Here are a few shows that I wanted to add to the mix. Check them out cause they will be massive fun!
The Milestone Club 10/30/09 DBDD presents: South Side Punx, Brainworms, Jojo Taterhead Revival and Snacktruck- Dead Bodies Don’t Drown suffered a horrible loss earlier this year with the passing of Stuart Chamberlain, however they vowed to carry on the tradition of great shows and are getting down to business with this pre-Halloween bash. Advertised as “the party that won’t end until Halloween” , this bash will feature local punk rockers South Side Punx who will do their best to rock the house with their near riot inducing sing along anthems. Also appearing on the card is Jojo Taterhead Revival, a great ska/reggae band formed from the ashes of DSS. Also on this show are a couple of bands off of Rorschach Records. Brainworms are a Richmond , Va band that reminds me of the Meat Puppets early stuff. At times it’s quirky, other times it’s a noise fest, either way it’s straight up awesome! Snacktruck are also from Richmond, Va and the first song I clicked on was a strange instrumental that one minute sounded like the Ventures and the next minute rock forward like a really strange prog rock song. I get the feeling from listening to the first couple of songs on their myspace that these guys tend to be more than a little math rock. Cool stuff, will be interesting to see how this plays out live. It’s a riff-a-thon complete with off beat (on purpose) drums and no vocals that I can find on the first few songs anyway. It’ll be a very interesting night at the ‘Stone. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $5 for over and $7 for under. 18+ only.
The Milestone Club 11/2/09- A Wilhelm Scream w/ Living with Lions, The Riot Before and We Shout Goodnight- A Wilhelm Scream have toured with the likes of Rise Against, Strung Out and Lagwagon and in fact just got off tour with Hot Water Music. Now they are invading the Ghetto Fortress in a last minute booked show. This is a really good opportunity to check out a band that Alternative Press hailed as “the new heirs of the skate punk scene!” Personally I think these guys have a rocking sound. High energy tempo riffs with gruff vocals screaming out the lyrics over the top of the wall of guitars. Anybody that has a song called ” Bulletproof Tiger” has got to be cool in my book! Also on the bill is Living with Lions who have a little more melodic, mid tempo feel to them. However the song I listened to had a massive sing along “Woahohwoah” chorus so that should bring plenty of opportunities for sing alongs. The Riot Before are from Richmond, Va ( another band? What’s that 3 in one weekend?) And claim to be so not punk that it’s punk. Of course you can expect them to be punk with statements like that. Truthfully they rock pretty hard though. They lack the “really big wall of sound” that the headliners have but that’s a good thing. A little more stripped down but very melodic, these guys aren’t above doing a few acoustic sounding numbers. My favorite song is the very catchy, uptempo ” Youcantsexydancetopunkrock”. Fun stuff for sure. Charlotte band We Shout Goodnight opens the show and they claim they are “Charlotte Punk Rock” in big day glow letters. Truthfully this is more new punk than old punk but it’s still really uptempo melodic stuff. Seems more rock than punk but it’s good stuff and it kind of reminds me of another Charlotte band, The Junior Astronomers. This should be an epic night of rock at the Milestone Club. I highly encourage those of you who feel up to getting you ass rocked on a Monday to get out to the show and check out these awesome bands. The way things go in this town it will be a long time before most of these bands ever come through again. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $10 for over and $12 for under 21. 18+ only please.
Ryan Dead
Sorry, it’s been hectic around here and I’m running behind. But at least I’ve made it in before the holiday weekend! It’s my favorite time of the year so let’s jump right into it! It’s the Halloween edition of Next Week!!
Zombie attack!! Run!!
If you feel like making a road trip then Ground Zero is the place to begin your Halloween weekend in style. Well maybe not in style, you are at Ground Zero after all, but at least it’ll be interesting based on not only this lovely flyer you see to your left but also the band names. With names like “King Sized Killers and “Rapegoat”, these bands sound custom made for a Halloween show. Btw, Rapegoat features Angus Hung of the Dead Kings so show some love!
Say goodbye to Hickory....There ain't gonna be anything left!
