Threats & Promises

Music News And Gossip

originally published March 29, 2006

Welcome back to Flagpole’s back pages. As usual, hope this news reaches you in happy spirits. Or, at least, 12 ounces of spirits. On with the show…

Video Killed the Radio Star: The guys from the local hip hop group The Renegadez have a special gift for fans this week - they’re releasing a DVD of a recent performance aptly titled Tasty World Live. Emcees Son 1, 1000 Gramz and Digital Master rhyme and flow over five tracks while backed by a live band comprising members of The Pendletons and Freeze Tag. Shot by Simon Ferrari and John Fuller, Tasty World Live is essentially one 20-minute shot; the camera never cuts, although effects shift the footage from gritty black and white to full color, distinctly presenting tracks like “Fire,” “Twilight Zone” and the frigid “E.P.” The sound’s not great, but hey, it’s a live recording. The full group is performing at Tasty World again on Wednesday, Mar. 29 with BadKat & DJ Chrome C, and will have copies of the DVD available for $5.

Gain Your Knowledge: Those pop boys in Col. Knowledge & the Lickity-Splits report they are currently at work on a new album over at the home of drummer Mercer West. No word on whether this album will be released via California’s Alive Records, as was the group’s debut, but all signs so far point to yes. In other news, after playing as the backing band for boy-of-the-moment Ariel Pink in Atlanta last month, the band was asked to back him at the recent South by Southwest festival. At this gig, they shared the stage with such unknowns and luminaries as First Nation, Storsveit Nix Noltes and Animal Collective. West’s other combo Mouser is reportedly working on some recorded material also.

Pay Attention: Folks will have two opportunities to catch local multi-instrumentalist, and tireless advocate for improvisational music, Killick Erik Hinds, in the upcoming week. Hinds will perform with California-based harp player Susie Allen at Atlanta’s Eyedrum on Friday, Mar. 31 and here in Athens at Canopy Studios on Saturday, Apr. 1. Allen is known throughout the improvisational music world for her performances on concert harp, electric harp and the Korean zither known as the kayagum. She has performed, literally, all over the world and her latest foray into hugeness was a trip on the Trans-Siberian Railway, from Moscow to Beijing, and improvising with folks along the way. Hinds, of course, needs little introduction in Athens, but fans will note that while he still goes by Erik, he has added “Killick” to his name. Feel free to ask him why. Best known for his invention of the H’arpeggione, Hinds made news nationwide last year after creating a solo acoustic version of Slayer’s classic album Reign in Blood with the instrument.

Spread On The Screen: On Tuesday, May 9, Widespread Panic and Big Screen Concerts will simulcast the band’s Atlanta Fox Theatre performance, under the title Earth To America, that night into theaters nationwide. While the bands shows at the theater for both May 8 and 9 sold out quickly a couple of weeks ago, there may well be a theater within driving distance for those Panic fans that still want the experience (albeit on the screen). Tickets for this event go on sale Friday, Apr. 7 at participating theaters and folks should keep checking www.bigscreenconcerts.com to find out where it’s going to appear.

Mountain Music: Saturday, Apr. 8 would be a fine time to take a trip up to Dahlonega, GA and catch the Mountain Music & Medicine Show. This performance will feature music from the Athens trio Master’s Bouquet, the bluegrass gospel of Little Mountain, the old-time music of The Pea Ridge Ramblers, the multi-styled Mist On The Mountain and Doc Johnson’s Traveling Miracle Medicine Show. These shows happen once a month at the Buisson Arts Center Music Hall and are recorded and broadcast by WUGA here in Athens for those who can’t make the drive. General admission tickets are $10 and reserved seating is a mere $15. There’s lots more information to be had detailing the individual players and such and can be had by visiting www.mmmshow.com or by calling 678-617-1169.

How Hot Does It Get In Chicago?: Tickets have already gone on sale for this year’s Lollapalooza festival, but there may still be some available by the time you read this. Taking place again in Chicago on Aug. 4–6, the formerly multi-city fest has stayed put in the windy city since being resurrected last year. Why would this column even bother mentioning something like this? Well, cowboy, because in addition to such soon-to-be-forgotten acts such as Kanye West, Lady Sovereign and Dresden Dolls, music fans will be able to catch Athens’ own Of Montreal, whose staying power has already been proven over the past decade. The band will appear on the second stage and I have no doubt the crowd surrounding said stage should be huge. Also appearing is Gnarls Barkley, the collaboration between Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo, which should be of some interest to fans.

Ten Years Already?: Well, folks, it’s been a full 10 years since UGA opened its Performing And Visual Arts Complex over on River Road, and that calls for a celebration. To this end, a full week’s worth of events have been scheduled from Apr. 1–9 and here’s a quick rundown of the music-related highlights. On Saturday, Apr. 1 at 3 p.m. the UGA Glee Club will have a reunion concert and at 8 p.m. the UGA Symphony and UGA Choirs will present Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 9”; Sunday, Apr. 2 will have Charles Wadsworth performing chamber music sponsored by the Spoleto Festival USA at 3 p.m.; Tuesday, Apr. 4 will be the ARCO Chamber Orchestra at 8 p.m.; Wednesday, Apr. 5 will see the UGA Steel Band and UGA Salsa Band performing at 6 p.m.; the Alumni Electronic Music Concert will happen at 8 p.m.; Thursday, Apr. 6, Classic City Jazz will perform at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Apr. 8 is the Family Day Spring Festival from 10 a.m. to noon and will feature Pam Blanchard & the Sunny-Side Up Band and Sunday, Apr. 9 will have the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra performing at 3 p.m. Most events are free, but for ticketing information, please call 706-542-4400.

Ouy?: Built to Spill, which had booked a show at the 40 Watt Club on May 13, has postponed its current U.S. tour due to some eye surgery frontman Doug Martsch has had to undergo. So though the current show has been canceled, Built to Spill will still release You In Reverse, its first release since 2001, on Apr. 11, and has rescheduled the 40 Watt gig for Oct. 14.

Lots O’ Laughs: Since you’ll probably only ever see him performing with bands, it seems appropriate to mention local comedian Pete McBrayer’s new live recording. Available now as an absolutely free download via his website, the half-hour recording was done live by David Pierce and local musician Kevin Lane over at Little Kings recently. Fittingly titled Live from the Little Kings Club, the McBrayer album is full of understated, semi-dry jokes delivered to a massively receptive audience. This type of comedy isn’t for everyone, but I think it’s frickin’ hilarious. Download this over at www.petemcbrayer.com.

Be sure to keep your news coming in and always mention either Threats & Promises or my name in the subject line of all emails. I’m so sick of love songs via email to music@flagpole.com, voicemail at 706-549-9523, ext. 203, or by post at P.O. Box 1027, Athens, GA 30603.

Gordon Lamb

Gordon Lamb