Steve Wildsmith

Think you got the chops to throw down in East Town? (Well … Knoxville Center Mall, although those of us who remember it back when it first opened can never go there or even discuss it without humming that gloriously quirky song by Todd Steed and the Suns of Phere, “East Town Mall.”) Then prepare yourselves, because that bitchin’ clothing/trend store known as Hot Topic is holding a Battle of the Bands competition on April 1 and 2.

It’s taking place in the store, and like most of the store’s live music performances, all sets must be acoustic. (Although if you need a small amplifier, one will be provided.)

The first band will go on around noon, the final band will wrap things up by 7 p.m. No word yet on details of judging or anything else, but if you’re interested in competing, call the store at (865) 637-7710 and ask for a manager to sign up. Details are also available on the Knoxville Center Hot Topic Myspace page.

A few updates for you … first up, blues diva Etta James has canceled her Aug. 15 concert at The Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville. This makes the second such cancellation by James; not a good sign, given that both have been attributed to health problems. From the promoter, AC Entertainment: “We regret the inconvenience this causes her fans. Ticketholders will receive refunds. Call the Tennessee Theatre box office at 684-1200 or Tickets Unlimited at 656-4444 for refund information.”

Here’s some country news — the one-and-only Travis Tritt will perform with Victoria George on July 23 at Cotton Eyed Joe in West Knoxville. Tickets are only $10; visit www.cottoneyedjoe.com for more information …

Pollstar is reporting that country dude Lyle Lovett will be at The Tennessee Theatre in downtown Knoxville on Oct. 29 …

And finally, we leave you with the trailer for a kick-ass, long-in-the-works documentary about Knoxville band The Dirty Works. It’s called “Rebel Scum,” and we bring it up because Friday’s entertainment section (July 10) will feature an interview with Dirty Works frontman Christopher Scum. (He’s playing on Saturday night, by the way, at The Longbranch Saloon on “The Strip” in Knoxville, where he’ll open for The Ramblin’ Gamblers by doing solo acoustic songs.)

The status of the documentary has been up in the air for a while — it’s been roughly five years in the making — and still, there’s no firm release date for it, Scum told us this week.

“They’re re-editing it and putting it into more of a straight documentary form — that’s by the request of the distributor they’re working with,” he said. “What I’m hoping is that they’ll release it that way, then release it the way it is now, because that’s the beauty I saw in it — not a movie and not a documentary, but somewhere in between.

“That way, you never knew what was going to happen. We just got in the van, went to our gigs across the South and it all got captured on film. Now they’re going to put it in some documentary form. It could be great, or I could hate it, I don’t know.”

\”Rebel Scum\”: the trailer

My buddy and Walland troubadour Jeff Barbra e-mailed me last week, and although I’m tardy putting this up, I’m sure you can still go tonight if you want to. And you really, really should want to — Dave Peterson is a heckuva musician.

Here’s Jeff:

“We’re putting on a house concert for David Peterson at (Cary) Van Eaton’s place on Wednesday, June 17th.

‘The much anticipated new CD from David Peterson is out. This one is hard core country. Notables such as Buddy Emmons, Paul Franklin, and John Hughey all contribute on this record- possibly the best one from Peterson yet. True to the music’s period and heart, the album was recorded life off the floor, all together, with no headphones. That let Nahsville’s best sidemen perform together in old-school fashion, responding to each other’s cues and imbuing the songs with a muscle and blood that simply can’t be found on the assembled and perfected recordings of today.’”

Remember when we told you that Loudon’s all-ages music venue, The Boneyard, was shutting down?

