Hey what’s happening? I’m extremely tired from Punk Rock Picnic 3 and I’m processing videos as we speak. Hopefully I’ll start getting those online later this week. If you missed it, you missed out on the biggest party we’ve ever thrown. But don’t worry, it’ll be back next year! In the meantime, let’s take a brief look at what’s going on around town this week!

First off, over at the Tremont Music Hall the place will be rocking Saturday night, August 21st as Stillnotdead.com is proud to present the Overmountain Men with special guests Appalucia and Jeremiah & the Howling Owls. The Overmountain Men are of course led by the awesome songwriting of David Childers and features some really ace musicians including Geoff White, Robert Childers, Randy Saxon and Bill Noonan. The expertise onstage will become evident as they proceed to crank out a show guaranteed to blow you away. Appalucia in the meantime are regulars to the Country Tuesday crowd and play some authentic, mountain man/ hillbilly music. Columbia SC band Jeremiah & The Howling Owls were added to the show just recently due to Temperance League being unable to play. This is a big break for those guys, who already have a reputation as an outstanding live band. This should be tons of fun and a great night of Americana/ Roots/ Country music. Doors are at 8:00pm and admission is $8 in advance and $10 DOS with a $3 surcharge for under 21.

Over at the Milestone Club on Friday August 20th is a show that we will most definitely not see Creative Loafing at.. You see the Milestone Club welcomes the 201o Coney Island Cockabilly Roadshow. What is that you ask? Honestly I’m not completely sure myself. I do know it will feature Jelly Boy the Clown and the Squidling Bros. Sideshow, Jason and the Punknecks, Guitar Bomb, Viva Le Vox, Charlotte’s own Hick’ry Hawkins, The Holyroller Sideshow and Selia D’Katzmeow Carmichael. What that equals I have no idea other than it’s gonna be a night of bizarre sideshow acts and music that seems to have a trashy twinge to it. I’m sure there is one thing it won’t be and that’s boring, which pretty much means it won’t be in CL. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $10 for over 21 or $12 for under 21.

This Saturday August 21st I also want to mention that longtime Charlotte duo The Battle Beast are having their cd release party at Snug Harbor, the powerful two man (beast?) band will be joined by openers Stronghold Crusader and IED, who just rocked the house at the Punk Rock Picnic! This will be a great night of hard hitting performance art and music. Battle Beast have long been a main stay in the subculture of two man bands we seem to have a ton of here in Charlotte and what sets them apart from their colleagues is the amount of art they sneak into their rhythmic attack. Mood lighting and bizarre mask have been main stays at past shows so one has to wonder what new plan of assault the band will have for their cd release party. Only way to find out is to show up!

Well that’s it for this edition. Don’t forget about the Charlotte Zombie Walk this coming Friday that I mentioned in the previous article. Until next week, take care and we’ll see you out at the shows!

Thanks for the support,

Ryan Dead

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

What’s up? I’m fighting a killer sinus infection myself so I’m gonna keep this one short and to the point. Just cause I’m feeling under the weather doesn’t mean you have to let it bring you down! Get out to the shows and enjoy some music!

Tomorrow night 5/6/10, the Milestone Club has Captured by Robots w/ Fat Camp and Pinko. If you have to ask what all that’s about you probably don’t need to go to the show. It’s a bizarre night featuring the animatronic chaos of Captured by Robots. While Fat Camp and Pinko feature equally bizarre lyrics. Anytime sodomizing unicorns is mentioned it isn’t hard to figure out what kind of show it will be! Admission is $8.00 in advance and $10 for over 21 at the door and $12 for under 21 at the door.

Also next Tuesday 5/11/10 The Milestone Club will welcome psychobilly groups The Koffin Kats and The Go Devils. I really like the Go Devils, who are from Asheville, NC. I saw them open for Tommy Ray & The Rayguns last year and really thought they were hot. Fans of Nekromantix or Tiger Army should find reasons to dig these guys! Same can be said for the Koffin Kats, even though I’ve never seen them live. I dig the couple tracks I’ve checked out and if you are into that type of music, you will too! Admission is $7 for over 21 and $9 for under 21.

