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Friday, April 15, 2011
Photos / Live Reviews / News Live review: Cash Bash
Posted By Jeff Hahne on Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 10:15 AM
8th Annual Cash Bash f. Truckstop Preachers, The Tremors, The Defilers, Skye Paige, JT & The Dragpipes
Puckett's Farm Equipment
April 8, 2011
The Deal: Bands pay tribute to the Man in Black with sporadic covers in their sets.
The Good: Have you been to a Cash Bash? If not, and especially if you're a fan of Johnny Cash, you should be ashamed of yourself. It's not easy to sum up an event such as this one. Taking place over two days, the artists performing comprise various strains of rockabilly and honky tonk in a greased up, bass thumping amalgam of fantastic music.
The night got started with JT and the Dragpipes, one of Charlotte's newest bands on the rockabilly scene. Comprised of Tommy Ray, Jem Crossland, Badger on bass and Rusty Cloninger on drums, the quartet is a who's who on the scene and it shows through their music. Playing songs from the Tommy Ray and the Rayguns and Jem Crossland and the Hypertonics catalogs, the experience these four project is immediately apparent. I caught one of the band's first shows and this one showed more comfort and ease in the performance.
While traffic held up one of the guitar players for Skye Paige, The Defilers hit the stage next in a bit of a shuffle to keep the music going. The band's style is more honky tonk but gets the job done all the same.
Skye Paige offered the lone female vocals to the night with a strong set that drew a receptive crowd.
Greensboro's The Tremors offered twang in their rockabilly in a lead up to the night's headliner, the Truckstop Preachers, who never disappoint.
Some people might hear rockabilly or Cash tribute and think that everyone is going to sound the same, but the amazing part of this event — and a tribute to the performers themselves — is that no two bands sound the same. Each brings its own unique qualities to the stage and each pays tribute to Cash in its own way. It draws bands in from various parts of the Carolinas and even outside the South for an event that is as much about the camaraderie as it is the music.
There are some people who I only see at the Cash Bash each year, but its those familiar faces that make the event feel more like a family reunion than a concert — and part of that is also the laid-back vibe of Puckett's, a venue on the northeast side of Charlotte that doesn't get as much attention from music fans as it should. The character of the venue lends as much to the event as the music itself.
The Bad: That I couldn't get back for the second night on Saturday.
The Verdict: One of Charlotte's most consistent, and consistently enjoyable events. Timeless music that has a strong but small fanbase in the area needs more events like this to showcase it. Credit to Badger who is already working on the lineup for next year. See you at the 9th Annual Cash Bash in 2012!
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