Brandon Scott Sellner

w/ Brantley Gilbert

Friday, June 8 @ Georgia Theatre

originally published June 6, 2007

Guitarist Brandon Scott Sellner’s stinging licks may sound like he grew up in the nightclubs and after-hours juke joints of Austin, but the fast-fingered performer originally hails from a small town of less than 5,000 called Sleepy Eye, MN. (That name’s pretty Texas, though, you gotta admit.)

The case-carrying Minnesotan plays a polished, blues-infused brand of electric guitar, heavily influenced by guys like Stevie Ray Vaughan and Jimi Hendrix. Sellner himself is more in the vein of John Mayer and Johnny Lang, with his catchy vocal hooks and sometimes-sensitive lyrics. Sellner has been sharpening his strong electric chops for about seven years now; in that time, he’s opened for the likes of ‘70s rebel rousing act Black Oak Arkansas and blues guitarist Walter Trout. Soon, Sellner will also be warming up the house for George Thorogood, Mr. “Bad to the Bone” himself.

Sellner, who most recently made his home up Wisconsin way, is currently at work on a second release and has been playing an extended string of shows during his recent sojourn to the South. He’s also working to get his first album Brandon Scott Sellner re-released on a larger scale. Word is that there’ll be record scouts adrift at the Georgia Theatre when Sellner next does the opening thing, this time for Jefferson-based country act Brantley Gilbert. Who knows? Sellner’s name may not reside in the marquee’s smaller font size for very much longer. To hear some of his stuff - and to ponder whether his background photos are deliberately tongue-in-cheek, dead serious, or none of the above - hit up his MySpace page.

Mike Andrews

"Sunflower Music Series"

Tuesday, June 12 @ State Botanical Garden

originally published June 6, 2007

For seven years, the State Botanical Garden of Georgia has taken the summertime plunge into live music, hosting the "Sunflower Music Series," an outdoor concert series aiming to spread appreciation of both local music and the Garden itself.

Popular pop band Modern Skirts brings its upbeat, Brit-influenced piano ditties and vocal harmonies to the Garden for the first installment on Tuesday, June 12, with local songwriter Nate Nelson opening. On Tuesday, July 17, Don Chambers and Kimberly Morgan take the series on a tour of Southern music, the former with his dusky songs flavored with banjo and gruff vocals, the latter a decidedly sweeter sound leaning heavily towards classic Loretta Lynn-style country.

The local salsa favorites of Grogus perform on Tuesday, Aug. 28, needing no opener as they deliver a wide-ranging and deep sojourn through Latin and Afro-Caribbean sounds. Tennessee folk-rocker Jennifer Daniels headlines the final installment, with emphatic vocalist D. Brown, the winner of the Botanical Garden's May singer-songwriter competition, opening the show on Tuesday, Sept. 18.

The Sunflower Series shows start at 7 p.m. and are done by 9 p.m.; they also frequently sell out, and tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 706-542-1244, so hop to it if any of this sounds up your alley. Tickets cost $5 for members, $15 for non-members. Children between six and 12 get in for $5, and younger ones get in free. Rain pops up now and then during the summer, and if it does, the Garden's Visitor Center serves as a venue. You're welcome to bring picnic baskets and blankets, too, while the Garden, located on Milledge Avenue on Athens' south side, provides beverages and light snacks.

Chris Hassiotis

Neva Geoffrey

Matias

Wednesday, June 6 @ Tasty World

originally published June 6, 2007

Leaving her home base of Lexington, KY, Neva Geoffrey is crisscrossing the Eastern United States armed with endearingly whimsical piano ballads and a raspy but pleasant voice. And she may just be the girl to get indie kids everywhere to take a little break from jumping and screaming along to simply swaying along with the music. The Days Are Rolling, her recent release on Alias Records, makes even the simplest melodies captivating and the most effortless lyrics poetic.

The album starts with “Maiden Lane,” which additively repeats, “I don’t know who you really are… I don’t know who I really am.” It's honestly and blissfully understated, set to a solo piano that is neither ignored nor pounded to death at any time. The Days Are Rolling continues with the slightly more upbeat and orchestrated "Corduroy Boy," which accepts references to Cat Power, Natalie Merchant and Aimee Mann. Others have placed Geoffrey’s ethereal, comforting voice with Norah Jones, but her songs are thicker, warmer. Think less old lady with a cabernet in a smoky piano bar and more twenty-something wrapped in a quilt with a strong cup of coffee and a mind full of soul-searching ponderings.

The second half of the 10-song release follows the same path - nothing too terribly adventurous, but never boring. “Peeling Metal Chairs” stands out as the haunting, chorus-free ballad, and then moves into “Bottom Hand,” where Geoffrey coos with surprising conviction “love is okay, except when it’s great and you sacrifice your own direction.”

Song by song, Geoffrey says the words you forgot you were thinking, and sings them over music you didn’t know you were already humming in the recesses of your mind. She blends insight with familiarity, making you want to sing along if it wouldn’t mean drowning out her soulful voice.

Lia Brunelle