As I start my year end wrap up posts, today some stats to keep it in perspective. This was an amazing year in live music in Durham and in Raleigh and in Chapel Hill. I didn’t even see most of it (though I came closest in Durham) but, bow howdy, I saw a lot of it.

[All stats include shows I know I’ll see and shoot before the year is over. Stats do not include shows I went to without my camera (it happens)]

I saw and shot 209 shows at 33 venues in 2011 (this counts each day of a festival as a single show): 150 shows in Durham, 23 in Chapel Hill, 22 in Raleigh, 13 in Carrboro, 1 in Winston-Salem.

Counting each set by band I saw and shot 565 sets in 2011: 381 bands in Durham, 85 bands in Raleigh, 66 bands in Chapel Hill, 31 bands in Carrboro, 2 bands in Winston.

Looking at the venues I shot the most out of the 33 total venues: I shot 58 shows at Motorco, 47 shows at Pinhook, 13 shows at Casbah, 13 shows at Local 506, 11 shows at Motorco Garage, 10 shows at Cat’s Cradle.

Going by number of band sets, not shows: I shot 155 bands at Motorco, 108 bands at Pinhook, 38 bands at Casbah, 37 bands at Local 506, 34 bands at Motorco Garage, 23 bands at Cat’s Cradle, 21 bands at Kings, and 20 at Nightlight.

All together I saw and shot 358 bands this year, almost a band for each day of the year. 276 of those bands I saw only once. 65 of the bands I saw between 2 and 4 times. And 17 of the bands I saw 5 or more times:
Band – # of shows
JKutchma (w/ the 5/5 or solo) – 19
Midtown Dickens- 10
Almost People – 10
Phil Cook & His Feat – 8
Magnolia Collective – 7
Pink Flag – 7
Onward, Soldiers – 6
Mount Moriah – 6
Free Electric State – 6
Gray Young – 6
Hammer No More The Fingers – 6
Birds & Arrows – 6
American Aquarium – 5
Effingham – 5
Humble Tripe – 5
Red Collar – 5
The Moaners – 5

A special nod to JKutchma, Midtown Dickens, Phil Cook & His Feat, Gray Young, Mount Moriah, Birds & Arrows, and The Moaners, all of whom I saw play in at least 5 different venues.

And, yes, if anyone is curious, I’m happy to share the excel spreadsheet where I store all this info if you are curious about the nitty gritty details or want to look at lots of pivot tables.

In summary, I saw and shot a ton of shows and bands. I shot in venues all around the area and also really focused on shooting in Durham. I got to see many of my favorite bands play a bunch, some of my favorite bands not nearly enough, and just about everything in between. I found new music, new friends, new angles, new light, and so much more at shows

And between now and the end of the year, I have posts coming to try and pull from that magnitude of music: my favorite shows, my favorite concert moments, my favorite photos, my favorite albums.

Links to all year end coverage:
Top Ten Albums of 2011
Twenty Favorite Photos of 2011
Ten Favorite Shows of 2011
Great Moments of 2011

Humble Tripe is a Durham-based band made up variously of Shawn Luby, Stud Green, Melissa York, Kadji Amin, and Jess Shell.  Shawn Luby, lead singer and guitarist, lets us in on some band details, talks favorite lyrics with bandmate Stud Green, and reveals a second album in the works.  And by the way, Shawn, you had me at Gillian Welch.

UPDATE and Special Note:  I was very excited to have the opportunity to talk with HT band member Melissa York, formerly (and currently) with several of the giants of feminist music  Team Dresch, The Butchies, and the Amy Ray band. She was unable to participate  in this interview, however, due to very important new parenting duties. Congratulations, Melissa,   now go get some sleep!

BB:  Your band has great breadth of talent among the 5 of you. I always love to hear
band formation stories. How did you all find each other, and what’s up with your band name? Did you sort through your sound fairly quickly or how has it evolved since you started playing together?

HT: First, we all want to extend big thanks to you for taking the time to talk with the band!