If you’re into hook filled, catchy pop with a punky edge to it, then head on out to Tremont Music Hall this Friday night 5/7/10 for Rekless Youth w/ special guests Plan-C and Oh Yeah. These kids are one of the tighter live outfits in Charlotte right now and have garnered a lot of critical acclaim for their “Love Me, Hate Me” cd. I happen to be a big fan of the title track, which is one of the catchiest songs to come out of Charlotte in awhile! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over and $9 for under.

Also at Tremont this Sunday 5/9/10 we’re throwing a ska/ punk show with local Skacore kings IED, The Not Likelys, Jojo Taterhead Revival and touring band A Billion Ernies. The show is $7 bucks, all ages and no surcharge for under 21 just like all the SND shows at Tremont. Doors are at 8pm, so show up and rock out this Sunday at Tremont!

You might as well camp out at Tremont because the very next day, 5/10/10 Tremont welcomes Big D & The Kids Table with UNCA battle of the band award winners Dr DP & The Trainrunners! This should be a really fun ska show with both these outstanding bands! Skank the night away and ruin your Tuesday work/ school day! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $10 in advance and $12 at the door with a $3 surcharge for under 21.

Saturday night is looking like partly cloudy with a chance of Satan at SK Net Cafe as they welcome Rapegoat w/ Foundries, Orson Welles and Gambit. Rapegoat is pretty much like the flyer looks, heavy and full of Satan. They hail from over near Shelby and trust me, I wouldn’t want to get caught out in those woods! The doors are at 8pm and the show is $5 and 21+ only. Judging from the flyer I would say, no kidding…

Also this Saturday Elwood’s Music Hall welcomes the Aqualads w/ Parodi Kings! The Aqualads are Charlotte’s only surf rock band with a full arsenal of surf riffs and rumbling guitars to help you hang ten, even this far from the water. The Parodi Kings will be familiar looking openers as this band features Mike Hendrix of the Belmont Playboys and Jeff Clayton and the Mongrels and Mookie Brill who has played in just about every band at one time or another. Surf’s up in South Charlotte! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 in advance and $8 at the door!

Well that’s it for this week! Come back for our next edition when I will be sending out some birthday wishes and talking about more great shows coming to the area!

Thanks for the support!

Ryan Dead

Okay so here we go with another edition of This Week! The voting ends today for Creative Loafing’s Web Awards. Thanks to all of you who voted for Stillnotdead.com! We may not win but I hope we at least place so that they will have to mention us in Creative Loafing for the first time! Anyway, on with the shows!

Elwood’s Music Hall- The Overmountain Men w/ Carolina Gator Gumbo- 4/23/10- This week Elwood’s Music Hall welcomes back the Overmountain Men with Carolina Gator Gumbo. Last time the Overmountain Men played it was a packed affair with a standing room only crowd and everyone is hoping for a repeat! I hope so because honestly when you put David Childers in front of a crowd that big he takes it to another level. The show last time was one of the best I’ve seen on the local scene in a long time and this time I’m actually gonna bring my video camera! Carolina Gator Gumbo bring an amazing stage show of their own. This cajun/ zydeco band has been on the Charlotte circuit for a long time and I’m told bring a faithful dancing crowd. If that is the case, then you should get your tickets early because as big as the room is at Elwood’s, it’s bound to be one crowded night! Come early and eat and dance the night away with the Overmountain Men and Carolina Gator Gumbo! Doors are at 7:30 and admission is $7 in advance and $9 at the door. Tickets are available through www.elwoodsmusichall.com and etix.com.

