Hackensaw Boys, Gid Tanner and the ending of a "temporary life"

Seeing as I can never figure out when bands are gonna start (even 6 months later) I missed the opener last night in Richmond, VA. The National itself is a BEAUTIFUL old theater. Holds about 1500 people according to their website. Can't find much history about the place online but I'm sure it's there somewhere. The Hackensaw Boys have been around for a few years and their music made me wanna go back to my hotel and learn more about the damn roots of American folk music. They really did a great job of representing a style of Americana music. Not in the generic term but real American music. Music's like reading to me, the more I listen the stupid-er I feel. One of the earliest Opry stars and Hall of Famer's, Gid Tanner, is from my hometown of Dacula, Georgia and I don't know ANYthing about him other than just general info. That's embarrassing (being in music so long) but what I've been reading up on today. I'm gonna put up a vid when my computer will allow me (upload speed at this hotel is terrible :() . The crowd really dug the show and this is their home base.

Capitol Ale House-I want one of these in Nashville!!!

I've got one week left of this "temporary life" before I head back to Nashville and get down to the details of starting a new direction. I've laid awake many a nights thinking about it all and wishing that I coulda been happy where I was at (at Universal) but I just couldn't do it and it slowly ate away at my self esteem, creativity, passion and my work ethic. 17 years was a good run that needed to end and had run it's course. I'm ready to work my ass off on a new course or build one if need be. :) Hitting the road for northern Virginia, then the "Carter Fold", THEN home.

Levi Lowrey Vs. Clay Cook In Charleston, SC

After having a GREAT dinner at Trattoria Lucca (where you have NO idea what the hell you're ordering) last night with my fam, I stopped by the Pour House to see Levi and Clay humiliate each other between songs (mostly). I'm not partial but I gotta say that Levi won the humiliation contest. O.K., I am partial but start your OWN damn blog if you don't like this one. There are options. Anyways, they played for a small crowd at the Pour House last night in a DAMN cold Charleston, SC. I have to admit it was a pretty damn funny show (in addition to the great songs) and worth the money (cuz the bastard Levi wouldn't get me in for free). As you already know, I'm a HUGE Levi fan so I won't ramble on other than say that he ALSO co-wrote Zac Brown's new single "Colder Weather":). Anyways (have I said that already?), I put up a vid of "Wherever We Break Down". It's one of my fav Levi songs and I SWEAR his lips are moving. It's well hidden behind all of that beard. Never the less, it makes it's journey through all of that facial hair and actually sounds really beautiful once it's freed. I think he's gonna grow into the "cousin it" in 5 or 6 years. The ULTIMATE "facial hair off" between him and my friend Anders would be the bestest of contests! This bitterness of facial hair that I hold could be some leftover baggage for me. Seeing as the only place that I could ever grow any hair was on my mole that I've since had removed. :( You know, I really miss that damn thing. I'm on to do a little Art shopping today!

in this corner weighing in at 4 inches+ (maybe) is Anders Osborne!

Zac ain't EVEN gotta chance in HELL in this "face off". Please...!

The Goal (the one on the left)

P.S. LOVE the "Pour House". Another great bar to play (if I played, that is). Not so much a listening room but good sized open floor that rises in the back so if it's crowded it helps to see a band from farther away. Plenty of bar space too :)

The "Mole That I Miss" :( My only shot was a "mole beard".

You know, I'm feeling good about S.C.

I guess standing would have blocked the game.

I dropped in a sports bar last night to see a band that I ran across that had a shit load of tour dates. So far that's a hard thing to find in the south. The bar "Paddy O'Malley's" in this little town south of Greenville. The band, "Outshyne" is from Laurens (the little town, I was in). You know, they were pretty good. Didn't play any originals but they have some. The music online is not something that does a very good job of capturing what they seem to be live, though they were in a broke down version last night. They've been touring for 3 years and finally have an agent that's started booking them. Could go somewhere, could go nowhere. It's a LONG damn road and they are pretty early on but it was REALLY promising to see all of the "dates" on their calendar. I'm hoping this is a new trend (finding them in SC, that is). Georgia bands from what little could find didn't have those kinda touring dates (in the south, that is). Sincere good luck guys and good to see you working hard.
Dancing: Since leaving Texas, I've seen the worst dancers in the USA excluding Lafeyette, LA. O.K., I don't consider "'line dancing" dancing. It looks stupid as hell (to me) and for me a hot woman drops from a 9 to a 4 when she starts that shit and guys just look like their in a aerobics class or something (and might as well be wearing tights while doing it). Last night I ACTUALLY saw a young couple spontaneously get up and dance really great! I was going to take a picture but they looked at me like "what the hell are you doing" so I went back to leaning against the wall and drinking my bud light. Anyways, I've not been going to Dance clubs except for the one that my friend (asswipe) Austen talked me into going to for dance lessons (in Dallas). That said, in Texas (and Lafeyette) people would just get up (sometimes spontaneously) and start dancing and look decent if not good doing it. Everywhere else has looked like something from a Saturday night live skit. Cheers to the couple that thought I was a perv last night. You're right on the perv part but that was not my intention last night.
Alright, I'm gonna bounce around the Greeenville area this weekend and thinking about just staying in the Carolina's for this month and next and then calling it quits before I hit my pain threshold of "line dancers".

