September 16, 2009 • 1:58 am 2
I’ve had the urge before, but I’ve never posted anything on this site that was not related to music. If (and when) I ever do it again, I think I’ll preface it with the “Not Music But…” tag.
The birth and life of Square books does actually have a direct influence upon the music of Oxford though. Without Square Books, Oxford would not be Oxford.
Filed under: Entertainment, Not Music But..., Oxford Life, Video
June 25, 2009 • 10:39 am 0
This column originally appeared in The Local Voice #83 (June 25, 2009).
The Hot Seats, formerly know as Special Ed & The Short Bus, gave a memorable show at Two Stick. Their ragtime approach to bluegrass had great energy and was very entertaining from a song-writing perspective. I highly recommend catching them next time they come through.
Damion Suomi and Sanders Bohlke gave memorable performances mid-week at The Lyric’s Red Star Bar. Damion left the stage for most of the show, performing mic-less a few feet from the attentive audience. It reminded me of another awe-inspiring, mic-less show from Mark Adamec a month earlier in the same venue. Both featured great vocals and a commanding presence. Damion was supported by Shivawn McCarthy on violin, who had quite the presence of her own.
Another highlight of the past couple weeks was the Hill Country Picnic Preview Show at Rooster’s. Performances from the Burnsides, Kimbroughs, Kenny Brown, Jay Lang, Eric Deaton, Little Joe Ayers, and others amped up my anticipation of this weekend’s picnic.
The North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic is my favorite weekend of the year in this area. It’s a laid back festival, usually with 3-4 thousand attendees over the course of the weekend. It’s the perfect size and vibe to enjoy some great music without fighting the usual obstacles of a music festival. One of the highlights of the festival is the creek that runs the length of the picnic site. It is shaded and shallow, making it worthwhile to drag a chair down and cool off occasionally during the day, while still within earshot of the stage.
The music lineup is as strong as ever this year and never really skips a beat from beginning to end. Jimbo Mathus on Friday night and North Mississippi Allstars on Saturday night will be strong headliners, and Kenny Brown’s jam to end the festival Saturday night is always a sight to see and hear, as the stage is filled with a cast of heavyweights in the Blues world.
Things really get kicked off tonight, though (6/25), as George McConnell & The Nonchalants play Roosters. Since forming last year, these guys’ shows have just gotten tighter and tighter, as they tour in support of their Virtual 45 releases, a throwback format in which songs are released in pairs via their web site, much like the “A-side” and “B-side” of a 45 RPM single. Check those out and come out to what’s sure to be a rockin’ show.
Go to Hill Country Picnic lineup >>
Go to past review of the picnic from this site >>
June 25-July 9, 2009
READ AT MAXIMUM VOLUME
Download and Read: The Local Voice issue #83 PDF
http://www.thelocalvoice.net/LocalVoice-PDFs/TLV-83-web.pdf
For a complete lowdown of what’s inside this issue, click here.
Filed under: Entertainment, Local Voice Column, Music, Oxford Life, Upcoming Shows
May 8, 2009 • 3:19 pm 1
I have a five-way tie for my favorite weekends of the year. I can’t pick one as my absolute favorite, so I’m going to punt and call it a five-way tie.
1a. Double Decker – An obvious choice. This year’s festival was one of the best ever. Last year’s would put up an argument. The Avett Brothers in ’08 set a high bar for future bands to try and reach at Double Decker. This year, Blue Mountain at Larry’s after the festival, set a bar for all musicians to try to reach, no matter the setting.
1b. Oxford Film Festival – The best bang for the buck in this town, bar none. For three days every February, this town welcomes some of the brightest and most creative minds in this country. And usually, they have a good time. The ’09 festival featured a great documentary, Prom Night In Mississippi, produced by Morgan Freeman, that literally brought tears to my eyes. My favorites over the years have included Darius Goes West, Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story, and The Rough South of Larry Brown.
1c. Ft. Myers – This is a college buddy trip that we do every year. We stay at Tom and Nancy’s (close college friends’ parents) condo and play as much bocce ball in four days as is humanly possible. Tom once said, “your college friends are the friends that you’ll have forever,” and he was right.
1d. North Mississippi Hill Country Picnic – This is approaching soon (June 26-27). It’s the most laid back, take-a -break-and-not-worry-about-a-damn-thing-for -three-days festival I’ve ever been to. I’m not a big festival goer (adulthood is a bitch), so I don’t have a big pool to judge from, but I’ve heard others agree that this one’s hard to beat.
1e. Oxford Music Festival – I’m an organizer of this, so I can’t claim third party unbiased-ness (is that a word?) here. We did the first one last year (’08), and we’re doing the second one this August, the weekend before the Memphis game. We were really pleased with the way the first one turned out, but there’s an old saying in football, “you improve the more from week one to week two than you do all season.” That theory has proven to be true in non-football experiences in my life, and I expect it to apply here as well. We’re all getting the hang of this, and I think we’re on to something good.
