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Posts Tagged ‘The Handlebar

13
Jun
13

* Seagull Blue CD release show @ The Handlebar + INTERVIEW W/ TAYLOR WYROSDICK 12/01/12.

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“Honest rock n’ roll…All our songs have a varying array of emotions with them. They’re all very honest and they’re all about things that we all personally struggle with and deal with on a day-to-day basis.  And it’s loud. It’s loud and unapologetic.” - Taylor Wyrosdick of Seagull Blue.

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One week before Seagull Blue’s CD release show at The Handlebar, bassist Taylor Wyrosdick took a few minutes to talk about his journey in music and the friends that are responsible for  “The Brighter Side of Reckless” for my Music Matters column in the Pensacola News Journal.

MS: Seagull Blue and specifically “The Brighter Side of Reckless”, is this one artist’s vision brought to life by fellow band members or collaborative contributions from each of you.

TW: “It’s more or less a collaborative project.” Frontman Joe Napier writes the songs and while Wyrosdick (bass) and the remaining members of Seagull Blue Jeff Cranford (guitar) and Logan Phillips (drums) fill in the colors.

MS: Sean Peterson turned me on to your music. How did you hook up with him and what role has he played in your album?

TW: We did the recording with our friend Michael Bishop from Pioneers! O Pioneers! and he actually hooked us up with Sean and got us involved with the whole Raw Panda thing and Sean asked us to play a Raw Panda Showcase back in December and since then he’s been extraordinarily helpful throwing in his two cents and helping us promote and helping us book our CD release show and giving us his input on copyright and such and different marketing ideas and whatnot.

MS: He’s like a guru; I’ve known him for awhile, he’s just like this really nice, amazing guy. It’s unbelievable.

TW: Oh yeah! He’s an absolute genius. One of the most helpful people I’ve ever met.

MS: Let me ask you about the show next week; what are you looking forward to when Saturday rolls around and it’s time for the album release at The Handlebar?

TW: Well actually the show is December 1st and we played our first show together on Dec. 3rd of 2011, so it’s almost exactly a year from our first show together as a band and so that’s really exciting. I guess since May we’ve been working on this album to put our this EP and we’re just really excited to actually be able to finally show it to people and show people everything we’ve been working on. The opportunity to share that is amazing and we’re really excited about that…or at least I am.

MS: Tell me more about yourself. How did you get started in music?

TW: I started playing music probably when I was in fourth grade, many, many moons ago and started playing in local churches like worship music and I actually started out in the local music scene playing metal bands and, like a lot of people did, I got out of that when I was in high school and started focusing on mainly playing church music, like different types of worship gigs around town and that’s actually how I met everyone in the band. Me and Jeff Cranberry-he plays guitar for us-we played a college ministry for awhile and that’s how I met Joe and then me and Joe had the idea to start a band and that eventually turned into Seagull Blue.

MS: How would you describe your music for someone that has never seen or heard Seagull Blue before?

TW: Oh, goodness…honest rock n’ roll, probably.  All our songs have a varying array of emotions with them. They’re all very honest and they’re all about things that we all personally struggle with and deal with on a day-to-day basis.  And it’s loud. It’s loud and unapologetic. There’s some depth and rock n’ roll. Straight rock n’ roll influences in it. Sometimes it goes into more ambient or guess quote unquote “indie” parts, but mostly loud honest rock n’ roll.

MS:  What did you listen to when you were growing up? I know you mentioned being in metal bands, but through the years, what kind of music was being played in your household?

TW: Growing up, in my own house, my parents listened to country or whatever was on the radio, whenever I got into middle school, I started listening to stuff like Blink 182 and then I got introduced to bands like Underoath and that’s when I started listening to more and more metal and when I was in 8th grade, so I guess I was about 14, a friend of mine actually showed me Architect which was a local band around here and that completely changed the way I looked at music; bands like Architect and Twothirtyeight. “Wow! These guys are from here and they’re making incredible music that’s not like everything else that I’m listening to.

MS: Have you had a chance to work with Chris Staples at all?

TW: Not really no. We’ve had deep conversations in passing.

MS: Growing up in this area, what’s the best concert/show you’ve ever seen in Pensacola, Florida?

TW; Oh man. That’s a hard one. Actually, probably the best local…or the best concert period in this area  I’ve been to was the Twothirtyeight reunion show that they did at The Handlebar a couple of months back because I grew up with people talking about Twothirtyeight all the time. Talking about how great they were and “Oh! Too bad you didn’t get to see them” because they broke up when I was in middle school. So finally getting to see them was absolutely incredible for me and just the overall energy in the room was remarkable.

I was really upset whenever I saw that they were playing DeLuna Fest, “I can’t afford to pay that” and two days later, they’re like, “Oh, we’re playing at The Handlebar for a reunion show.” I have to go to that; I don’t care if I have to work the next day.

MS: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

TW: “Never feel like you’ve arrived”. A guy told me that probably two or three years ago when I first started trying to be more active in the local music scene. He told me to “Never feel like you’ve arrived.” “Never feel like you’ve made it because you’re always going to find someone who’s better than you.”

MS: Creamy or Crunchy Peanut Butter?

TW: It depends on what I’m eating it with. I like creamy peanut butter on toast with a little bit of maple syrup on it and some cinnamon. But I do like toast with crunchy peanut butter and strawberry rhubarb jam.

MS: You’re making me hungry now, Taylor. That whole maple syrup thing kind of got me.

TW: That’s the best toast right there, is take two pieces of whole wheat toast, creamy peanut butter, put them together pour some syrup over it, a little bit of cinnamon.

MS: What would a Taylor of today, tell a younger Taylor just starting out?

TW: Practice bass more often and don’t try to play other instruments. Don’t let other people discourage you when it comes to music. Work hard and practice, definitely.

MS: My final question for you Taylor; is there anything else you would like the readers and music lovers in town to know about you and Seagull Blue?

TW: They are really, the people that come to shows and anyone who’s ever listened to any of our songs, or said a kind work or critical word, they’re the reason we do this. We’ve all loved people and we feel like writing all honest songs is the best way to show love to people and relate to people.

MS: That’s very well said, Taylor. Thank you.

- Michael L. Smith

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12
Jun
13

* Mr. Gnome, Pioneers! O Pioneers!, The Spanx @ The Handlebar + INTERVIEW W/ NICOLE BARILLE. 10/17/12

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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

The day after Election Day; one of the few times in life when you can talk politics, Halloween and mix them all together.

