Big D and the Kids Table and State Radio @ Exit/In 2/16/10

Big D and the Kids Table is a ska band from Boston, MA that I have followed since I was in high school. They have played Nashville several times and, while this is my first time seeing them in town, I have heard that each time attendance has grown. They have just released a new record called Fluent in Stroll, which is the follow-up record to their immensely popular Strictly Rude. Traveling with back-up singers and new band members, Big D took the stage and delivered their Boston based ska to Nashville, which does require a bit of bravery as Nashville is not the most ska-friendly scene on earth. Featuring mostly songs from their new record during their set, they threw in several from the older albums ending with an encore of "Little Bitch".
This led to State Radio taking the stage, whom are also from Boston, MA. I had heard the name State Radio before, but had never heard their recorded music or seen their live show. If I were to sum it up quickly I would say that if you are a Sublime fan you would like State Radio. While they are definitely a Northeast reggae/punk band with hints of Dispatch, they appeal to the same crowd as the aforementioned Long Beach trio that was well routed in west coast influences. Overall I enjoyed what I saw of State Radio and so did the crowd, especially those upfront who were leaning on the barricade, screaming every word of each song, and calling for more long after the walkout music took over the PA and the house lights came up.
After the show I caught up with Big D front man David McWayne at the merch table and got to ask him a couple of questions about the new Big D line up and record. First, I asked about the new record, how he felt like things had changed from the last record, Strictly Rude, and those before. McWayne explained to me that the new record, Fluent in Stroll, and Strictly Rude were really just a return to the attitude of their first two records. In between Big D's first two records and the most recent two are two albums that more punk influenced and according to McWayne, Big D would play the punk stuff all day except for the fact that "when you are on tour, the road becomes your home" said McWayne and the negativity towards music felt throughout the making of the middle two records, influenced by the rise of emo, really began to wear on the band. According to McWayne, screaming all night about being angry can take its tole on you and he would much rather be singing about how "things are alright" and not bring the anger on the road with them. Another aspect of the band that I was curious about was the line-up change that the band seemed to have experienced. The main switch I noticed was the change in guitarists from Sean Rogan to Suburban Legends guitarist Brian Klemm. This switch due to the fact that Rogan has recently gotten married, but it is not a permanent replacement as McWayne assured me that Rogan will still be playing some shows with the band....who knows maybe he will be there when Big D returns to the Exit/In for their unannounced headlining tour.

Ben Sturgell Ticket Giveaway!

Any Ben Sturgell fans out there that love free tickets? Well, you have come to the right place. If you want two free tickets to see Ben Sturgell live at the Hard Rock Cafe Nashville on February 16th be the first to follow Music City Review (@musiccityreview) and tweet about the ticket giveaway!

RJD2 @ Exit/In 2/8/10

This being my first experience seeing RJD2 I knew only to expect a few things from what people had told me about his show, one of them being that he would be unlike any DJ I had ever seen, and it was true. RJD2 has to be one of the hardest working DJs I have ever seen. With an array of turn tables and other electronic instruments, RJD2 was able to make the music of so many come to life as one musical experience; he was the conductor of a one man orchestra of vinyl and electricity. Later on in his set he was joined by other musicians whom played drums, guitar/bass, and keys, at which point he stepped down from the turn tables and picked up the bass and/or guitar. Obviously taking his sound in a new direction by adding live instruments to his show, there were some songs that were phenomenally infectious and some that passed as okay, but overall the energy that the live musicians brought to the stage was definitely an added unique bonus to the show. I particularly liked when he combined his world class DJ skills with the live drums, it just kicked ass, plain and simple. In addition to the live musicians, RJD2 had a suit that he opened and closed the show with that was a jump suit with a trigger pad attached to the crotch that he could play and spin while wearing a welding mask that had a microphone in it that allowed his voice to be distorted. The crowd loved it and all-in-all the show was a great display of musical creativity.

Other pictures from the night:

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Aaron's Picks for 2/3 to 2/6

2/3 Split Lip Rayfield @ The Loveless Barn
2/4 Deep Vibration w/ Natalie Prass and Evan P. Donohue @ Mercy Lounge
2/5 Umphrey's McGee w/ Moon Taxi @ War Memorial Auditorium
2/6 Basement's 5 Yr. Anny feat. The Coolin' System and more!
2/6 Andy Davis w/ Steve Moakler @ 3rd and Lindsley
2/6 Of Montreal @ Cannery Ballroom

See you out at the show!

