An open mic gold mine

NOTE: This blog was published on the date shown at www.TriadLiveMusic.com and is reposted here for archival purposes.  

Mon-Dec09-2010

    It was about 6:00 pm or so and I like an old man (that I am NOT!) I was already dressed for bed and just relaxing around the house when my phone rang. It was Ginger, one of my dearest friends. It seemed that her husband who used to play guitar in a band, but hadn't played in fifteen years, had been bit by the music bug once again and wanted to try an open mic night but was nervous about it. "Would you go with him tonght and give him an honest opinion?" she asked. Without reservation or hesitation I replied "Absolutely." So off the pajama's came and back on with the jeans and shirt and I hit the road. After finding the first venue wasn't having open mic that night as advertised we decided to try the Flatiron in Greensboro. I had never been to the Flatiron before but the venue was on my list to eventually get to. But what I discovered there that night was a gold mine of musical offerings. Now mind you, these artists are not likely going to be found one day on top 40 radio or on arena concert stages - but you just never know.
As we sat and listened to the first several acts the host came over and told my friend he would follow the lady who was just then taking the stage. Her name was Vicki Genfan and as she started in on her three song set it was apparent that she was no amateur. Vicki's acoustic guitar had a beautiful tonal quality to it but she also used it as her percussion instrument by slapping the body and the strings - often simultaneously - and producing a beautiful, unique sound. Vicki's slap guitar playing method was actually "invented" by jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan but I had never actually seen anyone who used the method so well. Amid much applause the host eagerly requested just one more song which Vicki gladly did, playing a delightful rendition of the Beatles "Norwegian Wood."
When Vicki was done we chatted with her for a little bit. As it turns out she was Guitar Player Magazine's "Guitar Superstar of 2008" and was actually enjoying a night off from her current tour and happened to be in Virginia that day and on a whim looked up open mic nights in Greensboro, the closest city to where she was at the time, and settled on the Flatiron to go and "enjoy her day off" from her tour.
And my friend? Well, made even more nervous about playing because he had to follow Vicki, he took the stage, launched into his set and performed three original songs that awed me and made me wonder how he could play and sing so well after not playing for fifteen years (check out the video of one of his songs I recorded and put on YouTube by clicking here).
Live music on the weekends is great but if you want to catch original live music try one of the area's weeknight open mic events - then send me a note to say thank you for turning you on to it!

Giving Thanks for Music A top 10 list of music related things & people I'm thankful for.

NOTE: This blog was published on the date shown at www.TriadLiveMusic.com and is reposted here for archival purposes.  

