Silversun Pickups' Swoon: I Want to Be Moved

by John McCurdy

Long have I searched for a term that encompasses all of my taste in music. For a while, I went with the ambiguous adjective “scary,” claiming that I need sound that “frightens me” with how strongly it makes me feel a certain emotion.

But I’ve got a much better description after listening to Silversun Pickups’ second full-length release, Swoon: As a listener, I want to be physically changed by my tunes.

Thank you, SSP, for helping me to crystallize my thoughts through your epic sophomore effort.

The indie rock group’s first offering, Carnavas, was certainly a favorite of mine and shook me to the core with the excellent “Lazy Eye” and “Future Foe Scenarios.” Still, there were some lulls on that record (“Dream at Tempo 119,” anybody?).

Swoon stands out with its consistently moving tracks. Overall, it has more drive than its predecessor, though it finds time to slow down and get mellow when it needs to.

I’ll admit I’m a total sucker for “The Royal We,” a song in which lead singer/guitarist Brian Aubert lets loose a screamy and sarcastic performance. But with a few run-throughs, I have also come to enjoy immensely the slower, calmer, more reflective “Catch & Release.”

This album is just like that – it’s varied, yet at the same time, more consistently visceral than the band’s earlier work. No, “Substitution” doesn’t pop out, but most everything else does.

To toss out some general terms, this is progressive and driving rock. More to the point, though, would be to say this is human. Nikki Monninger’s basslines seem to emanate right from the base of my skull, while Chris Guanlao’s beats set my extremities into perpetual motion.

This group is artsy yet unpretentious, deep yet accessible, and heartfelt yet not bleeding heart. SSP struck a chord with metal, emo, and alternative fans alike with Carnavas and refine their balance even more with Swoon.

You’ve probably heard the Smashing Pumpkins comparisons ad nauseam at this point, but I’ll just mention that they certainly are appropriate. Of course, when I first heard Aubert, the first thing I thought of wasn’t that he sounded like Billy Corgan.

No, first I was asking myself, “Is that a boy or a girl?”

But next, and more importantly, “How do you get so much beautiful pain into a song?”

Druid City

By Casey Childers

In the intimate, cozy setting of the Flicker Theatre and Bar on Thursday night, Druid City played to a packed house of 17. Understanding the acoustics were probably not the best, with the brick walls, sheets covering the unused speakers beside the stage, the red lights illuminating the stage and a curtain separating the stage and bar area, I didn’t except much. I expected no more quality than if I were attending a party in a basement with a keg and a friend of a friend just happened to bring a guitar to play for everyone.

However, on the first song, I was blown away by the quality of the musicianship of Druid City. Larry Tucker is on tenor sax, Aaron Wegelin on drums, and Julien Derocher singing while playing the guitar and harmonica made for a raw, reminiscent sound of 70s rock.

Derocher’s vocals were smooth and melodic contrasting dark against the light of an almost full marching band and orchestra behind him. But, there was one problem with Derocher’s performance: I couldn’t hear a word he was saying. He seemed so encapsulated in the moment, closing his eyes with each verse, pouring his heart out on stage.

Derocher’s voice is evocative of a muffled Bob Dylan overshadowed by his band. The fans, which seemed more like friends and family, really loved the show, with nodding heads and shouting requests. I felt like an outsider, as everyone in the room seemed to know what he was saying except me.

The overall feel of the sound evokes musical images of the smoothness of Allman Brothers Band, the guitar and piano breakdowns of Lynyrd Skynyrd with the soul of Van Morrison. The Druid City sound is authentic, not cover band material, with blues, R & B, folk influences blending without being obvious.

Songs changed style, with one song having a salsa beat with a strong drum and clapping beat with Derocher changing up his voice to a staccato feel. His voice matching the instrumentation reminded me of how Kanye West’s voice matched the trumpets in “Touch the Sky.” I can’t speak for the lyrics, but the multifaceted musicians in this band pulled it off, making the audience get up from the cheap wooden chairs and second-hand sheet-covered couches to dance. Druid City’s stage presence is approachable and likable. They spoke directly to the audience and seemed to really love entertaining.

