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Ain’t No Time to Sit Down: Review of Amy Ray and Brandi Carlile Concert

Jody Collins — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 11:27:12 +0000

Having no real predicated love for the Indigo Girls, I wasn’t really sure what to expect of Amy Ray. What I got, in turn, was an amazing performance from a seasoned musician who has culled together a top notch band.

Ray brought a joy to the straight up rock ‘n roll show. Her entire band played in such a cohesive manner that it was absolutely striking at times. The rhythm section, including one of the best drummers I’ve seen in a long while, played with a taut ferocity. The drummer was a hybrid of Max Weinberg and our very own Don Coffey Jr., providing speed, power and tightness. In addition, the rhythm guitarist held her own next to the experienced Ray.

Which brings us back to Amy Ray. Ray won my respect. She’s an insanely talented musician who also seems to have a good heart. She spoke both on the continued healing process at the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church, and very warmly about the ever-talented Knoxvillians Tim and Susan Bauer Lee.

Ray continued her greatness, playing guitar on Brandi Carlile’s rousing opening number “Looking Out.” Actually, the opening-opening was Carlile’s cellist/pianist performing a solo number on the cello – looping pieces, building to a sound that filled the Bijou.

Photo by Flickred!

Carlile is a fine enough performer on her own, but her backing band is worth mentioning. On guitar and bass are a set of twin guys, complete with the new trend of skinny jeans. Well, I’m told its a new fad… one that I’ll be passing on. No one wants to see that look on me, trust me. But the heart and soul of the band has to be her drummer. Much like Ray’s drummer, Carlile’s came to play, and play well at that.

Brandi Carlile was a bit different than my preconceived notions. I figured she fits more in the singer/songwriter category, meaning I expected her to be a bit more reserved, and low key. None of that. Carlile has an amazing stage presence. A shining example is early on when she spoke of how she “…loved the acoustics of the room.” With that, the band stepped up to the front of the stage, and played the thoroughly upbeat “How These Days Grow Long” without the assistance of any mics. She also had an easy way about her, weaving stories in along with the songs, including one about meeting and having Elton John perform on her latest album.

Continuing with the obtuse aspects of the performance, Carlile and company came back out to the front of the stage later on, playing songs acoustically [with mics this time], “…like the beginning of recording the new album. Stripped down.” She then moved onto to speaking about a song that she thinks “…should be an American standard,” right before breaking into Dylan’s “The Times They Are a-Changin’.” Though her version was a little more spirited, Carlile later commented to the crowd that she wondered if Dylan would hate her version, and that she could hear him asking “why is she yelling?!?”

For the encore, the twin brothers came out first, and did a tremendous rendition of Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sound Of Silence.” Carlile then entered the stage and played back-to-back Johnny Cash songs, “Jackson” and “Folsom Prison Blues.” I don’t say this lightly – her version of “Folsom Prison Blues” is 99.9999% on par with the original. It was flat-out astounding, with additional guitar parts added in. The only thing I can equate it to is seeing Son Volt perform Waylon Jennings’ “Are You Sure Hank Done It This Way.” It’s a a performance for the books, but the original is steeped in so much honesty you simply cannot discredit it in favor of the cover.

Carlile continued on, performing a duet with Amy Ray of a Ray original, “Johnny Rottentail.” Carlile then moved on to telling how she grew up with old country music, how much she cared for it all. Continuing with telling her tales, she sang potions of a trio of Tammy Wynette tunes which included “D-I-V-O-R-C-E,” “I Don’t Wanna Play House” and “Stand by Your Man,” The latter of which she commented how the song never really rang true to her as a child, and she didn’t know why then.

All in all it was an evening filled with exceptionally talented performers, playing songs that were real, hopeful and true to the nature of the singer. That’s all we can ask for.

Ain’t No Time to Sit Down: Review of Bijou Theatre Heavy Metal Concert

Jody Collins — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 12:00:19 +0000

Image taken from HevyDevy.com

“Heavy metal at the Bijou?” you ask. Surely not.

Yes, I was treated to a night of metal at the historic Bijou Theatre… and don’t call me Shirley.

I’ll readily admit, upon first hearing that Devin Townsend and Between The Buried And Me were performing at the Bijou, I thought it a misprint. AC had to mean The Valarium. But, like many times before, I was wrong.