Quantum Foundry’s CD Release party w/ Quantum Foundry, Mr Invisible and Maf Maddox- 4/22/10- Quantum Foundry are one of several local acts ( including the awesome Thought Criminals, who I’ve heard are nothing to fuck with!) that are on a mission to bring  about a hip hop scene in the Charlotte area! I’m all for it! This duo spins verbal gymnastics over really smooth grooves presented by their ever trusty Ipod. I’m really happy they have this new release and hope they don’t forget to send me a copy!! Also on the show is Mr. Invisible, another hip hop act from Charlotte comprised of one dj and two emcees and do it extremely well! I have to admit this is the first time I’ve listened to these guys and I seriously would love to do a show with them. These guys have an incredibly tight flow over really awesome, slightly old school beats. This definitely blows anything currently on the radio away. Anyone who thinks rap is just about bling and hoes should check this shit out and open their mind up! Also on the show is Maf Maddox, who seems to play stuff a little more abstract. I like the flow though. Just expect stuff to take off for outer space when he hits the stage. Seriously, with these guys along with Thought Criminals, when did Charlotte suddenly get such a kickass hip hop scene! I’m seriously impressed and hopefully this is a trend that will continue! Also appearing this night will be Live B Boys and Girls and a live art performance! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $7 for over 21 and $9 for under 21!

Tremont Music Hall- Stillnotdead.com presents: Bums Lie w/ IED, Gruppe 36 and the Nerve Scheme & The Rogue Nations, The Smokers and Greasy Kitty on the side stage!- 4/23/10- What started out as a simple show has evolved into almost a festival! As you know by now, Bums Lie will bring their trademark reggae, ska vibe so you can dance the night away but what a night that will be! Also on the bill is IED, the current kings of Charlotte skacore, still riding high off of their new cd “Whole Hearted Yet Half Assed”, The Nerve Scheme who rocked out at a Stillnotdead show a few months back and the debut of Gruppe 36 featuring former members of Carry On Bomb and Brotherhood of the Bomb! As if that wasn’t enough, we’ve brought back our Stillnotdead side stage, which will be set up in the bar room at Tremont. This stage will feature bands that will play before and between the bands on the main stage. Featured this time are The Rogue Nations, The Smokers ( making their Stillnotdead show debut and Greasy Kitty from Statesville! That’s 7 bands for those who are counting and the kicker is it’s only $7 with no surcharge for under age! So come rock out with this awesome all ages show! Consider this a warm up for Punk Rock Picnic 3, which will be happening in August!! Doors are at 8pm and the first band will start at 8:30 so get there early! Admission is $7 and it’s all ages!

Well that’s it for this week! Tune in next time for more talk about upcoming shows including Appalucia, Jem Crossland & The Hypertonics, Lamb Handler and more. Also thanks again for anyone who voted in the Charlotte Web Awards! Hopefully I’ll be bragging about having our name in Creative Loafing next week!!

Also I seriously need some people to review cd’s! I’ve got a stack that everyone has sent me and haven’t had anyone to do reviews. I normally will do them if I get the time but I’ve been seriously busy with my web design. If anyone wants to get some free cd’s in exchange for a few paragraphs about them, send me an email or come talk to me at one of the shows this weekend!  I will be at Elwood’s on Friday and at Tremont on Saturday! Thanks for the support and please continue to support local music!!

Thanks,

Ryan Dead

Okay so a few weeks ago a friend of mine pointed out how I write up shows a week ahead of time. According to him that might be confusing to people since they probably tune in on Friday to see what’s happening this weekend and instead find a column talking about what’s going on next week. So, in order to avoid confusion I’ve decided to start posting about shows that are happening within the same week as my column.

As of now the column will be known as “This Week” and will be posted on Tuesday or Wednesday. It will cover the shows that are coming up that weekend.

With that being said let’s take a look at what’s going on This Week!

