Okay, I know you will all be rocking the cookouts this weekend since it is Labor Day, otherwise known as “Summer’s Last Hurrah”! And really you have to ask, “Where has the summer gone?” I mean, it seems like yesterday we were talking about Memorial Day and now the kid’s are back in school, college is back in session and the early mornings are starting to feel righteous. But oh well, no use crying about the end of Summer. Besides Halloween is right around the corner and that’s my favorite time of the year!  In the meantime, there are some awesome shows coming up this weekend so put down the charcoal and gather round to see what’s going on this week in our special Labor Day edition!

Over at the Tremont Music Hall they are starting the holiday weekend early on Thursday September 2nd with LA, California’s Autolux, with Gold Panda and Cement Stars. Autolux seem to specialize in building an incredible wall of sound. Some songs drift on like ambient waves of sound in the middle of an ocean of tranquility while in other songs the waves crash into the shore with a spectacular effect. Heady stuff indeed! Gold Panda I’m not so sure about. It’s all manipulated riffs and beats and loops and it’s extremely trippy. I think this is how the rave sounds when you’re on a ton of drugs. Charlotte’s Cement Stars are more to my taste with some nice 80’s sounding synth, smooth harmonies and breathy lyrics. Honestly at times these guys remind me of the Petshop Boys and maybe straying as far modern as Radiohead. Should be a great atmospheric show to chill out to after a long week. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $10 in advance and $12 at the door with a $3 surcharge for under 21. Plus it’s an all ages show!

Friday September 3rd at Tremont Music Hall they host F-Dux with Edifide, Ghost Unknown, Hoodlumz and The East Derrelycs. East Detroit’s F-Dux honestly seems like a white DMX to me. Lyrics of murder and mayhem aren’t my cup of tea but he pulls it off well with some great production. Charlotte’s own Edifide seem like the odd man out on this bill. These guys appear to have taken a different path and actually apologize for obscenities on their previous releases, vowing to try to keep obscene subject matter and language off their newer stuff. I have to give it up, I really dig their flow and beats, and I have to give props to them for trying to be positive role models. Ghost Unknown, also from Charlotte, is a little farther out there lyrically and I’m not sure I totally dig it but it’s not bad. Also of interest is Hoodlumz who surprised me by being from Mooresville, NC. That’s right Racetown U.S.A., and I mean that in a Nascar type way. Hoodlumz are two white guys and a white girl who could use a little better production on their recordings but it will be interesting to see what they develop into. As it stands all I heard on the myspace was short clips of each of them spitting a verse individually, but they do get props for sampling Whitesnake’s “Still of the Night”! Also playing are the East Derrelycs, which I didn’t find a link for on the Tremont site so I apologize for not talking more about them. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $7 bucks plus a $3 surcharge if you are under 21. This show is also all ages.

This Friday September 3rd Snug Harbor host Lamb Handler w/ the Matt Kurtz One and Zoe Vette & The Revolvers. Lamb Handler are one of my favorites on the local scene, playing a smooth rock and roll sound that has recently been sprinkled with elements of country. Don’t let the jangle fool you, these guys are still the shepherd’s of rock in Charlotte! Also on the bill is the indescribable Matt Kurtz One. Imagine someone kicking out the jams like the MC5, but only having one member in the band. That’s right, one man to play drums, guitar, bass, keyboard and vocals, and he pulls it off rather well. I was really jamming off the videos on his myspace, you should definitely check it out. Also on the show is femme fatale Zoe Vette & The Revolvers, with a grrrlll power message and flaming crotches, what’s not to love. This will definitely be a hard rocking show and a really good time at Snug Harbor.

Thurday September 2nd the Milestone Club welcomes Greg Ginn and Gary Piazza with  Buck Mountain Stranglers and  Great Architect. In case you live under a rock Greg Ginn is the legendary guitarist for Black Flag and still records on SST records. The band nowadays plays country-ish instrumentals and is pretty out there. Still it’s a chance to check out a man who was a pioneer of American punk. Opening on this show will be handled by the hilarious Buck Mountain Stranglers and Great Architect.

The rest of the weekend at the Milestone Club who is a big 3-day festival the entire weekend. It’s the Appalucia Gun Club Weekend aka Lolappalucia, aka Buck Boswell Fest or “My Cold Dead Hands” fest. Whatever you want to call it, it’s going on all weekend at the Ghetto Fortress. It starts with a bang (pardon the pun) on Friday night September 3rd with 2013 Wolves, Hectagons, The Overmountain Men and Leadville Social Club. Saturday the 14th things definitely take a wilder turn with Gore Gore Luchadores, PPR, Appalucia, IED and Nesh. Sunday night the whole thing goes into overdrive with Andy the Doorbum, Babyshaker, 25 Minutes to Go, The Bout It Boyz and For Disaster. Whew! That’s a ton of bands on a holiday weekend. I think you should get a medal for going to all three nights of it and surviving. But at least you have Monday off…. Doors are at 8pm all 3 nights and admission is $8 for over 21 and $10 f0r under on Friday night and $6 for over 21 and $8 for under on the other two nights. And no there is no package deal to get admission to all three nights. Now that’s a show where you get more bang for your buck! Or is it more Buck for your buck! Just picking Buck!! Sorry couldn’t resist the pun!