I called Nicole Barille (guitarist/vocalist for Cleveland group Mr. Gnome) for a piece in the Music Matters column of the Pensacola News Journal and we discussed music, Mr. Princess Leia, Beav Kenoyer, the old Silver Bullet Van (R.I.P.), Obama vs. Romney (just a little) and Pensacola.

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MS: How was your Halloween?

NB: It was awesome. It’s crazy when you tour because you end up celebrating like five times because people are all pumped to be out, so they end up dressing up pretty much in every city that you’re at. We were in Salt Lake City for Halloween which was very entertaining; there were some great costumes. My favorite was this very tall man that was dressed as Princess Leia when she was enslaved by Jabba the Hutt. If you could image just how little clothing he had on with this big beer belly. It was gross and awesome all at the same time (laughs).

MS: Did you and Sam dress up?

NB: No. We always talk about it and then we pretty much always back down at the last minute and just decide to be ourselves. It’s hard to find-especially since I play with so many pedals and Sam’s like a madman on the drums-so it’s hard to figure out a costume that wouldn’t intrude with what we’re doing and we just don’t want to screw up because what we’re wearing. So we usually avoid it.

MS: I have to get this question out of the way; Election night is over, and you being from Ohio, always a pivotal state, what is your feeling on the election, the campaign and Gov. Romney and President Obama?

NB: I’m going to try not to say too much just because I feel that musicians should kind of keep their mouths shut, but I was very happy with the results. I’m all about human rights and social issues over everything else. And yeah, I just kind of went with the guy who was more about that. I just want everyone to have equal rights in this country and that’s pretty much my main thought on all that. So, me and Sam were definitely happy last night.

MS: It’s been almost a year since you released “Madness in Miniature”. What are your plans for your next album?

NB: All the cities that we’re hitting on this tour, this is the third time we’ve been to all of them in a year, so we’ve pretty much been living in our van half the year and it’s been great. This tour has been insanely awesome and we just feel really flattered that people continue to come out in more and more numbers. We’re really flattered by that, so our plans for next record-I think we’re going to be home a couple of days before Christmas-is when our hometown, homecoming show is and then after that we have a million ideas floating around because we really can’t stop writing and when we do get home, it’s kind of like a therapeutic thing where a lot of songs come out of you and we don’t really organize them when we’re in-between tours and we’re just record them and just have a lot of ideas floating around, so when we get home, kind of the first half of next year, we’ll be really focused on beginning to write and organize everything that we already did and scheduling when we’re going to record and just take some time to make the next record just put a lot into it and try to make it the best that it can be. Hopefully, we’ll be releasing something at the end of next year and that’s kind of our goal so if we can work that fast, that’ll be what we’ll do.

MS: You touched on it a little bit just now, but-for me- It’s become a fall tradition where we in Pensacola always look forward to you and Sam rocking our socks off. I have my favorite own Mr. Gnome moments, but do you have any special memories of Pensacola?

NB: You guys have treated us so amazing well for so long, I don’t know. I think that Beav (Kenoyer. Talent Buyer for The Handlebar) who puts on the shows, believed in us when there were 10 to 15 at the show and so when you have someone in a town like that, that really wants you to succeed, it means the world to us and that can really help your growth in that town if there’s even just one person that believed in you that much and wants to spread that word, I think Beav’s really done that for us as well as you guys always writing about us, we just really appreciate it.

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There’s a million bands playing that come through every city, every night; we understand how special it is that people pay attention to us and how lucky we are. What we really dig a lot about Pensacola is how young the kids are that all come out just to have a good time. I think that’s awesome. I love seeing a younger community just support music and get crazy. It’s awesome. We really love Pensacola. We’ll always keep coming back as long as we can.

MS: Beav is amazing. I don’t know where he gets his energy from. Like man, “How do you do it?”

NB: It’s really awesome. We have a couple friends like this across the country and we did back home even before we started touring. They’re so into supporting live music and just representing what they believe in and really trying to get it out there and without those people, I don’t know that scenes would thrive like they do and Beav’s a perfect example. He puts everything into promoting these shows and spreading the word and that’s huge for bands. We’re lucky to have someone like him on our side.

MS: The last few shows at The Handlebar have been sell-outs. How is it decided when it’s time for Mr. Gnome to play a bigger venue in each city?

NB: Me and Sam are totally fans of playing smaller venues and selling them out versus playing a place that’s too big and having too much space. We’re always into that punk rock side of thing. Those were always my favorite shows growing up, man. I remember just the energy through a crowd when you’re jam packed than sitting in big room that just seems half empty. Unless there’s a reason to keep moving up, if we’re selling out rooms and it feels like we should move up to another level, we will, but right now, I don’t know…it’s just really fun to do it this way. Yeah, so maybe on the next one, I don’t know, we’ll see. We’re just taking it a day at a time and having a lot of fun; you really feed off the crowd a lot more in that way than playing some big giant ballroom where you didn’t quite pack it as much. We’ll keep doing it that way as long as we can unless we really feel we need to move up.

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MS: I always tell my friends, “If you’re coming to the show, you better get there early because it’s going to be packed.”

NB: Yeah, that’s Beav again, man. He does such a good job of promoting. We’re just lucky that people listen to him and actually like it when they came out.

MS: This past year in particular, What has been the most surreal moment for you?

NB: We’ve always been a band that’s grown at a slow rate. We have always been doing the grass roots thing and just been touring our butts off and that’s kind of the way that we see all of the growth that we have and we’re always trying to become better musicians just from playing a ton of shows and just getting better at what we’re doing. That’s always what we’re striving for. So, I think, just to go on this third tour after a year of touring and seeing these cities for a third time and still see people just as excited as they were the first time that they heard about us. I think that’s always really surreal. We were in Seattle on Friday night and just being like a kid during the grunge era, we think Seattle and Portland, we just really love that area of the country, we’re playing in Seattle and the room was packed and everyone’s singing along to our songs, that just kind of blows my mind, (laughs) it’s kind of crazy, it’s just insane. We’re always really flattered by everything. I’m a big Built to Spill fan, but we got to meet the lead singer on the last tour and he had some really nice things to say to us, that was a really surreal moment as well; just meeting someone that-who is in your top 15 records of all time that you absolutely love and they tell you that they’re a fan of yours. I think that’s always pretty surreal as well.

MS: Was he just hanging out at a show?

