Johnny Cash meets Johnny Rotten. Aided by whiskey and other bad habits, this acoustic oriented outfit of misfits was a huge style shift in the Kent, Ohio music scene. With founders Sam Ludwig handling vocals and harmonica, and Rob Lightbody on guitar, Blackshoe and Buckle left a lasting impression and a cult like following in Kent. They revived but bastardized country standards or obscure classics along with creating golden crusted nuggets of their own. The "band" was also joined by other local musicians over the years - sometimes just sitting in on a session or show - sometimes as a part of the 'extended family'. Three of the more immediate family members included "Bobcat" Rob Johnson as a percussionist, "Cousin Burlap" Jer Herring on guitarist, and "White Boy" Mark Kountz on guitar. Other than some obscure live recordings, there are no other releases available from the band that brought such memorable songs as "Left My Heart Down in Tennessee", "Shelly",and "One Trip Too Many" to the collective Kent consiousness. Which is a shame in some respects, but completely appropriate in others, as it was rare for them to ever play the same song the same way twice in row (thanks Sam!).