On The Verge

The Auctioneers

Photo by Matthew Hanlon

New York, N.Y.
Rock and Roll Revivalists
www.theauctioneersmusic.com

In many ways, The Auctioneers is a lucky group of musicians—it’s fortunate to share a passion for classic rock and roll, fortunate to have found each other and, according to frontman E.B. Sollis, fortunate to grow up in the worst generation of music that pop culture has ever known. “We didn’t have Neil Young at his peak or the Stones in ‘72 or The Doors in ‘69 to influence us, so we had to find those people ourselves,” Sollis says. “Had it not been for the music being so awful when I was in high school, I don’t think I ever would have found those bands.” Although the New York-based quintet looks to Waylon Jennings, Led Zeppelin and the aforementioned for inspiration, the group doesn’t work to replicate its heroes’ sound, but rather their approach. Sollis, the only member who did not graduate from music school, describes the band’s sound as a “recreation of the very-pigeon-holed genres of soul, country, blues and hard rock from the 1970s.” Although the band is in the process of recording a new album, it’s continuing to expand its live shows—which is where The Auctioneers truly shine. “We definitely pride ourselves in making each show unique,” Sollis says. “The only thing anyone should expect at our shows is the unexpected.”