Hey what’s up!! Sorry this is going out late but I’ve been on the run the last couple days. It’s all in preparation for our annual Punk Rock Picnic!! This is the 3rd one overall and the 2nd that Stillnotdead has been involved in. It’s super cool that the brain child of John Austin of the Not Likelys could mutate into the multi stage spectacle that will invade Tremont Music Hall this Saturday! But before I get to talking about that show there are several other shows I would like to mention, let’s get to it!!

Over at the Milestone Club this Friday August the 13th they play host to Prayers for Atheists, The Thought Criminals and Height with Friends.  Everyone knows I’m all for variety, I love having different sounds on a show as I think it opens people up to checking out bands they wouldn’t have normally paid attention to. That is definitely the case with this show. Prayer for Atheists from Providence, RI were explained to me as a punk band and I can see the influence. Honestly they remind me more of Rage Against the Machine but that is a compliment coming from me. They are definitely passionate about what they do and the lyrics are personal and in your front face. Height with Friends from Baltimore, Maryland are underground/ indie hip hop who mix unusual sounds and melodies with heavy beats. There is definitely alot going on under the hood with these guys and it can be hypnotizing and at other times odd beats throw me off a little, but they should put on a fun live show. Speaking of fun live shows, anyone who knows me knows I love the Thought Criminals. This live band hip hop unit from Charlotte by way of Kannapolis produce massive songs with massive hooks and a wealth of lyrical brilliance. This show though there may be an added bonus for coming out. Mikal Khill has made a way to play his Nintendo. With any luck he’ll debut his Nintendo/ instrument at the show tonight. Be there and see history! Doors are at 8:00pm and admission is $7 for over 21 and $8 for under 21. 18 + only please.

If you are still ready to party after the Punk Rock Picnic 3 head over to our other home away from home, the Milestone Club. This Saturday night they feature The Fishnet Stalkers , with Rekless Youth and Bracing for Impact. This should be an excellent melodic punk show and it would make an excellent after party for PRP!

When you think of Friday the 13th you think of Jason, you know from the movie Friday the 13th. You know the unrelenting, brutal, undying juggernautwho comes back again and again, destroying everything in his path. Well this Friday August 13th, Snug Harbor host Charlotte’s version of Jason, the one and only ANTiSEEN with Self Made Monsters and Biggy Stardust & His Wretched Hive. You see ANTiSEEN have been haunting the music scene for over 25 years and show no signs of slowing down. Like Jason they’re brutal and unrelenting and I actually think Jeff could take Jason in a fight, as long as there was barbed wire involved. Also on the bill are long running Charlotte garage rock band Self Made Monsters, who have been around the scene for an extremely long time and the newly reformed Biggy Stardust and His Wretched Hive. This should be a show of monstrous proportions and it ain’t for the weak or meek so don’t say you ain’t been warned….

That brings us to the Tremont Music Hall. This Friday the 13th they have the annual Feast of St. Claires which is a benefit to support Loaves and Fishes. This is actually the third annual feast and this years lineup includes the Trouble Walkers, Leadville Social Club and Lost Souls Traveling Show, which was formerly known as the Holy Smokes. This should be a great event and if you bring a can food or non-perishable food item then you’l get a dollar off entry into the event. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $8 or $7 with a can food or perishable food item. Plus there is a $3 surcharge for under 21.

This brings us to the event I have been working my ass off this week to get ready for, the 3rd annual Punk Rock Picnic!! It takes place this Saturday August 14th at Tremont Music Hall. This started out several years ago as the brain child of John Austin of the Not Likelys and has evolved into a huge event that Stillnotdead throws every year. Last year Tremont got on board and were not only gracious host but the show kicked ass as well. This year we’re following the same formula as last year where early on we’ll have bands on the Stillnotdead side stage in the bar room of Tremont as well as burgers and hot dogs cooked up for us by the Summer of Meat! As the night goes on the action will switch to the Casbah stage in Tremont and finish the night out with the loudest party in Charlotte. There are a few things you should know about this show. First, when the food is runs out, that’s it. In other words, if you want to take part in the free food, you have to come out early! The doors open at 5:30 and the first band starts at 6:15. The food should be ready sometime during the first set. So if you want to grub, come out early!! Second, there is NO SURCHARGE for under age. The price of the show is $8, whether you’re 16 or 26 SAME PRICE. You’re welcome. Third, the schedule for the show will be posted at the door, day of show.

