The members of Cave Catt Sammy yuck it up in a photo from the group’s early days. Credit: Courtesy / Beau Sample

San Antonio rockabilly act Cave Catt Sammy has reunited for a pair of sold-out shows at the Lonesome Rose this Friday and Saturday.

The performances at the St. Mary’s Strip Americana-and-more venue mark a triumphant homecoming for the once red-hot local act, whose members have since gone their separate ways.

Cave Catt Sammy is comprised of lead guitarist Stephen Scott, acoustic guitarist Dustin Hutchinson, drummer Paul Ward and stand-up bassist and vocalist Beau Sample. The band formed in 1997 while the members attended McArthur High School. Before that, they had a comedy rock band called Slapdash.

In an interview with the Current, Sample said he discovered rockabilly during those formative years, along with Memphis’ legendary Sun Records, home to Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Carl Perkins.

“I first started listening to the Sun Records stuff when I was really young from hearing my dad’s friend Bud Luecke play Elvis, Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee,” Sample said. “In high school, I flipped for the Stray Cats and High Noon, then I just started searching for any rockabilly music I could find.”

Sample picked up an upright bass to emulate the rockabilly sounds he craved, and Cave Catt Sammy was born. The band’s members all eschewed college to pursue music full-time, much to their parents’ chagrin. Despite their young age, they developed a following for their lively take on old-time music.

“When I think about the band’s early days in San Antone, I mainly remember the energy and excitement that people used to have to go out dancing and drinking and listening to rockabilly, swing and ska,” Sample told the Current. “It was a ball!”

Cave Catt Sammy played any place that would have them but were frequent flyers at Casbeers, Gruene Hall, Hootenanny, The Hanging Tree Saloon and Sam’s Burger Joint.

Eventually, Sample moved to Austin, where he played with the Hot Club Of Cowtown, the Dave Biller Trio and Paris 49. Over time, though, Sample was drawn to Chicago, a city he’d loved since visiting at age 12. There he played with the Joel Paterson Trio, the Cactus Blossoms, Pokey LaFarge, Jake LaBotz, the Fat Babies and Alfonso Ponticelli. Five years ago, he fell in with singer-songwriter and guitarist JD McPherson as his main gig.

Cave Catt Sammy started developing a following when its members were still in their teens. Credit: Courtesy / Beau Sample

A notorious luddite, Sample remains booked and busy despite rejecting most technology, including social media. “It makes me anxious,” he said. Those who want to reach him can do so via phone or email. Now that’s commitment to the rockabilly era. Despite the reunion, the members of Cave Catt Sammy have no plans to record new music, and the two dates at the Lonesome Rose are the band’s only scheduled dates other than the Rockin’ Race Jamboree in Spain next year.

Sample now lives in Southwest Wisconsin with his wife and three daughters, so it’s been a while since he’s played with the rest of the band, despite demands to get back together.

“Well, people have asked us many times over the years to do shows, but we were all busy doing our own things and the timing didn’t seem right for all of us,” Sample said. “I can’t really explain why, but it seems like we’re really needing to play together again. Maybe it’s some sort of midlife thing, I don’t know.”

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This article appears in Jul 23 – Aug 6, 2025.

Stephanie Koithan is the Digital Content Editor of the San Antonio Current. In her role, she writes about politics, music, art, culture and food. Send her a tip at skoithan@sacurrent.com.