NB: They put on this Treefort Music Festival in Boise. This was when we were touring back in the spring and we were a part of it. He was affiliated with the radio station that they just started up probably about a year and a half ago. It’s called Radio Boise, and it’s just done amazing things for the community and getting music out there and getting people to go to shows and we were playing on the show and we brought up Built to Spill and he came into the room right when we were done and we had a Wayne’s World Alice Cooper moment where we were just kind of taken aback, but he was just standing there and we were like “Oh hey, Doug Martsch from Built to Spill. This is awesome.” He was a super nice guy and it’s always nice to meet people that you really admire and they’re just as cool as you’d hope they would be.

MS: What would Nicole of today tell a younger Nicole just starting out?

NB: At moments I would tell me to turn the other way and get a real job (laughs) and probably continue-I don’t know, man-pick a different major in school and figure something else out and at other times, I would say, I think, just being happy with what you do and what you choose and following your heart is kind of the most important thing because I can’t really imagine doing anything else right at the moment. Sam and I have never really been into the cubicle jobs where we sit there in our nice outfits and act like we’re not weird. But yeah, man I would just say “You’re in for a crazy ride and have a good time and try to enjoy every bit part of it.”

MS: How many miles do you have on that van now? Good lord, I just thought about that.

NB: There’s a lot. I think it was a year and a half ago, we were in our older van called Silver Bullet and it broke down 40 minutes outside New York City. It was a Friday night and we had to find a rental car really quick. It was just a huge headache and every since then, we got this new van called “White Lightning”-we name our vans-this one’s kind of new so it’s got like 50,000 miles on it, but it’s doing good, but I shouldn’t say that because we’ll break down (laughs) I won’t say that yet.

MS: No. Good powers going to you Nicole and Sam. Good powers! This is my last question for you Nicole. Is there anything else you want the fans in Pensacola to know?

NB: Sam and I just appreciate all the support you guys have given us and always give us a reason to come back and always give us such a great time when we’re there and that’s about it man. It’s just weird to be touring behind an album for the third time and still have people come out in larger and larger numbers and are just really passionate about what we’re doing. We couldn’t be more flattered about it. But yeah, we just say “Thanks to all you guys for being so awesome.”

We can’t wait to come back, we’ll see you in a week in a half.

- Michael L. Smith

07
Jun
13

* A Night of Punk Rock and Hip Hop @ The Handlebar. 11/10/12

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A high school friend once told me that you can’t listen to rap AND punk rock; you have to pick between one or the other. I laughed and quickly disagreed. Looking back, the craziest part of his statement was the fact that he was dead serious.

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Fast forward a few decades to the Night of Punk Rock and Hip Hop at The Handlebar. The show featured Operation Hennessey, Guns to Fire, Big Lo, Inferno, X-Ray Vision, Unnatural Soundz, Dee and Crazed, DJBodySlanga and Kanye Twitty. The event was emceed by local comedian Bubbs Harris.

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Event organizer Weston Wilkerson (DJBodySlanga) explained the importance of both genres when I asked him why he put on the event…but that will be detailed in the Night of Punk Rock and Hip Hop Part Deux.

- Michael L. Smith

20
May
12

* Joey B. Wilson’s Farewell and Good Riddance Extravaganza! Joey B. Wilson & The Daybreak Boys, The F’ n A-holes, Justin Otto @ The Handlebar. + INTERVIEW W/ JOEY B. WILSON. 03/15/2012.

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Joey B. Wilson can run the streets with rappers, rednecks, punks and metal heads. Not to be cool, but because he loves music and the people who make it. An activist and musician who ignores color and genre, Wilson is digging through the heart of humanity in the same way he digs through the guts of a song.

A few months before announcing the decision to leave his home in Pensacola, Wilson shared his thoughts on life, rock n’ roll and people. During our discussion, Wilson shared a thought so compelling that I included it in that week’s Music Matters column of the Pensacola News Journal.

Here is a link to that column and what follows bellow, is our entire discussion.

*** Joey B. Wilson interview***

JW: We have a night of snakes, Joey B. Wilson, and Swank Sinatra.The throwing snakes thing, it’s this expression that Jim Clark from the (Flying) Guillotines says a lot and my bass player contends that he was the originator of that. It’s just an expression. I had a running joke for a long time; I’d intro my set with “I’m Joey B. Wilson and I’ll fight any women in here.” It was just basically something to get people’s attention on the little event page.

MS: Who is in your band?

JW: I got AT Spears playing bass. Spears like Britney Spears. They look a little alike too. And I got Edward Odom playing drums. As far as I’m concerned, he’s one of the best in town. I’ve always loved playing with him. I’ve played in a couple of different cover bands with him too. We played in a band called Catalytic together. More recently we played in a band called Centerfold. Played in Helen Back a couple of nights. They were a married couple that had a band in Las Vegas then they came down here needing a bassist and drummer and ended up having to go back to Vegas for whatever reason so that gravy train ended. It was good money for two nights. Ed and I had a really good chemistry playing together and we’ve been working together for a long time now. Well, relatively long time. About two years or so.

MS: Speaking of long times, we go way back. I remember way back, back in the Van Gogh (Van Gogh’s Coffeehaus) days. What can someone who has never seen you perform, what can they expect from your show?

JW: I cuss a lot. I try not to, but I can’t help it sometimes. It happens. It’s definitely for grown folks. We got a good hour or so of music we’re going to break out for the people whether they like it or not.

MS: Speaking of music, what fuels your songwriting?

Joey: Anything, everything really. There’s a lot of drugs and sex recurring themes going on there. Just about anything, everything; relationships, the good or the bad that comes with that. Bad breakups. Weird breakups. Just about anything a person can go through. A normal, everyday person that likes to rage on drugs and alcohol and rock n’ roll…like me.

MS: A favorite song of yours by a lot of my friends is “Rebel Flag Thong Song” What inspired it?

JW: Ok, “Rebel Flag Thong”. I lived in Daytona for about a year. I went down there, my best friend was there and she was all about me coming down there and trying to do something with my music. It all went over kind of like a fart in church. There’s a lot of biker things to do in Daytona. There’s Bike Week, which is just ridiculous and when you’re driving around Daytona and you see the swimsuit and souvenir shops like Wings and Alvin’s Island. Well up here, you don’t see it as much, but down there, just about every one of those stores has their rebel flag bikini showcase on the mannequins right in the shop front window. It’s just a big thing down there and during Bike Week, just about everywhere you look, there’s some really hot chick riding on the back of somebody’s Harley with a very scant confederate flag pattern bikini. That’s exactly where that song came from. No more, no less. It’s not an ode to the rebel flag itself, it’s just there’s something sexy about seeing that kind of mixed taboo going on, I guess.