Well that’s it for this week! You guys have a safe and happy Labor Day weekend and we’ll see you next week!

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

Man how time flies! I can’t believe it’s already August! That means we’re less than two weeks away from Punk Rock Picnic 3! Jeez, I’ve got a lot of work to do to get that show ready but you guys don’t have to worry about that, all you have to do is show up! In the meantime let’s take a look at what’s going on in local music!

This Friday August 6th The Milestone Club welcomes Guttermouth, The New Threat, South Side Punx and The Not Likelys. Huntington Beach CA’s Guttermouth blast out high energy, melodic punk rock with clever, humorious lyrics. It’s rare they come through the area so be sure to get out and check out these guys! The New Threat are from Florida and have been around since 2003. These guys play it just like it should be, loud and fast with barely a break from the sonic assault. Also on the bill are local kings of street punk, South Side Punx and excellent working class punks, The Not Likelys. This is a great show with a couple of great touring bands and a good representation of Charlotte’s own local punks, check it out if at all possible! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $13 for over 21 and $15 for under.

Sunday August 8th the Milestone Club will welcome Whatever Brains, Yardwork and Brain Flannel. Charlotte’s own Brain Flannel have a slight punk influence but with an ear shredding love of distortion, although the second song on their myspace seems to remind me of the Minute Men a little…Yardwork on the other hand takes much more of an indie-pop direction with their music. The melodic pop reminds me a little of the Flaming Lips, which is a definite compliment in my book. Although the Flaming Lips singer would never scream out the lyrics with the wild abandon of Yardwork. I definitely dig it and hope to catch them live soon! Raleigh’s Whatever Brains seems to fit perfectly between the sound of Brain Flannel and Yardwork, on one hand they are poppy and catchy but on the other they are distorted and fast as hell. Should be a great show, even if it’s guaranteed to make you late for work the next day! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under.

Over at Tremont Music Hall I forgot to mention a show last week so I will take the time to mention it now. If you haven’t made plans for tonight and you like music heavy enough to loosen the bolts in the cars in the parking lot then amble over to Tremont Music Hall for the bowel shaking sounds of Black Cobra, Howl, Struck by Lightning and Machete! This show will probably set off  the richter scale so don’t be worried if they report seismic activity in Charlotte tonight. Of course, it’s always possible with the power of Black Cobra and Machete in the same place it may warp the fabrics of reality and bring about the end of the world for real. If that’s the case it’s better to be at ground zero ( The site of the cataclysm, not the club in Spartanburg!) so head on out to Tremont and hold on for dear life! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $10 in advance, $12 dos with a $3 surcharge for under 21!

On a completely different note, Tremont Music Hall is having an 80’s hair metal revival next Tuesday August 10th as they welcome Faster Pussycat withL.A. Guns and John Corabi ( formerly of Motley Crue). I have to admit I grew up in the 80’s surrounded by metal and punk. I actually had the first cd by sleazy Los Angeles rockers Faster Pussycat. It was a fun guilty pleasure and occasionally it still is. I was never into L.A. Guns though, even though my wife assures me that they are awesome. I’ve never heard of John Corabi, but I assume he was one of the fill in singers from Motley Crue. Basically I think it’s all good to wax nostalgic for one night and rock out with some 80’s metal/ hard rock. So put on your spandex ( just kidding, please dont!) and tease your hair and head on out to Tremont Music Hall. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $15 in advance and $18 dos with $3 surcharge for under 21.

I would also like to mention the benefit for Charles Inman that is taking place at Snug Harbor tonight. From what I hear Charles was injured in a car crash and Snug decided to throw a benefit to help with the medical bills. The lineup is stellar! It features Charlotte glam punk band Babyshaker, the sleazy sounds of the Troublewalkers and the rockabilly, greaser rock riot of the Belmont Playboys. The doors open at 8pm and the show starts at 9pm, which is early by Snug standards. Cover is $5 and goes to a good cause so get on out and rock out for a cause!

Also if you’re in the mood for rockabilly, head up to Puckett’s Farm Equipment Saturday night August 7th to check out the Bo-Stevens. These guys play some wonderful rockabilly/ western swing and would be a treat to watch in the “Bob’s Country Bunker” type confines of Puckett’s. I suspect the show will start around 9pm and cover will be $5.

Well that’s it for this week, I’ve got to get back to work getting Punk Rock Picnic 3 ready to blast off next week! Hope to see you guys at the show! Until then have fun and we’ll see you next week!

