Who's To Say?

      If you are like me, a rock n roll fanatic, and from the South, you probably spent many of your musical formidable years listening to Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers, The Doobie Brothers, Little Feat, Charlie Daniels, and others that define the term “Southern Rock”.  What has always drawn me to this sub genre is the fine tuned storytelling and the songs about the darker side of life. If you have ever been on an old mountain road alone at after the sun has set or in the French Quarter at 3 AM Halloween night, then you know that dark side I speak of.  Unfortunately, what most people consider to be “Southern Rock” are those misunderstood redneck anthems. If you are to poke around the South a bit; in the honky tonks and bars, a new sound is brewing.  Who’s to say those “Southern Rock” rules cannot be broken?

      Last night was a typical hot, humid, summer night in Atlanta.  It was even hotter upstairs at Smith’s Olde Bar, especially with The Higher Choir railroading the crowd with their self described “Southern Gothic” rock n roll.  Last night was THC’s EP release party for “Steeped in Southern Tradition”.  Well a party is what they called it.  I would call it an old fashioned ass whipping!  It was obvious these guys have been working hard on their craft and proved they are here to stay.  The sound was loud, dark and dirty. With seven members in the band, these guys are big and powerful.  And they know it!  Which to me is fantastic, rock n roll should be a little cocky, on stage at least.

      With six different instruments on stage, Chance Walls does a fantastic job pulling it all together with his country punk presence and screaming vocals.  Stephen Darley, Wayne Glass, and Harold Sellars hammer down the foundation on the bass and drums.  I think the left side of my face is a little bruised from standing in front of   Darley’s bass amp all night. And let me tell you folks, Wayne is a beast on his translucent green drum kit.  Alan Connor and Grant Mitchel take turns with the guitar work, making it look easy.  The two are a perfect fit with Grant on the backup vocals and Alan stepping up to the front, shoving his nasty guitar work down your throat, all with that guitar player flare.  These two were tit for tat all night without missing a note, even with Grant ripping up a bunch of strings.  The Pozz sits back calmly on the keys, collected and cool, with his dark shades on.  The Pozz, with Sellars on percussion, wrap it all up with a nice pretty bow, giving the band wisdom and depth.  Hell, I think there was even a trumpet, a pedal steel, and a mandolin on stage at some point last night.  Take all that and mix it up with stories of corn liquor, race car drivers, guns and hard work, and a perfect southern cocktail is what you get.  Heavy, haunting mystique, with a little bit of rage makes for a fantastic rock show.

      The Higher Choir answered the question, who’s to say we have to stay in the lines of the typical southern rock definitions.  At a loss for my own words to describe their sound I will have to agree that “Southern Gothic” fits perfectly.  So, if you like it loud, a little rude, and even a little scary like I do, do yourself a favor and get out and see these boys.  You might even get lucky, and hear a version of Althea, that will melt your face in a whole new way! 

GO SEE LOCAL MUSIC!

