I bring this up to call your attention to an upcoming mega-music festival scheduled to take place there May 7-9: The Fourth Annual Devils Triangle Bike Rally and Music Festival, which will be held at Grey Wolf Campground, 5935 New River Highway in Stainville. Bands on the bill include Confederate Groove, N.U.M.B., Air Angus, Through Agony We Reign, Murder in the Mirror, Desolate Anguish, Disarmed, Reigns to Ruin, Crome Molly, Shallowpoint, Stone Line, Psychosystem, Galaxie and Black Magick.

Additional activities include: a bike show and rodeo, miles of 4×4 and ATV trails, a wet T-shirt contest and more. Tickets are $25 for a three-day pass or $10 for a one-day pass; call (423) 494-4077 for more information. Here’s the flyer:

• Remember when I told you about Club Catalyst in the Old City (the short-lived club located where Blue Cats used to be) closing its doors? Several upcoming shows originally scheduled to take place there have been relocated to other venues. (And, more importantly, kick-ass PR girl and all-around great music scene supporter Andrea Kerns has found work at Southbound Bar and Grill, also in the Old City, essentially doing the same PR gig.) On the shuffled schedule: Unknown Hinson with Jocephus and the George Jonestown Massacre will take place at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, at Southbound, 106 S. Central St. in the Old City. Tickets are $15 in advance/$18 at the door, and you can read all about our past coverage of Mr. Hinson here. He’s quite the showman. A show headlined by local rockers Crome Molly (along with Swing Shot, Corpse Wax Dollies, Numb and Headstone) will take place at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, on the outside stage behind Southbound; tickets to that show are $5. The show by Hank III and Assjack, featuring openers Those Poor Bastards, will also take place at Southbound at 7 p.m. Nov. 2; tickets are also $15 and 18. Finally, Satisfaction: A Tribute to the Rolling Stones will take place at 8 p.m. Nov. 5 at Southbound; tickets are $10 in advance/$12 at the door.
• Speaking of Southbound, the venue is not hosting a new dance-oriented bar: 90 Proof Nightclub is located at 104 S. Central St., over Southbound proper. On its website, the venue bills itself as “a nightclub dedicated to playing nothing but the ’90s. At 90 Proof, you can request any songs that helped shape the music of this great time. Every Friday and Saturday night, you can come here the DJ playing songs by Will Smith, N Sync, Puff Daddy, Mase, Tupac, etc. … We have Knoxville’s only New Orleans-style balcony overlooking the Old City. We are a 21 and up club and proper dress is required.”
• Remember our cover story on local honky-tonk heroes The Drunk Uncles from back in August? Well, the boys — three of whom call Blount County home — finally have a new CD, “Smashed Hits,” ready for public consumption. (No word if it comes with a warning sticker.) Here’s more from “Uncle” Jeff Barbra: “Howdy all. Here’s the special: If you are one of the first 100 people to pre-order ‘Smashed Hits,’ here’s what you get — a special $12 price, FREE SHIPPING, The Drunk Uncles autograph it for you and you get your name in the credits on the CD. Remember folks, these make GREAT stocking stuffers for Christmas, too!” Here’s the link to pre-order.
• From my buddy Randall Brown, calendar/music guru extraordinaire over at the Sentinel and long-time local musician currently fronting the band Quartjar: “Live at The Bistro at the Bijou (807 S. Gay St., downtown Knoxville), it’s the 2009 Quartjar Halloween Special! Our second annual gig of spookiness. This year’s show will feature Quartjar, Knoxville’s premier blues-rock-with-original-lyrics-jam-punk-trio; frighteningly fun new songs; crazy classic hits; terrifyingly impromptu instrumentals; The Phantom Drummer; hauntingly historic atmosphere; eerily amiable banter; fine cuisine and the mystery: Will Scary Santa frighten the crowds again this year? No one knows!” When: 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31. Admission cost: free. (Please note that this is a full-band Quartjar performance, as opposed to a solo Randall Brown performance.) Check out Quartjar on Myspace.
• News from Christina Horn, the lovely frontwoman of melodic pop-rock outfit Hudson K: “We have a new member. His name is Jeff Christmas and he plays the guitar and bass. Not at the same time of course! We are honored and thrilled to have him on board. You can hear him on November 7th The Pilot Light (106 S. Central St. in Knoxville’s Old City) show. (Local singer-songwriter) Erick Baker has asked Nate (Barrett) and I to join him on his next string of shows. If you live in Chattanooga we will be playing Rhythm and Brews on October 28th. Please come out to that show if you live in Chattanooga as it will be a good one. We will also have the experience of playing on the same stage as Kiss, Eminem, the Flaming Lips and P-Funk….WHOA! Hold on to your Halloween costumes. I hope I can make it and not FREAK out! This means our Pres Pub show on October 29th has been cancelled. HOWEVER, the Stereofidelics will be playing. They are awesome and we consider them one of our favorite bands. So if you live in Knoxville, check out that show starting at 10pm. We will make our hometown show up by playing the PILOT LIGHT on November 7th! Please come out, it will be a special show! Hudson K was also chosen to compete in Sound Off! Our scheduled date is December 2nd at The Square Room (4 Market Square, downtown Knoxville). The show starts at 8 p.m. and there will be music industry judges there to pick a winner! We need your help. Audience applause is a big part of the scoring!”
• One of our favorite local rock/country/musical chicks, Kata Hay (of Kata and The Blaze and The Grassabillies), has paired with Daisy Rock Guitars, Elixir Strings and Lakota Leathers for a special YouTube contest. Those who enter must cover one of Kata’s original songs, and the winner (chosen by Kata herself) will receive a Daisy Rock acoustic guitar and accessory pack, including some Elixir strings and a Lakota Leathers hand-made bison guitar strap. It’s just one of many good things happening with the fiery-haired goddess of Sevier County — she and the band just played to a packed house at Nashville’s fabled Bluebird Cafe, and on Nov. 3, they’ll headline “Billy Block’s Western Beats,” live from 12th and Porter in Nashville. Those interested in entering the YouTube contest should check out details on Kata’s website.