2/26/10- Elwood’s Music Hall- The Overmountain Men with Appalucia- For those of you who haven’t checked out Elwood’s yet, now would be the perfect opportunity! It’s the only music venue you can come early and eat dinner at! Burgers, BBQ, Chicken all cooked in their own smoker! On this night they are playing host to a great hoedown with the Overmountain Men. The Overmountain Men are the new project featuring David Childers, Randy Saxon and Robert Childers, all formerly of the Modern Don Juans and Bob Crawford of the Avett Brothers. Now Bob won’t be at this show due to other commitments with the Avetts but the Overmountain Men will still have your feet tapping to their catchy brand of roots, americana. David’s songwriting skills seemed to be honed to a fine edge on their new cd “Glorious Day”, which finds David writing some of his most uplifting and fragile stuff to date! Also on the bill are home town militia, Appalucia, a band featuring Andy the Doorbum, Corey Ziggler and Buck Boswell doing their take on old school mountain music. Doors are 7:30, admission is $7.

2/26/10- The Visulite Theater-The Pietasters w/ IED- Jeez, Charlotte must be the cool place for oldschool ska bands to frequent as of late! First we had the Slackers a few weeks back and then the English Beat last week and now the Pietasters are hitting the Visulite! For those of you not familiar with the Pietasters, they started out as an underground band in DC. In 1992 they got their first big break by touring with ska originals Bad Manners and then in 1997 they got signed to Hellcat/ Epitaph records. Over the years they’ve won much critical acclaim for their records which feature genre bending mixes of ska/ reggae and soul. They’ve opened for Joe Strummer of the Clash and even been the backup band for James Brown! They’ve recently released their first record of new material in 5 years and this potent mix of soul, reggae and rock is not to be missed! Opening the show is Charlotte ska/ hardcore revolutionaries IED, who will be playing Charlotte for their third week in a row! Admission is $13 in advance and $15 at the door. Doors open at 8:00 and the Pietasters start at 10:30.

2/27/10- The Milestone Club- 25 Ta Life, Blackout the Sky, Olde York and King Sized Killers- This week we also get legendary hardcore as the band that claims to have rebuilt New York Hardcore, 25 Ta Life, come to town! It’s authentic hardcore in a metallic kinda way, face smashing stuff that isn’t for the meek at heart. Also on the bill is Blackout the Sky, which features Moss of the Dirty South Revolutionaries. Also hardcore with a touch of metallic and Moss’ distinct vocals. Expect plenty of smack talking! Also on the bill are Olde Yorke and local heavies King Sized Killers! Doors at 8pm and admission is $10 for over 21 and $12 for under! 18+ only please!

3/2/10- Snug Harbor- T Model Ford and Gravel Road w/ the Trouble Walkers- Legendary blues man T Model Ford blew the roof off of Snug Harbor last time he played. If you don’t believe it, check out the Stillnotdead Galleries for pics from the show. This time the venerable bluesman is back on Snug’s weekly “Country Tuesday”. There is no way to describe him except classic blues from a musician who has seen and done it all. Opening for him are the Trouble Walkers, a criminally underrated band that channel a white trash vibe that drags you along on tales of strippers, hookers, dope and the eventual turn to redemption. Doors are at 9pm and admission is $8 for over 21 and $10 for under.

Well that’s all for this week. I hope you like the new concept. I’ll be bring it to you every Tuesday or Wednesday depending on how busy I get. I have a ton of stuff to put up on the site. I have songs by a ton of local/ regional artist to put up as well as about 7 videos I need to process and put on the site. I’ll try to get it all online in the next week or so. Btw, if anyone wants to do some local music reviews I have a whole stack of cd’s that I will give you if you agree to turn in some reviews!

Ryan Dead

Okay so once again it has dumped a bunch of snow on us and quite frankly I’m just annoyed with it. We live in North Carolina for Christ sakes. It’s supposed to snow maybe once every two years, not four times in one winter! In any case I hope everyone who was out in the snow last night got home safely.

Oh yeah, just to get it out of the way, there are currently no plans to cancel the show tonight! Forecasters say that the roads should melt off and the D.O.T. has been out scraping the roads so we should be fine for tonight. Let’s all hope our touring bands can make it in. Last time I talked to them they were in Alabama and had been snowed in! In any case, we’ll see you guys tonight at the show!!

