September 19, 2009 • 8:31 pm 0
Starting at midnight, The Motions will broadcast live from The Depot. Check it out. It might be streaming a lot earlier, but don’t expect music til 12 at the earliest! I’m not operating this either, so if it doesn’t work, or there’s extreme tomfoolery happening on the stream, don’t blame me.
Click here to watch the stream!
Filed under: Announcements, Live Stream
September 19, 2009 • 7:40 pm 0
LOL
Lets make damn sure whoever chose these goobers don’t get to choose anymore.
And can we make damn sure that you don’t swing the mic around like that anymore?
(Feel free to add your own “make damn sure” quips in the comments section.)
Filed under: Announcements, UA
September 18, 2009 • 4:29 pm 0
Wait, what?
That’s the word from the Bama Theatre. Sunday night’s Avett Brothers show at the Bama is a hard sellout. Ryan Adams missed that mark by one ticket (no joke), and the Drive-By Truckers, sadly, fell far short of a sellout for their last show at the Bama. My initial thoughts are positive– it’s a good thing for this city and, more importantly, the folks down at the Bama. They’ve made a real effort to bring in quality acts to, what I believe, is Tuscaloosa’s best venue. So here’s a major thumbs up to them. Keep it up.
And in the meantime, how about more of those wonderful Rock Documentary shows you had going for awhile? Those were swell. Anyways…
So what is it about the Avetts that brings the hallowed “Tuscaloosa sellout”? We aren’t a town known for going out and seeing live music. As a matter of fact, I’ve had very prominent musicians lament to me that it’s almost impossible to get a decent crowd for anything in Tuscaloosa besides football. Maybe that’s changing, or maybe it has something to do with the Avetts. Maybe it’s both.
I think what it is about the Avett Brothers that have brought them such widespread, grassroots success is their approach to touring. Actually, I have no doubt. I’ve seen them a couple of times– and while I won’t be in the house Sunday night (more on this later), the shows have certainly been energetic and engaging. You see, the Avetts rose to fame on the heels of a couple of special records they recorded for the Ramseur label out of North Carolina. The whole thing has grassroots written all over it– Dolphus Ramseur owns the label and manages the band, too. And when they knew they had some special music on tape, they busted their ass and toured it. And toured it. And toured it. Just check out this clip from their last show in Tuscaloosa:
Basically, they ran circles around this country until they had made a special connection with enough folks to build a fanbase, and that fanbase happens to be one of the most fanatical in music today. Their new album “I and Love and You” will release on Sony Records in a couple of weeks. It’s an album that could easily debut at #1 on Billboard, if their fanbase hits the stores.
And while I’m still giving it a few more shots, on first listen, I’m dramatically unimpressed with “I and Love and You”. It falls short on so many levels, the biggest one being the energy. It’s a soft, slow record anchored by piano. Piano? Where’s the banjo? Where’s the stomping and yelling? And honestly, where are the hooks? What is there to draw you in? Sadly, after 5 listens through this thing, I’m just bored. And if I wasn’t so blown away by “Emotionalism”, I would have given up after listen 2.
So there ya go. That’s why I won’t be in the house on Sunday. I may regret that decision later on down the road, but right now, I wouldn’t pay $10 to hear their new material. I’ll hold onto my memories of past shows and hope they make a return to form in the future. Maybe it’s just that “Emotionalism” was THAT good. I don’t know. I know there’ll be no shortage of rave reviews Sunday night, and that’s awesome. More power to them.
I’m just suffering from a severe bout of Avett-Fatigue.
Filed under: Show Preview
September 18, 2009 • 12:13 am 0
Toby Hartleroad is the lead singer and principle songwriter for Columbus, MS indie rock group The Motions, who are playing Saturday night at The Depot. Hartleroad’s band has, by all accounts, taken it’s act to the next level this year– a year that included the release of their phenomenal debut album, a tour that took them to Austin’s world-famous Continental Club and the introduction of a slew of new songs that are bringing their buzz to a fevered pitch.
All this, and he’s also starting his first semester of college. Age is certainly the elephant in the room when talking about The Motions, but while some bars won’t book them– the ones that will are finding out what everyone else already has. This band is no novelty act– it’s for real.
Hartleroad was kind enough to take some time to help us start our new feature, “Five Questions With:”.
