Brett On Bands

Articles and interviews with musicians, artists, and provocateurs.

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Local Band Seeks Stolen Trailer, Equipment

Donation-Based Benefit at Vinyl Music Hall Sunday 6PM

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A musician without gear is a fish without water, a bird without wings. For local artists, the constant grind of piecing together paying gigs leaves little room for that next piece of equipment that may put their sound and show over the edge. So imagine waking up one day to the cold, harsh realization that the trailer of tools you've spent years accumulating has vanished. For two of Pensacola music's mainstays, that nightmare became reality earlier this week.

 Sometime in the wee hours of Monday night, Tyler Mac and Tucker ZT’s trailer containing over ten thousand dollars of gear was stolen in the Cordova area of Pensacola. The trailer was equipped with multiple steel locks and parked under a brand new streetlight installed by the city just two months prior. A man in an old, small gray pickup was seen by a neighbor acting suspiciously around 4AM, but no further leads have surfaced. Police reports were promptly filed and all pawnshops notified of the missing gear.

 There is silver lining in the story, though. The Pensacola music community is a small, but tight-knit one, and they look out for one another. It’s a community in the truest sense of the word, and they plan on coming out to Vinyl Music Hall in full force on Sunday for a benefit in support of the gear recovery. Reggae rock band Tribe Zion and blues rock outfit Nick and The Ovorols will open the show, followed by what one should assume will be a fire-breather of a blues, funk and rock and roll set by the Tyler Mac Band.

The rock and roll lifestyle will forever be associated with nothing but fun, but the stark reality of life for the Gulf Coast musician is more grit and grime than glitz and glamour. These guys often spend their nights playing marathon gigs to handfuls of non-attentive people, and their days figuring out where they’re doing the same thing the very next night. They throw their blood, sweat, and tears on the stage, all to give us a momentary escape from the doldrums of life. Shouldn’t we, for once, return the favor?

WHAT: TYLER MAC BAND STOLEN EQUIPMENT BENEFIT w/ Nick & The Ovorols, Tribe Zion

WHEN: Sunday, Dec. 20th – Doors @ 6PM

WHERE: Vinyl Music Hall, 2 S. Palafox

COST: Free; all donations at door will go to the recovery of equipment and trailer

DETAILS: vinylmusichall.com

GOFUNDME: https://www.gofundme.com/kaf4g9nw

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/events/970288193030954

YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_iAJrkWsNXI 

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“Positivity on Palafox”

Based in St. Petersburg by way of the Bahamas, Fiji, and the Amazon jungle, The Hip Abduction is a band whose sound encompasses the globe, but especially Africa and the islands. Thankfully, they avoid the token repetition of the standard reggae fare by blending it with traditional African instruments, thoughtful lyrics, and jam sensibilities. This is music meant to be experienced outside, with the sun at your back, and a brew in hand.

The folks at Blend Lounge are providing just that, with a full block party in downtown Pensacola on Saturday from 12-5. The event includes a bartending competition at 1, with all proceeds benefiting Domestic Violence Awareness.

O&A spoke with guitarist and lead singer David New about how his time in the Bahamas changed him and how the connection between music and nature has shaped both his worldview and the band’s sound.

O&A: Where did that initial interest in the band’s true African sound come?

New: I’ve always listened to music from all over the world. One of the first records I ever owned was Paul Simon’s Graceland. From there, I studied and followed all the artists affilliated with that album in South Africa, West Africa, and Zimbabwe.

O&A: With such a unique collective sound, how did you all come together? Were you showing up at the same shows?

New: It was more the singer-songwriter thing. You pick up a drummer, then you pick up a bass player on Craigslist, and oddly enough, out in the ocean surfing.

O&A: Nature seems to run all through the band’s sound, lyrics and videos. What’s the connection between music and natural world?

New: For a lot of people including myself, nature is a type of church or sanctuary. I never really had a niche for music or who I really was until I started exploring the world in my two years living in the Bahamas.

O&A: How long were you in the Bahamas?

New: Two and a half years. One of our guys lived in the Amazon jungle for a couple years, and another spent a year in Fiji. All sorts of beauty can grow out of the emptiness and stillness that nature provides.

O&A: There’s also a huge sense of positivity that runs through your music. Where does that come from?

New: A lot of it comes through that same connection to nature. I’m not preaching or trying to spread anything, but any sort of music that makes people happy in this world is good for the future of any community. It also comes from living in the islands for a while. I met a lot of generally happy people who love living off the land, and doing the best with what they have.

O&A: Talk about the moment it became serious for the band, when you realized this was something that could truly be special.

New: Our first sold-out home show in 2010 was surreal, but once our second album hit the Billboard charts, our fire was lit.