Druid City is named for the hospital Derocher was born at, Druid City Hospital in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Druid City is a new band to the scene, with only four shows prior to Thursday’s show. There is little information available about Druid City or any of the musicians in the band.

Derocher is no newbie to the music scene though, with writings and recordings spanning over a decade. Derocher has a quiet, mysterious air to him. This may be because I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but I’m willing to give this band a second chance, as they have a show in March coming up. Even without hearing what Derocher had to say, it seemed he owned the stage.

U2: "No Line on the Horizon"

By Nathan Powell

U2 released its 12th album on Tuesday called "No Line on the Horizon."

The release comes five years after their last album, "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," and 33 years after the band originally formed. Though it may come as a shock, U2 has reinvented itself yet again in "No Line."

Don't get too excited. U2 still sounds like U2; Bono still sounds like Bono. The group's most recent overhaul is more of a side-step than a jump. But there are a few surprises that make this new album quite a bit different from the band's previous work and keep things interesting - if not astonishing.

U2's Web site says the members spent some time in Morocco writing and performing, gathering musical influences to incorporate into the 11 tracks on "No Line."

From the album's sound, it would seem Moroccan music experiments with multiple rhythms, changes of key and various instruments. Every song incorporates each of these departures from U2's previous incarnations.

The track listing pattern on the album evolves from simpler rhythms to upbeat anthems to softer, more emotional hymn-style songs by tracks 10 and 11.

Bono said on the band's Web site this pattern is intentional. The song order is meant to reflect a pilgrimage.

Sound changes pervade every song on the album. In "Unknown Caller," Bono raps, which he does often on "No Line," and then a Queen-style chorus pipes up.

Unlike some other tracks, "Stand Up Comedy" sounds completely unique. In the song, Bono raps (again) "come on you people! Stand up for your love!" The line is followed closely by an intense, Jimmy Page-inspired guitar riff overlaid with echoing vocals that halfheartedly imitate Led Zeppelin's "Dazed and Confused."

"Breathe," the album's 10th track, features an electric guitar competing with a strong keyboard - and winning. But relentless to the end, the keyboard keeps frantically popping up, sounding ridiculously out of place.

U2's 12th album does depart from the group recent rocker style, but it is not shameful to the band's legendary reputation, either. The sound is still distinctly U2. The group simply incorporated a little Moroccan style to mix things up. The album is definitely worth a listen, but not a buy.

The Corduroy Road's Sprouting Bluegrass

By Gage Henry

The grunge/indie aura of Athens, GA, doesn't appear to be a hospitable environment for a bluegrass band to grow, but The Corduroy Road has managed to flourish taller than most of the city's DIY competition.

On April 9th the four-man ensemble hosted a party for their new EP release, Just One Drop (Mule Train Records, 2009), at the Melting Point to give their newest songs a test run on a medley of wine-sipping spectators and faithful fanatics who didn't spare a square foot of space when canvassing the floor with their dancing shoes.

The Corduroy Road brought an energy that isn't foreign to Bluegrass, but somehow still seeps its way into other genres-- even performing with the nimble audacity of punk rock, as advertised on their website. The question is: would this exuberance also be present on Just One Drop?
The trick with this five song EP is that it leaves little margin for error. One bad song means that already 1/5 of the album isn't worth listening to, a problem that the band skirted quite well with the help of John Keane Studios, a host to R.E.M., Indigo Girls and Widespread Panic.

Just One Drop is a highly concentrated blend of goodness, absent of fillers and mirroring their live shows' sporadic solos and slick harmonies-- they don't waste a single track. The band's founders, Drew Carman (banjo) and Dylan Solise (guitar) trade off vocals discreetly as both voices are seasoned with the same country twang, though Carman is a little flashier on stage.

The album starts with the cantering melody of the song, “Just One Drop,” livened by the quick cuts of a fiddle and prickly banjo highlights. “The Wind and Water” eases the record's pace for a scenic ballad about a mariner pleading with the waves to take him back to the “one he loves best.”