Toby Hartleroad, otherwise known as Tobias Heartthrob
1. Artists can take on any subject, but you chose music. What was it about music that drew you with such fervor?
I was exposed to music at a really early age. I can remember listening to the Doors, Pink Floyd and Blind Melon when I was around 3 or 4. It just always seemed so beautiful to me. It was so natural.
2. You guys started your band and have cultivated your band while keeping a homebase in Columbus, MS. Now, I think you’d be the first to agree that Columbus isn’t exactly a “hotspot” for artists. What has that experience been like?
It’s been interesting. I think a big lesson we’ve learned is just to make the best of your situation. I mean we were lucky enough to have some cool places to play around the area as well as some really great musicians that were raised around here. Our record was recorded by a guy from West Point, MS. If we weren’t playing around here, we never would’ve heard of this guy.
3. You’re a clever lyricist, especially for your age. I listen to your record and I keep coming back to lines like “emotion sickness and it’s bringing me down”. There are lots of layers and textures in your words that make the songs consistently interesting. Talk about the writing process and where some of that comes from.
Haha. I never get to talk about lyrics. Some of our songs are nearly 2 years old at this point. I wrote a lot of them as I was battling that stereotypical teenage depression thing. So a lot of them are really sad. The newer ones are quite a bit more upbeat. I think the new ones definitely show a sense of maturity. I mean, I used to write only about myself. Now I’m able to write about other people and things. It’s a different approach. But I’m happy with it.
4. A lot of people may not know this, but you are related to your drummer and your bassist. The band started out as just you, Max (drums) and Miles (bass). Tell us a bit about what it’s like making your art with family.
The family thing is really great. We have more chemistry than anyone I’ve seen. We know exactly what each other is doing. We share a very similar vision with what we want our music to sound like. So it keeps the arguments to a minimum. I mean, I don’t want to say we never argue, because we do, it’s just not very regular and usually not about petty things.
5. One of the things we are always going to do at the end of this is give the artist a chance to recommend an album or band that may not be at the “top of the foodchain”, so to speak. What is something you are listening to now that you’d recommend to our readers?
Ummmm. I think everyone should hear a record by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds. My personal favorite at the moment is “The Boatman’s Call.” So if you haven’t listened to it, go do yourself a favor and pick it up.
The Motions will play Saturday night at The Depot.
Filed under: Five Questions, Show Preview
September 16, 2009 • 11:11 pm 2
Here’s what’s happening musically in Tuscaloosa this weekend:
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19th
And a rarity in these Sabbathed parts:
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20
Now, some of you are surely shouting “Well where is the Dexateens press!?” And I get that, I do. But here’s the deal. The local media in this town have squeezed about every single quote and fact out of those dudes that could possibly be gotten. I like the Teens’, and I recommend that show, for sure. But we’re gonna give em a break on press this time. I think everyone gets the picture.
Also, Mississippi group Come On Go With Us played the Jupiter tonight, and we promise we’ll get up with them the next time they’re through because they’re nice guys who work hard and deserve it.
Filed under: Calendar/Schedule
September 16, 2009 • 10:50 pm 0
Assuming you won’t be attending the aforementioned Taking Back Sunday concert at Coleman Coliseum on Friday night, you should consider checking out a show that Capstone Church is putting on. Normally, you aren’t going to find me on the front row of the “church shows”…but this guy warrants an exception.
Derek Webb has been pushing boundaries and making spellbinding music for years now. He started his career in the CCM scene, quickly realized that world wasn’t quite ready for what he was doing, and pretty much freed himself of any genre in the process. Yes, his music is faith-based, but it’s more than that. It’s a man’s art, which like everyone’s art, is influenced by his life experiences. Duh. So don’t let that stop you from checking out one of the most innovative and unique artists in music today.
Webb is touring behind his latest album, “Stockholm Syndrome”, released on Columbia Records a few weeks ago. It debuted at #66 on Billboard, which is quite an achievement. Check out this trailer for the album:
Opening the show will be local duo Sparrow & The Ghost, a newly announced addition to local label Hackberry Records. (Full Disclosure: I run Hackberry Records.) S&TG is Stuart Bond and Rachael Roberts, who some of you may know as players for The Still Guns, another popular local act. They’ve been stopping by the house the past few Sunday nights and playing me some of their new material– and it’s wonderful stuff. If you think I’m just saying that because I represent them, then go see them. Then you’ll realize that I only represent folks who are worth a damn.
