A student of wolves and wolf lore, Randy Joe Duke became enchanted by the name DIREWOLF after reading an article years ago about how the first dire wolf (canis dirus) skeleton was discovered in Evansville, Indiana in 1854. Over the next decade he searched through libraries trying to find more information on the creature, and had finally been allowed by Butler University to photocopy THE ONLY (at that time) scientific pages written on the species from a Paleontology text in 1989. What he read in those pages made him realize that there was a lesson to be learned from the creatures demise; a lesson he took to heart: conform to survive pretending to be something you're not to fit in, or be true to yourself and rock on into oblivion.

This band is being true to themselves, come what may.

We have performed more than a 1,000 shows since our first show on October 21st, 1992. We recently began playing again after a seven year layoff.

It has leveled the playing field in many ways, but for every obstacle it removed for the artists, musicians, and songwriters it has been the source for new ones that are just as troubling and complex.

We don't waste any energy dreaming that dream.

One of the best compliments we ever got from one of our fans about our music was that we had cured his relationship problems with his wife, explains Direwolf front man and guitarist Randy Joe Duke. He said he and his wife had been seeing counselors over the last several months hoping to rekindle their lost flame to no avail, but after coming to a show and getting caught up in our energy they had already snuck out to the parking lot twice to have sex in their car.

You can't get a better rock n roll endorsement than that.

In 1992, after several years of being classified as a folk act because he was performing his songs solo with just an acoustic guitar, Randy Joe sought out a bassist and a drummer so the audience could hear the songs the way he was hearing them in his head. Immediately two players from his past sprung to mind, not only because of their musical talent, but also because of the lasting impression their personalities and positive energy had left on him; bassist Tom Daley, and drummer Kevin McBride. After a few months of tracking them down, they finally sat down on August 22, 1992 and banged out a Devil's tattoo on a coffee table top to see how well they could groove together, and Direwolf was born.

They performed their first show at the legendary Chubby's Club LaSalle on October 21st of the same year. That night's enthusiastic reception by the club's respected music connoisseurs thrilled and encouraged the band. More gigs soon followed, and before long they were a dominant force in the local Indianapolis music scene. Their growing loyal following began to be referred to as the Direwolf Tribe, and they soon became an entity on to themselves.

Today, even after a self imposed hiatus that has lasted several years, they have still performed over a thousand shows. Yet the shows, and being a performing live band was never the cake for Direwolf; it was the icing. The cake was, is, has always been and will always be the songs.

Born into the sixties and raised in the age of 45 rpm records, Randy Joe looks at every song as an individual entity; in fact he refers to them as his children. It his dream that they all grow to have individual lives of their own, and it is Direwolf's mission both as a live act and as recording artists to present the songs to the world in the best light possible. And if they rock a few souls and cure a few romantic woes along the way, then so be it.

It's all good!

UPDATE: DIREWOLF broke up on January 22, 2008.

Steve Earle, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Jimi Hendrix, Cheap Trick, T. Rex, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Rainbow, Humble Pie, Rush, Van Halen (Roth period), Motorhead, Thin Lizzy, Ted Nugent, Metallica, Nazareth, UFO (Schenker period), Kiss, Aerosmith, Ozzy (Rhoads period but w/ props to the Zakk man), Triumph, Faith No More, White Zombie, Free, Angel City, Rose Tattoo, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Gary Moore, The Dixie Dregs, Steve Morse, Nirvana, The James Gang, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Queen, Blue Oyster Cult, ZZ Topp, Guns and Roses (1st album), The Doors, Joan Jett, Kid Rock, The Band, Hank Williams Sr., Jim Croce, John Prine, Tom Waits, JJ Cale, Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson, John Fogerty, James Taylor, Michelle Shocked, Carol King, Terra Naomi, Warren Zevon, David Allan Coe, Nick Cave, Paul Thorn, Eagles, Dr. Hook (Silverstein period), Michelle Shocked, Dire Straits, Jethro Tull, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, REO Speedwagon (pre-Tunafish, pre-balladering Kronin period), Ray Charles, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Cab Callaway, Jerry Lee Lewis, Tom Jones, Chet Atkins.

And that is just Randy Joe's list.

On stage, but the G spot is nice too.

Randy Joe Duke:
Guitars: '80 Greco LAG-100, '86 Fender Custom Hard tail Strat, Warmoth Custom Tele, Peavey Impact Firenza, Peavey Firenza JX,

Amps: '67 & '68 Silverface Fender Deluxe Reverb amps, John McIntyre Bluesmaker custom head, Marshall 2x12 cabinet

Effects: Pro Co R2 Rat

Tom Daley:
Basses: '65 Fender Precision, '74 Fender Precision

Amp: Ampeg SVT, Laney 4x10 Cabinet

Kevin McBride:
Drums: Gretsch & Sonar

If you're ever in Indy check our site and see if we're playing.

www.canisdirus.com