This years Sundown in the City lineup has already had some great moments, but for all of you out there that feel our free weekly concert series has been lacking a little in the booty shaking department this Thursday’s show is for you. While the headliner Ozomatli is gonna bring enough hip-hop infused Latin flavor to the Market Square stage to get all those lawn-chairs bumping it is time for us to turn once again to this week’s Rising Stars of Sundown Asheville’s own Toubab Krewe.

Continue reading "Rising Stars of Sundown: Toubab Krewe" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 3:32 PM | Permalink

Welcome to the final edition of the 520 blog, The Monday After. This is our attempt to blast through our Monday morning hangovers to offer you some quickie reviews of all the things we’re pretty sure we got into this past week, including gigs, concerts, movies, plays, and restaurants. Pop a couple of ibuprofens and enjoy.



Last week it was announced that the proverbial fat lady will be singing a big, fat, funeral dirge over 520's entombment this coming Thursday. So while the rest of you might be busy remembering wars and veterans and NASCAR races this Memorial Day, a select few of us will be fondly remembering our all-too-brief employment with Knoxville520, and our even briefer affair with The Monday After. The beers, the blogging, the hookers unconscious on the side of the road: Too many memories to adequately sum up in a neat little package of words. Instead, we'll let Photoshop do the talking, and provide you with a montage of pictures from Monday Afters past that more or less retraces our (mis)steps over the last five months.

Phase 1: The Early Months (Wherein we were just getting the hang of being snarky.)

Continue reading "Memorial Day" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 3:20 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Welcome to this We Did Not Make This Up edition of the 520 blog, The Monday After. This is our attempt to blast through our Monday morning hangovers to offer you some quickie reviews of all the things we’re pretty sure we got into this past week, including gigs, concerts, movies, plays, and restaurants. Pop a couple of ibuprofens and enjoy.



Knoxville native Barbie Cummings was in a sticky situation.

Earlier this month, Ms. Cummings was driving back from a visit to an aunt in Nashville --desperate to return to her little puppies that were left home alone-- when a trooper pulled her and her pink car over for speeding. The policeman soon noticed that Barbie had liquor and narcotics in the back seat, so a quick-thinking Ms. Cummings diverted his attention to her other puppies.

Soon after disclosing to the officer that she was an adult film star, the titillated trooper immediately got on his car's laptop and went to her website. Perilously close to downloading in his pants, the officer quickly dumped the illegal drugs curbside, opened the patrol car door, invited Ms. Cummings inside, and turned the backseat into his very own porn shoot.

But was it worth it for Barbie?

"I didn't get out of anything. It was not a trade. Just like a guy - he got his, and I still got the speeding ticket."

He got his alright. The officer bragged to his co-workers about his adventures and referred them to Barbie's website, where he had given her permission to post pictures of their patrol car passion. Much to his chagrin, one of his buddies snitched.

We swear we did not make this up.




And now for our weekly rankings!

Continue reading "Come on Barbie, Let's Go Party" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 11:58 AM | Permalink

In years past Knoxville has been blessed to have many strong female voices emerge from our local stages and this year recognition is definitely due for an independent artist who’s been working her ass off to put it out there, Christina Horn and her latest musical project Hudson K. Performing this Wednesday at the Preservation Pub with Ben Maney and the Countless Sheep, Hudson K will be delivering its own brand of thought provoking lyrics and danceable grooves.

A classically trained pianist since age eleven Christina Horn is no stranger to the stage. Finding the realm of “serious� music a bit constricting to her personal artistic goals she did what any good musician would do, she joined a rock band. In the past few years Horn has taken part in a number of notable projects with some of Knoxville’s favorite artists including Telescope with Matt Urmay and Umanos Umana with Dave Campbell, all leading to the present moment which finds Christina with the confidence and material to project her own musical vision to the community.

