Michael "Buffalo" Smith.

We southerners are a unique breed, in all humbleness and honesty.  And the way we are perceived is often multi-layered and complex, for a geographically and stereotypically pigeonholed group of folks.  Sometimes it’s disarmingly charming, sometimes it’s laden with humor, and sometimes it’s brutally honest. But then again, so is life.

And if it happened in music, in the genre of Southern Rock, and more particularly, thru the eyes of a southern renaissance man – it was probably performed, covered, experienced, and written about by Michael “Buffalo” Smith.

Smith is an author, music journalist and musician living in Greenville, SC. He grew up down the road in Spartanburg during the heat of the seventies Southern Rock boom at a time when his hometown heroes The Marshall Tucker Band were at the top of their game. Even then Buffalo was sowing the seeds that would one day find him referred to as the “Ambassador of Southern Rock.”

Buffalo worked many jobs as newspaper editor, features writer, columnist, sports reporter, layout and more. He also logged several years as a radio air personality while singing and playing his own music and recording five albums that featured many of his high school era heroes, including Bonnie Bramlett, Pete Carr, George McCorkle, Tommy Crain and Tommy Talton.

In 1998, Buffalo founded the online magazine GRITZ and began a ride that lasted over 13 years, including three years as a glossy print magazine. During the GRITZ years, Buffalo conducted countless interviews and wrote hundreds of features, reviews and columns/blogs. When CMT needed a Southern Rock authority to appear on their Outlaw Country and Southern Rock special, they enlisted Buffalo. He would later appear on the documentary section of the Shout! Factory release Live from the Garden State by The Marshall Tucker Band.

In 1997 Buffalo’s first book was published by Marshall Tucker Entertainment of Beverly Hills, CA. Carolina Dreams: The Musical Legacy of Upstate SC was a history of the MTB and all the other great music that came from the region. The book includes lots of great photos and history on The Marshall Tucker Band (and all the bands that they had prior to MTB), Garfeel Ruff (featuring the amazing Rickey Godfrey), Artimus Pyle, Hank Sugarfoot Garland, Esquerita, Marshall Chapman, David Ball, Don Reno, Aaron Tippin and many more… Star tributes to both Toy and Tommy Caldwell, many one on one interviews. Foreword written by Charlie Daniels and an introduction by Marshall Tucker’s Doug Gray.

His second book, 2006’s Outlaws, Rebels & Renegades, was drawn from over seven years worth of published interviews, “Outlaws” includes some of the best interviews conducted by Smith for GRITZ Magazine (as well as other publications like Goldmine and Hittin The Note) with members of The Allman Brothers Band, Gov’t Mule, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker Band and many more.

His most recent release is The Brown Box: Remembering Greenville Memorial Auditorium. This is the history a S.C. venue that, although it was closed and imploded in the early ’90s, still holds a lot of happy memories for many people. It was the home of Monday night wrestling and the site of many outstanding concerts including the final performance by the original Lynyrd Skynyrd band. The fans, the stars and the employees were interviewed for this little labor of love.

He currently has a memoir book in line for publication called Prisoner of Southern Rock with a foreword by Billy Bob Thornton, which will be published by Mercer University Press in September, 2012.

And for current interviews with the legends of Southern Rock and more, tune in his online radio show – The Buffalo Radio Show, Sundays at 7 p.m. at www.blogtalkradio.com/michaelbuffalo.

More than a musician, writer and historian, Michael is a cherished treasure for those who grew up with music as an integral part of their lives.  He is a damn fine man, an even finer friend – and we are all the better for his presence.

For more on Michael or to order one or all of his books and other merchandise, check out www.universalmusictribe.com

This article was also published in Alternatives NewsMagazine, Vol. XXVI No. 9, Jan. 26 – Feb. 9, 2012.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 4,100 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 3 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

By Brian M. Howle

It really is hard to believe that yet another Christmas has snuck right up and foisted itself upon an unprepared and skittish world.  As I write this, it is the literal beginning of the 12 Days of Christmas, as we get that honest assessment deal going on just in time for Christmas.

For those who celebrate this holiday of Christmas – who have it so ingrained into their memories it is essentially a part of their personality – that whole Thanksgiving weekend deal really begins to set off all the little hidden sensors that will chime in familiar succession as traditions beget memories that beget new memories …

And they all become this glorious, wonderfully individual glop of a lifetime that we call our souls.

Oh for sure, the involuntary nature of cardio and pulmonary gives us a heart, and it does keep us alive while it’s healthy.

But that warm and fuzzy (or bare and destitute) feeling we get at holiday times can become much, much more than just a storage facility for happy memories with grandpa and grandma and Crazy Aunt Lisa.  It can also give us cause to reflect on our lives, and the world around us; to reset the big picture and make sense out of what has become clouded on our journey through life.

This more erudite, progressive, thinking person’s world has now reached a position of being above it all, really; a place where there is no time for silly throwbacks to our Puritan founders. They see religion as the root problem of just about every argument they roll out, and on any other given day a lot of people just might have the inclination to agree on that one.

