Newspaper Page Text
2B
Thursday, March i, 2007 | The Rim a Black
rT-:
'ttr JTm ■ |Q|BL-|| il fffr.. -
titiSr sMBHMBPWBBBBfev &j
--: j IB JraHvHr ■ JJ|l§§|s : '
PTTp .' inft#wtiK ::
SPCCIAL | Cou*tmv or Tn* Wm
▲ Local rock band The Whiles will play Friday at 40 Watt
Club with the Features and Wax Fang.
Whigs recover
from U.S. tour,
newfound fame
B(wd working
on new album
By KELLY SKINNER
kskiniuT 1 randb.com
When Rolling Stone maga
zine came knocking last year.
Parker Gispert of the Whigs
barely took notice.
The article was written,
and “Give 'Em All a Big Fat
Lip" was given glowing
reviews, but Gispert missed
out on most of the buzz.
The biggest thing on his
mind was finishing up his
philosophy degree.
When graduation came,
Gispert found himself on the*
road for four months with his
band on a tour across the
country to cities like
Pittsburgh, Chicago and
Milwaukee. After falling in
love with the Midwest,
Gispert returned to Athens
and settled out of his touring
high.
Only recently has Gispert
come to grasp the magnitude
of last year's importance.
The band signed with
ATO records and is working
on its second album, and
Hank Sullivant i bass player
for the band) has decided to
pursue a solo project.
Therefore, the threesome
has become a twosome
(Julian Dorio on drums and
Gispert on lead guitar and
vocals).
But due to loving hearts of
area musicians, everything
was okay.
Craig McQuiston of the
Glands (an Athens band of
indie past) stepped right up
and showed his support for
the Whigs party by assisting
them in songwriting and vol
unteering as temporary
bassist.
"The Glands are like my
Waterford Place
♦ —————— ♦
Condominiums
INJOY INI CONVENIENCE
OF LIVING DOWNTOWN
NEXT 10 UOAM
FUTUMNO
• 4 BR Luxury Suites
• 2 & 3 Baths
• Townhouses & Flats
• Pool with Sundeck
• Laminated Hardwood
Flooring
• Washer/Dryer in each unit
• All Kitchen Appliances
For Leasing Information Call:
706-353-2077
NOW SHOWING APARTMENTS
FOR FALL 2007
THE WHIGS
Playing with the Features and
Wax Fang
When: 9 p m Friday
Where: 40 Watt Club
favorite Athens band,”
Gispert said
"Having only three people
in your band and having the
third guy quit could have
been a disaster, but it wasn't.
A lot of bands reached out to
help us.”
The band is preparing for
a two-month tour that starts
out from Athens and ven
tures to major cities across
the country including
Port land, Seattle and Boise.
Sam Gunn of Iron Hero
has become the decided
stand-in for Hank Sullivant
instead of Craig McQuiston
on this tour.
Not only is he skilled on
the bass, but he’s also a pro
ficient singer, guitar player
and keyboardist.
Gispert doesn’t know if
Gunn will fall into a perma
nent position in the band,
but he's hopeful.
"We love Sam, but he’s got
a normal job and everything
in Athens,” Gispert said. “So
it's like, Hey. let's go on tour
and you can'check it out and
see if you like it.' If he's lik
ing it and having fun playing
with the band, then there’s
definitely a good chance that
he could stay if he wanted
to."
The Whigs are planning on
taking its very nondescript
"Mayonnaise Van" (as
Gispert calls it) on tour and
then heading to the studio to
record its second album.
“(The sound) is the same
thing as before,” Gisper said
“We just try to write good
songs and have a balance
between the fast and slow."
gga
Athens-based duo celebrates 10 years
By DREW HALL
dhall@randb.com
Athens-based duo
Stewart and Winfield will cel
ebrate the 10th anniversary
of its debut album Friday at
the Georgia Theatre.
The duo will commemo
rate its accomplishments
with some "y'all-ternattve,
harmony-driven southern
roots rock” for the crowd.
Stewart and Winfield both
hail from Savannah and
came to Athens in the early
'9os to attend the University.
They played in and
around Athens as “Uncle
Chester” until graduation,
when they both moved to
Colorado to play in other
acts. The two eventually
reunited in Telluride, Colo.,
where they lived and played
together, touring prominent
ski destinations Aspen, Vale
and Telluride.
In 1995, Stewart and
Winfield moved back to
Savannah
Manager Jay Markwalter
helped them find someone to
produce and record their
first album “Bout Time,"
which was recorded in an
empty house on Pulaski
Street in Athens. The CD
Release Party was held at
the Georgia Bar downtown
in late 1996, and began their
Southeastern tour.
Stewart and Winfield
spent the next year touring
Southeastern college towns,
playing more than 150 shows
that year alone.
Stewart and Winfield
released their second studio
album "Narrows” less than a
year after "Bout Time." After
“Narrows," the duo expand
ed its tour as far west as
Montana and as far north as
Maine.
They have now logged
more than 1,200 performanc
es since the group's concep
tion.
