By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
December 27, 1991
When Chris Layton first met future Arc Angels bandmate Charlie Sexton, he didn’t envision the two would be sharing the same stage as colleagues. Layton was a seasoned drummer in his 20s. Sexton was a wide-eyed 10-year-old who got into clubs tagging along with his mom.
Now 23, Sexton is one of the guitarist-vocalists in the Texas rock group Arc Angels. They will make their Chicago debut at 11 p.m. on New Year’s Eve at the Hard Rock Cafe, 63 W. Ontario (312-943-2252). The 21-and-older concert is free, on a first-come entrance policy.
Some writers have dubbed Arc Angels as a Texas supergroup that’s been born out of the ashes of the late Stevie Ray Vaughn’s group, Double Trouble. Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon were the longtime rhythm section for that band, and both Sexton and 22-year-old guitarist-vocalist Doyle Bramhall Jr. learned to play guitar from Vaughn.
“I met (Charlie and Doyle) when they were 10,” said Layton, 36. “Doyle was a drummer back then, like his dad. But once Doyle saw Stevie and (his brother) Jimmy playing, he switched to guitar. Charlie was always a guitar player. He’d be standing in front of the stage all big-eyed and trying to pick up tips.”
Laughing, he added, “Charlie ended up leaving for L.A. a few years later to record his own material. When he came back to Austin, he was all grown up – 6-foot-1 and manly. He wasn’t a skinny little kid anymore. It was hard to believe it was the same guy.”
Sexton’s precocious career began at four when he learned to play the guitar. By 11, he was jamming with the Vaughn brothers. At 13, when he still billed himself as Little Charlie, he became Joe Ely’s lead guitarist. Two years later, he toured with the Clash and signed a solo recording contract with MCA Records. At 17, Sexton’s self-titled debut LP hit the Top 20 and his song “Beat’s So Lonely” did respectably on the singles chart.
But with MCA placing as much emphasis on his finely chiseled face as his music, Sexton ended up a pinup in teen magazines. He also received flak from blues purists, who claimed he sold his roots for pop stardom. By the time the teenager released his followup album, “Pictures for Pleasure,” he was dismissed as a has-been. Despite this, Sexton said he got what he wanted out of his MCA albums.
“The albums helped me break out of the pigeonhole that I was a blues guy or into rockabilly,” he said. “I wanted to expand on the music that I made growing up, and I think I did that.”
Some critics said Sexton’s pop efforts ripped off David Bowie’s deep vocal style. But Bowie, who hired Sexton as his guitarist on a previous tour, is one of his strongest supporters.
“I wave a banner for Charlie,” Bowie said, calling from Liverpool, England. “I like him a lot. He’s a good kid and very talented. Yes, he’s very pretty, but he didn’t need to be oversold. (MCA) saw him as a one-man Duran Duran, which was a big mistake. Charlie’s a blues boy and that’s where he really shines. Arc Angels probably is the best thing for him at this point in his career.”
The group got its name from the Austin Rehearsal Complex (A.R.C.), where the musicians met while working on separate projects. Layton and Shannon were looking for a band to play in when Double Trouble wasn’t on the road, and Sexton and Doyle were eager to hook up.
Arc Angels have its debut album, “Arc Angels,” in the can awaiting March release. The band’s music isn’t as bluesy as Double Trouble’s, nor is it as pop-oriented as Sexton’s solo material. Layton describes the music as a “semi R & B, rock-pop record.”
“You’re always looking for something that feels right,” Sexton said. “I think with Arc Angels, we’re able to remain true to our art, for lack of a better word.”
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