Athfest 2013

       I had a few different ideas on how I wanted to start this article off.  I played around with when Athfest started, how much Athens has changed since my mid twenties, and a few other openers that are not even worth mentioning that lay crumpled up at my feet (metaphorically speaking of course, I don't use a typewriter). So instead of going through all that bullshit and over trying to sound like Mr. Fucking Eloquent. I will just get straight to the point and lets talk about the music.  After all this is a "rock n roll commentary".
     My philosophy to music festivals is: pick the bands you want to see and if anything new falls in your lap, fantastic.  I have a hard time going to see bands that I have not listened to enough to recognize the songs when I see them.  I made sure I spent some time this past week going over the bands I wanted to see and I took a little time for some focused listening.  Unfortunately, I could not go to Sunday's events so I had to make the most of the time I had.  On my list of must see's were: Scott Low and Friends, Dangfly, Beauty and the Beard, The Whigs, Welfare Liners, Shonna Tucker and Eye Candy, Cracker, Radiolucent, and Dead Confederate.  Of course I missed a few on this list and saw a few that I had not planned on. Here is how things went.
      Dangly kicked things of Friday afternoon at the New Earth Music Hall.  I have always been a huge fan of the fiddle and this little instrument helps broaden and define the unique sound that Dangfly has.  Coming off their release of "Good Luck, Curiosity", the band seems to have some momentum. I knew only a couple of songs from the album, and I was more than impressed with what I saw and heard.  It will take me awhile to come up with a good description of these guys other than fantastic.  Adam Payne delivers a semi high pitched voice, esp for a big guy and he even notes this in one of the songs.  They are heavy, quirky, and full of emotion.  "Walkaway" with Betsy Franck and "Bangin" were two of my favorites that show how versatile these guys are.  From strong and serious on Walkaway to funny and  light hearted on Bangin, these guys will be a band to watch.  It will be fun to watch them grow and see what happens.  They are definitely at the top of my must see list.
      Daniel Peiken of Athensrockshow.com and Scott Low are two new friends that have been kind enough to introduce me to some wonderful people who just happen to be fantastic musicians as well. Ty Manning and Kelly Fuller are two of these people.  Their dynamic duo named Beauty and the Beard is soulful and laugh out loud funny.  This was the second time I have seen Kelly perform, and that is all it took.  The two have such great chemistry on stage.  Kelly's voice has that old school country authenticity that I love.  Mix her rich, buttery voice with Ty's southern accent and off color lyrics and a musical treat is what you get.  "Whorrible Woman" and "Stairway to Freebird" were two songs any honky tonk lover could get down two. Lucky for me these two play out a lot.  It is always a lot of fun to watch people you know have a great time doing what they do best, making great music.
     A few months ago I was fortunate enough to catch a Scott Low solo show with Daniel and I was hooked.  Throaty, whiskey soaked outlaw music is what Scott does best.  His music is full of energy and guitar heavy, just the way I like it.  I managed to see him twice this weekend playing his own music, some new and some off the latest Efren album.  I also got to see him back Chris Moore at the GA Bar. Scott's gritty guitar playing fit the lyrics and the crowd.  Scott played  "Write a New Song" and "If My Heart Don't Fail Me Now" both of which are two of my favorites.  And they both came out exactly how he describes his singing.  "I dont' sing, I grumble and growl."  Not for the faint of heart.  Serious music lovers only.
     Last but but definitely not least I have to share about my favorite of the weekend.  Radiolucent is the real freaking deal.  It can not be easy for a young new band to follow up a smoking set by Cracker at the 40 Watt and these boys crushed it.  These boys came to play for sure.  Mike Mann, might have the biggest voice I have seen in rock n roll in a long time.  All I can say is the Black Crowes better watch out.  With what seems to me to be a huge gospel influence, Radiolucent is a force to be reckoned with.  They have it all, the southern sound, driving guitars, piano to soften them a bit, a beast of a drummer and the gospel choir vocals.  Their latest effort, "Turn Me On or Turn Me Loose" is quickly becoming my new favorite album.  I have been around for a few minutes and I have seen bands come and go.  I can say without a doubt, these guys are not going anywhere but up.  There are certain bands I have on my do not miss list and they are on it.  If you like full tilt rock n roll without the frills, then this band is for you.  Do not miss them again!
     Well that will just about wrap it up.  I wish I could have stayed for the Sunday festivities, but time did not permit.  Athens, you rock my soul.  A huge thank you to all of you that made this weekend possible.  Most of all thank you to all the musicians.  We are all grateful for all that you do.  Keep making that music and we will keep coming to see you play, that is a promise!

Go See Live Music!