In the meantime let’s see what’s going on next week!!

Snug Harbor- “Fat” Country Tuesday featuring The Mangles, Appalucia and  The Howling Owls 2/16/10- Okay so I’m not sure how the Mangles fit into the whole Country Tuesday vibe but I dig the Mangles garage rock/ Ramones sound so I’ll forgive the breach of protocol. Besides Appalucia gives off enough country vibe for two bands so they more than make up for it. They also bring in the Howling Owls and it’s an official Fat Tuesday celebration so come out and celebrate Mardi Gras at Snug Harbor. Besides it’s free!!

Matt's B-Day Bash!!

The Milestone Club- Matt McGee’s 27th Birthday Bash featuring South Side Punx, IED, 2013 Wolves and Gore Gore Luchadores 2/20/10- I spoke about this show last week in a special column but thought it was worth mentioning again. Matt from DBDD is throwing his annual B-day bash and it’s gonna be wilder than ever. Those of you who have been to these shows before know what to expect. Lot’s of rowdiness and special unannounced guest stars, but this year it pushes the boundaries more than ever with the inclusion of the Gore Gore Luchadores. Yeah that’s right, not only will you bare witness to the sonic assaults of such bands as South Side Punx, IED and 2013 Wolves (plus possibly another guest star band..), but you’ll also witness the antics of Gore Gore Luchadores! Don’t know what that is? Basically it’s what happens when a bunch of local girls strip to their underwear and wrestle in a pool of blood and gore. Oh yeah and most of the time they wear mexican wrestling masks!! It’s $5 for over 21 and $7 for under and trust me, this show is definitely 18+!

The Milestone Club- The Goddamn Gallows, Mikal Khill & The Pink Wrist Band and For Disaster 2/21/10-  This is one of those shows with so much diversity that it could only be taking place at the Milestone Club! First up we’ve got Michigan’s The Goddamn Gallows, who seem to give off an intense psychobilly vibe that is actually heavily complemented by an accordion. Believe it or not the accordion gives there already ominous sound just a little more of an evil, mysterious vibe. Mikal Khill & The Pink Wrist Band is the side project of Mikal Khill and several of his Thought Criminal partners. The catch is that it’s not about hip hop but more about acoustic indie rock. Also on the bill is For Disaster which features a bunch of members/ exmembers of Zeus, Dirty South Revolutionaries, Clavius and more. These guys are total hardcore/ metal and if you’re sitting there going “What do all these bands have in common?” I would say absolutely nothing except they are playing the Milestone on February 20th! Admission is $7 for over 21 and $9 for under.

Tremont Music Hall- The English Beat, Fishbone and Outlaw Nation 2/20/10- The English Beat have bring playing their own

The English Beat at Tremont!!

version of ska since 1979 and along with several other bands are credited with bring ska out of the Caribbean and onto the world stage. Now located in L.A. the English Beat continue to tour, this time on the Spring Skaward Tour. It’s amazing after 30 years these ska pioneers continue to tour and delight audiences the world over! Also on the show are the legendary Fishbone, who most of you will remember from back in the nineties when they had a string of hits and were at their most popular. Opening are Louisiana reggae/ hip hop band Outlaw Nation. Tickets are $20 in advance and $22 at the door.

Also worth mentioning is that Through Porchlight will be bring their dreamy indie pop to Elwood’s Music Hall on Friday February 19th. Also on the show is Wylie and singer songwriter Carly Taich. Admission is $6 and be sure to come early in order to partake in some great food.

Guess that’s all for this week. I hear snow plows clearing the road so hopefully we’ll see you all at the Ska/ Hip Hop show at Tremont tonight!! If you come to the show look me up! I’ll be wearing a “Saturday the 13th” shirt!! See you tonight!!

