Exile in Dunganville

Spotlight on...The Spongetones

The following column will appear in the June 2009 edition of Gaston Alive:

The Spongetones had plenty to celebrate last year. Not only did they release their 10th studio recording Too Clever By Half, but they also released a greatest hits compilation celebrating their first 25 years as a band.

So you would think, after a busy 2008, they might take some time off this year. But never underestimate the passion and drive of The Spongetones. Now in their 29th year, this band is still rocking on, releasing yet another collection of songs they are calling Scrambled Eggs.

The Spongetones’ music is rooted in the mersey beat sound - a pop music genre made famous by such bands as The Beatles, Herman’s Hermits, The Hollies, and The Dave Clark Five. Its origins can be traced back to the United Kingdom around the early 1960s. However, long after the British Invasion, the Spongetones are still waving the mersey beat flag.

The one thing I love about the Spongetones is that they have never claimed to be innovators or pioneers of any musical sound or movement. They are four guys who simply love what they do - writing, recording and performing great pop music.

Even though they call North Carolina home, their music has national and international appeal. If you stay up late at night, you can catch their song “The Skinny” on ABC’s “World News Now”. In addition, they’ll be traveling to Japan later this year to play for their fans over there.

With twelve records under their belt, they are just as relevant today as they were back in 1983 when they released their debut album Beat Music.

They say there are over twenty ways to prepare eggs. The Spongetones have chosen to scramble them this time around.

In preparation for their big trip to Japan, the Spongetones are appearing at the Evening Muse every Wednesday throughout the summer.

Just leave your eggs at home. The Spongetones will have plenty for everyone.

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WANT TO GO?:
WHAT: The Spongetones
WHERE: Evening Muse, 3227 N. Davidson St., Charlotte
WHEN: 8:00 P.M. every Wednesday night through August
COST: $7
ONLINE: www.theeveningmuse.com

For more information on The Spongetones, including music samples, please visit http://www.myspace.com/spongetones.

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Spotlight on...Blues Out Back 2009

The following column will appear in the May 2009 edition of Gaston Alive:

It’s hard to slow life down. There is always something else to do or somewhere else to be. And it seems, the older we get, the faster it goes by.

That’s what I love about the Gaston County Museum’s Blues Out Back concert series. It forces me, for just a few hours on a summer night, to slow down and do nothing.

Now you don’t have to love the blues. You don’t even have to know any blues songs.
All you have to be willing to do is to sit back and relax. And do nothing.

The Gaston County Museum does the rest. They create this place once a month, from May through September, so we can shut out the noise of the world and enjoy time with our friends and our families.

It’s a small glimpse into a simpler time - a time before air conditioners, televisions, cell phones, and computers. It’s a time where the only entertainment available was stories and songs.

For better or worse, we live in a different time. And in our world, we must shut it off if we are able to enjoy the present. So, turn off your computers and your cell phones. Leave you air conditioned home. The Gaston County Museum offers you the chance to live in the here and the now.

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Blues Out Back Schedule

May 8 - Abe Reid
June 12 - John Dee Holeman
July 10 - Big Ron Hunter
August 14 - Drink Small
September 11 - The Harris Brothers

WANT TO GO?:
WHAT: Blues Out Back Concert Series
WHERE: Gaston County Museum, 131
West Main Street., Dallas
WHEN: 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on May 8,
June 12, July 10, and Aug. 14
COST: Free
ONLINE: www.gastoncountymuseum.org

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Spotlight on...Dodd Ferrelle

The following column will appear in the April 2009 edition of Gaston Alive:

I am proud to say Dodd Ferrelle is back on my musical radar. The Athens-based singer-songwriter first popped up on my radar about four years ago, after releasing The Murder of Love with his band the Tinfoil Stars. But shortly after that – things went quiet.

It all makes sense now. With his first child on the way, Ferrelle decided to take a self-imposed break from recording and touring back in 2006.