What's New is New... (Again)

by Russell Holbrook  

     Growing up in the Atlanta Hardcore and Metal scene of the early / mid '90's, I was privileged to see some truly amazing bands. I'll never forget seeing Act of Faith, Quadiliacha and Crisis Under Control at the Somber Reptile (R.I.P.), or watching Cerebral Hemorrhage at the Wreck Room. Those were amazing times and amazing bands; talented, prolific, LOCAL bands, who now sadly reside in the "I wonder whatever happened to them" section of most of our memories. As people say; that was then, this is now, and, thankfully, now is a fucking great place to be, especially if you're into heavy music. Our wonderful, eclectic city is blessed to call herself the hometown of some of the greatest heavy bands around nowadays. Let's give thanks to the thunder gods for the likes of Mastodon, Zoroaster, Withered, Sadistic Ritual, Death of Kings, Royal Thunder, and many, many others, who are thriving and helping to create, or, recreate, a vibrant, exciting local scene, even if some of them are away on tour a great deal of the time.
    One local band who always seem to be in another city is Attila, Atlanta's self-proclaimed "party metal" band. About a year and a half ago my fifteen year old son introduced me to them. He said they were coming to town with some touring hardcore bands and that we should go check them out. He was already an Attila fan and he said he thought I'd like them. So, in the spirit of giving new bands a chance, and wanting to hear what's going on outside of what I'd normally listen to, I agreed.  To be honest, I'd go watch a tree grow if it meant getting to hang out with my son.  Plus, how many parents have a kid who turns them on to new heavy bands? How cool is that?! So, anyway... We went to the show and Attila killed it. Absolutely. Since then we have seen them a total of three times and every time we see them they wipe the stage with whoever has the misfortune of having Attila open for them. Their latest victims were Chelsea Grin, who Attila made look like a parody of a cliche' of a "metal" band.
    While I'm not a big fan of metal core, or death core, or any of the "cores" that came out any later than 1990 something, I really do enjoy Attila, and to my own sincere surprise. I went in a sceptic and they won me over. If you've never heard Attila, I'm hard pressed to give a short, simple description. Their sound is a blend of  traditional metal, thrash, metal core and hardcore. There are breakdowns, but not to the point of monotony. The vocals are a mix of insane screeching, guttural growling, and screaming. When they play live, they go nuts and the audience goes insane with them. It's so fun to see hundreds of people screaming "Suck my dick!" in unison as the vocalist leads everyone in the mad ritual. It's ridiculous! In addition to the hilarious vulgarity and the spastic, over the top antics, this band can really play. The guitarists play more than one chord, actually, they play several, and, they do solos! The drummer and the bassist never lose time and the vocalist, Fronz, ties it all together like a gift that tells you to fuck yourself when you open it. Brilliant. I'm still surprised that I'm writing this in a public forum. Many Metal fans do not consider the genre that Attila is associated with as "real metal", but, maybe it's just something new. I didn't consider it to be real Metal either, at least not initially. However, after seeing Attila live on several occasions, I have been converted. It's refreshing to see the new generation of local bands doing something new. At least it's new to me, and, what's old is over, and what's new is new. If you enjoy heavy riffs, vulgar gesturing, and gratuitous profanity, you can't go wrong with an Attila show. The shit is seriously fun, I'm not kidding, and fuck, I'm OLD!!  I love metal and I love our wonderful city. Fuck yeah!! See you at the show! 
    

GO SEE LOCAL METAL!!!! (Or whatever local music you enjoy!!) 
   

Celebrate Wayne Sawyer & Conquer SADS

     One of the best parts about being in the business of rock n roll is the people we meet along the way.  Most of us have an interesting story, some happy, some sad, some uplifting, and some motivating, but never boring. Today was one of those days where I was able to hear a story, sad, tragic even, yet highly motivating and very uplifting.  I have been a devoted Widespread Panic fan for the better part of 20 years and do my best to keep up with the comings and goings of anything dealing with the band and its fans.  I was living in Denver, CO, when I heard about the passing of Wayne Sawyer, on September 29, 2009.   Somehow Wayne and I never met, yet at the time we had several mutual friends and it was obvious how special this man was and how much he was loved. Now, on May 9, 2013, a little less than a month before the 4th Annual Celebrate Wayne & Conquer SADS memorial benefit show at Smith’s Olde Bar, I had the wonderful pleasure of meeting Wayne’s wife Shannon and I was able to get a firsthand account on who Wayne Sawyer was, what the benefit is raising money for, and how we as a family can make sure his death was not in vain.

