Athens Music Scene (5-5-11)

The power of music to move and unite people was proved once again to me in a powerful way this past weekend. I was fortunate enough to play two concerts to two incredible crowds.
There were smiles plastered to faces, voices raised in song (while standing on the pool table!), mad dancing and, cheesy as it may sound, love was all around. The net effect is reflected in the content of the Beatles song, "the End", to wit: "And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."

It's a simple process. The band plays the song, pouring their energy and attention, their love, into their instruments. This is all transmuted by their instruments into music. The music flows out to the crowd and is interpreted by their central nervous systems. Ideally, this initiates a response in the individual that results in dancing, singing and smiling.

The musical waves encompass the undulating bodies present and join them rhythmically, uniting them. They move, they synchronize, they reciprocate, and the energy flows back to the band, whose central nervous systems respond with increased fervor, putting the energy right back into the performance. It's cyclical, it's simple, it's beautiful. Why don't you try this process out at one of the numerous shows taking place this weekend. I know, let's take a look and see what's happening this week in the Athens Music Scene!

The Union

The Union has a Cinco de Mayo party tonight featuring Weird Science, Dawgtooth, Mutual Benefit and Cop Hugger. Expect rock, roll and tequila. More likely is PBR, Old Milwaukee and cheap whiskey.

Friday night heralds the return of the Dance or Die experience.

Saturday night's show is a benefit for the Bryan Winland Arts & Music Scholarship Fund, which will be awarded each year to select graduating high school seniors. This show will celebrate the music that Bryan Keith Winland loved, namely the Rolling Stones, but there will be lots of other music thrown in by the numerous bands performing. Among the groups participating in this worthwhile event will be the Buffalo Killers, Dropdead Sons, First Street Heat, Chickenpussy, the D Rays, Weird Science, Supertape, Hexnet, the Imparsonators, the Pleasure Domes, Maceo Gabbard, and Whip & Tickle. The show starts at 7 p.m. and will go all night, so stop up, top up and raise money for this worthy cause.

Monday's free show is downstairs when Whale Zombie stays on form and shreds it up along with Long Long Long, Nurser and more.

Smiling Skull

ACRN is sponsoring a benefit tonight to raise money for St. Jude's Children's Hospital featuring the electronica of solo act Brothertiger, more electronica from the ensemble Blithe Field, the Columbus pop-punk crew Stomp the Condor and "post-punk" shoegazers Nurser.

The Skull heads into heavy rock mode on Friday night with three bands with distinctly different sounds. The Pleasure Domes open the night and trend toward bigger-sounding '70s rock. Mad Anthony is slightly more aggressive with overtones of Glenn Danzig, while Sub X brings a bit more of a metallic edge to the table. Good stuff.

Saturday night's show starts with everyone's favorite, the D-Rays, followed by the experimental sounds of Zapano, Dayton's fabulous Electric Banana, and wraps things up with the Valleyboys.

Donkey Coffee

The Womack Family Band makes a quick return to the Donkey on Friday night. These folks are in the contemporary folk vein that is popular on "Crossing Boundaries" and Americana stations everywhere. Top-notch singing and great songwriting. Their appropriately named (for this region) Drenched Earth tour seems to have been very successful for them. Talented S/S Kelly Latimore will open.

Option 22 got a standing ovation the first time they performed at Donkey, and they are looking to top that performance on Saturday night. This West Virginia "new-age jam band" employs guitars, banjos, bass, the shamisen, hand-drums and the didgeridoo among other things to create their wide-encompassing "Americana/Worldbeat" music. Neat stuff. Seems like they would be at home around some secret campfire, deep in the woods. Damn Animals' Brendan Lieske will open the evening.

Casa Cantina

A dual CD release party is on tap at the Casa Cantina tonight. Angela Perley & the Howling Moons will come down from Columbus to present their new EP, "Yellow Moon" which highlights Perley's unique, country-tinged voice and fine songwriting and to rock you out. The Lovesick Blues (formerly Bram Riddlebarger & His Lonesome Band, featuring Thom Hirbe & Johnny Borchard) will also be releasing an EP they recorded live in the Cantina recently.

