Rockabilly BBQ June 6th at Puckett's Farm Equipment!

Well the 6th annual Rockabilly BBQ is this Saturday June 6th at Puckett’s Farm Equipment. Just in time too. There has been too much rain and quite frankly too much depressing stuff about and it’s about time we could get away for at least one day to a time when all that matter was if your chrome was shining and the music was swinging. This year boast a kick ass lineup, a veritable whos- who of the local and regional rockabilly scene. Rocket 350, The Straight 8s, Highway 13, Hells Fire Sinners, The Tremors, The Bostevens,  Kitty King and the Whistlin’ Skulls, Johnny Carelevale and the Rollin’ Pins as well as Charlotte’s own Tommy Ray and the Rayguns and the legendary Jem Crossland & The Hypertonics make up this great bill of rockabilly. That’s only part of the show however. There will also be a kustom car and bike show by the Speed Kings and plenty of beer and bbq! The show is presented by Rockabillybabe.com and more info can be found at rockabillybbq.com . If I’m not mistaken the outdoor portion of the show is free. They don’t start charging admission till the evening session inside of Puckett’s so it would be a great way to spend the afternoon after having to hide inside because of the rain for so long!

Tidbits…

Tremont Music Hall has the Junior Astronomers with the Have and the Have Nots, Moenda and Siren on June 6th. I really liked the Junior Astronomers when I saw them a month or so back at the Charlotte Local Music Showcase. There is a video of them up on Stillnotdead TV. The admission is $8 with a $3 surcharge for under 21.

Speaking of Tremont, looks like the recent rumors I heard may prove true. Starting in August their calendar starts listing the shows as “18 +”. If that’s true there may not be any more all ages venues in Charlotte, which is a pity and a problem that needs to be addressed.

Over at the Milestone Club on June 5th they’ll have The Graveyard Boulevard cd release party and Summer of Meat cookout! featuring the Independents, Graveyard Boulevard, Legbone and Zoe Vette and the Revolvers. This seems like a fairly fun show with the Horror punk element of the Independents and Graveyard Boulevard and the catchy femme punk/rock of Zoe Vette and the Revolvers. Plus it’s always fun when the Summer of Meat guys are out and about having a cookout. Must be getting warmed up for Punk Rock Scissors Fest in a couple of months. Anyway, doors are at 8pm ( come early get food!!) and admission is $8 for over 21 and $10 for under. 18+ only please.

Ska originators the English Beat will be skanking the night away at the Neighborhood Theater on Thursday June 4th. These guys always put on a killer show and hopefully we’ll have a review or pics as I know several people who are supposed to go. We shall see. In any case if you have the $20 to spend on tickets it will be a killer night and a really fun way to kick off your weekend! Doors are at 7pm and the show starts at 8pm!

Btw, Snug Harbor lets the freak flag fly with Snagglepuss and Hellblinki Sextet on June 6th. This show will feature some really bizarre music as Hope Nichols and her party band extraordinaire, Snagglepuss take the stage. Believe it or not, they won’t be the strangest thing on the card as Hellblinki Sextet takes the stage. This band specializes in really bizarre musical creations and should be a very interesting show. Show starts at 11pm and is probably $5!

That’s it for this week, if you know of any other shows or have some flyers send them my way and I’ll plaster them on the internet for you! See you on the forums!!

Ryan Dead

Murder Media and Razorkat @ Lunchbox Records 5/27/09

Okay, I’m sorry for the delay this week. I’ve had a death in the family but I still wanted to post something up for you guys. I’ll do a better update next week! If I miss your show send me a flyer and I’ll put it on here when I get it.

Lunchbox Records

5/27/09 Murder Media and Razorkat- The undisputed kings of ska/thrash from Columbia meet Charlotte’s brand new punk band at Lunchbox Records. Murder Media rule the Columbia, SC scene with their ska/ thrash/punk frenzy and have cultivated a following here in Charlotte. Razorkat bring the Bad Religion type punk to the Charlotte scene. Their recent debut at Snug Harbor was a great intro into the scene for them and I think they are a welcome edition to the scene. Don’t let the fact that it’s the middle of the week keep you away. This show will kick a lot of ass so be sure to check it out!

Chaos in Gotham, You Me & Us and the Not Likelys in Columbia, SC

New Brookland Tavern- Columbia, SC

5/31/09 Chaos in Gotham, You Me & US and The Not Likelys- Speaking of Columbia, our friends in Uncool Productions are proud to present Chaos in Gotham, You Me and Us and the Not Likelys at New Brookland Tavern. This is a great road show if you are not from there and even greater if you happen to be checking us out from Columbia, SC. I’m sure they have the admission backwards on the flyer even though if they don’t it would be really funny! To everyone going to the show be sure to check out the Not Likelys’ new songs! They really rock! I can’t wait for them to make it onto a stage near us again!