Mon-Nov26-2010

    I hadn't plan to update the website anymore this week because of the holiday but sitting here at my computer the night before I get to stuff my face with a fantastic meal that someone else labored over I thought maybe I should jot down some thoughts about what I am thankful for. So, here are my top ten music things I am thankful for this year.
10. The Venue's. Yeah, I know Plum Krazy's is closed now and Frank the owner says he's looking for a new location to reopen, but whether he does or doesn't I'm still thankful for the place because it was where I first got to hear many of the local live bands for the first time. And I'm thankful for Boomr'z in Winston-Salem, my first advertisers and a great venue to listen and see a band perform and especially because they stock Cruzan Dark Rum just for me!
9. TriadLiveMusic.com. This website has been my salvation on several levels. In the months after I lost my job last year I had plenty of time on my hands in-between looking for a new job each day. I figured I was already doing the research each week trying to figure out what groups were playing at which venues. The information was out there but nothing seemed to be comprehensive enough. The alternative rags either didn't cover east of Greensboro or they and their websites weren't updated often enough, so I figured I could do a better job. And I feel I have.
8. Friends. I've always been rather introverted. Being a "wall flower" was more my reparte when I'd go out to hear live music. While I'm still pretty much a wallflower, just sitting back watching and listening to the music, having TLM has given me reason to meet people - many who are now very close friends I have come to depend on greatly.
7. The Performers. Of course I'm thankful for the people who are the reason for TLM but I'm especially thankful for several performers who regularly give me a "shout out" for TLM when I walk into a venue. Chris Rimmer of Down N Dirty and Staci McBeth of Kitty Hawk are two that come to mind readily and there are others as well.
6. Clay Howard. Before I met Clay my dear friend Cathi told me about him and described him perfectly when she stated that he was "one of the good guys." I am thankful to Clay not only for the encouragement he has given me but also because his voice is one of the few I've heard that does justice to the Beatle's songs. But whether he's performing his acoustic show or with his originals rock band Stratocruiser, Clay's music just brightens my life.
5. Cathi Wellmon. Cathi isn't a musician even though she does sing but I am thankful for her because of her infectious and critical love of music. When I watch the film "Almost Famous" I think of Cathi because of a line Sapphire says to Russell: "They don't even know what it is to be a fan. Y'know? To truly love some silly little piece of music, or some band, so much that it hurts." That's Cathi, and I'm thankful for her love of music.
4. Harlot's Web. This is an all-female group (Staci McBeth, Suzi Nelson, Lydia Sue Pierce, Lauren Myers, Sal Burnette, Jill Goodson and Shari Strader) I am putting together to do a handful of shows next year for breast cancer awareness and research. I am thankful for the ladies who have agreed to be a part of this project and the enthusiasm they are showing, but the sense of accomplishment and purpose I have derived from putting this together is something that I shall forever be thankful for.
3. Live Music. It is after all what this site is about. From local cover bands like Sok Monkee and Koozie or original bands like Dreamkiller, Jody Lee Petty or Stratocruiser to concerts like Nickelback, Carolina Liar or Unknown Hinson - live music is alive and well in the Triad and I am thankful for each show I get to see and hear.
2. Staci McBeth. Probably more than anyone else Staci's encouragement when I first got TLM off the ground validated the efforts I put into the website. Blessed with an incredible voice I am thankful every single day to have heard her sing. Her voice can lift my spirit to lofty heights and one day, lord willing, she'll record an album so I won't have to wait for a show to hear her.
1. Ginger Bullins-Phillips. I've always had a love of music of all kinds but for years I had allowed myself to be vanquished to a place of musical stagnation in order to apease my ex-wife. But then I met Ginger and she introduced me to music I didn't even know existed. I hadn't even realized it but the music beast within me had been starving for years and once Ginger fed me a cornucopia of music from T.I. (rap) to Buckcherry, Nickelback, Incubus and Audioslave and even country, my appetite became insatiable and still is. It is a thirst for music that grabs me on the inside and drives my emotions to an almost spiritual frenzy that gives me my greatest joy and for that I have Ginger to thank.
Merry Thanxgiving!

Get out of your live music comfort zone.

NOTE: This blog was published on the date shown at www.TriadLiveMusic.com and is reposted here for archival purposes.  

Mon-Oct25-2010

The Allison King Band

    Each week it is difficult to decide just who I want to go hear or where I want to go to hear music. On the one hand I'm a live music fan and I want to have a good time, drink a few beers and enjoy good music and whatever mood I'm in might dictate what kind of music I will go hear. But it's not just about the music either... it's also about the venue. Because atmosphere is key to the enjoyment of music I will consider heavily the atmosphere of the venues and how that will make the engagement more enjoyable for me. But if I left it at that I would probably settle on three or four venues for convenience sake and end up not venturing further afield to taste a wider pallet of musical fare and since I write about the bands and venues I know I must refrain from hearing the same bands and going to the same venues week after week.
    To keep from getting into that rut I try to balance my personal taste in live music with the necessities of covering new and different bands and venues to share with you. In other words I'll treat myself to a performance I want to hear one night and then attend a performance to write about that week too.
    It is as a result of the desire to find that balance and seek out new and different venues and artists that I found myself at Noma in Winston-Salem the other night to hear the Allison King Band. I had never been to Noma (an upscale little restaurant on 4th Street in downtown Winston) nor had I ever heard the Allison King Band. Neither was what I expected - and in this instance that was a good thing. Though small, Noma is a nice facility with lots of TV's, decent bar and a patio area out front that smokers can use. But the band... for some reason I had it in my head that the Allison King Band was country. I couldn't have been more wrong. While the four members of this quartet are all adept at their respective instruments, it was the set list that proved to be most exciting to me. It wasn't the average rock or pop set list that you would expect to hear from a cover band, instead I was treated to the likes of Todd Rundgren ("Hello, It's Me") and Sly & the Family Stone ("Thank You For Lettin' Me Be Mice Elf") mixed in with more popular standards such as Fleetwood Mac ("Rhiannon").
    The point is that it is good to step out of your comfort zone at least once in a while. Go hear a group you haven't heard before or go to a venue you've never been to before. Chances are you'll be pleasantly surprised and might find some new favorite music.