Bocce
Hill Country Picnic
Filed under: Entertainment, Music, Oxford Life
May 4, 2009 • 10:38 am 13
The Wilco show at The Lyric was interesting, to say the least. It has spawned three articles that I’m aware of related to people talking in the crowd and Jeff Tweedy’s reaction to said talking.
My take on it is this. Good luck getting 1,300 people who are drinking in a bar to be quiet, especially at a show that is kind of a rock show half the time. To get a crowd that big to shut up and be quiet and listen, as I guess Jeff expected, he needs to give them chairs. That seems to be a little bit of an unwritten rule here. Give us chairs and we’ll be quiet. Thacker Mountain Radio and Music in the Hall are good examples of that.
The second thing I’ll say is that it’s up to you and your performance to get that many people to shut up. If your show does not command their attention, it’s kind of your fault as much as it is theirs. Bitching about it is only going to take away from the experience of those that are within a close radius and listening intently.
I went to the Dent May show at Proud Larry’s this weekend, and he kicked ass. The show was amazing. What a voice. And what songwriting. He was playing at a bar and a few people were talking during the show, because they were AT A BAR. But Dent didn’t give a damn, and the whole band looked to be having as much fun as the people in the crowd.
I must say this; Wilco is one of my top 10 or 15 bands to listen to in my car or at work or wherever. I love their albums. But they are just an OK live act. I’ve only been to four shows: one at the old Library, the Orpheum in Memphis, the Ford Center here, and now at The Lyric, but it has hit me that Wilco just doesn’t do it for me live.
Some bands are “get down” bands, and some are “sit down.” Wilco falls somewhere in between, and that’s where the problem lies with their live shows, in my opinion. It’s really more of a sit down (or stand there) and listen show, but that just can’t be achieved in a bar in Oxford with 1,300 people standing and drinking.
I’ve seen some great “sit down” shows in Oxford. The best ever for me was Gillian Welch and David Rawlings at Proud Larry’s in 2003. The show, billed as “The David Rawlings Machine” in The Oxford Town, had only about 150 people show up, because only the diehard Gillian fans and those who heard the whispers knew that if David was playing, she was too. He is her husband and a bad ass picker, by the way. So it worked out perfectly and everybody sat at tables or at the bar, and it was literally one of the top 3 shows I’ve ever seen. Could have heard a pin drop in that place. For Tweedy to expect that kind of atmosphere from 1,300 standing, drinking people is ridiculous.
With about an hour left in the Wilco show, I found myself craving some Rocket 88 (playing at Proud Larry’s). So I decided to sneak away just for a couple songs. I found a great crowd and a great vibe, and realized really quickly that I was having a lot more fun that I had been at the Wilco show. But I decided to get back over to The Lyric to catch the encore after my little thirty minute or so break. As I was walking back, I ran into a half dozen or so friends who were headed to Larry’s themselves (no encore for them), and I decided to do a u-turn and join them. We had so much fun at a show that one could have predicted would have been dead, on the same night of such a big show a couple blocks away. Rocket 88 just keeps getting better and better and better. I love it.
I guess the moral of my story is, if you put on a show that commands the audience shut up (and it helps if you give them a chair), they’ll shut up. If you don’t and they don’t, please don’t bitch about it; that only gives the show a bad vibe.
Dent May and His Magnificent Ukulele at Larry’s 5.1.2009
Filed under: Entertainment, Music, Oxford Life
April 11, 2009 • 4:49 pm 0
We are excited to now offer the DVD of Music in the Hall: Episode Two, featuring Mayhem String Band, Rocket 88, and Mister Baby, at Amazon.com. Many thanks to Joe York, Andrew Ratcliffe, and the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council for their help creating what we believe to be a great product that you can enjoy at home any time.
Episode Three, filmed April 9, features Mayhem String Band, The Sleeping Bulls, and Amy LaVere. The DVD is in production and will be available soon!
Go to our Amazon storefront at www.amazon.com/shops/musicinthehall >>
Go to MusicInTheHall.com for video clips >>
Filed under: Entertainment, Music, Oxford Life, Short Film, Video
March 28, 2009 • 8:05 pm 0
(I grabbed this from their Facebook Event announcement.)
The rattle and hum of music is part of the culture of Oxford. It is the vibrant sound of live music around the square, the subject of scholarly study at the University, and the one thing that transforms a gathering into a party. The Oxford Songwriters Association seeks to take this culture of music and build a community of musicians starting with songwriters workshop.
