With times getting tight for most people, going to an area rock show gives you a good excuse to unplug all the stuff in your house — our new energy policy here at the Gatecrasher blog. The Weekend Watch series clues area rockers into the local show schedule like nobody else, a local rock informer, if you will. Coupla’ cool Nashville acts comin’ town this weekend — read on to find out where…

THURSDAY, July 17:

We’ve accepted the community’s challenge to highlight cool Thursday night rock-related events. This Thursday features a couple of cool shows; Chuck Biel’s Punk Jazz closes out its current fusion-jazz-with-attitude existence (the bass player is headed off to school in Chicago) at The Empty Glass (410 Elizabeth St.). Huntington power-pop trio Threefold Theory (admittedly one of our favorite acts) will rock “Bike Night” at Quaker Steak and Lube at Southridge in South Charleston. We can’t speak for the food at the place, but the place is packed with people and 3ft rocks, so sayeth we. Show up around 9 p.m. at Quaker Steak and 10 p.m. at the Glass.

Up in Morgantown, The Revisionists (Morgantown punk), Baltimore punk rock outfit The Schismatics, and Morgantown psychobilly act Crooked Elm play 123 Pleasant Street. If you’re up there check this show out, and of course, 123 Pleasant St. is the actual address of the venue. Show starts 10 p.m.

FRIDAY, July 18

Nashville-based folk rocker Tori Sparks brings her sultry and soulful style to the Glass Friday night. From what we heard on her MySpace profile she pretty much rocks, has a band made up of accomplished musicians, and it looks like she’s been staying busy; she comes to town for a stop on her show-per-day swing through the Southeast over July and August. On her MySpace profile, you can not only listen to songs off her 2007 CD “Under This Yellow Sun,” you can download them; always cool. Plus, we love anything called “ghettotech” anyway. Call 345-9893 for cover info.

SATURDAY, July 19:

We can’t prove scientifically that Saturday night is the most rockin’, but there are some cool shows to back our theory up Saturday night. Devon Allman (son of Greg) brings his rambunctious Southern rock band HoneyTribe to the Glass Saturday. They will kick out the jams starting around 10 p.m., and check with the Glass for cover info.

Threefold Theory welcomes Nashville prog-rock act Solvi to The Blue Parrot Saturday night. If you’re down around Capitol Street, maybe doing something you shouldn’t be doing, swing by the Parrot and do something you should do — listen to Weekend Watch. 10 p.m., like $5.

Episode 46 of Radio Free Charleston, West Virginia’s only live web music and animation show, has songs by Dog Soldier, recorded live at the Blue Parrot, and Casi Null, doing an anti-homage to the “Blue Haze” that has afflicted Charleston. Plus, scenes fro the recent Hansford Street Art SHow curated by Dane Klingaman. (Click to watch.)

It’s the first full week of the smoking ban in Charleston area bars, as the non-smokers have vanquished the smokers to the nether regions, and can now see cool bands without having their clothes smell like it was rolled in a blanket of wet cigarettes.

Now, we here at the Gatecrasher know Ms. Maurice at the Daily Mail would not agree with us as to the politics of the ban. But, she cannot deny the rocking nature of the bands that will be playing in area bars from Charleston to Huntington to Morgantown this weekend. Read the rest of this entry »

FestivALL-goers braved the rain and/or the threat of rain Saturday evening to catch Charleston-area honky tonk rockers Buckstone at Haddad Riverfront Park in Charleston for the Live on the Levee concert series.

The band, recently back from a recording trip to Nashville, was holding an EP pre-release deal there, and at least one CD was seen wrapped, fittingly enough, in something resembling a brown paper bag.

Families out on the weekend unleashed the rugrats, and the adults were treated to a nearby beer garden (more of a stand, which did have Magic Hat!) and some rockin’ “Buckersfield” tunes.

Arriving a little early, and having already inspected the beer stand for quality assurance, I settled in to catch Buckstone and friends T.J. King, unknown rocker No. 1, and someone who looked a lot like Billy Matheny on banjo as they checked the sound. The six-piece band rolled through versions of “Country Roads” (to much applause) and “Morgantown Bound.”

I didn’t get to stay very long, just catching about five songs. And, no, I didn’t get a CD. Sometimes it just works out that way. But I do look forward to hearing it, and to catching Buckstone again. The band is a treat; Kirk out front singing and drumming in that snazzy outfit, seeming to be a cross between an auctioneer (with his fast talking audience voice) and a chef at some Japanese restaurant, but instead of flipping prawn, casually rocking his kit.

Tom Kirk

Guitarist Jamie Adkins rocks solos and backs up Kirk nicely with the vocal harmonies. Boone County rocker Alan Griffith, who Adkins and Kirk backed in the Cheapbeats, once told me that Kirk and Adkins were “the real deal” and could make a living for themselves in Nashville as studio musicians if they wanted to.

