Mullins

Happy 4th of July fellow Romans and Georgians and Americans and everyone,

I love this painting of the legendary Kasper “Stranger” Malone by Grant Williams

The town should be hoppin’ tonight.  As the sun goes down there is exceptional music all over.  This would be a good night to browse them all.  Jason Lyles, Thunderbolt Patterson (which is 1/2 Dirt Dobbers, David Bell and Tim Bowen), Scratch Off John, Cherry Vendetta, The Vivs (out of TN), Unseen Stimuli, etc.  This is a good time of the year.

     I tell you what. I’m really looking forward to Friday night’s concert in the dining romm at Harvest Moon.  Mata Luna is definitely one of the most unique bands that I’ve seen around here.  I’ve written about them numerous times for numerous events.  Jody Howard plays the fretless electric bass while Britton Davidson plays the hell out of a viola.  They had one of the finest drummers around in Shane Duvall.  Unfortunately, they lost him when he moved to the Czech Republic with his lovely wife.  Can’t blame him for that but it definitely took away one of the dynamics of the band.  The two-piece shows that followed were great, but now Jody told me that they’ve been working with a new drummer and that this guy was on time.  I don’t know a whole lot about timing but I know that being on time with Mata Luna is not easy.  So I can’t wait to hear how this one turns out.

     Ol’ Levi Boz White has been playing around Rome for awhile now and is always impressive, whether it’s solo, playing along with local acts, or playing with Ian Griffin and associates in Professor Scrumptious Love. I knew he had a bag of tricks up his sleeve, but I had no idea what he was working on lately.  Apparently he’s been playing bass with some folks in Atlanta.  The band is called Mog Rocket.  I got curious, dug it up on line, and now I’m really looking forward to seeing them play.  It’s fresh for around here for sure.  There’s definitely some homage to early prog rock in there, but I can’t explain it.  You’ll have to give yourself a sneak listen at myspace.com/mogrocket.

     The show starts at 10pm in the dining room of Harvest Moon on Friday, June 20th.   

There’s plenty of other fine things to do this weekend as well.  Also on Friday night Scott Thompson will undoubtedly pack it out at the Moon Roof.  Oddly enough, there are two Friday references on Saturday night of this week.  Black Friday will be at Night Moves with the heavy southern sound, and Jon Byrd’s band, His Girl Friday, will be at McCrobie’s.  Maybe they’ll have the Cary Grant film playing in the background.  Also, Radio Flyer will be at Schroeder’s on Saturday.

Last night I went to the Aids Resource Council Benefit Picnic which turned out to be a perfect evening. Many good people were in high spirits at the home of Mary & Clayton Jones. It didn’t hurt that the food was fabulous, prepared by Mary and Gayle (I apologize if I left any cooks out). Good ol’ southern classics like fried chicken (but boneless), cole slaw, potato salad, and caviar. And heck yeah, The Groundhawgs were playing. Of course it was the mild mannered picnic Groundhawgs and not the rambunctious post-midnight destructo-Groundhawgs.
It’s too bad that I don’t have any pictures for this one. Paul, I know you were there. Did you get any pics? That’s the cures of the photographer, everyone always expects you to be doing the documentation all the time.
The only thing negative about the event was the incision in Gayle’s hand that she’ll not enjoy for a few days.

ps - I found a video from it. Check it out.

http://www1.romenews-tribune.com/multimedia/rome/video/1201

Well, I didn’t make it there this year so I can’t say for myself but from what I’ve heard, this years Parkinson’s Disease Benefit Concert at the Schroeder’s Courtyard was a hit. They were at it all afternoon starting at 4 o’clock. It’s great to see that bands like Buck & Duke who are making waves in the country music scene are never too busy to help out the community and put on a show. I’m sure everybody played well. Here’s some photos that were forwarded to me from John Schroeder.