MS: What is the best concert you’ve ever seen?

JW: My favorite kinds of shows to go to are midsized club gigs like the House of Blues, New Orleans or Vinyl (Music Hall. Pensacola, Florida). I want to say that probably Clutch. I saw them two times at the Soul Kitchen in Mobile (Alabama) and both times they just rocked my world. So maybe a tossup between them and when I saw Queens of the Stone Age back years ago at the House of Blues. I don’t know, I’ve been to a lot of shit, man.

MS: What’s the best show you’ve seen in Pensacola?

JW: I’d have to say Primus at the Bayfront Auditorium with The Melvins. I was maybe 15. I remember it, you know, when I was 15 I was staying sober at the shows, for the most part. You actually get a good little memory of it. It was a great show. I put it up there with Clutch and Queens of the Stone Age.

MS: Why was it so special for you?

JW: For one thing, bass is my first instrument and it’s definitely my strongest instrument and it’s the instrument I hire myself out to play and can make some money doing. I was just a huge Primus fan for one thing. I wasn’t really all that familiar with The Melvins. They rocked my ass. I wasn’t ready, but definitely a pleasant surprise.

MS: What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

JW: Oh Jesus. I don’t ever really listen to it, so…(chuckles) I think I was having some relationship problems one time with some girl and I got on the phone with my mom when I was around 19 or so and was crying to her about it and she said, “You can’t make anyone do something they don’t want to do.” I kind of took that and ran with it. It’s pretty simple and pretty vague actually, I think it helps me a lot. More than almost anything else she told me anyway.

MS: Crunchy or Creamy Peanut Butter?

JW: That’s just not a fair question. I love them both. Creamy, I think usually.

MS: Why so?

JW: I’ll live on the edge every now and then and go for the crunchy, but I think the creamy is what I’m going to go with.

MS: Anything you want to add or people to know?

JW: I love the scene in this town. I appreciate any support we can get. I love seeing all of the other bands that we play with. I hope it keeps growing and getting better and we hope to be a part of that.

MS: It’s kind of cool to see things grow up, things get bigger, scene gets bigger, more people coming out.

JW: It’s weird because it’s really been an up and down thing. We had, back when the Nite Owl was around, we had big shows that came through there that were just as big if not bigger than what we’re getting through Vinyl. Once that went away, it was…and then the Bayfront got tore down. It really crippled our scene and it’s definitely bounced back in a big way and I do appreciate seeing a lot of that. Sluggo’s was the biggest, most happening thing in town for a little while. I started playing music when I was 13 years old. I was in a band that played at the Nite Owl all the time, all through my teen years. We were called Colfax. We were a punk rock band named after the street in Denver that has the most prostitution in North America. Colfax is a street North America that has the highest concentration of streetwalking prostitutes, so we named our band after that. That was my first band. I was in a band called Dank that played The Handlebar and the Nite Owl. I was in a band called The Asurbics with my parents, we did a bunch of classic rock covers. It was my dad and my stepmom. A lot of history around here. Lot of undocumented history actually. I was in a band called Doc Moreau with Franklin Hayes and I was one of the primary songwriters. I think you may have seen us at Van Gogh’s.

MS: That was where I met you. I was in a blues band. Van Gogh’s and I saw you again at The Daily Grind.

JW: The way I got the Daybreak Boys going and the idea of building myself as a solo act, it wasn’t really intentional. I was in a band called Pocket Sized Halo and we were doing ok for a little while and we kind of fell apart because of people’s various drinking problems and Satan worship and whatever else was going on and I decided…that’s right before I moved to Daytona. So I decided to move to Daytona and I only had about six months to go, so it was pointless to start a new band, so I started doing acoustic shows at bars in the neighborhood to keep myself busy and from that emerged a whole bunch of songwriting. Mainly what everyone is going to hear next Saturday comes from a period of my life from age 24 to about two to three years ago. There’s only a couple of songs we’re doing that I’ve actually written since I got this band together and we’re looking to do more writing, but right now it’s about getting all of this material that really hasn’t been heard out there. That’s where I’m at right now, man.

- Michael L. Smith

28
Apr
12

* Col. Bruce Hampton, Brooks Hubbert @ The Handlebar. + INTERVIEW W/ COL. BRUCE HAMPTON. 02/18/2012

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Across two cities, two days, one flight and a concert, Col. Bruce Hampton reflected on his career in music. One week before his return to The Handlebar to perform with Brooks Hubbert, Col. Bruce and I shared a phone conversation for an article in the Pensacola News Journal.

***Col. Bruce Hampton Interview***

MS: What is the most exciting part of the Col. Bruce Hampton experience for you?

BH: Being up on stage. Everything else is a bit of a nightmare, but to finally get onstage…

MS: Of all the shows you’ve played, what is the craziest thing you’ve ever seen at one of your shows?

Silence…and the phone call is dropped. Col. Bruce calls back and I ask the question again.

BH: Sir. You know what. Can I call you in an hour? It’s too crazy.

MS: Yes. Sure.

BH: Are you going to be here in an hour? I’ll have 30 minutes.

After the flight and concert, Col. Bruce and I agree to continue our talk the next day.

Day 2:

MS: Hello, Col. Bruce. How was your show last night?

BH: It was great. Thank you.

MS: I’m looking forward to seeing you again. It’s been awhile.

BH: Looking forward to being in Pensacola, man. It’s my favorite place. Really. I lived there for about eight years.

MS: That’s right. That’s when you had The Codetalkers right.

BH: Yeah.

MS: As a matter of fact, you gave a young man a piece of advice that changed his life. Do you remember Damien Louviere?

BH: Yes, I sure do, yes.

MS: I interview him a couple of months ago and he said the best piece of advice he got was from you. You told him that he had talent, he was a great musician, but he needed to go and starve. He did it.

BH: (chuckles) Oh my God!

MS: It really changed his life. He did it. He’s playing now in New Orleans. He loves it, he’s so thankful for the info that you gave him.

BH: He’s a talented cat. He brought out everything in me.

MS: You influencing so many people, what’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

BH: I never give or take advice too much. Probably “Eat salad with lunch” is the advice I’ve been given.(chuckles) I try never to give advice. People own their own craft. And I cannot answer for anybody. And can’t remember doing everything, I remember Damien…it’s been 10 years. Giving advice is a dangerous thing. Everybody knows what their path is. Eventually, I mean sometimes. One of the great dangerous in the world is…two of them, there is “old age” and then there’s “clarity”. And you don’t want too much of either. What advice is given me? Probably get a computer job, something of that nature.

