What’s Up Monday?

Yesterday was my birthday y’all, so the mere thought of going out tonight seems a bit much to me right now, BUT for you guys I will make an exception….Looking for some fun stuff to do tonight? Here are my suggestions….

-Singer/Songwriter Greg Laswell is no stranger on Atlanta’s Organic X Sunday show..He hangs in the Ingrid Michaelson crowd and will be at Vinyl tonight.

-Meet Tauk, a band that delivers a unique blend of funk, jazz, pop and rock with a fresh, experimental spirit. Since forming, the Long Island-based trio have opened for O.A.R, MOE, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, 311, Tea Leaf Green. Catch them at Smith’s Olde Bar.

-Caravan of Thieves began to win immediate praise for their unique blend of gypsy swing and popu- lar music, inspiring them to record and release the debut full- length album Bouquet (2009). See these wild ones at Eddie’s Attic.

-In the years since their auspicious 2009 debut Our Delicate Stranded Nightmare, Zechs Marquise toured extensively throughout the U.S., proving to be a formidable live act supporting Omar Rodriguez Lopez Group and RX Bandits as well as leading their own headlining tours. They are at The Earl.

5GB with Matthew Mayfield; Playing Vinyl Tonight, May 11

Whether playing a show in a rock club or making his way into living rooms via Grey’s Anatomy, singer-songwriter Matthew Mayfield delivers songs that are hard to ignore. Teaming up with fellow songwriter David Ramirez, the two have banded together for a run of intimate acoustic shows. We chatted with Matthew before his show tonight at Vinyl.

What’s the first gig you ever attended?

The truth: Richard Marx on the ‘Repeat Offender’ tour. I know, I know–but I was in first grade! Wilson-Phillips opened. Super lame/amazing. Although I was totally fascinated with my first ‘rock ‘spectacle, my second show was better. Slash’s Snakepit (GN’R side project) at age 11. I begged my mom to take me to see him–and it was KILLER. Got to meet him. Stole his cigarette butt out of the ashtray. Still have it.

What is the best gig that you ever played/performed?

I was on a tour in ’07 with Pete Yorn and we got to play a sold out show at Roseland Ballroom in New York. It was pretty surreal. They weren’t ‘my fans’ but it was still pretty incredible to walk out and have an audience take to us like that. I remember we ran out of all the discs we had that night. Really great feeling.

What is the best gig you have ever seen?

That’s a tough one–but I vividly remember seeing Pearl Jam for the first time in ’98 at the arena in my hometown (Birmingham). They walked out one at a time casting a shadow on the backdrop. Eddie came out last and stood there a little longer than everyone else. I’ve never heard a crowd that loud in my life. Still gives me chill bumps thinking about it.

Gig you would most like to play?

I’ve always said ‘The Garden would be the ultimate’. But the truth is I don’t know. I imagine the amount of chaos that surrounds an act that can fill up that room is a bit emotionally overwhelming. Not to mention that every star in the entire universe would have to align to get an act to that level these days. How bout we just start with Center Stage? Seems like a reasonable goal to me.

What would be the lineup for your dream gig?
For the rock thing: Me, Foo Fighters, & The Boss. Fantasy land, I know.

For the folky thing: Me, The Civil Wars, & Needtobreathe. It’s always more fun being on the bill with your friends w/ a crew you know and respect. Those two acts are both top notch on all fronts. You never know–maybe someday it’ll unfold.

Catch Matthew Mayfield TONIGHT May 11th at Vinyl.

5GB With BABY BABY; Playing Vinyl Tomorrow, May 10th

In a world where every musician seems to take themselves so overly serious, it is good to know that certain bands are just playing for a good time. Georgia boys, BABY BABY are on of those groups who play “fun rock” and make it their mission to make sure you have a great time. They joined us before their show tomorrow at Vinyl.

What’s the first gig you ever attended?

Saves the Day at the Roxy circa 2004 with my mom. Changed my life forever. Not to forget that band is still around! That’s funny, haven’t really thought of that before. If I hadn’t have gone to that show…. wonder if BABY BABY would exist? NAH. Those are crazy thoughts, Of course it would!

What is the best gig that you ever played/performed?

Tricky question. It often feels like the current show I’m playing is the best gig we’ve ever played just cause the moment is there. For instance, we just played Clemson to a bunch of people who had NO idea who we were and we won them over by the end of the night. It felt like the best show ever! But you know, I’m probably going feel this same way come our next show…

What is the best gig you have ever seen?

