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CLUB & WIRE
MUSIC NEWS AND GOSSIP
The South's Getting Ugly Again... What The Hell?:
Athens-based rapper Bubba Sparxxx celebrated
the official release of his brand new album. Dark
Days, Bright Nights (Beat Club/Interscope), down
town at the two-story Gator Haters bar on Clayton
Street on Wednesday, October 10. Sparxxx (bom
Warren Anderson Mathis) is rapidly becoming
become one of the hottest rappers in the country
and his first single, "Ugly" (co-produced by
Timbaland), is already climbing the charts and
seeing major airplay on MTV and BET. Interscope
and Sparxxx's management team “rented" Gator
Haters and provided
passes for various fans,
press (not us) and
celebrities. Over 200
eager fans—many of
whom drove in from
out of town—gathered
outside the bar all
evening, clogging
traffic and freaking out
the local bike cops.
Most were denied
entrance. Atlanta-based
heavyweight champ Evander Holyfield was
spotted at the party early in the evening. Sparxxx
made his entrance around midnight. No sign of
MTVs Carson Daly.
Sad News: Colorado-based "siamgrass" ensemble
Leftover Salmon has canceled its East Coast tour
due to banjoist-vocalist Mark Vann's health situa
tion. Vann was recently diagnosed with melanoma
a’d began chemotherapy on Monday, October 15.
The band has canceled dates through October 27
including the show slated for Tuesday, October 23
at the Georgia Theatre. The band has put
together four nights of "Salmon & Friends" in
Colorado during the first week of November. Check
leftoversalmon.com for details.
What's Poppin' At 90.5 FM WUOG, You Ask?: Your
pimpadelic college radio station is experiencing a
bit of a hip hop renaissance these days, what
with The Arsonists, Roots Manuva, the Funky
Precedent, Vol. 2 comp all in rotation and the
Cuban Hip Hop All-Stars collection resting at #1
on the chart (as of this writing). Of course,
Athens is a rock town, currently cowering from
and snarling at the electro/hip hop tide much as
the bandleaders of the late 1950's tried to put off
acknowledging rock and roll, so we've also got
some Tricky Woo, Idaho (specifically Levitate.
their saddest and finest record since Year After
Year) and other more traditional rock/roll type
stuff to keep you oriented. Fo however long.
Enjoy. [Emerson Dameron]
Y Repeater: After spending last winter in the
studio, the serious-minded D.C. punk vets in
Fugazi finally released the fruits of their labor this
week: a killer 10-song album called The Argument
and a three-song single titled Furniture ♦ 2—both
on the Dischord label, of course. The Argument fea
tures some of the
strongest and most
frightening guitar-rock
stuff the quartet has
ever recorded. The
release date for the film
documentary Instrument
DVD is November 12.
The disc contains two
extra short films by
indie filmmaker (and
former Athens resident)
Jem Cohen with Fugazi
providing the soundtracks as well as three addi
tional unabridged live songs from three different
concerts. No tour dates as of yet.
Ilk City: Athens-based label WARM Recordings
has another release in the oven. Elk City, an
experimental pop trio out of New York City, have a
new five-song EP due out titled The Sea Is Fierce.
"This is a preview of their full length to be
released early next year," says WARM'S Brian
Causey. "They have a sound between Yo La Tengo
and a schoolbus full of children." Look for the disc
on October 23. Elk City is scheduled to play in
Athens with The Nationals on Wednesday,
November 7 at the Caledonia Lounge.
Escape From Oak Mountain: On October 1 and 2,
the Georgia Theatre hosted a "DVD Release" party
commemorating the first ever release of an entire
Widespread Panic concert. A portion of the pro
ceeds will benefit the American Red Cross. The
o ficial release date of the double DVD, entitled
Widespread Panic Live At Oak Mountain, was
October 9. The disc—produced by filmmaker Geoff
Hanson {Scrapple)—features the Athens jam band
live at Oak Mountain Amphitheater in Pelham,
Alabama on August 12, 2000. The DVD is being
released by Panic's label Sanctuary Records. In
addition, Hanson is completing production of the
new documentary film. The Earth Will Swallow You.
due out early next year. The film "captures the
sights, sounds and spirit of Widespread Panic'
monumental Summer 2000 tour." Widespread
Panic, meanwhile, is currently on yet another U.S.
tour and will be back at Philips Arena in Atlanta
for three "New Year's" shows on December 29, 30,
and 31.
