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

Okay, so that last post was weird! I apologize for pulling the story but that’s how it goes. Guess we’re back to business as usual, but “usual”  doesn’t really describe this week at all! Don’t know what I mean? Well let’s get it rolling and you’ll figure it out!

Over Mountain Men cd release 1/26/10 at Snug Harbor!

Snug Harbor- Overmountain Men CD Release Party 1/26/10- The whole town appears to be buzzing about the new release by the Overmountain Men, the new group featuring David Childers, Bob Crawford of the Avett Brothers, Bobby Childers of 2013 Wolves and Randy Saxon. I will tell you there is good reason for that. I’ve been working with the Overmountain Men since about August of last year, working on their newsletter and website. I’ve had their song “Someplace Along the River” stuck in my head for months. The music itself is catchy americana/ country/ rock kinda feel with David Childers unmistakable vocals. It’s an infectious combination and their CD “Glorious Day” is bound to be a hit. You really should make an effort to make it out to this special edition of “Country Tuesday” at Snug Harbor for the Overmountain Men as they have stated they will play a maximum of 1 show a month. Making it even more important to catch them while you can! The show is scheduled to start around 9pm and  admission is  $5 for over 21 and $7 for under 21!

Snug Harbor- Reverend Deadeye’s No Man Gospel Band, The Lesser Pauls, Moses Cherry & the Topless Gospel Choir,  Perry Fowler 1/31/10- I’ve spoke on the good Reverend before, with his hilarious and obscene sermons. This time he comes with his “No Man Gospel Band”. It should be a hellfire and brimstone revival tent meeting at Snug Harbor and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that he always appears on a Sunday. On his myspace page it simply says ” Where I sit my ass is my church”. In other words get ready to get preached too! Also on the bill is the always awesome Lesser Pauls. These guys are my pick for best new Charlotte band. Their songs range from Sonic Youth influence to 60′ s garage with vocals that will remind you of PJ Harvey at times. Good stuff. Also on the mill are Moses Cherry & The Topless Gospel Choir and Perry Fowler, both of which I must apologize to for not going into more detail but myspace is currently having problems and I can’t access the music players. Sorry!!! In any case this is a great Sunday night show based on the two bands I’ve highlighted above so you should come out and hang. Work will forgive you the next morning!

Benefit for Haiti at the Milestone 1/28/10

The Milestone Club- Benefit for Haiti 1/28/10- As I announced yesterday a benefit for the people of Haiti has been put together over the last few days through the efforts of Ryan Sullivan, formerly of Tax Slave and Razorkat. This show will feature a whose who of local music including IED, the Not Likelys, South Side Punx, Rex 84, Machete and Psinglewide Psychics. The trick with the Psinglewide Psychics is that it’s an all star group featuring Ryan Sullivan on guitar, Kris from Razorkat on drums, Madison from Rekless Youth also on guitar, Phillip from the Milestone on bass and Jeff “Biggy Stardust” Williams “allegedly”  on vocals. ( Sorry Jeff! Couldn’t resist!) Anyway this all star band will belt out a collection of punk and early rock staples and hopefully will be able to practice before the show. If not it should still be a lot of fun! Supposedly the show starts at 9pm but that seems kind of late for a show with so many bands so I would probably figure on it starting a little early. Anyway admission is $6 dollars but you should plan on donating a little more, it’s for a good cause!

The Slackers at the Visulite Theater 1/29/10!!

The Visulite Theater- The Slackers w/ Bums Lie 1/29/10- Last time the Slackers played it was one of the greatest shows I had been to all year so you can imagine my excitement when I found out they were coming back! That’s right the legendary Slackers have been at it for 15 years and show no signs of slowing down with their own unique brand of Jamaican fueled rock and roll. Their sound is hard to nail down but my opinion is that it’s a blend of reggae, soul and ska. Easy description would be ” I guarantee you if you come to this show it will be one of the most fun nights you’ve ever had!”. There that about sums it up! Bum’s Lie will open the party with their own QC version of ska and reggae. Be warned, don’t be late!! The doors open at 8pm and Bum’s Lie will start promptly at 9:30. The Slackers will go on at 10:30 according to the Visulite website and they are usually pretty prompt! Admission is $14 in advance and at the door!

Princess & The Criminals last show!!

SK Net Cafe- Princess & The Criminals, Jojo Tater Head Revival and the Not Likelys 1/30/10- Speaking of ska, here are three bands that are sure to have felt the influence of the Slackers! Princess & The Criminals are a Greenville SC ska punk band that if you are to believe the flyer are about to break up. Don’t know if that’s true or not but myspace is still on the fritz so I can’t confirm or deny the rumor. Jojo Taterhead Revival made a big impression on everyone at the Stillnotdead Punk Rock Picnic and has my vote for best new ska band. They of course rose from the ashes of DSS Crew and keep the same fun vibe but now with the ska turned waaay up! The Not Likelys have been consistently knocking audiences dead at Punk Rock Picnic and again at Throwdown Fest. Their brand of working class punk mixed with ska and a healthy level of intensity and stage presence always seems to work the crowd into a frenzy. Or maybe it’s the working class raging anthems. Either way the pit is usually on fire when these guys take the stage and SK Net may never be the same after this show! Show starts at 9:30 and it’s only $3!! What a bargain!!

Okay well that’s it for this weeks edition! I will actually be at 3 shows this week, which I think sets my record for most shows attended in one week! I will be at the Overmountain Men show on Tuesday, the Haiti Benefit on Thursday and the Slackers on Friday! I would love to be at the Not Likelys show on Saturday but I may be broke or dead tired by then but who knows. Try to catch me out at one of the shows! Take care and we’ll see you in the next addition of “Next Week”!

Thanks,

Ryan Dead

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