Cleveland-based rockers Coffinberry (above) will rattle The Blue Parrot tonight with Red Bones. 10 p.m., $5

Part of our mission statement for the Weekend Watch series is to clue area readers into cool Thursday night rock shows. You’re checking out The Gazz (dead-tree version or the www kind) wondering if there’s any cool shows tonight (Thursday) and the answer is a big 10-4! And yes, we hated the new X-Files movie. Read on… (more…)

The Black Knots are one of the local scene’s most rockin’ bands. Photo by Nick Harrah

On the agenda Saturday night was the new X-Files movie, followed by a swing by of The Empty Glass in Charleston to catch Huntington’s Black Knots and The Big Bad. The movie sucked, but the bands rocked. The night started out with us catching the 9:40 p.m. X-Files at Park Place Cinemas or whatever it’s called now (check thegazz.com’s blue homepage MovieFinder to find out). The movie basically had nothing cool in it. That’s all I’ll say about it cuz this ain’t no movie review blog.

After getting out of there around midnight we swung through the drive-through at Wendy’s on Charleston’s historic East End. Why am I telling you all this? It’s because — after seeing the Knots, all the buildup and wait was worth it. Just like reading this post. (more…)

So gas prices are down by 9/10 of a cent, and that means area rockers will be flocking in droves to area venues this weekend to check out some shows. No, you still can’t smoke in the bars, so wear a few nicotine patches or something. The Weekend Watch has the scoop on the coolest rock shows in the state. Don’t just show up at a bar and expect to have the bands you like be there — read The Gazz to get informed, then make a decision. (more…)

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… (more…)

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. (more…)

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. (more…)