Does it count if you missed half of it? I’m really into Explosions in the Sky and for some reason on that fateful day, I was REALLY into them. So much to the point that my hands started to become numb and I decided it would be best that I leave because I started to panic. Sure enough, after I stepped outside away from the show, I began to feel my hands again. True story. And I was sober.

Gig you would most like to play?

Anywhere, anytime, with anyone, free and all ages, just as long as all our fans could be there. easy.

What would be the lineup for your dream gig?

BABY BABY ALL NIGHT LONG (with machines are people too)

Catch BABY BABY Tomorrow May 10th at Vinyl 

5GB With Phynx; Playing Vinyl Friday, May 4th

You know what Bruce Springsteen says, “We Take Care of our Own!” Thus when Atlanta newbies, Phynx came to the table, we are here to support! They are playing Vinyl this Friday, go out and give your support! DJ BDUBB will be spinning after the show for the after-party.

What’s the first gig you ever attended?

Oh I would say the the first gig I ever attended was Music Midtown when I was in middle school. I crowd surfed for the first time ever during the Strokes, not once but twice!

What is the best gig that you ever played/performed?

The most fun I had was at a sold out show that we played with 3OH!3 at the Masquerade in Atlanta at the end of 2008. That crowd came ready to have a good time and I ended the night with my first stage dive.

What is the best gig you have ever seen?

As funny as it sounds, I love going to see Butch Walker play in Atlanta. His last performance at the Tabernacle was awesome. He somehow is able to suck an entire room into his energy and everyone goes for it.

Gig you would most like to play?

In reality it doesn’t matter the gig, the dream would be to have a cool environment and people who come into our zone and tune out of the regular world. Music gives you the power to create an almost alternate universe. We just want people to come to a show and go to that place with us.

What would be the lineup for your dream gig?

I would say

MGMT (to open up the night playing mostly songs off Oracular Spectacular)

Death Cab For Cutie

Daft Punk (to close the night)

Catch Phynx Friday May 4 at Vinyl 

CD Review: Ron Pope — Atlanta; Playing Vinyl, April 28

Ron Pope
Atlanta
Hard Six Records

By Al Kaufman

Ron Pope is a sensitive romantic. He’s got a beard and everything. He writes straight from the heartlands anthems and lovely ballads that would make John Mayer cry. And he writes a lot of songs. Atlanta is his seventh album since 2008. … Continue Reading

What’s Up Tuesday?

Good morning Atlanta! As you embark on your day this morning, remember as you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction. Now here are your choices for Tuesday’s musical outings.

-I have said this to you before but, GO SEE SHOVELS & ROPE! This twangy, gritty duo will have you dropping your jaw. They are playing with Jonny Corndawg tonight at The Earl. Do yourself a favor and see them before everyone else starts claiming to love them.

-Who says that Nashville is the only place where great songwriters live? Atlanta folk musician Timothy Walker (Threadbare, Brother)  and Danny Brewer are at Eddie’s Attic tonight to show the beauty of songwriting through lyrical depth and poetic imagery.

-Christian alternative rocker, John Mark McMillan, has a devoted following, especially on Christian radio. See him tonight at Vinyl.

-Needmore and Vanity Theft are at the Drunken Unicorn tonight….check them out, Drunken Unicorn is always a good time.

5GB With John Mark McMillan; Playing Vinyl, Tuesday April 17th

Christian singer/songwriter John Mark McMillan has been celebrated on Christian mainstream radio for his alternative sound and uplifting lyrics. His latest album has moved away from the themes of death and resurrection that clothed The Medicine to the interior psychology of a man trying to live in the uneasy valley between this world and the next, standing on the edge of the ocean of eternity, straining to see beyond the horizon line. He joined us before his show on April 17th at Vinyl.

What’s the first gig you ever attended?

Pearl Jam with Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals at the American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte, NC 1996.

What is the best gig that you ever played/performed?

I think I’m still waiting on this one to happen, but I really enjoyed playing the Crystal Ball Room in Portland, and/or the Tabernacle in Atlanta.

What is the best gig you have ever seen?

Ryan Adams and the Cardinals at the Thomas Wolf Auditorium Asheville, NC May of 2009

Gig you would most like to play?

Austin City Limits

What would be the lineup for your dream gig?

The outdoor stage at Stubs BBQ in Austin, TX with Public Radio and The Sun Bears.