With musical influences
Zac Brown Band gets No. 1 Southern spot
By DREW HALL
dhallWrandb.com
The Zac Brown band
returns to the Georgia
Theatre Saturday bringing
some of its southern-fried
melodies that landed the
band on the number one
unsigned artist spot on
MySpace for Southern rock.
The band, which is com
posed of Zac Brown, Marcus
Petruska, Tim Ussery, John
Hopkins and Jimmy
Demartini, is continuing a
four-night-a-week tour in
Athens.
Lead vocalist Zac Brown
said he realized he wanted
to sing for a living while
working at a fast food
restaurant in high school.
“I’d come home covered
in french fry grease, and I
just thought, there’s a lot
brett's casual
american restaurant
Grand Opening Offer
• $2 off any entree with UGA I.D.
Serving a broad american menu including
burgers, salads, grilled fish and BBQ
brisket.
Menu prices range from $5-$lO.
Serving beer and wine.
Now you can have it oil.
In the old "Locos" location
3190 Atlanta Hwy. 706.850.1395
■U 4*l HOI
HdyP MB
HBrj morimiKioi JrfßkjJHGr
Mb
- ? & 4 bedroom floorptan
m 1 l n llTliiTPp f • fiifnetied w unfumstel
* 12 montti ndmlujl leases
* Roofnmate matching snnce
•hd s n waste & dry
• Dfadboit locks on bwtrooms
Cali specials
PfBE 877.389.8536
RBt 750 fPmB-^gfWfwy
OUT & ABOUT
Id ir 'rl
iM m
Y. .?_
SPECIAL | Courritr of Stewart anh Winnkuj
▲ Athens-based Stewart and Winfield will play Georgia Theatre Friday with the Adam
Payne Band in celebration of the 10th anniversary of their debut album.
STEWART AND
WINFIELD
Playing with the Adam Payne Band
When: 10 pm Friday
Where: Georgia Theater
Coat: $7 at www georgiatheater com.
Junkman's Daughter 's Brother or
Schoolkids Records
ranging from Van Morrison
to the Robing Stones, the
duo’s harmonious vocals and
crisp guitar style wib have
THE ZAC BROWN
BAND
Playing with Alex Nackman
When: 10 p m. Saturday
Where: Georgia Theatre
Cost: SlO online at
www georgiatheatre com, or
Junkman's Daughter s Brother or
Schoolkids Records
More Information:
wwwmyspace.com/zacbrown
better way to make money
than this,” he said
Brown's passion for music
pushed him into classical
guitar lessons after learning
the basics from his brother
and father.
Brown then took his sea
soned guitar skills and song
writing abilities to the stage
as he began playing smaller
even new listeners feeling
like they grew up listening to
Stewart and Winfield.
Southern rockers and
easy listeners alike will enjoy
Stewart and Winfield's music
reminding audiences of Tom
Petty mixed with a little
bluegrass, tossed in hot
sauce and served to perfec
tion over screaming fans at a
sold-out show.
It’s no wonder the duo
has sold over 12,000 units of
five album titles with inde
pendent distribution efforts
since the release of their
debut album. The duo’s five
venues when he was around
18 years old Brown contin
ued to play as his fan base
grew and decided not to do
it alone anymore and start a
band.
“You can't have harmony
with only one person,"
Brown said.
“When everyone locks in
together, it makes a beauti
ful sound."
The Zac Brown Band’s
music has fallen into the
Southern rock genre but is
reflective of all types of
tunes.
Some songs might bring
tears to bsteners' eyes, and
the next song wib have them
smiling again.
Brown wib return from a
month-long vacation from
his 250-plus shows a year
after the birth of his first
child in February. He thinks
We’ve got it ALL!
Arbor Creek Apartments
2BR/2.SBATH $645.00
IBR/I BA $505.00
IBR/1.58A Deluxe $545.00
Pool/On-Site Management
JOINER 706-353-6868
t MANAGEMENT
www.joinermanagement.com
to say Springl
7Q6546-fQI4 I Loothor B Outdoor
www.masadaleatlier.com
album bundle constantly
ranks in the top sebers at
www.athensmusic.net.
Even the Prime Minister
of Great Britain Tony Blair
got a chance to see Stewart
and Winfield as they graced
the stage of the G 8 Summit
at Sea Island in 2004.
Friday is the chance for
Athenians to see the duo
entertain audiences with '
special guest appearances
from past band members
and a few friends from along
the way.
The Adam Payne Band
wib open.
his best songs are yet to
come with the addition of a
new reason to write in his
household
The band will release its
next album, "The
Foundation,” in March. The
album is called such because
the band is starting a foun
dation for underprivileged
city children.
"This camp is going to be
my life’s work,” Brown said.
“I want to leave something
behind for all my blessings
I’ve received.”
Brown said he went to
camp as a child and was
placed into a group of all
ethnicities, cultures and
sizes.
He said children will have
a different outlook on life
after they’ve experienced a
week with different groups
of people.