Coordinated by Jimmy Phillips, a professional songwriter, who is part of the music history of Oxford as leader of the house band for The Gin where he also booked bands. The Oxford Songwriters Association (OSA) is scheduled to hold regular songwriters workshops at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center. “The Oxford Songwriters Association is designed to help build a community of musicians.” shared Phillips, ”This region has a deep current of talent and I think the workshops will help new artists learn from experienced songwriters, hopefully passing on some of the musical heritage of the region.”
The Yoknapatawpha Arts Council is sponsoring the workshops which are the second and fourth Monday of the month from 6:00p.m. to 7:30pm beginning March 30, 2009 at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center. “We felt this was a project that not only would provide artists with a chance to improve their craft but offer musician a chance to network.” commented Wayne Andrews the director of the Arts Council.
The workshops are informal and open to both new and experience songwriters. Songwriters will be given a chance to perform a song they are working on for other songwriters and receive constructive feedback. “I hope this will provide musicians with a chance to not only focus on enhancing their skills but provide musicians with opportunity to play with other musicians from the region. If you gather a group of songwriters together it opens up the process to allow other influences into the songs.” shared Phillips. “I hope artists will find the workshops will inspire new and creative material.” The Arts Council has offered to host a Songwriters Showcase where each artist can perform the songs developed in the workshop for the first time to the public as part of their support for the Oxford Songwriters Association.
To learn more about the Oxford Songwriters Association contact the Yoknapatawpha Arts Council at 662-236-6429 or online at www.oxfordarts.com. or the Oxford Songwriters Association at oxfordsong@gmail.com.
Add the upcoming event to your Facebook calendar >>
Filed under: Entertainment, Music, Oxford Life
December 16, 2008 • 9:52 pm 1
This column originally appeared in The Local Voice #69 (December 11, 2008 ).
I’m actually going to look back a little further than two weeks in this issue. In honor of Two Stick’s Ten Year Anniversary, I’d like to briefly look back at a few of my favorite shows there over the years.
When Two Stick opened in ‘98, I was in school at Ole Miss. My best friends and our girlfriends almost immediately adopted the Two Stick bar as our spot for dinner on the weekends. We would literally take over the small space, eat sushi (the first time this was an option in Oxford), drink, and be merry, sticking around for music, if there was any. At this time, Two Stick was about a quarter of the size that it was post-expansion (and then post-move), and the “stage” was in the elevated area where people would sit on cushions to eat during the dinner hours.
On that stage, I saw the band that is still my favorite to this day. Thamusemeant, of Santa Fe, came through, and Aimee Curl had me at sound check. Although still obscure on a national scale and now part of a Virginia outfit named Furnace Mountain, she is still my favorite living female vocalist.
The expansion made more room for music, and the schedule was usually filled with bands I loved or would soon love. One show on the big stage that I’ll always remember is the Wild Magnolias’ Mardi Gras show that ended in a parade of band and audience members around the square. I remember many great Cary Hudson Trio shows during the Blue Mountain hiatus and then the Double Decker night surprise reunion of Cary and Laurie a couple years ago, the first time they had played together in seven years. Thankfully, it was a lasting reunion that we’re still enjoying.
A couple of recent shows at Two Stick rekindled some of those old memories. The Herman Green Benefit featuring Willie Waldman featured some great horns and cool visual art going on in the background. This past Saturday, Pithecanfunkus Erectus played to a packed house as well.
There were a few other highlights on the music scene in the past couple of weeks as well. After the Rebels 45-0 domination of the Bulldogs, I celebrated by beating a path back and forth between Rocket 88 at Proud Larry’s and Mayhem String Band at Parrish’s. I saw a couple of good shows with energetic crowds at Rooster’s. Kirk Smithhart Band and Gary Burnside both had the bodies swaying.
The Caroline Herring show at Larry’s last Wednesday was one for the books. It was an early show, one where the sizeable audience was completely quiet during the show. I had forgotten how amazing a Caroline Herring show can be and was inspired by her “Song For Fay” to go home and pick up my favorite book (Larry Brown’s Fay) for another read.
The holiday season is upon us. That means less music on the calendar, but the next couple of weeks are enough to keep me happy. Hayes Carll will be back at Proud Larry’s as a nice consolation prize for the Todd Snider fans. Carll played Larry’s in the spring, and I really enjoyed it, making a comparison to Snider afterwards. Charlie Mars returns to the Larry’s stage the next week (12/18), and after his impressive show there a few weeks ago, I’ll be counting down the days to this one. The same stage receives Sanders Bohlke, Aaron Hall, and Jon Black a couple of nights later (12/20). Nicely done.
Rooster’s keeps bringing us the blues, and the show I’m most looking forward to on their schedule is the Eric Deaton Trio. I’ve long thought Deaton is one of the most underrated guitarists around.