O&A: Does life on the road ever get tiring?

New: It’s tough. Even though we’re gone three and half months out of the year, it feels like you’re gone nine months, between the actual travel, sleeping on random couches, and bandmates snoring. It’s rough, but it’s amazing at the same time. I can’t imagine being on tour as a cover band where you’re not playing your own music and you don’t get people cheering for your own original stuff. That’d be soul-killing.

O&A: Why are you going the Kickstarter route in funding the new record?

New: We need money! That’s number one. It’s also a way to let your fans know what’s going on and be generally connected to the band. We’ve never had more response from anything else we’ve released. Before this, people would say, “Oh, cute. He’s in a band.” But now, people are blown away.

O&A: Nothing’s real until it’s on the Internet!

New: Yeah, it’s on the interwebs!. My Mom won’t think I’m doing well until I’m on Ellen. They’re playing us on radio stations across the country, but it doesn’t register to my parents.

Back to Kickstarter. The bottom line is that we want to be able to control it all. We’ve worked hard and saved money, and I don’t want to dish out 50% to a record label. I don’t want to give up our rights.

O&A: SiriusXM station Jam On just premiered your new single “Come Alive”. Are you surprised by the amount of support you’ve gotten from the jam community?

New: A little bit, yes. We appreciate every fan. I didn’t know if the reggae rock thing was our scene. We aren’t singing about Jah and weed every song. But we do have some reggae going on, and we do like to jam, so it makes sense. Jam fans are truly dedicated to all aspects of the music, from the live shows to actually buying the records. You don’t get that from the pop world.

WHAT: THE HIP ABDUCTION

WHEN: Saturday, November 14, 3-5p.m.; bartending competition at 1 p.m.

WHERE: Blend Lounge, 200 S. Palafox

COST: Free; all proceeds from booze and BBQ sales benefit Domestic Violence Awareness

DETAILS: thehipabduction.com or blendlounge.com/land/beatsbbq

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Floozies Dance Party to Thaw Out Pensacola

The weather’s cold, but the club is not. On Saturday, guitarist/producer Mark Hill and drummer Mark Hill take to Vinyl Music Hall to give funk, electronic, and hip hop fans a reason to let loose. The brothers are fresh off a performance at funk mecca Bear Creek Music Festival, so they will, without a doubt, be fired up. What follows is an interview chock full of everything the Floozies’ music is capable of – wit, humor, and the ability to relax and have a little fun.

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Captain Green is the type of band you never get a full handle on. One second, they’re the swampiest funk band you’ve ever heard. At the drop of a dime, they’re playing pulsing jazz that leaves you weak in the knees. Next thing you know, their psychedelia sends you halfway to the moon. Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir once said that his favorite thing about music is when time goes away. With Captain Green, time and all its limitations cease to exist. All that remains is a trust in the power of unpredictability and the belief that, in the end, groove will prevail. O&A spoke with the band about the newest addition to the group and the joys and perils of life on the road as an independent band.

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"The year is 2005. New Orleans-based funk outfit Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes is putting itself back together after Hurricane Katrina. I’m in my first semester of college, devouring anything and everything without a price tag. The UWF RadioLive series typically has a singer-songwriter vibe, and this band is anything but.  When the band first plugs in, I’m not sure what to expect. They proceed to shatter the my musical sensibilities into a million little pieces. To this day, hundreds of concerts later, I can look back at that show and claim it vital to my evolution. They taught me that funky can be classy, and that classical elements can bring the funk, so long as it all stays full of sweat, grit, and exploration. O&A woke guitarist, electric cello and vocalist Marc Paradis from his couch to ask him how all the various influences of the band came together and how important New Orleans is to the spirit of the band."

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"Zoogma may be the most fitting band name I’ve ever heard. Based on the Greek word “zeug” meaning to join, it’s no wonder this band transcends all genres, eras, and locales. From the hill country blues region of Oxford, Mississippi, these four guys have combined the booming energy of jamtronica with the swagger of hip hop into something all its own. If you’ve seen Zoogma, you know the thrill. If not, prepare yourself. Guitarist Justin Hastings talks here about their roots and the 6AM farmhouse shows that got the whole thing rolling."

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"Although it’s a dream of most serious music fans, organizing a music festival is not all rainbows and butterflies. Especially in a town as fickle as Pensacola, it’s a huge risk and some serious work.  Now in its third year, Pensacola’s very own Pass the Good Festival has conquered the growing pains that any new festival faces by focusing on the main reason people go to these things – the music. O&A chatted briefly with organizer Stewart Beck about why electronic music speaks to him and where the festival is headed."

