As I started writing my
column, the news went from bad to worse with mass shootings and Tom
Petty’s untimely passing. No telling what else will happen before I
finish this and we go to press, but condolences go out as a feeble
exercise in combating the sadness and grief. As the show goes on, we
continue with heavy hearts and sad souls.
Sliding
into October, we find the music going crazy in the outdoor areas with a
slew of our favorite local cover bands tearing up the stages at Long
Bridge, Weebles, Curve Inn and Blue Grouch. I also see a very cool
double bill of Suburban Mystics and Mr. Opporknockity at Crow’s Mill Pub
on Friday and the superb and sublime Rogers & Nienhaus at Trails
End in Curran on Saturday. I’ve noticed that bands often play two
different venues in one weekend. I’m not sure how that works out
crowd-wise, but if a group can sustain an audience that way, more power
to the players. Any way it happens, the folks keep coming out to drink
up the suds, dance to the tunes and dip into the good times.
On
Sunday BassBerg returns to the Curve Inn as the last instrument-focused
benefit standing. The bass players are the ones still going strong, and
as a bassist myself, I must say “hats off” to the keepers of the bottom
end. For those of you new to what I’m talking about, years ago we had
one day a year dedicated to shows featuring guitarists (called Guitar
Town) and drummers (Drum Fest) and bass players (BassBerg). The other
events slowly slipped away; here’s hoping they’re revived soon. Those
days of making music featuring local players doing short showcase sets
was very cool, and really developed a sense of community in the music
scene. But for now, we have the bassists keeping the action going and
the big beat moving in a funky direction for all to enjoy.
BassBerg
goes from 3 to 8, and features the bass players in The Groove Daddies,
Kapital Sound, Take 10 and New City Road, plus surprise guests, a silent
auction, giveaways and more fun than you can shake four strings at,
and, perhaps best of all, the proceeds go directly to St. Jude’s
Children’s Hospital. Jeff Cunningham, co-organizer and pretty-darngood
bass player, just added the good news that the fine folks at Capital
City Music donated a sweet Yamaha bass as a raffle item. All in all, we
can say the bottom is not falling out of this event as long as the bass
players are here to hold down the groove and keep it in the pocket.
Our
buddy and brilliant songwriter Lyman Ellerman pops into town for a
Friday night show with Dallas Moore at the Capital City Bar & Grill.
Moore, based out of Austin, Texas, and Cincinnati, Ohio, or Texahio, as
Dallas refers to his combined roots, has a new album ready to drop in
February of 2018. The new single, titled “Mr. Honky Tonk,” can already
be heard on satellite and terrestrial radio stations across the country.
And speaking of across the country, Mr. Honky Tonk’s schedule takes him
from Illinois to the West Coast, North Carolina, Florida, Texas and
states in between with hardly a day off between now and New Year’s Eve
(he’s playing in Richmond, Indiana, for NYE). Moore’s relentless touring
keeps the music moving, putting Dallas in the news and the people in
the know. The show on Friday features Lyman solo acoustic and Dallas
with his touring band.
Come back next week. There’s plenty more where that came from.
Contact Tom Irwin at [email protected].
