Sound Menu August 01 2001 Wed week out
THE FLAKES, TWITTERING MACHINE, XBXRX — Improv free-form rock band the Flakes continues its “Eyedrum Goes to the Star Bar” residency (see Earshot, p. 79). Joining them is Twittering Machine, an accordion-and-cello-driven quartet that sounds something like Brecht and Weill joining a goth-folk band. The post-punk angular rhythms of Xbxrx split in two, skittering off like broken bottle rockets. Bizarre sounds belch and squirt through the melee. A strained falsetto mocks and taunts. At times like Man or Astroman? with twice the gusto, half the predictability and no surf guitar. This young Alabama unit defies categorization. Star Bar (Sarig/Foy)
BRUCE HORNSBY — Well-meaning MOR ivory-tickler Hornsby is a perfect match for Chastain’s cheese ‘n’ wine atmosphere. His harmlessly polite music won’t distract concertgoers intent on taking those important cell phone calls. Perhaps Hornsby will surprise everyone by hauling out “China Cat Sunflower” from his early ’90s stint as the Grateful Dead’s keyboardist, but I wouldn’t bet the brie on it. Chastain Park Amphitheatre (Robertson)
SHAWN MULLINS, SAM SHABER — Gracefully negotiating his inevitable slide back to local bigwig after a foray into national stardom, Shawn Mullins returns to his Decatur acoustic-club roots. Opening is Sam Shaber, a bittersweet folk songwriter from NYC, whose evocative lyrical poetry often breaks under the weight of its own emotion, like chunks of a weathered bridge falling into a slow, deep creek below. Eddie’s Attic (Sarig/Hutchinson)
RUSTIC OVERTONES — Far less granola-sounding than their name implies, Maine’s Rustic Overtones offer an urban mélange of jazz, funk, ska, hip-hop, rock and even lounge with results impressive enough to attract David Bowie and producer Tony Visconti as guests to their CD. Energetic and eclectic, Bowie’s British-ness doesn’t gel with the six-piece’s jam-R&B approach. Nonetheless when the horns get tooting live, they’re good for a frothy toe-tapping time. PlanetJam Cotton Club (Horowitz)
KATE SIMPKINS — Local singer/songwriter Kate Simpkins headlines this month’s Callanwolde Coffeehouse music and poetry event. On the surface, the former member of local band 45mercy can be easily lumped with the packs of guitar-wielding females lining up at venues like Eddie’s Attic. But the songs on her recently released solo CD, Station, are lyrically hefty and melodically easy — evoking both the adult art-songs of Ferron and jazz-touched mellow-pop tunes of the ’70s. Callanwolde Fine Arts Center (Sarig)
PETE YORN, OURS — See Record Reviews, p. 81. Smith’s Olde Bar (York)
ANDALUZ: Duo Latino, Spanish Guitars
BAYOU ROOM: Motor City Josh
BILLY’S: Heather Luttrell
BRIDGES: Piano with Bruce
CALLANWOLDE FINE ARTS CENTER: Kate Simpkins
CHASTAIN PARK AMPHITHEATRE: Bruce HornsbyCHURCHILL GROUNDS JAZZ CAFE: Pursuance with Lee Hogan & Dan Furman
CLUB GENO’S: The Brethern
COMEAUX’S: Sal Gentile & Rick Bell
COWBOYS: Darrin Robbins, Kickback
DARK HORSE TAVERN: Rolerboy, Cindi Harwell, Random Boldwin
DARWIN’S: Open Blues Jam
DEUX PLEX: Neo-Soul Wednesdays
DT’S DOWN UNDER-ATHENS: Nathan Sheppard
ECLIPSE DI LUNA: Bonaventure Quartet
EDDIE’S ATTIC: Shawn Mullins, Sam Shaber
FAT MATT’S RIB SHACK: The Electromatics
40 WATT CLUB-ATHENS: Second Shift CD release party with Blind Prophet, 3 Deep, Groove Stain
FUZZY’S: Mike Veal
KARMA: Cream
KAYA: Wind Down Wednesday - live jazz, spoken word, poetry
LUBY’S: Bamboo
METROPOLITAN PIZZA: Metropolitan Wednesdays
NOMENCLATURE MUSEUM: Gothic night
NORTHSIDE TAVERN: Daniel “Mudcat” Dudeck
PLANETJAM COTTON CLUB: Rustic Overtones
POPPER’S: Karaoke
SMITH’S OLDE BAR: Pete Yorn, Ours
STAR BAR-L5P: XBXRX, Scientifically Speaking with Irene Moon, Twittering Machine CD Release, The Flakes
VININGS INN: Ian Schumacher
VIOLETTE RESTAURANT: Dave Wallis, Eddie Taylor, & more
YA YA’S CAJUN CUISINE: Hillbilly Hoedown