Tunesday With George

No specific album pick today....but it was a musical week worth recapping.

Beginning last Friday at the 40 Watt, Melissa and I were among the lucky ones who saw one of the two sold out Jeff Mangum shows, the mysterious former front man of Neutral Milk Hotel. Two of our Houstonite band members from Buxton, as well as their manager, made the trip all the way from H-town for the show. So after Mangum, we kept the party going with a dance party at Go Bar, with jams provided by DJ Mahogany.

 

Tuesday night I was up in Nashville for a quick trip, and spent the night catching a show at the 5 Spot. On the bill was my old friend Tim Easton, a recent transplant to East Nashville from his former home in the desert of Joshua Tree, CA. Tim was a little too lubricated to be in top form, but it was great to see him nonetheless. The surprise of the night, though, was the daughter of New West artist John Hiatt: Lilly Hiatt & The Drop Ponies. I didn't even know they were going to be on the bill, and they stole the show for sure.

Lilly Hiatt

 Friday night was a big night for us at the Georgia Theatre, our young group, Wild Moccasins, had the opportunity to come in town and open the sold out CD release show for Athenian psych-rockers Of Montreal. The place was packed for the Mocs set, and they really revved up a crowd that was certainly in the mood to party. Of Montreal then put on one of the craziest shows I've ever seen, at least visually. They had no less than 8 projecter screens on stage playing synchronized tripped out images (even the kick-drum head acted as a screen). The music was great, but more than anything I'd say it was the most visually stimulating show I've ever witnessed.

Wild Moccasins

Of Montreal at the Theater

Saturday night at the Melting Point I saw what was my favorite set of the week: Thomas Hardy Morris & The Outfit. Hardy is the lead singer of the Athens-based Southern-gothic-grunge-rock band Dead Confederate, but his solo work is quite a departure from that....much more subtle, haunting, and a little countrified. His "Outfit" are the extremely talented Thayer Sarrano on keys and harmony vocals, and Matt Stoessell. They closed their set with this song "Beauty Rest", which is my favorite. Watch the VIDEO

Hardy Morris & Matt Stoessell

Hardy and co. opened for the Modern Skirts that night, who I'd like to note have a pretty cool new thing going themselves these days. And as always, they draw quite a crowd.

Sunday nights for me are usually reserved for TV, and take-out or a home cooked meal. But this Sunday, there was a special can't miss event in Athens: NPR's Mountain Stage, usually taped in Charleston WV, was taping an episode in Athens at the UGA Performing Arts Center. The three main acts on the show were local here Randall Bramblett, enigmatic producer/composer/musician/songwriter Van Dyke Parks, and DBT front man Patterson Hood. An excellent night all around, look for that episode to air on NPR in March.

As I type right now, I'm on a flight to Cincinnati for a radio/tv performance I set up for our band Buxton (well, technically I never cross the Ohio Border). They will be playing on WNKU's Studio 89....of course I can't review that one because it hasn't happened yet, but if your'e ever looking to listen to one of the best stations in the country, I highly recommend TUNING IN.