Big
Blow and the
Bushwackers, once described as "
The world's best plumbing band," was started in
1993 by
tuba player Tim Whittemore.
Whittemore, a seemingly
perennial student at Salisbury State University (now
Salisbury University), originaly started the band named "
Big Blow and the Armpits" because their
music was "kinda
stinky". Thankfully, they
morphed into their current
incarnation. The
band, very much a
folk/
zydeco/
polka/
pop band
with
Celtic influences, is more an
excuse for the band to jam with
non-traditional and
home-made insturments
side by side with more
traditional folk insturments than anything else. Their signiture insturment and the inspiration for their name is the
didjeridu, namely the one Whittemore made from
PVC piping.
The band also includes
Ted Porter (billed as "screamer/songwriter" and also plays the rhythm mandolin), Don Plehn (plays trumpet and others), and Mick Haensler (percussionist). Ted Watkin left the band in 1998.
They have, to date, had three releases: their first was the collection What Didjiredu?, followed by the
Habagoola CD and the Off Kilter (A Celtic Outerlude) EP.
Whittemore finally graduated in 1996.