www.roanoke.com

Saturday night was another good one for live music in downtown Roanoke.
Jamie McLean was playing to a full house at Blue 5. McLean, ex-Dirty Dozen Brass Band guitarist, is really good on the six strings and 17 frets. His songs are pretty good, and he sings them convincingly. Laid-back funky backup band, too.

Down at 202 Market, the room was about 3/4 full for Blueground Undergrass. A bunch of people there were sitting out on the patio, where it was cooler. And of course, the disco music was blaring from upstairs and people were going up there. Too bad -- BGUG played great, and I hope they come back soon. If you like Blue Mule, Bebop Hoedown, Blue Moonshine and bands like them, you should really catch BGUG.

Catty-cornered from 202, Blues BBQ had the Mumbles, from Brooklyn, NYC. Good band, essentially a two-piece -- keyboardist plays the bass parts, and the drummer is a groove man. Female singer was good. Not a big crowd, sad to say.

I really would've liked to have seen the Rick Ross show. He's a phenom, but I heard about it too late to arrange to do a review, and I was too broke to buy tickets. C'est la vie, or, I really dropped the ball on that one. Urg. If anyone saw it, holler.

If you don't know about Escovedo, go here: http://www.alejandroescovedo.com/. Then save up some cash and go to the show.

Alejandro Escovedo
The Lyric
Friday, November 7, 8:00 PM
Tickets: $25 Gold, $20 Silver
On Sale: Monday, October 13 (Patrons/Sponsors: Monday, October 6)

Here are a pack of stories on local musicians and related stuff. Check back at this category for more as I write them:

Tommy Edwards
Coming home to heal

Billy C. Wirtz
The return of the reverend

Gemini Fest
Nothing stops the music

TrueNoke: Notes from the underground
Local underground hip-hop artists

The Sword
... to the hilt

Matt Ramsey
Botetourt guy working it out in Nashville | Also: Local musician coaches TV's 'Marcia Brady'

The Seed
Putting down new roots

Stephanie Rooker
From Radford to the Big Apple

Frantic Recovery
Determined to play music, enjoy life

Jeremey Hunsicker
His Journey leads to old Frontiers

The Clark Brothers
Band of Franklin County pickers wins TV's "The Next Great American Band"

Josh Shilling | More with Shilling
Living a soulful dream

Sun Music Hall
Upcoming Events

The Waybacks
Friday September 5 – 8 PM
Tickets $12 Advance $15 Day of Show
On Sale Now

Culture Featuring Kenyatta Hill
Friday September 12 – 9 PM
Tickets $12 Advance $15 Day of Show
On Sale Now

New Riders of the Purple Sage
Sunday September 21 – 8 PM
Tickets $18 Advance $22 Day of Show
On Sale Now

Read more »

From a civic center e-mail announcement:

> MICHAEL W. SMITH AND STEVEN CURTIS CHAPMAN
TEAM UP FOR THE FIRST TIME ON “THE UNITED TOUR”
Tour Brings Two of Christian Music’s Most Influential Artists
Together For A Performance At the Roanoke Civic Center October 11

> (NASHVILLE, Tenn.) August 4, 2008 – Two GRAMMY® award-winning and multi-Platinum selling artists, Michael W. Smith and Steven Curtis Chapman, join forces for the “The United Tour” which kicks off October 9 in Columbus, Ohio and concludes in St. Augustine, Florida on November 8.

>This unique tour showcases two of Christian Music’s most recognized and beloved artists. Together, Chapman and Smith have garnered a staggering eight GRAMMY ® awards, 96 Dove Awards, 77 No. 1 singles and more than 30 Gold and Platinum albums. The idea for the tour came together shortly after Chapman and Smith spent time together in the UK working on the “Compassionart project” that brought more than 10 of Christian Music’s most revered singers, songwriters and worship leaders together to write and record a collection of songs, for charity.

> Pre-sale tickets for this landmark tour are available now on each artist’s
fan-sites: www.michaelwsmith.com and www.stevencurtischapman.com.

For up-to-date information on Michael W. Smith, including tour itinerary, please visit www.michaelwsmith.com or www.reunionrecords.com.