Starting off the night, warming up the crowd, was the post-metal outfit Scale The Summit. Gotta admit, it’s the first I’d heard of this band. But they’ve made a fan out of me. The members of SCS appear to be very young in age, but not in ability, being both technically sound and extremely proficient musicians. They have more of a Steve Vai feel than most post-metal band’s usual sludge sound.

Devin Townsend, of Strapping Young Lad / The Devin Townsend Band / Punky Brüster / etc., started off his set right with the exclamation, “Hey my name’s Devin and it only gets worse from here!” Townsend was continually funny and self deprecating throughout. He even went so far as to comment on the “goth” feel of the Bijou, whilst quoting is own bastardized version of Shakespearian text. About halfway through his set he brought out a Flying V, then proceeded to play an instrumental medley of two tracks [Om and Truth] that did, in fact, melt my face right off.

I have a newfound respect for Townsend. He seems to be the P.T. Barnum of heavy metal, bringing fun, excitement and a complete show to the mass of metalheads. In a set full of highlights, it was especially funny to hear him do his own geek version of trash-talking, saying, “the sports team from my area is better than the sports team from your area.” If you have the chance, seeing Townsend and Co. perform is worth the price of admission, even if you’re a non-metalhead.

One criteria for writing this column is to try and remain positive. This site is all ’bout what makes Knoxville a great town. That said, Cynic [the third band to perform], has a tremendous drummer, and guitar players that are on top of killer execution. But the request for audience participating in some sort of yoga stretch and the lead singer pontificating on being “one with the universe” will have to remain in The Nothing for now.

On to better things.

Between The Buried And Me hit the ground running, performing like a well oiled machine. Every member had total command over everyone in attendance. On such a small stage, the band ripped the proverbial “it” up that night. BTBAM kept the tempo up, adding a synth here and there for texture. Adding to that texture was their drummer’s use of gong, which harkens back to Bonzo and Roger Taylor.

It also seems worth mentioning that in a performance sponsored by Vans, BTBAM’s bass player was completely barefoot.

GO! Where Grace & Effort Coalesce

Laura Bower — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:26:12 +0000

The GO! Contemporary Dance Works troupe

Watching bubbly teenagers morph into disciplined warriors is an interesting experience. One minute they’re giggling and gossiping. The next minute they’re performing water ballet on dry land – or on a cold hard floor, to be precise. Instructor Laura Raines beats a drum and guides the girls through a series of laterals, lunges, pliés and relevés that are part of the Horton Technique of modern dance designed to develop core strength. It’s just one hour out of the 15-20 hours a week the GO! Contemporary Dance Works troupe spends in preparation for its upcoming performances at the Bijou Theatre on Saturday, February 20 and Sunday, February 21.

“I dance because I love it,” explains Alex Constantinou, when asked about the extraordinary commitment it takes to be one of the 13 or so girls in the elite senior company of GO! “It makes me a stronger person, mentally and physically.”

GO! Contemporary Dance Works is the brainchild of Artistic Director Lisa Hall McKee, who founded the company seven years ago. Her passion is evident as she describes the innovative choreography for the upcoming production, featuring “living props, live music and electrifying energy.” Prior to Saturday evening’s performance, there’s a special pre-production benefit at the Square Room on Market Square. GO! Gala 2010 promises a journey through France and Africa featuring Gallic cuisine. The Gala, in its second year, is an annual fundraiser for the nonprofit dance company. There will be a silent auction featuring one-of-a-kind experiences, like dinner for six at Chef Bruce Bogartz’ counter at RouXbarb. There’s also a signature JulieApple tote bag from eco-chic designer, Julianne Applegate.

However, the Gala is only the prelude to the spectacular staging and athletic exhibition to come. Thirty girls will dance their hearts out. The audition-only company prepares dancers for college-level studies and professional careers. The class offerings include an eclectic mix of ballet, modern and jazz that makes the productions unlike anything you’ve ever seen. It’s art and engineering, momentum and magic.

Alex has been dancing since second grade, but most of her peers started when they were toddlers. “I’m constantly improving myself as a dancer,” she says. “I’ve learned that everything is not handed to you. You have to earn it.”

GO! Contemporary Dance Works is donating 200 tickets for the Sunday matinee to students from Vine Middle School, Beaumont Elementary School and Austin East High School as well as the Emerald Youth Foundation and the Amachi Mentoring Program, among other groups.

According to Agnes DeMille, “To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful. This is power, it is glory on earth and it is yours for the taking.”

