Hey what’s happening people?? Personally I’m wishing this week would hurry up and get out of the way so we can get to the 4th of July holiday that’s coming up this weekend! I know a bunch of people are packing up and heading to Heavy Rebel up in Winston Salem this weekend and to all of you I hope you have a safe trip!! Don’t know what Heavy Rebel is? Check it out at heavyrebel.net!
Also I’m glad a certain Charlotte area band made it back okay after an insane middle of the night wreck on their way back from tour! I can’t say which band but let me say that it sounded like some scary times and I’m glad you guys made it back!
Oh, in case you missed it, we announced Punk Rock Picnic 3 earlier this week! I haven’t dropped the details but trust me, they will be coming soon! Our annual party was a blast last year at Tremont Music Hall and I expect this years will be just as fun! For the uninitiated, it’s a 2 stage extravaganza with about 8 bands and free food grilled out by Summer of Meat! I can’t wait!!
But now it’s time to get on to the music that is taking place this 4th of July weekend!!
Tremont Music Hall ( which has a new website created by me!!) has a busy weekend coming up! First up on Thursday July 1st they host Andy the Doorbum w/ Cryptorchid Chipmunk, Candy Jerk and For Disaster. Andy is one of my all time favorite Charlotte performers and this is a rare Tremont appearance for him so you should be sure to check it out! Also of note on this show is Cryptorchid Chipmunk, these guys sound like they took a hit off the Mr. Bungle pipe while listening to ska. It’s an all out assault that I can’t even begin to describe! You’ll just have to be there to see for your selves! Doors for this one are at 8pm and admission is $6 with a $3 surcharge for under 21.
Friday night July 2nd at Tremont will be a night of ska and punk featuring Dr. DP & The Trainrunners, Taj Motel Trio and Bracing for Impact! Dr. DP and the Trainrunners recently won the UNCA battle of the bands and are a great ska/ reggae tinged group that features former members of 20 past 4 and Andy & The Jivers. I will also mention there are rumors that the band may be taking some time off so see them while you can! Georgia’s Taj Motel Trio are a favorite of mine and some great guys. They bring the ska mixed in with some catchy punk hooks and are a great crowd favorite! Bracing for Impact are a great SC band that play gritty garage punk with heavy doses of rock. This will be a really fun way to kick off your holiday weekend! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $7 plus a $3 surcharge for under 21. And this one is definitely all ages!
Saturday night Tremont is hosting the first ever Southend Comedy Show! This showcase features comedians Greg Martinez , Ryan Vangenderan, Steve Forrest and Andy Sandford and is hosted by the Elder Statesman! Doors are at 8pm and admission is $6 with a $3 surcharge for under 21 and this show is 18+ only!
Across town at the Visulite Theater on Saturday night July 3rd is a great reggae show with Bums Lie, Kings of Belmont, Roots Essential and Jah Sun Rising. I love Bums Lie, they have probably the smoothest ska/ reggae sound I’ve ever heard from a local band and put on some great shows! The fact that we get the Roots Essential on the same show is just a bonus! I did a show with these guys earlier this year at the now defunct Elwood’s Music Hall and they seriously get down with a traditional dub sound. This is definitely a show promoting One Love! And couldn’t we use that now days… Doors are at 9 and admission is $5 in advance and $7 day of the show!
Over at Amos Southend on July 2nd The Lights Fluorescent continue their farewell tour. That’s right, unfortunately one of the most critically loved bands in the city is packing it up and they will be missed. They are known for their amazing live performances but sadly it will be no more very soon. They will be missed. Also on this show are young up and comers Lyra Shines and Carson, who is probably not named after Carson Daly… Doors open at 8pm and admission is $8 for over 21 and a $3 surcharge for under 21. This show is all ages.
Last but not least Sunday is the 4th of July and that can mean only one thing, The Penguin is having their annual Pig Picking!! This show features the rockabilly stomp of the Truckstop Preachers along with the Flat Tires and Parodi Kings and mixes it with the newer school stylings of Andy the Doorbum and Appalucia. These annual shindigs are awesome and always great fun! Plus it’s free! The food, beer, bbq and bands starts promptly at 5pm so show up and bring your appetite!
