The Bad Ends with Josh Joplin

From the venue:

Event Description

The Garden Club Presents:THE BAD ENDS with JOSH JOPLINThe Garden Club at Wild Heaven West EndFriday, September 6thDoors: 7:00 PM   Show: 8:00 PMTickets: $20.00 - $25.00 (plus taxes & fees)Ages: All
Genre: Rock/PopStyle: Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock, American Underground, College Rock, Indie Rock, Jangle Pop, Contemporary Singer/SongwriterR.I.YL.: R.E.M., Five Eight, Peter Buck, Hindu Love Gods, The Minue 5, The Baseball Project, Filthy Friends, Shawn Mullins, Billy Bragg, Jewel, Bob Dylan, The Clash, Counting Crows, Woody Guthrie, The Smiths, Pete Seeger
THE BAD ENDSAthens, GA occupies a curious corner of American history. Living up to the nickname of “The Classic City,” it harbors all kinds of heritage, dating back to 1801 (with enough of its own Southern Gothic flavor to fill a William Faulkner novel). At the same time, it remains a breeding ground for all things alternative, serving as home to the B-52’s, Widespread Panic, Neutral Milk Hotel, and R.E.M., to name a few. In this respect, the genesis of The Bad Ends may have been predestined all along. The lineup— Mike Mantione Vocals, Guitar, Bill Berry Drums, Guitar, Electric Sitar, Dave Domizi Bass, Vocals, Geoff Melkonian Keyboards, Piano, Guitars, Vocals, and Christian Lopez Guitars, Mandolin, Banjo—owes as much to the local scene as it does to the everyday community, forming through musical encounters as well as simple run-ins on the streets.
JOSH JOPLINThe wait is over. Josh Joplin, one of the most striking songwriters and bandleaders of the early 21st century, is releasing his first full-length album inten years. Figure Drawing features eleven new compositions by Joplin and a sound that combines his roots in folk music and his past success as an indie-rocker without shortchanging either development.The album’s title comes from Joplin’s other creative pursuit: drawing and painting. A montage of nudes from his sketchpad are featured in the album art, and the songs inside the cover reflect the same commitment to observation: paying close attention to something and trying to describe it in as few lines as possible. On this project, the subjects of that observation are restless travelers, aging idealists, ex-lovers, long marriages, children, skeptical spiritual seekers, computers, flood victims, school shootings and especially the songwriter himself.
The title track is a jangly, folk-rock autobiography of a man who has suffered losses, rootlessness and fulfillment but still finds himself in the role of the detached observer, working on his figure drawing. “A Skeptic’s Gospel” uses a folkie acoustic-guitar figure in an attempt to reconcile modern man’s doubts and hunger for bedrock truths. “Tell the Ones You Love You Love Them” and “Just Ghosts” approach the same subject via dreamy pop soundscapes. “Thoughts & Prayers” is seemingly about school playgrounds and birthday parties; the background threat of violence emerges only gradually. “Shifts That Transform the Heart” and “Me Then Now” boast bouncy, catchy chorus hooks.
Figure Drawing is the eleventh full-length album of new songs that Joplin has released since 1989. After five self-released albums, Joplin was signed to Artemis Records in 2000, which released Useful Music that year and The Future That Was in 2002. Useful Music, co-produced by Shawn Mullins and the Talking Heads’ Jerry Harrison, rose to #17 on the Billboard Independent Albums charts, while the single, “Camera One,” was #1 on the Triple A airplay chart.
“All of Joplin’s experiences, from his early days as a Dylanesque troubadour to his mid-career success as an indie-rocker, are reflected in this new recording, the broadest, deepest and most balanced of his career.” - Geoffrey Himes