Now let’s take a look at the bands on this years shows! King Sized Killers are making their Stillnotdead debut this year and it’s also going to be their cd release show (hopefully!) so be sure to check out this hard rocking punk band from over toward Asheville, NC. If you dig them let me know, they could appear on future shows. Gruppe 36 contains former/ current members of IED, Carrion Bomb and Brotherhood of the Bomb, and play an explosive (pun intended) mix of street punk with a little metal around the edges. It’s powerful stuff and bound to get the crowd moving! Jojo Taterhead Revival rose from the ashes of the DSC Crew and played their Charlotte debut show at PRP2. They were a huge success, playing to a massive crowd and getting them moving with their kick ass ska sound. This year be ready to dance again! PEN15 are making their SND debut with this show but they are certainly no strangers to me. They used to play the Milestone Club when I ran it in the mid 90’s. This british punk fronted band have a treasure trove of catchy, fun party songs and will have the crowd singing along in no time! I was thrilled when 25 Minutes to Go agreed to play the picnic this year and even happier when they revealed to me that they have something special in mind for this show. What you may ask? Can’t tell you, I’m sworn to secrecy, you’ll have to show up to see what the masters of the ancient kung fu art of “Bladow” have planned. Playing their 2nd year in a row with the Picnic is the Rogue Nations. This local power trio features members/ former members of Obstruction, The Poontanglers and My So Called Band. They’re known for their powerful riffs as well as their socio/political satirist  lyrics. Yet another band making it’s SND debut this night is the Lesser Pauls. I’ve wanted these guys ( and girl) to play one of our shows ever since they debuted in Charlotte. They managed to remind me of Sonic Youth and Jefferson Airplane at the same time and singer Kenni Falls vocals even occasionally remind me of PJ Harvey. Last but not least is IED.  This ska core band has been a favorite on the Charlotte scene for years and finally came out with a debut cd late last year. They never fail to rock out and with this being Punk Rock Picnic, I’m sure you can expect great things from them.

Well that wraps it up, the other important things you need to know is that doors are at 5:30 and the first bands starts at 6:15. This show is all ages and there is once again, NO SURCHARGE for under 21. So for $8 bucks you get 8 great bands and free food. Also there is a small chance that I will be giving out freebies like I did last year so be on the lookout! It don’t get any better than that! Hope to see you all at the show!!

Thanks for the support!

Ryan Dead

What’s up everyone? I had an absolute blast hanging out at the Luau at Tremont Music Hall this past Saturday! I managed to catch a couple of videos which I will hopefully have up really soon!  In the meantime, let’s check out what is going on in local music!

The Milestone Club is hopping this week with several killer shows! First up on Friday July 23rd, The Milestone Club welcomes IED w/ Nemes, Sweet Hollow Drive and The Pink Wristband. IED is no stranger to anyone who reads Stillnotdead.com. Their hardcore meets ska approach has garnered them quite a fan following and they’re still riding high off the release of their debut EP ” Whole Hearted….Yet Half Assed”. This time they find themselves sharing the bill with a couple of out of town bands, Worchester MA’s Nemes and Long Island NY’s Sweet Hollow Drive. Both of these bands give off a kind of poppy vibe but take very different approaches to it. Also on this show is The Pink Wrist Band, the side band of Thought Criminals mastermind Mikal Khill. If you expected another hip hop set, think again as TPWB delivers acoustic driven indie, punk songs and yeah there may be small snippets of hip hop in there ( they view beat boxing as a percussion instrument!) but it’s definitely genre crossing, definition defying music! We could use more people on the scene who refuse to see borders! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under 21.

