Rise to Power

If you attended the Presidents of the United States of America show at the House of Blues on September 24, you may have noticed a man onstage playing three-string guitar who bore no resemblance to Dave Dederer, the Presidents' usual axe-slinger. The mystery politician was Andrew McKaeg, a San Diego native who played guitar in Uncle Joe's Big Ol' Driver before he relocated to Seattle in the late '90s.

McKaeg, who fronts a Seattle outfit called the Black Panties, was tapped for the Presidents job when Dederer decided to play less tour dates so he could spend time with his children. The unlikely substitute gig has given McKaeg the opportunity to do a bit of continent-hopping while playing to the largest crowds of his career.

You can read about McKaeg's adventures at the following link: presidentsrock.com/journal/andrew/