69°F9:10 AM Don't be fooled by the little black dresses -- the ladies fronting bands at Uncle Slayton's Thursday night were more hellcat than Hepburn. Both Alabama Brown, opening with her band the Inside Outlaws, and headliner Lydia Loveless belied their lady-like exteriors with brash lyrics and rowdy, foot-stomping songs, mining the always-popular territory of the men who disappoint them (deeply) and the means one adopts to deal with them. This generally involves lots of drinking.
For years, I abhorred anything labeled Country Music. It brought to mind pop-country nightmares like Garth Brooks and Toby Keith. I liked the occasional Johnny Cash song, but it wasn't until I discovered artists like Bill Monroe and Townes van Zandt that I finally realized there was a whole new world of country music that could actually be considered respectable.
Bosco is a full speed band with quick riffs, fun lyrics and in your face attitude. It is energetic, stripped down music that brings me back to more carefree times of my youth. The drum kit is not pushed to the back of the stage, it is situated up front, already Bosco sets themselves apart visually. This band is non-conforming. Their take on Bluegrass or Country is of a new genre. The music is neither Country, Folk, Rock, Bluegrass or Punk. Bosco is what is great about all genres of music mashed into one.
Friday night at Uncle Slayton's offered a welcome dose of traditional, rootsy country music with Lexington's Coralee and the Townies opening the show for Seattle's Zoe Muth and the Lost High Rollers.
From a city most often associated with rock legends Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain, Seattle's Zoe Muth instead became a folk music aficionado, inspired by the songs that chronicled the lives of rural people, hard times, and heartbreak.
Country group Gloriana is coming to Bellarmine University this coming Friday, April 15 as part of Hillside 2011. The band—brothers Tom and Mike Gossin, Rachel Reinert and Cheyenne Kimball—is touring in support of their latest album, Gloriana, which comes on the heels of their top 15 Billboard hit, “Wild at Heart.” Their current single, “How Far Do You Wanna Go?” is online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhEHjlsRQH4.
Atlantic Records artist Brett Eldredge will open the show.
Not being a particular fan of the new brand of "modern" country music, I decided nevertheless, to give the Brad Paisley show a try. An "arena" country show is one of those things I've never really experienced, so it was interesting to compare the crowd with a rock show on the same scale. Other than boots and cowboy hats predominating, the energy and excitement seems about the same, and certainly a roar went up when Brad Paisley hit the stage after Darius Rucker's opening act, which featured his new country songs, blended in with classic Hootie and the Blowfish tunes like "Let Her Cry."
This Saturday, Feb. 19 country superstar Brad Paisley brings his "H2O Frozen Over Tour" to the KFC Yum Center.
Paisley has won a boatload of awards for his music over the years, including three Grammys, he has been named best Male Vocalist for the last three years by the Country Music Association and has also received Album of the Year honors from both the CMA and the ACM.
Last week, Kentucky Opera previewed the upcoming double bill of Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci on WUOL's Lunch and Listen program. Among other things, I learned that baritone Michael Mayes, who will be playing Silvio, “the other man” in Pagliacci, is from the small town of Conroe, Texas. So naturally, my first question when I got the chance to interview him about his dramatic role was about...football.