MS: Touring, writing, what is the most exciting part of this experience for you?

BH: And you asked me that yesterday and that’s really a tough question. Obviously it’s performing and playing without a doubt. Live music, there’s nothing better.

MS: What are some of your favorite concerts? You’ve played so many.

BH: Probably the best was in 71’ we played with John Lennon and Frank Zappa. That was probably our best. And then I’ve 10 or 15 memorable ones for sure. I got to play with Hubert Sumlin, Howlin’ Wolf’s guitar player and Jonnie Johnson and he basically invented rock n’ roll. He was Chuck Berry’s piano player. That concert stands out quite a bit. I’ve been very lucky man. Got to see just about everybody I wanted to see. I got to see the Delta Blues masters back in the sixties and classical composers that were my favorites. Kings of the Bluegrass, I saw them too. You know Bill Monroe, Jeff Rowe, yeah I got to see all the great acts.

MS: Is there anybody young or currently blowing your mind now, that’s following in your tradition?

BH: Sir, I would love to say “yes”. Now when I say young, I say under 30, but there’s a gentleman AJ Ghent that is absolutely phenomenal. He’s the only one under 30 that I really like. And he’s a pedal steel player and he’s not quite on the scene quite yet, but he will be. He is absolutely tremendous. He’s as good as anybody I’ve ever heard on anything. He’s 25 and he plays like a complete master already. If you get a chance…I don’t think he’ll be known for at least two years. AJ Ghent. His dad basically invented the pedal steel. “The Sacred Steel” is what it’s called and AJ is the master. His dad’s from Gainesville, Florida his name is Aubrey Ghent. His dad is the best there ever was and his son is taking it six more steps. That’s the cat…that’s the only cat I know under 30. Please tell me, I’m off the scene pretty much. I don’t know anybody young anymore. Maybe…tell me…I don’t know anybody.

MS: The last guy that I saw that really blew me away in your style was Robert Randolph.

BH: Yeah. I know Robert. This is another world. (chuckles)

MS: What’s coming up for you in 2012? What directions are you going to go for this year?

BH: I’ve probably never changed directions in 50 years. I’ve always kept it pretty cool, man. It’s got to be coming blues, folk, jazz or country. And I like hard country, the early 60’s country. Don Gibson. To me that’s pure unique blues or bluegrass. To me it either has essence or it doesn’t. And intent too, what is the intent behind it?

MS: The digital format. Is it a positive or negative? I grew up with records and cassettes.

BH: Man, I’m a hundred and eight years old. I have no idea what it is (chuckles) I know nothing about it. I don’t know about downloads or anything. I know the record industry is gone other than that, I don’t have details.

MS: What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever seen or done at one of your performances?

BH: Well, that a good question there, sir. (pause) Just too much! Boy, I mean…the craziest thing? There’s too many of them. I’m trying to go through my file cabinet and see. Give me a second to think about it. I can’t answer that in the time being. If I get it within the next hour, I’ll call you back because there have been so many.

MS: Definitely. No problem.

BH: (almost immediately) The craziest thing I’ve ever seen was a group we were playing with called Malombo. And they had flown in from Africa and never played electric guitars and they were truly from the jungle. This was in 1971 and the guy played flute and drums and the other guy played electric guitar which he’d never touched, so they playing and it was the most absolute beautiful thing I ever heard and then the light blew out and they ran outside completely crying and scared to death. They’d never seen a light blow. That was pretty crazy. That was as pure as it gets.

- Michael L. Smith

Feb. 17 PNJ article with Col. Bruce

16
Apr
12

* Colour Revolt @ The Handlebar + INTERVIEW W/ JESSE COPPENBARGER AND SEAN KIRKPATRICK. 02/11/2012

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“They’re an incredible underground indie-rock band, and they play to the point of being dangerous to their own lives.” – Jonathan Parish. Concert promoter for Glory Days*

Describing one of his favorite concerts, in the city where he was born, Jonathan Parish defined what makes Colour Revolt concerts so memorable.

Their set, on this night, in this town, was no different. Playing for another house full of fans, Colour Revolt finished with Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence” as their encore.

One week before the Oxford, Mississippi band returned to the city where they have played every venue from The Handlebar, to Vinyl Music Hall and to the beaches of DeLuna Fest, Jesse Coppenbarger (vocals, guitar, keyboard) and Sean Kirkpatrick (vocals, guitar, keyboard) answered a few questions about their music, favorite albums, advice for aspiring musicians and loincloth wearing cowbell players.

The interview was conducted for an article in the Pensacola News Journal’s weekly Music Matters column. The Handlebar’s History Gets Another Splash of Colour 02/20/2012 PNJ article.

The full interview follows below.

*** COLOUR REVOLT INTERVIEW***

MS: What is the story behind the vinyl release on Feb. 7th?
Kirkpatrick: The vinyl re-release of our first EP was totally inspired by our fans. Most of them came to know us through our EP and it felt right to do this release for the one’s that have followed us from the beginning. Many people have an emotional attachment to the EP, including the band. What better way to bring in 2012 than with the re-release of what started our career!

MS: What is the craziest thing you’ve ever seen at one of your shows?
Kirkpatrick: I’m glad to report that nothing too crazy has ever happened at one of our shows, but I do seem to recall our friend Jimmy Cajoleas playing a cow bell in what was basically a loin cloth. While this was going on our friend Len Clark was eating a full watermelon on stage. I would like to say all of our shows ended like this but it’s only once in a full moon that these things happen.

MS: What keeps you going?
Coppenbarger: A lot of our friends, fans and family have been really great to us over the years and have asked us to keep going, and that they really love the music. That’s probably been the best inspiration in continuing writing and touring.

MS: What advice would you give to aspiring artists?
Coppenbarger: Do what makes you happy. If you’re passionate about something your life forms around that and the difficulties become more manageable.

MS: What are your Top Five Favorite Albums?
Coppenbarger: In no order, these are just my must haves, “Dark Night of the Soul” David Lynch/Mark Linkous/Dangermouse,”Kid A” Radiohead, Bob Dylan and The Band “Before the Flood”, “Old Ramon” Red House Painters and probably “On the Beach” by Neil young.

- Michael L. Smith

*Jonathan Parish quote. (Pensacola News Journal. Music Matters column. December 23, 2011)

10
Apr
12

* RiotGod, Slowpoke Rodriguez @ The Handlebar. 02/09/2012

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Touring in support of their latest album, “Invisible Empire” and days before invading Europe, RiotGod brought their otherworldly rock sound to The Handlebar in Pensacola, Florida.

