Debuts, Jams, and the Spirit of Giving

Refugees all over the world need our support, and the International Events Association hopes to provide! This group brought us a fund-raising night of tunes last Tuesday night to help satisfy this need.

Matt Daniel of the awesome band Leading Edge took the stage first to present his solo act. He's quite the talented fellow, I must say! He served up some nice, original songs on the keyboard and guitar and even gave us a musical homage to John Lennon.

Moments later, it was time for the official downtown debut of the band once called Neptica. Although (as I explained in my birthday party entry) they are now introducing themselves as Atlas, everyone I've talked to agrees that the Ha's Neptica Atlas sounds like a rockin' name. Hint, hint. :) Regardless, their songs were wonderful as usual. Jeff was particularly amazing on the flute and sitar. Wow, that guy can play! And Sarah's cello playing really completes their songs. She brings a finished quality to their sound which makes their tunes quite amazing to listen to. Singer Adriana was feeling a bit sick, but man, she's great. Even with her voice not up to her usual standards, she managed to sound absolutely beautiful, only a bit quieter than usual. Lovely music, indeed.

Another name-changing band, Bigfoot, stepped onstage next. Last spring, I raved about a new band called Cyrnaca that rocked the Myers Quad. Well, it seems that this band has gained a new member or so as well as a brand new name. Their sound, too, has changed to become a bit more danceable though they still maintain their ground-vibrating rock style. Best of all, the girl in the band played her violin as if it were a guitar. In all of my adventures through the Athens music scene, I've never seen anything like it! Weirdly enough, though, they were the third band I've seen in a month that played a cover of the Ghostbusters theme. Is this a new band favorite or something? I've truly enjoyed all of the awesome differences in each incarnation of this tune that I've heard so far this year, but honestly, if one more band plays it any time soon, I may have to ever-so-painfully remove my ears. One can indeed have too much of a good thing.

Then the final band emerged from amidst the crowd dancing wildly to Bigfoot's set and took their enthusiastic energy to the stage. Calling themselves CocoRico, they brought a refreshing taste of pop to the mix. Their sound was very finished, very impressive, and the singer's and keyboardist's unexpected series of hilarious risque dance moves was just plain unforgettable. They finished out their set with about 15 minutes of straight jamming with guest guitarist Parks Miller. Well, that was kind of unexpected. They're definitely a rockin' band though.

Good show. What a cool way to help those in need.

What an UNBELIEVABLE night! Crumbling Arches & the Ha's Neptica Atlas bring dreams to life...

Spectacular. Nearly indescribable. Pure euphoria. I'm still recovering from the shock of having my dream birthday party become a reality. My absolute favorite band in the world played a set just for me and my pals!?! Pinch me! This can't have really happened, right?

This culmination of over a year of dreaming and planning took place on Friday the 13th... What an ideal date for a costumed concert party! Since Halloween is my most favorite holiday, the house was adorned with tons of balloons, lights, and streamers in black, orange, and purple. Ooh, festive! Candy, juice boxes, and cake filled the room with sugary sweetness as well. However, it was the performances that topped everything else!

The band formerly known as Neptica made their official debut as the night began following a spontaneous name change to Atlas. Henceforth, I shall refer to them as the Ha's Neptica Atlas... until further notice, at least. Well, whatever they choose to call themselves, they were simply amazing! Everyone gathered around them in a semicircle on the floor, fully absorbed in their folk acoustic sound. During one song, they even had the attentive crowd wave their arms fluidly to their organically-formed music. The members of the audience jumped at the opportunity to involve themselves in the creation of such melodic magic. Beautiful. And what a curious array of instruments they used! It's purely awe-inspiring to hear Adriana, Parker, Jeff, and Sarah combine their musical talents to create a such wondfully fresh mix of tunes. I rejoice in the fact that I've gotten to see them grow as a group from one of their earliest practices into a now fully realized band with limitless potential! Their official public debut will be at a benifit concert at Tasty World on December 1st, so never fear, you'll get to see these bundles of talent for yourselves soon!

