Responsible for the only two Neighborhood Theatre sellouts, the Avetts are also taking this opportunity to make the date another CD release party -- this one a live disc from their Nov. 22, 2003, show at this same venue. The show was recorded and mixed by Joe Kuhlman of 36th Street Studios.
Like any New Year's Eve party worth its salt, the show will feature party favors, a champagne toast at midnight, and a video feed of the Times Square ball drop in New York City on the 25-foot movie screen at the theater.
The bill also includes Danielle Howle and New York neo-folkists Just About to Burn. General Admission tickets are $15, $20 the day of the show -- assuming there are any left. The tickets go on sale on Tuesday, Nov. 2, and you can charge them by phone by calling 704-358-9298.
Passing of a Reliable Legend
Since our last Hometown Lowdown, we were saddened to hear of the passing of Melvin Cohen, the owner and founder of Reliable Music, which served as Charlotte's premier music instrument shop for 38 years.
Cohen opened his music store in 1963, and Reliable quickly became the region's premier retailer of guitars, drums and other musical equipment. Luminaries such as the Allman Brothers, Fleetwood Mac, Eric Clapton and the Who were among the thousands of visitors over the years. Reliable closed in 2001, partly as a response to shrinking business and also because Cohen wanted to spend more time with his two twins, now 8 years old.
"We've been very lucky and successful, and we hate to say goodbye to the friends we have made over the years," Cohen told the Charlotte Business Journal in August of 2001. "But all business, like life, has to come to an end. We've had our run, and we've enjoyed it."
Cohen, who was 58, was also instrumental in starting Festival in the Park, which this year at Freedom Park celebrated its 40th year.
Cohen passed away Friday, Oct. 1, after a short battle with liver cancer.
In the works
Chris Peigler from local punk stalwarts My So-Called Band informs us that he is working on the follow-up to their 2001 Bomb Threat compilation. The new one, Smash the States: Redefining Punk Rock from the South, will feature bands from all over the Southeast, and is expected out in February; Peigler and Co. are on the Nov.12 bill at Tremont, along with Minority Party, Queen Anne's Revenge and Hungry Ghost....Black Market Radio has finished their new one, Coffee and Second-hand Smoke. The record was recorded by Patrick Boyd (ex-New August) at Hyperactive Studios in Rock Hill, SC. It will have 11 tracks, three of which were featured on the group's first demo EP....Boyd also has a co-production credit on Jason Scavone's upcoming new record...The Alternative Champs recently spent four days in the Triangle putting down the initial tracks from their next disc; expect a Spring release...The Blinds, featuring siblings Tara and Todd Busch, have finished the first seven songs of their new record, which Tara bills as a "concept-style debut." Tara has returned home to pursue The Blinds full-time after four years in the UK with Dynamo Dresden. Joining the Busch's live band are Vance Carlisle (the Gold Coast) on bass and guitar and Shawn Lynch (Poprocket, Tyre Fyre, etc.) on drums...The original members of Lou Ford -- Alan and Chad Edwards (related) and Mark and Shawn Lynch (not related) -- have practiced together over the last few weeks; there are tentative plans to play out, but no scheduled dates...Leisure McCorkle recently played a gig in Liverpool at the Cavern -- better known as the little bistro that gave the Beatles their start...singer/songwriter Phyllis Tannerfrye has a new mix of bluesy, low-country folk nearing completion... Ashley Robinson's debut nears completion; you can hear some of it when they open for Baleen at the Visulite Nov. 6....plenty going on at the Cougar Camp studios these days including a Bruce Hazel solo record and a project from Justin Williams (The Talk) and Justin Faircloth (The Houston Brothers), 12,000 Armies, featuring songs written by Williams and produced by Faircloth. Brian Paulson (Archers of Loaf, Slint, Son Volt) did the mixing...
Now out:
Charlotte: Light & Dark, a 16-song compilation of local artists including Baleen, Bellglide, Dirty Drummer, Dynamo Dresden, the Gold Coast and Pyramid, among others, produced by Jason Herring and Paul Jensen for 10mm Omega Recordings, the same folks who brought us the excellent 2000 compilation Charlotte Sometimes.; This Is Indie Rock: The Best Bands You've Never Heard, Vol. 1 from local label Deep Elm includes a cut from Stephen Warwick's Second Hand Stories; Status Flow has a new five-song EP out available through www.statusflow.com; Cast Iron Filter's Falls of Rough is now officially available through the band's website or at local retailers that don't suck...if you have any information on upcoming releases or any other music news, please contact us at the address, e-mail or phone number located at the front of the paper.