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2004: A Vote for Rock
Local, national acts push Charlotte closer to limelight
By Timothy C. Davis and John Schacht
Page 2 of 2
Not every great show had deserving attendance, but for those lucky enough to have borne witness, it was sweet enough knowing you'd shared something special with a just a handful of equally appreciative folks. For instance, Marah's Biealanko brothers, Serge and Dave, sweated up a storm on their full-band visit, convincing a couple dozen folks in attendance that their live reputation was fully deserved; the Dagons, a two-piece from Los Angeles, may not have drawn much of a crowd, but their drum and guitar act had enough intensity for several packed houses; ditto The Standard, whose two shows here captured the imagination of the few who caught them; ex-Posie Ken Stringfellow's solo gig could have bombed, but the man with the golden voice took advantage of the circumstances to play a mesmerizing unplugged set, eschewing The Room's stage for the floor and an impromptu "in the round," surrounded by a handful of grateful fans; strong sets from Dolorean and the Album Leaf at the spacious Neighborhood Theatre also deserved better attendance, as did n.Lannon's impressive set at The Room and Sally Timms' captivating show at the Evening Muse. . .speaking of the Muse, a rare Monday evening gig partially explained the low turnout -- eight people showed up -- for veteran roots rocker Jon Dee Graham, who nevertheless turned in a two-hour, A+ effort by the end of which everyone in the room was on a first-name basis; "It beats playing in the hotel room," Graham said.
The year 2004 saw a slew of impressive new local bands increase the depth and range of Charlotte's music scene, including the irresistible garage-pop-punk of the Sammies, the tough angular sounds of Calabi Yau, The Gold Coast's lush melodies, the soundscapes of Unalaska, and the full-frontal sonic assault of Horse Thief, to name just a few. . . the year also saw strong new CD releases from veteran local acts like the Avett Brothers, Baleen, Les Dirt Clods, Tyre Fyre, The Talk, Elevator Action, Gigi Dover, the Aqualads, Mike Strauss, and a host of other entries. . . C.R. Edwards proved he was more than capable of standing on his own, unveiling a host of impressive country-rock songs that proved his Lou Ford efforts were no fluke. . . speaking of Lou Ford, the end of the year saw the original members reform to play some dates -- what that may lead to is anybody's guess, but enjoy "em while you can.
Other memorable events in "04 included: the many Rock the Vote shows, which, while unsuccessful giving Dubya the boot, helped revitalize the very notion of democracy for many cynical folks; gogoPilot's Jeff Williams, the Noise's Bruce Hazel and Dave Childers leaving little question about who wasn't getting their votes this election; the Avett Brothers' second sellout of the Neighborhood Theatre in as many tries for the release of Mignonette; the chops and chuckles -- not to mention Mike Mitschele's falsetto -- of an Alternative Champs show; Tyre Fyre tearing the roof off the Steeple; Poprocket doing the same to the Evening Muse; the Houston Brothers in a host of different configurations turning in one inspired performance after another; Sea of Cortez's captivating instrumental sets, Baleen's intensity on stage and Pyramid's major league sets. . .finally, in a year filled with too many memorable shows to keep track of, it was the joint efforts of the 14 musicians who make up three local bands -- Sea of Cortez, Pyramid and the Houston Brothers -- who provided the live highlight of the year, an ensemble set put together after a handful of chaotic but ultimately fruitful practices. The underlying motivation was almost as memorable as the set itself: a simple fondness for each other's music. And what could have been a well-intentioned trainwreck was instead an inspiring evening for the musicians and the 200-plus in attendance (not bad considering the city's daily paper chose to ignore the event).
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