Pensacola show started Greenwell's Grammy journey

Take a step back in time to the 2012 Grammy Awards. Tyler Greenwell is about to win his second Grammy as drummer for the Tedeschi Trucks Band.

Now, take a leap nearly two decades into the past. A teenage Greenwell is in Pensacola, seconds away from watching the concert that will change his life.

"Man, I play drums because of that show," Greenwell said, reliving the concert.

Earning the Grammy for Best Blues Album, "Revelator," the band created by Susan Tedeschi and her husband, Derek Trucks, travels the world, frequently sharing the stage with musicians who've shaped music history.

Giving reverence to the rock royalty he has performed with, Greenwell also shares admiration for the Pensacola musicians he watched growing up.

"That's the reason I play music," he said. "Because of all those guys."

Memories of bands such as Woodenhorse and Shut Eye stand alongside jam sessions with musical greats like Levon Helm and Howlin' Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin.

As a teenager, Greenwell dove into music. "I listened to all the bands around Pensacola," he said.

Reveling in the power of punk, Greenwell said, "I love Bad Brains, a lot of Fugazi, Black Flag. I didn't get into jazz or fusion or any crazy stuff like that until much later."

Before music carried him around the world, Greenwell enjoyed concerts at notable Pensacola venues.

"The Nite Owl — what a great club," he said. "I saw Primus and Soundgarden there; all kinds of great shows. Suicidal Tendencies and Jane's Addiction at the Bayfront. That was a fantastic show."

But the one concert standing above them all, changing Greenwell's life forever, will be revealed in next week's column.

Earl's back

Around the time Greenwell discovered his destiny at The Handlebar, a Pensacola band debuted at Sluggos's old location on Intendencia Street. Once a high school nickname, the group is one of the longest running punk bands in the region. Earl's Killer Squirrel will celebrate its 18th anniversary tonight at Sluggo's, 101 S. Jefferson St.

Led by Earl Lyon, the punk group played its first show in 1994. The band has played with the underground elite, but its most memorable moments occurred with friends taking turns in the EKS lineup. Included in the list of members is Lyon's younger brother, Mike Lyon.