Jamie Adkins

Bassist Diana Dynamite seems to be in her own world, bouncing around and totally getting into the music. She really looks like she has fun playing.  Her bouncy bass lines give the songs that booty-shaking appeal and make me want to pick the bass up and start a band.

Diana Dynamite

Even though I didn’t get to stay long, I was glad I got to catch the band, and also glad I didn’t need that umbrella.

Area rockers are getting ready for big changes in “the bar scene” as the smoking ban comes to Kanawha County effective July 1^st. So smoke ‘em if you got ‘em this weekend (The Gatecrasher blog does not recommend smoking) because it’s the last weekend you can, and hey, at least it’s not winter.

FRI, June 27
Charleston punk rock heroes The Concept host Pittsburgh punkers The Composure, and their hip-hop friends Meuwl and B-Rude at The Blue Parrot (14 Capitol St.) in Charleston on Friday. It’s the second swing through town for The Composure, and on a CD note, you can purchase The Concept’s new CD “The Empire Penguin Strikes Back” at Budget Tapes & Records in Kanawha City. Show up around 10 p.m., and expect to pay like $5.

Huntington power-pop trio Threefold Theory is doing a double dip at Julie J’s (808 Kanawha Blvd.) in Charleston Friday and Saturday night. If you missed them at “Bike Night” at Quaker Steak & Lube last Thursday, catch them in town over the weekend. Shows should start around 10 p.m.

Out in Huntington, The Dig-Its, Sarasota, and The Argonauts (Bowling Green, OH ska) welcome No Torso (Oslo, Norway punk) to Club Echo (1318 4^th Ave.) in Huntington. The Dig-Its have a new singer with newly recorded songs on their MySpace page, check ‘em out and see what you think. 9 p.m., $5.

Up in Morgantown, there’s a show we’dlove to go see, with Morgantown instru-metal three-piece act Hovel, Lo-Pan (Columbus stoner rock) Big Right Hand (Morgantown hard rock)  and Vox Populi (Martinsburg post-punk) playing 123 Pleasant St. Maybe Diamond Joe Manchin can sign a law requiring Hovel to come to Charleston. Ehhh…  we know it won’t happen. 10 p.m., money.

SAT, June 28
Our Saturday night special is down at Haddad Riverfront Park in Charleston, as our favorite honky-tonk trio from Charleston, Buckstone, is set to release their debut CD in a Live at the Levee show. They’ve just got back from a recording jaunt to Nashville, and we understand they’ll have copies available. So grab your six-pack in that paper sack (do NOT BYOB to Haddad) and swing by for Buckstone! Buckstone starts playing at 6:30 p.m. and the Voodoo Katz follow at 8:30 p.m.

Rockers around the state are set to fire up the grill to celebrate our fair state’s birthday. Several food-related rock shows are scheduled this weekend, led by The Empty Glass picnic at Coonskin Sunday, and the Weekend Watch series is on ’em like flies on yer food, so let’s go! Read the rest of this entry »

Turns out our favorite honky-tonk rock and roll trio Buckstone just got back from a recording jaunt to Nashville (that’s right — Tennessee) and are having CDs pressed! Check out some behind-the-scenes pics on their MySpace page (that’s Jamie, Tom, and Diana with “Mr. Golden Ears” Mark Capps above) and look for the CD 6.28 at FestivALL on the Levee…

This Saturday , June 21, an all-night open jam takes place on this outdoor stage at the Appalachian South Folk Life Center in Pipestem. Photo by Robert Blankenship

SUMMERS COUNTY: The Appalachian South Folk Life Center on Rocky Mount Road just down from the entrance to Pipestem State Resort in Pipestem features one of the most stunning settings for an outdoor stage in the entire state. On Saturday, June 21, starting 8 p.m., an all-night open jam goes on until dawn breaks over that stage, perched on a ridgeline overlooking waves of West Virginia hills.

It’s free to get in and $5 if you wish to camp the night on the rolling hillsides. The event is put on by LLyniuM entertainment, the same folks who run the Room Upstairs listening room in Princeton, at the Riff Raff Arts Collective. The Folk Life stage will also be the site of their fifth Culture Fest, a 22-band world music and arts festival Sept. 19 to 21. For more, see www.culturefestwv.com.

Thanks to the Weekend Watch series, you don’t have to troll the web searching for information on cool area rock shows to go to. We do that for you, and there is a veritable murderer’s row of shows lined up for Friday the 13th, so let’s go… Read the rest of this entry »

Only one state newspaper has the most up-to-date rock show info each week. Only the Gazz has the Weekend Watch series, which covers Charleston, Huntington and Morgantown like nobody else. If you’re looking for a cool rock show this weekend there are several, so read on… Read the rest of this entry »