As soon as I made it inside, local group Slowpoke Rodriguez had already launched off. Usually taking the lead vocal duties, frontman Beav Kenoyer manned the drums for the entire set, while Matt Boyden (guitar) and Jeff Walton (bass) completed their stoner rock adventure. Even with the temporary change, the band still rocked. Proving that no amount of musical chairs can stop them.

The creation of Monster Magnet’s Bob Pantella (drums) and Jim Baglino (Bass) closed out the night. RiotGod record on Metalville Records and have released two albums. Joining Pantella and Baglino in their chaos of sound were Garrett Sweeny (guitar) and Sunshine (vocals).

- Michael L. Smith

18
Feb
12

* Mr. Gnome, Hello Crescendo, The Spanx @ The Handlebar + INTERVIEW W/ NICOLE BARILLE 12/10/11.

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“I think we eat, sleep and breathe Mr. Gnome. When we’re able to just chill out…I don’t know. Things have been so crazy. Yeah. We’re in a relationship together, so it’s that type of thing outside of just being performers together.” – Nicole Barille

A week before the Mr. Gnome concert at The Handlebar with Hello Crescendo and The Spanx in Pensacola, Florida, Nicole Barille took time out to answer a few questions for a feature in the December 9, 2011 edition of the Pensacola News Journal “Music Matters” column.

In the feature, the vocalist and guitarist of Mr. Gnome talked about her love of all-things music-Nirvana and the 90’s Grunge scene, Pink Floyd, classic soul music and the record collection of husband Sam Meister’s father. The feature, which include Barille’s advice to aspiring artists and her Top Five favorite albums of all-time, can be found here (Nicole Barille Pensacola News Journal feature) and the rest of the interview follows below……..

***Nicole Barille Interview***

-Your show next week in Pensacola, Florida will be my third time seeing you perform. How would you describe a Mr. Gnome performance for that person who is about to witness your music for the very first time?
NB: How would I describe it? It’s kind of different from our perspective. I think every night we just give 110 percent. We just try to pull off what we do on the record live and sometimes in a different way just because…it’s crazy and alcohol induced.

-What is the coolest part of the Mr. Gnome experience for you?

NB: There’s two parts of the beast. Which is creating, which is what got us in doing this in the first place and what we absolutely love to do so which is writing music and making the records and getting ready for tour so just like applying that to the live setting in between two people and kind of figuring out how we’re going to do it that way and then there is the touring aspect. That’s kind of everything, but at the same time those are my favorite things. If you ask Sam, he’d probably say the creative process. I think he’s really into to taking a lot of time and doing that side of it. But touring is amazing too. We meet so many great people. We get to play with amazing bands and see the country at the same time. So it’s always a pretty incredible experience.

-You and Sam are like Road Warriors.

NB: (laughs) We tour a lot.

- I’ve got to ask you about the new CD. I’ve got it, I love it.

NB: Thanks, man.

-What were the inspirations for Madness in Miniature?

NB: A lot of people always ask that. We always say the weather. That’s such a big part of everything living in Cleveland. And we wrote the record during the winter and spring and summer in Cleveland, which, if you’ve ever been here there just totally drastically different environments and climates. That will definitely seep into your mood and your writing process. As far as music and stuff, we love psychedelic stuff, we love Otis Redding, Pink Floyd, we love like newer bands like Tame Impala, I’m usually always open to absolutely everything, we love like every different genre. I think that might always seep in our music and we’re never afraid to get heavy or really quiet. We just are attracted to whatever sounds best.

-Are there ever times where you take such a big risk and say “No, we can’t go there” or do you just go with it?

NB: The only thing that we shy away from is…if it gets too metal (laughs) if it sound a bit too evil and we notice it and we’re like ”That’s probably really evil.” That’s kind of the only thing. We really try not to limit ourselves. With our album, we probably write 20 songs and we cut down all the ones that aren’t doing it for us as much. So the genres, it kind of usually sprawls all over the place and we don’t really shy away from doing a certain genre, besides like rap/rock, I don’t think we’ll ever (we both start chuckling) but yeah I think we don’t really. We see where it’s going and it feels like it’s real then we we’ll put it on the record.

-I have to ask you, how did you and Sam meet?

NB: We met in high school. We’ve known each other for awhile.

- “House of Circles” hit me immediately as the new song that I’m looking forward to hearing live.

NB: Oh cool.

-How do you decide what you’re going to play and what you’re not going to play?

-NB: We start pretty early practicing all of the songs and having rehearsals. We start playing the record all the way through and just figuring out what was going to work on this tour and what wasn’t. It’s kind of hard because we do have three records out, so people that have been following us for a long time, I think they kind of want to hear everything. I’m excluding the EP’s because we don’t really play stuff off of those…like super old stuff. That’s kind of the weird thing with a brand new record; you don’t really know how much stuff to play off of it. You don’t want to go all brand new; you still want to play the stuff that people know if they haven’t picked up the record before the show. It’s really like whatever songs that sound the best and whichever ones you’re the most comfortable with and you feel like they’re just going to come across the best played live. “House of Circles” was quite in-depth. That one we’re definitely playing live…

- Yes!

NB: I think we nailed it the week we were about to leave. It was teetering on whether we were going to play it or not. Because it’s like six and a half minutes between two people; if we mess up, it’s going to be very obvious. You screw up every once in awhile. It’s fun.

-Not to objectify your albums, but is there one or a couple of songs that you really look forward to playing live?

NB: Sure. “House of Circles”. We worked really hard to get that where we need to play live. It’s really fun to play. It’s kind of all over the place. I’m trying to think what other newer ones…all the older stuff too. We like playing everything. It’s cool to see people come out and appreciate us playing. It’s very flattering. We kind of look at the whole show as almost a record. We try to put a whole set together that flows really well and never gets boring.

- You are featured in Rolling Stone again and have been positively reviewed by other music magazines. How do you take the reviews? Do they even register on your personal or creative radar?

NB: If you let them, it’s a bad thing. I hear from people that say “Don’t read them”, which we definitely try not to, but I think music and art in general is so up to that one person of what they’re into and if they’re not into a certain song doesn’t mean it’s bad, so that’s kind of the weird thing with reviews. It’s just one person’s opinion. The good ones are wonderful, but the bad ones are just like “Why did they say that?” (chuckles) So I think the best thing to do is just kind of ignore them. But the Rolling Stone thing was very nice and positive and we once again feel very flattered, out of like 5 million bands out there that we get the attention that they gave us.

