Club Notes

All Wrapped Up

originally published February 1, 2006

What a way to start the week! I and about 200 other witnesses have been lined up in front of the 40 Watt for about half an hour on this drizzly Monday night of Jan. 23. We’re here to watch the taping of a new Turner South music program called “Music Road,” which is presented by singer-songwriter Edwin McCain, somewhat in the style of “Austin City Limits,” but focused on the live music scene around the Southeast.

Kicking off the evening is local legend Vic Chesnutt, backed by a large Elf Power line-up that includes lead man Andrew Rieger, bassist Derek Almstead, Josh Lott on drums, multi-instrumentalist John Fernandes, Jimmy Hughes on guitar and Laura Carter on Moog and accordion. The first song is called “Distortion,” off Chesnutt’s Left to His Own Devices, and mainly features Vic with light backing from Elf Power, which does spring to life in full folk-rock regalia at several points throughout the song, adding color, depth and warmth to Chesnutt’s uniquely wizened vocals. “Harvest” is the next song up, and Rieger is working to find a place for his warm vocals against Chesnutt’s wry tones - after a second’s doubt, the two vocalists coalesce and the end result is great. West of Rome’s “Withering” follows and Fernandes comes to prominence with some cool fiddle playing and plucking, which ends up sounding like a rain stick.

Next on, amongst the cameras and faux smoke, is Matthew Houck, the frontman of stellar local alt-folk act Phosphorescent. Houck starts out solo with just the beautiful western tones of his old hollow-body electric guitar for the timeless from-the-heart plea of “Toes Out to Sea.” Houck sounds great, but I feel for him as it’s apparent that something has him worried, even though he’s plugging on regardless.

Liz Durrett, backed by Tin Cup Prophette’s Amanda Kapousouz on fiddle, hits the stage next and Durrett sounds awesome with a new song off her new album The Mezzanine; she sounds more rich and vibrant than the gorgeously eerie whisper she employed on her debut album Husk. The song also features the poignantly sparse drumming of Rob Lomax. It’s Kapousouz’s turn to back Houck next as he returns for the cautionary ballad “Not A Heel” from his latest release Aw Come Aw Wry. Once again, Houck seems a little preoccupied, but still gives a convincing performance with additional horns provided by Laura Carter and Brent Jones. Durrett returns sounding more like her old self, and I can’t distinguish which is more beautiful. While I ponder, Houck takes front again to perform the melodic “Mrs. Juliette Low,” backed by Page and Claire Campbell and Durrett, as well as drums, brass and fiddle.

The alternating Houck/ Durrett show is over, and Elf Power is back - joined by cellist Heather McIntosh - for a range of songs from Elf Power’s forthcoming album Back to the Web. The first song sounds a little flat compared to what is to come, but is a distinctly Elf Power-style folk-rock ballad. The new album’s title track is next, sounding much darker, with a Bedouin vibe that builds to a howling tempest, drawing masses of applause from the crowd. Chesnutt is back up on-stage once more, and the band launches into “Rambunctious Cloud” from Ghetto Bells, which turns out to be one of the best songs of the night, generating a great depth of sound from Almstead’s bass combined with the restrained moodiness of Fernandes’ clarinet. The penultimate song is a new one from Chesnutt called “Feel the Fiddler,” and it really serves to highlight how good the combination of Chesnutt and Elf Power is - this show should go on the road.

Finally, in true Athens style, everyone gets up on-stage for a rendition of “Georgia On My Mind,” which sadly sounds pretty rough, with Chesnutt singing through an effect that makes him sound half bullfrog and half Louis Armstrong. That was it for me, but later in the night, Don Chambers and the Drive-By Truckers lined up for their turn in front of the cameras. Look for the shows to air sometime in April or May.

This week also saw a double header from The Renegadez, one of Athens’ most vibrant hip hop outfits. The group played Tasty World on Friday night and on Saturday, Jan. 28 is playing in front of a decent size crowd in Nuçi’s Space. The Renegadez as an entity appear to have cut back from five emcees and backing tracks, as they were when I last saw them, to three emcees and a live four-piece backing band made up of members of local indie-pop acts The Pendletons and Freeze Tag. To this end, the flows are supreme, the live beats are sharp and rockin’, the guitar work is super cool, and the keys are a delight. There is still some room for growth within this concept, and I look forward to seeing what more this energetic seven-piece collaboration can do in the future.

After a year and a half of writing about five or six different bands a week, it’s about time I took a break. I’d like to thank all the venues and musicians for their assistance and input over this rewarding time. I will still be contributing feature pieces and some other projects, so watch this space.

Ben Gerrard

Ben Gerrard