Thanks for the support,

Ryan Dead

Hey what’s up? I bet more than a few of you are feeling the after effects of the GBH / ANTiSEEN/ Outernational show last night at the Tremont Music Hall. By the way, if you went to the show send me a review! If I use your review you’ll get a prize!!  Btw, don’t forget about the Mr. Dibbs, Mr. Invisible, Thought Criminals show taking place tonight at the Milestone Club!! Go back and look at last week’s edition for a review of the show and then come back here to read this week’s edition. It’s okay I’ll wait……………………….. Oh, you’re back?! Cool, well now that you’ve been informed about what to do tonight let’s get on with the rest of the weekend!

First up Tremont Music Hall will welcome some more punk rock legends this Friday July 30th when they host Batusis with Prima Donna and the Mangles. Batusis features Cheetah Chrome formerly of the Dead Boys and Sylvain Sylvain formerly of the New York Dolls. The result of this combination is some really good, grimy rock and roll with edgy lyrics and just the right amount of snarl and grittiness. Alot of Charlotte’s young punk bands would do well to take notes from these veterans! Also on the show is Prima Donna, a band from Hollywood, CA who definitely look the part. They look very glam and rock and roll that could have been influenced by the New York Dolls, but more likely they got it from listening to Jet. I wouldn’t hold that against them though, I hear elements of Ziggy Stardust era Bowie and it’s pretty fun stuff. Opening the show in their first of two appearances this weekend is locals The Mangles. These guys are a great pick to open the show and haven’t gotten enough attention on the local scene. They have a gritty, garage rock style that lends a nervous energy to their slightly pop influenced tunes. To top it off the vocals kind of remind me of the Ramones and that is definitely a good thing. Doors for this show are at 8pm and admission is $10 in advance and $12 day of show with a $3 surcharge for under 21. And yes it is all ages so come out and witness more Punk rock history at Tremont!

The Lights Fluorescent will shine no more at the end of next month and in the meantime they continue their farewell tour with a stop at the Milestone Club. This Friday, July 30th,  the Milestone Club welcomes The Lights Fluorescent with Shotgun Lover and 500 Miles to Memphis. By now you are all familiar with the soon departing The Lights Fluorescent. This indie rock band captured the attention of the local scene, both critics and fans with their incredible live performances and dazzling songwriting but soon it will all be a memory. That’s a bummer, so be sure to check them out before they’re gone for good. Shotgun Lover are from the Nashville area and they have a slightly polished, garage rock type sound that is accented by an organ in the background and just enough honky tonk under the surface to keep your head bobbing. 500 Miles to Memphis have become like one of the family over at the Milestone Club and it doesn’t seem far to refer to them as “out of towners”, even though they are from Ohio. In any case these guys seem to straddle the line between rock, country and a little nod of punk for good measure. But they seem to handle at that tight rope walking with ease and almost at times sound like a younger, cooler Green Day dong the country thing. And no matter what you think of GD, it’s a compliment to these guys. If the music business was fair, these guys would already be bigtime! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under 21. 18+ only.

Also at the Milestone Club this Saturday July 31st is Lamb Handler, Unnamed and The Mangles. Lamb Handler have long been a favorite of mine on the local scene, playing some of the best pure rock and roll to ever come out of the city. Unnamed are a power trio from Savannah Ga who seem to have cut their teeth on psychedelic rock. They blast off into a sludgy cosmic ooze of heavy rock goodness and should go great with Lamb Handler. I can imagine that their live shows are loud as hell. This is the kind of music you feel as well as hear. The Mangles make their second appearance of the weekend at this show and if you didn’t catch them with Batusis the night before definitely come and check them out in the up close and personal confines of the Milestone Club. Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under 21. 18+ only please.

Also wanted to make a quick mention that this weekend Snug Harbor welcome Future Birds, Pullman Strike and Clint Maul on Friday July 30th. I’ve heard alot of good things about Pullman Strike and hopefully they will continue to build a fanbase on the local scene! Saturday night July 31st Snug welcomes Babyshaker with The Vicious Guns and One Another. Babyshaker is one of my favorites and one of the few that are still around from when I played in bands. Hopefully the Batusis show will inspire them to continue to crank out high energy/ high attitude glam punk for many more years to come! Just remember if you’re going, Snug is 18+ and the shows don’t usually start till around 10pm!

Well that’s it for this week! We continue to gear up for Punk Rock Picnic 3, which is just a few weeks away! Tune in next week when we’ll take another look into what’s happening in the local music scene!

Thanks for the support!!

Ryan Dead

Hey what’s happening? This weekend the local bands appear to be buying into the summer concept with several shows incorporating cookouts into them! It’s always fun when you can go to a show and grab some free grub! Speaking of cookouts, check out our Facebook page for a full list of the bands playing Punk Rock Picnic 3 which is August 14th at Tremont Music Hall! I will have the flyers finished and online by this weekend and hopefully have them spread out over Charlotte as well! But now let’s check out the shows!

