POSTCARD ELBA

This entry is for Thursday but it starts Friday morning.  I woke up on a mostly-stained beige carpet—there were probably a few clean spots but who knows.  It was a practice room.  I had slept between a home made baritone(!) slide guitar, and a drum set.  It was 11 am in Knoxville.  We had bedded down around 5:30 am or so.  Got to the house at 4 but couldn’t get in right away because we had to wait for our host to finish having sex and open the front door for us.  He seemed to being doing a real bang-up job so I can’t complain too much.  It was a cool night so hanging in the van wasn’t so bad for an hour.  Finally got it in and found spots to crash out.  We had been warned about the fruit fly colonies but I didn’t have a run-in until the morning.  It’s my fault ’cause the old PBR can was the flies’ home and I had disturbed it.  I backed off and had a hobo shower.

The previous night’s show had been at a place where we ALWAYS HAVE FUN: The Pilot Light, a modestly-furnished beer bar in Old Town; the system’s loud, the staff loves and lives rock and roll, and cans of domestic keep comin’.  Laid back.  Played there numerous times with TCD and most of our other bands too.  Panoply Academy played the first show there years ago.  There have been nights—with let’s say, “lower” attendance—but they’re still good experiences because the people who are there are supportive, effusive, and love music.  Playing Pilot Light kinda feels like a house show with a bar attached.

Warband was first up.  Hard, fast, ripping three-piece from Knoxville.  Killing it. Tasteful shredding when necessary, TIGHT guitar/bass harmonized lines, real tuff drums.  Great set.  The paranoia wore off and the mood shifted from fast stoner rock to slow stoner rock.  Freedom of choice, America has it. Three Man Band—another Knoxville trio.  Loud hard flagrant HUGE.  First of all they share a drummer with Warband so hats off to Cary for being the hardest working player of the night.  If Metallica is a touchstone for Warband then maybe Motorhead would be for Three Man Band but more outside the lines than that. Thick fuzzy solvent-based colorsound bleeding all the way to the edge.  Crushing set.  I did lights.  Pleasure to play with all these folks and tough to follow.

We figured Knoxville wouldn’t let us get away with our normal 25 so we added a few extras to the list and threw in a few more at the end as requests got shouted in.  Played 35 or so including “treating” the audience to our first Eagles cover, Already Gone.  Sweaty loud set that felt pretty good to me–second half of it seemed more solid.  Hung out at the bar for a bit with some more PBRs waiting for the place to wind down.  Will played more records.  Last time we were here we played the club’s “folk night” and the post show bar revelry included bottle breaking but this time was chill.

Earlier in the day we had come from Louisville after hitting a decent diner with our previous host and hostess.  Arrived in Knoxville with a little time to scoff at the Sunsphere and try a recommended sandwich shop: Vick and Bill’s. Bass player in Your News Vehicle, an ex-resident, had described a special Knoxville style steamed sandwich so we of course wanted to check it out.  Got their “hoagie” and it was pretty good.  Fresh dark pumpernickel(?) bread was the most unique element; otherwise standard but still a quality sandwich.  I’ll give the onion rings a B minus.  Sandwich gets a B plus.  Probably won’t go back ’cause the pizza place down the street from Pilot Light is damn good and right there.

Pre show went in the vinyl/guitar/thrift store next door to the club that’s only open when shows are happening.  Cool business.  They had a few nice guitars and amps.  Super rare Martin hollowbody electric–kinda like a deeper Gibson 335 style with a Martin acoustic shape neck.  Played great.  I didn’t have it in me to go through any vinyl except the ZZ Top section.  So I did that, headed back to grab a beer and wait for the show to start.

Had a great night in a favorite city.  Thank You Knoxville!

The Coke Dares tour continues, and you should be a part of the fun at one of these shows.

Tues. July 13th: Brooklyn, NY – Knitting Factory
Wed. July 14th: TBA
Thurs. July 15th: Columbus, OH – The Treehouse
Fri. July 16th: Bloomington, IN – The Bishop, w/ Push-Pull
Sat. July 17th: Indianapolis, IN – The Melody Inn