About us
The Black Smokes (formerly Bayou Bullets) are a five piece 70's style blues and hard rock band based out of Baton Rouge, LA. They combine the sounds of their idols like Van Halen, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and the Rolling Stones to forge a unique vintage yet modern sound to excite any crowd.
Members
Pictured from right to left:
Lead Vocals: Jovin Webb cut his teeth in local cover bands before making it into the top 10 on American Idol in 2020. His smokey vocals wowed the judges as his audition video went viral. Jovin brings his charisma and swagger to the stage, and lends his soul to writing powerful lyrics.
Lead Guitar: Chris Rabalais hails from Lettsworth, LA, the birthplace of Buddy Guy where Chris perfected his classic metal chops. Chris supplies blistering solos with his 5150 amp paired with a carefree party attitude on a bygone era.
Drums: Casey Bateman helped found Bayou Bullets back in 2015 and now returns behind the kit. Casey, a music education major at LSU, cut his teeth in the Marine Corps Band as well as in the drumline for the Denver Nuggets and the punk band Subliminal Landmines. He brings a mix of laid back vibes and aggressive punk energy that drives the band forward, and also wrote some of the bands early songs like Kiss & Tell and Two's Tango.
Bass: Ian Babin, another original member, returns, bringing his jazz and progressive metal influences back to the band. Ian is known for his quirky bass solos and unconventional style that helps to further differentiate The Black Smokes' sound from their peer bands.
Rhythm Guitar/Supporting Vocals: Conner Graham is the frantic mad-man on the stage. He brings Angus Young and Rick Nielson style antics to his performances while also being the organizational mind and principal songwriter off the stage. Conner's songwriting tries to hit all the right notes, sounding fresh yet nostalgic, romantic yet cool, and always fun. Conner can also be seen performing in his pop punk band Okay, Boomhauer.