Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current, February 16, 2000, Image 23

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Newspaper Page TextEVIEWS THE BOTTLE ROCKETS January 19,2000 Smith's Old« Bor, Atlanta It could've been Eddie C s Pub down in Gainesville, Fla or the Spindthnfter Lounge in nearby Alachua II might've been the Little Dixie Inn in Tupelo. Miss or Moondog's Tavern up in Fraiser, Tenn. It could've been any little run-down, hole-in-the-wall beer loint in the country with any nameless bar band made up of guys who look like they should be changing water pumps during the week You know those bands guys with scraggly long hair and worn- out t-shirts who change mufflers seven days a week but on Saturday nights rock out like the world's gonna end Sunday It could've been any juke joint in the country, but it was Smith's Olde Bar in Atlanta, and the band could've been any bunch of four rough looking cats with guitars, but the band was the Bottle Rockets However, the sensation was the same pure juke joint heaven The pride of Festus, Mo has been going around calling itself the best bar band in the country." and the Rockets recent stopover in Atlanta came damn close to proving it The whole night made one nostalgic tor a misspent youth in little dives where the beer flowed freely, the patrons r aised barely-contained hell and the band went straight for the rock and roll jugular To be sure, the Rockets have had a rough row to noe as of late The band fias bven kicked around by ma; j labels ignored bv the mainstream and must tragically, lead sing^-guita’ h Br*a ,: Henneman I.c * boh ms parents ove f Jfle holidays You couldn't ten a by how the band played, though roaring through a solid two-hour set like a house on tire As a neat utile twist to the normal rock and roll show trie Rockets played selections trom the tour full- length albums and one EP in chrono logical order, sod of a twisted VH1 -style retrospective The guys hit all the high spots, rocking out “Hey Moon" and the dark 'Kerosene' trom the selt-titled debut, and the incredibly lovely "Queen Ot The World" trom the excellent Brooklyn Side Typically lor Smiths, the crowd was a bit reserved, but more than tew were cutting a serious rug by the lime the Rockets hit 24 Hours A Day. The rol licking "Indianapolis." the closest thing the banu has to a "hit." got a righteous response, and the wonderful "Get Down River" trom the Leftovers EP was simply fabulous While the crowd wasn't as into the new songs from Brand Alew Year. the Rockets' lull-on enthusiasm was infectious and tne tour-song encore, which included a personal lavonte ‘Idiot's Revenge" left the crowd hungry for more Plain and simple, the Bottle Rockets are one ot the best pure rock and roll outfits tearing up the roads today The band’s albums are lull ot great lyrics and rootsy playing that borrows equally from Neil Young and Lynyrd Skynyrd It's nice to see that the Rockets can do it live, too, and it's heartwarming that the bar band isn't dead Sure, Smith's is a bit high-class tor true bar band raunch, but it you squinted you could’ve seen the neon signs on the wall and blood on the dance floor And trust me. most of the crowd would've fil in perfectly in any redneck juke |oint in the country Mali Thompson THE UPPITY BLUES WOMEN Thursday, January 20 Georgia College & Stole University The Uppify Blues Women brought the now-coed Georgia College back to its Georgia Women's College roots The group's origins go back to the early 1980's, and alter releasing ten albums and playing lots ol little clubs, concerts and festivals. UBW has established itself as the poet laureate of the Baby Boom Generation Females The newh renovated Russell Auditorium ;where Bob Hope enter tained servicewomen ounrig WWIIj was packed by Ihe time the head of me Women's Studies program. Dr "I ve Never Emceed A Show Before." lived up lo her name with a long thank you !o hah the faculty and staff ana her hus band When she finally introduced the acoustic hmes 'no. Arm Rabson literally made the dust fiy off the old concert piano with a cover ot a Bessie Smith classic. 'Ain' Nobody's Business But M. C.v arid oe of ner new songs. Music Making Mama Nm Gave A:--gna;oia * r-*r . ' i Teacher f’fie Year, br jnttry •vcnim -n tht-andiem r to the * fee? w-th ‘v. -i.vdy. opify therm song “Midd:*-. Age Blue a eedayoung y mg man to drive away these Meld Aged Blues’” By the time Ann came back with Tm lack in the stirrups again," or "OB/GYN Blues,' the atmosphere was thick with ho f mones and screaming women The men were kind ot sliding down in their seats and glancing around lor 'he nearest exit, just in case Bass/mandolm/liddle player Andra Faye McIntosh mellowed the crowd with a sweet, soulful rendition ol Patsy Cline's 'Crazy' - and a blues standard "Bad Dept" Lead guitar/harmonica player Adegbalola picked up the pace with a heart grabbing "Bitter Sweet Blues" before dropping Ihe feminine bombshell, “BOB"—as in "Why do I stand up and speak my mind 9 cause -1 got Big Ovanes, Baby 1 . made of steel 1 " Then, with the Cfowd in a estrogen frenzy, she closed the lirst set with a thundering ‘There’s Lightening In These Thunder Thighs." Dr "I’ve Never Done This 3elore “ reappeared alter intermission to thank the other half ol Ihe faculty and remind lolks again ot Ihe next days seminar, “Women's Anger, Why Is Everybody So Afraid ol W McIntosh lead the second set with a smooth ‘Because Of You’ and "One Good Man," followed by Adegbalola's saucy "Morning Alter Blues’—which praised a morning after breakfast of cold pizza, washed down with warm beer— and "She Just Wants To Dance" Rabson then put her roadhouse piano back to work with “I Just Love Him So" and ‘My Girlish Ways ’ Adegbalola. who was also trained as a bio chemist, brought the crowd to a peaked frenzy and placed Ihe post femi nist Hag on the gender mountain top with ‘I'm a BI T.C H With A Bad Attitude”—as in “BITCH Being In Total Control ol Herself ’ The trio ended the night wth the blues song that the women say best describes the ups and downs of life, "The Sun Is Going To Shine In My Backdoor Some Day ’ UBW next appears in Georgia on March 4 at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta It you've got girlfriends, wives, sisters or aunts about lo reach or having just passed the big 50. take 'em to hear the Uppity Blues Women It'll make 'em teel better than a hormone shot William "AJ" Arthur NEW BOMB TURKS, SECRET COMPART MENT DEPARTMENT, THE IMMORTAL LEE CO. KILLERS Jonuary 26, 2000 ColedofHO Lounge On the couch with a head full of sneeze at 10 p m . I contemplated aloud me id^a to skip tonight's show i don't teel good, it's cold and I thinx whaieve* is ailing me is contagious Getting up and out of the house to check out a rock show should not be a chore About an hour later, i was in the Caledonia with a beer in hand Hmmm The Power ol F.ock I had to be there tor the opening act. which was originally scheduled as Ihe second act ol the evening Doesn't mailer The Immortal Lee Co Killers blastedofl sornehmeafter it pm Chetley Dale Weise (ol late Quadrats fame) was in rawk and raw musical torm alongside The Boss, a bearded skinsman who abused his battered trap set His floor tom. decorated with a la-ge Dale Earnhardt #3, served no purpose other than side door and cup holder These guys let it all hang out in Iront ol a sparse but apprecalive crowd I surmised that since the Caledonia serves no liquor, most members ol the bands (and hangers-on) yet lo pertorm strolled down lo Clayton Street after spending as much time as possible bet- lied-up lo a real bar After a brutal but bluesy set punctuated by an effects pedal demolition derby, the duo trom Alabama exited the stage Despite this club's lack ol liquid spirits, a couple or more dozen high balling patrons tiled inside (o witness a particular parade of Athens ‘all-stars’ (known tonight as Secret Compartment Department) dish out several standard old-school punk rock anthems The six-piece ran the gamut from The Stooges and The Somes lo G G Alim, with ‘New Rose’ by The Damned slutted somewhere in between Here read the placards Will Proficiently Perfc'm Classic Covers For Free Beer Anything To Help Out As Ihe set wore down, I started to teel better I decided lo hang around lor my first sober experience with one ot my old favorites from the Midwest Before the four-piece trom Columbus. Ohio took the stage, I had a feeling it wasn't going to be a typical New Bomb Turks show Sure it was, man Oh. yeah, l forgot I am not drunk Not even a tiny bit under Ihe influence On the other hand, several intoxicated miscreants [several American Mutts living up lo their name 9 ] at stagefront had already spent most of the time during the pre vious set pushing and pulling at one another They were ready tor Round Two i sipped another beer while posi tioned just far enough outta the way The hopped-up knuckleheads "in the pit" soon would meet their match Frontman Eric Davidson teased one poor bastard for wearing a NOFX stocking cap The audience-bashing began before the band played one song And the seconds between each gritty ditty enabled Davidson to ridicule anyone who seemed out-ot-place in tront of his band of college degree-toting rock and rollers Another guy was badgered for his choice of tie and jacKe' Ye! another audience member was taunted by Davidson tor covering himself with "gnarly tattoos “ Enough, already By mid-set, halt ot those untortu- nate clowns were elected on cue from Ihe club alter trying their best at face-to- face oral combat with Davidson The sonic titans rolled on. though and I con tinued to stay outta the way Before tonight. I probably would have been up tront. lumping around, spilling beer and representing myself as a full-blown New Bomb Turks lari Maybe Ihe developing cold I was bat tling kept me Irom suffering verbal abuse Irom the man with the mic in his hand. Who am I trying to kid 9 I'm almost certain it was the reason All I could do was watch trom alar, snicker, and shake my head The songs were there, but it seemed as it I wasn't. I even split before last call Back to the couch Randal Lamped imP©RT DIAGN0STICS 945 COLLEGE AVENUE 543.7982 VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT www.importd.com Reliable Service and Friendly Faces SPECIALS Maigaritasly MONDAY $1.99 Lime Mirjjritii WEDNESDAY $2.00 Off Flwired Mirgiriti Pitekeri THURSDAY $2.99 60 »z. Beer Piteheri V FRIDAY Hippy Hear Speciils EAST 546-9200 • WEST 546-7327 • MALL 369-9183 March 1,2000 8:00 pm Classic Center Theater TICKETS: S8 / S10 / S12 UGA Students with valid UGACard $16/$18/$20 Non-Students Ticke^ available NOW for purchase at the Tate Student Center fishier s Window. M-F 9am-4prlr Call 542.-6S96 for more information FEBRUARY 16, 2000

Georgia Historic Newspapers

Flagpole. (Athens, Ga.) 1987-current, February 16, 2000, Image 23