imported>Rab V: added Category:Musical groups established in 1971 using HotCat

2025-05-09T17:00:24Z

added Category:Musical groups established in 1971 using HotCat

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{{Short description|American band}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2025}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Aztec Two-Step
| image = Aztec Two Step - 6-16-07 Photo by Anthony Pepitone.jpg
| caption = Fowler and Shulman at the [[Clearwater Festival]] in 2007
| alias = Aztec Two-Step 2.0
| image_size = 250
| landscape = Yes
| origin = Boston, Massachusetts
| years_active = {{Start date|1971}}–present
| label = {{hlist|[[Elektra Records|Elektra]]|[[RCA Records|RCA]]|Red Engine}}
| current_members = *Rex Fowler
*Dodie Pettit
*Steven “Muddy” Roues
*Peter Hohmeister
*Joe Meo
| past_members = *Neal Shulman
}}

'''Aztec Two-Step''' is an American [[folk music|folk-rock]] band, formed by Rex Fowler and Neal Shulman at a chance meeting on open stage, at a Boston coffee house, the Stone Phoenix,<ref name="AMG">[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p3595|pure_url=yes}} Artist page] at [[AllMusic]]</ref> in 1971. Fowler grew up in Connecticut and Maine, and Shulman grew up in Manhattan.<ref name="thenewyorkoptimist_com">{{Cite web|url=http://thenewyorkoptimist.com/AztecTwoStepInterview_June_10_2014.html|title=Interview With Aztec Two Step|last=Sebastian|first=John|website=Thenewyorkoptimist.com|access-date=2018-10-13}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.acousticlive.com/January_2005.html|title=The Amazing, Enduring, Ongoing Musical Journey of Aztec Two-Step|last=Cuccaro|first=Richard|date=January 2005|website=Acousticlive.com|language=en|access-date=2018-10-13}}</ref> The band was named after a line from a poem that appeared in ''[[A Coney Island of the Mind]]'' by [[Lawrence Ferlinghetti]]. Former [[Maine]] [[State Representative]] [[Chris Greeley]] once worked as a light man for the group.

After two months in Boston, the duo moved to New York City, which remained their base.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://theworkingmusician.com/reviews/AztecTwoStepInterview.html|title=Roger Zee Interviews "Aztec Two-Step"|last=Zee|first=Roger|website=Theworkingmusician.com|access-date=2018-10-13}}</ref> Within a year after meeting, they had a contract with [[Elektra Records]] to make their first album. This self-titled debut on Elektra was followed by three albums with [[RCA Records]].<ref name="thenewyorkoptimist_com" /> They are noted for longevity as a duo, with a career of more than 40 years of performing together.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://archive.naplesnews.com/entertainment/music/hitting-it-medium-aztec-two-step-didnt-make-it-big-but-they-found-a-40-year-career-ep-392001887-335072081.html/|title=Hitting it medium: Aztec Two-Step didn't make it big, but they found a 40-year career|last=Kellar|first=Elizabeth|date=13 March 2011|work=Naples Daily News|language=en}}</ref> Fowler once explained, "we've survived with pure guile, DIY's and the support of our fan base which we established by recording on two major labels (Elektra and RCA Records) back in the Seventies."<ref name=":0" />

In 1982, Aztec Two-Step played two sold-out performances at The Door (formerly [[The Cellar Door]]), the iconic Washington DC club in Georgetown, becoming the last band to play at the club before it closed. On that night, "possibly as a diversionary move to keep the doors open," the audience called the duo back for eight encores.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1982/01/09/the-door-closes-in-georgetown/0326efe6-8bc8-41a0-88c2-389b38a268e0/|title=The Door Closes In Georgetown|last=Harrington|first=Richard|date=1982-01-09|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=2018-10-13|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}</ref>

They received the New York Music Award for Best Folk Album in 1986, and have performed on TV and radio programs such as ''[[Late Night with David Letterman]]'', ''The [[King Biscuit Flower Hour]]'', and ''[[World Cafe (radio program)|World Cafe]] Live''.<ref name="kocher">{{cite web|last=Kocher|first=Chris|url=http://www.pressconnects.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070405/ENT/704050308/1017 |title=Annual Aztec Two-Step EPAC show this weekend|location=Binghamton|work=[[Press & Sun-Bulletin]]|date=April 5, 2007|access-date=2007-04-18}} {{Dead link|date=October 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref> A documentary about the band, ''No-Hit Wonder'', aired on [[PBS]] in 1999.<ref name="kocher" />

Since Shulman's retirement in 2017, the band has toured as Aztec Two-Step 2.0, a term coined by former bandmate Shulman to describe the group's new sound.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Caldwell |first1=Rob |title=A new chapter for popular folk duo Aztec Two-Step: After 50 years, it’s time for a rebooted 2.0 sound. |url=https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/a-new-chapter-for-popular-folk-duo-aztec-two-step-music/97-06214e2b-c260-4cc5-aa9d-ddf053609cbf |access-date=16 May 2023 |work=News Center Maine |date=6 October 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021130239/https://www.newscentermaine.com/article/news/local/207/a-new-chapter-for-popular-folk-duo-aztec-two-step-music/97-06214e2b-c260-4cc5-aa9d-ddf053609cbf |archive-date=21 October 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=THE ROOTS REPORT An Interview with Aztec Two-Step |author= |url=https://motifri.com/aztectwostep2/ |publisher=motif |access-date=16 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220113231632/https://motifri.com/aztectwostep2/ |archive-date=13 January 2022 |date=6 February 2019 |quote=Neal gave us a little slogan, “Aztec Two-Step 2.0” and with Dodie being the primary lead instrument on guitar, keys and vocals, and with the other members we do a lot of 3 part harmonies whereas Neal and I never did that, it’s a different approach. |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Discography==
* ''Aztec Two-Step'' (1972)
* ''Second Step'' (1975)
* ''Two's Company'' (1976)
* ''Adjoining Suites'' (1977)
* ''Times of Our Lives'' (1979)
* ''Living in America'' (1986)
* ''See It Was Like This...'' (1989)
* ''Of Age'' (1993)
* ''Highway Signs'' (1996) (Live album)
* ''Gettysburg: Reflections on American Life'' (2001)
* ''Live and Rare'' (2001)
* ''Plums'' (2003)
* ''Days of Horses'' (2004)
* ''Time It Was - The Simon & Garfunkel Songbook'' (2009)
* ''The Persecution & Restoration of Aztec Two-Step (An Anthology)'' (2009)
* ''Cause And Effect'' (2012)
* ''Naked'' (2017)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.aztectwostep.com/ Official web site]
*[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p3595|pure_url=yes}} Artist page] at [[Allmusic]]
*Monarch Music Agency - [http://www.monarchmusicagency.com/ Aztec Two-Step Booking Agency]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080724030302/http://www.planetnoiserecords.com/ Planet Noise Records] Released Rex Fowler's solo album "Reflections on American Life" as well as the Aztec Two-Step Album "Live & Rare"
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110202105748/http://www.planetnoisemusic.com/ Planet Noise Music]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:American folk musical groups|Aztec Two-Step]]
[[Category:Flying Fish Records artists]]
[[Category:1971 establishments in Massachusetts]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1971]]

{{US-folk-band-stub}}

Aztec Two-Step - Revision history

imported>Rab V: added Category:Musical groups established in 1971 using HotCat