Continue reading "Hudson K Takes Flight" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 11:17 AM | Permalink

Welcome to the below-the-belt 520 blog, The Monday After. This is our attempt to blast through our Monday morning hangovers and offer up some quickie reviews of all the things we’re pretty sure we got into this past week, including gigs, concerts, movies, plays, and restaurants. Pop a couple of ibuprofens and enjoy.

Last week in a bold move, discount electronics giant Circuit City publicly announced that it was the shadiest company to have ever existed in the history of business, ever. If you haven't heard, the company recently decided to fire all of its employees who were making too much money (regardless of how many years they'd been faithfully toiling in retail hell) in an effort to slash their expenses, which put big, fat-cat smiles on shareholders' faces. And in an insult-to-injury move, Circuit City then offered to rehire the axed employees, as long as they were willing to take significant wage cuts.

Continue reading "Insult to Injury" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 10:02 AM | Permalink

(continued from here)

The artists I’ve met during my running experience fall into a few different categories. Sometimes I work for those who I’ve respected for years, such as David Grisman, and working for them furthers my adoration. Some times my opinions change upon meeting an artist turning a once ill-favored judgment around or vice-versa and then again there have been a few occasions when I’ve gone in blind or skeptical only to find an artisan where I’d least expected it. Bruce Hornsby definitely gave me that experience last year at the Tennessee Theatre and just a week ago Harry Connick Jr. left me with an equally substantial lesson on rushing to judgment.

Continue reading "Run Hippie Run (pt. 2 of 2)" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 11:40 AM | Permalink

Mention the words “Spring Break� to some people and they’ll conjure up images of drunken debauchery on the Cancun shores. For me, this year’s “break� began with two long days of servitude in Knoxville’s entertainment scene.

First for moe. at the Tennessee Theatre and then for Harry Connick Jr. at the Civic Auditorium. My job: an event runner. As I’ve stated before, a runner is a temporary employee hired for a specific event to do whatever comes up, anything from runs to Guitar Center to fix blown amplifier tubes to late night trips to Starbucks.

Continue reading "Run Hippie Run (pt. 1 of 2)" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 12:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Continue reading "Coaches of the Tennesseans 2: Dread Man-Chest" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 10:57 AM | Permalink

A lot of you may be familiar with bassist Edgar Meyer. He is in fact an east Tennessee native and plays somewhere in our area with some regularity. Maybe you’ve seen him in an orchestral setting in Oak Ridge, or at the Tennessee Theatre playing a duet with Bela Fleck. For the unacquainted Edgar is a virtuosic bassist whose playing combines a masterful understanding of the classical tradition with a fluency in bluegrass and hints of everything else in the musical spectrum. His genius is not only undeniable it is in fact certifiable as he was presented the MacArthur Foundation’s Genius Award in 2002. Meyer has such a command on the full range of his instrument that he often performs music written for cello on his double bass. I’ve seen him perform duets with Bela three times so I knew whatever he and Chris Thile had come up with was sure to kick ass.

Continue reading "Those Boys Can Play" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 11:15 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Welcome to the new 520 blog, The Monday After. This is our attempt to blast through our Monday morning hangovers and offer up some quickie reviews of all the things we’re pretty sure we got into this past week, including gigs, concerts, movies, plays, and restaurants. Pop a couple of ibuprofens and enjoy.

Continue reading "Hey Hey For Pey-Pey" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Strut, Corleone & artvandalay at Wall Street Murfreesboro TN

Friday night in Murfreesboro continued the Strut and artvandalay party started last week at the World Grotto. The line-up also included the hometown favorites Corleone, a five piece with elements of reggae, hip-hop
and trance.

Next time you're in Murfreesboro check out Wall Street, which is
comparable to Patrick Sullivan's, with a restaurant on the bottom floor and
the concert venue upstairs. We (artvandalay) took the stage first at something
like 10:30 and there were a good fifty or so people in the room. We played a solid
hour set (which is like 15 minutes stage time). The lights were so blinding that
all I could see was a cluster of dancers in front of the stage, but when the
set ended and those horrible things stopped burning my retinas, I squinted
through the smoke to find that the crowd had filled into a solid block from
the stage to the back wall - which was totally awesome except for one thing:
like Patrick Sullivan's the back of the stage is the back of the building so you
have to load out of the front, and with three bands we had to haul ass on the
change-over.