Three years and two kids later, Dodd Ferrelle is back. And this time, with a renewed sense of musical purpose.

After spending the last ten or so years with the Tinfoil Stars, Ferrelle felt it was time to take on a project he could call his own. This new project would be all his - his words, his arrangements, and his ideas.

Three years in the making, and with the help of his trusted advisor and producer David Barbe, Lonely Parades was born.

Lonely Parades features eleven new songs written and arranged by Ferrelle. Now that these songs are out of his head and on CD, he is now excited about getting back on the road and sharing them with the musical world.

For Ferrelle, this three year sabbatical gave him a chance to step back from life on the road with a band to get refocused on what he does best – telling stories.

But it’s more than just telling stories and writing lyrics. As much as Ferrelle loves to put pen to paper, he has gift for what he calls “marrying the words to the music”.

After listening to Lonely Parades, he still has that gift.

I have always felt music is the best medicine for the soul. But when music is your job, and your job is getting to be too much, more music is probably not the answer.

After all, he’s been holding onto them for far too long. It’s time to share them with the world.

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To learn more about Dodd Ferrelle and to hear samples of his music, visit his website at DoddFerrelle.com

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Spotlight on...Laurie Koster

The following column will appear in the March 2009 edition of Gaston Alive:

Some say life without passion is not much of a life. I tend to think life without music may be even worse.

That’s what I like about Laurie Koster. She’s passionate. Even better - she’s passionate about music.

If I were ever to forget about Laurie’s passion, it wouldn’t take long for me to be reminded. That’s because every Wednesday, I can expect an email from her chock full with more music news you could ever want. And this isn’t just any music news. It’s all about the music and musicians that live, play, and record in our backyard.

Her email newsletter is a weekly snapshot of what’s going on in our area. It’s an exhaustive list of concerts taking place that week, as well as concerts coming up that you should know about. It’s filled with music reviews, news, contests, giveaways, and special benefit concerts involving our local music community.

If you were to measure Laurie’s passion, you’d think she lives in either Nashville or Austin. Not so. This former Ohioan is now a Carolina girl, and she couldn’t be any more proud of her newly adopted hometown, and the music it creates.

Laurie’s not alone in her support of North Carolina musicians and their sounds. In fact, in a recent ranking issued by the Roots Music Association, North Carolina came in at #9 in states that support their local music scene.

As budgets and resources shrink in newsrooms everywhere, it is becoming harder to find good quality local content. Before you know it - national syndication becomes the norm.

This is what makes Laurie’s newsletter so special. It’s compiled by someone who loves the music.

When people move into town and ask me about local music in the area, I automatically refer them to Laurie. She’s the expert.

Waving the local music flag doesn’t pay big money. Most musical endeavors rarely do. But as one musical mentor and friend told me the other day, “music is a spirit quest - not a money one.”

I wonder if she has been reading Laurie’s emails too.

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To learn more about Laurie Koster’s Charlotte Events Weekly Newsletter,visit her online at www.lauriekoster.com/happenings.htm

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Spotlight on...Why I Love Vinyl!

The following column will appear in the February 2009 edition of Gaston Alive:

I am only 33 years old. I shouldn’t love vinyl records as much as I do.

Musically, I came along in a time when vinyl was being phased out by most retailers in favor of the cassette tape. My record collection started out with artists such as Air Supply, Kenny Rogers, and Michael Jackson. That’s not anything to brag about - but it does provide a little context to my initial vinyl experience.

As we moved into the mid-80s, the cassette tape became the music medium of choice. And from there it became the compact disk and it has now evolved into the ever popular mp3.

It all comes down to convenience and portability. These prevailing thoughts have helped the retail music industry evolve to where it is today. And for good reason. Vinyl is too bulking to carry around and it would never make it in the car on a hot summer day.

But vinyl just won’t go away. No one gets sentimental about cassettes and 8-tracks. Yet vinyl still dazzles us today. Even in 2009.

