Ramblin' Deano (of the Waco Brothers) at White Lilac

Dean Schlabowske's music career spans 30+ years, most notably as a co-founder, songwriter, singer, and guitarist for the Waco Brothers. Formed in 1994, the Wacos' "Cash Meets Clash" style has become something of an alt-country touchstone, played out on more than a dozen releases for Chicago's Bloodshot Records.

The live shows are legendary, and the records have received plaudits from the likes of Robert Christgau, Greil Marcus, and many more.

Dean is also involved in many side projects, the most recent being a collaborative album with his wife Jo Walston, lead singer of the beloved Austin band The Meat Purveyors, titled simply “Deano & Jo”. The record emphasizes their mutual love of old honky tonk and bluegrass.

Shortly before and during the pandemic, Dean recorded a series of solo and group recordings of folk/protest songs as "Ramblin' Deano".

And then there is Ice Cold Singles, a rowdy group out of Austin, Texas who have been performing and recording on and off for over 15 years. In 2004 and 2007, Bloodshot released two albums from another side-project, Dollar Store, probably the hardest rocking of the projects.

Dean continues to write, record, and tour, both with the Waco Brothers and musician friends from around the U.S. and Canada.

“Singer/songwriter Ramblin’ Deano’s new album, “Pills, Puppies, and Bacon” demonstrates what happens when bluegrass flare and punk rock ideology combine… political aggression, as well as commentary on the state of the world and our reliance on technology, and a bit of humor as well. If you have a fondness for Americana, this album is a must-listen.”
— Alan Hallas, Breaking & Entering

“The songs of Ramblin’ Deano are protest tunes played out via aggressive folk music and intelligent blasts of acoustic punk. It’s fitting, coming from a founding member of the Chicago insurgent country band Waco Brothers, a group of barroom misfits with rowdy musical prowess.”
— Bryant Liggett, DGO Magazine

“For the eleven songs on his new digital album, he re-envisions himself as “Ramblin’ Deano,” a hard-traveling troubadour in the tradition of Woody Guthrie, Phil Ochs, and the pre-electric Dylan, brilliantly using the concept to present bare-bones topical songs about the Trump era that sound like they come straight from the early 60s, making it clear that the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
— Ron Ehmke, Buffalo Spree

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