Damn that was a fun show.

Thanks to artvandalay for sharing Dustin with us!

Posted by the 520 gang at 1:12 PM | Permalink

This quintet from Murfreesboro, TN has been making routine stops in Knoxville for the last year gaining a small but loyal following for their brand of progressive rock. With influences ranging from the old school (Yes, King Crimson, Rush…) to the new school (moe., Umphrey’s McGee…) the boys have truly developed a sound of their own. To go along with the grit and complex rhythms that come with the prog rock territory The Heat adds in their love of the jamband scene utilizing genre fusion and improvisational segues that might send you on a Bonnaroo flashback. Check out their myspace page for a glimpse at their freshly released self-titled debut. Consisting of Ray Dunham (drums, vox), Jeremy Pinell (guitar, vox), Keegan Pavlovic (bass), Rob Knugg (keys), and John Turner (guitar) the Incredible Heat Machine’s five members all carry important roles uniting each layer of sound into a true musical democracy. A must see for all music lovers in town. Saturday’s show kicks off a 10 p.m. so come early, stay late and dress lightly as it’s sure to be a hot one.

Posted by the 520 gang at 9:26 AM | Permalink

Yes, the holidays are over. It’s time to face those credit card bills, revise those slipping New Year’s resolutions and for many of us it’s time to go back to school. Uggghhh….I don’t feel so good.

But hey, what better way to gear up for your impending responsibilities than by taking one last chance to completely ignore them. This weekend the World Grotto is serving up the perfect menu of music and drinks for a back to school celebration; starting with Friday’s triple threat of Jescoe, The Billings Band and Mac Comer and culminating with Saturday night’s “Dirty Thirty Birthday Bash� featuring artvandalay and Strut. To fuel the weekend parties the Grotto is offering a variety of drink specials. For the adventurous there will be a shooters bar filled with exotic concoctions and for the purists you can get a $6 shot o' whiskey and a PBR. (a true Tennessee combo meal)

Come down Friday for a great mix of local talent. The eclectic sounds of Jescoe have been echoing around Knoxville for the last few years, evolving into a huge resonance that is part soul, part funk and part rock. Propelled by dead on vocals, harmonized horn lines and lead guitar; this six-piece group has been working hard and playing harder, steadily making a name for themselves in the Knoxville scene. Come early, as they will be backed by the pop-rock quartet The Billings Band and everyone’s favorite hippie dude Mac Comer.

Posted by the 520 gang at 9:36 AM | Permalink

I made way to the bar and was promptly served a $3 Shiner Bock draft. Then I actually looked around, a Jerry Garcia black and white abstract portrait next to Sinatra’s mugshot caught my eye. Next, I had to change the music. To my surprise The Sidestreet Tavern has the first “Internet Jukebox� I have ever come across. It literally has any song you could want. The only gimmick is that you have to pay twice as much if your selection has to be downloaded, but still very cool. So at this point my experience is starting to turn around.

After picking out some tunes we took a look around. The house-like tavern turned out to be much larger than expected with a dining room lined with booths and tables offset by a few large video games, all sports I believe. Then we ventured up stairs. The second level loft turned out to be the coolest part of the Sidestreet Tavern. Its like your own personal living room stocked with comfortable couches, two TV’s (you even get the remote), a foosball table, and the only shuffleboard table I’ve seen in Knoxville.
So we got into some mean shuffleboard action and totally lost track of time. That loft was definitely the high point of my experience. But then a group of suit clad business types came upstairs to claim their territory. One of them actually did a drunken jig and made some sort of barking or grunting noises. At that point it was almost last call and we decided to head home.

All in all I ended up liking but not loving The Sidestreet Tavern. Nevertheless, the shuffleboard and the online jukebox are enough to validate a recommendation that everyone in town go check it out for themselves.