Well, according to “Red,” the woman who started it, the closure wasn’t the end, but a beginning. Now, Red and her associates are preparing to open Level 10, a new live-music venue in West Knoxville. The venue’s website is up and running, and according to it, the grand opening is Aug. 27. Over on the Myspace site of Bring It! Productions, more information can be found about Level 10:

We are BRING IT! Productions. We originally started with a small, simple venue known as The Boneyard. The Yard was simple but had one kicking sound system, thanks to Brandon Cagle. The local scene has suffered a bit due to lack of venue and the younger bands needed a place to play that was all- ages. <<<<< We have grown and changed and now we have a venue right in the heart of Knoxville. We have one of the best stage set-ups in town,complete with that kicking sound system and lights. State of the art video is being installed and we have a few surprises in store, that no other venue has here. More on that as we get closer to opening. <<<<< We will have 12 large screens and a stellar house system, music, music videos and sports. We are a full service bar and will serve a simple menu, after all our product is MUSIC, not food. There is also pool, darts and table games as well. We are a mid- size venue. We will still do all-ages shows at times which means NO ALCOHOL will be served at these shows. <<<<< We started with metal and will continue, but we will also offer other types of music within the rock genre, classic rock and the blues as well. I think we shall be diverse enough and provide a little something for everyone! <<<<< The new is venue is called ~LEVEL 10~ 4625 Kingston Pike in the Shops at Western Plaza. LEVEL 10 is non- smoking, but we have a great place for you smokers called The Orange Porch even in the winter, because it is enclosed and heated! We have AMPLE parking in the rear of the building and you may enter LEVEL 10 right from the parking lot.

If there’s a criminally underappreciated artist award around these parts, then singer/guitarist/songwriter Kevin Abernathy might be a strong contender for it.

He doesn’t run in the hip circles; he doesn’t play The Pilot Light every couple of weeks; he’s not fawned over by the youngsters or taken under the wings of the old-timers. He just does what he does, very freakin’ well: write killer songs, make great records and watch everything with the wry wit, poignant introspection and simmering-below-the-surface sarcasm of “Darkness on the Edge of Town”-era Springsteen.

We’re thankful to Mr. Abernathy for allowing us to promote the release of his new album, “A Beautiful Thing,” by offering you a free download from it. Show up and support the Kevin Abernathy Band CD release show at 9 tonight (June 5) at The Catalyst, 125 E. Jackson Ave. in Knoxville’s Old City. Admission is $5; The Basement Lights open the show.

Read today’s interview with Kevin in The Daily Times Weekend entertainment section: Click here

Check out Kevin on Myspace: Click here

Download “All Her Tears,” by the Kevin Abernathy Band: Right-click here (choose “Save Target As” or “Save Link As”)

Buy Kevin Abernathy’s CDs on CD Baby: Click here

According to the Myspace site for The Catalyst (located in the old Blue Cats building across from Barley’s Taproom in Knoxville’s Old City), the Deadstring Brothers are coming to town on June 30, with Ian Thomas!

I wrote about the band back in late 2007 (you can read that here) and picked “Silver Mountain,” released in October of that year, as one of the best albums of 2007. Here’s the snippet on the record:

The Deadstring Brothers, “Silver Mountain”
Released: Oct. 8
Average Amazon.com customer rating: 4.5 stars
They say: No editorial review for this album
We say: Right out of the gate, the boys from Detroit that make up the Deadstring Brothers sound like they’re ghosts unleashed from the walls of Nellcote, the famous French studio where Mick and Keith and the rest of the Rolling Stones cut their masterpiece, “Exile on Main Street.” There’s an undeniable passion woven throughout the songs on “Silver Mountain,” an urgency channeled from the vestiges of such “Exile” standouts as “Happy” and “On Down the Line” that doesn’t let up until the title track, six songs in. Even then, the Deadstring Brothers sound so damn good, so spot-on at capturing the genius of the Stones, that somebody should probably drug test them — given that “Exile” was recorded on a binge of heroin, booze and debauchery, it seems impossible for another band, 40 years later, to capture its fire and vitality with such haunting clarity without the use of similar substances.

Key tracks: “Ain’t No Hidin’ Love,” “Heavy Load,” “Queen of the Scene,” “Tennessee Sure Enough”

Can’t wait for this show. No word yet on time or cost.

Our cover story on Friday is one Mr. R.B. Morris, unofficial poet-laureate of East Tennessee. He’s a playwright, poet, singer-songwriter, activist and an all-around good guy.