I have to admit, although I pride myself on being intently observant of the world around me, I missed the exact date that things began to change.  I don’t remember there being any one incident or announcement that trumpeted when things took a turn from normalcy and common sense, but it’s an unfortunate fact that now resides before us at this time of worldwide celebration and faith.

Since there wasn’t any huge public outcry against it that I can ever remember as a child, it’s difficult to understand exactly why it has even become an issue.  I mean, really.

But as you all know by now, those wonderful folks who decide what the rest of us can and can’t say or do or share or celebrate in our nation of freedom of choice and freedom of religion have most fervently put the ol’ kabash on that most hateful, hurtful and horrible phrase that some particularly selfish citizens inflict on unsuspecting friends, neighbors and strangers:

“Merry Christmas!”

Again, this isn’t any insane argument about anyone’s belief system.  The say, “oh, you can still have your precious little religion.  We don’t mind that.  You just can’t celebrate it or speak of it in public.”

And the end-all reason for this view, for this mass edict that all must bow to and obey? Why is it we can’t say it?

“Because it’s offensive.”

It occurs to me that, as long as we’re talking fantasy views here, that we could solve the nation’s energy crisis tout de suite if we could hook up a generator to the graves of our founding fathers, ‘cause they must be spinning like the Large Hadron Collider right about now.

The initial concept of political correctness was, as most things are, a fair and noble idea.  Those with certain conditions, afflictions or affiliations seemed to always be the butt of jokes by the majority, and words can leave wounds after all, so let’s just start watching our p’s and q’s, shall we?

And so, a considerate thought for the feelings of a few “special” folks amongst us was born as not just an idea, but a movement.  And if there’s one thing we humans (especially Americans) latch on to like a seagull on a french fry, it’s a movement.

Oh, those poor, poor folks who have been wronged by your and my beliefs, our holidays and all the ancillary traditions that go along with it.  Can’t you feel how they were wronged and ridiculed by our evil declarations of “Merry Christmas!”?

But as we all know, all too painfully by now, that whole “seemed like a good idea at the time” vibe that accompanied most P.C. agendas quickly morphed into a public-shame-&-humiliation hydra that soon developed tentacles of truly stupid and ill-conceived laws.

And the long-standing battle between those of ecumenical beliefs and those without escalated into even more absurd and idiotic arrays of charges and counter charges.

Townships, communities, cities, counties, states and ultimately federal governments began issuing edicts of what was and was not allowed to be displayed or celebrated at taxpayer expense due to “consideration for those not members of the thingy-du-jour.”

Crosses that had adorned land or buildings for decades were actually outlawed by an American court of law.  Nativity scenes were ordered taken down in town after town because they promoted one religion over another.  The singing of religious songs was also rather unceremoniously banned.

Again, this is not my fight for one religion.  I’m not pushing Christianity over anything else. That is not the issue.

This is about taking law and using it as a tool to impose narrow concepts on the majority of the populace.

But the simple act of acknowledging the existence of Christmas, alone, can not be denied by decree or ignored by those who believe.

Growing up in a relatively religious atmosphere – from what I witnessed – didn’t seem to have drastically affected any of my friends in any negative or nefarious manner.

What it did do, however, was to makes us all aware of the needs of those less fortunate than us.  It made us have a core value base that imparted us with a sense of pride in our community, for respect of our neighbors’ property.  We understood the need for everyone to do their part all aspects of our lives, because there literally was no such thing as a free lunch.

There was, however, such a thing as compassion and assistance thru churches and service organizations.

The obligatory meal to make the holiday seem more normal for those without food gets all the press on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Everyone sees those PR opportunities.

But, those same people need food, clothing and shelter on every other day of the year, too.  Difficulties and hardship do not take vacations or time off.

It’s an extremely difficult concept for me to wrap my head around, to be honest with you.  I was raised by a family, a neighborhood, and a community that looked after one another and rallied in a moment’s notice in the event of tragedy or loss.

These same people made the advent of the holiday season the most anticipated time of the year by engaging in the simplest and least expensive tradition ever conceived:
Exchanging goodies.

Oh, while I’m sure some families who were particularly close to one another may have done some actual gift exchanges – but that’s not the goodies I’m talking about.

And no, gifts of libation aren’t these goodies, either.

I’m talking ‘bout food.

Not just run-down-to-the-Piggly-Wiggly, precooked, mass produced munchies, kids.  I mean, honest-to-peanuts, made from scratch goodies.

There are families in my hometown that, to this day, most likely guard that family recipe like it’s the next project coming up from Apple.

One family made a chocolate cake that would give you the same chemical rush of pleasure as heroin – in theory.

Another family baked cookies that were recognized as legal tender in several of the more advance culinary nations.

There was an avalanche of the best cookies, cakes, pies, and pastries – along with the occasional liqueur – the likes of which no issue of Southern Living magazine has ever had the distinct honor and pleasure of photographing, sampling and sharing with the world.