Then, just minutes later, it was Crumbling Arches' turn. I don't think I've ever gone into a show with so much anticipation before. I mean, CRUMBLING ARCHES! This was the band that first introduced me to the Athens music scene, that first inspired in me a true love of music. To have them perform at my birthday party as a favor to me is nearly beyond comprehension. And the set they played! Wow! Kicking things off with a completely ridiculous cover of the Ghostbusters theme infused with a slight hint of birthday references, they had the whole house dancing and yelling "busting makes me feel good!" Just plain hilarious. They followed this song with a wonderful set of their newer tunes including the holiday appropriate and deliciously dark Vampire Sex song. Mmm, how I love the organ-sounding keyboard in that one! And then, most joyfully, they dedicated their song Mutant Love to me. Everybody say awww. I just can't stop smiling! Their final tune of the night was old favorite, I'll Make a Man Out of You, their rock version of the ever-popular Mulan song. I'm not exaggerating when I say that the floor was shaking wildly from the nearly 50 person crowd rocking out to this song! Nothing can beat the energy that filled that room. Unbelievable! Ian finished things off by saying that whenever I want to celebrate another fake 18th birthday, they'll be there. Oh man, I love these guys!

Right now, I'm practically oozing appreciation. I absolutely must thank all of the members of Crumbling Arches and the Ha's Neptica Atlas for their spectacular performances as well as the members of Bambara for the use of their PA system. Also, I can't forget to thank the people who made this possible like the owners of the house especially Olivia, Kelly, and Megan as well as my pals Susannah, Meghan, Leona, and Sheila (you all know what you did). Oh, and I guess I should thank the police officer who didn't give us a noise violation too. :) I can never thank you all enough! As my friend Susannah declared, this party was the stuff of legend! It seems that the line between dreams and reality is not quite so thick after all. At this moment, I am utterly and completely ecstatic!

Stay tuned for tons of videos from this incredible event! Coming soon.

You're invited...

It's party time, people! A little over a week ago, I mentioned the plans for my next birthday party which includes a concert with live music as well as an awesome dance party. I can't wait! Tunes and costumes galore! This will essentially be the party of my dreams, and you're invited too.

Crumbling Arches will be rocking the house in what is sure to be the most delicious of sets! Also on the bill are newcomers The Ha's (formerly Neptica). This will be their official debut show so checking out their soft, folksy tunes is a must! It's all going down in Pineview this Friday the 13th (ooh, scary). Email me through my profile for details!

Also, don't forget to check out this month's concert picks for more spectacular show recommendations! Wonderfully unique rock band the Constellations will be returning for another insane show this Saturday, and I've added several bands and dates to the schedule as well. Hope you have a wild rest of the week!

A New Chapter in the Musical Story

Music is ever-changing. That's one of the aspects of the industry that keeps it exciting! Sometimes these changes include the birth of an entirely new musical act. Other times, though, these changes mean that we must say goodbye to some of the bands and band members that we've come to know and love.

First on my list of farewells today, I must salute local country rock band Royal Blue and the Stone Grifters. Favorites for University Union and blues music events, this band will definitely be missed. I'll also never forget the fact that the members were gracious enough to allow me to host my latest birthday party in the "House of Royal Blue." I wish them all the best of luck for their futures. From what I can gather, David "daveosaurus" Rogers , drummer for the band, will continue to spread musical joy with his other band Blueswater Bridge, so be sure not to miss them in action!

On the other side of the spectrum, there's a new band in town. Dubbed Neptica by their already anxious fans, this band just began their musical journey during the past semester, and they've begun work on a few soon-to-be hits as well. I had the incredible pleasure of foregoing a night of studying to attend one of their very first practices, and I'm ridiculously glad that I did. I look forward to finding out what band creators Adriana, Jeff, Parker, and Paul do with their "newfound skin"!

And finally, one of my favorite local acts, Chris McKay and the Critical Darlings, is saying farewell to their singer/ guitarist Joe Orr. If you've ever heard the amazing harmony of Chris's and Joe's voices in the Critical Darling's hit Rage On, you'll know exactly why this is quite tragic news indeed. If you ask the band members, Joe was abducted by aliens which prompted them to begin searching for replacements. What an explanation! Well, we'll certainly miss Joe, but the ever-positive Chris McKay told me when I last spoke to him that he has high hopes for the future. That's the spirit, Chris! Rage on, everyone. Rage on.