hot. WOW. RYLO is one of the, if not the, most entertaining bands in Tidewater.

We at Splash usually get around to several clubs every Friday and Saturday night. Not so this night. RYLO was so much fun to listen to that we just couldn't leave. It was well after last call and stools were being stacked on the bar when we made our exit.

The audience was proud to call RYLO their band and the tunes and drinks were flowing. It was very strange to talk to the people that follow RYLO. They were happy to share their secret with others. Their secret was of course RYLO a blues band for blues bands to copy.

RYLO is a four piece blues band with an apparently endless stash of original blues tunes to share.

Here is what they have to say for themselves.

Rylo was born of a few friends in southeast Virginia who shared a deep love for American roots music with a collective sigh for the cliches responsible for the genre's dying interest.
Rylo was formed in 2002. Yards from the docks of the Elizabeth River. After months of woodshedding, uncountable cases of beer, handles of cheap bourbon, and one can of peach snuff, RYLO took Norfolk by storm. At their first show, the bar ran out of beer and the Fire Marshalls doubled back. The buzz was out.
Two years later, the band released their long awaited CD "Drnt Music" and are still bringing by far some of the largest local crowds in Hampton Roads. Over this period, Rylo has shared the stage with The Rev. Horton Heat, Lee Rocker, The Drive By Truckers, The Legendary Shack Shakers, The Blasters, Derek Trucks band and Mid Atlantic blues legends The Nighthawks and The Shambles. Their wildly entertaining, sweat drenched shows make them the first call for promoters looking to round out a roots bill.
Unlike most other bands in this genre, RYLO relies heavily on writing original music rather than doing blues covers and other standards. "We pay homage to the root of our pulse and influence, yet personalize the songs true to our own experiences."
Drnt music is the only way to describe what it is these boys put out. Whether it be the dirtiest blues, or the up-tempo jump swing, there is no doubt that in the most critical of rooms....Rylo will win em' over with their charm, guts, and flat out tenacity of four people who believe deeply in their music.

Check out RYLO New Year's Eve at The Taphouse in Norfolk.