Hardly was there ever a time in the many, many years that have passed from those happier, carefree days that my siblings and I didn’t make some reference to those simple delights.  When we reflected on this dish or that, and who made it, that tangible part of our past and our present began to foreshadow the future, as the numbers of those friends and families slowly began to dwindle.  There was the expected attrition from children growing, marrying and in most cases, moving away.

And then came the attrition through the normal cycle of life.

This is not a bad thing, nor is it a harbinger of end times, this shaking off of our mortal coils.  But with each loss, those of us left behind begin to feel the erosion of all those things that we – and our parents – held so dear, and fought so valiantly to maintain.  And the battle to preserve that lifestyle seemed to become more and more, one of diminishing returns.

However, the families of my youth have grown and evolved through a couple more generations.  And with each child of these folks that I meet today – now adults with children of their own – it is impossible to ignore the familiar watermark on the hearts and the values of these small-town folks who raised them.

So join my friends and I in keeping these traditions alive.

If you know of an elderly, homebound or just a lonely individual who is facing this season alone, please give of your time and your heart – and make a wonderful difference in their life, if only for a day.

And I promise you – that person will absolutely not consider your religion a problem.

So to all of you sharing this amazing planet – enjoy your religion, or lack of it – and may you all have a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy New Year!

The column was also published in Alternatives NewsMagazine and Coast Magazine, Dec. 15, 2011 – January 12, 2012.

Baby Doll and Ken have a front yard reunion.

Note: Every Christmas, I try to write a column that extolls the spirit of the season, something nice, something sweet, something quite unlike the daily ugliness we all face out in the big, bad world.  This year was easy; several stories were in wait to be selected already when this came across my news feed this week.  If you know someone particularly jaded or lacking something to believe in, have them take a quick look at this.  It’s a short read, but will stay with you forever. – Brian

By Midwest Horse Welfare Foundation, Inc., from a post on Facebook

We were just talking about how horses never forget. Here is a short story from one of our friends and adopters, John and Cindy. I thought this might bring some Christmas cheer to those who need it. Feel free to share if you wish.

We look after a sweet mare by the name of Baby Doll. Her owner is a man named Ken who is getting up there in his years (he is 90+ now).  Due to health issues Ken has not been out to the barn in over a year to see his beloved mare.  Now, Ken is one of these guys that when he would come to the barn each week he always had some dog & cat food for the barn critters, treats for his and other horses and usually a 2 day old Danish for the barn managers.  You get the picture of what type of man Ken is.

Cindy and our friend Kym decided to pay Ken a visit a few weeks ago (he lives about a 1-1/2 hour drive from the barn, not far from O’Hare airport) and in tow with them was Baby Doll. They knocked on Ken’s door, who was delighted to see his ole friends Cindy and Kym. They smiled and said someone else was here to see him, and there was Baby Doll in the yard (right there in the Chicago suburbs).

Cindy said the look on his face was nothing but pure joy and when he called his beloved mare her ears perked up so tall; she knew and missed that voice.  Now, Ken is not one to show a lot of emotion (he fought some nasty battles in WW-II), but Cindy said it is the first time she has ever seen a tear in this man’s eyes. There was no doubt that Baby Doll had not forgotten this man who had taken care of her for so many years. Above is a great reunion picture of an ole cowboy greeting his beloved mare that he had not seen in a very long time.

Ken has made arrangements to pay for her even when he is gone. Baby Doll is 26 now and you would never know it, she has such much spunk on trail. She is the best mare I have met and we love her tons, she has such a kind personality.

We plan on printing the picture and putting it in a frame and sending to Ken for Christmas. Cindy said the one that had the most tears in their eyes was Ken’s wife – tears of happiness to see her husband be able to hug the girl he talks about so often. ∆

So, if you know a Ken – or a Ken’s wife – who has lived long and given all they had to give; if you know someone of this age who has served their country in the military, or who worked their entire life either in commerce or making a difference in their community, or who sacrificed career for family or caring for others … please …. take a few minutes to find what could give their weathered hearts a proper dusting off, and injected with love and hope.  And then – do it.

Because Christmas alone is anything but Merry.

Music is one of those things that, no matter how magnificently written, arranged, performed and produced, will always be subject to abject interpretation.  Which is why those who can master the fine art of establishing their chosen genre into the much-sought-after world of “crossover” essentially have achieved the Holy Grail of success.

So, it’s fair to say that Sol Driven Train has that puppy safely tucked away in their formidable cache of accomplishments.

(L-R): Wes Powers on drums; Rusty Cole on bass and vocals; Ward Buckheister on guitar, trombone, and vocals; Russell Clarke on saxophones and vocals; Joel Timmons on guitar and vocals.

The band’s sonic schizophrenia absorbs songwriting influences like Jon Prine and Paul Simon, and afro-caribbean rhythmic explorations, into honest songs of life, love, loss, and long johns. The 5-piece band, based in Charleston, S.C., features rotating lead vocalists, and multi-instrumental talent spread across horns, strings, and percussion. The band members share a musical history dating back to childhood, and their music and live shows are filled with a spirit of positivity and joy, even while traversing subjects of suffering and death.