     SADS, which stands for Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes, are genetic heart rhythm abnormality conditions that can cause sudden death in young, apparently healthy people – who are undiagnosed. Wayne suffered from what is called Long QT Syndrome, which is a disturbance of the heart’s electrical system.  Nearly half of the people who suffer from Long QT Syndrome never show any symptoms.  This is part of what makes the disease so hard to detect.  It is genetic with a 50% chance of its being passed down from generation to generation.  The hardest part of this is the disease being misdiagnosed eventually leading to a sudden fatal heart attack at a very young age. Wayne Sawyer died two weeks before his 41st birthday.  With the help of the SADS Foundation and benefits like this one, light can be shed on this destructive genetic disorder and lives can be saved.  Shannon informed me that there is headway being made in stem cell research today.  With the correct medication, had Wayne been properly diagnosed, this tragedy could have been avoided.  Thankfully, after Wayne’s passing, his family was tested and it was brought to light that other family members including his daughter also suffer from Long QT Syndrome. Fortunately Wayne’s passing, helped save his daughter’s life as well as that of his two sisters.

     With a big move to Colorado and a new life for Shannon and her family two weeks after the June 1st celebration, Shannon insisted to me that this year’s event was going to be less money driven and more about remembering her late husband and the man that he was.  Not knowing how her move to Colorado will affect the annual fundraiser in the future, she wants this year to be very special.  I could hear the love in her voice as she described who Wayne was, and how important he was to the people he was closest to.  Wayne was an artist, a writer, a musician, a business partner, and a founding member of the Widespread Panic road crew.  Shannon stated in our conversation, “The most important thing to me, when writing about Wayne, is to say how very much he loved his wife and daughter. He was so devoted to both of us. And that he died to save his daughter's life.  I truly believe it, beyond my personal need to assign meaning to his death. I believe it in the depths of my being ... that his soul & body knew, and he truly loved her that much.”

     This year’s event will once again be held at Smith’s Olde Bar on June 1, 2013.   There are VIP tickets available for $50 and regular tickets for $25.  The VIP music will start at 5 pm with Cameron Stack and Betsy Franck, and catering will be provided by Fox Bros BBQ.  The music upstairs will begin at 6 pm with The Heap, Col. Bruce Hampton, featuring AJ Ghent, Jerry Joseph with Jeff Crosby and the Refugees, and Bloodkin.  These guys will rock the house and everyone will have a great time.  There will be a silent auction, and Shannon tells me there are some great pieces to bid on this year.  So bring your money and be ready.  Tickets are going fast so grab one while you can before they are all gone.  This will be a night you will not want to miss.

If you are interested in donating, payments through PayPal are accepted @ climb4wayne@gmail.com.

For more information on SADS please go to www.sads.org.

I Got a Ticket in My Pocket

     Wow!  It has been a whirl wind few weeks here between Atlanta and Athens, Ga.  It all started April 27 with two nights of Widespread Panic at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater. Next up was Drivin n Cryin May 2 at the Melting Point in Athens.  May 4 and 5 we had a full weekend of the Shaky Knees Festival at the Masquerade Music Park in the 4^th Ward.  There was so much music to choose from.   I was able to catch Moon Taxi, The Joy Formidable, Lucero, Jim James, Goat and the Black Angels on Saturday.  Sunday, still wet from the constant downpour consisted of Murder by Death, Kurt Vile and the Violators, and hometown heroes the Drive by Truckers.  I did not get to see everything on my list but such is the way of music festivals right.  Just when I thought I have had enough, two tickets to the sold out Soundgarden show at the Tabernacle fall into my lap.  Since I had not seen these guys since Lollapalooza 1992, I felt like it was a no brainer.  Glad I did not miss them.  Needless to say I am completely showed out and have neglected most of my duties but it was well worth it.  After all this is why I do what I do, for the love of the music.  I would have to say that if you have never seen GOAT, do not miss them next time around.  They are absolutely a funky, spooky, Black Sabbathy, gypsy act worth every penny. 