Following Is Our Live Entertainment Schedule for Sept. 08 :

Every Tuesday is Fat Tuesday at Blue 5!
New Orleans Music & Specials!
Tues. Sept. 2nd - The Superpowers
& Special Guests THE SEED
Wed. Sept. 3rd - The Blue 5 Jam
Thur. Sept. 4th - Mojo Trio
Fri. Sept. 5th - The Jivin’ 5
Sat. Sept. 6th - Little Rodger & The Cheap Thrills
Wed. Sept. 10th - The Blue Ridge Blues Society’s Meeting & Blues Jam
Thur. Sept. 11th – The Scott Perry Trio
Fri. Sept. 12th - The Sean Carney Band
Winners of the 07 International Blues Challenge
Sat. Sept. 13th - The Deanie Blues Band
Wed. Sept. 17th - The Blue 5 Jam
Thur. Sept. 18th - The Good Sons feat. Hoppie Vaughan
Fri. Sept. 19th - The Sol Creech Band
Sat. Sept. 20th - The Big Lick Blues Festival After-Fest Party & All-Star Jam!!
Hosted by Blind Pig Recording Artist Hamilton Loomis
(Restaurant will open at 9 and music will start at 9:30)
Wed. Sept. 24th - The Blue 5 Jam
Thur. Sept. 25th - The Lenny Marcus Trio
Fri. Sept. 26th - The Fat Daddy Band
Sat. Sept. 27th - Solrevolt

Here's an e-mail from Brett Lemon, who is not only a hot bartender nominee, haha, but plays guitar with Roanoke power-pop act My Radio.

>Aug. 22nd. Mike Davis. Acoustic singer/songwriter from Charlottesville. Played in bands with Ross Copperman, and MoneyPenny. Here is the moneypenny site if you want to check it out. Really great band
http://www.myspace.com/moneypennyrock
>Aug. 23rd. Stylus Chris from DC. A really great DJ. Owns his own record shop in DC and plays a lot of places. I just saw him at FLY up in DC and it was really cool. http://www.myspace.com/styluschris

>Aug 29th. Mike Davis again. After Mike Davis plays a set we have Resident DJ Mike Belcher playing hip hop and mashups
>Aug 30th,. Rex Riddem from DC. www.rexriddem.com

Not a nightspot, per se, but a place to hear great roots music.

> Blue Ridge Backroads Live at The Rex
> Fridays 8-10 p.m.
> Rex Theater, Downtown Galax
> 276-236-0329
>
> www.rextheatergalax.com
> July 4-Floyd County
> July 11-8pm-Bill & Maggie Anderson 9pmThe Buck Mountain Band
> July 18-Tru-Grass
> July 25-2 Young,2 Old
> August 1-MasterGrass
> August 15-Rain Check
> August 22-Kelly & The Cowboys
> August 29-Master Musicians from The Crooked Road Admission $5.00 at door
> September 5-Local Musicians Tribute to Pop Stoneman
> September 12-Silver Creek Band
> September 19-Rockford Express
> September 26-The Mueller Family-$5.00 at door
> October 3-Joann Redd & Friends
> October 10-Reed Island Rounders $5.00 at door
> Oct. 17-Johnny Williams & Friends $5.00 at door
> Oct. 24-Exit 109
> Oct. 31-Fisher Peak Timber Rattlers
> Nov. 7-TBA
> Nov.14-TBA
> Nov.21-Jeannette Williams Band-$5.00 at door
Nov.28-Jeff Little & Wayne Henderson $5.00 at door

Third Street Coffeehouse on the corner of Elm and Mountain in the log-cabin style basement room of Trinity United Methodist Church in Roanoke. Doors open every Friday at 7pm for Open Mike, then featured act from 8-10p. Smoke-free, alcohol-free, no cover. Call 540.309.4707 for more info.

Aug 1 David Simpkins
Aug 8 Bleecker Street
Aug 15 Rusty Curling
Aug 22 Special Surprise Tribute
Aug 29 Steve Langston
Sep 5 Mike Pearrell
Sep 12 The City of Statues (Randy Walker & Friends)
Sep 19 Chuck Schaeffer
Sep 26 Mary Gordon Hall and Friends

Oct 3 Kat Mills
Oct 10 SVSA Song Writers in the Round
Oct 17 Larry Sakyama
Oct 24 Clinton Collins & the Creek Boys
Oct 31 Kimmon Waldruff
Nov 7 Grace Note
Nov 14 Kim & Lana
Nov 21 Rob & Mike
Nov 28 Closed for Thanksgiving
Dec 5 Britt Mistele
Dec 12 Roanoke Valley Bluegrass Pickers
Dec 19 Wyatt Law
Dec 26 Closed for Christmas

I've declared today club sked day on the blog. I'll post two or three. Check them out for an early look at what's happening at the various and sundry Awful Arthur's, which is always booking good bands.

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