Brantley Gilbert ROCKING my face off!

Brantley show. I don't get the midget thing. Somebody's gotta help me with that. They weren't there when I left Georgia back in '84.

Texas aside, THIS is what I was hoping to see when I left Nashville a few months back, real people seeing real "live" music. Though I'd hoped to find something I was unaware of, I went to see Brantley Gilbert play at "The Moon" in Tallahassee, FL on Friday night. It's a big, fancy multi-tiered bar with good sound and plenty of beer stands :). Basically, Brantley just ROCKED my face off!!! Jeremy Spillman (a great artist co-writer, actually) had warned me that he was mighty powerful "live". If I were a kid, Brantley would be my new Country Music (or JUST music) God! The kid has a new distinctive style, great lyrics (that relate to my upbringin), GREAT energy and message and is a superstar on stage. Sure enough, the crowd was drunk and redneck as hell (nothing like drinking/smoking pregnant women ;)). Just like me as a kid (except for the smoking/drinking pregger part). He did spend a minute or two trying to explain why Jason Aldean is singing his songs. I guess he's been dealing with his fans not liking Jason cutting his music and really ripping the hell outta Aldean online. I can tell his fans (even drunk outta their gord) are really passionate and protective about his music and it's a great thing. Hell, they don't have to understand why Aldean is singing Brantley's songs really. The guy is just everything a superstar should be in my dumbassed opinion. I hear he's a really great kid, as well and hey he's a damn Georgia boy, by God! I hope this is the act that breaks Average Joe Records wide open (or at least their approach). Their marketing and record company is based more on the "hip hop" approach to bringing it to the people in non traditional ways (online presence & live show promotions) and to break it from the grassroots up from what I can gather. I think something "the majors" (record companies) just can't afford to do right now until they lay off a shit load of people and cut the other's salaries down to a bare minimum and set the salaries based on the new profit margins. I don't know all of the "ins and outs" of it but from my seat, it's impressive as HELL (as a model)! I drove back to Thomasville, Georgia that night with as great music buzz!

The floor at Pigsty. FYI, the bar tops looked the same as this.

FSU winning celebration from the Pigsty

Last night, not so much. Went back down to T-town to see Tyler Reeve play at a pigsty called Pot Belly's, fittingly. A beer covered, bar that smelled like hell and there was not one place that I touched that wasn't sticky as a porn movie cinema (I MEAN not one place). College kids don't give a shit, it's ALL about the pretty woman and cheap beer and there was plenty of both. I waited for the FSU/Clemson game to end (GREAT game) and then Tyler came on. Those guys are touring the HELL outta the south mostly and maybe it'll evolve into something more unique but last night they sounded pretty much like any cover band playing the unmemorable original on occasion. He's gotta a good band, good look and sings well but just the overall show didn't have any real "sound". Maybe it was an off night. Then AGAIN, I'm probably unfairly (and unknowingly) comparing him to the night before (Brantley show). I'm headed north again next week to see what else I can see in Georgia (GO Titans!)....