     It is agreed that several big name publications that I won’t name are missing the boat on the local music scene so we are more than happy to pick up where they have left off.  With that being said I had the wonderful pleasure of seeing the first band I ever saw live on May 2 at the Melting Point in Athens, Ga. First, I have not been to the Melting Point since 1996 maybe.  It is a very nice venue, putting the fans right up close to the musicians, making the shows very personable.  Drivin n Cryin went on right as I walked in the door and played for a solid two hours.  They played songs from all over their catalogue including a bunch of stuff I have never heard.  They looked quite a bit different from that night at the Fox in October of 1990 but the sounded just as good if not better twenty three years later.  The addition of Sadler Vaden on lead guitar has proved to be a fantastic decision.  This guy can play the mother freaking guitar.  This gives Mr. Kinney the freedom to carry the band with the songs that are so lyric driven.  This show was as good as anything I have seen live, ever. A Small venue, a big sound, some loud guitars, and some of my favorite songs make for the perfect recipe.  As happy as I was to have plenty of room to enjoy the show I cannot for the life of me understand why there were so few people at the show.  Well I can tell you if you were not there, you missed Gibb Droll getting on stage for several songs and blowing the doors off the place.  Part of me would love to keep the shows small and intimate with plenty of room to dance, but on the other hand I would love to see these guys back to opening for the Who again.  I will say, never miss a Thursday night show, especially if it is Drivin and Cryin!

     The highlight of this two week musical bender was getting to sit down with Drivin and Cryin drummer Dave Johnson and talk about Nuci’s Space.  Oddly enough, I was not star stricken, yet calm and collected.  We talked about Nuci’s Space, what was in the plans as far as branching out to Atlanta was concerned, and hopefully we will be able to get these guys on board for a great cause.  It is not every day one gets to talk to one of their favorite musicians about the nonprofit they work with.  I think I was smiling the whole drive back to Atlanta that night.  Speaking of Nuci’s Space, we are currently in the process of setting up a fall benefit show here in Atlanta, to mirror the big DBT shows every January.  We are very pleased and happy to have our friends Efren and The Higher Choir on the bill.  I promise this will be a night full of dirty, gritty, rock n roll for a great cause.  Hopefully we will have a venue and a date by the end of next week.  Stay tuned for more details.  This will be a night you will not want to miss!

That is all for now folks and remember GO SEE LIVE MUSIC!

If you are interested in helping out or becoming a sponsor for the Nuci’s Space benefit please email me.

erindrello@adelaideproductions.com.

Locals Only

     I had a great discussion with a musician from a local band here in Atlanta this weekend.  We talked about the state of local music in the Atlanta/Athens area.  We discussed who was writing what about the subject, good or bad.  We discussed local music festivals and their willingness to bring in big bands for big bucks, which in turn screws over the local musicians.  This musician shared with me his thoughts on what should be the path for local businesses and local musicians and where those loyalties should lie.  We enjoyed local barbecue sandwiches while we talked, listening to the spring rain pound the roof in Little Five Points.  In this moment I realized how important the term local is to everything I buy, including my concert tickets. Now, ten plus years removed from my residency of L5P, I completely understand what those bumper stickers stood for and how much the local neighborhoods need local support as well as the musicians in them and the art they produce.  Oddly enough, the musical experiences I had planned for the weekend turned out to follow this discussion to the t and it pulled the blinders off my eyes for a lack of a better term.  Local music here in Georgia is full of musical peaches ripe with whiskey soaked voices and thundering guitars, loud enough to make any outlaw happy.