The Milestone Club

Babyshaker, Lamb Handler and Transient 5/29/09 @ The Milestone Club

5/29/09 Babyshaker, Lamb Handler and Transient- Due to my family issues this week I haven’t been able to check out Transient. My apologies! Whoever they are, they are truly lucky to be playing on this show. Babyshaker and Lamb Handler are a hipster rock super show! Babyshaker are Charlotte’s answer to glam punk/ rock with the sneer of the New York Dolls mixed with generous doses of rock. Also I’m sorry but Adam Lambert of American Idol totally stole his look from Babyshaker’s lead singer Scott Weaver! Lamb Handler continue with their crusade to make sure local rock never dies! Nowadays their songs may have a little more “Jingle Jangle” but they still know how to push out rock jams that will remind you of the ’90s and feature both kick ass melodic guitar and smooth as silk vocals! This should be lots of fun!

Well that’s it for this week, sorry I don’t have more but next week we will be back to form! Take care and we’ll see you on the forums!!

2nd annual Snug 600 Memorial Day Weekend!!

Here is the flyer to the Snug 600 coming up this weekend at Snug Harbor! It’s a ton of music at a fun venue this weekend so check it out!!

Razorkat and Murder Media rock Lunchbox 5/27/09!

In our never ending quest to bring you guys more show options we thought we’d pass along this kick ass flyer for a Lunchbox Records show on May 27th featuring Charlotte punk newcomers Razorkat and Columbia thrash kings Murder Media!

Man, I didn’t realize how much music was gonna be crammed into Memorial Day Weekend until I started looking at the calendar this week. It’s gonna be an insane weekend for music and we’ll need the extra day off just to survive! Let’s get to it!!

The Milestone Club

5/23/09 Antiseen w/ 25 Minutes to Go and Music Hates You- In some circles you have probably been told this is the most important show in the universe.

Rodan couldn't destroy the Milestone like this show will!!

While I don’t know if that is true, I’m pretty sure that this is gonna be a show of the year candidate. Antiseen have been around for over 25 years and are the undisputed kings of the old school destructo-rock scene. This show however is a special occasion as Jeff Clayton and the boys are introducing their new, younger lineup! It ain’t everyday you get that historical significance. In the meantime, 25 Minutes to Go are also gonna release their long awaited second record “It’s Go Time!”. We’ve been waiting for this one for a long time so I’m sure the crowd will be superstoked for this one. Opening is Athen’s Music Hates You. That’s like starting the show by releasing a wild wolverine ( the animal, not the movie!) into the pit! I’ll end by giving you a few things you should know:

• Get there early, this show will sell out. If it doesn’t Charlotte has no soul!! Mark my words. How early should you show up? I would suggest you leave right now and go down there and wait. I’ve been hearing about this show since the start of the year. If that level of hype is any indication it should be sold out before the show even starts.
• Be ready for the end of the universe. Antiseen and 25 MTG in the same place, at the same time may cause a rip in the fabric of reality. Screw the Superconductor in Europe, this is real energy and it could destroy all reality so don’t say you weren’t warned. I would still go, it’s better to be at ground zero during the blast than sucked into the blackhole it’s gonna leave behind.
• If you aren’t a complete badass then steer clear of the pit. Brutal is not even the word for it. Consider yourself warned!

That’s about all you need to know to survive this one. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $8 for over 21 and $10 for under 21. 18+ only!

Rodi- Gastonia, NC

5/23/09 The Merrows- I caught these guys at the Earthday Festival at CPCC. They are a blast. Not to mention that Monty of the Merrows inhabits a barstool next to mine at the pub. These guys play beautiful traditional celtic/ acoustic music. If you consider yourself into Irish music such as the Chieftains, The Tossers or Floggin Molly then you owe it to yourself to make the run to Rodi in Gastonia to check these guys out. Did I mention it’s free??

The Visulite Theater

5/23/09 Bum’s Lie cd release party w/ Stump Dickens- There are too many good shows going on this Saturday. Bum’s Lie recorded their live album “Stumbling and Mumbling” earlier this year at the Visulite and now they return there to have the cd release party. Bum’s Lie are one of my local favorites. They have a solid reggae, dub sound that gets the crowd moving from the first note. Their infectious live sound is now caught for posterity on their new live cd “Stumbling and Mumbling”. Be sure to check it out. Opening is the catchy Stump Dickens, who should get this party started early. Doors open at 8pm and admission is $8 in advance and $10 day of the show!

