MUSIC SCENE
Lies & Innuendo
"Oh, glorious rumor mill, forever may you spew."--C. Duck
Local punks the Counselors and the Elderly scored some national press in a recent issue of Maximum Rock N Roll for their contribution to Richmond's Howitzer Records 7" Sound and Fury. "Good solid stuff all around" lauded the San Fransisco-based punk mag.
Rumors of the demise of Richmond's Jazz Poets Society have been greatly exaggerated. Despite the departure of their guitarist, the hip-hop/soul revolutionaries will continue to perform.
Word is that a new Supertanker project finds Peter Griesar backed by the members of TR3/Plutonium. (That's Houston Ross on bass, Johnny Gilmore on drums and Matthew Willner on guitar.) Who can say what will happen when the radioactive funk meets Peter's preternatural pop? Suptonium? Perhaps a little Plutanker?
Charlottesville goth protagonists Bella Morte have been busy recording a track for an upcoming Smashing Pumpkins tribute disc to be released by their new label Cleopatra Records. The band has been working with local studio wizard Kevin McNoldy (most recently responsible for Clare Quilty's alt/rock masterwork Strong) on a gothified rendition of "Soma."
Apparently David Gray walked off his dayjob this July-- opening for the Dave Matthews Band on some summer dates. Unreliable sources suggest that a paltry per diem had the U.K. chart-topper pining for more generous patronage from his management's deep pockets. This is an ominous sign for ATO Records, the Dave Matthews, Coran Capshaw and Chris Tetzelli-backed record label whose first release, Gray's White Ladder, remains at the top of the U.K. album charts.
Not speaking of Dave Matthews... DMB drumming superman Carter Beauford has just been featured on a record with Bela Fleck's unstoppable bass monster Victor Wooten. The disc, called Yin Yang (Compass Records), is also the subject of an instructional video/studio documentary being released in tandem with it.
Many will be pleased to hear that extendo-jam illicit-smile-generating psychedeliposse the Disco Biscuits have signed on to do this year's Halloween show at Trax. I think I'll be going disguised as a chemist.
CRIPSY'S CRAWL
Wahoo-wa
Thursday, August 24-- At first it was just a trickle, and then a steady flow-- but by the stroke of 11 there was no denying that the Wahoos were officially back in the "hay-ouse" as the Buddhist Biker Bar and Grill flooded with chattering college students. The Hogwaller Ramblers played well, but very few of the several hundred people present really noticed, busy as they were interfacing with old academic allies.
People were getting trashed-- really trashed. Between sets we stood dumbfounded as a girl performed a headlight-grinding strip-tease for a car full of amazed onlookers. The scene verged on a very creepy erotic experience when a guy in another car stuck his head out and announced "I've got porno." The drunken dancer was almost enticed to join him, but a group of friends arrived and rescued her from a fate more embarrassing than death.
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| Corn Hurricane |
David Via's Corn Tornado swung through the Outback Lodge on Saturday, August 26th. Unrehearsed and underwhelmed, the band performed beautifully, only stalling out occasionally for recurring guitar string break problems. (I think I counted six broken over the course of the evening.)
Mandolinist David Via writes brilliant little redneck ruminations and lovely ditties which he sings in a champion's bluegrass voice, and the respect he garners from his fellows is admirable. Joining him Saturday were Danny Nicely (former mandolinist for McGraw Gap, now on guitar), David Nicely (bass), "Fiddly" Dave VanDeventer and banjo player Will Lee (also formerly of McGraw Gap).
The group rolled through originals ranging from Via's Corn Liquor (featured on Larry Keel's last CD) to VanDeventer's Stony Kitchen to Lee's McGraw classic Fireline.
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| "Houston, we have lift-off..." |
Monday the 28th was Houston Ross' birthday, so I knew I had to check out some of his Wonderband show with Johnny Gilmore and Darrel Rose at Michael's Bistro.
In this particular three-man formation, Houston's deep groove and alien-broadcast bass soloing and Johnny's deadly funk thump become a vehicle for something even a little more dangerous as Darrel and Johnny take periodic breaks from the groove to head out into drum wonderland. The veteran djembe master and the stomp-and-pop superhero are relentless in this format, driving themselves to sweaty exhaustion with massive drum duels, regularly bringing the crowd to roaring ovations. Not many bass and drum-only combos can maintain the attention of a hard partying crowd, but they do so admirably. Several people commented that the Wonderband is the best $3 deal in town. They're at the Bistro every Monday, so you can size it up for yourself.