The Details:
Filed under: Show Preview
September 16, 2009 • 7:05 pm 0
The more I dig around on this, the more stunning the final result. Who’s ready for some math? I sure am. Lets go:
Assume that the Homecoming show has a budget of around $70,000. I’d say that’s pretty close to the mark. Now, according to Main Stage Productions, who’s shopping artists around to colleges for these kind of shows– Taking Back Sunday cost a cool $75,000 to bring to campus. Fair enough. We blew our wad on one big showcase event. I get that, and I support that.
But there’s a couple of reasons why this makes me sick to my stomach. First, the bogus reasoning laid out in the Crimson White today was clearly a fabrication. Second, one can only imagine the acts we could have gotten with $75K.
For the sake of argument, lets stick with acts being promoted by Main Stage. Here are a list of acts that we could have seen Friday night at Coleman Coliseum, barring scheduling conflicts, and the prices we would have had to pay to get them here.
And that’s just general rock/pop acts from THAT agency. Really disappointing stuff.
In honor of the end of an era, I’ll be posting my Top 5 Homecoming Concert Moments later in the week.
Filed under: UA
September 16, 2009 • 6:20 pm 0
The Crimson White reports today that the University of Alabama Student Affairs office has officially put the nix on Tuscaloosa’s annual source of debate and dissapointment, the Homecoming Concert.
“This weekend is a family weekend,” Kelli Knox-Hall, Ferguson Center senior assistant director of operations, said. “A lot of people are making time to spend with their families and go to the game. Most people can’t or don’t want to leave their company to go to a concert.”
Wait, really? That’s the excuse? People didn’t come to the show because of family obligations? Are you sure it didn’t have anything to do with blowing the budget on a concert by Taking Back Sunday this Friday night?
Yep. No doubt, if you’ve driven AWAY from campus on I-20 the past month, you’ve seen the stupid-ass billboard advertising the screaming/crying extravaganza going on Friday night at Coleman Coliseum. But why Taking Back Sunday? And why now, instead of Homecoming weekend? Is there any logical explanation for it whatsoever? Is there ever?
You know, while I’m sure the dunces at WVUA 90.7 approved of that choice, maybe you should’ve taken a hint from their declining ratings and gone in a different direction. But don’t just trust me on this one…listen to this glowing report:
The sale of tickets has reached a little under 1,000, as of now.
First off, glad the CW added “as of now” to that. I was confused. Second, I invite you to take a moment and imagine 1,000 people in Coleman Coliseum. Keep in mind that the building holds 15,000 people. Lets just say that the band won’t be the only people crying and screaming. Here’s looking at you, Office of Student Affairs.
Perhaps the most telling statement of all came from UA senior Nicholas Boyd, who had this to say:
“Their music isn’t particularly mind-boggling…”
Well, there ya go. But you know what, he’s still going, because deep down in his soul, he hopes that somehow, someway, the University of Alabama can find a way to pull a fun event out of their hat…one that doesn’t involve sports.
Good luck with that.
Filed under: UA
September 16, 2009 • 8:16 am 0
Notable new releases for September 15th. As always, these are available at your very own local independent record store: Oz Music in the Parkview Center!
Lets say you’re a student from a far-away place, or a local who gets their tunes at Target. Well, get out your pens and paper because it’s time to learn about the mystical land of Oz. Oz Music is Tuscaloosa’s very own, locally owned and operated independent record shop. They’ve been around forever, and trust me…they aren’t going anywhere. They also happen to employ yours truly, so if you needed another push– there ya go. If you’re leaving campus on Hackberry going towards 15th St., just cross the traintracks and take a right into the Parkview Center. Behold the land of Oz. Converse with it’s happy-go-lucky musical nerds/staff. Support what’s left of a dying breed. Feel good in the process.
They’ve got vinyl, an absurd amount of obscure and completely normal CD’s, and the ability to order just about anything you want and have it back in a couple of days. Did I mention they were friendly and incredibly supportive of the creative community in T-Town? I can’t speak highly enough of Oz. Go there.
Filed under: New Releases
September 16, 2009 • 6:54 am 0
For the first of this, we’re going to keep this as a blahblahblah.wordpress.com blog. Once we get a bit more established and get some posts under our belt, we’re going to go ahead and switch over to 15thstreetdinah.com. So we won’t stay this small-time forever. So keep an eye on us and please bookmark and check daily. We WILL be updating at least that much.
Thanks for checking us out and please spread the word about us!
Filed under: Announcements
reed
15th Street Dinah 