     Captain Soularcat has released a new album called The Rise.  I picked up a copy last night at their show at McCrobie’s. The show was sweet and the cd is also very sweet.  This is a stripped down Soularcat, with Benji Shanks (guit), Scott Warren (bass, v), Travis Cline (drums), and a guy named Tony Giordano on the keys. I didn’t know about this guy but he definitely finishes out the current sound of the band with some solid playing. I like this mix a lot. It provides for a very patient, very well written, and very well produced yet raw album + 12 fresh tracks.

Thanks Woody.

Well, I don’t have any pictures to post of this event unfortunately, but the Art Walk on Saturday was a good ‘ol time. Scott Awesome and I packed up our guit/kit and headed downtown to set up on a street corner and pick some tunes. There were people everywhere showcasing and witnessing others work their craft. We got to see a blacksmith do her thing, multiple painters capturing the moment, writers, etc.  We stuck around until it was finished and then went and grabbed a pizza and some wings. We made some pretty good tip money and got to play for some folks who at least pretended to be interested. A couple of kids even got to pick on the guit and bang on the drum a little. Definitely a good time. The sun was peaking through the clouds every now and again. Enough to make me have to go home and take a nap afterwards.

Unfortunately, that caused my day to lag and me to miss the Glenn Phillips Band at Schroeders. However, I did make it to see Atomic Boogie at the 400 Block Bar who completely tore it up for the rowdy folks. Always a smash show.

Renee Mixon is excited about the release of her third CD, Dance With Me. You can hear some song samples and see some photos on her website, ReneeMixon.com. The CD release party/concert will be upstairs at Old Havana on March 29th at 8pm. There will be a $5 cover.

Harvest Moon Café has consistently supported local art and music since its move to Broad Street in 2001. As a restaurant and music venue, the Moon is always prepared to experiment. The addition of the Moon Roof Bar has provided a fantastic outlet for treasured local musicians like David Bell. Russell McClanahan leads a crew of pickers and singers for down-home dinner music on Thursday evenings in the dining room. I am most thankful that the Moon granted us folks the opportunity to watch the legendary Kasper “Stranger” Malone perform almost weekly until his passing in 2005

As the progression continues, the Moon is adding a new flavor to their cultural music menu. On the first Friday of each month, they intend to close the kitchen at its usual time, keep the dining room open serving beverages, and provide featured acts from around the Southeast. February kicked off the season with Rome’s own Little Country Giants, and was a great success

The March rendition of the series brings Atlanta based jazz/funk septet Cadillac Jones. The combination of bass, drums, guitar, keyboard, turntables, tenor sax, and trombone allows for very thick rhythms and groove. The band observes the era of films like Shaft and Superfly, and groundbreaking jazz/funk artists like Herbie Hancock or The Crusaders. Their first album, 2003’s Junk in the Trunk, took off and launched the band to steady gigging around the Southeast. Their second album, The Big Takedown, is a soundtrack to a movie concept in the classic blacksploitation genre of the 70’s. It was released in 2006 by the Atlanta based indie hip-hop label ATF Records, and has been a quite an achievement. I think Jody told me they were working on a new release.

Jody Howard, who bartends evenings at the Moon Roof Bar, invited me to ride with him to see the band several years ago. I had heard of them and I do like the funk, so I decided to tag along. The band was smokin’ hot on stage and the crowd was equally enthused. There were some very smooth sounds, let me tell you. Before too long, a break-dance circle erupted in front of the stage. The act that followed got postponed because the fire marshal declared that the room was too full. Will this happen at Harvest Moon? I doubt it, so don’t let this description dissuade your attendance if you are a mild-mannered concert goer. The gents exemplified nothing but class and professionalism throughout the show. Positive energy was abundant.

The show will begin this Friday night at 10pm in the Harvest Moon dining room. The cover charge is ten dollars and includes one free drink. To listen to Cadillac Jones, visit them online at www.cadillacjones.com or at www.myspace.com/cadillacjones. Check out the video for “Tarzan.”

Hey yall, just wanted to say sorry if you have not seen your information updated on the MullinsMania Rumpus page. I will have it there soon. My computer caught a virus and I’ve been without for a few days. It won’t be long before your info is posted. Thanks yall very much. I always appreciate any community information from anyone. 

Bryan