Breaking Up Ain't Hard To Do: Jeez, didn't some
body ring the bell or something? A sle*. of rock
bands have tossed in the towel recently. Atlanta
"all girl" trio Lift has called it quits after six years
together. Frontlady Molly Bancroft will press
ahead as a solo artist, however (look for her at
Smith's Olde Bar on Sunday, October 28). Here in
Athens, violinist-vocalist Amy Heaton very
recently reported that her off-kilter "folk rock"
group Frangipane broke up on the eve of its per
formance at last week's "Green Lantern Music
Showcase" at the Watt. Hell-raising, black shirt-
wearing, Seattle-based garage-punk band Murder
City Devils is also grinding to a slow halt.
According to reports from the group's longtime
label Sub Pop, keyboardist Leslie Hardy has left
the band. A tour behind
the new EP Thelema will
go on as scheduled with
replacement keyboardist
Nick DeWitt. After the
tour, bassist Derek
Fudesco will leave the
band to concentrate on
his new unit. Pretty
Girls Make Graves.
Dude: ATO Records has
signed Georgia
Southern-fusion band
Gov't Mule for a mas
sive recording project
called The Deep End. a
three-part series of
releases features
singer-guitarist Warren Haynes A and
drummer Matt Abts alongside 25 of the world's
premiere bass players. The Mule recorded new
original material and select cover tunes with
bassists including Bootsy Collins. Flea, Me'shell
N'degeocello. Phil Lesh. Mike Watt. John
Entwistle. Larry Graham, Stefan Lessard, Mike
Gordon and others. (If you've never heard of any
of these bass players you deserve to be hog-tied.)
The project includes two separate album* of music
and a documentary film directed by Phish bassist
Mike Gordon. The endeavor fallows the death of
Mule bassist Allen Woody just over a year ago.
"The inspiration was really not knowing how to
continue forward," states Haynes in a recent press
release. "When Woody passed away, we were in
the middle of preparing for what would be the
next Gov't Mule record anyway. We didn't know
how to continue that process—we didn't want to
start auditioning bass players to try to find a per
manent replacement. So the idea came about that
all of our favorite bass players might be too busy
to join the band, or even do a whole tour, but
maybe they wouldn't be too busy to do one song.
All these guys are different from each other, and
the array of influences really covers the whole
gamut, but they're all people who influenced us,
especially Woody. They are all people who found
their way into his playing." Watch for the band at
the Tabernacle in Atlanta on Saturday, October 20
and took for The Deep End Vol. 1. in stores on
October 23.
More Unlikely Collaborators: Under the moniker
Oysterhead. Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio,
Primus bassist Les Claypool, and Police drummer
Stewart Copeland have released a studio album
titled The Grand Pecking Order (Elektra) and plan
to tour under the moniker. After an impromptu
jam session at Jazz Fest in New Orleans a yea'
ago, the three veterans began jamming on song
ideas and actually penned 13 songs. Early word-
of-mouth on the project is huge
and curious fans gob
bled up tickets for a
20-date concert tour
that launches on
October 21 in Seattle.
Hey, was that the
rhythm section of
Flickerstick chowing
down at Weaver D's last
week, or just two
shaggy tourists with
bad tats and do's? The
"Bands On The Run"
champs played to a full
house at the Georgia
Theatre, armed with a
massive light show, a
battery of guitar effects
and a large-scale projection of insect footage.
Can't remember a single tune, though. Saucy
"Bands On The Run" cohort Harlow is next in line
for Athens, opening for drivin n cryin at the 40
Watt on Friday, November 9.
So long, puds. I'm outta town paying the tubs for
a few weeks. Please send any music news to my
overqualified fill-in Brandon Butler by email at
music@flagpole.com; by voice mail at 706-549-
2630; by fax at 706-549-8981; or by simple post
to P.0. Box 1027, Athens. GA 30603. He'll take
care of things for ya.
Ballard Lesemann
3670 Atlanta Hwy.
In .The Publix Shopping Center
7/06-549-5283
Aittie
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30 FLAGPOLE.COM • OCTOBER 17, 2001