WEDNESDAY 8.13
Hardcore Lounge — Formed by the always eclectic ex-Cyclone Mack duo of Chris Johnson (guitar) and Leon Daniel (bass), along with former It Could Be Nothing drummer Tim Benson and Johnson’s brother Wes (vocals), Hardcore Lounge was named when a local club owner described the then-unnamed act’s music thusly. Inspiration was theirs, the clouds opened up, and God shined upon them. Gotta love it when a band makes your job easy. With Bob and Jim Johnson. Double Door Inn (Davis)
THURSDAY 8.14
Greg Klyma / The Dickens — This outing makes an interesting double bill of American music. Klyma has a Steve Earle songwriting style but is less in your face and more melodic. He obviously knows a good hook and works it into the story quite well. The Dickens are a mix of bluegrass, folk and country music that seem to be up and coming on the regional scene. The Evening Muse (Shukla)
The Party of Helicopters — The current rage of indie critics, The Party of Helicopters lay it on thick with hard pop layers and vocals that are done over dense yet melodic, dissonant yet cozy guitars and twirls of sound. On the road pushing the new disc, Please Believe It (Velocette Records), the Ohio outfit doesn’t need to be so courteous as the music does the rocking and the title speaks for itself. With The Don’t Stop. Also appearing at Manifest Discs & Tapes on Friday at 3pm. Fat City (Shukla)
Rory Lewis — A pretty fine guitar player, Lewis’ music is ultimately marred by a bit too much self-referential, “timely” (which, of course, quickly becomes untimely) lyricism, and a habit of doffing his shirt at live shows at a rate Chris Cornell would be proud of. “Babes ain’t feminists and feminists ain’t babes,” sings Lewis. Which figures. With an attitude like that you’ll never find out, now will you? Amos’ Southend (Davis)
SATURDAY 8.16
The Avett Brothers — The Avetts’ porch ‘n’ roll doesn’t seem to be such an acquired taste anymore, as fans from here to Nashville and back are raving about the boys’ fizzy concoction of oldtime, bluegrass and punk. Tempting the taste buds of tastemakers all over the Southeast, Scott and Seth still make it down home style, boiling every batch of songs down to the sharpest, simplest brew possible. They know what sticks in their guts, and, having being taught to respect their elders, have picked up a few recipes along the way. The proof’s in the drinking, however, and…(OK, screw this analogy. Some other writer recently called them something like the Who if the Who played bluegrass. That’s not quite right, I don’t think, but close enough. Good job, dude.). Sylvia Theater, York (Davis)
The Gin Blossoms — Of course you remember the Gin Blossoms. They were the bright and sunny pop answer to the early 90s grunge and alternative rock that was bursting all over the radio at the time. They have some serious gems in their catalog that took hefty notes from the Byrds to Robyn Hitchcock. Apparently they reissued one of the cool records, New Miserable Experience, as a deluxe double disc last year with some 20 plus tracks on the second disc. With Part Time Heroes. Amos’ Southend (Shukla)
Snagglepuss — Sweeping up musical genres and bringing it into collectivism rock is the ever-revolving agenda of Charlotte’s Snagglepuss, where three band members also reside in other bands as well. It’s the free improv of jazz, abandon of punk and the energy of rock all thrown into the mix, replete with a cast of assorted characters. See Snagglepuss story in this issue. With the Scrubbies. Visulite Theatre (Shukla)
SUNDAY 8.17
George Clinton & P-Funk Allstars — The godfather of cosmic funk, name-drop of countless hip-hop and funk bands and still rocking your socks after 30 years of putting on the dancing shoes. Starting in the late 60s as a psychedelic band, Parliament grew into the definitive funk monster in the 70s. Hey, once the ushers have seated you, don’t be bashful to bounce up and down on those comfy seats once George and company land the mothership. Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (Shukla)
WEDNESDAY 8.20
G. Love & Special Sauce — Hot damn, I’ve been waiting on this show for a long while now! With a couple of their most recent appearances in town taking place at the downtown drunk fest and over at the super shed, I found myself road tripping to Spartanburg, SC (actually Spartansburg to the G. man) a couple years back to catch the Philly trio in a club setting for their tour supporting their last release Electric Mile. It was a hot, sweaty, raunchy kind of show that rocked liked you wouldn’t believe. If I remember correctly, I even think G. (aka Garrett Dutton) grabbed a funny cigarette from someone in the audience and toked on it a few times right there on stage. Sure Snoop can do the same on the big stage, but G and his peeps — upright bass player Jimi Jazz and dynamic drummer the Houseman, who also provides harmonies — are better suited for smaller joints with their funky mix of acoustic blues, folk and hip hop. Whether they’re all laid back or jamming around, G. and the Special Sauce can serve up a good time. A don’t miss. Visulite Theatre (Lynn Farris)
This article appears in Aug 13-19, 2003.