The Georgia music scene & Jury duty. Really!!??

Georgia has been a disappointment up to this point. I spent the whole month of Nov. reading blogs, talking to managers, agents, artists and going to clubs and it's just not turned up anything new (other than the young girl in Dahlonega who's since been contacted by Dallas Austin, I hear). I'd visited the club or checked out the websites for original music of 20+ clubs. Visiting clubs from Albany to Dahlonega to Savannah to Atlanta to Cartersville (throwing in 2 Tallahassee bars to see Georgia acts)... . Most people (that I know) already know of the obvious artists like Corey Smith, Brantley Gilbert, ZBB, Colt Ford, Levi Lowrey, Sonia Leigh, etc... . I was wanting to find the next class and had little luck. Most the clubs (that play much if any original music) have acts that come through but not necessarily Georgian. 40 Watt, Eddie's Attic, Smiths Olde Bar, Hummingbird, etc... . There WAS the odd act every now and then but nothing that REALLY stood out. My apologies for not finding it or for not thinking any different from what I DID hear. I'll stay on the search but it's just not been an obvious scene or circuit that I've been able to find or "tap into". I would LOVE for someone to read this and disagree! I'll get my ass in the car and drive back down there to see what there is or if it IS to be found. I'm really wanting to find stuff in my home state and to "spread the good news" :) Disappointing but there's the facts as I know them.

This WILL be what I wear...

Well, I've got a DAMN jury duty notice. For the first time in 40 freaking 7 years, their wanting me to serve (found the notice when I stopped in town last night). It's gonna suck for them as much as for  me. Trust me. Distrusting the court system and the whole shebang it's gonna just piss them off that I'm wasting a damn seat but therein you have our government (and me playing my little role in it). Don't know how I'm gonna finish my task but I'm gonna! I'm starting with the Carolina's this week and I have a LOT of things on the agenda so I'm pretty damn excited about the " last leg"!
P.S. ALWAYS welcome more tips! Thanks to everybody who's helped out with those tips!

How 'U-shaped beds" are created....

I thought I'd found my best "deal", yet! A TWENTY THREE dollar Motel 6 room (rated #20 in Albany, according to Trip Advisor) for my Albany,Ga. stay! Well, driving up to the faded sign (clue #1) next to a neighborhood that was reminiscent of Greenville, Mississippi, I had a little reservations. In checking in I asked about internet and she was like "we ain't got no internet" (she was aware of the internet, though). Clue #2. I got my bag, my laptop, my GPS, my camera, my flip cam, my "everything that wasn't bolted onto the car" and dragged all this shit toward my room (with my 9 millimeter, as well). Two guys in the next room over had moved their chairs to the outside, drinking Pabst 48's (on their impromptu porch) made some half-assed comment like  "I got a coupla things I need brought in, too!" (I gave a half-assed laughed and kept walking).Clue #3 (or have I already skipped a couple?). Anyways, after opening the door, seein the bed's u-shape (from a many a bonkin' I assumed or fat assed people sleeping and probably bonkin') and checking out the pillows (that has a coupla unexplained stains), I thought it best to use my camping pillows instead. At least I can explain those stains (from mostly drool). That'd be Clue #4, maybe (how many DO you need now?). I always reserve the right to set up my tent in the room, seeing as a campground is about the same price, but the sheets looked clean with minimal cigarette burns/only 3, so I "camped" there.

Looked harmless enough

You CAN'T see the u-shape from this photo :(

pretty much...

"Bonfire", ROCKIN The "Pony"!

About 10PM I headed out to a coupla bars (One Trick Pony & the Crow Bar) this night to make sure the world was safe from some great new country music and sure 'nuff, you all are VERY safe.~ Man, there MUST be a lot of "all you can eat" buffets in this town, and I have now now confirmed where my bed got it's shape from~
I'll post a coupla pictures and I promise to get better in writing about boring shit in the future. Happy Thanksgiving if you don't hear from me the rest of the week. Who knows... I'll be in Charleston, SC with my family!!! Yay!  

Drivin, Bitchin and Rappin...

Gotta little tired of trying to find somethin in a land of what seemed like nothin so I went to Savannah for a coupla days. Beautiful town, some decent music actually and slowly made my way back to Macon yesterday. I went down a country road or two and will post the pictures (slide show above this). I wanted to check out (and not check into) Rehab. They've been around for a few years and in NOT finding much of a country "scene" in Georgia yet, I wanted to check this out. They seem to draw a country typa crowd as well as rap fans. The show was at a pretty good sized country bar (holds 2000+ or so) called Whiskey River. Pretty nice club with big dance floor and a balcony. The fans age's were ALL over the place but mostly mid 20's to 40's (OLD suckers!). About a 1000 people were there per the door man (down from a coupla 1000 a few years back). Enjoyed the Rehab show pretty good. The band that opened for them were kids from Atlanta and for my taste I liked better. Almost Kings were more of the edgy, rock and angry typa rap. I really dig the music on their Reverbnation site, too!

"Almost Kings" out of Atlanta

Rehab

A damn "Full Service" in Vidalia!

Dudes & dudettes, I'm not having much luck finding some big damn country music scene down here in Georgia. I'm gonna keep diggin and traveling (and bitching to you about it) but I'm telling ya, it ain't obvious!