It might sound strange, but, I had no idea that I was going to suddenly become a singer/
songwriter at the age of 30.  I had played classical guitar competitively for almost 20
years, and the retired from that world in my early 20’s.  I had never sung before, never
written before..so when this all started happening I just asked my best friends for help. 
Some of have tons of musical background, and others were plain forced to be in the
band regardless of expertise—its always been pretty easy when we get together, b/c we
have all been friends for years and years—the hard part is that almost everyone lives in
a different city now—but that’s also a great thing, b/c we have little home bases all over
the country.

As far as the band name—it came from a little stream of consciousness exercise led
by our resident HT Phd, Kadji Amin.  The humble, describing how it feels to have this
unexpected and amazing opportunity, and the tripe, referring to the music being from my
heart/core/guts so to speak.    
   
BB:  North Carolina seems to have a very dynamic music scene. Is it the conflux of college intellectualism and country/Southern poetry, or what exactly is up with Durham at the moment? What is your favorite place to play in Durham?

HT: Durham is just a great place to be when it comes to music.  There is so much going on,
and at the same time, the community is so supportive.  When we first started, I had no idea how to use a microphone, how to plug in a guitar, how to book a show, how to record—and folks in this town were patient and helped me through all of this.  One thing I love about Durham, is that you can make music spaces most anywhere.  From porches to back yards, to barns, we love playing non-traditional performance spaces where folks
can gather and listen and have a good time, no matter where we end up.

BB:  For fans of my town’s favorite live music venue Eddie’s Attic, I see that you
participated in a shoot-out there recently, which folks should know is a very big honor.  I also note that you will be back in town this weekend at WonderRoot to perform live.  How do you find the Atlanta audience/scene compared to North Carolina?     

HT: We love Atlanta!! Actually, our first Humble Tripe show ever was at Mondo Homo
2009 under a tree in a park.  We’ve been really lucky here to have great support from the
queer community, and have been enjoying the growing support from the folk/Americana
scene too! Actually, the cross over between the two communities is one of things we love
the most about our Atlanta shows!

Being chosen to play the shootout at Eddie’s Attic was an honor!  We drank an entire
mini bottle of rescue remedy that day to calm our nerves, and in the end, it was so great
to meet other songwriters in the southeast region, and to develop relationships with other
music makers in Atlanta!

BB:  What is on tap for you all in the next year? Do you have a dream gig you have in
mind?

HT: We are putting out our 2nd album!!  We’ll be recording this winter, and hopefully have it ready by summer—then its tour tour tour all over the country!  In a dream world, we’ll be spending some of this tour time traveling with Patty Griffin, or Gillian Welch, or Lucinda
Williams, or Neko Case! 
   

BB:  Shawn Luby, your vocals have been compared to Dylan and you have years of
classical guitar training. Individually you all have very solid musical training, whether at Berklee (Stud Green) or in experiences with other well-known bands.   I would love for you to point out a favorite lyric, and I would really love it if I got an answer from each band member! I know! There are a lot of you. It can be HT lyrics or someone else’s.   
HT:  Stud and I spend most of tour time as a duo these days, listening to music and talking too much.  There are two quotes that we’ve spent the most time crying over. One is an Amy Ray quote:

She comes down to Georgia to dance across my kitchen floor,
Leavin’ black marks on linoleum, a country song on the radio.
I am just a rodeo calf with tender feet and sewn on horns and
Love is a kindness that I’ve never known before…

I mean really, tender feet and sewn on horns—who thinks of that!?! I’m crying right now. The other echo’s our friend Heather McEntire’s choice. From Kaia Wilson:

Remember how hard we loved and how hard we hurt?
It’s been 4 years and I’m still sleeping in your shirt.

That is easily the one lyric that Stud and I have talked about more together than any other
lyric in the world.  OK, we just youtubed Kaia to hear that lyric, and I’m now full on crying.

BB: I can never ignore an opportunity to ask an animal question.  I couldn’t help but notice a couple of cats on your FB page. I think they were fussing over a humble hanky? At least give them a shout out by telling us their names. Feel free to mention your other pets, because I’m quite sure there are others.