Antiseen w/ 25 Minutes to Go and South Side Punx 10/31/09 @ Drips Coffee House in Hickory, NC- Antiseen singer Jeff Clayton is a Halloween fanatic, hell he’s the only person I know that has as big of an obsession with Godzilla as I do, so it seems appropriate that he and his band mates are called on to rock Halloween into Hickory, NC with style. Break out the barbed wire and get ready for a blood letting as the 25+ year veterans of “destructo-rock” take aim on demolishing Drips Coffee House and the rest of Hickory as well. Not that there may be much left after the openers get done. 25 Minutes to Go are a hard rocking, sing along chorus creating, “Bladow!” screaming outfit of fury and they’re bound to be even more stoked on this night! South Side Punx open the show, if you can believe that! You know how they roll. I’ve never seen a band so capable of getting an audience to go from zero to insane riot levels in the course of one intro to a song. I have to say this is a triple headlining show for the ages and should be a great way to bring in the holiday.
Skalloween 10/31/09 at the Visulite Theater!
Bums Lie & Stillnotdead present: Skalloween featuring Bums Lie, the Not Likelys, IED, Rekless Youth and Stamper 10/31/09 @ Visulite Theater- Bums Lie has been doing Skalloween for 4 years now and this year they invited Stillnotdead in to take part in the tradition! Every year Bums Lie pick a different cd to cover. Last year was “Blood Sugar Sex Magic” by the RHCP, this year it’s Green Day’s “Dookie”. The trick is they will be doing the entire album in a ska/ reggae style. It should be really interesting to see how they alter the songs to fit their style. In addition you get the see a plethora of Charlotte area punk bands. IED are the kings of socio political Ska-core, infusing political lyrics with reggae beats to make a revolution you can truly dance to! The Not Likelys have been described as what Rancid would sound like if they didn’t start sucking and if their pit at Punk Rock Picnic was any indication that’s not a bad description. I know they blast out anthems like few others in town. Rekless Youth are actually using this show as a cd release party for their new cd “Love Me Hate Me”. I haven’t heard it yet but Rekless Youth are known for their tight musicianship and catchy hooks so it should be a good treat to get on Halloween! So come on out, be sure to wear your costume and get ready to celebrate Halloween Stillnotdead style! We’ll see you there! Show starts at 8pm and it’s $10. 18+ only.
That’s it for this edition. I did want to mention two great shows coming up on November 4th and 5th and I’ll give and in depth look at them in the next edition. The first is November 4th at Tremont Music Hall and features Boston’s The Have Nots with Planet Piss, Darken the Sky and Doctor DP & The Trainrunners which features Andy from Andy & The Jivers. The second show is on November 5th at Tremont and features the Mangles, the Smokers and the Necrohippies. Both of those shows are all ages and should be a lot of fun. I’ll talk more about them in the next edition!
I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween! Hopefully we’ll see you at Skalloween! Till next time, take care!
Ryan Dead
Here's to 40 years of the Milestone Club!!
I received work yesterday but was late getting it to you guys that you can now pick up advance passes to the Milestone 40th Anniversary party at the Milestone tonight for the big show tomorrow! These passes guarantee you entry into the FREE 40th Anniversary party Friday night, even if it sells out!
If you get a chance I highly encourage going by and picking up one of these passes. Otherwise, you may end up hanging out in the most famous parking lot in Charlotte instead of being inside with all the fun! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Ryan Dead
This looks like a fun show, unless the guy on the flyer shows up!
Just got this flyer for what looks like a fun show in Rockhill, SC. Check it out!
This coming week is gonna be a huge weekend if you are a fan of the Milestone Club! The Ghetto Fortress will be celebrating their 40th Anniversary with and entire weekend of insane shows! If that wasn’t enough a legendary band is coming to town as well. Let’s check it all out in another edition of “Next Week”!
Social Distortion at Amos Southend 10/21/09!!
Social Distortion 10/21/09 Amos Southend- I know there is no need to hype this show. It’ll be packed. Even though it’s basically Mike Ness and a backing band as a friend of mine said. It doesn’t matter, the attraction the female species feels toward Mike Ness is irresistible so expect a lot of girlfriends/ wives to drag their significant others to Amos to partake in this mass lusting. Course the guys will get to hear such hits as “Ball and Chain” and “Ring of Fire” and truthfully I never thought these guys would end up playing Charlotte so it’s always a good thing when a band of their stature comes through, even if they are a little past being relevant. Admission is $25 in advance and $30 at the door, I believe.
Happy 40th Ghetto Fortress!!
Day one featuring: Junior Astronomers, Harvard, The Lights Fluorescent and Grids 10/22/09- Let the festivities begin! The Milestone begins their weekend long 40th anniversary celebration and it starts with a bang. Grids features former members of Obstruction and play up the minimalist’s version of hardcore with style. The Lights Fluorescent are fresh off playing the Darfur benefit show last week and always impress with one of the best live shows in Charlotte. Harvard play a slick sounding version of indie rock and I’m surprised they aren’t playing much larger venues at this point with their sound. I’ve been impressed with Junior Astronomers ever since I saw them at the Charlotte Local Music Showcase. Awesome vocals and great songwriting make them a great indie rock band and if they stick to it there could be great things ahead for them. Doors are at 7pm and admission is $7 for over and $9 for under. 18+ only please.