Neighborhood Theater

5/26/09 Les Claypool w/ O’Death- Les Claypool is one of the most innovative bass players to hit the scene during the 90’s. His initial rise to prominence was with his band Primus, which had such hits as “Jerry was a Racecar Driver” and “My Name is Mud”. Afterwards he has went on to do various soundtracks and play in multiple bands. This time he tours under just his own name to support his new cd, “Of Fungi and Foe” and from my short preview I got of it, it’s the strangest stuff he has ever recorded, and that’s saying something. I find the new stuff to be an acquired taste that I haven’t quite got the hang of yet. In any case fans of his bass acrobatics will love the live show so be sure to check it out if you have the bread. Opening is O’Death. Doors are at 7pm and admission is $25 in advance and $30 day of the show.

Snug Harbor

5/21/09-5/24/09 The 2nd Annual Snug 600!!- I’m not even gonna try to do a breakdown of all the bands playing Snug Harbors annual memorial day shindig. Last year it was two nights, this year it’s all weekend and they are going for it with an all star lineup! 5/21/09 features Bob Log III, Willem Maker, 2113 Wolves and the Holy Smokes. 5/22/09 features Holy Liars, Trouble Walkers, Guam High and Slow Gun Shogun ( who may have the coolest name in the business right now!). 5/23/09 features Two Tears, Radio Taiwan, Throttlerod and the Have & the Have Nots. The final night (5/24/09) features Crank County Daredevils, The Poontanglers, Appalucia and the Bitterman. That is an insane amount of music for a 4 day span and I’ve got to hand it to Snug Harbor for going all out on this one! It should make for a wild memorial day!!  Btw, the show starts every night at 9pm!

Ok, so basically no matter what type of music you like, there should be something for you Memorial Day Weekend! Have fun and be safe!!

Here we go again!

Punk Rock and Scissors Fest 2009

Well I’ve recovered from Cinco De Mayo and it is time once again to delve into what’s coming up in Charlotte music. We’ll begin this week at the Ghetto Fortress!

The Milestone Club

5/15/09 The Mangles w/ the Smokers and the Holy Smokes- I have to admit, after listening to the Mangles on their myspace page, I really like these guys. The vocals remind me of the Ramones and the sound can best be described as “garage”. Never getting too heavy but with dirty guitars and rock solid rhythm. These guys have a solid sound with a lot of catchy hooks. I can’t stress enough the Ramones like vocals and song structure. Check them out!! Also on the bill is the Smokers, who hail from Rock Hill. It’s hard to nail these guys sound down from the live cuts on their myspace page. Seems like high energy garage but once again it’s hard to make out. These guys could definitely benefit from a better recording! Opening are the Holy Smokes from Gastonia of all places. The Holy Smokes are a duo and not a bad band. Their vocalist has a great voice. I would really like to hear these guys as a full band. But I’ve been in a two man band before so I know how it goes. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over and $8 for under 21. 18+ only.

5/16/09 All Thumbs and Two Left Feet w/ Angwish and KPSOLOMAN 5000-  All Thumbs and Two Left Feet features Bo Brown formerly of Charlotte

All Thumbs and Two Left Feet at the Milestone 5/16/09

band Kudzu Ganja and you can tell. The music is very reminiscent of the rocking punk/stoner band from back in the 90’s. This actually makes me nostalgic, I’ll definitely come check this out. Also on the show are a band who rock out and also have a great nod to the 90’s, Angwish. Angwish have been around a long time and last time I saw them they rocked. Their own brand of power pop, rock is potent. Check them out on Stillnotdead TV. KPSOLOMAN 5000 is the acoustic side project of Kyle from 25 Minutes to Go. It’s good stuff and will be a rocking good time at the Ghetto Fortress! Doors are at 8pm and it’s $6 for over 21 and $8 for under. 18+ only.

Amos Southend

5/15/09- Corrosion of Conformity w/ Black Ritual and Sunspell- Not to

Corrosion of Conformity @ Amos 5/15/09!

confuse you but there are two COC’s now. This Corrosion of Conformity features COC founding member Reed Mullin and Karl Agell, singer on the Blind album. They got together with several backing musicians  from Leadfoot and H.R. of Badbrains backing bands and are on tour playing the entire “Blind” album. Should be an interesting and brutal night at Amos! Doors are at 8pm and tickets are $13 in advance and $16 day of show! Opening are Black Ritual and Sunspell!

The Wailers play the legendary album Exodus 5/16/09 at Amos!