This week we have to say Happy Birthday to Jonathan Hughes of 25 Minutes to Go! He’s celebrating his birthday in style by throwing an “Extreme” Luau at Tremont Music Hall on Saturday July 17th! The Luau features a pig roast ( Yes they are supposedly roasting an entire pig!), performances by 25 Minutes to Go, South Side Punx, Hectagons and Boo Low. That’s a lot of rock and plenty of variety. It’s worth noting this is the first performance in a long time where 25 MTG and South Side Punx have played on the same show together, it’s like a reunion!! Everyone is encouraged to wear hawaiian shirts and coconut bras with hula skirts and everyone that does will be entered in a drawing for a prize pack! It’s gonna be a great party with some loud rock, great food ( mmmmmm pork!) and lot’s of fun! Happy Birthday Jonathan! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $9 for under. Plus it’s all ages!

Also on Saturday July 17th Snug Harbor will rock with the sounds of Machete, Ocoai and Gruppe 36. Machete is the absolute loudest two piece this side of Jucifer and will blow you brains out with a sonic assault so incredible that you’ll forget it’s generated by only two people! Ocoai is a self proclaimed “metal shoe gazing” band from Johnson City Tennessee. To me it sounds like if the guys from Pink Floyd decided to do a metal band. Plenty sludgy but with a lot of atmospheric quietness mixed in to make it all seem more moody. Deep stuff and if it’s played at a massive volume it should be an incredible show. Gruppe 36 features members and former members of Brotherhood of the Bomb, IED and Carrion Bomb. Expect hard fast punk delivered with plenty of intensity to spare. I just checked out the demos on these guys myspace and I have to say, it rocks pretty hard!

Sunday July 18th is the 3rd annual Wiener Roast at Snug Harbor! This special early show will feature Human Pippi Armstrong, The Flash Alchemy, Deleted Scenes and the Lights Fluorescent, who are continuing their farewell tour of Charlotte leading up to their final show ever which will take place on August 28th I believe.. In any case this show should be a lot of fun for all the indie rock crowd and anyone who loves hotdogs as they will be giving them out free on the back patio! This is a special early show and the doors open at 5pm with the show starting at 6pm. Admission is $6 and the dogs as mentioned above, are free! Unfortunately the show is 18+!

Well that’s it for this week! As I’ve said, I should be out at the Luau Saturday night giving out flyers for Punk Rock Picnic 3, otherwise have a fun and safe weekend and get out and enjoy some of these shows!

Thanks for the support!

Ryan Dead

Hey what’s happening everyone? This past weekend was awesome but it left me really tired. I hope everyone who came out to Tremont Music Hall this past Saturday night had a great time! It was insane trying to push 8 bands through in just 4 hours but we made it happen. It’s really funny that what started out as just a 4 band bill turned into a mini festival. Special thanks to John, Bamm and Matt from the Not Likelys for providing the p.a. for the side stage. Also a special thanks to those of you who came up and talked to me about music, the scene and life in general. I don’t always get out to shows like I should but when I do it’s great to talk to all of you. Also thanks to Eli, who will be reviewing some cd’s for us in the near future and my new friend Nick from Rockhill who will also be doing some review work for us in the near future! I appreciate the help and I certainly can’t do it alone!

In other news, alot of you asked me about the Creative Loafing Web Awards and honestly I haven’t heard anything yet. I know a ton of you voted and I appreciate your support. I checked this morning and they said that after everyone sent in their entries they would decide who to feature, whatever that means. In any case all we can do is sit back and wait. Hopefully they will say something about us, if for no other reason than it will get people checking out forms of local music that I don’t think get enough coverage in this city. I’m really hoping for the day when IED or 25 Minutes to Go become big news in Creative Loafing. And yes, there is a music scene outside of NODA.

Anyway, enough of my ranting, let’s get on with the music!

At the Milestone Club tonight is the Milk Jug Records Showcase featuring Izzy and the Kestronics, Summer Night Shade, Linus Van Pelt and Perry Fowler. Now if I’m not mistaken Izzy just played Snug the night before so I hope some of you still come to catch them tonight at the ‘Stone. They play some mean swing and will be a lot of fun.  Summer Night Shade features our own Val on violin and backing vocals and are a great acoustic trio. Linus Van Pelt are a good country, roots band that are also on Milk Jug Records along with Summer Night Shade. Opening the show will be Perry Fowler who is a one man acoustic storm. Doors are at 8pm tonight and admission is $5 for over 21 and $7 for under.

Elwood’s Music Hall- Lamb Handler w/ Dielectrics and the Mangles- 4/30/10- The shepherds of rock are back and this time they have a little jingle jangle in their step. I’ve long championed these guys as my pick for the best rock band in Charlotte and I still stand by that claim. Slinky, almost seductive vocals and snaky, melodic guitar lines weave a web over a solid rhythm section that never fails to draw you in. Also on the bill are Dielectrics, from Wilmington. I see them popping up on the local calendars of several local clubs over the next few months so this will be an interesting Charlotte debut for them. Also on the bill is the Mangles whose punk garage sound has caught my ear quite a bit over the last year or so. The vocals remind me a lot of the Ramones and they manage to be catchy without being “too catchy”. You guys know what I mean. If you’re in the neighborhood, come by and check it out! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under.