Day two/ Afterbirth Casserole Records Showcase featuring: 25 Minutes to Go, PPR, Andy The Doorbum and 2013 Wolves 10/23/09- Afterbirth Casserole is the record label ran by Phillip Shive and Neal “MF” Harper, the guys who also run the Milestone so what better way to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ghetto Fortress than by also showcasing all the talent that has put out recordings on their label this year. 25 Minutes to Go’s “It’s Go Time” hasn’t received as much attention as it deserves and that’s a pity. It’s a kick ass cd (even though my reviewer never gave me my copy!!) But you know what to expect from the self proclaimed “biggest punk band in Charlotte ( weight wise that is!)” These guys bring soaring sing alongs and melody to a driving punk sound that has taken a slightly heavier (no pun intended) turn with this recording. If nothing else show up for the live show. These guys take it more seriously than most and strive to put on a show to remember every time they play! PPR are from Atlanta and from what I remember they are heavy as hell. Or at least loud as hell. I couldn’t find a link for them though so I can’t get more in depth than that. Andy The Doorbum is already the owner of the best local release of this year in my opinion. Pick up his cd “Art is Shit” to see what I mean. Live Andy is a whirling dervish of musical insanity. He approaches live acoustic shows with the intensity of a death metal band and would make a normal singer/ songwriter shit his pants. 2013 Wolves are the creation of Milestone owner Neal “MF” Harper and “Battlin” Bobby Childers and believe me these wolves have teeth! This duo sounds bigger than their numbers and have an excellent cd called “Sinners Get Ready”. Trust me, when they play you won’t be a sinner long. This two man riff machine will make believers out of everyone! As if this show wasn’t kick ass enough the bonus is IT”S FREE!! Doors are at 8pm and I expect everyone to come out and pack this place! See you there!! Oh yeah, the only drawback is this party is 18+ only!
Day three featuring Birds of Avalon, Maserati and Hectagons 10/24/09- If there is anything left of the club after day two we’ll proceed to the third day of celebration featuring Hectagons, an instrumental riff monster of a band featuring Wiley Buck Boswell, who you’ll know from Clavius, Andy the Doorbum, Appalucia, stapling flyers on telephone polls, you know that guy I’m sure! Also on this show are Birds of Avalon from Raleigh, NC. They fall on the rock side of things with a heavy dose of psychedelic. Interesting stuff for sure! Athens Ga’s Maserati finishes up the bill and I don’t know how to describe then other than saying they are a sonic adventure with songs that build gradually into epic masterpieces of noise and power. This should clear the cobwebs out of the ’stone if there are any left after Friday’s show. Doors at 8pm!
Day four featuring So Many Dynamos, Cinemechanica, One Another and the Heiz 10/25/09- Four days, really? Can the crew of the Milestone handle this fourth day of celebration? The last night isn’t going softly that’s for sure. In fact it’s a pure adrenaline rush! So Many Dynamos are fast guitar oriented rock that tickles my ears with their melodic harmonizing licks. Cinemechanica from Athens Ga are a noisy experimental/ chinese firedrill of a band. They manage to be all over the place all at once and charge foward at full speed whether you’re ready or not! Charlotte’s One Another is the only local band on this bill and have a very energetic, wide open driving sound with some catchy hooks to boot! The final band on the lineup is a garage rock band from Japan! They are called the Heiz and don’t expect to understand much that comes from the stage. With lyrics that seem to flow back and forth between english and japanese these guys play surprisingly accurate Detroit style garage rock. It’s like Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels on a heavy sake binge! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $7 for over 21 and $9 for under. 18+ only please!!
Meth Mountain's new 7" ep!
Lunchbox Records- Meth Mountain record release party 10/23/09- If the party at the Milestone is too much for you, swing by Lunchbox Records for the cd release party of Meth Mountain. This hardcore/ surf rock band features former members of Obstruction and are a great addition to the local scene. This show will feature the release of their new 7″, Monotony and at the show there will be special limited edition covers of the 7″ that will only be available at the show and all copies will come with a download card for anyone who is vinyl challenged. Also playing are Worn in Red, Bandname and Mon Frere. Show starts promptly at 8pm and cover is $3! Oh yeah, and it’s all ages!