Even local live music has to have a few rules

NOTE: This blog was published on the date shown at www.TriadLiveMusic.com and is reposted here for archival purposes.  

Mon-Aug23-2010

    This past weekend was a great weekend for live music in the Triad, but for at least one group it was a bad weekend as well. While our area is truly blessed with some extraordinary talent it is unfortunate that some performers feel they are above the rules and above everyone else. There is no good that can come of naming names, rather it should be enough to know that while a band or a performer is allowed to have eccentricities, they still must adhere to the same rules and laws as everyone else. Every performer has a responsibility to adhere to both the law as well as a venue's rules, rules that usually are the result of law and enforced, be it by the Fire Marshall, the police or the Alcohol Law Enforcement officer. It only takes one jack-wagon of a performer to ruin a good evening of music for everyone.
So to help out here are a few "rules" to have or enjoy a successful performance:
1) Don't bring food or beverages INTO a venue that serves food and beverages. Only low-life degenerates without any class or style at all would even think of doing that - yet it happened this past weekend. If you can't drink or eat what they serve then at the very least drink or eat it before you enter the establishment.
2) Tip your bartender, waiter or waitress and be generous. Of course if they offer poor service you need to let the management know. And for bartenders waiters and waitresses - if you can't be courteous then please find another line of work. Even for a rude customer you should still be courteous and let the management deal with them.
3) Performers - leave your dirty laundry at home. If you are a performer and your ex shows up at a gig and starts causing problems have security throw them out, don't let them engage you in arguments or fights while you are performing.
4) This one is similar to the previous one - If your significant other shows up at your gig and doesn't know how to control their drinking and starts causing a scene, then don't interfere when the management cuts them off or throws them out.
5) Don't smoke while performing at an indoor venue. Yea, we all know smokers have rights too but the law is the law - don't light up while performing on an inside stage.
6) Just because the night isn't going your way is no reason to not finish your show. Be a professional, hell, be an adult and finish what you were hired to do and perform to the best of your abilities and for the length of time you were hired to perform.
7) Be aware that at some venues there may still be children in the audience, such as at a restaurant club. Vulgar language and inuendo may be fun for the late adult crowd but be responsible enough to tone it down for the earlier evening shows.
8) Dancers - be aware of your space. It's okay to once in a while bump into someone, we all do, but when your dancing resembles a floppy dervish with arms and legs flailing all about you really need to either sit down or take it outside where there is room to whirl and jump and jerk about.
9) Lastly... don't drink and drive. I know, it almost sounds cliche now, but don't do it. Make sure you have a designated driver or if you plan to drink heavy and you drive then give the keys to the bartender to keep until you're sober enough to drive. You can't go hear great live music if you are behind bars or six feet under.
Oh I'm sure there are other rules or "suggestions" we could list but I think you get the point. Be considerate of others and everyone will have a great live music experience.

Venues need to consider what they want before hiring bands

NOTE: This blog was published on the date shown at www.TriadLiveMusic.com and is reposted here for archival purposes.  

Children of Karma

Mon-Jul26-2010

    No one likes to get the short end of the stick and even if a venue doesn't charge a cover for the evenings entertainment doesn't mean they should offer patrons less than their best. I live in Burlington which is a good fifty minute drive to some of the venues on the other side of the Triad, so when I decide to travel that distance to see a popular local group perform then I expect an engaging evening, not only from the band but the venue as well. That was not the case this past Saturday night. Oh the band, Children of Karma, was great and we had a good time listening to the music they performed. The venue however seemed to not understand what is required to host a musical act. To start the evening off the band had to wait almost an hour out on the street for the dining area to clear so that they could set up. So a show that would normally start around 10:15 didn't start til after 11 pm. That meant no sound check other than their first song. This particular venue is divided so that the dining and bar areas are in two different rooms. If you are going to have a band play at your venue they should be playing on the bar side, not the dining side. But the real kick in the groin for this night was when the bartender came in and asked the band to lower the volume - that they were too loud. Now, as I was sitting in the front row I can tell you with a certainty that the volume was already below what I would have expected it to be and to have the band lower it even more was just plain insulting to the band.
    Admittedly there are several reasons that factor into the lack of audiences at some venues lately. Most of those reasons start with the economy being so poor, but bands and venues can also contribute to the poor turnout, usually by lack of advertising and promotion, but when a venue doesn't know what the hell they are doing or what they expect when they hire a band then that is a major problem. The venue in question would be much better off either not having live music or switching to acoustic performances rather than an amped up band. As it was, the venue game me the impression that having Children of Karma perform was an afterthought and that is very degrading to COK, who deserve much better treatment than that.

