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.
Together in Tune Introduction to The Black Smokes
Pictured from right to left:
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Bass: D.J. Barbier is a veteran of jam bands from his days at Louisiana Tech in Ruston. He brings grooves capturing influences like The Meters, Gov't Mule, and Widespread Panic.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Drums: Brian Forest is an accomplished jazz drummer and music major at LSU. He brings his eclectic flair the skins.​