Well that’s it for this week! Have a happy and safe 4th! I’ll be back next week with news about the third annual Punk Rock Picnic as well as more previews of local shows! Btw, in case you want a preview of who is gonna be at Punk Rock Picnic, I should be at the Tremont show on Friday night checking out Taj Motel Trio! If you find me and ask me you’ll get the scoop before anyone else does!! See you at the show!!
Thanks for the support!
Ryan Dead
Sorry, it’s been hectic around here and I’m running behind. But at least I’ve made it in before the holiday weekend! It’s my favorite time of the year so let’s jump right into it! It’s the Halloween edition of Next Week!!
Zombie attack!! Run!!
If you feel like making a road trip then Ground Zero is the place to begin your Halloween weekend in style. Well maybe not in style, you are at Ground Zero after all, but at least it’ll be interesting based on not only this lovely flyer you see to your left but also the band names. With names like “King Sized Killers and “Rapegoat”, these bands sound custom made for a Halloween show. Btw, Rapegoat features Angus Hung of the Dead Kings so show some love!
Say goodbye to Hickory....There ain't gonna be anything left!
Antiseen w/ 25 Minutes to Go and South Side Punx 10/31/09 @ Drips Coffee House in Hickory, NC- Antiseen singer Jeff Clayton is a Halloween fanatic, hell he’s the only person I know that has as big of an obsession with Godzilla as I do, so it seems appropriate that he and his band mates are called on to rock Halloween into Hickory, NC with style. Break out the barbed wire and get ready for a blood letting as the 25+ year veterans of “destructo-rock” take aim on demolishing Drips Coffee House and the rest of Hickory as well. Not that there may be much left after the openers get done. 25 Minutes to Go are a hard rocking, sing along chorus creating, “Bladow!” screaming outfit of fury and they’re bound to be even more stoked on this night! South Side Punx open the show, if you can believe that! You know how they roll. I’ve never seen a band so capable of getting an audience to go from zero to insane riot levels in the course of one intro to a song. I have to say this is a triple headlining show for the ages and should be a great way to bring in the holiday.
Skalloween 10/31/09 at the Visulite Theater!
Bums Lie & Stillnotdead present: Skalloween featuring Bums Lie, the Not Likelys, IED, Rekless Youth and Stamper 10/31/09 @ Visulite Theater- Bums Lie has been doing Skalloween for 4 years now and this year they invited Stillnotdead in to take part in the tradition! Every year Bums Lie pick a different cd to cover. Last year was “Blood Sugar Sex Magic” by the RHCP, this year it’s Green Day’s “Dookie”. The trick is they will be doing the entire album in a ska/ reggae style. It should be really interesting to see how they alter the songs to fit their style. In addition you get the see a plethora of Charlotte area punk bands. IED are the kings of socio political Ska-core, infusing political lyrics with reggae beats to make a revolution you can truly dance to! The Not Likelys have been described as what Rancid would sound like if they didn’t start sucking and if their pit at Punk Rock Picnic was any indication that’s not a bad description. I know they blast out anthems like few others in town. Rekless Youth are actually using this show as a cd release party for their new cd “Love Me Hate Me”. I haven’t heard it yet but Rekless Youth are known for their tight musicianship and catchy hooks so it should be a good treat to get on Halloween! So come on out, be sure to wear your costume and get ready to celebrate Halloween Stillnotdead style! We’ll see you there! Show starts at 8pm and it’s $10. 18+ only.
That’s it for this edition. I did want to mention two great shows coming up on November 4th and 5th and I’ll give and in depth look at them in the next edition. The first is November 4th at Tremont Music Hall and features Boston’s The Have Nots with Planet Piss, Darken the Sky and Doctor DP & The Trainrunners which features Andy from Andy & The Jivers. The second show is on November 5th at Tremont and features the Mangles, the Smokers and the Necrohippies. Both of those shows are all ages and should be a lot of fun. I’ll talk more about them in the next edition!
I hope everyone has a happy and safe Halloween! Hopefully we’ll see you at Skalloween! Till next time, take care!
Ryan Dead