 HT: I wish I knew their names!  Their human parents purchased the hanky at a Portland show of ours last year, and sent us the cat fight photos while we were on the road.  However, it should be noted that all Humble Tripe members are cat owners… this is actually a requirement for band participation. Also, humble hanky is my new favorite merch term.

BB: Lastly, performing and life on the road: what have been your favorite venues so far and why? Where have you found the best road food, as always, extra points for veg joints?

HT:  Okay, most memorable was perhaps this magical campfire show in the middle of a
field in Arcata California last fall.  This was after seeing wild sea lions and redwoods for
the first time ever on our drive up! I think the most important part for us in the connection
we make with the audience, regardless of the space, though good sound equipment and
great sound people go a long way (shout out to Eddie’s Attic!).

As for food, we are big local/fresh food fans, but can’t always get that on tour.  Here is
one thing that we’ve learned about road food. If your only choice for miles and miles is
Burger King or McDonalds, and you’re a veggie eater, pick the McDonalds oatmeal with
fruit and nuts over the Burger King veggie burger every time.  Seriously, your body will
thank you for it.

You can follow Humble Tripe on  FB or Twitter or check out their website. You can also see them LIVE and IN PERSON this Saturday night, October 22 at WonderRoot right here in the ATL. 

BB: Mount Moriah has really hit its stride this year, and you have totally snuck up on me.  Tell me the story of how and where y’all met?
MM: Jenks and I first met while I was living in this co-op style house that would throw basement shows and his band performed there. Soon after, we worked together at this record store in Chapel Hill, NC. We quickly became very close.
 
BB:  You spent this summer on the road with the Indigo Girls and last fall with Amy Ray’s band  too. I imagine most emerging musicians have that on their bucket list. What about those experiences was the most unexpected? 

MM: We definitely feel grateful for those opportunities, and to now be friends with Amy and Emily. They are amazing people, and have taught us a lot. I think we all feel a sense of pride about the South, and really support each other. Looking back, I did find it surprising that they took a chance on our little band that didn’t have a label, or even a record out yet. Even our band membership was in flux. They really believed in us from the start, and I’ll always remember that. We would never have been able to play zoos and meet all kinds of animals, and play to such large audiences at those gorgeous theaters and amphitheaters on our own.

 
BB: What else is on your musical bucket list?

MM: I’d like to keep touring with folks who inspire me, mentors and strangers and musicians I admire. If I were to name them, the list would be very long. In general, Jenks and I would like to make a living making music in Mount Moriah. Keep making records, collaborating with others, touring the world, performing…not having to work as many odd jobs to keep everything together. I’d be pretty happy if we could swing all that and sustain it.

BB: On your website you have several really nice music videos by Hueism Pictures, and I’ve posted a couple of them here.  I think they are great assets to your music and to your image.  Each sets a different mood, but all with a dark tone. They all seem to be shot at night.  Was that by choice or by chance?

 MM: Wow, I never noticed that. There are some daylight scenes in “The Letting Go”; it’s a documentary-style video of us on tour last fall with the Indigo Girls. There are bits of me in my friend’s house where we have a screen printing setup together, and that happened during the day. “Lament” was shot at night on a parking deck in Durham NC. And “Old Gowns” was filmed in an abandoned tobacco factory in Durham during the day, but it was very dark in there. I loved working with Hueism so much that I now work part-time for them, organizing collaborations.
 
BB: You have quite the cast of extras in your video for “Lament.” I saw members of the bands Humble Tripe, Midtown Dickens, and others? It seems like there’s a hothouse of new music coming out of North Carolina. Tell me about how collaboration works for your band, and in the NC music scene in general.

MM: It’s hard not to collaborate with other musicians here. If I were to name all the folks who have ever played in Mount Moriah, as well as the bands they have currently or previously played with, this interview would become epically long. Everyone is active and supportive of each other’s projects. People end up borrowing folks to help round out lineups for recordings or tours. It’s definitely a family-style community.
 