Nostalgia certainly plays a role. Music has a way of taking us back in time, and even better, has a way of making those times seem better than they were. But perhaps the other reason interest in vinyl records seems to grow in today’s fast-paced world is the way it appeals to our senses.

I was in a record store the other day. Yes - an actual record store. You know, where they actually sell records.

It was an amazing feeling. It had that smell of a used record store. And each time I flipped through a stack of records, that musty old cardboard smell took me back.

From a visual standpoint, nothing can ever beat the vinyl record. It’s 12” X 12” cardboard frame often showcased some of the best eye-catching art known to man. It drew you in even before you could hear it.

However, people still love their vinyl because it’s tangible. You can hold it. You can buy it. And you can actually stick it in an actual record collection. Try holding an mp3 - I dare you.

Back in the day - you had to search for the music you loved. There was a commitment involved. You had to go through stacks and stacks of music to locate the one you were looking for. The thrill was in the hunt. And with the advent of the search engine, those days are over.

Yes, I am 33. And I know, I sound 63. But I love music - no matter the medium it is found on. After all, we are a culture who prefers things high-tech. We love our fast, convenient, and easy. But as much as we try to deny it, we are still a culture who needs our ‘high touch’.

And thankfully, the vinyl record fulfills this need for us music lovers.

Spotlight on...Matt Walsh

The following column will appear in the January 2009 edition of Gaston Alive:

Ten years is a long time to have the blues.  But it's not so bad when it's your job.

Meet Matt Walsh - a professional blues musician since 1998.  He was born in Statesville, NC, but was raised on a steady diet of Chicago blues - a type of blues that would become  famous by such blues legends as Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf, and Bo Diddley. Walsh has just wrapped up his tenth year playing the blues.  And just like most blues musicians, it's more than just a job - it's a passion and it's a way of life.

Blues music will never be mainstream.  Most blues players know this.  But all you have to do is to listen to them to realize they don't care.  The blues is inside of them.  It's there job to share it with the world. I heard bluesman Elvin Bishop say the other day that in order to play the blues, you have to feel it first.  Walsh feels it - ever since he was first turned on to those old Chicago blues masters back when he was only 13 years old.

Now Walsh is playing over 200 nights a year.  And that's just the playing part.  He also handles all of his booking, publicity, and any other business aspect of what he does. He feels blessed to be able to effectively handle both the creative and the business side of his work.  Ask any musician - that's not an easy task to juggle. But if anything, Walsh knows the secret to his success.  It's all about hard work and patience. He's played small coffee shops to the large auditoriums. He's played the festival circuit as well as the smoky bars.  No matter the place or venue, he tries to give it his all in every performance.

Through ten years on the road cutting his teeth in this business, he has learned a lot.

• Nobody owes you anything.  You got to prove yourself each and every night.  He realizes it's his job to entertain the crowd.

• Be respectful of others.  This includes being on time and not taking long breaks in between sets.

• Be nice to people.  This means being friendly and courteous to everyone you come in contact with.  Treat the wait staff like you would the owner/promoter.  He feels it's really important to speak to the people that pay money to see you.

• Don't complain.

• Never, ever, take any of it for granted.

Walsh knows he's not changing the world with his music.  That's not his job. His job is to entertain the people. For Walsh - it's through the blues. And he's plain grateful for the opportunity to do it. 

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For more information on Matt Walsh, including music samples, please visit his website.

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Spotlight on...The 35th Anniversary of The Double Door Inn

The following column will appear in the December 2008 edition of Gaston Alive:

The Double Door Inn turns 35 years old this month. And while that’s impressive in and of itself, the fact that it has been owned and operated by the same person in the same place is even more impressive.

Live music is not an easy sell. Let’s face it - it has a niche appeal. Some people get it and some people don’t. But the ones that do get it are very passionate about it.