-Speaking of art. What other artistic outlets do you have?

NB: We do all of our album covers. We do all of our t-shirts designs, do all of our videos. I went to school, did some graphic design and a bunch of art. Sam made videos before we started Mr. Gnome, so it’s pretty cool starting this project and be able to not only make the music, but also have the ability to do all the album covers and let Sam make all these videos and use all his talents in that way. It’s been really fun, it’s been cool to be able to do all that too and get better at what we’re doing while the band kind of grows up a little bit too.

-So, literally everything is in house.

NB: Sam’s mom actually makes all the costumes for our videos too. So yeah, we keep everything within the family.

-What’s been your most memorable concert as an artist and as a fan?

NB: Mmm. This is so hard. I don’t know. This last tour was pretty awesome. We played a really fun show in Portland. So maybe I’ll go with that one for right now, but we had a really fun show in Chicago as well. So I don’t know…definitely something on this tour. Around those two, I’m sorry, I’m so flip-floppy. The best show that I’ve ever seen. I saw Radiohead…I’m trying to remember what year that was…I want to say it was 2001 and that was probably one of the best shows I’ve ever seen. I also got to see Queens of the Stone Age on their very first tour at like a hundred and fifty person venue and that was really awesome too.

-When you recorded at Josh Hommes studio did he ever stop by?

NB: No, we say his wife and we met a couple of Queens’ members, but we never hung out with Josh, but we’re really good friends with their studio manager and that’s kind of our deal when we go out there and record at his place. His name is Justin (Smith) and he’s a really amazing person and a really great engineer. So that’s kind of like our guy when we go to record out there.

-Would there be a chance for an artist, say in a future Mr. Gnome project, are there any other guest artists you would be interested in working with?

NB: Yeah, man. We’re totally open to anything that would be cool. So yeah, I don’t know exactly who to name, but yeah we’re always down to jam with other people or collaborate or anything. We’ve kind of been so busy and just working on projects just between me and Sam that we’ve just kind of been in our bubble. but if the right opportunity presented itself. For sure.

-What are the differences in the relationship between Nicole and Sam in Mr. Gnome and Nicole and Sam outside of Mr. Gnome?

(pauses and chuckles) Wait, wait. There’s not much to Nicole and Sam outside because that’s all we’re doing. I think we eat, sleep and breathe Mr. Gnome. When we’re able to just chill out…I don’t know. Things have been so crazy. Yeah. We’re in a relationship together so it’s that type of thing outside of just being performers together.

- This one’s a little crazy one, but I’ll ask it…

NB: (chuckles)

- Do you prefer crunchy or creamy peanut butter?

NB: I’m definitely creamy peanut butter.

- Is Sam creamy or crunchy?

NB: I think…he likes creamy peanut butter as well (laughs) I’m pretty sure, we’ll go with creamy. Creamy all the way.

- If you could write the screenplay for the future, what would it would it be for you and Sam?

NB: Oh my God, that’s insane. (chuckles) A screenplay for the future. If it were up to Sam, it would be something with time travel. I’m just trying to…or parallel universes. And, I’ll just leave it at that.

- When the tour ends are you going back home and relaxing or are you going to record some more?

NB: We’ll go home and relax. We’re already setting up our spring tour and plus leaving South by Southwest (SXSW) to start it all off with, so it’s kind of crazy. We’re always planning three or four months in advance. It will be nice to be home for a couple of months and catch our breath, but it will definitely be a bit insane. We’ll probably start writing a little more over the winter time. It’s hard to write when you’re trying to learn a new record. Now that it’s released I think we can finally just totally relax and just start writing again and have that relaxed vibe of writing. We’re excited to just start creating again.

-Michael L. Smith

My article with photos from Mr. Gnome’s performance in December of 2010 with Hollowman/Badwater and Hello Crescendo at The Handlebar.

09
Feb
12

* Jucifer, Slowpoke Rodriguez, Holding God Hostage @ The Handlebar. 11/20/11

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Loud: adj. marked by intensity or volume. See also JUCIFER.

Jackhammers don’t compare to the quantity of sound produced by Athens, Georgia band Jucifer. The wife and husband duo of Gazelle Amber Valentine and Edgar Livengood aren’t just loud, they’re damn amazing with a pounding quality that levels everything within sight…and sound.

Opening Jucifer’s most recent visit to The Handlebar were Holding God Hostage who occupied the floor of the club with their Ft. Walton laced metal. Led by Josh Hostage (vocals), SPIT (guitar), J. Jacobs (guitar), Bytchin Lisa (bass) and Amonra (drums) the band survived a few technical difficulties and continued to rock the place. Lookout for a new record by them very soon.

It always starts with a bang when frontman Beav Kenoyer and the rest of Slowpoke Rodriguez (Matt Boyden (guitar), Brandon McKendrick (drums) and Jeff Walton (bass) play a show. The band is also working on a record and playing as many shows as humanly possible.

Whatever the definition, loud and heavy were all covered this night.

- Michael L. Smith

03
Feb
12

* Raw Panda Records Showcase @ The Handlebar. + INTERVIEWS WITH DAMIEN LOUVIERE & SEAN PETERSON. 11/19/11

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Detroit had Motown, Memphis had Stax and Sun Records, Seattle has Sub Pop, and one day Pensacola may be added to the list of cities making major contributions to music history as Raw Panda Records and their dedicated list of artists are creating noteworthy noise along the waters of the Gulf Coast.

A week before the Raw Panda Showcase at The Handlebar, Damien Louviere took time out to answer a few questions for a feature that ran in the “Music Matters” column of the Pensacola News Journal’s November 18th, 2011 edition.

***Damien Louviere Interview***

-You’ve been living full-time in New Orleans for how long now?

DL: Almost three years. Three years in April.

-How has the move influenced your life and your music?

DL: I’ve been coming to New Orleans since I was 15 years old and it always had a homey vibe and the energy was always very good to me and I’ve always loved New Orleans music and the style. When I was here, I really spent time trying to hone in on my craft of writing music, but I kind of developed my own way, not necessarily New Orleans style, but it is influenced by what I was trying to create for myself.

-I used to watch you play years ago and I saw a schedule of yours and literally you were playing almost every night.

