Marisa Quigley - Chubby Rae & the Elevators

Chubby Rae

& The Elevators

Marisa is well known for fronting Chubby Rae & The Elevators, a rollicking fun-time blues band that has performed at Australia's major blues and roots festivals including Port Fairy, Apollo Bay, Queenscliff, East Coast Blues (Byron Bay), Gympie Music Muster, Bridgetown Blues (WA), and many more. With this outfit, she has released two albums (one live and one studio), and won Female Vocalist of the Year at the 2007 Australian Blues Music Awards.

Chubby Rae & the Elevators have been making converts to their vibed-up, good-time blues since their first gig in July 1999 and since then, Marisa Quigley, aka Chubby Rae, the 6’ redheaded soulful powerhouse, has been singin’ the blues like there’s no tomorrow. Fellow founding member and mainstay of the band, Jim Dyson, the “Boss of the Boogaloo”, delivers sweet, straight down the line blues licks and solid R’n’B rhythms on guitar and slide. He is renowned for his smooth Jimmy Vaughn- esque guitar style and his snappy dressing.

Chubby Rae & the Elevators were awarded 'Band of the Year' and 'Best Emerging Talent' at the Melbourne Blues Appreciation Society’s 2003 Victorian Blues Music Awards for their debut release “Live at St. Andrews” and 'Album of the Year' at the 2007 Australian Blues Music Awards for their 2005 release “She Gets Unruly”.

“(Chubby Rae & the Elevators) compare very favorably to many US bands, and can certainly hold (their) own as both players and singers against some much better known musicians.”

— Bruce Iglauer, Head of Alligator Records

Alongside Jim, there have been a number line-ups over the years. Most notably, Karl Inderberg and Craig Chiller were the band's longest serving rhythm section, holding it all together for over 12 years. Other members have included Gary Crothall, Andrew Crossley, "Lazza" Lazaric, Scott Roy, Geoff "Gerka" Donaldson, Chris Fogaty, Lou Toth, Sandy Brady as well as guest musos Chris Wilson, Tim Neal, Kim Kelaart, Rev. Mick O'Connor and many more, far too numerous to mention. The current rhythm section are Luke Hynes on bass and Dave Pitt on drums.

The blues is supposed to make you feel better and a Chubby Rae & the Elevators show is all about feelin’ good. You’ll often see sweating dancers in friendly argument with Chubby Rae & the Elevators about who’s having more fun, them or the band? The band dig deep into blues traditions to lay down grooves that even a corpse could move to. That’s what the blues is for!

Although playing much less these days with Marisa in North East Victoria and Jim in Northern NSW, the band still do the occasional festival somewhere in the country. Wherever they go Chubby Rae & the Elevators put on a hell of a show and rock up a storm, so put on your dancin’ shoes and let your hair down baby, we’re gonna have a natch’l ball.

“Chubby Rae & the Elevators are one of the best traditional blues bands I have seen in years. They are the real deal! They are true blues entertainers. I love their work. ”

— Hugo T. Armstrong, Bay City Events

Chubby Rae & the Elevators