th' Rip it Ups

Buddy Reed and th' Rip it Ups are a low-down, gut-bucket blues band based in Arcata, California, fronted by veteran guitarist and singer Ivan Elmo "Buddy" Reed. Reed came up in the 1960s alongside George "Harmonica" Smith and Rod Piazza in the band Bacon Fat, backing blues giants such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Big Mama Thornton and touring with Little Richard, from whom he borrowed the name of his own backing band. Now a fixture of the Humboldt County scene, the group plays a raw, high-energy blend of West Coast blues, roadhouse R&B and early rock & roll, driven by Reed's searing lead and slide guitar and a hard-swinging rhythm section.