     After my superb barbecue lunch at Fox Bros. in Little Five Points, I headed to Athens.  Bloodkin was playing at the 40 Watt later that evening and I had a meeting with Nuci’s Space in a few hours.  On the ride, I listened to Bloodkin, shuffling from album to album.  I reminisced on my first experience with Athens, Georgia years ago and how much I loved living there.  I thought about all the friends I made there, working at Rafferty’s, and how simple life was then.  I was first introduced to Bloodkin and Widespread Panic in 1994, and those are days I hopefully will never forget.  I remember my roommate and me, listening to Can't Get High, over and over again.  We had both broke up with our girlfriends around that time and that song seemed to heal whatever pain we were feeling.  Now that I think about it, Bloodkin has quite few songs that have helped with my healing from wounds from others and of my own making. For years Rotgut and Quarter Tank of Gasoline were always two of my go to songs when life got heavy.  Now, the entire Baby, They Told Us We Would Rise Again album has conveniently, coincided with the last two years of my life, and in my opinion deserves every bit of four stars and might be the best album the band has ever put out. 

     I walked into the 40 Watt with my friend Daniel from Athensrockshow.com Friday night around 10 pm and the Dashboard Saviors were well into their opening set.  I recognized the name of the band but I have no recollection of them from my time in Athens in the early nineties.  This is completely unfortunate for me.  These guys freaking rocked.  Now that I have a full on obsession for outlaw-alt country-punk-rock, these guys blew me away.  The lead singer’s southern twang permeated my ears while I watched their amazing drummer completely assault his drum kit as if it had just fucked his girlfriend.  His beats were fierce and eloquent all at the same time.  All I could think about was how am I just finding out about this band now that they are for all practical purposes defunct?  It was like falling in love with a woman in one night knowing you will never see her again. 

     While Bloodkin was taking the stage, Daniel pointed out to me the crowd was a who’s who of Athens musicians.  John Keane and Patterson Hood and a few other names were there to check out the music for the evening.  The fans that had assembled to see the show were older, definitely closer to Bloodkin’s age than the typical college crowd.  It had been years since I have seen the entire band play.  I caught an acoustic show of Danny’s a few years back in Boulder, Colorado.  It was exciting to hear that solid Athens sound I fell in love with so many years ago.  Danny quickly apologized for the state of his voice, clearly showing their age, in turn making me realize it has been almost 20 years since I first saw this band.  I was very happy to hear them play My Name is Alice, a song that I have had on repeat for the last six months or so.  Rotgut, Mercy Train to Bogart and Success Yourself were also highlights.  Those are three songs that I could hear every day and they would never get old. It was really fun to look around the crowd and see folks my age and older getting down and rocking out to a much older and wiser Bloodkin from what I had seen in my younger days.  I could hear the love for the Rolling Stones in Eric Carter’s voice when they closed with their rendition of Happy, and he nailed it.  They came back on after a short break and encored with Henry Parsons Died and Dylan’s New Pony.  Both, in my opinion, are painful songs about the south full of mystery and the dark.  These are subjects Bloodkin portrays strongly in their music, which is what makes me a fan.  All in all, I headed back to my hotel room after the show feeling completely full and satisfied with my night full of home grown rock n roll.  After all these years Bloodkin does not disappoint and still knows how to play that straight up rock n roll I love so much. 

     On a big side note, before entering the 40 Watt, Daniel insisted we stop into Flicker next door to catch a bit of Scott Low’s solo show.  He swore that I would like it and he was right.  Scott is a local Athens musician and the lead singer of the self-proclaimed folk-rock band Efren.  Scott’s whiskey drenched vocals immediately pulled me in while he sang about hard times and hard drinking, while stomping his boots to keep the time.  Today, I have listened to Efren’s latest release, Write a New Song two times over and I cannot wait to see them live.  They are dynamic and full of roots rock and the southern twang that moves my soul.  It will be exciting to see where these new southern rockers end up. 

     It is safe to say that “local” is the direction Locomotive is headed.  I have spent my time following bands in the big arenas and now it is time to rein it in a bit.  My two new favorite bands, The Higher Choir and Efren, neither which I have seen live yet, are the epitome of the music that I love.  Songs about hard living and hard rocking are what seem to wet my whistle today.  It makes me smile to be a part of this local music and enjoy it while I can before it catches fire. I am not forgetting about all those big national acts that I still love, just slowing down and redirecting my focus on the local gems that could use a spotlight or two. 

