Hail, hail rock ’n’ roll The Twenty-Eights went back to rock ’n’ roll’s Big Bang last Saturday at The Basement with an evening of Chuck Berry classics that sounded fresher than a drunk Warren Beatty at the Playboy Mansion. Some in the crowd panicked early on, assuming that a sizable earthquake had struck Eighth Avenue, but soon realized that Jack Irwin just bangs his upright piano so hard it teeters back and forth to the brink of capsizing. Bassist Dave Roe (who’ll be at the Ryman this week in Dwight Yoakam’s band) and drummer Tommy Meyer shuffled and boogied their way through the King of Rock ’n’ Roll’s repertoire as guitarists Brent Little and Doug Lancio breathed new life into some of the genre’s most celebrated riffs. After you’ve heard “Johnny B. Goode” umpteen-zillion times, it’s easy to take Berry for granted, but the Twenty-Eights’ set was a reminder of just how great and deep his catalog is. (And we doubt you’ve ever heard any of his material sound this good, unless delivered by the man himself.) In addition to being entertaining, the evening was educational—we were surprised to learn that Brent Little’s hometown of Fargo, N.D., is both the birthplace of the blues and a vacationer’s paradise. Who knew? Guilty of rockin’ hard If Guilty Pleasures are trying to make us feel guilty about enjoying their ’80s covers, they do a terrible job—we felt anything but guilty seeing their Halloween party show Saturday night in the Gulch. From Simple Minds’ classic Breakfast Club sensation “Don’t You Forget About Me” to other decades-old hits, Guilty Pleasures rocked like the next day’s hangover (which we do feel kind of guilty about). What made this show particularly special, however, was not so much the band (which included Jesus, who kicked off a round of guest vocalists), but the drunken freak show that surrounded it. There were hundreds of pimps and cross-dressers—so many, in fact, that we found ourselves asking a number of people to state their gender before dancing with them. At one point, at least a dozen transvestites flocked to the stage behind Mr. T, Anna Nicole Smith and Lt. Dangle. Fake mustaches and beards pervaded, and there were even a couple of Gene Frenkles—Will Ferrell’s classic Blue Oyster Cult role from SNL—complete with cowbell. (We could all use a little more cowbell.) When the show finally came to a close and the crowd began to disperse, we were left wondering where the freaks would go next and if they’d be back for the next Guilty Pleasures show the day after Thanksgiving. We can only hope. Fancy ‘Nancy’ Schmancy Sure, he’s had his songs recorded by Tracy Lawrence and Ty Herndon, and he’s become a regular on National Public Television’s Christina Cooks. But now, Jon Michaels has finally arrived. On Friday, the syndicated comic strip Nancy will feature a shout-out to the local singer-songwriter. Apparently, Nancy cartoonists Guy and Brad Gilchrist heard Michaels perform at a benefit in Connecticut and decided to give him some ink in the daily strip featuring everyone’s favorite spiky-haired, bow-adorned, blank-eyed adolescent. Talk about street cred. Hurricane blues Though the impact of Katrina’s destruction slowly fades from our consciousness, it hasn’t faded for those whose lives were uprooted. The 504-EVER band, featuring several displaced New Orleanians, continue their Katrina fundraiser series at the Bar Car in Cummins Station, now taking place the first and third Wednesday of every month. The band includes Aron Lambert (drums) and Dave Jordan (bass), who played together in New Orleans “psychedelifunk” band Juice, along with a revolving cast: Crescent City singer-songwriter Anders Osborne, Smiley Ricks (Dr. John), Rick Trolsen (Nitecrawlers), Mike Mayeaux and Skeeter Hanks (Beatinpath), Nashville’s own Jeff Coffin and more. Upcoming Shows • If you’ve never seen Malcolm Holcombe, do yourself a favor and rectify the oversight Thursday night, Nov. 3, when North Carolina’s finest takes the stage at the Bluebird. Few singer-songwriters can rival Holcombe’s poetic gifts for capturing simple moments and lives, and even fewer can top the immediacy and impact of his live performances. • Brother-Sister play a farewell gig 8 p.m. this Sunday at The Basement before Xavia Nou heads to her native Australia for the winter. (Well, actually, it’ll be summer down there. Must be nice.) Xavia and her brother, Dante, will play material from their just-released debut, backed by a full band. If you like Radiohead, Portishead or any other bands with “head” in the name (well, maybe not Motorhead), definitely check them out. And cellists, start rosining those bows—with Xavia gone, there should soon be 17 Nashville bands in need of your services. • Trent Summar and the New Row Mob bring their self-described farm rock or muscle-car country (how about “Stones-ground grits”?) to Mercy Lounge on Wednesday, Nov. 9, for a free showcase at 6 p.m. Sounds like there may be industry bigwigs on hand, and with a new album already in the can, Trent and his band may be headed to bigger pastures. These boys kick up some serious dirt—come watch ’em show Donnie & Marie once and for all what “A little bit country, a little bit rock ’n’ roll” really means. • Amelia White celebrates her new recording-publishing-management deal with Funzalo Records/Mike’s Artist Management (Tony Furtado, Stacy Earle) with a performance this Thursday, Nov. 3, at The Basement. White’s been hitting the road hard lately, and her song “Snakes and Pushers” hit the TV airwaves over the summer on the WB’s Summerland. Northern California singer-songwriter Lila Nelson opens the evening at 9 p.m., and Taylor Sorenson will follow White’s set.