5/16/09 The Wailers- Must be something in the water at Amos, first you have COC playing the entire Blind album and now you have the Wailers performing the classic Bob Marley album “Exodus”. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this show!  I’ve seen the Wailers, who if you don’t know were the backing band for the legendary Bob Marley, several times and they always put on the best show. The fact that they are playing the entire album “Exodus” is just icing on the cake. All fans of Marley should make it to this special event. Doors are at 8pm and tickets are $18 in advance and $20 at the door.

5/19/09 Exodus w/ Warbringer and Final Curse- And speaking of Exodus, we go from the legendary album to the legendary metal band. Exodus will bring earsplitting metal to Amos and it’s going to be brutal as hell with these kings of speedmetal. Opening are Warbringer and Final Curse. Doors are at 8pm and tickets are $13 in advance and $16 day of show.

That’s it for this week! I would like to take this time to thank everyone who came to our show at Snug Harbor last week! We had a great time and it was really cool hanging out with all of you! Unfortunately I won’t have any pics or video from the show yet because of technical difficulties.

Btw, later this month look out for new cd’s from 25 Minutes to Go and Bum’s Lie. Both bands have cd release parties the same night on May 23rd. I’ll post the cover to 25 Minutes to Go’s new cd later this weekend. If you are impatient you can go check it out, as well as their new song “You’ll Regret the Day You Met Me” from the new cd on their myspace page!

See you on the forum!

Ryan Dead

Okay so I didn’t spotlight many shows on this edition but if I catch wind of any more I’ll pass them along.  Don’t be fooled however, the show listings may be short but it contains some of the wildest bands ever seen in this town! Without further ado let’s get into it!

The Milestone Club

5/9/09 Treephort, Planet Piss and the Not Likelys- Ok, reading the bio will not help you figure out what you are in for at the Treephort show. If I’m not mistaken this is the band that has been known to throw around a lot of raw meat at their shows. I believe it was octopus at the last one. (sushi anyone??) I saw an article online where they got thrown out of a club because they set their thongs on fire and then preceded to strip them off and run around naked onstage. Just know you are in for an over the top show, the likes of which you rarely see in Charlotte. Planet Piss are also a Charlotte original and even though their singer now abstains from cutting himself, it doesn’t mean they’ve mellowed out. They still bring one hell of a show. The Not Likelys won’t bring dead animals or nudity but they still pack a great punch. Pure working class punk/ska that will get the crowd jumping. Also opening is Perspecta, who I currently have no info on but will let you know if I find out anything!! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under. 18+ only.

Snug Harbor

5/8/09 Prabir and the Substitutes, The Lights Fluorescent and Red Collar- Prabir & The Substitutes play some pretty nice pop music with psychedelic overtones. Mellow vocals and nice melodies over catchy beats. Not bad stuff if I’m in a mellow mood. The Lights Fluorescent are a favorite of mine and you’ve heard me talk about them endlessly so suffice to say they are a great live band and a criminally overlooked band in the Charlotte area! You owe it to yourself to check them out. Red Collar are guitar oriented indie rock with a slight nod to the nineties. I like these guys alot, they are very interesting. The guitars form a soundscape over driving beats with gritty vocals over them. Good stuff! The show starts at 10pm!

5/10/09 Joe Buck Yourself w special guest Capt Sean from Throwrag w/ Lamb Handler and Biggy Stardust and his Wretched Hive- This might be the show of the week! Joe Buck started out as the guitarist from the Legendary Shack Shakers and went on to play with Hank III. He is currently touring as a one man band, make that a “bona fide evil motherfucking, one man band” according to

Joe Buck Yourself @ Snug Harbor 5/10/09

his myspace page. Not your normal one man band and this night he’ll be joined by Captain Sean from Throwrag. Lamb Handler are Charlotte’s own shepherds of rock but their newest album has hint’s of a country twinge to it. Fear not they are still on the side of rock but aren’t afraid to dabble in other forms to come up with innovative rock and roll. Biggy Stardust and his Wretched Hive features Biggy Stardust from the Dead Kings. It’s pure punk rock and pure mayhem. Tongue in cheek punk rock over 70’s type guitars, bass and drums. A definite fun way to start to the show. Get ready to have the doors blown off Snug Harbor. Advance tickets are available to this one on the Snug Harbor website @  www.snugrock.com .  Show starts at 10pm so be there early, I gotta feeling it’ll sell out!

That’s it for this week but I have a special announcement. Some friends of our are doing a movie called “Project Narcisse” that Stillnotdead is going to be very involved in. If any of you want to try out for it drop me a line at ryan@stillnotdead.com . Put “Movie” in the subject line. We need plenty of extras so be sure to drop me a line. Especially if you want to be a Zombie, we’re gonna need plenty of those!! Talk to you soon! See you on the forums!!