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BAND IPEAK by MAH THOMPSON SOLAR Jonathan Cooper—piano Michael Gray—bass Jamie Shepard—drums Chad Garrett—vocals, guitar Recently formed Athens progressive pop-rock quartet Solar had its genesis in Atlanta's Grout, a progressive-fusion trio that had played around the area for a couple of years. Taking a short hiatus, the members of Grout decided they wanted to do something a little differently musi cally and move away from the whole fusion thing. Taking its history and mixing it with the sounds of the likes of Sting, XTC and Rush, Solar plays a song-oriented, mid-tempo blend of pop- rock that recalls the more adventuresome efforts of Joni Mitchell or Jeff Buckley. The band's music is essentially focused on lyrics and song structure, but with enough room for the band members to flex their considerable chops. Solar is currently working on a self-titled EP which it hopes to have out the first of the year. Shepard speaks: What's the fundamental difference between Grout and Solar? "Grout was kind of fusion and experimental, and this the other end of that spectrum. What's interesting to me is everyone can play their instruments, I mean really play. When they come together, you got all the different elements affecting the music which gives it the dimen sions it has." With only a few gigs under the band's collec tive belt, where do you see the live show going? "We're working out the quirks and working on a show. We're just working on putting on a good show for people in all areas. It's not hard rock and loud as fuck, but it's also not just three-chord pop rock. It's cerebral." So why should someone bother to see Solar? "Not to be biased about it, but it's different enough from anything else in town that people should come check it out. I don't see to many bands with cur instrumentation, and I think people will dig it if they'd just lend us an ear." Solar plays Tasty World on Thursday, August 10 with Chubby and Mike Ul. JULIE POWELL TRIO Julie Powell—acoustic guitar, vocals Erik Hinds—"h'apreggione", fretless 7-string guitar Colin Bragg—electric guitar Recently graduating from the University of Georgia with a Master's Degree in Musical Composition, singer-songwriter Julie Powell says that writing songs is as valid an art form as painting, sculpting or poetry. To her, art is all about an individual's voice and perception of the subject, and is dependent on interaction with the audience. Instead of concentrating on recording and touring, Powell and her trio con centrate on what she calls "playing for the people," making that connection through art. The current incar nation of the trio, featuring guitarists Colin Bragg and Erik Hinds (his "h'apreg gione" is a custom- made instrument that combines cello, double bass, guitar and sitar), is more song-oriented than the group's previous efforts. Heavily inspired by Joni Mitchell, Powell says the band plays folk-tinged music with an emphasis on lyrics, yet with a free rhythmic touch. The end result is something of a folk-jazz fusion with Powell's lyrics at the forefront. Powell speaks: You called what you do "playing for the people." What's that mean, exactly? "To me, any art—certainly performance art— is all about connecting with an audience. It really doesn't exist without another person. The only reason I do this is because of the reactions you get in the moment. Otherwise, it's like a conversation with yourself." How would you explain that concept to someone who doesn't see music as a legiti mate art form like painting or poetry? "1 ree every genre as an art form. You need to look at each individual artist and where their ability is. With Monet, it's light; he painted with light and shadow. With someone like Bob Dylan, he said things in the most profound way that have been said a million times. Studying art in school, you tend to be told only certain things are art and artists are the elite. I've come to believe it's a much more personal thing than that and it's about each person's individual voice. With a lot cf the music that's on pop radio now, it's not neces sarily bad; it's just interchangeable. For me, what I do, it's about being honest." How do you see yourself in the cannon of folks like Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell or Patti Smith? "Ideally, I would like to be in that line in that I keep it an art. The whole industry idea, I would like to never fall into that trap of making a product to be sold. Ideally, I'd like to pick up where Joni Mitchell left off from the whole Jaco Pastorius period and sav someone got what she was doing there.” How does jazz factor into all of this? "I've been involved in jazz as it is, and I've been respectful of it. To me musically, it's the equivalent of talking; it's all about being in the moment, the freedom of interaction with the other musicians." The Julie Powell Trio ploys the Flicker Theatre on Thursday, August 10 at 8:30 p.m. ntHS MUSIC ffle fg Mg 9ft INFO: 353-8869 VISIT US AT WVm.ATHENSMUSICFACTORY.COM FOR FREE FOOD & PASSES > run met ruuu & riiiiMi J 420 E. CLAYTON ST. * DOWNTOWN * SERVING LUNCH 11:30-3 AND DINNER 5-10 DAILY HAPPY HOUR M-F 5-7pm FREE POOL $1 Pints Dos Cquis 8 Killians/$2 Pints of Guinness 8 Bass EUERYAWEDNESDAYi M fHREin OPEN TURN TABLES rs3.5o\ I M I 18 1U upJ BREAKS & HIP HOP RED BULL I L AND MM DJ'S COME IN FOR TIME SLOT 10-2:30 kyODKAJfE EVERYiTHURSDAYi QUARTER DISCO NIGHT HL Dance Night withD J Suprflyy W FREE FOR 21 & UP W QIIEQXCMDS7QQ The Neal Pattman Band The Carlton Owens Conspiracy with Special Guest Clarence Cameron 10-12 SI Jager Shots SI Bottles ot Bud Lt. \vXL i LADIES IMIGHT withD J KAS Ladies 18 & Up FREE 03EE Tons ot T-Shirts and Giveaways Champagne Sunday -CARLTON OWENS CONSPIRACY 0 GmniHjiMUJK) BLUE MONDAY live 8:301 opm Little Bag “ s IB-Close Don't Know Wl III YPapItnn Rul/ptis Plappnnp namnnn .lasnn FiiIIrp .Inhn Wavnp A . (Carlton Owens, Clarence Camron, Jason Fuller, John Wayne, A.J. Adams) mew, smeejee Singer Songwriter Showcase WALKING FOR DAYS • CHRIS MOORE • WILL MARTIN ^fcJONATHAN VANCE • PARAKEET NELSON ggh ?jif^ $1 Pints of Hfllheken Wlr AUGUST 9, 2000 FLAGPOLE E