Catch John Mark McMillan tonight at Vinyl

What’s Up Monday?

What a beautiful day! According to the Weather channel, we are supposed to have ” Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray afternoon thunderstorm is possible. High 81F. Winds SSW at 10 to 15 mph.” Sounds like the perfect Atlanta spring day to me! There are actually a ton of really cool events going on tonight, so make sure and check one out!

-London-based quartet The Boxer Rebellion have been touring around the nation, and are taking a pit stop tonight at Vinyl.

-LA based rockers, Hurt, are not shy about sharing their opinions. Catch their rants tonight at Smith’s Olde Bar.

-DON’T FORGET EDDIE! Eddie Owen that is! Go say hello to that lovely man tonight for the weekly Songwriter’s Open Mic Night at Eddie’s Attic.

-Christian youth outreach ministry, Jesus Culture, will be raising the roof at The Tabernacle.

-Just to stay in the spirit of weird-named bands that the Masquerade no doubt books, tonight’s lineup includes: Protest The Hero, Periphery, Jeff Loomis Band, The Safety Fire, Today I Caught The Plague.

What’s Up Thursday?

The week is coming to a close, and we are looking forward to a warmer weekend from this horrible mid-Spring cold! Here are your Thursday appetizers.

-Calling all Widespread Panic fans!! WP  keyboardist John “JoJo” Hermann and singer-songwriter Sherman Ewing are traveling around playing small venues under the moniker Missing Cat. See them tonight at Smith’s Olde Bar.

-Downstairs in the Atlanta room, Country-popper and established songwriter, Erin Enderlin will be entertaining folks. Erin’s songs have been recorded by the likes of Alan Jackson, Randy Travis, Lee Ann Womack, Terri Clark and Luke Bryan.  Recently Enderlin co-authored “You Don’t Know Jack,” a critic’s favorite track from Luke Bryan’s latest album.

-Folk-star, Kelly McFarling is at Eddie’s Attic tonight, with special guests Goodnight Texas.

-For some aging music fans and kids with a passion for musical history, The Replacements are rock and roll defined. This Minneapolis quartet took a teenage-punk attitude, threw it in a blender with classic and pop rock, and then poured it into a Middle American pint glass. Over the band’s 12-year existence, its live sets were magical, a total mess, or both-depending on your mood and the members’ respective blood alcohol levels. Color Me Obsessed showcases musicians such as Husker Du, Babes in Toyland, The Decemberists, The Hold Steady, Archers of Loaf, Titus Andronicus, and Goo Goo Dolls; writers such as Jack Rabid, Legs McNeil, Robert Christgau, Jim DeRegotis, and Greg Kot; and actors such as George Wendt, Tom Arnold, and Dave Foley. Screen the film tonight at The Earl.

-Over at Vinyl tonight, check out The Nominees who are rocking it out with Roshambeaux and Southern Gothic Revival.

-Get your hipster on at the Drunken Unicorn with performances from Shook Foil, the Levee, Mountain Lion, and England In 1819.

AMG Weekend Picks: John Wesley Harding, Iggy Azalea, Mathis Hunter, Kimya Dawson and More!

Happy Thursday everyone! We’re barreling full-speed ahead into the weekend, and it looks like it’s going to be a beauty. There are cool gigs a plenty, more on the hip, cozy side, so you can get up close and personal on some great local rock ‘n’ roll. … Continue Reading

Q & A With Will Hoge; Playing Vinyl, March 29th

By Amanda Miles

In May 2010, two weeks after a thousand-year flood devastated parts of Nashville, TN, Will Hoge and his band drove 14 hours back home to perform a single song on stage at the historic Ryman Auditorium. He’d been invited to perform the finale of a nationally televised benefit concert stacked with high-profile artists like Keith Urban, Keb Mo and Brad Paisley. But as a native son of Nashville and a true home-town rock star with an extraordinary ability to connect with a crowd, Hoge’s powerhouse vocal on “Washed By The Water” proved the perfect climax and well worth the long haul. We chatted with Will before his show tomorrow at Vinyl.

Tell me about the writing and recording of Number Seven. 

I write constantly so that just is a never ending process. The record really started as a series of demos, we had about four songs we wanted to try. We start recording at my house, in the basement. We started with that and literally, that weekend, we found out the studio across town opened up and a friend of mine who had engineered the last few records was available to come work with us in the studio. The next thing you know, we are back in the studio working on songs. It sort of fell together.