BB:  I couldn’t help but notice a three-legged cast member, an adorable dog in both the “Lament” and “Letting Go” videos. What’s her name and what’s her story?
MM:  Her name is Lou. She is my sweet dog, and – yes – she has three legs. We are gearing up for a hike as I write this.

BB: One of my previous interviewees, Karen of Karen and the Sorrows, called out the opening line of your song “Lament” as one of her favorite lyrics.  Please share one of your favorite lyrics lately, whether it belongs to you or someone else.

MM: Aw, Karen is sweet. We’re playing with her band this Friday in Brooklyn. I’ve been listening to this CD-R of songs my friend Kaia Wilson left at my house a couple weeks ago when she was visiting. It’s a simple country-ish song, with straightforward lyrics that  moved me in a gentle, sweet way: 

“When I grow old will you sit beside me

and I’ll sing some songs about the good days when I felt such loss,

when my hair was long and my stride was strong?

Remember how hard we loved and how hard we hurt?

It’s been 4 years and I’m still sleeping in your shirt.”

BB: My kid has a Monday morning assignment, where she shares with her class the Yum and the Yuck (er, the good and the bad experiences) of her previous weekend. What is the Yum and the Yuck of life on the road as a touring musician?

MM: I love performing and traveling and meeting new folks and seeing new places along the way. Some musicians hate touring, but I happen to really enjoy it. Touring can be hard on your body, especially if you are making long drives. I run a lot at home so when I’m on the road I try to steal away and have some alone time on a trail or hotel treadmill. I’m vegan and it can sometimes be hard to find healthy veggie options along the highway, but we try to stop in co-ops and grocery stores to stock up on snacks. Being away from my home and dogs can be hard, but getting on the road is important. You’re constantly working, but it’s the good kind of work, where you’re doing exactly what you want to be doing.
 
BB:  I always like to ask about favorite road food joints, and I give extra credit for veg-friendly suggestions, so I’m glad you can give me some Southern vegan insight.

MM:  It can be harder to find veggie/veggie-friendly restaurants on the road in the south, so here are some of my favorites: The Grit in Athens, Rosetta’s and Laughing Seed in Asheville, The Bottletree Cafe in Birmingham, Toast in Durham, The Remedy in Raleigh, and Boba House in Greensboro.

BB: A final question: what would you consider to be your favorite venue, whether for it’s architecture, or  the enthusiasm of the audience, or simply for you as a musician seeking a quiet, listening space with great acoustics. You can name more than one, and I would particularly love to hear about southern venues.

MM: The Cats Cradle is always fun; it’s a legendary club in Chapel Hill that always has great sound. We played the Arvada Center is Arvada, CO in July with the Indigo Girls, and it was an incredible 100-year old barn. The Bottletree in Birmingham is really neat; they have airstream trailers for the bands to relax in before and after the shows, stocked with arcade games and hot tea and massage chairs – it’s a great refuge from the road. Also, the Scottish Rite Theater in West Collingwood, NJ is an amazing masonic temple. We captured some of the interior in our video for “The Letting Go”.

You can find Mount Moriah’s Fall 2011 Tour Schedule on their website, check them out on Myspace or follow them on Facebook. And in an unprecedented pandering to Lou, I am posting a second video so you can see her big close-up.

9/21/11 10:58 PM – Midtown Dickens provide the overture for the weekend with a great set at Pinhook

9/22/11 6:25 PM – Birds and Arrows soundchecking for their Casbah show

9/22/11 8:10 PM – Marcus Anderson Trio pulls people in to Beyu Caffe

9/22/11 8:27 – Mosadi Music playing a community benefit at Motorco

09/23/11 12:00 AM – Brian Horton Jazz Trio provides the nightcap at Whiskey

9/23/11 6:42PM – The sun comes out for Humble Tripe at Parker & Otis

9/23/11 8:41PM – A packed house at Motorco ready to dance at the Joan Soriano show

