East Tennessee Dirt: What's happening in the local music scene
By Steve Wildsmithstevew@thedailytimes.com
Originally published: November 19. 2009 12:15PM
Last modified: November 19. 2009 12:58PM
All-ages shows suffer another blow
Remember last week, when we profiled a new club over in Eagleton called Vice City? The one where all-ages shows were going to be held on Friday nights? Well, after exactly one show featuring Alcoa rapper Brandon "Hollywood" Holliman, future shows have been cancelled, according to Javier Migoya, co-owner of Aroma Cafe -- located next door to the club, which he also co-owned.
The turnout was moderate, according to Hollywood -- not bad for a weekend of football playoffs and, by his account, one of the best shows he's ever done. On top of first-night problems, an exhausting schedule for the Migoyas -- Javier and his wife, Alicia -- and other complications have given them pause for continuing Vice City.
"The parking situation was just horrendous, and add that to the mix that it was exhausting for me and my wife being here on Friday and Saturday nights, it just gave us second thoughts," Javier told us. "We're still going to rent out the facility for parties and events, and we're thinking about finding a different place to do the teen nights."
That's not the only all-ages venue that fizzled out after one show -- Remedy Coffee, 125 W. Jackson Ave. in Knoxville's Old City, tried to do something similar last Saturday night as well, with a three-band bill booked by Dishwater Blonde frontman Davis Mitchell. A late start and residences located over the coffeehouse, however, meant that the show had to shut down at 10 p.m., and now the folks at Remedy have postponed the other two all-ages shows scheduled through the end of the year.
"I wanna help them find a spot they can hang and be creative; however, I don't think it's gonna be at Remedy," Mitchell wrote to us earlier in the week. " We're not really equipped or a fit for that but it was worth a try."
There's been a shortage of all-ages venues in the East Tennessee area since Old City Java, another Old City coffeehouse, changed hands a few years ago and ceased to hold Friday and Saturday night shows. Occasionally, someone comes along and tries to fill that gap; Level 10 on Kingston Pike still occasionally holds all-ages performances, but others -- places like The OSE, The Boneyard in Loudon, The Rock Studios in Maryville -- they either didn't make it, or their all-ages shows aren't regular occurrences.
Two local bands call it quits
First, it was the Tenderhooks -- that band broke up a couple of weeks ago after several years and a successful run both locally and nationally.
I last wrote about the band in November 2008, when the four-piece -- guitarists Jake Winstrom and Ben Oyler, bassist Emily Robinson and drummer Matt Honkonen -- released its most recent album, "New Ways to Butcher English." Before that, Tenderhooks graced the cover of Weekend in April 2007 when the band released "Vidalia" on local label Rock Snob.
The dissolution of the group, according to Winstrom, came as something of a surprise.
"We just got back (from the CMJ Music Marathon)at the end of October, and about a week after that we sat down to plan our next year," Winstrom told me last week. "We had some pretty exciting opportunities as far as playing a lot more and doing a lot more, and two of us (Winstrom and Honkonen) were amped up about that."
Oyler and Robinson, however ... not so much.
"It's unfortunate, because we had had a really great year and got to do a lot of exciting stuff, and we were at a crossroads where we could do this professionally and be on the road more as a full-time thing," he added. "But when half of the band wants to change the direction of their lives as far as doing music as a profession, that's not fair to them. It wouldn't be any fun if you were having to twist somebody's arm and drag them along."
For now, Winstrom and Honkonen are working together, wrapping up some December tour dates with the help of local guitar maestro Tim Lee and his wife, bass mistress Susan Bauer Lee -- but not as Tenderhooks. As for everyone else: A Dec. 7 show at The Pilot Light in Knoxville's Old City will instead be a Ben Oyler solo show.
As if that weren't enough, local band Vertigo -- last profiled in 2008 for a performance at Thunderworld USA in Maryville -- decided to split as well. Vocalist Lindsey Stamey posted a blog on the band's Myspace page yesterday with the announcement: "Words can not really describe the roller coaster that has been Vertigo these past few years. We have had many amazing accomplishments, but it's time for us to start new chapters in our lives." The band's final show will be tonight (Nov. 20) at The Downtown in Morristown.
Big Ears 2010 gearing up
From AC Entertainment, the patriarchs of the avant-garde/experimental music Big Ears Festival, which was a resounding success earlier this year -- it's on like neckbone. Specifically, for March 26-28, in Knoxville once again. And: "This time, Big Ears is especially proud to host the legendary American composer Terry Riley as artist-in-residence for the weekend with a series of concerts throughout the weekend celebrating Riley's 75th birthday year. In addition, the weekend will feature an exciting array of artists and performers from the worlds of rock, jazz, classical, and avant garde music along with installations, exhibitions, interactive experiences, talks, and workshops." The full lineup, as well as ticket sales, will be announced in December.
Attention, local bands and musicians! We want YOUR information. Send it to us via e-mail to: steve.wildsmith@thedailytimes.com, or call us at 981-1144.
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