Posted by the 520 gang at 10:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Projecting a sound of funk heavy fusion The Colonel Sanders Trio is one of the newest additions to the Knoxville music scene, and this week all the unacquainted music lovers here in town have two chances to get onboard. First on Thursday at Manhattans in the Old City, then again Saturday night at The New Knoxville Brewing Company.

I had my first chance to hear the guys a few weeks back at their last New Knox gig. Arriving just after the first set, I was surprised to find the tasting room almost uncomfortably packed. My initial reaction: “Who are these guys, and how did they manage to draw this well at one of Knoxville hardest to find venues?� I recently sat down with The Colonel Sanders Trio to get the scoop.

Gilbreath describes their collective sound as “mostly based on improv� with much of their original material stemming from recorded jam sessions. Listening back to those tapes they would find musical seeds to cultivate together into new tunes. This approach to writing lets their music flow out conversationally on the stage with genre mutating melodies book-ending open areas of exploration. Those originals are balanced by a constantly expanding repertoire of cover songs. For example the one show I witnessed included covers ranging from Curtis Mayfield’s “Stone Junky� to The Beatles “And Your Bird Can Sing�.

What does the future hold? With about fifteen varied instrumental compositions under their belt they are excited about the possibilities of recording an album. These three Farragut High graduates, all currently studying at UT, seem honestly inspired by the sheer fun of making music and with their play anywhere, practice whenever possible attitudes it seems certain that nothing is off limits for The Colonel Sanders Trio.
Check them out this Thursday at Manhattan’s in the Old City and again this Saturday at The New Knoxville Brewing Company. Both shows start at 9:30 p.m.

Visit the band's website here.

Posted by the 520 gang at 10:07 AM | Permalink

Welcome to the brand-new 520 blog, The Monday After. This blog is our attempt to blast through our Monday morning hangovers to offer up quickie reviews of all the things we’re pretty sure we got into this past weekend, including gigs, concerts, movies, plays, and restaurants. Pop a couple of ibuprofens and enjoy.



Last week, UT had its annual fall commencement ceremony at the Thompson Boling Arena.

Continue reading "Holy Crap, I Graduated!" »

Posted by Sara Schwabe at 12:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Welcome to the brand-new 520 blog, The Monday After. This blog is our attempt to blast through our Monday morning hangovers to offer up quickie reviews of all the things we’re pretty sure we got into this past weekend, including gigs, concerts, movies, plays, and restaurants. Pop a couple of ibuprofens and enjoy.

Continue reading "Dolly Parton Tribute Edition" »

Posted by Sara Schwabe at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

So what is a “runner�? Basically you’re a temporary employee hired for a specific event to do whatever comes up, (you’re the event’s bitch). You answer to a hierarchy of bosses from the artist himself down to the parking lot attendant; “Hey buddy here’s a fiver, can you get me a can a grizzly on your next time out?� Staple runs include filling hospitality needs (groceries, alcohol, patchouli oil, etc.) and making pick-ups of bus drivers and/or crewmembers. My tasks range from urgent show stopping equipment needs to things like, “Ray wants some Peanut-Butter Twix�.

A quick word about tour managers: they can make or break everyone’s day. Some are cool and collected, generally nice people, who seem passionate about their artist’s music and the part his crew get to play in the music scene. Others are pretentious whip crackers, who swear something’s about to go wrong cause, “local workers in these backwoods towns don’t know nothing bout showbidness�. Daniel was definitely the first type. He kept me busy, but was very polite and when the show started I was completely free to enjoy it.