Elwood’s Music Hall- Appalucia, Jem Crossland & The Hypertonics and the Old Invention- 5/1/10-  This is gonna be one cool Saturday night. The evening starts out with the Old Invention, who are in my opinion the best traditional bluegrass band I’ve heard in a long time. If you haven’t checked these guys out yet you owe it to yourself to check out music from a time when the world was a lot simpler and maybe pure. Jem Crossland & The Hypertonics are also purist but of a different kind. You see Jem mines the territory of early rock and roll. Sun records, Elvis, Johnny Rivers and Roy Orbison are all easy to see as influences of the Hypertonics. I also want to congratulate the Hypertonics as I recently spoke to Jem and he told me they’ve been together almost a decade. That’s an awesome accomplishment for an awesome band! Appalucia hasn’t been together that long, but hopefully they will stick around for the long haul as well. This band includes Corey Ziggler of Bout It Boyz, Andy of Andy the Doorbum, Geoff White of the Overmountain Men and Buck Boswell of Hectagons and Andy the Doorbum. These talented and diverse musicians all come together to play some killer mountain music, celebrating a time when the biggest worry was whether you got caught making a moonshine run. In any case this will be an excellent show and a good time. Doors are at 8pm for this one and admission is $6 in advance and $8 at the door.

I would also like to mention that Elwood’s Music Hall is also hosting the School of Rock Graduation shows this weekend. The first show is Stadium Rock and will run from 1pm – 3pm  Saturday and Sunday and the second show will be the music of the Who from 4pm – 6pm Saturday and Sunday. That’s gonna be one tired sound guy by the end of the weekend…

Snug Harbor is keeping busy this weekend with Benji Hughes, Super Ape and the McClintock G’s on Friday night but that’s just the warm up. Saturday night is Snug Harbor’s 3 year anniversary! All it says on their calendar is “FREAKY WACK PARTY“. Which honestly is what we normally expect from Snug Harbor and thank god for it! I’m really happy for all of the guys over at Snug Harbor and hope they have many more anniversaries to come!!

Well that’s it for this week. I’ll be back next week talking to you about local music, the bands and the venues that host them!

Thanks for the support!

Ryan Dead

Hi! It’s once again time to check out what’s going on in Charlotte music this coming weekend! March is here and even though it snowed last night I know winter is over because Moss crawled out of his cave with a tallboy of PBR and didn’t see his shadow!

The Milestone Club- Charlotte Arts Catalyst Benefit show- 3/5/10- The Charlotte Arts Catalyst is an organization whose mission is to establish a center for art and music which fosters the growth of creativity and community in Charlotte through exhibition, events and education. That sounds like a good thing to me! This benefit being held at the Milestone is definitely gonna be artsy with bands like Sea of Cortez, Members of the Sea, Moenda, Quiet Hooves and Bubbly Mommy Gun, all of which tend to make floaty, beautiful artsy music. Come out for a great cause and stay for some awesome music. Doors at 8pm and admission is $6 for over 21 and $8 for under.

The Milestone Club- Leatherface, Yesterday’s Ring, The Riot Before and Bracing for Impact- 3/9/10- Leatherface are old school take no prisoners English punk rock. Championed by Jack Rabid of the big takeover Leatherface continues to put out new music and tour to make believers out of the masses. Come get an earful to learn how it’s supposed to be properly done! Also on the bill are Bracing for Impact, a Rockhill area pop/punk/ rock and roll band who don’t get near enough credit for the great rock and roll they put out. Also on the bill are Yesterday’s Ring and the Riot Before. Doors at 8pm and admission is $12.

Puckett’s Farm Equipment- Flathead Mike and the Mercurys, Tommy Ray & The Rayguns- 3/6/10- The high temple of rockabilly will be rocking with this show! Tommy Ray & The Rayguns have been working on new material for a new cd and I caught them recently at Elwood’s Music Hall and I have to say, I love their new material. It takes the hard driving rockabilly style from their first record and blends it with a more “honky tonk” sound. The results are catchy and fun! Also playing are Flathead Mike and the Mercurys! Show starts at 9pm.

Husky, The Lesser Pauls and Music Hates You at Snug Harbor 3/5/10

Snug Harbor- Husky, Music Hates You and the Lesser Pauls- 3/5/10- Husky are a heavy, instrumental rock juggernaut from the Charlotte area. Last time I saw them I thought I was high and then realized it was just the music. Psychedelic garage rock with keyboards, distorted bass and Nate bashing out the heaviest beats are their recipe for success. Athen’s Music Hates You bash your head in with really heavy, fast rock and roll. The Lesser Pauls continue to be one of my favorite new bands to come out of Charlotte. Singer Kenni Fall’s voice seems to vary between PJ Harvey and possibly some Grace Slick influence if that doesn’t sound to dated. The sound writing is good and I don’t know another band in Charlotte that sounds like them and that’s a good thing. The show starts at 10pm.

Also worth mentioning:

This weekend Elwood’s Music Hall welcomes a night of loud rock and roll with Drop D featuring Diesel of 106.5 fame along with a plethora of heavy rock bands such as Chapel Grove.