“Brad's Song” is where the album truly resonates, putting the band's finer elements on display-- the romantic, humorous, clever and brutally honest lyrics trailed by a wavy harmonica accompaniment. The lyricist's confidence is further evident in “It'll Be Me,” a waltzing, flowery and poignant depiction of love's inescapable cycles-- not to mention my personal favorite.

“Temperature Raised” stands as the record's big finish and takes home the “Most Likely to be Played at a Hoedown” award. The scampering drum beats by John Cable and Tim Helms' dexterous bass licks makes for the album's perfect showdown.

The Corduroy Road may not be following suit with the independent musicians and home-brewed records-- of which Athens is the national headquarters to-- but the band's surefire talent takes all the risk away in signing with a label.

The flip-side to releasing a bad EP is making an excellent one. Sure, The Corduroy Road gives a lot to digest in Just One Drop, but they've also instilled a cotton-mouth thirst for more.

Listen to songs from Just One Drop here.

Lady Sovereign's Jigsaw: Keep Grime Grimy

by John McCurdy

Eww...you’ve gotten my grime all clean, Lady Sovereign.

I liked it the way it was: ridiculously disrespectful, horribly dissonant, and refreshingly genuine.

With her second full-length release, British lady rapper Lady Sovereign seems to have relinquished her title as “Biggest Midget in the Game,” though not because she’s grown any in the physical sense, mind you.

No, the reason she can no longer hold that moniker is that she’s not a part of “the game” anymore. Her second full-length release, Jigsaw, is a straight-up pop album (albeit a tolerable one), and not at all true to her London-style rap roots.

See, her first offering, Public Warning, told listeners to, ahem, “screw” themselves if they didn’t like her. Various tracks suggested haters give her “A Little Bit of Shh,” viciously made fun of other popular artists (“Tango”), and glorified attire banned at most clubs (“Hoodie”).

But on Jigsaw, Sovereign seems to have refocused herself; all of a sudden, she’s about marketability and trend-hopping rather than spitting what she really thinks. It’s not that the tracks aren’t enjoyable; it’s just that they aren’t her.

I’ll readily admit that “Pennies,” “Student Union,” and “I Got the Goods” are fun tracks, and that they might indeed have fit on Public Warning, but there, they would have been the softer tunes.

But here, they’re the hardest and closest approximations of grime, which is the genre of which I was sure Lady was a paragon. The rest of the album is well-produced, but you can’t tell me that “Let’s Be Mates,” “Guitar,” or, heaven forbid, the title track “Jigsaw” would have made the cut for a true British hardcore record.

I give her a pass for the sampling of the Cure’s “Close to Me” on “So Human,” as this is something we’ve seen other underground rappers from across the pond do with success.

But no way will I excuse the use of vocoder on “Pennies,” even if it’s minimal and the rest of the piece is solid. That’s just not something the Sov I know would do.

Maybe the change has something to do with her split from Def Jam Records; she’s now publishing under her own label, Midget Records. Still, wouldn’t that hint that Lady Sovereign has departed from the mainstream even more?

Her freshman offering was endearing because of her positively juvenile content and earnest irreverence; I mean, she was referencing the Mortal Kombat video game franchise, accusing a celebrity acquaintance of using too much fake tan, and boasting an entire track called “Random.”

But now she’s dropping pretty nondescript pop tunes, leaving me yearning for the sweaty, dirty...grimy sound of before.

K'Naan's Troubadour: Don't Call It a Reinvention

by John McCurdy

The term “reinvention” gets used a lot, so I won’t employ it here. But there is a certain newness to K’Naan, a Somalian-born rapper, who just came out with his third album, Troubadour.

We’ve seen lyricists come from other parts of the world - other parts of the third world, even, like Akon and M.I.A. - but I don’t think any of them have done what K’Naan has. While still remaining true to his heritage and beliefs, he has produced a hip-hop album that will please the American masses.

For sure, those who consume mostly top-40 music will enjoy K’Naan’s practically bouncy flow and perky beats. But I’ll contend that even true rap heads will appreciate his messages and attitude, as long as they can get past his somewhat juvenile voice.

Upon first listen, one might have a negative reaction to the boyish intonation and heavily synthesized tracks. Give it some time, though, and listen hard to what the man spits, and you might just discover that he does indeed know what he’s doing. And at the very least, you have to like the celebratory sounds that back him up.

Troubadour showcases such superficial pleasures as “T.I.A.”, “Bang Bang” (featuring the always-welcome vocals of Maroon 5’s Adam Levine), and “15 Minutes Away.” I won’t say that each of these is thought-provoking, but I’ll guarantee the majority of you will vibe to them.

Of course, more in-depth listening will glean gems like “Somalia,” “America,” and “Fire in Freetown.” These will indeed get an emotional response, as in each, K’Naan’s got something to say about the titular locations and their differing belief systems.

This is “poppy” stuff, not to be confused with the work of Three 6 Mafia, or even that of T.I. Think Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor and you’re darn close; Troubadour is the work of a young, talented, and thoughtful M.C. over fairly sunny beats.

All this being said, the album isn’t flawless. While track variation allows the record to move without dragging, K’naan himself doesn’t do much to alter his own delivery. He isn’t the worst singer in the world, but as you hear him fill in on nearly every chorus, you’ll wish he left some of them to his guests, which include Damian Marley and Mos Def.

Troubadour is worth picking up, if only for the couple of lines on “Does It Really Matter,” the album’s professed club hit, in which K’naan pokes fun at the tired clichés of today’s rap: drops and auto-tune.

I’d recommend that you don’t give up there, though; there’s a lot to like here.

Justin Brogdon, Boar's Head, 3/3/09

By Christopher Taylor

Justin Brogdon’s set at the Boar’s Head Saturday, March 3, 2009, was a mixed bag of acoustic covers. His selection ranged from Dave Loggins to the Black Crowes to Bob Dylan.

A stylistic chameleon, Brogdon’s vocals, at different times throughout his set, a touch of Damien Rice’s crooning, Kenny Rogers’s Twang, and Brad Arnold (of 3 Doors Down fame)’s affected growl. He seemed to try and tailor his sound to individual songs, but as the night wore on and he had a few more beers, his voice seemed to move toward a more consistent southern drawl, and remain there.

His voice wasn’t without flaws; he didn’t hit every note quite right. His range seemed fairly limited; he didn’t dare attempt many notes in the upper registers, nor lower his voice to Johnny Cash levels. Yet it was not without a kind of homegrown, self-taught charm that Brogdon sang through the night. His DIY enthusiasm mostly made up for any technical shortcomings.

Just as musically varied and creative was his guitar playing. For some songs, he’d de-tune, try a different style of picking, or just use his fingers. Toward the end of the night, for a particularly bluesy rendition of Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone,” he used his beer bottle as a glass slide both to great musical effect (he’d obviously practiced this) and to great amusement among the crowd.

Brogdon was quite skilled at drawing the crowd’s attention in general. He played the outdoor patio section of the bar, and even on a cold Saturday night with a warm cellar, full bar and plenty of games below, over the course of his set, much of the bar’s indoor patrons filtered out into the cold to hear him. What little conversation there was remained respectfully quiet, and conceded the battle of focus to him. It is clear he’s more than comfortable with audiences, particularly relatively small and intimate ones like the Boar’s Head patrons.

Justin Brogdon has some roots in music, but mostly succeeds as an entertainer. His frankness and willingness to talk to the crowd do him credit. His use of props and ability to play to the crowd are generally amusing and occasionally inspired. His song selection is interesting and varied, staying mostly somewhere in the realm of rock; nothing too horrendously popular, but mostly tunes the majority have heard. I can’t say that he’s an excellent musician, but I will say that I was well-entertained for an hour or so, and that I’d certainly see him again.

Click here to see a video of a Justin Brogdon performance

Poor Otis, Wild Wing Cafe, 2/27/09

By Judith Woods

By the time Poor Otis took to the stage on Friday, February 27th around 10p.m. at the Wild Wings Café in Marietta, my ears were still ringing from the noisy, out-of-key singing that I had been listening to for the past hour from the opening performers. It was my hope that the next group of entertainers to take the stage would showcase much greater talent than the last. Before this evening, I had never even heard of the cover band called “Poor Otis,” let alone listened to any of their music. So, I was quite surprised to see that they had such a following. As I noshed on my nachos and hot wings, I realized that I was seeing a trend in the clothing that many people had chosen for the night. Looking around the loud, open restaurant, I noticed several people wearing the band’s personalized t-shirts. They were easy to spot - donning the all black fabric with the name “Poor Otis” inked across the front in bold white letters. I actually found myself excited to hear this band that appeared to carry such a faithful following.


Finishing up my dinner for the evening, I started to prepare myself for the entertainment to come. I cleared the table, got out my trusty notepad and waited anxiously for the singing to begin. As the first guitar strum echoed across the room, several people jumped to their feet to show their enthusiasm. “Wow, this is going to be a great concert,” I thought, “look at all these people who are so excited.” The band started off with an obvious crowd favorite, Blister in the Sun, which they followed up with Here I go again and Hurts So Good. It was right after the third song that I understood why this band has so many faithful followers. I’ve listened to many cover bands in my day and I believe it truly takes a talented group of artists to put their own personal spin on a well-known song, while still maintaining the classic sounds that made the tune so popular in the first place – Poor Otis did that with ease! While listening to the melodic beat of Straight To Hell, a favorite of mine originally recorded by Drivin’ & Cryin’; I could not only hear, but feel the band’s personal style and creativity coming through as they sped up a beat here or, changed a note there.

Not only is this a talented group of artists, they also offer their audience an impressive display of showmanship. The three band members, Roy Austin, Chris Kolasz and Konrad Stauffer all do an excellent job of making the crowd feel like they are a part of the show, allowing people to sing certain lyrics, pulling people on stage to shout out their requests and learning the names of as many fans as possible so they can call them out during the show. One of the high points of the night came after a group of young women sitting in the front row, announced that it was their friend’s 21st birthday! With that prompting, the band’s lead singer and guitarist, Roy Austin, pulled the young lady on stage and began to serenade her with the popular Van Morrison hit, Brown Eyed Girl.

After a short break, the band finished up the night with several audience requests; including, Friends in Low Places, Can’t You See, 500 Miles and Wonderful Tonight. All in all, Poor Otis gave a very entertaining performance – one that I will not soon forget. Who knows, if you show to the next concert you might even see me sporting one of those infamous t-shirts.

Click here for video of Poor Otis

Punch Brothers' Hush-Hush Concert

By Gage Henry

Would anyone have guessed that on March 27th, our very own Hugh Hodgson Hall would give floor to the best mandolin player in the world? More importantly, did anyone even know he was here?

On what seemed like a casual night for many, Chris Thile, former mandolinist for the bluegrass rooted Nickel Creek, and his present band, Punch Brothers, delighted a surprisingly small crowd of faithful, or rather fortunate fans at the University’s Performing Arts Center. Based on the advertising campaign put out by the PAC-- which buried this feature in a monthly schedule, posted on a website no one knows about—most people there just got lucky via word of mouth.

Indeed, the audience was treated to a great show, but no one was happier to be there than Chris Thile himself. His first words on stage praised the elaborate concert hall, originally built for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, yet perfectly suited Punch Brother’s eclectic string picking, smooth dissonance and glowing harmonies.

The band’s set drew largely from their first album (released February 26, 2008), Punch, partly a tortuous musical documentation of Thile’s 2004 divorce. Among the evening’s set was a forty minute suite, “The Blind Leaving the Blind,” which Thile wrote in four movements and Punch Brothers played in its weepy and woebegone whole.

Highlighting one member of Punch Brothers is like ordering a dish from a restaurant where everything is good. Noam Pikelny, their jesting banjo player, lightly produced sparkling background melodies that appeared to move faster than the fingers which played them, a feat while standing next to Thile.

The spindly fingers of Paul Kowert, the gangly bassist, walked up and down the neck of his instrument, both purposeful and fluid, laying a compounded foundation fitted for the band’s keynote improvisation.

The world renowned mandolinist exceeded his own infinite standards, brimming with talent that sparked from his plucking fingers and rested on the smooth inflection of his unwavering voice. He played the mandolin like a third limb, and made his performance look all too easy.

Punch Brothers also explored alternative sounds through unorthodox, mechanical percussions, slapping the hollows of their instruments and grinding their strings during an impressive cover of Radiohead's “Packt Like Sardines.” Noises reminiscent of a cheesy 1960's Sci-Fi flick crept through the concert hall's vast space, expanding the genre of “progressive acoustic” as we know it today.

No band is flawless in a live concert, yet Punch Brothers tested this absolute. Every note and harmony projected into the crowd as if they'd been rehearsed a thousand times before. Their progression was tight like a studio record (crediting their sound technician who fiddled with buttons and faders through the entire concert), but their delivery was impassioned with a liveliness too rampant to be captured in microphones and equalizers.

The performance came complete with an intermission and much expected encore, where Thile dipped back into his lambent solo era, which mirrored “House of Tom Bombadil” of Nickel Creek's early fame.

Punch Bothers' set ended strong, with Thile bowing out while praising the hoots and hollers of what he claims to be one of his best audiences he's played for. The prodigy, with his four band members, exited the stage as Thursday night's best kept secret.

Ham1's CD Release Party

By Gage Henry

The Caledonia Lounge resembles a dimly lit basement with more crowds, less couches and what appears to be a makeshift stage where even the bravest audience members hesitantly inched towards at the beginning of the show– the perfect atmosphere for a band like Ham1 to perform to its pure, lackadaisical potential.

Like most bands dwelling in the murmur of the Athens music scene, Ham1 is just another one of the city’s best kept secrets, but maybe they like it this way. This Saturday night show was the CD release party for their third album, The Underground Stream, yet their set was squished between the bands Don Chambers & Goat and JEFF the Brotherhood.

Ham1 wasn’t the headliner. They were the meat of the sandwich.

The four band members wandered on the stage around midnight with a presence that was casual at best, and somehow the group was able to squeeze in 13 songs and a technical difficulty delay for a psychedelically sweet set that lasted under 45 minutes.

“Oh, that sounds awful,” said the keyboardist after the band cracked out a tight sound check that resembled a song playing in the background of a lazy Napoleon Dynamite scene. He jabbed a couple more keys while cringing. “Technical difficulties… Do you know a joke?” he asked the lead singer, Jim Willingham.

Willingham then turned around and candidly chatted with the drummer, who apparently did know a joke but didn’t think to tell it into the microphone. The next three or four minutes played out more like a shtick rather than an awkward silence, where the bassist and keyboardist fumbled with chords at the foot of the stage, and the drummer and leader singer exchanged bar jokes in the background.

The abandoned crowd was too busy eavesdropping on the scene before them to acknowledge their abandonment at all. It was funny, quaint and a perfect introduction for the upcoming bombardment of meandering tunes and comical lyrics.

Ironically, the next words sung out by Willingham were: “Will you ever see me again?”

Ham1’s abstract appearance perfectly mirrors their music, yet unlike the striped feather protruding from the tuning pegs of Willingham’s guitar, the droll melodies and nasally vocals were still elements you can wrap your head around and think, “Yeah, that works.”

The group’s quirkiness increased with their volume and tempo. After the third song a man dressed in a faded checker suit walked out on stage with a trombone that soon struggled to play hoarse notes as if the instrument had been strained by laryngitis, a fitting accoutrement for a band that dedicates an instrumental ballad to a deceased pet chicken named Franklin (written with only two words shouted at the songs close: “Go Franklin!”)

If anything lands in the group’s suggestion box, it is simply the length of their songs, which averaged around two minutes a pop. Most were composed without a chorus and linger long enough only to tempt like a peck on the cheek. Their rhythms lured people to shuffle their feet and then completely dropped off the table, stranding a handful of dancers in the sway of their own silenced grooves.