GO SEE LOCAL MUSIC

6 Friends 3 Shows and a Nuci’s Space

      In lunch meeting I had on Thursday with a fellow music enthusiast and writer, we agreed on the way we saw and felt about music.  We discussed the feelings that we share at a live show of amazement, excitement, waiting for the spark to light the fire.  We went into great detail about how we share the constant quest for more music.  New, old, it does not matter.  I need and want all of it.  I know hundreds of music fans but only a few seem to have the calling to be completely engulfed in music’s bittersweet embrace.  Luckily, this weekend I was able to see five friends who share this obsession, see three shows in two days and meet with an organization that depends on the musically obsessed to help musicians in need.

     The weekend started with a collaboration meeting with a friend of mine that is about to graduate from the University of Georgia.  She is well connected in the music scene in Athens, and like I mentioned before is obsessed like me with rock n roll.  We shared our ideas and thoughts over burgers and coffee, watching the cold spring rain. We discussed some ideas and ways to help each other further our writing and such.  I was meeting her older sister later that evening for dinner and the Black Angels show at the Georgia Theatre.  My writer friend expressed that she was working the merch table for the impromptu acoustic Perpetual Groove show that evening and that she would try to get us in.  I had only seen PGroove a couple of times and was hopeful to get in since they were breaking up and playing their last show on Friday night in Athens.  The weekend was shaping up nicely; now it was time for a nap at the hotel.  The rest would be needed if I was to be running with these two sisters in a night full of rock n roll.

     Thankfully the rain stopped  my friend and I were able to grab a nice, dry, dinner before the music started.  After sharing a few small plates we headed to the Green Room to see about getting in to the Perpetual Groove acoustic show.  The band and my friends are very close as well as many of their fans, so as expected my friend was bombarded with hugs and joy immediately upon entering the super crowded bar.  The band was only going to play for an hour and so we were lucky to have gotten in.They were right at the halfway mark of their hour when we walked in.  I did not know the first two songs I heard, but I enjoyed them as I watched the band just a few feet away play their instruments.  After returning from a bathroom break I found the sisters, right as the band was finishing a cover of Modest Mouse’s Float On.  I love that song and the whole place was rocking.  It was fun to watch my friends smile even with heavy hearts as they watched their friends and favorite band play.  Finally the band played the only song I knew to wrap up the show. “It Starts Where It Ends,” is a song about the inevitable and moving forward, and is one that I have listened to over and over in the last year and a half of my own struggles.  The sisters next to me danced and sang along, crying, which brought tears to my eyes, reminding me why I listened to this song in the first place.  It was a sad but amazing feeling to be there with my friends loving the music that they loved and to be a part of that. 

     After the Perpetual Groove show we headed to the Nowhere Bar, where any self-respecting Widespread Panic fan goes before any show at the Georgia Theatre.  My friend Woody was in town from Denver for PGroove, and he met us there for a few drinks before we headed in to the Black Angels.  Woody is one of those friends that like me are completely obsessed with rock n roll.  It was great to see my friend even if for just a few minutes.  My friend Patricia finally showed up, and yes she is one of us, and we headed across the street to the Theatre.  There are not many feelings that equal walking into the rock show with three hot, amazing women.  Needless to say I was a very happy man.  We were all lucky enough to end up on in the VIP section for most of the show.  It was my first time seeing the Black Angels and I was blown away.  The band consisted of four guitar players, two of which also played keyboards and a woman on the drums. This was a lineup that I had never seen.  At some point everyone traded guitars, including the base during the show.  There must have been 50 pedals on stage, even ones on top of one of the organs.  The sound was loud, and full of reverb and distortion.  The band was tight and confident.  It was a sound I have never seen live before and I loved it.  It was dark and haunting, which to me are essential in rock n roll.  They played for an hour and a half straight, with the drums turned way up.  The woman on the drums beat her skins violently and passionately.  The psychedelic images on the back drop were fantastic, reminding me of the only time I saw Jeff Beck.  The back ground images bounced back and forth to the beat of the base line and strobe lights.  Yes, folks this was without a doubt a rock concert.  The cool part was it is music for smart people.  There were “Blog Dorks” everywhere dressed in black and bobbing their heads.  It was well worth the $45 I spent on three tickets and cannot wait to see them again in May.  However, seeing them will require some intense homework so I can know the songs I am hearing.  A must see in my opinion.  I cannot wait to see my poster in a frame!