“Well the rain keeps pouring down, nobodys coming out. We’ll play anyway, until they shut us down!” – Someplace Along the River- The Overmountain Men

Sorry, I was looking out the window at the insane amount of rain we’re getting and thought those lyrics about summed it up. If you haven’t checked out the Overmountain Men or gotten a copy of “Glorious Day”, which came out the other week you should. It’s some great stuff! Hopefully you’re staying warm and dry on this rainy Friday. In the meantime let’s take a look ahead and see what’s going on next weekend in this edition of Next Week!

The Milestone Club- Andy the Doorbum’s 5 year anniversary w/ Andy the Doorbum, 25 Minutes to Go, Babyshaker and 2013 Wolves 2/12/10- Has it been 5 years since Andy the Doorbum first appeared on the Charlotte scene? Hard to believe it’s been that long! But you’ll be hard pressed to find a musician who is more beloved by the Charlotte scene in general. His go for broke intensity that he brought to solo acoustic shows first brought him to the collective attention of the scene. Then the cd’s came out. I wasn’t fortunate enough to get the demo, but I did get a copy of his first full length titled “Art is Shit”. It literally blew me away! Take the intensity he shows in his solo shows with an incredible depth. The collage of sounds were woven into a sonic tapestry and in my review last year I declared that it might be the best thing to come out of the local scene. Combine that with the fact that Andy has taken his live band on tour this past year and he definitely deserves more than just a tip of the hat from the local scene! He’s a Charlotte original and our scene is better because of the Doorbum! It seems like the local music community agrees with me as the opening slots on this show are a bunch of ringers. 25 Minutes to Go play some straight up rock / punk rock with sing along choruses and recently played a 5 year anniversary themselves. Babyshaker play a glammed out punk tinged form of rock with liberal sprinklings of the New York Dolls and they recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary. Opening is the always massive 2013 Wolves. Massive sound is not what you’re used to in a two piece but these guys will blow the top of your head off. Come out, celebrate and don’t forget to tip your local doorbum!! Admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under! Doors at 8pm and it’s 18+.

Ska/ Hip Hop Summit 2010

Tremont Music Hall- Stillnotdead.com presents: Ska/ Hip Hop Summit 2010 w/ The Thought Criminals, IED, Angry Banana and The Real Deal  2/13/10- I talked about this show earlier in the week but just wanted to remind you about it. Now that the dust has settled on the Tremont controversy and we know that it will definitely be around we thought it was high time to have another ska party at Tremont. The twist this time is that we’ve invited local explosive hip hop live band, The Thought Criminals to join in the fun. These guys mix up hip hop with every other genre they can think of and come across as a  modern equivalent of Parliament. Also on this party are local rock/ ska/ revolutionaries IED who have a brand new cd out that is incredible to say the least. If you don’t have a copy you a missing out! The real pleasure at this show is that we’re welcoming two touring ska bands to Charlotte for this show. Angry Banana from New Orleans and The Real Deal from Canada! So show up early and rock out to some great music at this all ages party we’re throwing for you at Tremont. It’s all ages, the cover is $7 bucks and we’ve gotten Tremont to waive the surcharge for the night! Hopefully we’ll see everyone there!!

I did also want to mention that there is a pop punk show at SK Net Cafe on Saturday February 13th as well. This show will feature We Shout Goodnight, Bracing for Impact and The Speak Of. The cover for this show is $3 bucks and the doors open at 9pm. I’m not sure about the age range on this one but it is probably 18+.  I’ve noticed that SK Net has been having quite a few of the smaller punks shows recently but the problem is you have to pay close attention as they don’t update their web calendar like they should. In a few weeks they have Murder Media coming back to town with Razorkat and I believe the Not Likelys. Anyway, keep an eye out for those shows. If I find out about them ahead of time I’ll definitely pass the word along.

Well that’s it for this week! Try to stay safe and dry and we’ll see you next time!

Ryan Dead

Last week we put up flyers for not one but two big shows! It’s rare for us to do two shows this close together but since that’s the week of my birthday, as well as Matt’s from Dead Bodies Don’t Drown, we decided to team up and keep the party rocking!