From a story we did a couple of years ago:

The man himself has long defied categorization, and even he admits that his body of work – poetry, stage plays, several albums worth of singer-songwriter driven folk and blues-rock – leaves many confounded as to how, exactly, to pin him down.

There are a lot of labels that fit – from hard-drinking roustabout to scholarly writer-in-residence at the University of Tennessee (a position he currently occupies) to collaborator of some of the best musicians, known and unknown, in Knoxville and beyond. Many East Tennesseans may have a passing knowledge of Morris as a musician, but most don’t realize just how much he’s respected by his peers.

Singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams calls him “the greatest unknown songwriter in the country,” and country-rock maverick Steve Earle says Morris “is the reason I started writing poetry.”

Born at Fort Sanders, Morris has always made Knoxville his home, despite his occasional wanderings. He’s spent time in San Francisco, collaborating with the biographer of Jack Kerouac, and in Knoxville he’s taken up the cause of celebrating and clamoring for the recognition of Agee, Knoxville writer-extraordinaire who penned “A Death in the Family.” His concerts are as hard to categorize as his music.

His songwriting, and his spoken-word poetry, is starkly beautiful and haunting, and his solo acoustic shows usually hold audiences spellbound. There’s a melancholy sadness to his acoustic songs, and a shot of adrenaline to his rockers, all of which make up his three available records, “Take That Ride,” “Knoxville Sessions” and “Zeke and the Wheel.”

In anticipation of the cover story and the concert on Friday, May 29, at The Square Room, we’re honored to offer two free R.B. Morris downloads:

Download “Empire,” by R.B. Morris: right-click here (choose “Save Target As” or “Save Link As”)

Download “City,” by R.B. Morris: right-click here (choose “Save Target As” or “Save Link As”)

Buy “Empire” by R.B. Morris: click here

Remember a few weeks ago when we told you that local “sultry Southern swing” band Christabel and the Jons wanted Blount County patrons to dress in period attire and show up for a show at The Capitol Theatre, 127 W. Broadway Ave. in downtown Maryville? That’s because the band was shooting a video that night and wanted some swinging, dancing fans to look lively for the camera. That video, “Back to Tennessee,” is now up! Click here to watch it.

For a recent cover story (and related photo gallery) we did on Christabel and the Jons, click here.

To check out more of Christabel’s music — and find out some upcoming show dates — check out the group on Myspace.

To check out the Capitol online (and see what else is coming up there), go here.

You don’t get an e-mail with that in the subject line very often. In fact, in all of my years covering music, I don’t think I’ve gotten anything from Neutral Milk Hotel (a seminal indie rock band that made some amazing music in the 1990s, for those of you in the dark. Read about them here). And maybe I still haven’t, but the band members are seeking the public’s assistance in saving a Massachusetts landmark.

This is the e-mail I received. Read on to see how you can help the guys out:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 30, 2009

The Paragon Carousel is a beautiful machine that has been my dear neighbor for many moons.  Now 81 years old, it is in need of a little love and attention in order for it to survive.

It is my sincere wish for the Paragon Carousel to be a part of the magic of long seaside summer afternoons for many years to come.  But it might not get to.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where the great whirling contraptions of mechanical music and light are not as profitable to operate as other things, and carousels are worth much more taken apart and sold in pieces to museums, where one must pay to look at them behind glass, rather than having them simply existing in the world that we now all share.

I spoke with Jeff and Scott and Jeremy about this and they agreed that I should, on behalf of Neutral Milk Hotel, make an appeal to the good people who might have enjoyed the music made over the years, because we think you’d understand especially, and want to help.

We humbly ask you to vote!

The Paragon Carousel is competing with 24 other historic Massachussettes buildings for a grant of  $100,000. The historic site with the most votes wins, and anyone anywhere can vote. We would love it if by our collective effort we could ensure the continuation of this grand place.  It only takes a moment and you can do so here

You are allowed to vote once a day untill May 17th . Your vote means a great deal to all of us at Elephant Six. Places like this are so special. They deserve to exist in the same world that we do. So we can visit them with our bodies, not just our memories and dreams.

We’d like to thank you for your help and for spreading the word.