Saturday the Milestone Club is busy again as they welcome the return of The Have Nots w/ Biggy Stardust & His Wretched Hive and Bracing for Impact! Several months back many of us were sad to see the demise of not only the Dead Kings but also Biggy Stardust’s other band, Biggy Stardust & His Wretched Hive. Fortunately Biggie couldn’t stay away for long and now he is back with as he puts it ” new band, same shitty attitude”. Don’t let him fool you, this band is fun and their attitudes may be shitty but the music is rocking. Think catchy but not poppy garage punk fronted by  the most obnoxious, anti-frontman you can find and you’ll get an idea of what to expect. Boston’s Have Nots are building a stellar reputation in Charlotte for putting on kick ass/ ska influenced punk rock. Come to the show and check out these imports who have been warmly adopted by the Charlotte scene. Opening the show is Rock Hill garage/ punk rockers Bracing For Impact. I recently caught them for the first time at Tremont Music Hall with Taj Motel Trio and I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed the show! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under.

This last Milestone Club show is actually next Wednesday but I more than likely won’t do another preview column before that so I thought I would mention the excellent show going on there Wednesday July 28th. The Milestone Club welcomes Mr. Dibbs w/ The Thought Criminals, Mr Invisible, Playdough and Heath McNease. This will be an awesome hip hop show for the Charlotte music community and pairs two of my favorite local hip hop bands, The Thought Criminals and Mr. Invisible! The Thought Criminals are a 9 piece live hip hop band who take a Wu-Tang style influence and mix it with Parliament. The effect is jaw dropping, trust me, the live show is unbelievable and the rhymes are undeniable! Mr. Invisible are a 3 person unit who have been not only busy on the Charlotte scene but have been promoting their art as far away as the left coast recently. The first song on their myspace page is called “Rock Rock” and is really infectious. Their grooves are unbelievable, reminding me of little known 90’s group “Rise Robots Rise”. Be sure to check these guys out and be prepared to bob your head because I don’t think it’s possible not to, hell I’m bobbing my head here at my desk. Now that’s a groove!  Also on the bill is Turntable master Mr Dibbs and southern white rappers, Playdough and Heath McNease. Good jam for a middle of the week show! Show up and be surprised! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $10 in advance and $12 at the door for over 21 and $14 for under 21.

Moving over to Tremont Music Hall they have an excellent show Thursday night July 22nd as they host the Charlotte Music Awards Women in Rock showcase. This estrogen filled showcase features The Situationals, The Upside of Down, Sara Scott and the Amy Broome Band. Come check it out and support the women musicians of Charlotte! Doors are at 7pm and admission is $8 in advance and $10 at the door with a $3 surcharge for under 21.

Next Tuesday, July 27th Tremont Music Hall welcomes GBH with Outernational and Antiseen! GBH are a legendary punk band with 30 years behind them since they first laced up their boots. You can’t really argue with that or the fact that these guys are still active and kicking ass all these years later! Their new cd, Perfume and Piss was produced by Lars Fredrickson of Rancid and is further proof that these guys have never stopped and don’t look likely to anytime soon! Also on the show is new buzz band Outernational, who played a couple of shows at the Milestone a few months back and stirred up a wave of praise from the local scene that is rarely felt. These guys are totally worth it! Their cd was produced by Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and their sound is an indescribably mix of different genres. The Clash-like groove of their song ” Future Rock” has made me a total believer and trust me it will convert you as well! Rounding out this excellent triple bill is our local legends of punk rock, ANTiSEEN. The boys from brutalsville are no spring chickens themselves with nearly 25 years under their belt. But don’t let that fool you, they will blow your head clean off with their sonic assault. This is one of the most serious bills I’ve seen at Tremont in a long time. If you miss this show, you miss a chance to see the past and (hopefully) future of punk rock and that’s heavy! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $12 in advance and $15 at the door with a $3 surcharge for under 21.

Well that’s it for this week! We keep crawling closer to Punk Rock Picnic 3 and I can’t wait! August is gonna be a lot of fun and I hope to see all of you at the shows! Until next week, take care!

Thanks for the support!

Ryan Dead

It was just posted on the forum and on Tremontmusichall.com a few minutes ago that the GBH showed has been postponed!!! Go to Tremont’s website for details about refunds. The rumor is it had to do with visa troubles but a new date will be set later. Stay tuned for more details!!

Ok, this week I’m eagerly awaiting the coming of Spring and all the while I’m swamped with work from all directions! I’m not complaining but it can wear you down a little. If anyone is interested in helping out, I have a mountain of cd’s that need to be reviewed! Drop me a line through the site or forum and I will hook you up with free music in exchange for a review of that free music! In any case we’re here to talk about local music so let’s get to it!