     After a nice lunch downtown the next day with the rock n roll twins, I had yet another fantastic meeting which I will get to later, and headed to Atlanta for my first My Morning Jacket concert.  After four years of trying so hard to like this band, spending time putting an honest effort into listening to them, something finally clicked.  I was grocery shopping a few days before the show, listening to MMJ and something hit me deep inside.  It was that moment I had wanted for the last four years.  I have always wanted to like this band, yet something was keeping me from that jumping off point, but here I was, two days before seeing them live for the first time live.  Like seeing the Black Angels for the first time, I had no idea what to expect.  I was meeting two friends at Centennial Park for the show that were huge fans and the anticipation was killing me.  From the first guitar lick to the last, I was completely amazed.  I recognized a handful of songs, as I have been listening diligently.  I knew that if I could recognize as many songs as possible there would be a better chance of liking the show.  Well to be honest, that really did not matter.  I am rock n roll fan.  I love load guitars and musicians that know how to play them live.  Jim James’s light and high voice permeated downtown Atlanta along with the chest pounding guitars.  If I could feel the base guitar and drums bouncing off my chest fifty rows back.  Very rarely does that happen and the show sucks, especially an outdoor show.   So, I will admit, on record, that I was wrong.  My Morning Jacket is absofuckinglutely the real deal.  They were by far the best show I have seen in the last two or three years hands down and I have seen a lot.  It is perfect timing too, as my life has been changing and so has what I have been wanting to see live, this new love could not come at a better time.  I will not be missing another MMJ show within a 500 mile radius.  I cannot wait to see Jim James at the Shaky Knees Festival in a few weeks.  These guys are fairly young in their careers and it will be an exciting road to follow!

     Last but not least I want to share a bit about the meeting I had before I left Athens I mentioned in the paragraph above.  Nuci’s Space is a nonprofit organization in Athens, Georgia that helps to prevent suicide by providing obstacle free treatment for musicians suffering from depression and other such disorders as well as to assist in the emotional, physical and professional well-being of musicians.  Since, battling with my own health and addiction issues in the past, this is a group I have kept a close eye one. Back in January I was able to go to the Drive by Truckers Nuci’s Space benefit shows as well as the fundraiser at the space.  It was at that fundraiser where I was fortunate enough to have a local Athens musician share his story with me and how Nuci’s Space was pivotal in his recovery. As an aspiring writer, a recovering drug addict and alcoholic, and rock n roll fan I was immediately inspired to get involved with Nuci’s Space.  I know how hard my own struggles have been and understand what it means to be without insurance.  So, it makes sense to me to do whatever I can to help out fellow artists in their time of need in a city that I love any way I can.  I met with Nuci’s Director Bob Sleepy and Volunteer Coordinator Lesley Cobb on Friday to discuss how I can help.  We had a great discussion and hopefully we will be looking into several ways and means to help grow this organization and help create a better life for the musicians that make the music that we love so much.  Please stay tuned for further updates on Locomotives involvement with Nuci’s Space. 

    I am going to keep this closing short and sweet.  That was an amazing weekend.  It was a weekend full of friends, great music, beginnings and ends, and the promise of a better day.  I could not ask for more out of life.  The old saying is true; you get out of life what you put in.  That was completely evident this weekend,  I received everything I wanted and so much more.  I am blessed and forever grateful.

If you are interested in Nuci’s Space, visit their website www.nuci.org.

GO SEE LIVE MUSIC