~Julian Koster with Jeff Mangum on behalf of Neutral Milk Hotel

Let’s see what we have piling up on the desk that’s worthy of sharing ..

• A new 70-seat theater called Imagine This is now open in Pigeon Forge. It’s located in the Red Roof Mall, 2850 Parkway (Traffic Light No. 4), Suite 18. According to the press release, it’s “an electic mix of various musical styles including pop, blues, rock, jazz, Broadway, acoustic and more. We will also be featuring a variety of mixed media artworks in the front gallery lobby.” The schedule for the time being includes: Pianist and singer-songwriter Neesee Hurst (who has a standing first-Tuesday-of-the-month gig at Downtown Grill and Brewery in Knoxville) on Mondays; Greg Dennison: “A Tribute to Elvis” on Tuesdays; Michelle Monet’s show that splits original music with a tribute to Barbara Streisand (it’s called, interestingly enough, “She, Streisand and Me, Monet”) on Wednesdays; a songwriters showcase on Thursday; the five-piece “good times music” band Dream Catcher on Fridays; Meg n Dredd, an acoustic duo that won the songwriting contest at Hard Rock Gatlinburg earlier this year, on Saturdays; and “Pajama Night,” with Monet leading a sing-along, on Sunday nights. No word on ticket prices or exact times; for that, you need to call (865) 223-5815.
• Don’t forget — South Bound Bar and Grill celebrates its grand opening on Friday night with a 7 p.m. show by country-rockers Confederate Railroad. The concert will take place in the back parking lot (adjacent to Barley’s Taproom) and will also feature Brendon James Wright and the Wrongs. The venue is the latest attempt to make a go of the space at 106 S. Central St., previously occupied by Club 106, Red Iguana, The Thinq Tank and Hoo-Ray’s. South Bound will feature three floors of entertainment. The doors open at 5 p.m.; admission to the show is $10.
• A fund-raiser to re-open Coffeez in Sevier County is the purpose of Saturday’s Sevier County Musicfest, which starts at 2 p.m. at 828 Black Bear Cub Way in Pigeon Forge (at the Black Bear Ridge Resort). It’s an all-ages show, and for $10, you get a ton of local bands: Dear Lovely, Scarla the Wolf, Waste and REgret, Bruteforce, Deconsecration, Lydian Skyline, Amidst the Mannequins, Suspense in the Upper Room, Do Not Resuscitate, Through Agony We Reign, Oceansnorth, We’re No Daughters and Bearing the Hero.
• If you’ve never eaten at Chez Guevara, the Tex-Mex place in Suburban Center on Kingston Pike in West Knoxville, you’ve missed out. Rectify that on Friday night, when you can also check out a rare Chez Guevara performance by Kit Rodgers and The Plan. According to his press writer, he “gives emotion a lyrical voice and his approach to music is simple. He will move you with his music. From his stripped-down alterna-folk debut CD ‘Naked Coffee,’ delivered with conviction and a truly acoustic representation, to the full-out produced follow-up release, the lyrics are the focus and he makes certain to move you, regardless of the genre or style.” The show starts at 10 p.m., and admission is free. Check him out on Myspace.
• Another show that deserves mention: at 7 p.m. Saturday, the band Early Bird Special will perform at Moondollars Cafe and Bistro, located at 201 Jackson Square in Oak Ridge (across from the entrance to the Oak Ridge Playhouse).  Comprised of singer-songwriters Steve Grimsley, Kelley Massey, Vern Lindsey and Kathy Huber, the band plays “folk music from the ’60s and many other memorable hits from the ’50s-’90s — performing with wit, great harmonies, spirit and a pretty hefty dose of insanity!” Admission is $3 at the door, or $2 if you’re older than 55. Check out Moondollars online.
• New music on the local horizon: 1220 releases “Killin’ for a Livin’” Saturday night at The Catalyst in Knoxville’s Old City … Vacationist League recently released “Bypassin’ the Barroom” and have it up for sale on CD Baby … Jonathan Sexton and the Big Love Community Choir anticipate a June release for a new album … pop-rockers Vertigo have a new album on the launch pad, “The Coming and the Going” …