Nothing sounds like the low rumble of a Harley-Davidson. Its idle grumbles like no other engine on earth and however you earn one of these metal stallions, this machine instantly reminds us of our rebel rock ’n’ roll culture.
The bikes were rumbling as we were leaving Kemosabee’s Saturday night. The local band Double Dose just finished its first set when a woman jumped up and shouted, “The bass player is a new granddaddy!” That’s not normally what we hear from a stage occupied by a rock ’n’ roll band, but these times are changing.
I wouldn’t call Kemosabee’s a “biker bar.” A “biker roadhouse” is a more fitting term as this restaurant/music venue rests like a barn in the middle of the new business bubble in Boones Creek, just off Interstate 26 near Zak’s.
As you pass the shiny row of Harleys parked outside, the venue opens into a rowdy, warm roadhouse. There are two floors of rustic wood decor and a decent bar. A small stage surrounded by tables and chairs crowd the downstairs and a staircase meanders to the top floor with pool tables and an open atrium to watch the action below.
We grabbed a longneck and worked our way to the second floor and were met by life size figures of Earnhardt, Elvis, Marilyn and The Duke, hung like cherubs on the ceiling. There’s a great environment for playing pool upstairs, as you can watch the band with a bird’s eye view. Even the soundman had a great perch to keep the band sounding good.
Back downstairs, we picked one of the few tables left up front. We weren’t sure what to expect from the band this night. We saw the name “Double Dose” on the drum kit and judging by their vintage rock ’n’ roll equipment on stage we guessed we were in for a night of rebel rock in a road house in Boones Creek, Tenn.
I’ve never heard anyone play AC/DC’s “Live Wire” to open a set, but if you ever wanted to pick a song for a crowd like this, you couldn’t go wrong with a riff like this classic rock anthem. That’s how Double Dose began its set, and what a doozy!
Double Dose has two powerful guitar players. Greg Castle used to sing with a band called Southern Justice and during this gig his voice sounded great as he covered memorable rock songs from Lenny Kravitz, the Goo Goo Dolls, the Spin Doctors and a little Skynyrd to reinforce the night’s nostalgia.
Like the rest of the audience, we were plowed over by the other guitarist, Derek Seaver. His long glam rock hair was swung over his guitar and the Ace Frehley licks he played on the Kiss cover “Cold Gin” made you realize why everyone wants to play the guitar. All night, he was loud, proud and worth every note!
I’m ashamed to admit that I could not find the name of the bass player by press time. He’s the new granddaddy in the band, and my buddy commented that his long hair and leather jacket reminded him of the band Motorhead.
Whatever the similarity, the tone coming from his big Ampeg bass amp was purely metaphysical. He and drummer Keith Cody work very well together, too, as they hammered out the slow, cocky groove of great rock music that rocked the house at Kemmosabe’s.
In addition to their well-rehearsed cover songs, Double Dose has several original songs that are memorable and summarize their background of ’70s-’90s classic rock. The songs “There You Go Again” and “Hold On” prove the band has a love for originality and these guys know how to craft their own well-writ ten songs.
One of the best things about any music is how a performance can move an audience. Music, at its best, is a social experience. That’s why we were all smiles as the band continued to attract lone dancers who made the old rock ’n’ roll even more enjoyable on the small dance floor in front of the stage.
I spoke to the band after their set. They love to play music and had a lot of friends in the audience, but admit that it’s tough finding places that will showcase their style of music. They mentioned that many places prefer a more modern rock or acoustic sound. That may be true, but recently we’ve seen even those venues have a tough time filling a dance floor. That was no problem for Double Dose on this Saturday night.
If you like your rock ’n’ roll served up with loud, memorable riffs, long hair and slow, crunchy backbeats, then Double Dose are the guys on the music scene worth hanging out with on a weekend. They’re great at what they do and made for another good party on the road in the Tri-Cities music scene.
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This week’s Buzz topics…
- Constructive criticism or arrogance?
- Dream Theater owns you all!
- New band from Kingsport, Jelly Biscuit, makin’ the scene.
This week’s best bets for live music:
- Amaranth Signal — Space Music Friday at King’s in downtown JC.
- Stillborn at 7th Street in Bristol on Friday.
David Cate, the new media director for the GoTriCities Network, writes about the local music scene for GoTriCities. Send e-mail to him at dcate@gotricities.net.