Duwayne Burnside and The Delta Saints @ Exit/In 1/28/10

Guitar, guitar, guitar, guitar. If you love technical and tasteful blues guitar playing, and you were at the Exit/In on Thursday, then you probably thought you died and went to heaven. From the moment the show kicked off with my personal favorite, The Delta Saints, the Exit/In was laden with a soulful blues mood that inspired audience members to dance and sing. While there is no need for me to reiterate how big a fan I am of The Delta Saints in general, this performance did showcase two new songs that enjoyed immensely and hope that you all get to hear sometime soon. As The Delta Saints did their thing and left the stage to roaring applause, Duwayne Burnside took the stage almost immediately, quite literally within 5 minutes. With the Les Paul of John Shaw (The Delta Saints' lead guitar player) and an amp that required some kicking, Duwayne Burnside proceeded to play the blues with immense skill and personality for the next two hours or so. Sitting in for the entire set were John Shaw on guitar and Greg Hommert on harmonica, both of The Delta Saints. This addition of talent provided an excellent avenue for dueling solos and a superb variety of tasty licks. Look for these two bands to be touring together in the future.

Links:
www.myspace.com/thedeltasaints
www.myspace.com/duwayneburnside

Other pictures from the night:

Duwayne Burnside Ticket Giveaway Winner...

Read Davis!

As I realized after posting this contest, not very many people have time to drive down to the Exit/In and take a picture so ticket giveaways in the future will be more simplistic, but give the man a hand for being creative!

Happy Salmon Presents - Rock The Block @ Exit/In 1/26/10

Last Tuesday's "Rock The Block" at the Exit/In definitely brought the rock but also had a little bit of hip-hop flavor. The line-up featured Nashville favorites, The Legendary Biscuits and Gravy, Mean Tambourines, and Heypenny, as well as Oklahoma City's Colourmusic.
As fans began coming in the door, Biscuits and Gravy were bringing their Roots style hip-hop in full force. Fronted by one the Nashville Scene's favorite artists of 2009, Future, the band has been gaining acclaim in the Nashville music scene and have seen increasing turn outs at every show. This may have something to do with the fact that every single band member is dripping in talent and they don't get in the way of each other. In fact, they do a phenomenal job of combining all of their strengths to bring together an impeccably full sound that has listeners eyes wide and head bobbing.
While normally I would say following Biscuits and Gravy is something you don't want to do, Mean Tambourines brought their A-game and were great. It was my first experience with the band's music, live or recorded, and I dug it. They rock, and not just in an average way, but in the sense that they are a really good straight-up rock band, which can be hard to find. They played a solid set and were warmly received by the moderately crowded Exit/In.
As Mean Tambourines wrapped up, the guys from Colourmusic were getting ready to hit the stage and hit the stage they did....hard. Colourmusic is one of the loudest bands I have seen in awhile and, as I was informed after the show, they left the big amps at home. While cranking their "small" amps, Colourmusic was able to share with Nashville the distinctive sound of Oklahoma. Combining serious stage presence with powerful drumming, driving guitar and bass, and strong vocals, Colourmusic was able to provide fans with an unique experience that I have yet to see any band in Nashville come close to replicating. One fun thing about this set was that they had many, if not all, of the members from Heypenny join them on stage for a song or two. Finishing their set with guitars over their heads and feet off the ground, Colourmusic said goodnight and Heypenny took the stage.
This was my third experience seeing Heypenny and it was by far my favorite. The band was able to sync up their music with video clips that were projected over multiple TVs all over the stage. There were able to nail it down so much so that the animated characters on screen were moving their mouths at the same time as the lead singer. Not only was I impressed with this combination of live audio and recorded video, but I was also impressed with the songs. This was my first time seeing Heypenny in a club and it provided me the opportunity to really focus on listening to the songs, which I loved. In addition to having great songs and incredible visuals, they have a very expressive and charismatic front man and bass player. By bringing together all of these elements Heypenny has all of the necessary pieces to continue to garner increasing attention from the Nashville rock scene. Check out them out at 8 off 8th on February 15th and see for yourself.

Links:
www.myspace.com/biscuitsandgravyband
www.myspace.com/meantambourines
www.myspace.com/colourmusic
www.myspace.com/heypenny

Other pictures from the show:

Biscuits and Gravy

















Colourmusic (featuring Benjamin Elkins from Heypenny)