Seriously, how does a white guy from Nashville, TN end up with so much soul?

(Laughter) Maybe we should ask my mom if there is a story there.

Growing up, who would you say has influenced you musically?

My old man was a musician in a post Beatles invasion era, where everyone started a band. He still has this incredible record collection. I spent my formative years when everyone was listening to Poison and Motley Crue on a steady vinyl diet of the Temptations, James Brown, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, James Taylor, Bob Dylan, The Byrds, Otis Redding…that sort of era of classic rock/vinyl is what I go back to a lot of times. It’s what I grew up on.

Do you have a song from Number Seven you are most connected to?

There’s a few. The song “Trying To Be A Man” is one that I always come back to. It was a scratch vocal take that we did just as a demo. Something about it just was right. We tried three of four other times to record it and make it quote “better” but it just never had that same effect.

We brought Vince Gill in to play guitar. He brought a whole new element of emotion to the song. He has been an inspiration and a hero to me musically so that was one that is very special.

Speaking of Vince, he introduced you and played with you on your debut at the Grand Ole Opry. What was that experience like?

It was really….I know magical is an overused term but it really was magical. Having grown up in and around Nashville, the Grand Ole Opry is seen as almost mythical. So many heroes of mine have stood on that stage and played that show. I listened to it so many times on the radio and watched it on TV over the years. To get the invitation was really flattering and of course we jumped at the chance. The day before we found out Vince would be hosting the segment and we asked if he would play, he said yes. He then asked us to come out and do an encore, a song for him and Amy. It went really went from being an incredible evening to an incredibly surreal experience I truly will never forget.

Will Hoge will play Vinyl on Thursday, 3/29/2012. 

What’s Up Monday?

Sometimes it is a good thing just to have a relatively quiet evening. I’m pretty certain that if you spend too much time going to shows, you might forget about the really great ones. Tonight is a quiet eve in Atlanta, but alas here are your choices.

-Co-managed by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation imprint, Melanie Fiona’s original show at Vinyl sold out so fast that we moved it to The Loft. This soulstress, is certain to entertain.

-Support your local song crafters at Eddie’s Attic tonight for Songwriter’s Open Mic Night. 

-Electronica fans will be at The Masquerade tonight for Borgore and Document One. 

What’s Up Wednesday?

It is an indie-rockers paradise today in Atlanta! Yesterday we announced that The Flaming Lips are headlining Centennial Olympic Park’s “Party in the Park,” and the fun is just starting! Here are your midday fun picks!

-Shinobi Ninja is a Brooklyn-based party rock circus with an explosive live show. The band’s music mashes up the sounds of 311, The Beastie Boys, Sublime, and Rage Against the Machine. Check out the fun tonight at Smith’s Olde Bar.

-Opening for acts like B.O.B, Devin da Dude, Big Tuck, Atlanta’s own Boome, will be at Vinyl tonight with The Skywalkers.

-Check out Hunter Valentine w/ Jen Urban & the Box tonight at the Drunken Unicorn.

-Originally started as a bedroom project, Swing Set is now a full band consisting of ex-Waterliars/Long Knives rhythm section Thad Goad and Chris Poma and Sodajerk frontman Alex Brenner. See the new formed glory  at The Earl this evening.

CD Review: Will Hoge — Number Seven; Playing Vinyl, March 29

Will Hoge
Number Seven
Ryko

By Al Kaufman

Will Hoge is the type of guy you’d expect to see doing Chevy commercials. The guy is the heart of America. His songs are big and majestic with the right amount of twang, and they cover the topics that Americans care about; stuff like love gone sour, growing old, and failing to make it in life. It’s not exactly “Sexy and I Know It,” but you somehow feel good listening to it. … Continue Reading

Live Review: Good Old War at Vinyl, March 9

By Scott Roberts; photos by Sue Volkert

Philadelphia indie-folk trio Good Old War treated the near-capacity mixed-age crowd at Vinyl to a set of exuberant and melodious acoustic-driven tunes tinged with lyrics leaning toward melancholy, all delivered with glorious two- and three-part harmonies throughout. The band, who got its moniker from parts of the three members’ last names (main vocalist Keith GOODwin, drummer/accordionist/vocalist Tim ArnOLD, and guitarist/vocalist Dan SchWARtz) is touring behind its third album, Come Back as Rain, released just three days before the Vinyl show, the second stop of their tour.      … Continue Reading