The Spin
Semi-chub
Last Saturday, local dive Springwater was packed with the ever-intriguing mixture of mean old divorcés with pool sticks and barely post-collegiate fans amped to see local bands Happy Birthday Amy and German Castro, an odd addition to the sugary-pop bill. Self-proclaimed pop minimalists Parade first taught an incurious lesson in pop minimalism, and the other openers shipped from Knoxville, Llama Train, sent a crowd of smokers into the lot out back, even though it was really freaking cold. Eye-level from a squatting position in the girl’s bathroom, a boozy fan had scrawled, “Happy Birthday Amy is going to take over Nashville.” The writing on the wall proved to be more than drunk speculation, as the trio churned out jaunty, often Regina Spektor-esque tunes for a seated and attentive crowd, a rare animal at this venue. Lead singer Amy Smith wailed through a wall of smoke, and during those weird-in-a-good-way a cappella breaks in songs, you could even hear a beer can drop. But by 1 a.m., tables were knocked over and the horde of loyal lingerers standing in the strobe light realized they had forgotten their earplugs. The ugly duckling of Saturday’s lineup were German Castro, who doled out some proper metal to a crowd collectively losing its wood. Scene freelancer Matt Sullivan seems to have finally found his voice, filling in nimble, distorted bass lines with intensifying lyrics best screamed at the top of your lungs. “Lightening Bolt called,” screamed an audience member with a beard. “They want their song back.” Accompanied, as always, by beer spitters, stray moshers and bad-ass beats, Castro’s sound was fuller than the crowd it played for.
For the Station, at the Station (Inn, that is)
Word has it she wears unmatched socks, but regardless, Emilee Warner knows hot to put together a benefit show. Warner, who hosts the bluegrass show “Bum Ditty” on MTSU’s student-run radio station, 88.3 WMTS-FM, has organized a fundraiser for the station at, appropriately enough, Station Inn, on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at 9 p.m., featuring Sarah Siskind, Julie Lee, Cherohala and The Farewell Drifters. Siskind and and Lee, both respected singer-songwriters in their own right, will perform as a duo. (Siskind’s “Goodbye Is All We Have” was on Alison Krauss & Union Station’s Lonely Runs Both Ways, and Lee’s “Away Down the River” will be featured on a Krauss album coming out this spring.) Knoxville duo Cherohala play rootsy mountain music featuring Dobro and upright bass. Locals The Farewell Drifters are based in bluegrass, though they’re music is more inclusive than purist, reflecting their cited influences, which include David Grisman, John Hartford, Peter Rowan and Sam Bush.
Show your ___s! Put equal parts Professor Longhair, Buckwheat Zydeco and Clifton Chenier in a blender, toss in a dash of Jimmy Buffet and a pinch of BB King, and you’ve got Les Kerr & the Bayou Band, who’ll be celebrating Mardi Gras this week at the Bluebird. If you can’t afford plane fare to the Big Easy, here’s the next best thing. This is the 16th annual edition of Kerr’s Mardi Gras show, which has taken on special significance in the wake of Katrina. And who better to capture the vibe—from 1978 to 1985, Kerr, then a broadcast news director, reported on Mardi Gras for CBS, NBC, Associated Press and many regional radio stations. Kerr’s extravaganza takes place at the Bluebird 9 p.m. on Fat Monday (Lundi Gras), Feb. 19. (For those of you whose powers of deduction are less than stellar, that’s the day before Fat Tuesday, the peak of the Mardi Gras celebration.) We’re betting that the club’s famed “Shhhh!” rule will be suspended for the evening, though we’re not sure if the holiday’s more exhibitionist leanings will be in evidence. For information or reservations, call 383-1461.Has the cool code on rock tees changed? Can metal and pop co-exist at the Springwater? Will Sting bring his lute to Bonnaroo? Tell us at thespin@nashvillescene.com.
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