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"Jacksonville is as well-represented as any city on the Pass the Good lineup. In a town previously best known for Lynyrd Skynyrd, it’s a  small miracle that the EDM and jam scenes have taken such hold there. Toeing the line between those two genres is Lucky Costello. Keyboard player Wil Begley fought an ear infection and a sunburn from hell to speak with O&A about his city and his music."

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Crate Dig of the Day Dr. John Plays Mac Rebennack (1982) Found: FYE, $2.50

Is there a more enigmatic musician than Dr. John? He's the type of personality that announces itself to the room without saying a word, but his unique presence often overshadows the most important thing about Mac Rebennack - he can play the hell out of a piano. For the first time on record, the persona is pushed aside. It's nothing but Mac, his piano, and a set of mostly instrumental funk, blues, jazz, and gospel tunes that instantly transport you to the muggy and mysterious city we all love, New Orleans.

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Pickin' On Perceptions

"For those who still hear the banjo lick from “Deliverance” every time the word bluegrass is uttered, fear not. Greensky Bluegrass is re-defining the genre for the next generation. Combining acoustic instruments with the unpredictable attitude of improvisational rock and roll, the five-piece returns to Pensacola for what should be a barn-burner of a weekend show. Mandolin player and vocalist Paul Hoffman spoke with O&A about playing with his idols, the unique spirit of acoustic music, and how he stays sane on the road." 

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Jam Is Not a Dirty Word "The Heavy Pets know what you’re thinking when you hear the word jam-band. Chances are, your notion of what this type of band can do is about to be shattered. You know the negative stereotypes – soullessly meandering guitar solos, cringe-worthy vocals, and lyrics that sound like something your artsy nephew wrote for his seventh-grade poetry class. All that stuff truly does permeate the jam scene, but as guitarist and vocalist Jeff Lloyd put in the interview that follows, there are only two types of music – good and bad. This is a very good jam-band, one that recognizes the transcendent power of a band willing to take risks on stage while making every note and lyric count."

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Cutting Through the Austin Noise with Bright Light Social Hour "In the last decade, Austin, Texas has built a reputation as the hub for the South’s eccentrics, artists, and musicians. The city has a distinctly independent flavor that, by now, reaches across the entire country. So how does a band break through all the noise? Bright Light Social Hour has done exactly that with a finely honed blend of art-rock flair and good old-fashioned rock and roll, funk and soul. O&A spoke to bassist Jack O’Brien about life on the road and how they stand out in a sea of people doing things differently."

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To Infinity and Beyond with The Nadis Warriors

"Can live music be spiritually invigorating? It may sound heavy-handed, but it’s something The Nadis Warriors strive to accomplish with each show. The Austin-based psychedelic jam outfit joins forces with Jacksonville natives and Pensacola favorite S.P.O.R.E. to present a fresh, palette-cleansing take on electronic music on the sands of Pensacola Beach. Here, guitarist Jared Ingebretson talks about his initial attraction to the electronic world and the unique worldview his band promotes."

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"Live. Local. Original. That’s the gospel of Pensacola blues band Fatty Waters. After winning the Northwest Florida Region of the IBC, they will travel to Memphis to compete with over 300 bands from across the globe. As with anything in this life, the week-long trip will cost a good chunk of change. The band hopes to raise the money with a barn-burner of a show tonight at Vinyl Music Hall."

“Four nights in downtown Memphis, a rental car, and gas gets expensive. We’d also like to eat while we’re there,” drummer Justin Headley told the IN after a Monday night gig at Paradise Bar and Grill on Pensacola Beach. It’s a harsh reality for a band that can spend up to 150 days a year on the road."

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When Buzz Rings True

"It takes most bands years to gain traction with the public. This is not the case for Fitz & the Tantrums. Within a week of meeting, they were playing their first gig. By their 10th show, they were in front of 8,000 people at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater. Keyboard player Jeremy Ruzumna tells the story of the band’s fortuitous meeting, its rocket ride to relative stardom, and having the gall to sonically branch off from a debut album that was so successful."

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Jazz's Funky New Blood

"Never turn down a free CD. Sure, most of the time, the music will be cringe-worthy, but every now and then, you find a diamond in the rough like Captain Green. Before their two shows in Pensacola, keyboardist Ross Hoppe spoke to the IN about the seven-piece band’s unique brand of psychedelic funk and jazz, their musical heroes, and how the band approaches their live show."

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From Choir Girl to Rock and Roller

Armed with a voice that snakes through the foggy bayous of rural Louisiana and explodes with feeling in the streets of New Orleans, Maggie Koerner is here to pull at your heartstrings. Maybe pull is too light of a word. She yanks them full force. With her self-written, self-produced second record, “Neutral Ground,” in the bag, Koerner candidly spoke with the IN about this whirlwind of a year that’s been her first in the Big Easy.