I’ll have to admit I had never seen or heard much of Ray Lamontagne. Maybe a song or two had passed through my ears listening to the radio but I never really picked up on it. So with fresh ears I went into the show about ten minutes after his set began. The Bijou was sold out and completely dark except for one dim red light that come down on Ray and his band. The music instantly grabbed my attention. His voice is huge and raspy and sounds perfect with his band, which included a pedal steel (one of my all-time favorite instruments). Lamontagne said nearly nothing to the crowd all night except one comment on how great the acoustics were in the room. Then it happened. One of our good ol’ boys let it fly, “FREE BIRD!� Ray rolled his eyes and proceeded to fake slitting his wrists on the stage. I kept waiting for him to smile but he didn’t. All in all he gives off the impression of being talented but disturbed, and after seeing him in concert I totally believe his lyrics.

That was day one. The next morning started at 9 a.m. with me picking up a fifteen-passenger van. I fully prepared myself for an all out balls-to-wall marathon day with the GAC Country Christmas Spectacular. I pulled up to the Tennessee Theatre to find four tour buses, a television crew and the biggest production I have ever seen. I wolfed down some breakfast in the catering room and proceeded to find the tour manager to report for duty. Right away I made two small runs and then waited in the AC Entertainment production office.

And basically I kept waiting for the next 12 hours. Sometimes that’s how it goes. On a huge production like that there are so many people working that locals like me are basically insurance. So my presence was very necessary because things can and usually do happen but I really only received one other actual run that day. I was never really bored, passing the time studying and listening to people tell stories about past tours, and I learned a lot about pop music and the magic of television. I was cut shortly after the show, returned my van to Enterprise, and headed home.
So that’s the basics of being a runner. Not as glamorous as some might think, but definitely an interesting way to make some extra holiday cash.

Posted by the 520 gang at 11:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Who: Bellfield w/ Brandy Robinson and Summit Hill
Where: Blue Cat's
When: Wednesday Nov. 29, Doors at 8:00 p.m.

As I stepped out of my car I had a moment of hesitation. “What was that address again?� I reached into my pocket for a recycled handbill, but the question was answered for me. The sound of a full band exploded out of one the houses on a residential north Knoxville road. I proceeded up the steps with intentions of listening by the door when it suddenly swung open. I passed through and started setting up my laptop. There was a slight acknowledgement of my presence, but nothing could shake the vibe coming out of this living room turned practice space. The song continued on taking some intricate turns with precise guitar lines and melodic vocal interjections. All five of the musicians seemed blissfully high on their collective sound. The song ended, the guys grinned. They all came over to introduce themselves and so concluded my introduction with one of our cities most up and coming bands, Bellfield.

I had seen them once before earlier this year at our downtown cancer benefit for Latih Keilany. There was a lot of great music that night from various bands but Bellfield left an impression. They had the one thing necessary to grab new listeners: Energy. Their music, which they describe as “acoustic rock with electric guitars�, is a well balanced mix of dramatic dynamic shifting instrumental sections and thoughtful lyrics. Rob Morrow (guitar/vocals) and Van Gallik (guitar/vocals) take principle song writing duties while Alex Bayless (bass/vocals), Chad Fifer (drums), and Jed Eaton (percussion) provide for a rock solid rhythm section.

Continue reading "Get Your Midweek Fix With Bellfield" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 11:13 AM | Permalink

In honor of the Thanksgiving holiday, 520 put a challenge to its writers in the form of a task: choose the song, artist, band or musical venue for which your most thankful.

It seemed so simple, at first. But as it turns out, this basically amounts to cruel and unusual punishment for a bunch of music fanatics. They rose to the challenge, though. Below you'll find the well considered results of their soul-searching.

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Although my initial reaction was to say I’m thankful for Nirvana or Radiohead (both of which I am incredibly thankful for), I realize I’m most thankful for Neil Young. After all, he greatly influenced both Nirvana and Radiohead.

Neil’s music is down to earth, so much so that he often doesn’t bother to tune his guitar before recording. Sometimes, he gets so into the song he doesn’t even care if his voice is slightly (or sometimes majorly) off key. Also, there is some Neil for everyone and for every mood—he’s done country, he’s done rock, he’s often seen as one of the creators of grunge, he’s done rockabilly (albeit awfully, but still) and he’s done techno. We love Neil for his diversity in his sound, but the overwhelming passion and sincerity shines through so frequently. There’s never a bad or wrong time to listen to Neil Young.
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WDVX: for their dedication to great music and for the Blue Plate Special, in particular: Greg Garing's Music City Circus, Mad Tea Party, David Onley, All Star Refugees of Sierra Leone, & Asylum Street Spankers. These shows had a huge impact on me.