9/23/11 9:13PM – Lacy Green plays Broad Street Cafe

9/23/11 10:14PM – Ready to dance at Casbah’s Pre-Pride Dance Party

9/23/11 11:10PM – The Totes Codes Pre-Pride Dance Party at Pinhook

9/23/11 11:52PM – Charlie in their first set of the night at the Talk of the Town

9/24/11 1:10AM – The DJ keeps the music going until the early hours of the morning at The Bar’s Pre-Pride dance party

9/24/11 1:11PM – NC Pride’s 2011 Parade starts up the day

9/24/11 4:20PM – Effingham kicks off the Motorco One Year Anniversary Party

9/24/11 5:12 PM – The Wigg Report continues Motorco’s day

9/24/11 6:41PM – Red Collar’s merch setup

9/24/11 6:50 – The calm before the show at Red Collar’s soundcheck at Motorco

9/24/11 7:11PM – Sounds and looks good for Almost People’s soundcheck

9/24/11 8:04PM – Almost People begins the night show at Motorco’s Anniversary Party

9/24/11 8:30PM – Pink Flag at Pinhook’s outdoor stage for the Pride after-party

9/24/11 9:04PM – Red Collar rocks Motorco

9/24/11 9:36PM – The Music Tapes capitvate a packed Casbah

9/24/11 10:04PM – Last Year’s Men opens up the night at Duke Coffeehouse

9/24/11 10:17PM – The Butchies at Pinhook’s outdoor stage

9/24/11 10:21PM – Amazing and thrilled crowd for The Butchies at Pinhook

9/24/11 11:18 PM – Cracker closes out Motorco’s night

9/24/11 11:42PM – After the show, Magician Michael Casey provides a little magic

9/24/11 11:49PM – KoKyu keeps the night going with late night food

9/24/11 11:56PM – And still there is dancing at The Bar

9/25/11 2:35PM – Finishing touches are put on KoKyu’s truck design at Motorco

9/25/11 7:56PM – Jazz on Sunday night at Broad Street Cafe

9/25/11 8:14PM – Fullsteam at the end of a beautiful weekend

9/25/11 9:00PM – Pokey LaFarge at Motorco

9/25/11 10:12PM – Reese McHenry and Dan McGee provide my last show of the weekend at Casbah.

What an amazing weekend. A huge and grateful thanks to all the venues, bands, and other awesome folks who were a part of this week.

And, here’s the most important part this was an exceptionally busy weekend, but the great shows don’t stop because the weekend is over. This week in Durham:
Pinhook:
Monday – Human Eye/Spider Bags/Whatever Brains @ 9
Wednesday – Durham Street Piano Project kickoff @ 6:30
Saturday – Cantwell Gomez & Jordan/Necronomitron/Lurch @ 10
]]> http://ashcrowe.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/great-durham-weekend-part-two/ Sat, 24 Sep 2011 14:12:58 +0000 Ash Crowe http://ashcrowe.wordpress.com/2011/09/24/great-durham-weekend-part-two/

Humble Tripe, Parker & Otis, Durham NC, 09/23/11, originally uploaded by Ash Crowe.

Last night started early, with a porch concert by Humble Tripe at Parker & Otis.

Then the late night revelry started with Charlie at Talk of the Town:

And pre-Pride Dance parties everywhere.

Today: Pride, Pride festivities at Pinhook & The Bar, Motorco’s 1 Year Anniversary, and shows at Casbah & Duke Coffeehouse. See everyone out there.

Full weekend summary/timeline ]]> http://butchieblog.com/2011/08/14/bb-exclusive-interview-with-karen-pittelman-of-the-gay-ole-opry/ Mon, 15 Aug 2011 01:20:55 +0000 butchieblog http://butchieblog.com/2011/08/14/bb-exclusive-interview-with-karen-pittelman-of-the-gay-ole-opry/ Karen Pittelman is a writer,  a singer with Karen and the Sorrows, and  a co-producer of the Gay Ole Opry (which is exactly what it sounds like). I was lucky enough to ask her a few questions about country music, Brooklyn and the South, and  plans for expanding this downhome DIY event.  Read on as she deconstructs a very successful, and happy, homo hoe-down. 