DL: Yeah, in Pensacola I was playing almost every night. When I moved here (New Orleans), I really didn’t know anybody, so I had a gig here and there. Now I’m to four, five, six gigs here now, finally. It took awhile. I’m playing with a bunch of different writers and that’s really why I came here; for the original scene. This is what my friend, Sean Peterson my bass player, friend, engineer…He’s running Raw Panda studios which has the bands Paloma, Timberhawk, Two People Playing Music, Precubed, Jim Brown, O’ Pioneers, O’ Pioneers, all that stuff, all of that Raw Panda stuff is coming out of Pensacola. The independent studio that he’s working on right now, we’re about to do a show Friday, which is Raw Panda Presents kind of thing.

-I met Sean back when he worked at Dollarhide’s a long time ago.

DL: Yeah, Sean has been around for many moons. He’s my guru; he’s the one I look up to.

-I have to ask you this. It’s been over a year since I’ve seen you play. What can Pensacola people who haven’t seen you in awhile expect from your performance on Friday at The Handlebar?

DL: We’ve been rehearsing, there’s going to be some stuff off of the “Transect” album, our first album. We’re going to work on a couple of new things, plus a nice cover. The cover I’ve been wanting to do for years, but we never worked it up, but I figured it would be perfect for The Handlebar. So when you see me at The Handlebar, it’s going to be a lot of originals, but one cover and a lot of energy and we’re going to try to play our best.

- You’ve got a band behind you.

DL: You’ve got Brandon (Warren), Sean, and Scott George, my guitar player.

-Will you do any solo stuff or just strictly the band?

DL: This is going to be strictly the band. There is a lot of stuff that I’m writing right now that is solo stuff that we’re going to work on the album, but I figured if we have 30 to 45 minutes to do it, I figured we would just get in there and rock it out and leave. It’s going to be a good show. We’re going to have a good, dynamic show. I’m looking forward to it. Also Aubrey (Nichols) from Timberhawk, that’s what prompted the idea. He’s a part of Raw Panda as well.

-Raw Panda is getting huge.

DL: That’s what I’m saying. Sean has had this idea. We’re trying to get the talent that’s going to fit with what we’re doing. It’s not necessarily a genre. You got your rock n’ roll, you got your rock n’ blues, you got your indie-rock, all over the board. But the thing is, we all have that “thing” in common. There’s something in common with all of us and we all love each other’s stuff. It’s going to be really cool.

-How do you balance family and your art?

DL:That’s a good question. I recently had a baby two months ago.

-Congratulations. He’s adorable.

DL:Thank you. Very adorable; yes he is. It’s very time-consuming. Heather, my fiancée, helps me out by allowing me some time, if I have to sit down and I’ve got an idea. Or if I’m hanging out with my son and he’s sitting there, I’ll just play for him or sit and write something while he’s being good, obviously. So, that’s what I do. I have a lot of work, playing these gigs with these people that…Heather’s pretty much allowed. I try to spend as much time as I can with my family. I don’t go out or go see shows or anything like that. If I’m going out, it is because I’m playing. I used to go out mingle and network, but it gets really hard for me to do that now. It seems to work out because I’m still being creative. I wish I had more time, but as of right now, I have a little bit of time to be creative. It’s working out.

-What’s the best piece of advice you would give to a musician starting out?

DL: I’ve had several other musicians tell me…you’re asking for best piece? I have several different things that people have always told me. “Instead of trying to be someone else, be the best you (that) you can be. Be real.” There is always the guitar player that wants to sound like Stevie Ray Vaughn, always the drummer that wants to play as many notes as Neil Pert or whatever it is. The best advice that I’ve gotten from some really amazing musicians like my friend Tyler, Renee or any of those people who’ve gone on to do really good things. They’ve said just “Be real.” It’s YOUR fingers that are playing on that guitar. Just because you buy the same equipment does not mean you’re going to play like them. You’re not going to sound like them. You’re not going to have the same ideas. Just try to be yourself and be real. As cliché’ as that is. And “Less is more.” Always.

-If you could write the screenplay for tomorrow and beyond, what would the future hold for you?

DL: That’s a real thought provoking question. I’m kind of on the spot here. I wish I had time to think about this stuff. The future would hold for me to be financial stable enough to go out and fund tours and rehearse and write and be able to spend as much time on the creative process as I possibly can. Because, that in part, would be with my family as well. My gain to happiness would be sitting in a studio, creating and selling music. Making the mailbox money, if you will. Because, I set up for this multimedia company called Audiosocket and they only accept five percent of submissions for music and it’s a multimedia company that goes from ABC, CBS and all that stuff. And you get in their catalog and they pick one of your songs to go on a show or movie, commercial or whatever it is and they send you the check. I really actually want to be one of those writers. I would like to be in a movie, in a part that created that atmosphere for that part in that movie. I’ve always been intrigued by that since I’ve seen “The Wall.” It’s perfect; it’s music, it’s visual, it’s everything you know. I would eventually like to be scoring some movies.

-Speaking of movies. Would you rather have the Academy Award or the highest-grossing film of all time?

DL: I’d probably have to say the Academy Award. Just because it’s the highest grossing doesn’t mean that it’s good. Not to name names, but musically, a lot of people who make a lot of money, doesn’t mean that they’re good. I guess I’d rather be recognized and respected by either my peers and people I looked up to.

-The last question, the Grand Finale; do you prefer crunchy or creamy peanut butter?

DL: Crunchy.

-Why so?

DL: I just love peanuts and I love and (pauses and chuckles) I’m thinking of how to phrase this right before it turns into a big joke on me. I love the texture. Let’s go with that.

***Sean Peterson Q & A November 14, 2011***

-How would you describe Raw Panda Studios and the artists on Raw Panda and what can the audience expect Friday night at The Handlebar?

SP: Let me make the distinction between Raw Panda Studio and Raw Panda Records. They are really independent of one another, other than the name, although most of the bands associated with Raw Panda Records have recorded here.

The name was the brainchild of Aaron Finlay and Gio Lugo of Paloma, an old inside joke apparently and its stuck as a name. The ‘label’, so to speak, is really what I would call and artist collective. Using social media, e-commerce, and DIY recording techniques, we hope to do our own thing and be able to make our creative output available to whoever might find it enjoyable.

The collective is defined more by friendship and respect than musical dogma of any sort, with honesty and intention being the common thread that runs through. That being said, the show Friday night will feature Big Jim Brown, Chainsaw Kelly and Aubrey Nichols, three songwriters that explore American song styles like blues, country, hill music, r&b and rock and roll. Of course, Damien Louviere will be there as well.

Damien bridges the gap in a lot of ways between more traditional song forms and indie-rock and post-rock. I truly believe Raw Panda has some amazing musicians and songwriters among its ranks and Friday, four of my favorite singers and lyricists will be there. Can’t wait.

-Michael L. Smith

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