Passion is one of the many reasons the Double Door has made it as long as it has. Owner Nick Karres is passionate about the music. If he wasn’t – he would have been gone a long time ago when times got tough.

The Double Door Inn has been Charlotte’s home for live, original music for 35 years. That’s remarkable in a city that is known for tearing down the old and building up the new. Anything that’s been around for 10 years or longer in Charlotte is considered a landmark.

Nick Karres, and his brother Matt, first opened the doors in 1973. It was originally designed to be a neighborhood bar. However, it didn’t take long for live music to make its way into the old house.

The Double Door has been the home of many musical genres over the years. However, it’s reputation for bringing in some of the best blues acts is known worldwide.

Over the years, many notable players have graced the stage including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Delbert McClinton, Leon Russell, and Merle Watson. Even Eric Clapton made a special appearance back in 1982 that is still talked about today.

Nick Karres has found a way to adapt the venue over the years. He has always found a way to keep it relevant to the live music conversation in the Charlotte area.

So, here’s to the Double Door! Going strong for 35 years and she shows no signs of stopping.

Sure, it may not be your father’s Double Door, but you can bet as long as Nick says there’s room in the Inn, there will be music.

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The Double Door Inn will be celebrating its 35th birthday on Monday, December 22 by throwing a party and celebrating the release of the new book Home of the Blues: The Double Door Inn. Authors Debby Wallace and Daniel Coston will have books available that night for purchase.

More information on the birthday celebration and the book is available online at www.myspace.com/ddithebook.

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Spotlight on...The Flowers Family Bluegrass Band

The following column will appear in the November 2008 edition of Gaston Alive:

The year was 1998, and the commercial music world was taken over by a new phenomenon – boy bands.

As much as I’d love to say I don’t remember this time in pop music, I unfortunately do.

The name “boy band” was a misnomer from the start. Sure they were boys, but they were far from a band.

Musical instruments were clearly optional in their case. While many young girls were in awe over the boy bands, one young girl could have cared less. Her name was Alana Flowers.

1998 might have been the year of the boy band, but for Alana Flowers, it was the year she was introduced to the banjo. In fact, she remembers the exact day she took home her first banjo – January 13, 1998. And ever since that cold January day, they have been inseparable.

Kids go through phases. It’s what they do. The things I enjoyed at ten years old do not matter as much to me now.

But I think that’s what makes Alana different. She was able to identify her passion at a young age. And even better – she’s quite good, winning multiple banjo competitions in her short career.

But then you start to wonder how much does DNA play a role in her development as a musician. Is it any coincidence that her younger siblings also are talented players?

Take her 13 year-old sister for example. She chose the fiddle. And then there is there younger brother Dylan. He selected the mandolin. He knew if he wanted to join the family bluegrass band, he had to choose an instrument other than banjo and fiddle.

The family, eager to play, recruited Donny Little and his brother Joel to handle the guitar duties. And thus, the Flowers Family Bluegrass Band was born.

In today’s musical landscape, it’s nice to see a bunch of talented players that blend youth and experience the way they do.

And it’s bluegrass – a musical art form that was meant to be passed down from generation to generation.

Boy band-ery is not something I care to see passed down through the generations. It’s too artificial for my tastes.

The youth of today often get a bad rap. All it takes is one performance by the Flowers Family Bluegrass Band and your confidence in today’s youth will be restored.

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To learn more about The Flowers Family Bluegrass Band and to hear samples of their music, visit their website at FlowersFamilyBluegrass.com

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Spotlight on...Live Oak Entertainment

The following column will appear in the October 2008 edition of Gaston Alive:

Finding balance in life is not an easy task to accomplish – especially when it comes to
juggling your time and your money. The fact is, you’re either rich in one, or poor in another.

Rarely are we abundant in both at the same time. When you are young, time is on your
side. It’s the money that is lacking. As we get older and enter the workforce,the money starts to roll in, but it’s time that takes a backseat.