Dance the night away!

First off we have the Ska/ Hip Hop Summit 2010 at Tremont Music Hall! This event features local live band hip hop artist The Thought Criminals! If you haven’t seen these guys they are awesome, combining elements of Parliament with Wu-Tang with explosive stage presence, these guys have a really hard to nail down style and put on a killer live show. Next up is IED! Local fans won’t need a description but for those who are uninitiated, IED are local ska-core revolutionaries. They combine the intense qualities of hardcore with the uptempo catchy nature of ska, often switching seamlessly between the two styles within a single song. They recently released their long awaited debut cd and you definitely want to pick up a copy if you don’t have it! If those weren’t good enough reasons to come to the show we’re also proud to announce that ska/ punk band Angry Banana from New Orleans will be playing Charlotte for the first time! If you haven’t heard of them check out their myspace page at www.myspace.com/angrybananaska. Also on the show is Canadian ska band the Real Deal! That’s right international ska at Tremont! Check out the Real Deal at www.myspace.com/therealdeal! In my opinion this group of Canadian ska lovers have a high energy show that will blow you away! The real kicker on this show is that it’s $7 with no surcharge! That’s right it’s all ages, there’s ska and there is absolutely no upcharge for under 21! I figured it was the least I could do since this is basically my early b-day show so I figured I’d give all of you a present instead! Have fun!!

Happy Bday Matt!

Speaking of birthdays, it’s also Matt’s from Dead Bodies Don’t Drown. So we decided to team up and for the first time ever DBDD and SND present Matt’s 27th annual birthday bash! For those of you who haven’t heard of these parties, they’ve become legendary in the carnage and debauchery that is unleashed at them! This year will be no exception and may push the boundaries of just how far you can take a show, even by Milestone standards. Let’s look at the facts. First off, it’s Matt’s birthday. Matt founded Dead Bodies Don’t Drown so that should be reason enough. Second, it’s 3 days after my birthday so if you missed me at the Tremont show, catch me here! Third, check out the bands! Seriously, who parties like the South Side Punx? Nobody! If you party harder than these guys, you’re probably dead! IED? Oh yeah, fresh off the ska show at Tremont the week before IED are bound to bring their patented sonic fury! 2013 Wolves live behind a wall of sound that is unbelievable for a two piece! Plus you didn’t hear it here but there will probably be another local band playing the show unannounced. Which one you may ask? I can’t tell you but you’ll never see them coming because they’re sneaky like ninjas. Lastly, the party got a little wilder this year because Matt invited the Gore Gore Luchadores to come party. What the hell is that you may ask? Basically, take you average local girl on the scene or a Charlotte Rollergirl, who knows, and strip them to their undies or less and put them in a kiddie pool full of fake blood and gore and make them fight for their lives against the masked girls of Gore Gore Luchadores! These masked pretties don’t play nice and trust me don’t stand close unless you wanna look like your an accident victim! Who knows maybe the Gore Gore Luchadores will have a bday present for Matt! All this carnage will only set you back $5 bucks if you’re over 21 and $7 if you’re under 21. And sorry this one is definitely 18+!

Btw, I’ve heard that this is being declared a benefit with all proceeds going to Diabetes research in the name of Stuart Chamberlain, also of DBDD who passed away last year!

Benefit for Haiti 1/28/10 at the Milestone!

It’s been announced that there will be a benefit concert for Haiti next Thursday January 28th. The all star show will be held at the Milestone Club and will feature the bands IED, The Not Likelys, South Side Punx, Rex 84, Machete! and Psinglewide Psychics. Psinglewide Psychics is a one time all star group featuring Ryan Sullivan, Phillip Shive of the Milestone, Biggy Stardust, Madison of Rekless Youth and Kris Engler of Razorkat.

Admission will be $6 dollars and all proceeds will go to benefit “Doctors without Borders” in their relief efforts in Haiti.