Quit monkeying around and go see Antiseen!

The Milestone Club- ANTiSEEN w/ Vanguard and Pier Six Brawlers- 3/19/10- Antiseen are a steamroller on the local scene, they’ve been around for over 25 years and show no signs of slowing down. In fact with several new members in the fold Antiseen appear to have reenergized and may well rock until there’s no more blood left to leak out of lead singer Jeff Clayton. The legacy of brutality continues and this stop it’s at the Ghetto Fortress, otherwise known as the high temple of punk rock, The Milestone Club. I can’t think of a better match of venue and band. This is one for the ages. Also on the show are Vanguard, a band that is working hard to bring back American Oi music and Pier Six Brawlers, a group who put very little info on their myspace page but give the impression that they are serious business with a thrash/punk/ hardcore sound that will go over quite well with the company they keep on this show! Come early and be prepared for the brutality! Doors at 8pm and admission is $8 in advance and $10 for over 21 at the door and $12 for under 21.

I know it's on the westside but it's not what you think really!

Also worth mentioning at the Milestone Club on 3/20/10 is Crackfest 2.0. Now before you think I’m talking about something different, I’m referring to the 2 year anniversary of funk/ rock/ blues group Crackers and Snackmeat. In addition you’ll also be able to check out Buck Mountain Stranglers, Case Federal & The Agents, Habitual Ritual and South Side Punx. Yeah I said SSP, which officially makes this the most eclectic lineup I’ve seen in a while. Should be a ton of fun! Doors at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under 21.

Also show up at the Milestone Club for a rare Monday show featuring the excellent Gasoline Heart with special guest Motel Glory, Dear Kavalier and Jonathan Hughes from 25 Minutes to Go making a rare solo acoustic appearance. Should be excellent and it’s worth hanging out at the start of the work week for. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $7 for over 21 and $9 for under.

Tonight (3/18/10) at the Tremont Music Hall will be a great punk show if you’re not too hung over from St. Patty’s Day. It features Bracing for Impact, who have a new cd I haven’t had a chance to review yet but I will say it’s really rocking stuff! Also on the show is Razorkat, who are saying good bye to guitarist and former forum member Ryan Sullivan and the Smokers who may or may not bring a noodle pit with them! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 with a $3 surcharge for over 21.

Get down and dirty with Gore-a-licious!

Also at Tremont Music Hall on 3/20/10 is the Carnival de Debauche being put on by the girls of Gore-A-Licious. If you’ve been to any of the Gore-a-licious events then you know what to expect. If not, expect a ton of debauchery, including freakshows, blood wrestling, DJ’s spinning industrial metal, more blood wrestling, freaky people and makeup artist onsite to help you get in touch with your inner freak. Also this time there is  comedy by the Elder Statesman, as well as music by Hot House Hefftones, Astrid Haven and Emotron. It will be a pure spectacle and if you’re easily offended I would definitely stay home. Doors at 7pm for this one and admission is $8 bucks with a $3 surcharge for under 21. This one is definitely 18+ only please!

Also this weekend, The Lights Fluorescent are at Snug Harbor on 3/19/10 along with The Winter Sounds and Today the Moon Tomorrow the Sun.

Tarik Cranke and the VKC Band will be bringing their neo soul/ improv jazz show to Elwood’s Music Hall also on 3/19/10. With them will be local hip hop personality DJ Boney B. Show starts at 9pm. Admission is $8.

Woody & The Stragglers will also be at Elwood’s Music Hall on 3/20/10. This time out Woody and the boys will be playing 2 extended sets instead of having an opener. This show also starts at 9pm.

Well that does it for this week. Come back next week when we’ll talk about what’s coming up in local music! See you at the shows!

Ryan Dead

In case you haven’t noticed from the photo feed, we’ve added a couple of galleries to the site. First up is a gallery from Ramonesfest that took place at Snug Harbor last month. It features 25 Minutes to Go, Antiseen and several other bands paying tribute to the mighty Ramones. The second gallery features Babyshaker, the Dynamite Brothers and Satan’s Youth Ministers also from Snug Harbor. Both galleries were shot by Chris Peigler of the Rogue Nations. Check both galleries out as well as a ton of other galleries in our Gallery section!

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

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!!