WEDNESDAY 8.14
3 Bad Jacks — A trio of card sharks playing a punk-influenced blend of rockabilly let loose by way of Texas. They obviously have no interest in breaking new musical ground or pursuing trendy back patting, no siree; just guitars, drums and a mean stand-up bass are all that are needed in this deck of cards for greasers. Kinda reminds me of the early psychobilly days of Southern Culture on the Skids with the trebly, rumbling sound. With The Tombstone Daddys. Double Door Inn (Shukla)
Morgan Heritage — Shiny happy people, these Morgan Heritage folks. No dreads necessary, dem say, as long as you have a positive attitude. What happened to the darker side of dub/reggae? Tomorrow people yes, but where is your past? Still listenable, however, though if you don’t know who Haile Selassie was, you better ask somebody. Tremont Music Hall (Davis)
Yamagata — Hmmm, to tag these blokes as a Jam band does disservice to their “arms spread wide” mix of diverse musical genres. The Memphis band keeps things flowing with a stylistic blend ranging from Led Zeppelin to Wes Montgomery and Frank Zappa. Their rock rolls, the jazz is pumping and the groove eclectic. Look for their freshly released set of new tunes titled Connect. With Rebus and the fabulous Mad Dog Trio. Amos’ Southend (Shukla)
THURSDAY 8.15
Semi-Pro / Murdercycle — Semi-Pro recently dropped by a new little unmastered demo titled 12:20 Of Your Time. My only problem with the disc is the raw quality of the thing prevents me from being able to crank it sufficiently. More of the same from one of the best bands in town, especially recommended for those partial to someone like Queens of the Stone Age or Fu Manchu. Murdercycle, composed of former headz from Ublisch (still the greatest marketed Charlotte band of all time) and Seducer, have been working on a new one, Victims, with Steve Pugh at Pughjet Sound. Muscular yet lithe, in the vein of someone like the Hellacopters. My pharmaceutical-friendly show of the week. Amos’ Southend (Davis)
FRIDAY 8.16
Chris Desnoyer Experience — Chris “The Destroyer” Desnoyer leads this pack of young’uns raised on Toots and the Maytals records, a little nugget I was able to deduce. Nice, laid-back analog ska mostly, with some jazz flavorings thrown in for good measure. And with songs like “Wookies Are People Too,” you know they don’t take themselves too seriously. Good stuff. Tremont Music Hall (Davis)
SATURDAY 8.17
Battery — Described as “masters of Metallica,” this band’s actually good enough to warrant a mention despite the fact they play mostly covers. Named after the raucous opening track on Master of Puppets, Battery has since even gotten the seal of approval from the grumpy-asses in Metallica (rumor has it the guitar player was auditioned as temporary rhythm guitarist after James Hetfield was burned in an on-stage accident). The kicker? They don’t play that crap off the Black Album and Load. Amos’ Southend (Davis)
Larry Keel Experience — Keel is a long-running bluegrass troubadour who has no qualms laying down raw, traditional picking on guitars. He surrounds himself with backcountry characters that pick, whittle and sashay into creating classic American music. His deft use of covers — Duke Ellington to Bob Wills — showcases flawless playing while his originals bear an uncanny resemblance to the old-timers. It’s more than putting down the roots, it’s digging them up from way down deep and consuming them. Most of his recordings are homemade but sound just fine for this style of music. Visulite Theatre (Shukla)
SUNDAY 8.18
Chuck Brodsky — A Dylanesque (read: verbose) salute to the all-American pastime is the subject of singer/songwriter Brodsky’s latest work, The Baseball Ballads. Chuck weaves breathless tales of breaking the color barrier and creates short stories of some of his own favorite players with one of the most pleasing voices in the genre. The tales are marvelous and the rapid-fire delivery begs attention. Current sluggers and owners of the big league will do well to heed this record, lest greed and more greed takes away even more wistful warmth from the American summer classic. The Evening Muse (Shukla)
TUESDAY 8.20
Planes Mistaken for Stars — Post hardcore rockers make their home on Charlotte’s Deep Elm label and pound plenty of noggins in their quest to draw attention to their way of thinkin’. Their agenda provides an attack of dual vocalists keeping things melodic and abrasive on the same note. The trick is, of course, to keep the pace going throughout the gig, and they usually don’t disappoint. The bottom line: melodic punk rock with a thud. Pralta and One Six Conspiracy are also slated to ring ears. Tremont Music Hall (Shukla)
WEDNESDAY 8.21
Bums Lie — They know their way around a reggae melody, and the ska spliffs are phat enough to keep Bums Lie in a genuine thread of Jamaican music. The band provides the extra element with potent dub layers of echo-laden guitars and percussion along with the usual mix of roots and dancehall reggae. They must find enough tropical sun in their native habitat of Boone, NC, to sound this proper. Mojo Restaurant & Spirits (Shukla)
Star Room Boys — While I’m prone to like any band with “boys” as the last word (I’m thinking of the Clinch Mountain variety more so than the Backstreet kind), I’d like the Star Room Boys even if they were named the Pointer Sisters. A low-fi, low key kind of affair, the band teeters somewhere between Richard Buckner and Son Volt, but with more real country feel than either band. Bands like this make you wish everyone still put out vinyl with every release. They’re similar in some aspects to our own Lou Ford, proving that mid-tempo need not be middling. The Evening Muse (Davis)
This article appears in Aug 14-20, 2002.