Well that’s all for this week, tune in next week when we look at all the halloween happenings that will be taking place around town, including Skalloween at the Visulite! We’ll see you then!
Ryan Dead
Okay, sorry this is going to be a brief addition of Next Week but I’ve got a lot to do today, getting ready for our big show at Tremont tonight!! Hope I see everyone out there! Anyway, this weekend has a few great shows that would be a lot of fun for your listening pleasure so let’s get to it!
Through Porchlight at Tremont 10/15/09!
Tremont Music Hall- Through Porchlight, Hotspur, Lyra Shines, Bracing For Impact and The Oms 10/15/09- Through Porchlight describe their music as “Italian Pop”. I don’t know how that sounds but this Charlotte group is surprising and I’m surprised I haven’t heard of them before. Light, airy acoustic pop with vocals that sound familiar but I just can’t place them. Hotspur are a Maryland/DC power pop with a sound that says they aspire for radio greatness. That’s not a necessary bad thing, they are catchier than most of the stuff currently on the radio. Not my cup of tea necessarily. Lyra Shines is a young band (been together for about a year) who fly to “alternative rock” label. To me, they sound like sort of like Paramore or maybe a little like Tsunami Bombs. It’s heavy, crunchy pop with a good female vocalist over the top for good measure. It’s really good sounding stuff and they have amazing sound for such a young band. Bracing for Impact have been burning up the area lately, playing a ton of show between here and Rock Hill. The boys better be careful, playing shows non stop can help you build a following but it can also burn people out. From the sounds of their live demos on Myspace they’ve got a good rock-n-roll sound and should hopefully pick up a lot of new fans at this show at Tremont. The Oms got added to this show at the last minute and this Charlotte group should be an interesting opener. They’ve got an interesting, guitar driven indie feel to them. Soft vocals keep it feeling delicate as it builds toward the bigger climax. Should be a really interesting show at the Tremont! Doors are at 6pm for this show and it’s $6 bucks for over 21 and $9 for under.
The Milestone Club- Dexter Romweber Duo, Buck Mountain Stranglers and Andy Wood 10/17/09- Dexter Romweber is the former frontman of psycho-surf a billy/ garage punk band the Flat Duo Jets who got their career off to a great start when they played their first national tour in 1990 with the Cramps! Fast foward to the present and Dex has the Dexter Romweber Duo which features his sibling Sara Romweber ( of Snatches of Pink), they’ve also been burning it up touring with the likes of the White Stripes, Legendary Shack Shakers and Reverend Horton Heat. His new cd features guest spots by Jack White, Cat Power and Rick Miller of Southern Culture on the Skids. It’s a hard to describe mix of sounds, part rockabilly, part garage rock. It also kinda reminds me of John Spencer Blues Explosion in some ways. Opening are the Buck Mountain Stranglers who list themselves as being from Buck Mountain, NC… Judging from their friends list I would say that’s somewhere in Charlotte. To boot the only “song” on their media player is an advertisement for Pabst Blue Ribbon. Course I guess by that I should be able to narrow them down a little farther. Based on the PBR reference I would guess they hail from somewhere near the Penguin/ Thomas St area. Opening up this whole show is Andy Wood, who list his home as Charlotte and plays honest clean acoustic music. Should be a refreshing start to the show. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $8.00 for over 21 and $10 for under. 18+ only please!
Snug Harbor- 2nd annual Breastival! 10/17/09- This unique charity was a big hit last time and it looks to score again as it raises money for Save The Ta Ta’s! This show will feature mostly female powered acts including the Lesser Pauls, who’s unique Grace Slick meets PJ Harvey sound has been garnering them a lot of recognition around Stillnotdead’s circles lately. They are joined by Black Lashes and Erika Blatnik. Also advertised are special performances by Venus Flytrap, Beth Amphetamine, Taloulah Blaquehead and Lilith Deville, along with DJ Scott Weaver. The whole sheebang will be emceed by none other than Hope Nicholls and there will be free massages courtesy of Eastern Massage School. Of course, as always all proceeds go to Save the Ta Ta’s! So come on out and support this great cause, you’d be a lot less happy if they weren’t around! Show starts at 9pm and I don’t have a price yet. I’ll let you know if I get one!
Well that’s it for a short edition of Next Week, be back next time when we talk about a cd release and the huge Milestone 40th anniversary weekend celebration!! Hopefully I’ll see you all tonight at Tremont!!
Ryan Dead