BB:  I understand you all held a very successful country music event recently in Brooklyn and I want to hear more about that in a bit. But the first of my pressing questions is, how did you come to appreciate country music?

KP: I’m not the typical country music lover in some ways because I grew up in New York City. My father started a company called Heartland Music that made compilation albums sold on tv, and so for a good part of my childhood he was traveling back and forth to Nashville making commercials with people like George Jones, the Oak Ridge Boys, and Don Williams. He would put on the country station and play me all of these albums, and I HATED it! I wanted to listen to the Cure. Still, it became a deep part of my musical DNA. But it wasn’t until a few years ago, after suffering a great heartbreak, that my country music upbringing finally hit with its full force. Suddenly country was the only thing I wanted to hear–and the only thing I wanted to write.

BB: You enjoy the glamorous country music lifestyle so much you started a band. Tell me about it.

KP: Well, it was a little awkward when country music came for me because at the time I was singing in a punk band. But all I could think about was wanting to hear the pedal steel guitar. So about two years back when my old band wound up playing a show together with the Brooklyn country group the Low & the Lonesome, I asked their pedal steel guitar player, Lana Carroll, to sit in on one of my new songs. From that moment there was really no going back, and Lana helped me start the Sorrows.

But I have to admit, the rest of my band is much better at the glamorous country music lifestyle than me. I pass out after one shot of whiskey.

BB: What is your favorite line from a country music song: yours or anyone’s.

KP: It’s so hard to choose! I especially love the lyrics to The Grass is Blue by Dolly Parton. Everything about that song is just perfect. It always makes me cry. I think I’m cheating a little, since this is really more than one line, but…

And the rivers flow backwards
And my tears are dry
Swans hate the water
And eagles can’t fly
But I’m alright now
Now that I’m over you
And the sky is green
And the grass is blue

I’m also super-obsessed with the band Mount Moriah right now. Their song Lament opens with this amazing line: “If this will be anything, than let it be over.”

BB: Punk bands and country bands often tap into very different emotions and audiences. How did your songwriting change and what is one of your own favorite lyrics?

KP: I think punk is probably better for tapping into anger, as opposed to country’s ability to tap into sadness. Though is there anyone more punk than Johnny Cash? The truth is that almost all of Royal Pink’s songs were about sex, and both country and punk do a good job with that one. It has been a completely different songwriting process, though. These songs are much more personal. Especially since in Royal Pink I only wrote the lyrics, as opposed to now where I write both the music and lyrics. Which I love, probably because I’m a control freak. But I feel a little too shy to quote myself. Especially after I just quoted Dolly!
 

BB: As a Southerner who had to leave the South for many years before I could get back to fully loving some aspects of it, I have my theories about why it took a bunch of Brooklynites to reinvent the most iconic country music venue into something that embraces gay musicians. My theory being  that sometimes when you live too close to something, as we do down here, it can be hard to work around all the negative historical connotations of it, and find the good parts and the parts that have actually evolved without you knowing it. Having said all of that, tell me about how the idea of a Gay Ole Opry came about: who were the organizers, what did it look like and how was your first event received?

KP: That theory makes sense to me–though I think any kind of reinvention must be done with great love, care, and respect, especially in a place like Brooklyn. Otherwise you venture into the territory of ironic appropriation which I have zero interest in. Actually, a lot of the people working on this are from the south or the midwest–I’m one of the few native New Yorkers–so they’re bringing that culture and history with them. But it’s probably a lot easier to start carving out a space like this here where the country music scene itself is so small and non-territorial, and there’s a large, supportive queer population.