That’s the way life is. And as my dad said – life isn’t fair. That’s a tough pill to swallow as a kid, but a life lesson that becomes easier to digest as we get older.

Brian Deal knows this life lesson all to well. Here is a guy that is married, with a family. He works a full-time job during the day.

I think it’s safe to say he’s not bursting with free time on his hands. However, the free time he does have, he spends it feeding one of his passions - music.

Deal was raised on a steady diet of Texas-based musicians. I think it’s safe to say that the sounds of the Lonestar State speak to him.

In fact, his first ever smoky-bar show he ever attended was seeing Jerry Jeff Walker play at P.B. Scotts Music Hall in Charlotte. And he’s been hooked ever since.

The only problem is that Deal doesn’t live in Texas. He lives right in Gaston County.

Before he got married, it was a no-brainer to take a trip in the middle of the week just to see a certain performer. It didn’t matter how far.

However, when one gets married and has children, some things change. Kids have a way of changing the questions, just as when we think we know all the answers.

But that didn’t stop Deal. He decided if he couldn’t make it to Texas, he would bring the sounds of Texas to North Carolina.

Enter Live Oak Entertainment, an independent concert promotions company bringing Texas country, red dirt and Americana music to the Charlotte area. Since forming in 2004, he and his partners have brought in a wealth of talent to the surrounding area including Dale Watson, Chris Knight, and Jason Boland & the Stragglers.

Now let’s set the record straight. He hasn’t yet to become a millionaire promoting these live shows. In fact, I get the impression he is almost proud to say he hasn’t made a profit yet. Breaking even at the end of the night is a win in his book.

For Deal, it’s purely a labor of love. He will never bank a lot of money in this endeavor. But that’s not his mission. Something tells me he’ll become rich in other ways, one note and one guitar lick at a time.

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To learn more about Live Oak Entertainment, visit them online at www.myspace.com/liveoakentcharlotte.

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Spotlight on...The Catawba Music Series

The following column will appear in the September 2008 edition of Gaston Alive:

It’s hard to define what Americana is, but I find it less difficult to tell you what it isn’t.

Americana is not big box stores, lining strip malls and shopping centers. Nor is it made in China.

Americana is not national chain restaurants that look, feel, and taste the same no matter where you are.

And lastly, Americana is not about fame and fortune. Let’s face it - plastic isn’t natural.

That’s why I like Bill Noonan. He knows what it means to be Americana. Noonan is a songwriter and performer who plays what he calls “Carolina roots rock”. It’s his personal brand of Americana.

His latest release, Catawba City, takes a strong look at the Charlotte metropolitan area, and how it continues to grow. As it grows, it gradually eats up many of the surrounding towns and counties, and the very things that make them special.

So when I heard Noonan was organizing an Americana-themed music series in York, SC, I knew exactly what he was aiming for.

Downtown York is not your average small town. It looks like a scene out of a movie. It gives off an aura of small town America that many people remember and still yearn for.

And oh yeah, there just so happens to be a top-notch music venue there too.

The Sylvia Theater is hosting this event, appropriately titled “The Yuengling Catawba City Music Series”. Noonan’s goal is to showcase some of the areas top Americana musicians, set to the backdrop of York’s small-town appeal.

Some of the artists scheduled to perform over the course of the music series include Carolina Gator Gumbo, Tater, Mama Said, and of course Bill Noonan and his band.

The music starts at 9 p.m., allowing plenty of time to enjoy some of the area’s local cuisine before the show.

A night away from the hustle and bustle of the big city is what many of us need. That small-town vibe is not that hard to find, but it does require us to leave the bright lights and the big city behind – for just a few hours.

With the Yuengling Catawba City Music Series, Noonan offers a small-town feel that will appeal to anyone. No matter who they are, or where they live.

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For more information on the Catawba City Music Series, please visit the Sylvia Theater's website.

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