Sol Driven Train is a band in motion. Perpetually piling on and off the bus, the momentum of their hard work and heart-felt music propels the group in front of growing crowds across the country. At shows, the band members bounce to the pulse of the music along with the crowd. Stylistically the band seamlessly mixes Allmanesque Southern rock, languid world-beat, swampy funk and downright catchy melodies as they swap lead singers and instruments. And the horns … ah, the horns will call to you.

Since the fall of 2005, “the train” has been touring full-time, averaging 150 shows per year at festivals, theaters, and bars. In the spring of 2010, they celebrated their 1,000th live show and ten years together as a band.  In those ten winding years they have shared stages and bills with a diverse array of artists including Micheal Franti, Richie Havens, Keller Williams, Arlo Guthrie, and Blues Traveler. Despite the pace, the band takes time on the road to enjoy outdoor activities such as whitewater rafting, surfing, rock climbing, and cloud gazing. The tour schedule has begun to resemble the nomadic wanderings of a raft guide, ski bum, and itinerant surfer racing between the mountains and the beach. Blatant sponsor plug: Sol Driven Train enjoys Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka as a tour sponsor and over ice with a splash of water and a lemon wedge. (If you haven’t tried Firefly, well, this local lowcountry libation leaves lackluster life loquaciously behind.)

A Review: Watermelon

Sol Driven Train’s latest EP, “Watermelon.”

The first track on this 5-track EP is the title track (As Todd Rundgren pointed out, in the tradition of Motown), “Watermelon.”  Beginning with a nice, easy groove nestled in a subtle funkiness – that gets you doing that involuntary little head-bob thing – it lets you know before you hear verse one, this is a song you’re gonna like.  The austere, compact spectrum of instrumentation perfectly complements the very tasty vocals, as the tune begins a sojourn that culminates with a rap-scented changeup to close it out.

Track 2 is the impishly playful “Vampire.”  I really like songs such as this one, beginning with a samba-soaked bass line that has a hint of mariachi and old-world overtones of accordion tossed in for good measure. It’s all Sol Driven Train, but it does remind me  – albeit 20 years removed – of Chapel Hill’s fabled Squirrel Nut Zippers’ “Hell,” only much better and without the annoying clutter of overproduction.

Track 3 explodes out of your speakers with a no-bones-about-it, hard-core, old-skool, lead-snare drum steam-enginetrain cadence, and wrapped up in “if that ain’t country, I’ll kiss your grits” pickin’ … and appropriately enough, it’s entitled “Romp.”  Music is all too often so deep and ethereal and depressing; this would be a textbook example of “antonym” to that affect.

Next to last on this neat little EP, “Consume” examines the fringe of paranoia in a tune that reminds one of Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention and The Tubes in their creative heydays.  The neat trick to a well-written jam tune is losing the structure in the jam part; making it sound like it’s all thrown together on the fly.  But it’s got some tasty fret burners laced in all the nifty syncopation.  As with all the tracks on this CD, it’s just really well arranged and produced. The recurring thought while listening to this track (and, really, all of them) is, “These guys are from my state? Seriously? Chucktown and everything? Wow.”

And of course, to throw you completely off kilter, the final track “For Old Time’s Sake” immediately conjures up traditional churchy blues and hymnal charts.  Great simplicity wrapped in rich vocal harmonies that just sound so much bigger than they are, with a mixture of N’awlins tribute and Southern Baptist blues in a ballet of horns and piano riffs. A nice, slow, reflective ending to a really eclectic musical ride, perhaps it helps to be a native of the lowcountry, or the Palmetto State, or the Old South.

Or maybe it’s just great music.  Yeah, that’s probably it.

And after all … it would explain all these black seeds and green rinds laying around my stereo in a pool of sticky, sweet musical refreshment.

There are a bunch of reasons it would make a great Christmas gift, too, kids. It’s good, it’s affordable, and it’s available.  Wraps easily, mails perfectly.  Brings smiles to the face and soothes the soul.

Get a nice, juicy slice of your own at www.soldriventrain.com .

There are some things about life that are just universal.  With the current state of the nation – nay, the world – combined with a hotter ‘n hell/back-to-back packed tropical storm summer here in the south, those of us here along the shores of Shangri la collectively and thankfully welcome the cooler temps that the advent of Fall has brought to bear upon us.  Cool, as they say, is good.

That being the case, it’s about to get cool as grits along the Grand Strand.

After a somewhat quiet summer of music tours, things are about to change in a wonderfully major way as three iconic musical powers – each unique and totally different from each other but equally capable of burning down the stage to the delight of ecstatically frenzied fans – ramp up what promises to be a stellar fall and winter season of tours at House Of Blues in North Myrtle Beach.  Here’s what we have to look forward to over the next couple of weeks.