The Dropkick Murpheys rock the Fillmore on Monday March 8th. Opening are Larry and his Flask and Strung Out. Tickets are $22.00 and the show kicks off at 7:30.

Well that’s it for this week. Be sure to check back Friday for a big announcement about the next Stillnotdead.com show!

Support local music

Ryan Dead

Hey what’s up! As stillnotdead central has been turned into a virtual ice fortress by the crazy weather we’ve had the last few days, I finally got around to posting some updates on what’s going on next weekend! This will be a shortened edition but it will get the word out for some hot shows that will taking place next week in Charlotte!

Btw, did you see the story in Creative Loafing about the selling of Tremont and Neighborhood Theater?? Way to catch up, I’ve been mentioning the same things here for weeks and even did a column about it a couple of weeks ago. There were two main things I noticed. First, they basically acted like we couldn’t live without Neighborhood Theater. If you read my article a few weeks ago you know how I feel about that. Second, Dave from Tremont blames his not being able to run Tremont on a bad business decision that happened several years ago concerning Jonathan Davis of Korn. These things happen, but what’s more interesting is the line about how Dave will be turning his attention to the new bar he’s opened in Mooresville. Hmmmm, you think the truth is more along the lines that Dave wanted to open a new bar and once he did, he wanted to ditch Tremont so that he could pay more attention to his new place in Mooresville? I’m sure the place in Mooresville isn’t a “shit hole rock-n-roll” bar as Dave continually described Tremont in his interview. Btw that’s really classy Dave, shit talk the hell out of your own place as your getting ready to dump it off on the new owner. I wish the new owner nothing but luck and I’m sure he’s fuming over Dave’s description of the place. Oh yeah and on a closing note, they make no mention of the fact that one of the groups trying to take Neighborhood Theater is none other than Live Nation. Remember what I said in the last column on this subject. If they are allowed to continue to put their strangle hold on local music we’ll all be watching shows instead of playing them…

Anyway, sorry I got off on a tangent. Let’s get back to the reason we’re here anyway which is local music! On with this edition of “Next Week”!

Snug Harbor- The Needles, Mad Brother Ward & The Dividers and Greevace 2/6/10-  Mad Brother Ward continues his comeback tour with his first ever visit to Snug Harbor. If his first show at Milestone was any indication, it will be a wild ride at Snug Harbor this night! Ward’s brand of high impact, big attitude punk rock will definitely seem juxtaposed to the arty feel of Snug Harbor but it should be fun to see him pace the stage like a rabid tiger! The Needles are a rocking band from down Wilmington way and I’ve been a big fan of these guys ever since they were on a compilation cd I was involved in. Greevace also play but I can’t find any samples of their music online so you’ll just have to show up and find out what they sound like!

.357 String Band at Snug Harbor 2/7/10

Snug Harbor- .357 String Band, Bob Wayne, Trouble Walkers and KP Soloman 5000 2/7/10- Snug has the habit of throwing some cool Sunday night shows and this one will be a seriously good time! .357 String Band may be from Wisconsin but don’t let that fool you into thinking they don’t know a thing or three about some down home bluegrass pickin’. In similar fasion Bob Wayne is from Seattle but you’d think he was from Blowing Rock with his backwoods, bluegrass vibe. Mix this in with local favorites Trouble Walkers who have made white trash into the new high fashion and KP Soloman 5000, who has become the king of local solo acoustic goodness and you’ve got a great night of music. And to boot, it’s only $5!

In other shows, the Milestone Club will have the Howlies w/ the Mangles and Pinko for a great night of rock and roll on February 6th. Elwood’s Music Hall will be welcoming One Big Love also on February 6th. Finally Tremont Music Hall will be welcoming Motion City Soundtrack, Set Your Goals, Providence and the Swellers also on February 6th.

Well that’s it for next week, I’ll see you guys back here for the next edition! Keep supporting local music!!

Ryan Dead

Man it’s been cold as hell lately! I’m hoping you are all staying warm. Hopefully these burst of arctic air aren’t keeping you from enjoying the great shows that have been taking place around the area. If so, tune into the video player on the main page of Stillnotdead.com and check out the videos from the Flat Tires/ Mad Brother Ward & The Dividers/ Angry Youth/ Bucketflush show we sponsored on January 2nd!

Oh yeah and just a reminder, Throwdown Fest is Sunday January 10th at Elwood’s Music Hall. That’s 7 bands for $8 bucks with no surcharge for under age. Also Elwood’s has just announced that they will be serving a limited menu, so you won’t have to leave the venue to get something to eat and risk missing a band! I hope everyone comes out and has a good time! For directions visit the clubs website by clicking on the link!

Jucifer and Machete at the Milestone Club January 16th!!

