Aztec Two-Step 2.0 featuring Rex Fowler, Dodie Pettit & Friends

The story of Rex Fowler and his band Aztec Two-Step is intertwined with the history of folk-rock music in America. Originating from a chance meeting at an “open mic night” in Boston in 1971, then taking their name from a poem by beat poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Rex and partner Neal Shulman went on to record four albums on Elektra & RCA Records, helping to usher the music of the 60’s into the 1970s and beyond. 

The duo performed worldwide, was critically acclaimed in major U.S. newspapers, reviewed in Rolling Stone Magazine, and appeared on numerous radio and TV shows including The King Biscuit Flower Hour, World Cafe Live and David Letterman. With a career built on progressive FM and college radio, and non-stop touring over five decades, the duo appeared in concert with such notable artists as The Band, Bruce Springsteen, Bonnie Raitt, Donovan, Judy Collins, Jackson Browne, Seals and Crofts, Carly Simon, Heart, The Beach Boys and many more. Aztec Two-Step was also recently inducted into the New England Music Hall of Fame, honoring their "musical dedication to the New England scene and community, and their inspiration, contribution and commitment to the creative excellence of music in New England."

Neal retired in 2018, and Rex has continued, carrying the Aztec Two-Step legacy forward with his expanded band Aztec Two-Step 2.0. Joining Rex as the heart and soul of ATS 2.0 is his wife Dodie Pettit, an accomplished singer, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and an original member of Broadway’s The Phantom of the Opera as well as other Tony Award winning productions. Rex and Dodie first met during an Aztec Two-Step recording session in 1979 (she was on lead electric guitar and vocals on their "Times of Our Lives" album), then miraculously re-connected and married in 2018. 

Aztec Two-Step 2.0 has been impressing audiences with dazzling musicianship, intelligent songwriting, and two- and three-part harmonies. Along with new compositions, they have recaptured the multi-layered dimension of Rex & Neal’s original studio recordings, performing favorite ATS classics and old forgotten gems, with the stage patter is still as engaging, fun, and poignant as ever. “The old songs done in this new lineup brought has new life to the music. This truly is a band that people need to experience!!” - Ron Olesko, WFDU-FM/ Folk Music Notebook