Trey Anastasio

An Evening with Trey Anastasio Band
Oct. 7

Amongst the faithful who like their rock served up with a healthy helping of long, seemingly meandering free-form jams, there are but a few select names that will bring out the kids in droves.  And anyone who knows the genre has a top 3 that will inevitably include Phish, and in doing so, automatically takes their creative and spiritual leader to the altar of grooviness – and that leader is Trey Anastasio.

Trey Anastasio Band hits the road this winter for an Acoustic & Electric Tour starting Feb 18th at the State Theatre in Portland, ME and ending at the Fox Theater in Oakland, CA on March 5th marking the first TAB dates on the west coast since Trey reunited the Classic TAB lineup in 2008. The lineup will once again feature Natalie Cressman (trombone and vocals), Jennifer Hartswick (trumpet and vocals), Russ Lawton (drums), Tony Markellis (bass and vocals), Ray Paczkowski (keyboards) and Russell Remington (tenor saxophone and flute). The show features a full solo acoustic set from Trey along with a full electric set marking the first time that Trey has toured in this format since 1999.

Trey’s band had it roots in his brother-in-law’s Vermont nightclub, Higher Ground. On April 17, 1998, for the second show in the club’s existence, Anastasio put together a band of local Vermont musicians for a one time performance under the name Eight Foot Fluorescent Tubes. Among the five musicians onstage with Trey that evening were drummer Russ Lawton and bassist Tony Markellis. They debuted material that night that became part of the repertoire of both Phish and Anastasio’s solo career.

While active, his bands did not officially have a name. Fans commonly referred to them as Trey Anastasio Band, or TAB for short.

When Phish hit the scene somewhere between 1998 and their debut 2000 album, Farmhouse. Their touring was relentless, and with the signature never-ending sets and jams they quickly developed a huge following of followers. Phish went on hiatus in 2000; Anastasio rolled on with a series of projects and stayed typically busy.  Phish announced their reunion in 2002; but in the summer of 2004 they announced their final tour.  The band played their final incarnation (to date) in September at the Austin City Limits Music Festival.

In the spring of 2005, Anastasio introduced a new backing band, 70 Volt Parade.

In 2006, it was renamed Trey Anastasio Band.

He has continued to tour and drop in on various gigs and festivals, and is widely recognized as one of the best free-flow jam musicians on the planet.  And his more traditional, “structured” stuff ain’t bad, either.

Oh yes, be one of the many happy chilluns that will be chillaxin’ and dancing the happy dance with the Trey Anastasio Band in a memorable evening on Friday, October 7.  Doors open 8:00 p.m.  Tickets are $39.50 Advance.

Steve Miller

Steve Miller
Oct. 8

In the formative days of what became known as FM rock, there are many names bandied about as the obligatory “givens.”  However, there are but a select few whose sound is so unique, so completely original, one only need hear – at most – 3 or 4 notes on a guitar, or 3 or 4 vocalizations to immediately recognize the artist.

Oh yes – possibly in a category all his own, Steve Miller defined what Leo Fender imagined his guitar should sound like. And just to show off, his voice is as identifiable as any to ever grace a recording device of any era.

The arrival of Miller’s infectious guitar-virtuoso riffs signaled the beginning of one of rock’s greatest bodies of work. His first album was released in 1968, and his band featured another guy you may have heard of – Boz Scaggs, on guitar and vocals.  Subsequent works over the years have included contributions from the likes of Lee Michaels, Paul McCartney, Lonnie Turner, Les Dudek, Norton Buffalo, James Cotton, John McFee, Joachim Young, Kenny G, and Joe Satriani.

Beginning with 1973’s The Joker, his signature sound struck a chord, so to speak, with audiences around the globe – but he simply exploded onto the American scene as a favorite son in the tradition of Hendrix, Fogerty, and Springsteen.

The Chicago phenom continued to burn his name into legend with the follow-up release, 1976’s Fly Like An Eagle. Hard to convey to younger listeners how incredibly huge this album was.  It dominated FM radio, college dorms and 8-tracks in automobiles nearly as much as Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon.

(Personal Note: This album, combined with Linda Ronstadt’s Hasten Down the Wind, ”spoke” to me and was the impetus that brought me to Myrtle Beach.)

The Steve Miller Band is one of the biggest selling recording, touring and catalog artists of all time, having sold more than 50 million albums worldwide throughout its career. SMB’s Greatest Hits 74-78 compilation reached prestigious Diamond Award certification with sales of more than 13 million units sold.

Recently, The Steve Miller Band and Miller’s new imprint Space Cowboy Records announced a worldwide partnership with Roadrunner/Loud & Proud Records.  Recorded at film producer George Lucas’ infamous studios at Skywalker Ranch,  BINGO! is the band’s first studio album in 17 years. A true return to Miller’s roots, BINGO! echoes his early years in the Chicago music scene and features carefully chosen and crafted tracks performed in distinctive Steve Miller Band fashion.

Early reaction from fans and industry insiders are comparing the album to Miller’s 1968 masterpiece SAILOR. BINGO!, is the first of two albums that were recorded together as a complete body of work, the second of which will be offered next year via the new label partnership.

These recordings feature longtime Steve Miller Band member Norton Buffalo, who sadly passed away in 2009. Norton began his tenure with Miller on 1977’s Book of Dreams.

Listen up: This is Steve Miller’s first – and most likely only – appearance at House of Blues, so don’t miss what will be a seminal show for the ages on Saturday, October 8. Doors open 7:300 p.m.  Tickets are $57.50 Advance; $60.50 Day of Show.

Styx (L-R, Top): James “JY” Young, Ricky Phillips, Chuck Panozzo. (Bottom): Todd Sucherman, Lawrence Gowan, and Tommy Shaw.

Styx with The Dirty Guv’nahs
Oct. 14

Spawned from a suburban Chicago basement in the early ‘70s, Styx would eventually transform into the virtual arena rock prototype by the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, due to a fondness for big rockers and soaring power ballads. The band – founded by brothers Chuck and John Panozzo – was heavily influenced by lead vocalist and keyboard wiz Dennis DeYoung, who wrote almost all of the lyrics along with most of the music. James Young’s distinctive guitar style complimented the style, along with guitarist John Curulewski.

The band released four albums with great potential but modest success. On the eve of the tour in support of 1975’s Equinox,  original guitarist John Curulewski abruptly left the band, and was replaced by Tommy Shaw. Shaw proved to be the missing piece of the puzzle for Styx, as most of their subsequent releases throughout the late ‘70s earned at least platinum certification (1976’s Crystal Ball, 1977’s The Grand Illusion, 1978’s Pieces of Eight, and 1979’s Cornerstone), and spawned such hit singles and classic rock radio standards as “Come Sail Away,” “Renegade,” “Blue Collar Man” and “Fooling Yourself.”

1981’s Paradise Theater became Styx’s biggest hit of their career (selling over three million copies in a three-year period), as they became one of the U.S. top rock acts due to such big hit singles as “Too Much Time on My Hands”. It also marked the first time in history that a band released four consecutive triple-platinum albums.

Styx went on hiatus until a full-on reunion tour in 1996. But drummer John Panozzo fell seriously ill at the time, which prevented him from joining the proceedings — as he passed away in July of the same year.

Although grief-stricken, Styx persevered with new drummer Todd Sucherman taking the place of Panozzo, as the Styx reunion tour became a surprise sold-out success, resulting in a whole new generation of rock fans being introduced to the grandiose sounds of Styx.

Now comprised of original members Tommy Shaw and James “JY” Young on guitars/vocals, along with Lawrence Gowan on keys and lead vocals, Todd Sucherman on drums and Ricky Phillips on bass (along with the occasional surprise appearance by original bassist Chuck Panozzo), Styx continues to conquer the planet, one venue at a time.

The Dirty Guv'nahs

Oh, and in the “Damn! It just gets even better!” category, you’ll want to make sure to get there early to catch opening band The Dirty Guv’nahs, who are wildly billed as one of the hottest, equally original sounding bands to roll out in quite some time.  They’re on this tour in a support role for a reason, kids: make that ticket give you every penny’s worth and be sure to hear these boys as they whet your appetite for Styx.

The stage at House Of Blue was made for a show like this, with Styx rocking out our own Paradise on Friday, October 14. Doors open 8:00 p.m. Tickets are $32.00 Advance; $35.00 Day of Show.

Don’t get too complacent after these three shows, though. Upcoming shows include J. Cole, O.A.R., Colbie Caillat, Anthrax, Testament, Queensrÿche, Los Lonely Boys, Josh Turner and more.

Like I said, it’s about to get cool as grits along the Grand Strand.

For info on all shows, call 843-272-3000; for tickets call 1-877-598-8497; or visit www.livenation.com .

This article was also published in Alternatives NewsMagazine and Coast Magazine, October 6 – 22, 2011 Issue.

Fans of The Carolina Opry and its original long-time keyboard player, Rocky Fretz, will have an opportunity to see him perform in a weekly piano matinee this fall, which began September 21. In contrast to the grand performances and special effects that occupy The Carolina Opry stage by night, Rocky and a Piano will offer a more intimate performance.

Patrick O’Leary accompanies pianist Rocky Fretz in the new Rocky And A Piano matinee at The Carolina Opry.

Accompanied by his favorite bass player Patrick O’Leary, this show will highlight Fretz’s talents in their purest form, featuring a variety of well-known classics as well as a few original compositions. Shows in November and December will also include holiday music.

Rocky joined The Carolina Opry as an original cast member in 1986, where his stunning piano solos and signature charisma consistently brought audiences to their feet. He continued to perform full-time through 2003, when he became a rotating artist pursuing his solo piano and recording career. In the intervening years he has been invited regularly to perform at The Carolina Opry in short runs. He will appear in the 2011 edition of The Carolina Opry Christmas Special, often called “the Christmas show of the South,” each evening for the length of its run.

Calvin Gilmore, owner and producer of The Carolina Opry, said “Rocky and a Piano is a great change of pace from what you usually see in our theater; just Rocky, a piano, and beautiful music. The smaller setting will create a really unique and interactive experience for the audience.” Rocky Fretz said, “It will be an honor to do a show at Gilmore Auditorium – and I have some surprises for you too. It’s going to be fun and upbeat all the way!”

Rocky and a Piano will run most Wednesdays, September 21 through December 28 at 2 p.m., and the performance will last approximately 50 minutes. For a complete list of show dates please contact The Carolina Opry Reservations line at 843-913-4000. Adult tickets are $27.00 through October and $29.95 in November and December, or just $15.00 when packaged with The Carolina Opry, Good Vibrations, or The Carolina Opry Christmas Special; restrictions apply, so call for details.

About The Carolina Opry

Gilmore Entertainment has long been the leader of musical variety show entertainment in the Southeast, with the classic Carolina Opry show and their newest hit, Good Vibrations. Gilmore and his Carolina Opry have been featured by USA Today, ABC Nightly News, Southern Living Magazine, Variety, and a host of other newspapers and television shows. It is the only Myrtle Beach show to receive the coveted South Carolina Governor’s Cup, as well as being voted South Carolina’s Most Outstanding Attraction. In recent years, Gilmore has performed regularly on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and he is designated as South Carolina’s Official Country Music Ambassador.

Singer/Songwriter Joan Burton brings a great voice and tons of talent to the show.

The late, South Carolina-born Godfather of Soul, James Brown, cemented his legendary career on the wings of a couple of seminal tunes.  Most are likely to think of the hit, “I Feel Good” – as well they should for its get-me-out-this-funk groove and happy happy, joy joy vibe. But for pure emotion, raw inner-exposure, confession and just a damn fine song, there is no finer example of lyrics that evoke and expose the soul than “It’s a Man’s World.”

Because after all, when some see a female solo performer, you hear a lot of this: “That little gal singin’ up on that stage, why, she’s right cute, now, ain’t she?  Pretty little ol’ thing … sings nice enough, but now, she can’t play that ol’ geetar, or rock out, like a man.”

However, if you bring the discussion of women who actually succeed in music into the equation, then New Jersey’s  Joan Burton would quietly yet effectively challenge that concept.  Actually, “challenge” is the incorrect word … it’s more like, eviscerate that concept.

She’s the male singer/musician counterpart who dispels the chauvinist myths, the vulgar assumptions and the almost always, universally incorrect labels that inevitably accompany the lot.

Burton is stand-alone capable on guitar; commanding and smooth on keyboards, and second to no one as a vocalist.  In short, a gal that same male singer/musician knows is not just his equivalent, but just as easily his superior.

Not that it would matter one stupid little bit to Burton, as she would simply laugh it off as unimportant.

Because this talented performer – and, oh-by-the-way, drop-dead gorgeous beauty with long, tasseled hair and deep blue -green eyes – possesses a vocal immersion that brings a progressively larger number of folks back to her venues each week, with measured, pragmatic certainty.

From the classic, timeless Etta James’ standard “At Last,” to Jefferson Airplane’s trip-launching “White Rabbit,” to Cream’s introspective “Sunshine of Your Love,” to Heart’s autobiographical “Crazy On You,” there’s no trying to pigeonhole Joan into one genre or style of music.  She wants it all, and the best part is, she has it all.

As for her material, I love everything I’ve heard her play and sing. But for a pure personal favorite, her Cheap Trick offering of the imploring, wailing “The Flame” finds those little cracks in that “boys don’t cry” wall every time.

I wanted to know how this all got stated.  Here’s what she had to say:

Howle: So, from which parts unknown out there do you hail?  
Burton: I grew up in a small town in northern N.J.

Howle: What was it like growing up/living there as a child, and did it have any particular impact on your later musical career? 
Burton: It was a great place to grow up – very sheltered and a safe haven. The downside of that is, it didn’t quite prepare me for the real world. If I had grown up in a big city I think it would have given me the guts to go to a place like L.A. to pursue music, but because of my upbringing that would have been too intimidating to me.  Was music part of your family, or your own special outlet?

My dad played sax in a jazz band and my mom would sing with them occasionally.  My sisters played piano and my brother taught himself guitar, and today he is one of the best guitarists I’ve ever heard.  Too bad he lives in Calif. because we would no doubt be playing together …

Howle: When did you first become involved in music, and how did it come about? What instrument(s)? Did you play in school bands or just privately as you were growing up? 
Burton: I started out as a closet player and singer, just terrified to get in front of people…. I was asked to sing a solo in my high school chorus but I declined. Looking back it seems so ridiculous but I guess I was going through the typical teenage insecurities!  By the end of high school I was playing in a couple of bands– you know, safety in numbers.

Howle: Who were your earliest influences, as far as family, friends, teachers, etc.? Did you take lessons or were you self-taught; and as a result do you read music or play by ear?
Burton: I took piano lessons for six years because of my sisters’ influence and later I taught myself guitar.  I can read, but I prefer to play by ear and improvise around the chords. My piano teacher looked at me like I was from another planet when I told her that I wanted to play by ear.  She had no concept of that!  So I didn’t stick with the lessons very long after that.
Howle: When did you realize that music was more than just a passing fad or hobby for you?
Burton: I always knew that music was my life and that somehow I would make a career out of it.

Howle:  Do you remember your first public performance? Where, when, with whom, purpose, etc.? 
Burton: Besides piano recitals when I was a kid, it was playing in a band at one of our wild high school back yard parties!

Howle:  As you became a teen and developed more self-awareness of the world around you, did that prompt you to express your views through writing lyrics, melodies?
Burton: Yes, definitely.  I’ve always been very sensitive and feel things very deeply so music has always been a great outlet whether I’m playing or writing.  I think the song I am most proud of is “Weary Eyes” which I wrote about animal abuse.  I posted the lyrics on my Facebook Like page.

Howle: Was it easier for you to write original compositions or to learn covers? And were you in groups or a soloist while learning your craft?
Burton: Learning covers is a lot easier because the hard part is over, it’s already written.  Writing can be a grueling process, but sometimes it just flows if the moment is right and the inspiration is there. I’ve always been in bands until I moved here, where I’ve mostly played solo.

Howle:  Any tales from the battlefield, on being a female artist competing in a male-dominated field? Lessons learned, mentors discovered, things that made your resolve even more determined?
Burton: Being female has never been an issue for me in this business.

I’ve always felt like “one of the guys” in the bands I’ve been in, and have never had anything but respect from others, so I’m thankful for that …

The thing that has always bothered me is that the music/entertainment business can be very superficial and too much emphasis is on looks and image rather than the music itself. What lessons have I learned?  I listened too much to others about how to go about my career rather than follow my heart.  It’s that small town thing– I was naive and trusting and thought everyone else knew better than me.

Howle: When did you hit the recording studio for the first time? Remember what that felt like, to hear yourself on playback on a REAL console, on that master tape that will always sound better than any dupe, vinyl or CD? Did you have someone produce you, or were you more hands-on?
Burton: My first CD was recorded back in the 90s and I fell in love with the whole experience, like a kid in a candy store. I loved the whole layering process where I could play guitar and piano on the same song and then harmonize with the vocal track.  My manager produced the CD officially but I had alot of input since I wrote or co-wrote the songs.  One of the coolest things I experienced was having Lou Gramm from Foreigner produce a few tracks on my second CD.  He also co-wrote a song with me.

Howle: What’s your writing process like? Free flow or structured; written or in your head; alone or with collaboration? 
Burton: It’s always been more free flow. Usually I’ll play around on either guitar or piano, put some chords together, I’ll hear a melody and then I’ll fit the words in from there.  Both of my CDs were written mostly in collaboration with my manager at the time who is also a musician.  I liked bouncing ideas back and forth with someone else.

Joan takes center stage whenever friends have her sit in and weave her powerful spell over yet another delighted audience.

Howle: When did you first arrive on the Grand Strand? What brought you here? More importantly, what has compelled you to stay and carry on in the midst of an economic disaster that has resulted in fewer folks attending live music, as well as venues in which to play? Or have you managed to avoid that?  
Burton: I moved here in 2002 because I needed a new start, and coming from Rochester where winters are endless, well you know where I’m going with that!  I had become somewhat disillusioned with the whole “trying to make it” thing.  The music business is unbelievably competetive and it really is more about luck, timing and who you know than about talent.  And you gotta be real aggressive too, and that ain’t me babe!   Yes, the economy has definitely affected how much work is out there for musicians, but I have managed to stay busy in the summer, and pretty much just get by in the winter, but most of us go through that since we’re in a tourist town.

Howle: What are you current plans, as well as your long-range goals?   
Burton: My current plans are to incorporate the piano into my gigs.  So far I’ve just been using a guitar so I feel that it would add a whole new dimension.  Eventually I’d like to play in bigger venues, possibly play some shows as an opening act.  And what would you like to share with your fan base and would-be fan base?  I would like to thank everyone who supports and appreciates live music.  I’m very fortunate to be able to do what I love for a living and I don’t take it for granted.  I’m very blessed

So if you’ve read all this, guys, and you still can’t quite wrap that testosterone-drenched thinker around the gist of all this, then grab your higher-functioning better half or ask an equally-equipped friend to go with you to check this very talented young woman out as she performs live at that venue near you.

Dang … now, how can I effectively convey this to my fellow y-chromosome carriers?

Come for the beauty, but stay for the truth.

Either way, you will not be disappointed.  Because after all – “It’s a Musician’s World.”

In the meantime, you can check out her website at www.joanburton.com for updates on all of her upcoming gigs, where to get her music and how to make sure you know how and where  this incredible artist is making her presence known!

This article was also published in Alternatives NewsMagazine.Vol. XXV Number 23, Auguust 11 – August 25, 2011; or online at www.myrtlebeachalternatives.com .  All rights reserved.