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Eric Mullis
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
News / Opinion / Eric Mullis Wanted: Musicians... but where to find them?
Posted By Eric Mullis on Tue, Dec 15, 2009 at 3:47 PM
With the help of Charlotte venues and the Carolina Live Music Society my band, Actual Proof, has gotten some steam and has been regularly playing shows in the Southeast. This has us tickled because we’re able to write and perform music for music lovers who celebrate live music.
But it turns out that our keyboard player is leaving the group. He has several reasons for leaving but it boils down to the fact that he’s not feeling it and is getting tired of traveling. It’s a bit like one of those relationships where you’re still in love but the other person doesn’t feel that way anymore and you come to a point where you accept the fact that you can’t force love. Nothing we can do can make him dig performing our music.
So, how to go about finding a replacement for him?
Monday, November 30, 2009
Live Reviews / Eric Mullis / News Live review: Red All Over
Posted By Eric Mullis on Mon, Nov 30, 2009 at 11:04 AM
I caught Red All Over the evening before Thanksgiving and the show sent me into the holiday with a sense of satisfaction since the group is contributing to Charlotte’s diverse live music scene. I originally saw the group perform a short set at a CrownTown Showdown and found myself looking forward to a full show.
The group is influenced by bands such as Lush, Curve, Joy Division, Portishead and The Cure and features Eliza Grey on vocals, Jarrett Bury on bass and Brian Fetner on percussion. The group performs with tracks that include drums and an array of synthesizers that pulse-out dreamy minor chords. The group’s regular guitarist couldn’t make this show, but Bury found a sub at the last minute that nailed it.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Opinion / Eric Mullis / News Under 'cover' in the Q.C.
Posted By Eric Mullis on Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 12:30 PM
First off, I'm not going to be bashing cover bands. I've played in cover bands and can think of many songs that I'd like to cover in my band. Instead, what I'd like to do is pose a question that I hope will get some discussion going.
Charlotte has many cover bands and many events that pay them well to perform. They pay them well because there is a reliable cover-band audience in Charlotte. A classic-rock tribute band is a guaranteed sell in the Queen City but an indie band that plays it's original music is often a risk.
Not all cities are like this. Audiences in Asheville and Athens, Ga., for example, would likely laugh a cover-band off of the stage since they only want to hear original music. They simply don't want to hear a band that is trying to sound like an established act. Now that's a curious fact and I don't want to speculate too much about it. After all, it's difficult to make safe generalizations about a city since many individuals and groups feed into a city's identity. I'd like to look at this another way.
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Opinion / Eric Mullis / News Can a white guy really sing the blues?
Posted By Eric Mullis on Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 3:58 PM
I went out to Find Your Muse Open Mic on Monday night and checked out a good number of talented musicians. One of them was a young white guy — maybe 17 or 18 years old — who wore something of a suit, a black leather hat and a pair of bright red converse shoes. His first song was a conventional ballad and was quite good.
His second song stood out because it was a blues. Not a blues form, but a blues in the sense that it was slow and its lyrics were depressing. In the refrain, he sang about “how much death he had seen” in a deep gravely voice, a voice that was surprising to hear welling up out of a white teenager with wavy blond hair and loud shoes. The crowd gave him a resounding round of applause when he finished the song.
What to make of a young white kid singing such a blue song about death? I suppose it depends on what kind of aesthetic ideal you have in mind when you see the performance.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Eric Mullis / News Getting yourself exposed... I mean, your band
Posted By Eric Mullis on Wed, Sep 2, 2009 at 4:00 PM
So, you’ve got a band that’s doing ok in your hometown and now you’re thinking about playing out of town. If you give it a try, you’ll probably find out that playing in a new town is just like starting over from scratch. No one knows who you are and you have a hard time getting folks in the door.
Many bands get around this by getting exchanges going with bands from other towns. You invite them to open up for you in your hometown and get them some exposure and then they hit you back and invite you to open up for them in their hometown. Problem solved!
Well, nothing’s that easy. My group, Actual Proof, has been working with regional bands over the past year or so and we’ve found that it can be a mixed bag. Here are some thoughts:
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Cody Jinks and friends rouse the sold-out Neighborhood Theater crowd
Outlaw country's next generation draws large crowd to NoDa venue.
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Charlotte Symphony pays tribute to Benny Goodman tonight (11/9/2012)
Swing-era jazz clarinetist Benny Goodman is worth celebrating.
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Florence & The Machine offer a vocal showcase in Charlotte area
Billie Eilish offers talent beyond her years as opening act.