The Milestone Club- Jucifer w/ Machete! 1/16/10- If you are a big fan of your hearing, this may not be the best show for you. That said, if you like bands that are so loud they may blow your eardrums out of your head then you’ll be right at home. This may be the ultimate power duo show! You’ve surely heard me go on about Jucifer before. These self proclaimed nomads have toured the earth since 1993 and have come to redefine the term power duo. While it’s easy to say (as I’ve done in the past) that Jucifer is easily one of the heaviest and loudest bands I’ve ever witnessed, it would also be misleading. You’d only be getting part of the picture with that description. You see while they are blistering loud and heavy when they want to be, they can also generate some very delicate and almost fragile moments. Their songwriting is often overlooked and that’s a big mistake because for a band with only two members to generate this much volume is impressive but for them to generate this much depth is down right scary! Also on the bill is local band Machete! This two man group also seems to pray at the altar of Jucifer but minus the delicate parts. If these guys were a real machete they wouldn’t be sharp slicing you to ribbons, instead the blade would be decidedly unsharp and used more for bludgeoning you to death instead of cutting! Their sheer volume alone and heavy as hell sound will stun you into submission. And I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying that Machete! probably has the most abused drum set in Charlotte!  Go enjoy a show where it sounds like 10 people onstage but is actually only 2! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $8 for over 21 and $10 for under.

The Thought Criminals at Elwood's Music Hall 1/16/10

Elwood’s Music Hall- The Thought Criminals w/ Shane Hall & The Tickle Bomb Orchestra, Quantum Foundry, The Mad Cowboy and Speaker for the Dead 1/16/10- Speaker for the Dead (http://www.myspace.com/GregMcKillop) is a solo project forGreg McKillop, and sounds like Death Cab For Cutie, but less cute and more depressing. The Mad Cowboy (http://www.myspace.com/mmkhmusic) a.k.a. Matthew M.K. Hopewell mixes surrealist poetry with a psychedelic 70’s blues-rock sound, reminiscent of a Hendrix-meets-Borroughs aesthetic with a decent amount of Zappa thrown in on top. Quantum Foundry  (http://www.myspace.com/quantumfoundry) are a hip hop duo with a smooth flow and a lot of energy to get the party flowing. Shane Hall & The TickleBomb Orchestra  (www.ticklebombmusic.com/) The TickleBomb Orchestra plays songs from Shane Hall’s record “Basic Draining”, traversing the American musical landscape from hip hop to country and rock. The Thought Criminals (http://www.myspace.com/thoughtcriminals) hail from Kannapolis with their roots firmly in Wu-Tang. The influences are definitely on display but don’t sell this hip hop/ live band outfit short, they bring a ton of energy and versatility to the stage so come expecting a killer live show! Btw, since it’s at Elwood’s I would suggest coming early and getting dinner before the show! The bbq and smoked chicken are excellent! Show starts at 8pm, Elwood’s is open earlier for dinner in the lounge. Admission is $6 dollars!

Snug Harbor- Hope Nicholls Birthday Bash featuring Renelvis and Guam High 1/16/10- Hope Nichols has been responsible for a lot of music out of the Charlotte area. From Fetchin Bones to Sugarsmack to the most recent incarnation Snagglepuss, Hope has been a fixture on the Charlotte scene for years. Even opening a funky clothing store known as Boris and Natashas in Plaza Midwood. Tonight she celebrates her birthday with Renelvis, Charlotte’s own phillipino Elvis impersonator. This may is legendary and on my list of things you should check out in Charlotte before you die. Also on the bill are hipsters Guam High. DJ Scott Weaver and DJ George Brazil will be spinning and the coolest part is the admission is free! Come enjoy the spectacle at Snug Harbor!

Well that’s it for this week, hope you all have a great week and we’ll catch you in the next edition of “Next Week”! See you on the forum or out at the shows!!

Ryan Dead

Okay November is moving right along and Snug is still standing after Ramonesfest. Now that the dust has settled from that, let’s move on to look at more upcoming local shows on this episode of “Next Week”!

The Milestone Club- Mike Hale (Gun Moll) Chris Wollard (Hot Water Music) and the Ship Thieves, KP Soloman 5000 11/11/09- Okay this is an interesting concept and I don’t know if they set it up like this or not, but this show features a lot of people who are famous for being in other bands. This is like “Solo project Night” at the Milestone. KP Soloman is of course, known for plucking the bass in 25 Minutes to Go, what you may not know is that he also has an acoustic side underneath all that. Course, you probably do know that because the Soloman has been burning up the bar circuit lately with his personal, intimate style of songwriting. Mike Hale is the singer/guitar player for Gunmoll but his solo stuff is exactly the opposite of the loud rock band. Intricate acoustic picking and introspective lyrics, sung with a husky voice makes for a mellow mood. Chris Wollard of Hot Water Music fame has banded together a bunch of his Gainesville buddies and are touring as Chris Wollard & The Ship Thieves. If you are coming expecting a roaring, loud rock show ala Hot Water Music you’re in for a surprise. This project is surprisingly folky, intimate and almost indie sound. This should be a fun night to watch guys who are normally loud and proud get all acoustic and emotional. Admission is $7 and doors are at 8pm.

Double Negative play the Milestone Club 11/13/09!

