www.roanoke.com

Live Acoustic Entertainment Every Day For Lunch!!

Every Tuesday is Fat Tuesday at Blue 5!
New Orleans Music & Specials!

Wed. Dec. 3rd     -      The Blue 5 Jam!
Thur. Dec. 4th  -  Biggin’ Suite
Fri. Dec. 5th  -  The King Bees
Sat. Dec. 6th   -    Peter Karp
Wed. Dec. 10th   -   Blue Ridge Blues Society Meeting & Blues Jam
Thur. Dec. 11th  -  The Good Sons feat. Hoppie Vaughan
Fri. Dec. 12th   -   The Jordan Harman Band
Sat. Dec. 13th   -     The Fat Daddy Band
Wed. Dec. 17th    -     The Blue 5 Jam!
Thur. Dec. 18th  -   Lenny Marcus & Friends Christmas Concert
Fri. Dec. 19th   -     The Dark Side Project (Pink Floyd Tribute)
Sat. Dec. 20th   -    Charles Wheal & Friends
Fri. Dec. 26th   -   Solrevolt
Sat. Dec. 27th   -    The Ministers Of Soul
Wed. Dec. 31st  -  Have A Swingin’ New Year’s Eve w/ Russ Wilson & His Mighty, Mighty Men feat. Kerry Hurley from The Fat Daddy Band on vocals

Sunday Nov. 23 - The Gumbo Band featuring Jimmie Landry
Sunday Nov. 30 - The Biglick Boptet

www.Rockfishfood.com

A FloydFest favorite, Florida-based sacred steel band The Lee Boys, who delived major soul and funk at FF # 6, will be on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" Dec. 8, according to a bulletin from the band's myspace page.

If you dig Gospel soul and don't think you need to sit still while you're listening to it, these guys are your band. Think Robert Randolph and the Family Band.

Scott plays Jefferson Center recital hall on Wednesday. Corey Hunley opens the show.

This guy is an artist. Story is here.

Sorry about the podcast. I had a terrible cold. I'm better now!

Podcast

• Download the podcast in .mp3 format (In Internet Explorer, simply click. In Firefox, right click and hit "save link as".)

More podcasts

• roanoke.com/entertainment/insideout/podcasts | blogs.roanoke.com/rtblogs/cutnscratch/category/podcasts

Go here for the print review.

Having written about Toussaint's playing, singing and songs in the print review, I wanted to expand for a minute on his cool, classy stage presence. The guy is smooth as silk, great with a story and obviously easy-going.

In fact, it's probably percussionist Clarence "Reginald" Toussaint who plays the role of bad guy. "He is my only begotten son, in whom I am well pleased," Allen Toussaint said in introducing him. "And he's my manager. He likes to order people around, you know."

The rest of his rhythm section, Herman LeBeaux on drums, Roland Guerin and Anthony Brown on guitar, were not a typically flashy bunch -- aside from some of the soloing (Guerin was bending strings on his bass -- not easy to do -- but he kept it musical). Otherwise, it was all about supporting the song. But if you listened very closely, you could be amazed by the subtlety.

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Thanks to New River Valley bureau reporter Amy Matzke-Fawcett for this update:

Chasing Arrows, a rock band with Radford High School graduate Nate Fender on lead guitar, was selected as one of two finalists in the mtvU Woodie Awards in the "Best Music on Campus" category.

Although the award was given to The Bride Wore Black of New York University, Fender said the experience was worth it.

The band flew to New York on Nov. 11 and attended the taping of the show and the after-party, networking with professionals and performers like the All-American Rejects and Moby, among others, Fender said.

"It was kind of like a welcome to the family, because all they knew each other from attending these kind of events," Fender said. "It was very interesting being introduced to a new echelon of talent like that."

Although currently unsigned to a record label, the band released "Transparent" independently earlier this year, and is planning to record a single sometime in the next month.

"Knowing you’re not tied down to any corporate entity gives you a lot of options," Fender said.

