Every year has its own musical personality, defined by moments that emerge in stark relief as a new year approaches. 2004 will be remembered as the year Ray Charles, one of the few remaining musical giants, passed away; as the year musicians across genres united to get out both the vote and George Bush; the year college rock icons like the Pixies and Mission of Burma rediscovered their muse and learned that they, too, had an audience to grow old with; the year Apple increased its stranglehold on digital music, despite a host of new competitors; the year a nationally televised nipple and lip-synching exposure drew more attention than the release of Brian Wilson’s long-anticipated SMiLE.
Luckily, the local scene was defined by much more positive events. So with no further ado and nary a bared nipple, CL‘s music staff takes a look back at 2004…
Timothy Davis’ Highs and Lows for 2004:
Highs: Seeing artists like Modest Mouse, Richard Buckner, The Shins and Death Cab For Cutie carve out a niche for themselves via movie marketing (Garden State), TV placement (The O.C.), and television commercials (Volkswagen, Apple). In lieu of radio play, many artists are finding new ways to get their music to potential listeners. Sniffing an opportunity, more and more radio stations are latching on to these artists’ coattails. I heard Modest Mouse in a Goodwill ad the other day, for crying out loud. . . Bernie Brown’s eclectic booking, effectively giving a chance to mid-tier acts and alt.rockers who might otherwise skip straight on up to Asheville’s Orange Peel. . . The re-opening of the venerable Milestone Club on Tuckaseegee — now booking shows almost every day of the week, the grand dame of Charlotte alt.rock is once again making a name for herself. Who might the next Nirvana or R.E.M. be?. . . The marriage of The Evening Muse’s Joe Kuhlmann and Lea Pritchard. . . The wonderful, make-it-up-as-we-go “Night of Improvisational Music” held at Carolina Actors Studio Theatre. . . MoRisen Records’ push for national recognition. . . The reformation of an old friend, Lou Ford. . . The rise of bands like Horse Thief, Calabi Yau, Unalaska, and Bullship. Their combined efforts are some of the more inventive local art (musical or otherwise) in years. . . Live shows of note: Yo La Tengo’s energetic and well-received show at the Visulite (so good I drove to see them two days later in Chapel Hill), The Zombies and J. Mascis (albeit not together) at Amos’ SouthEnd (The first show shocked the crowd into silence — a reunion show that not only didn’t suck, but rollicked along like a runaway freight train. The second was the single loudest show I’ve ever seen in my life, not withstanding other Mascis shows), the White Stripes at Grady Cole Center, and Alias and his Anticon posse at The Room. . . The reopening of Manifest Discs on South Boulevard.
Lows: The initial loss of Manifest Discs. . . The continuing struggle for rap/rock supremacy at The Room. . . Penny Craver calling it quits at Tremont Music Hall. . . Fat City officially, officially, this-time-we-mean-it officially calling it quits (for now). . . The lack of another quality music venue in the burgeoning Elizabeth/Plaza-Midwood district. . . Three dollar Pabst Blue Ribbons everywhere you look (it’s not that damn good, OK?). . . the mind-numbing preponderance of jam band bookings at area clubs. . . (Addendum: for a group of people who claim peace and open-mindedness, I’ve seen more fights and drunken, idiotic debauchery go down at “jam band” shows than in any 10 punk shows I’ve taken in this year. And does your “spiritual quest” always have to sound like frigginí Widespread Panic?)… Lastly, Yours Truly’s power of recall. I’m sure some 234 other gripes/gleans will come to me any day now. Stay tuned for a “Slipped Through The Cracks” story any day now.
John Schacht’s Look Back at ’04
Charlotte’s reputation as a venue-less pit-stop for touring bands on the road from the Triangle to Atlanta took a solid hit this year, as several acts made a point of dropping by to check out the scene and, by most accounts, left town with a far more positive impression. There were, of course, plenty of acts that deserved bigger crowds, but attendance at live shows is down nationwide, a common refrain among many of the out-of-town musicians rolling into the Queen City for a show. . . 2004’s most impressive show had to be Yo La Tengo’s three-hour set at the Visulite in early October. With the exception of a couple of short comedic breaks, Hoboken, NJ’s ambassadors worked their tails off for 400-plus appreciative fans, offering up extended versions of classics like “Sugar Cube” and a raucous cover of Sun Ra’s “Nuclear War.” Ira Kaplan and Co. were called back for three encores, and could have had more. . . Califone headlined for the first time in Charlotte at the Room on a Saturday night in May, doubling their audience from the night before at the Cat’s Cradle in Chapel Hill and the night after in Atlanta. They left plenty of people at The Room in awe after a two-hour set contrasting gorgeous melodies with ethereal crescendos and plenty of well-placed dissonance; percussionist Ben Massarella later called it one of the best shows of an extensive US tour. . .The re-formed Zombies and J.Mascis displayed their vastly different but equally impressive skills in front of packed crowds at Amos’ Southend, proving that tribute bands aren’t the only powerful draws at the centrally located venue.
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).
This article appears in Dec 29, 2004 – Jan 4, 2005.