The Milestone Club- Double Negative, Grids, Moenda, Brain Flannel 11/13/09- Whatever I said about the previous show, this show is just the opposite. Not that these guys don’t have emotion to there singing it’s just angrier emotions. Double Negative last played with Fucked Up I believe and that show was damn near a riot. Expect no less this time. Raleigh’s Double Negative play a high tempo, full speed ahead music that will blow your mind. To put it mildly, Double Negative kick a lot of ass. High speed riffs with screaming, distorted vocals played with a wide open abandon that few bands achieve. It’s face melting to say the least. Grids are a Charlotte rock/ indie/ hardcore band that communicate via heavy riffs and clever (when you can make them out) lyrics. Slower paced than Double Negative ( that’s most bands btw) they still manage to have a heavy, reverbed almost ominous sound. Moenda is a Charlotte band featuring Davey Blackburn of Calabi Yai. Their sound is more like avant garde jazz noise meets relentless distortion. Not really my thing but at one time I would have loved it. It’s really gonna depend on how into John Zorn you are… Also playing is Brain Flannel, which features members of Logic Problem, Yardwork and Grids. Tickets are $6 for over 21 and $8 for under and doors are at 8pm.

The Milestone Club actually has two more shows that I wanted to squeeze in the column this week. Saturday 11/14 the Milestone welcomes the Lights Fluorescent, one of Charlotte’s premier indie rock acts featuring the amazing Erika Blatnik. Also on the bill are Hallelujah the Hills, Yep Roc records Drink Up Buttercup and The Lesser Pauls, whose PJ Harvey meets Sonic Youth meets Jefferson Airplane sound have me paying attention. On Sunday 11/15 the ‘Stone welcomes a night of heavier than hell music featuring the infamous Black Cobra, Black Tusk, Charlotte’s own heavier than your four piece duo, MACHETE! and psychedelic rock outfit Chylde. Should be a heavy way to start the week. Talk about a Monday morning hangover!

Btw, I wanted to mention that Rodi in Gastonia is 13 years old this month. Hard to believe that Rodi has been open for 13 years but it’s true and we wanted to pass along our congratulations to them! For the uninitiated Rodi offers up great food and free live shows for the acoustic minded. It’s an eating experience that is unique in the area and never fails to make a great, memorable night. For more info go to www.rodiworld.com!

I also wanted to give a brief mention to two shows coming up this week at Amos Southend. First off, it’s all tight pants and eyeliners on Tuesday the 10th as Amos welcomes Boys Like Girls w/ Cobra Starship, The Maine,  A Rocket to the Moon and Versa Emerge. This show is all ages (if it wasn’t there might not be anyone there!) and it’s $25 in advance and $28 day of show. Doors open at 6pm. It’s just the opposite on Saturday the 13th when Amos welcome Hatebreed w/ Unearth, Canibal Corpse, Hate Eternal and Born of Osiris. Jesus, I’ve seen Hatebreed and Canibal Corpse before and this show will be the heavy death metal jam from hell. If you don’t love violence stay away from the pit at this show because it will be fast and violent for sure. This show is 16 & over tickets are $20 in advance and $23 at the door and doors open at 7pm.

Snug Harbor- Dynamite Brothers, Babyshaker, Satan’s Youth Ministers 11/14/09- Somebody at  Snug Harbor are secret soul fans and I love it.  First Chain & The Gang and now the Dynamite Brothers. This guy have an organ to grind and harmonies to spare. This Chapel

Dynamite Brothers and Babyshaker 11/14/09

Hill party band get it all right with soulful vocals, singing about their love of women with a back breaking beat and great bass lines that will get your booty shaking. I don’t know where all these soul bands are coming from but you’ll get no complaints from me. These guys remind me of Three Dog Night and that’s a compliment! Babyshaker may not have as much soul but they definitely bring down the house with the swagger of lead singer Scott Weaver. Glam, rock, punk songs about whatever ails them is what to expect from these guys. And anyone who can last past the infamous 10 year mark definitely gets my respect! Satan’s Youth Ministers get my award for “name of the week”! This Alabama band specializes in psychedelic, garage rock with a nod of r&b. That’s all good as well. Noisy and fun these guys are a great way to start the party. It’ll be a fun night at Snug Harbor for sure.

Snug Harbor- The Dirt Daubers, Appalucia 11/15/09- The Dirt Daubers are Colonel JD Wilkes of the Legendary Shack Shakers with his wife Jessica and “Slow” Layne Hendrickson. They hail from Western Kentucky and play an ecclectic mix of Appalachian, ragtime and hot jazz standards and original music. That pretty much makes them a match made in heaven for Charlotte’s own Appalucia. This Corey Ziggler/ Andy the Doorbum project are also disciples of the Appalachian sound and this show will go great with a mega dose of moonshine!

Well that’s it for this edition of “Next Week” ! If you guys hear about a show and want to pass it along to us, send me an email! Bands keep the flyers coming! We’ll see you next time! Thanks!

Ryan Dead