Jobe Blues Band: Diane Jobe and Robert Higgenbothom were the first local musicians I met during my happy transition from Seperated to Divorced. I admire Diane's energy, passion and talent. When I'm feeling down, Jobe's shows are a necessary tonic. Just "Push on Through."

Phil Pollard & his Band of Humans: I was startled the first time I saw the Humans. I swore I never wanted to see that freak and his xylophone again. Now I can't get enough of them! I'm thankful for their talent, ingenuity, humor and love of literature. You guys are rocking fantastic.

The Bearded: For keeping it real and for being so delightful.

Vanilla Junket: Thanks for the Zappa, the Rolling Stones' "Monkey Man", and most importantly, for the Ziggy Stardust. And thanks for not freaking out when I stand in front of the band and sing along while sometimes engaging in tai chi.

Christabel & the Jons: Thank you for your glorious vintage sound and style. I've had a blast with you at Preservation Pub, Oodles, and especially the Barley's shows.

Natti Love Joys: I'm thankful for your beautiful happy music and your message of peace. Your shows always make me happy.

Cutthroat Shamrock: Thanks for the euphoric vibes and the catharsis!

The LoneTones: Your sweet peaceful music feeds my soul.

Sara Schwabe & her Yankee Jass Band: Thank you for your sense of fun, your excellent song selections, the band's chemistry and talent, for spelling jazz in its original form, and for your friendship.
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This Year I am thankful for Umphrey’s Mcgee. Last Friday I witnessed my 30th (give or take) performance from the Chicago six-piece. For the past four years their sound has been organic Adderall to my musical psyche. So many fond yet hazy moments to ponder, my favorite has to be either New Year’s in Chicago 2003 or late night at Bonnaroo 2004. Be on the lookout for them at the Bijou this spring.
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This is like the Sophie's Choice of the music world, right? If I am forced to select just one of my favorite musical entities for which to be the most thankful, will the others be dead to me? (ok...so that's a tad dramatic.)

I've given this much thought over the past few days. I've spanned centuries and run the gamut between my favorites like Anton Bruckner and Tom Waits. I finally (and happily) settled on jazz legends Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. My grandfather had me listen to Everybody's Boppin' when I was about 12 years old and I've loved them ever since. Annie Ross' vocal range and sass made me want to sing - still does. Jon Hendricks' nimble solos made me want to scat - still do. I don't know of another jazz group in the history of history that had more fun making music. They're still an inspiration to me and for that I'll always be thankful for Lambert, Hendricks & Ross.
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Dear World Thankers-

On this day of intoxication with family, minimized communication between friends via text message, and overabundant indulgence I would like to express my thanks for my roots. So many great musicians have penned moving songs that have given me chills in my life that it is hard to pick just one, so I'll pick a collection. Today I am most thankful that my Dad introduced me to Paul and Art. The music they made was introspective, political, whimsical, and beautiful. While there are several releases that I could choose from I am thanking the boys for cranking out the, "Bridge Over Troubled Water" album. This album filled me with moxie when I was five and still does today. Of course the title track I still regard as one of the greatest songs ever written. It is about friendship and it's most poignant purpose; "being there for someone". You've said it...I've said it...and we mean it. My sister and I grew up harmonizing every note in these songs like, "The Boxer", "Cecilia", "Keep the Customer Satisfied", one of my faves is "Frank Lloyd Wright", and "Song For the Asking". If you don't have this in your collection I implore you good music lovers to acquire very soon. You could download it, but at least look for the vinyl. Check out the library and give it a listen. Two voices in the name of peace and love. If you do have it pull it out and listen today. Give thanks for harmony. I do.
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520 is grateful for its dedicated and brilliant staff of writers and contributors. We're thankful for Knoxville's vibrant entertainment scene. We're also thankful for good folks, like yourself, who read our site on a regular basis! Happy Thanksgiving!

