originally published July 25, 2007

Let's just dive on in this week, friends…

Either Way, It's Free: On Thursday, July 26, the Georgia Theatre will host a double bill of free rock movies. First up is Martin Scorsese's concert film The Last Waltz starring, of course, The Band. While nearly universally hailed as one of the greatest concert films ever made, closer inspection reveals a bloated, self-congratulatory epic masquerading as documentary. The Band was, previous to this mess, a grand thing indeed, but The Last Waltz is just shameful. But that's just me. However, at 11 p.m. Jonathan Demme's 1985 concert film Stop Making Sense starring Talking Heads will play, and it's a killer piece of supremely innovating concert filmmaking from a band that was, at that time, at its peak. My advice? See both and judge for yourselves - after all, they're both free!

These Legs Were Made For Walkin': Fast-rising local band Long Legged Woman just got back from tour and has made what was formerly merely a tour-ensemble designed to augment the two-man band into a four-man permanent lineup. Now joining Long Legged Woman founders Gabe Vodicka and Justin Flowers are Alex Cargile on guitar and Jeff Rahuba on bass, guitar and electronics. Vodicka says the band is "in the process of writing songs for our first, proper full-length album, which will be a loud, messy, multi-layered, sprawling rock-and-roll beast, like a heavier, more psychedelic In Utero." Well, okay Gabe, but I always thought In Utero was kind of half-assed anyway, so you'd better make it something special!

Death To False Metal And Most Other Things: Brand-new local metal band 300 Cobras will play two debut shows this week, at the 40 Watt Club on Thursday, July 26 and at Repent on Friday, July 27. Comprised of Jace Bartet (ex-Salmon Panties), Steve Miller (Ginger Envelope, Venice is Sinking, ex-Ceramic Duck), Kris Deason (Dark Meat, Mouser, ex-¡Subversivo!), Al Daglis (Dark Meat, Mouser, ex-¡Subversivo!) and Jason Royer, the band is an all-star group (sort of) and audience expectation should be high. Bartet says, "My original desire was to create a black-metal band, but it has evolved into something a little more human than that, although the head still must always bang… As it seems to stand at the moment, we are a fast heavy-metal band who seeks to elevate heart rates and snap necks… Our only M.O. has been to subject each song as a whole to an easily scrutinizable Headbang Test. Do the transitions between these two riffs make me want to bang my head until it flies off, lost forever in the night sky? Anything that does not pass The Headbang Test is revised or discarded." What else could you possibly need to know? Go see 'em! Also making its club debut at the 40 Watt that night is Sweet Teeth, a band comprising core members of Dark Meat and the aforementioned Long Legged Woman.

Sitting Vigil for Vigilance: Local happy-hour gathering The Committee of Vigilance will play its final gig at Little Kings on Friday, July 27 at 5:30 p.m. The group of singer-songwriters had been gigging regularly since January of this year, but Jason Beckham is heading out on the road to support his new album The Innocent and Spencer Frye will spend his time in Atlanta at Love's Park Studio finishing his album My Amp Is Broken and So Is My Heart.

Department of Tourism, Hippie Division: The city of Amsterdam in The Netherlands has long enjoyed a brisk tourism industry due to its relaxed laws concerning casual drug use and sex-for-hire, and now fans of local jamsters Perpetual Groove can take the trip (ha!) and see their boys play the fine city early next year. The band is a featured act in the 2008 Jam In The 'Dam, and will play alongside popular jammers Disco Biscuits, Umphrey's McGee, Tea Leaf Green, Lotus and Dark Star Orchestra. The event will happen Mar. 16–19, 2008, but tickets went on sale last week at $250 a pop. If you dig this stuff, then please look at www.jaminthedam.com.

Release Me: The local rock dudes in Misfortune 500 saw the release of their album Before This Winter Ends back in March and just took off on their first East Coast and Midwest tour. The band hosted a tour send-off party at Go Bar last week and is currently traveling around doing its thing. If you want to stalk these guys or anything like that, please check dates over at www.myspace.com/misfortune500 or just go see 'em when they return to town and play the Caledonia Lounge on Thursday, Aug. 9.

Normaltown Ain't The Same: Cleon Nalley, a musician and longtime participant in the local scene, particularly prominent in the late '70s, passed away on July 12. Nalley was best known for his contributions to The Jesters and to Terry Melton's band The Laughing Disaster, though over the years he played bass, sang and wrote songs for numerous Athens- and Nashville-based bands. He lived in his hometown of Gainesville, GA, where he practiced law and joined in on numerous Jesters reunion shows.

Okay, people, rock now. Be sure to keep your news coming in and always mention either Threats & Promises or my name in the subject line of all emails. Does anyone ever read this part 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