Ten-0-One: a sports bar with a side of music

NOTE: This blog was published on the date shown at www.TriadLiveMusic.com and is reposted here for archival purposes. 

Mon-Jul12-2010

    When my friend Staci McBeth of Kitty Hawk threatened me with my life if I didn't make it out to see them play Friday at the Ten-0-One sports bar in Winston-Salem I had to make a tough decision... okay, it really wasn't a tough decision, actually it was a no-brainer. Any chance to go see and hear Kitty Hawk is a treat I wouldn't want to pass up on if at all possible.
    We arrived in downtown Winston just as the crowd that come down to see the Dash play was letting out. I had never been to Ten-0-One before so I wasn't at all sure of where I was going in the dark other than to find Burke Street. But with the help of Google Maps on my iPhone I found it easily enough and from there it was a simple drive down the short street to where the crowd was.
    The venue enjoys the "after-the-ballgame crowd" on regular nights but with a spacious dance floor and decent enough stage area (for a venue its size), Ten-0-One easily transforms itself a hot little venue for live music. Because of its location the establishment enjoys a healthy mix of patrons, from baseball fans who don't want to end their evening after the last out to nearby residents who are in the mood for some late evening entertainment. The crowd on this night was a good mix of ages, sex and races, a feat that doesn't happen often with live music venues.
    As Kitty Hawk rocked on into the night the dance floor stayed full, or nearly full, giving the band a grand dose of energy to feed off of with each new song.
    The one negative aspect of the venue is that in order to enter you have to walk through the outside smoking area which means that for non-smokers entering the venue must endure a few brief moments of the odor from the smoking patrons - a small price to pay to be able to enjoy live music inside without the stench of smoke.
    The staff at Ten-0-One is fast and courteous, keeping patrons drinks filled and tables cleared of empty bottles and glasses. TV's, pool tables and dart boards allow patrons to enjoy more than just the music.
    For those who live on the west side of the Triad, Ten-0-One provides a wonderful little escape for those seeking a different experience in nightly entertainment.

Everybody loves them some Cheebo

NOTE: This blog was published on the date shown at www.TriadLiveMusic.com and is reposted here for archival purposes.  

Cheebo

Sat-Jun14-2010

    The first time I caught some of Koozie's music was last year but I was only able to stay for a couple of songs before I had to leave. Those couple of songs though were enough to make me vow to catch them live again as soon as I could. Since that time I have made good on that vow a few times. Koozie is in my opinion one of the top three or four bands in the Triad area. But the band itself draws it's persona and public identity from their front man, a performer who goes by the single moniker of "Cheebo." Sporting long hair fashioned into dreadlocks, baggy clothes and always a drink in one hand, Cheebo's appearance is instantly identifiable but his voice, one of the strongest in the triad, is one which can wrap itself around the lyrics of any song and make it instantly a Koozie song.
    During the week I had built up Cheebo and Koozie so much to my date Friday I had started to worry I might have built them up so high that she would expect too much and be disappointed. Thankfully Cheebo and company didn't disappoint and she was sufficiently impressed, enjoying the music and the outlet to dance it provided her.
    As the band took to the stage for their opening set at After Hours Tavern Friday night, the crowd was thin in number and I worried that the event may not have been publicized enough during the week, but as the set continued on the crowd increased and bodies were moving en masse on the dance floor. Cheebo doesn't jump around on stage, prance back and forth or even move very much, he doesn't have too - his vocal work is a magnetic force that reworks the songs the band covers, songs from artists as varied as the Eagles, Commodores, Steve Miller Band, Kid Rock, Alice In Chains, and Nickelback. But don't make the mistake of thinking you'll hear a duplication of the original artists songs, once Cheebo and Koozie lay into a tune they "own" it, often merging multiple songs from different artists together into one and just as often Cheebo melds his special blend of "normal" vocals with the rage of "screamo" and the result is off the chain!
   Much too soon, the 2:00 am last call came and with it Koozie wrapped up their final set. But once more I vowed to catch Koozie again at the next opportunity I have. I think my date will like that too. ;)