Posted by the 520 gang at 11:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

This past Friday a couple friends and I took some down time to go to the Bijou Theatre and check out The North Mississippi All-Stars with Jamie McLean. We met at the Downtown Grill and Brewery, took down some app’s and micro brews and headed down a rainy Gay St. to the Bijou.

We entered and McLean’s set was already in progress. I had seen him as the guitarist in The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, but never fronting his own band. His music was pretty solid, song driven rock. At times it reminded of Bon Jovi (not a personal fav) but with better guitar work. The crowd was pretty modest in size, especially during McClean’s set, but he got them going. He even pulled out the, “ Any of you girls feel like dancing come get on stage� for his closer.

North Mississippi took the stage next. I’m no stranger to their sound, I’ve seen them something like 6-8 times, but always as a four-piece. Friday NMA performed as a trio. With just the two brothers, Luther (guitar/vox) and Cody (drums/guitar) Dickenson and the large UT clad bassist Chris Chew their sound was lean and focused. Luther plays to crowd as a front man, soloing on the edge of the stage with a variety of guitars, one a homemade contraption consisting of a cigar box, a pipe, and two strings. His guitar vocabulary is reminiscent of Hendrix, true blues language fused with psychedelia and progressive slide playing. A lot of the material that night came from their latest album Electric Blue Watermelon, but as usual they employed some past favorites and folk standards.

Continue reading "Bringing the Hill Country to The Bijou" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 1:18 PM | Permalink

Luckily for all those not in attendance that night, Mitch will be bringing his guitar down to Oodles Uncorked wine bar this Saturday night. Oodles, for the unacquainted, is located on market square and offers an extensive wine list and comfortable date atmosphere. The venue is a perfect match for the guitarist’s sound, which is a pleasing hybrid of jazz/blues/latin/reggae and seemingly anything else that inspires him.
Besides being able to carry a striking solo performance, Mitch also leads one of Knoxville’s tightest bands. Check out The Mitch Rutman Group website for a sampling of their self-titled release. Tracks like the jazzy PBR’s Rule and the reggae influenced Unexplained Subway Moisture are especially noteworthy. In addition to having some of Knoxville’s finest musicians, the album features Jeff Coffin of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

Mitch Rutman’s resume speaks for itself. Frequent guest appearances with The Dave Matthews Band (see the DMB Live in Chicago CD), opening for John Scofield , and playing at this year’s Bonnaroo Music Festival are all on the list. Mitch is a prime example of the wealth of talent that resides right here in Knoxville. Come to Oodles this Saturday at 10 p.m. and find out for yourself.

The Mitch Rutman Group at Bonnaroo

Posted by the 520 gang at 12:48 PM | Permalink

Who is Buckethead? The question has been in the air for fifteen
years now. He's become one of the most innovative heavy metal artists of his
time, but still no photos exist and no interview requests are granted. We
know his real name is Brian Carroll, or is it?

This mystique has gained him an international cult following and Tuesday at the Bijou Theatre will be Knoxville concert goers' chance see something that they've definitely never seen before.

It was fall 2003 when bandmate Chris Peck and I attended our first
Buckethead show. As we passed through the door of Nashville's Mercy Lounge,
the music was already in progress. Our view of the stage was blocked by the
crowd, but the initial aural picture was that of a three or four-piece
progressive metal band. We moved in and the picture came into focus. It was
one man. One man with a KFC bucket on his head and a white mask on his face,
his left hand tapping a rabidly ferocious guitar melody while his right hand
gripped the hair of a dangling severed head. This is an average night for
the persona known as Buckethead.

Continue reading "The great masked guitarist!" »

Posted by the 520 gang at 11:23 AM | Permalink