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Showing posts from May, 2016

Rascal Flatts, Purple Rain and a Comedian

NOTE: Written on Thursday night after the show, finished Sunday night, posted Monday morning. I have no pictures of tonight's show in downtown Greenville, SC, so I'll try to get near 1000 words. Drove down from Durham yesterday afternoon, and I got an automated calendar reminder that said rehearsal was at 6. I got in touch with music director and Hootie bandmate Mark Bryan who cooled my jets and told me it was nine, as I'd originally thought. So the rest of the drive was all about playlists on repeat and water bottles. The show was part of the entertainment for the  BMW Charity Pro-Am  golf tournament held in the city. Mark and Dean Felber, Hootie's bassist, were among the celebrities playing golf and Mark has provided the entertainment for the tourney for several years. This was my first time, joining my adjunct Hootie percussion buddy, Gary Greene, Mark and Dean as the house band. We were rehearsing and staying at the  Westin

From the Old Tapes - Where'd You Get That Thing - 1992

My bungalow was at the end of the drive on the right. In 1992, I was living in a bungalow complex on Blix Street in North Hollywood CA. Located conveniently behind a Mexican restaurant with loud live bands on the weekends and a chop shop, it was an adorable little bohemian love pad, with a Tijuana-bought hammock strung between an olive and a magnolia tree and cheap beer in the fridge.  Tascam 388 (not actual size) In my tiny residence, I had a Tascam 388 set up, a bulky combination of 8-track reel-to-reel and mixer that took up considerable real estate in the tiny front room. But having it there, in proximity and at the ready for inspirational moments, I felt prompted to record all the time, any hour of the day or night (similar to those carefree days living in the practice space at the Music Building in mid-Manhattan in the decade before, but more on that in future posts).  I had joined forces with the Continental Drifters who had a regular Tuesday night residency

Revolution of the Mind - The dB's at Haw River Ballroom May 15, 2016

Photo by Rod Abernethy On Sunday, The dB's took the stage at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw NC as part of  Stand Against HB2 - North Carolina Musicians United for EqualityNC and QORDS . Because there were so many musicians participating, short sets were the order of the day.  1. That Time Is Gone 2. Amplifier  --going directly into 3. Before We Were Born 4. Big Brown Eyes 5. Love Is For Lovers 6. Happenstance  --going directly into 7. Revolution of the Mind (with revised NC-centric lyrics) It was the classic line-up of Chris Stamey, Gene Holder, Will Rigby and me, aided and abetted by Brett Harris. Gene flew in for the gig and returned to New Jersey later that day. We were introduced by Senator Mike Woodard , Durham's state senator in the NC Legislature and a staunch opponent of House Bill 2.  Photo by Diana C. Keever Here's a picture from after the show of Will and me with Senator Woodard and his wife, Rev. Sarah Woodard.

Stand Against HB2 - North Carolina Musicians United For EqualityNC and QORDS - Haw River Ballroom May 15

Tomorrow's a big day for North Carolina musicians as we  raise our voices against HB2 and in support of EqualityNC and QORDS  at Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw. 100% of ticket sales will go to these important organizations to help their fight against this harmful and hateful law and their direct work with queer youth and music.  Here is the vast list of performers and their approximate times.  12:00 Opening Remarks 12:15 Brett Harris 12:40 Members of MIPSO 1:05 Johnny Folsom 4 1:30 Joe Newberry & Laurelyn Dossett 1:55 OG Merge 2:20 Jeffrey Dean Foster 2:45 Sarah Shook and the Disarmers 3:10 Tres Chicas 3:50 John Howie, Jr. and the Rosewood Bluff 4:20 The dB's 4:45 Jon Heames & His Secret Surprise 5:05 Yeaux Katz 5:30 The Love Language 5:55 Robert Kirkland & Rod Abernethy 6:30 Henbrain 6:55 Someone's Sister 7:25 shirlette ammons 7:50 The Backsliders 8:15 The Veldt 8:40 The Connells 9:05 Jon Lindsay 9:30 Southern Culture on the Skids

Postcard from Carrboro - The Well Respected Men at The Station Friday May 6

The debut gig for the  Well Respected Men  was a lot of fun. My bandmates Jefferson Hart, Andrew Snee, Jody Maxwell and Glenn Jones did a remarkable job with the two sets of Kinks klassiks we took on. I think we all felt a certain degree of reverence toward the material, balanced with a youthful exuberance just getting to play these incredible songs that informed our own varied musical careers. Add in varying degrees of first-night jitters, and the energy at The Station was evident onstage. The crowd (and it was actually a crowd!) were singing along and cutting loose, which certainly bodes well for future gigs. We have shows in Winston-Salem and Chapel Hill during the next two months, so come dancing with us soon!  Larry Tucker posted  this  on SoundCloud, if you'd care for a taste. Also, these photos are by Laura Hart.