Based in Newport News, the band formed about four years ago while Fender was a student at Christopher Newport University. Fender graduated with a degree in communication in 2007 and has since been working on a master’s degree, pursuing music and working at the Williamsburg Winery.

The Woodie Awards will air at 8 p.m. Wednesday on mtvU and Palladia, MTV’s high definition channel.

This just in: The New Familiars play the joint Dec. 17. Details to come. Oh, and here's a q&a I did with the band. (addendum: $8 tickets; 8 p.m. show) Extra: Bob Margolin, 9 p.m. Dec. 5 -- tickets $18.

Now, let's drop in the business, from an e-mail that show booker Gary Jackson sent:

> After one month & three great shows, Kirk Avenue Music is becoming established as a true music room in a small concert setting, with the absolute best in sound & sight...Bill Kirchen, Chris Smither and The Punch Brothers have had the place hopping.

> Next week two amazing performers will be at Kirk Avenue Music.

> Thurs Nov 20th at 7:30 PM: Chris Knight -- tickets $10

> "working in the best storytelling traditions of John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen, Knight sings of dreams that will come true and some that won't - and not only the dreams, but also the life that comes in between them."  --- Brian Mansfield, USA Today Review.

> Friday Nov 21st at 9:00 PM: Jimmy Thackery -- tickets $25

"One of America's best blues-rock guitarist, Jimmy Thackery plays hard-driving music that is  best suited for the stage. He's just a hell of a player and singer."  --All Music Guide

> Kirk Avenue Music is a non-profit venue in support of the Downtown Music Lab.  Join Ed Walker & myself at your place for great music and times.

> Reserve tickets at kirkavenue@gmail.com or call Gary Jackson at 540-589-0546

Martin’s Downtown Bar & Grill
413 1st St. SW
Roanoke, VA 24011
Jmart1175@aol.com
www.martinsdowntown.com

November 2008
13 – Matt Walsh
14 – Bebop Hoedown
15 – Alliens CD Release with Hope Hop
18 – Crobar Cane and Ben Trout
19 – Karaoke
20 – Kavorka
21 – After School All-Stars
22 – ROCKS
25 – Crobar Cane and Ben Trout
26 – Karaoke
27 – Thanksgiving with Polarity
28 – Barefoot West with Corey Hunley
29 – The Seed

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Mitch Mitchell

Mitchell, who was discovered dead on Wednesday, was one of the first rock drummers I ever heard exploring the possibilities of jazz in rock settings. I'm sure there were guys before him, but no one hit it the way he did with Jimi Hendrix and Noel Redding, aka the Experience.

Listening to him was a little like hearing what Elvin Jones would've played in a rock band. Of course, without Hendrix's music and ideas, Mitchell probably wouldn't have reached those heights, but he was the right drummer in absolutely the right place.

I'm not the only person around who wishes I had been around to see some of that stuff live. Fortunately, we have three great Jimi Hendrix Experience records. Sadly, Mitchell's death comes not long after Buddy Miles, who was the drummer for Hendrix's Band of Gypsies.

If you're not experienced, check out his work at youtube.com | Here's Hendrix talking about his music and about Mitchell | More stuff | And more | And even more!

Photo: drummerworld.com

Alliens, hosts a CD release party for its new record, "Sons of Survivors, on Saturday night at Martin's Downtown Bar & Grill, Roanoke. HopeHope opens the show. Get show details.

Check out our e-mail q&a with Alliens guitarist Zeph Allen.

cutNscratch: You guys were in Asheville, N.C., for a while. On the surface, I would think that would be a great place for an explosive act like yours. What happened out there?

Zeph Allen: For many people, moving has its hypothetical appeal but in reality can be extremely difficult. That fact coupled with the tight job market and a newborn baby (Janiah Allen's child) made it an especially hard time for the band to commit to the town of Asheville. We probably didn't give it a real honesty try.

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