Bonzai brings their epic surf-rock jams to the Casa Friday night to join forces with fellow surf-rockers, the D-Rays (who will soon open for SCOTS!) to bring some hip-shimmying music. The Fayble Family has a more folk-based approach, though they launch out into a variety of directions. The Columbus jam band Raw Dough will open the night.

There will be an International Dance Night Saturday night with DJ Self Help.

Jackie O's

The Macpodz come down from Michigan to get you into a full-spin cycle in the Public House tonight for a special Cinco de Mayo show. This energetic and talented band has varied instrumentation and an all-encompassing musical style, jazzy even. Definitely worth a listen.

East Coast Float used to be the band One Under. Now slightly reformed and leaner, these guys are really ripping it up with their bag of jamalicious tunes. They will show you what they've got in the Public House on Friday night.

Saturday night, Mike Perkins returns to Jackie O's Public House. Perkins used to front the popular jam band, the Shantee, but now makes his way in a more solo groove. He utilizes looping techniques and the occasional bass player. The fine singing and songwriting of Molly Jo Stanley will be the exceedingly pleasant opening volley for this night's music.

Also Saturday night, in the Brewery, or maybe on the patio, you can hear the fine bluegrass music of Michigan's Fauxgrass, This will be the last night of their tour, and their connection to fine beer makes them happy to be stopping at the best little brew pub ever. These guys are really good newgrass pickers.

Wednesday night, the Northern Skies, also from the Grand Rapids, Mich., area, will join Jess & Kyle for a great night of music. Great songwriting and amazing singing make this acoustic based outfit rock your world. Very good.

Court St. Grill

The Grill has a full slate this weekend. Hunter Wolfe & ARE, a brother/sister blues duo influenced by Mississippi Delta-style blues, will bring their swampy, slip-sliding guitar sounds to the Grill on Friday night. This is very satisfying music from some very young players.

Finally! David Childers is to return to the CSG. Saturday night, after too long an absence from our area. This Americana troubadour was Americana before the genre even existed. He writes beautiful songs that I would put in the same room with Fred Eaglesmith, Bruce Springsteen and Rodney Crowell. He's top-notch, and this stripped-down performance will be intimate and awesome.

Red Brick Tavern

The Red brick will celebrate Cinco de Raveo tonight via Dave Rave featuring DJ B-Funk and DJ Time Traveler down in the Bullpen

Eclipse Company Town

The ninth annual Little Cities Appalachian Spring Festival will take place Saturday at the Eclipse Company Town near the Plains. Food, music, graveyard tours, bicycle tours and auctions are but some of the things taking place. The music begins at 12:15 with the Boys of the Hock, followed by the Second Wind Bluegrass Duet, the Backporch Swing Band and Bruce & Gay Dalzell.

Baker Center - Front Room

Did you know that the aforementioned Bruce Dalzell hosts the longest-running Open Stage in Athens every Friday in the Front Room? I did.

Did you know that Sweet Basil, a jazz octet, will perform at the Front Room on Monday? I do now.

Baker Center - 1804 Room

In the spirit of Bruce Dalzell-related information, allow me to remind you that he also hosts a songwriter's circle in the oh-so-cozy 1804 room of Baker Center. All are welcome to come at 7 p.m. on any Tuesday during the school year.

Central Avenue Methodist Church

One more entry into this rash of Bruce Dalzell sightings (the river must be down!): Bruce will join the fine S/S Chris Graham and his wife, Allison McBane Graham, at the Central Avenue Methodist Church. The show begins at 8 p.m. on Saturday.

Abrio's

The "funkin' kings of rock & soul," the Royales, make their Abrio's debut Saturday night. Abrio's recently expanded their stage and dance floor, as well as their entertainment line-up. The Royales, now with trumpeter Dick Garretson filling out the horn section, team up with the OU Jitterbug Club to get folks up and dancing. There will be a special menu available to augment the fine, funky music from this experienced crew.

Whew! That's about all I know about this week. Keep me posted! This article has been held together by the Hyphen and was written with the aid of the Articulator 1400. Bugout!