Originally, I just thought it would be fun to play a show with one of my favorite bands, My Gay Banjo, and to make it a big, gay country show. I figured if I threw in a bake sale, a raffle, and some dancing, maybe a few people would show up. It was my co-producer, Gina Mamone of Riot Grrrl Ink, who took everything to another level when she got involved–brought in DapperQ to put together the fashion show, made the merch, put her whole Riot Grrrl Ink army to work on promoting it. Then we started working together with the Big Apple Ranch, the city’s long-running queer country western dance party, and it all clicked. We had about 300 people there that night, and–this might sound sappy–but people just seemed really happy.

BB:  Well it sounds like an awesome amount of fun, and there is definitely something to be said about making people happy. There are gay country music fans all over the country, what are your plans to expand it?

KP: The Opry was such an amazing experience that I knew we had to try to keep it going. What that means, I’m still figuring out. We just started the Queer Country Monthly at the Branded Saloon, and Humble Tripe comes in from North Carolina to play at the next one on August 27th, which I’m super-excited about. We had an Opry in Philadelphia this weekend, and about 100 people were there even though we had no air conditioning! Plus, the next Brooklyn Opry is coming up on October 14th, and I want to make that a big extravaganza. But most of all, what I really want to do is to help create a network of queer country musicians across the country, so we can put on shows together and support each other. And so that there are more spaces where we can play music for all cowpeople. So if you’re in a queer country band–or you’re a queer country music fan and you want to help set up a show–email me!

You heard the lady, if you want the Gay Ole Opry in your town, get busy and email her with info about your hot country band, two-stepping group or venue. Come on, Atlanta, don’t make me fly to Brooklyn!

Last night was the Durham premiere of Whistlin’ Dixie at The Pinhook. The movie was beautiful and amazing and really showcased why Durham is fantastic.
Then, because our community is fantastic, the movie was followed by joyous, delightful performances by some of the bands in the movie.

Midtown Dickens:

Midtown Dickens:

Humble Tripe:

Humble Tripe:

Lam! Lam!:

Full photo set: ]]> http://butchieblog.com/2011/06/25/you-aint-just/ Sun, 26 Jun 2011 02:56:41 +0000 butchieblog http://butchieblog.com/2011/06/25/you-aint-just/

Wow.  I just watched this trailer for Meredith Heil’s kickstartered documentary “Whistlin’ Dixie” a look at queer music in the South.  It’s an age-old tale really,  a girl finds herself changed forever at 14 by a mixed tape.  In my case it was Olivia Records (way before they got into the cruise business) artists Meg Christian and Cris Williamson.  Less than year later, I was needing to take it up a notch with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.  On Heil’s tape she recollects being blown away by L7, Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney and some other important folks.  She  set out to learn more about herself and these musicians, and discovered that the South lays claim to a lot of it.   Thanks to her for reminding me yet again that life in big cities has prejudiced my own Southern thinking, and that not all awesome things happen in NYC or SF.  Hey, and thanks to her also for introducing me to Humble Tripe , The Spooky Qs, Street Poet and  Midtown Dickens. I’ll be on the look out for a screening in the ATL if I haven’t missed it already.

Wow.  I just watched this trailer for Meredith Heil’s kickstartered documentary “Whistlin’ Dixie” a look at queer music in the South.  It’s an age-old tale really,  a girl finds herself changed forever at 14 by a mixed tape.  In my case it was Olivia Records (way before they got into the cruise business) artists Meg Christian and Cris Williamson.  Less than year later, I was needing to take it up a notch with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts.  On Heil’s tape she recollects being blown away by L7, Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney and some other important folks.  She  set out to learn more about herself and these musicians, and discovered that the South lays claim to a lot of it.   Thanks to her for reminding me yet again that life in big cities has prejudiced my own Southern thinking, and that not all awesome things happen in NYC or SF.  Hey, and thanks to her also for introducing me to Humble Tripe , The Spooky Qs, Street Poet and  Midtown Dickens. I’ll be on the look out for a screening in the ATL if I haven’t missed it already.

Lovely, and mostly quiet, night at Pinhook last night. Three good local bands, great community, lots of laughs, and a whole night without having to put in ear plugs (all of which made it a great first concert after DTFH Fest).

full photo set
more pics: