Last Thursday was the official kick-off for the 2008 Twilight Alive concert series in Kingsport. It was like a coming out party too as New Orleans based Cowboy Mouth and Ivy Road performed at sunset and ignited the kick-off for this annual series which, together with Bluegrass on Broad, may have been an agent of change for renewal in Downtown Kingsport.
This is the third annual concert series and the crowds are getting bigger and it all started with Tom Keller at TK’s Hot Dogs. He’s a colorful downtown business owner who started Bluegrass on Broad which takes place every Friday night.
The Kingsport Times-News published a feature article about Tom this past weekend and it was his efforts that encouraged other downtown developers Doug Beatty, Jeff Lane organizations to champion this idea which gets better every year.
I’ll admit the social aspect of these concerts are just as important as the performance. The music is terrific, but there’s something liberating about dropping the tie and dress in leau of sandals and shorts and that makes me feel a little closer to those I work with day to day.
The organizers are getting a good handle on this event too and deserve a bit more applause.
Around 5.30 on Thursday afternoons, traffic is diverted off Broad Street and several businesses begin to erect tents for food and beer.
Steve Bailey and David Williams work with the stage and sound system and in about an hour, the downtown site is transformed into a street party. It’s a routine pleasure that seems to attract hundreds who begin to setup up their lawn chairs and stake their place on the street and get ready for the evening concert.
It was especially important this year to see Raffael with the Stir Fry Cafe in Johnson City setting up food before the 7.00 performance. He manages the Johnson City location and is one my favorite young entreprenuers who has a good handle on his business. He was supervising the catered food tonight and before he left, he shared with me that he expects to open the new Stir Frye around July 31st. If the Johnson City location is any indication, Downtown Kingsport’s streets will be very busy come August.
It was a bit disappointing to discover that Jonesborough’s ‘Depot Street‘ micro-brewery was not in their usual spot this year. I love this local brew, but the Downtown Kingsport Association has taken over beer sales which includes an armband and three 16 ounce beers for $10.00. Not a bad deal and certainly a good fund raiser.
Fortunately for me, Sam Adams was there to save the day as Kingsport’s finest surveyed the scene with perfect parade-rest posture.
An important note. All musicians should ban the “sound-check.”
I guess it’s part of the anticipation at a concert to hear, “Check, Check, Check” over and over again. For about an hour we listed to drums, instruments and several microphone checks. I thought it a bit much, but was completely thrilled to finally hear Jason Lloyd and Linda Laws with Ivy Road finally get their set started a little after 7.00.
On the Buzzcutz Podcast, we jokingly speak of Jason by talking about how much we “hate him.” That’s a toungue-in-cheek comment because we agree we all have a jealous bone for this musician who sings, plays piano, guitar, various other instruments and works the crowd with a smile and a bounce like no other entertainer in the area.
He’s a talented player too who’s just as comfortable singing Jerry Lee Lewis, Jerry Reed and Ray Charles. He picks great boogie piano songs and together with his red-headed muse/vocalist Linda Laws, they have one of the busiest acts in the Tri-Cities and are the best local party band I know – even though they usually have only two or three people in the act.
Next week, we’ll do the Buzzcutz Podcast live on the streets in front of TK’s Hot Dogs. We discussed the parameters of doing that during the Ivy Road set with Jeff Lane and we’re already to go. Jason Crawford was in the crowd tonight and he will join us with his band Wolf Creek that night as we talk about the local music scene.
Plenty of local musicians were in the crowd at Twilight Alive. Benny Wilson and Gary Southerland are usual attendees and it was a real pleasure to see my old friend Keith Harkleroad – despite the comment that he has given up the bass.
Blues icon Gary Redden was thrilled to tell me that he and Johnny Razor are now performing with Bristol’s Annie Robinette and we should hear more from this talented group as they get ready for Bristol Rhythm and Roots.
Mike Tate is part of Kingsport’s musical legacy. He lives and performs most often in Charlotte, NC and remember him most from high school with his band Menagerie. He still comes into town often and performs at Rush Street and we caught up on decades since we had seen each other last. He flattered me telling me that he keeps up with the music scene by reading my dribble online – thanks bud!
Lance McCloud and Jared Bentley were in the crowd tonight with wives Heather and Vanessa. Heather McCloud had experienced Cowboy Mouth many years ago when she went to school in New Oreleans and couldn’t wait to hear the show.
It was an extra special night too for Adeline Rae Bentley. She’s just a little over six weeks old and was covered up in a basinet as other children played around the streets of Kingsport.
By the time Cowboy Mouth finally came to the stage, the crowd was ready. I had watched a few of their You Tube videos and knew what to expect. Earlier in the month, I also told my friend Derek McGlothlin a few weeks ago that this would be one of the more “rowdy” shows of the year. Of course, that didn’t keep him away.
The main attraction with this band is drummer/vocalist Fred Leblanc. This guy is a powerful entertainer who sits center stage, bangs the hell out of a drum kit and looks wild-eyed from left to right as the band soars through a set list of original music at the pace of Green Day.
Early in the show, I couldn’t help but join Lisa Bettini and her friend Brenda right in front of the stage and was surprised to turn aside and see Kira Dykstra with the Chamber of Commerce. It’s great fun to acting like you’re still a teenager with friends and colleagues.
One of my favorite moments during the show was when Leblanc walked down off the stage and into the streets – grabbing people by the arm as they looked settled in their arm chairs. Young and old, stubborn and young, this guy made no exception and before long he had a strong bouncing crowd of people jumping up and down in front of the stage to the pulse of their music. They played straight through till 10.00 with a energetic rock originals including their last tune around called “Jenny Says.”
The band had the audience down low, on their knees and brought the music down real low and turned it up slowly so that everyone was jumping up and down holding up a “ozz-fest” thumb and horns sign with their hand.
As the music stopped, the State Theatre glowed with bright lights on the downtown streets. This was the first time I’ve ever seen it shine so brightly since they began the remodeling of this building this past year.
The future is certainly looking bright for downtown too. There’s plenty of entertainment scheduled for this year, at least three new restaurants and who knows where we’ll be by the end of Summer. There’s no doubt we’ll have plenty of stories to tell as Kingsport’s downtown returns as the place to be on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
See you next week!
Cowboy Mouth/ Ivy Road rocks first Twilight Alive concert
