WEEKEND WATCH: 5.8-5.10
Well, we took some time off to celebrate May Day and Cinco De Mayo. But we here at the Gatecrasher blog are back and fired up about area rock shows. We’re planning on supporting the economy by procuring a couple of cool new local CDs. And, there are some cool shows in Charleston, Huntington and Morgantown, so Hillary and Barack will know where to go to rock if they swing through for baby kissin’. Read on…
THU 5.8
So you think you’re more jam-trance than us? Pfft. You must not have heard us talk about Symmetrical Kickboxing. After we mentioned them here at the blog, they’ve been featured first in Graffiti and most recently in the Daily Atheneum, WVU’s student newspaper. Do they deserve the coverage? You bet. They rock. Is the coverage correlated in any way? No, coincidence. They play an end of semester bash (and their last Morgantown show) Thursday night at 123 Pleasant St. in Morgantown, so bring $5 and your least favorite couch.
FRI 5.9
A killer evening of shows in Charleston Friday night, starting with Huntington’s Jeff Ellis coming to Taylor Books (226 Capitol St.) for a solo acoustic show. Ellis is set to release “Covering The Distance” very soon — it’s the follow-up to last year’s “A Front Seat For The End Of The World” and more alt-country from what we hear, so we’re definitely looking for that. Bandmate Phil James may appear with Ellis, and Taylor is a cool place to catch acoustic shows. And best of all, there’s no cover!
Also Friday, Bud Carroll and the Southern Souls (Huntington southern-fried blues/rock) come to the Empty Glass (it says so on their website, www.emptyglass.com) as they prepare to release their EP next weekend at Marley’s Doghouse. Don’t think they’ll have the CD available yet, but you can catch them if yer in town. And you can catch footage of Carroll at the Glass back in February at the Gatecrasher. 10 p.m., $5 cover.
A bit of a last minute notice on Huntington’s powerpop trio Threefold Theory coming to town for a show at the Sound Factory Friday night. Go to the show, secretly listen/eavesdrop on Scott, Nik, and Pete, and see if you find out when they’ll put out their new CD. Let us know if you hear anything. 10 p.m., likely $5.
So let’s say you’re in Morgantown; sucks for you. Just kidding. As always there is a ton of cool shows up there. Starting with Billy Matheny and Haley Slagle at the Blue Moose Cafe (248 Walnut St.) opening up for New York City’s Paul Tabachneck with Matheny’s own version of alt-country. We heard Matheny was working on a new CD too, by God put us down for a copy of that one. He rocks. 8 p.m., $4!
Thred (Morgantown funk rock) and The Greens (Magic Town alt-rock) will likely pack 123 Pleasant Street in a nice contrast of styles. Good to see Thred back doing shows. 10 p.m., bring money!
SAT 5.10
As the college semester winds down, Huntington’s alt-metal three-piece A Place Of Solace is seemingly picking up the pace. They’ll play Marley’s Doghouse (2050 3rd Ave.) in Huntington after recently doing a show at the Glass, and being caught on camera in the latest “Radio Free Charleston” Web show. Check out APOS, and check out RFC if you haven’t yet. Oh and congrats to Misty from APOS for graduating college! 10 p.m., cash.
In Morgantown, Billy Matheny and his Frustrations do a show at 123 Pleasant St. with The Gear and Jonestown. We are just now figuring out the font with which we’ll get “Billy Matheny” tattooed on us somewhere. This pair of weekend shows, first at Blue Moose acoustic with Slagle, and then rockin’ out with the Frustrations, highlight Matheny’s range and talents; he’s one of our faves. 10 p.m., likely $5.