Those making plans for the Cotton Bowl in Dallas should consider The Lexington Brothers’ show on New Year’s Eve at the Hyatt Regency, hosted by the Ole Miss Alumni Association. To ensure your spot at this event, you must contact the Alumni office at 662-915-7375 by 5 pm on December 18. A big one in Oxford that night will be Blue Mountain at The Lyric.
This column originally appeared in The Local Voice #67 (December 11, 2008 ).
Download and read The Local Voice issue no. 69 PDF >
Filed under: General, Music, Oxford Life, Show Reviews, Upcoming Shows
November 20, 2008 • 2:02 pm 0
Today’s Thacker Mountain Radio should be a great one. It’s at The Lyric and starts at 5:00 instead of the usual 6:00.
Author: Roy Blount Jr.
Author: John Hodgman
Musical Guest: Milton
Musical Guest: Dent May and His Magnificent Ukulele
Writer: Jack Pendarvis
Thurs 11/20
Shannon McNally w/ Cary Hudson – Proud Larry’s
Reggae Night w/ Hi-Grade – Two Stick
Gaylord – Parrish’s
Kirk Smithhart Band – Rooster’s
The Withdrawals w/ Dirty Johnny & The Maple Leafs – Jubilee
Fri 11/21
Robert Earl Keen – The Lyric
Sat 11/22
John Barrett’s Bass Drum of Death w/ The Howlies – Proud Larry’s
Big Jack Johnson – Rooster’s
Mon 11/24
Rosamond & Gin Gin – Parrish’s
Fri 11/28
Rocket 88 w/ Disposable Faces – Proud Larry’s
Mayhem String Band – Parrish’s
Wed 12/3
Caroline Herring – Proud Larry’s
Filed under: Entertainment, Music, Oxford Life, Upcoming Shows
November 17, 2008 • 2:06 pm 0
This column originally appeared in The Local Voice #67 (November 13, 2008 ).
Bluegrass was the theme for the past two weeks. The Del McCoury Band at The Lyric was a show and a night I’ll remember for quite some time. Del has one of those voices, one so great that if he had chosen another profession, it would be a slap in the face of his Maker. Surrounded by a truly professional and at times awe-inspiring band, Del (69) just keeps on going, having mastered his craft to the point of perfection.
A couple of Mayhem String Band shows got us warmed up for Del and his boys. Mayhem brings an energetic twist to bluegrass, one that appeals to a broad audience. They opened for Del at The Lyric after wowing an intimate crowd across the street at the debut of Music in the Hall. MITH is a small gathering of friends and music fans. Those interested in checking it out should go to OxfordMusicSnob.com and drop me a line.
The following night saw another debut, that of George McConnell’s new band and his series of Virtual 45s. This was a rocking show, as expected from a band comprised of McConnell (vocals, guitar), Daniel Karlish (vocals, guitar, lap steel), Tommy Turan (bass), and Kenny Graeber (drums). I continue to be amazed by Karlish, a former Oxford resident now calling Nashville home. When McConnell and Karlish are on stage together, there are many moments when my friends and I turn to each other with a look of disbelief. They are simply masters of the guitar. Turan and Graeber, also two of the best at what they do, give them a great foundation to work with.
One band that I had never heard, but am intrigued by after hearing their online material, is The Bridges. They will be at Proud Larry’s on November 18. Larry’s has a few more shows that I want to see: Alvin Youngblood Hart (11/15), Shannon McNally (11/20), and John Barrett’s Bass Drum of Death with The Howlies (11/22).
The Lyric has a couple of great shows approaching as well, on back-to-back Fridays. Jimbo Mathus’s Hillbilly Hayride with Mayhem String Band opening (11/14) will be an amazing night. Jimbo has always been one of my favorites. He just has that edge, something special that’s needed to be a great musician. He has assembled an impressive band that mixes a little bit of a country and western sound with the bluesy style I’ve always identified with him.
A week later, Robert Earl Keen will take the same stage. Keen is one of the truly great Texan singer-songwriters. He is what a lot of the pretenders wish they could be. This will be Keen’s first time back in Oxford since he played the Larry Brown Tribute Concert in 2007. It’s sure to be a great return.
This column originally appeared in The Local Voice #67 (November 13, 2008 ).
Download and read The Local Voice issue no. 67 PDF >
Filed under: Entertainment, Music, Oxford Life, Show Reviews, Upcoming Shows
August 9, 2008 • 8:03 pm 0
The Local Voice Number 60
August 7-21, 2008
Read at Maximum Volume
Download and Read: The Local Voice issue no. 60 PDF >
Filed under: Entertainment, Music, Oxford Life, Show Reviews, Upcoming Shows
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