From my pal katsmeow80@twitter.com:
> I think the next QOTW should be about what acts we WANT to see in Roanoke. Or what kind of venue we need here in town.
Good idea, Kat. So, folks, let's hear from you ...
From a Taubman news release:
>1st Saturday Concert Series
>This concert series is an intimate “house concert” style of performance that provides the audience with the opportunity to interact with the performers. Each performance will take place in the Taubman Museum of Art’s Atrium and Auditorium. Admission is $18 for Taubman Museum of Art members and $20 for non-members.
Martin's was dead Thursday night. Maybe 15 people, most of them sitting at the bar. They probably didn't know it, but they were hearing a couple of pretty influential musicians.
The band was Abe Reid and the Spikedrivers -- or, as bar owner Jason Martin joked, Abe Reid and the Spikedriver. That's because it was just Reid and keyboardist Jake Hollifield. The two musicians hadn't spoken to each other in many years and were playing only their second show together after that long silence, Reid said during a break.
But at one time, they were one-third of an Asheville, N.C., band called The Blue Rags, which was signed to Seattle's Sub Pop record label.
To me, this is some of the most interesting and exciting news since I heard that Rucker's former band, Hootie and the Blowfish, were breaking up. I hated that band, so saccharine and predictable -- but with big, smooth vocals, courtesy of Rucker.
Now, Rucker is atop both the country singles chart ("Don't Think I Don't Think About It") and the country albums chart ("Learn to Live"), according to billboard.com.
If you haven't yet heard "Don't Think ...", go to Rucker's myspace page. I don't love it, but it's not bad. The album is pretty good, too.
What's so cool is the historical significance of it all. Not since Country Music Hall of Fame Member Charley Pride ("Kiss An Angel Good Morning", "Is Anybody Going to San Antone") has a black artist been this prominent in the country charts.
Granted, Rucker has a long way to go before he catches up to Pride's phenomenal-for-any-singer run in Nashville. Pride had at least 30 No. 1s between 1969 and 1984, and he sold millions of records, hitting platinum sales (at least one million copies) on at least four albums.
Still, it's always a good thing to see a black musician up in the country charts. It reminds you of people like Rufe "Tee-Tot" Payne, who taught Hank Williams much of what he knew, including the bluesy themes that dominated Williams' broken-hearted, tough-times country music classics.
Rhonda Vincent is headlining this weekend's Nothin' Fancy Bluegrass Festival, in Buena Vista. Below is the text of an e-mail Q&A with the seven-time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association's female vocalist of the year.
From new channels editor Dwayne Yancey:
> Who knew Roanoke loved rap so much? The three most-played videos on the MusicCast this week are all by rappers.
> Poe Mack is back in the No. 1 spot with "Sweet Home in Virginia." But Illbotz comes out of nowhere -- and retirement -- to claim a tie for No. 2 with Tre'Mendous and Robb-Bust, who were last week's No. 1.
> The rest of the line-up looks familiar. So what will be the favorite music video on the MusicCast next week? You tell us. We base the MusicCast Top 5 on who gets the most plays -- so if there's someone you like, just keep on clicking.
> If you think your band's video should be in the Top 5, post it to our site, and maybe it will be. Many of our videos are ones the artists shot themselves and sent in to us.
1. "Sweet Home in Virginia," by Poe Mack
2. "Doo Doo Def," by Illbotz and "One for the Money," by Tre'Mendous and Robb-Bust (tie)
3. "No More," by The Seed"
4. "Burned Out Car" by Red Clay River and "Oxycontin Rock," by the Roanoke Allstars (tie)
5. "Can You Understand" by the Seed
From Downtown Roanoke Inc.'s facebook page:
>Downtown Rocks: America Concert Postponed
> The Downtown Rocks: America Concert, originally scheduled for October 11th, has been postponed until Spring. We will send an update with more specific details soon. We are sorry for the inconvenience, and hope to see you at the concert this Spring!
So, we've covered drums, vocals, bass, guitar and keys. Now it's time for you to tell us who you would put together for a Roanoke and New River Valley supergroup. You can include horns and strings, if you like -- even background singers.
Get the details on the swOco blog.
From Groova Scape, via myspace msg:
> Dave Matthews cohort Tim Reynolds is coming to Blacksburg with his electric band TR3 Friday, Nov. 7 for one show at Awful Arthurs/Blacksburg.
> Seating will be limited for this intimate show.Advance tickets will go on sale in early October, but you can order yours in advance.
> Tickets are $20 days of show, or $15 in advance.
