Catch as catch can

The Gravy Boys

Wylie Hunter & The Cazadores

Birds & Arrows "Born To Run" :)

Tomahawks playin some Neil Young

Local 506 in Chapel Hill, SC

So last night I was all looking forward to hearing this band after surfin the net and checking out the good bar schedules in the "Triangle" area. It was a bust. Let's just say that they kinda really sucked. On Friday, I did the same surfing and didn't expect much but had a damn fine nite! Started out at the Casbah over in Durham. I've blogged about that bar before. The band that I SO enjoyed there was the The Gravy Boys -(see vid clip at the top of this blog) . GOOD pickers and the best part was that most of the songs were of the 30's, 40's folk/country type."Depression Era" music. GREAT vocal and band arrangements. Though the music on their CD sounded good, seeing it "Live" was better. It's kind of a "show" that's REALLY fun to watch for their interactions with each other. Good change for me :)-I "flip cam-ed" a bit (Vid). Running late, I left there and headed over to Chapel Hill (Local 506) to catch the last 3 bands of  a "Neil Young Vs. Springsteen" night. It was 5 bands each playing 3 song either of Bruce or Neil, or that seemed like the concept. Fun as SHIT! Met a REALLY great kid (Georgia boy :)) who's band had played GREAT versions of "No Surrender" & "The River". Wylie Hunter's band is he and the Cazadores (though they didn't look Mexican). Seriously though, we got to talking about how hard work and busting your ass is the only way that you're gonna make it in the business (natural talent alone won't get you that far). Actually, it was him telling me that. Agreed, brotha. Seen WAY too much of that over the years. His writing's got a LOT of promise (from a CD he gave me) and I think in today's world he may be more likely to be more in the country vain if for nothing else than for his song's lyrical content. He's GOT good content and in the pop/rock world I don't hear a lotta that and listen to that genre more than country, nowadays. Maybe the pendulum will swing back the other way though. Hope he does good cuz he really seems driven and he IS talented and I think a good kid :). Of ALL things that night, Birds And Arrows (the kind people who told me about all of the local music happening's a month back) played 3 songs and for their last song they played "Born to Run". It's not exactly something you'd think they'd attempt or could even could pull off. Hell, they are a 3 piece: a cello, a Guitar and a drummer. When they started I'm thinking maybe their gonna do some cool NPR version or something to that end. Well hell. They faced the damn thing HEAD ON and rocked!!! It was fun (a little funny) and SO great (especially the breakdown/cello instrumental leading up to the last verse!) She was screaming her damn head off by the end. I mean how else could you do it. I just LOVE those guys. I "flip cammed" none of that show cuzz I hate to do that without getting permission :( The Tomahawks closed the show (coincidentally) with a great Neil Young song that I quoted last week. Probably the ONLY Neil Young lyric that's ever hit me outta nowhere "Keep On Rocking In The Free World" (don't wait for THAT to happen again). Unexpectedly good night :). Now headed toward Asheville...

Fav's so far from Raleigh area...

GREG HUMPHREYS

Big Fat Gap (Talented pickers!)

Lizzy Ross Band

I stood there wondering last night why this writer/artist that I don't really know (and still never met) e-mails me about all of the great things going on in Raleigh without once mentioning her upcoming gigs. She's a really talented writer/artist. They (Birds and Arrows) are trying to make a living themselves in a world that's become insanely harder to do. To be honest, I've been through this a ton of times before. Over the years Craig Wiseman told me to sign Tony Mullins. For that matter, Tony Lane to sign Dani Carroll, Anthony Smith to sign Chris Wallin, Walt Wilkins to sign Erin Enderlin, Jeremy Spillman to sign Jamie Floyd and Luke Bryan to sign Brent Cobb,etc.... Did I sign them all, no, but probably should have. Paul Kennerley (writer of plenty of #1's) would spend as much time (and really more) on promoting new songwriters than himself. Just between his mentoring of Gillian Welch and Dave Rollins and his help with Bruce Robison in the early days coulda been enough. Barbara Cloyd has sent me an embarrassing amount of (now) really successful songwriters and a couple I did sign (thank goodness). Why writers do it? I don't know. But why I've loved working with them? I know. Selflessness. They can ALL be some self centered bastards at times and hard to work with but who the hell ain't? I just know that my life has for the most part been what it's become (which I'm so grateful for) because of  their selflessness. Done. I just had to get that out there. All that (rant) to say...

Last night I went to the Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC because of Andrea Connelly (as well as following up on another of her tips the night before). It was a really fun night with some damn talented singer songwriters. Big Fat Gap was the hosts. Greg Humphreys (Vid clip) and Lizzy Ross  (Vid clip) were my faves, though. Both good songwriters and great singers!!! Lizzy is a REALLY powerful and intense performer, as well! I'm gonna just post their damn videos (with their permission, of course). PLEASE watch and thank Andrea if you dig them (and please check out "Birds and Arrows", as well). All I had to do was to just show up and press record in one hand while holding my Bud Light with the other. :)

Dogwoods (amalgam of Mandolin Orange, Drughorse, Ryan Gustafson)

Thank you Andrea and hope you and Pete have a great Christmas, S