A junior at Farragut High School, Alex has another year to perform with GO! before she graduates and moves on to other things. She credits dancing with teaching her to be part of something larger than self. Alex enjoys the synergy that comes from working together to create something extraordinary. Someone once said that dance isn’t a form; it’s a way of life. And so it is for these young dancing ninjas.

For tickets call 865.984.1200 or go online to gocontemporarydance.com.

Ain’t No Time To Sit Down: Review of Tennessee Shines, October ’09

Jody Collins — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:30:12 +0000

WDVX’s monthly live broadcast, Tennessee Shines, is now established as the go-to venue for great, sometimes eclectic, music. The latest installment was a concert with no real singular highlights, just performance after performance that proved to be continually luminescent, with every musician at the top of their game.

Beginning the night [other than Jim Lauderdale and the house band led by Dave Nichols, which we will discuss later] was Dave Alvin, featuring Cindy Cashdollar and Christy McWilson. Alvin’s almost 30 years in the music industry and masterfully steady guitar ability explain his ever-present swagger. Hell, the man’s earned it. But did he have to start off with two songs about Cal-i-for-ni-a? Heh. Gotta give credit to the Alvin for that joke. He expounded on how odd it was for a guy from California to open up with two California tunes in East Tennessee, the first of which, was the rousing [in a subdued way] “King of California.” In addition to the seasoned ability of Alvin, the backing of Cindy Cashdollar and Christy McWilson was a warm addition. Cashdollar was strapped with a dobro, adding subtle touches throughout. McWilson, on some songs, provided more of a lead performance. Though on the tracks where she acted solely as a backing vocalist, a tremendous dynamic was created by her floating affect over Alvin’s deep baritone. A shining example was on the tribute “Potter’s Field.” Alvin and McWilson traded leads, leaving the viewing audience in such a state of awe that you could hear a pin drop.

Next up was the lovely Sara Watkins, of Nickel Creek fame. Sharing the stage that very night was her brother Sean, also of Nickel Creek, on guitar and Sebastian Steinberg, of Soul Coughing, on bass. A seeming trademark of the Nickel Creek era, Sara opened with an instrumental. From there, she moved on to the lead track on her eponymous solo effort, “All This Time.” But it was the two closing tunes that really brought the house down in completely different ways. Watkins busted out the ukulele for my favorite track on her album, “Where Will You Be.” Seriously, I had chills running up and down my spine. The final number was a surprisingly head-bobbin’ cover of John Hartford’s “Long Hot Summer Days” in which Watkins turned in to an audience accom… accomp… an audience sing-a-long.

After a short break, Tyler Ramsey, of Band of Horses, took the stage. Flanking his solo effort was a wide array of guitars, just lying around in open cases like coffins at a wake. Only in this instance, each guitar was turned in and turned on in a warm, robust way. Settled into a chair center stage, Ramsey began his performance with “Long Dream” off of his second solo effort, A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea. Ramsey emphatically proved how insanely talented a guitar player he truly is, making one of his many guitars sound like both a bass and guitar simultaneously.

Finishing off the night was the fascinatingly talented-despite-her-youth Samantha Crain, who had been on the road since February. Tennessee Shines, as she informed us, was her last show until next February, when she’ll be joining the likes of Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Buddy Miller on some sort of musicallyawesometastic cruise. But, for that very night, Crain decided to begin with “Songs of the Night,” which featured a kazoo, of all things. Just when you thought whipping out a kazoo couldn’t be topped, she and her two band mates performed a three-part harmonica solo. You heard me correctly – three-part harmonica solo. Her backing band looked equally as youthful. At one point, her bass player came out of his flip flops to hit the night notes on backing vocals. If that’s not commitment, I don’t know what is.

Finally, much praise should be heaped upon both Jim Lauderdale and the house band led by Dave Nichols. They really pull things together each and every month, time after time. Jim’s anecdotal humor and ability to bring some of the musicians out of their shell is a nice addition to the truly tremendous monthly occurrence that is Tennessee Shines.

Bijou Jubilee: Celebrating 100 Years of Theatre Goodness

CP — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 20:45:33 +0000

Earlier this week Gay Street received a new building ornament courtesy of the Bijou Theatre. To kick-off 100 years of history, the theatre will begin its Bijou Jubilee on January 28th with the lighting of their new marquee. Thanks for the tip Morgan. Related Posts:Ain’t No Time to Sit Down: Review of Bijou Theatre Heavy[…] Read More » Related Posts: