Monthly Archives: August 2015

There Will Be (Fake) Blood

It’s been just over a year since final founding GWAR member Dave Brockie found dead of a heroin overdose in his Richmond, Virginia apartment. For nearly 30 years as the “personal slave” (the band’s coded way of acknowledging their outlandish alter egos) to Oderus Urungus, Brockie was also the lead vocalist.

As Michael Bishop broaches the topic of Brockie’s death, if for only a moment, he steps out of the character of new lead vocalist Blothar and hints at the uncertainty that his band faced. But only a moment; it isn’t completed with sincerity. Continue reading

Leave a comment

Filed under Music.

Keeping the jam alive

The founders of the Aquarium Rescue Unit are among the forefathers of the Southern jam scene that arose from the 1990s. The Atlanta-bred band, led by the self-styled Colonel Bruce Hampton, bridged a generational divide between fellow statesmen the Allman Brothers Band and acts like Virginia-based Dave Matthews Band that would spend the next two decades filling arenas and headlining festivals.

Bassist Oteil Burbridge has served as the strongest link between those generations, having not only been a member of Aquarium Rescue Unit, but having also performed with incarnations of Allman Brothers Band in recent years. Continue reading

Leave a comment

Filed under Music.

Pegasus In-Store with Jay Burgess, Russell Mefford and Hannah Aldridge

IMG_2407

 

The Muscle Shoals Legacy of FAME: In-Store performance and signing at Pegasus Records

On Saturday, July 18, I was joined by Jay Burgess of The Pollies, Russell Mefford of Fiddleworms and Hannah Aldridge for a discussion and performance to celebrate the release of “The Muscle Shoals Legacy of FAME.” Each had a big hand in the book’s story, and each was gracious enough to join me for the chat. Hear the audio from the event below:

Continue reading

Leave a comment

Filed under Music., People., Places.