The trace stumbles of Ham1’s melodic inflection eventually gave in to classic entropy, a noisy jungle complete with a raspy trombone, where clashing cymbals, thumping drums and reverberating guitar chords were topped off with Willingham sending the tinny sound effects of a plastic toy gun into the microphone by the end of the last song, a resourceful and primitively satisfying way to close the show.

The band is indubitably odd, but in no way do they stretch themselves to fit this mold. I’d never heard of Ham1 before that night, and they genuinely unfurled as if they were so wonderfully themselves, never reaching beyond their own capabilities or hinting they had anything to prove.

The lyrics of Ham1’s sleepy-toned song, “Low Expectations,” communicates the band’s motto:

“Low expectations / it makes everything OK.”

Crushing on Eric Hutchinson @ The Theater

By Karla Misjan


I have a new musical crush. His name is Eric Hutchinson. The only thing that could have made my Saturday night at the Georgia Theater any better was if he had asked for my phone number after his set.

After originally purchasing a ticket with the intention to see G.Love & The Special Sauce perform, I was pleasantly surprised to learn E-Hutch would be opening. Turns out, he stole the show. He is just the kind of underdog artist you pay $20 to see open for someone, but who you’d really like to see headlinining for $50.

Hutchinson may not be completely original in his sound, but that’s okay, because what he does, he does well. As the saying goes, don’t fix it if it ain’t broke. He was named a VH1 “You Oughta Know” artist in September 2008 and is the classic singer-songwriter that I unabashedly always seem to fall for. I knew I’d be into him, especially knowing that his sound is a colorful mixture of Gavin DeGraw and Jason Mraz.

Missing the first song due to a bit of a parking debacle, I arrived to Hutchinson rocking out on the keyboard, singing “Outside Villanova.” Clad in a suit and tie, he looked just as good as he sounded.

Throughout the nine-song show, he toggled back and forth between the keyboard and guitar. It’s hard to find an artist who sounds as strong live as he does on his album, but Hutchinson sounded better, and he didn’t take all the credit. Announcing Jimmy Coleman on the drums and Tone Winfield (I’m taking liberties with a spelling guess here) on the bass not once but twice, Hutchinson appreciated his band. A great musician and a nice guy?! I’m crushing even harder…

They say people feed off positive energy. Whoever said this might have been in the crowd that night. Hutchinson’s pop-y energy was radiant. What a crowd-pleaser this one is. It could have been that everyone was in good spirits due to the copious amounts of PBR flowing, but the more likely cause for this reaction was simple. Great music, great entertainment.

The size of the crowd was impressive for two reasons. 1. It was 9PM on a Saturday night in Athens, Georgia. At this time, most college kids are just starting to “pre-game” for a night out on the town. 2. He was the opening act. It’s not every day you see an opener with such a large turnout. This made me happy for my new crush, and it was quite apparent how happy it made him. He repeatedly thanked the audience for coming and joked about “making it [to the show]on time.”

I couldn’t tell you the last time I’ve seen someone work a crowd like Hutchinson did. This guy has a gift. While people seemed a bit distracted in the first half of the set, he sure honed it in midpoint. In his second to last song and arguably his best sing-along song, he split the theater in two for a little call and response action with “Oh”. This was an automatic fan favorite. He played up his strengths, knowing that many of his audience members wouldn’t be completely familiar with his music. “Come on, I’ll teach it to you,” Hutchinson joked. Well the crowd complied, learned and sang along.

“Back to Where I Was” was a song that was previously foreign to me but after Hutchinson told the audience, “When I start to play, just flip out,” I was intrigued. “Pretend this is the song you came to see,” he exclaimed. He is just as vivacious as his songs are. Grabbing the guitar, his easy voice was a nice change of pace for this number. The nostalgic song makes you want to throw your hair up, roll the windows down and drive for miles into the sunset…or sway along with your beverage of choice as I did.

“Food Chain” and “Ok, It’s Alright With Me,” both played by Hutchinson on the keyboard, seemed to score major points with the audience. The well-received songs were the most upbeat of the night and displayed his true playfulness. Total ear candy.

As Hutchinson ended the set with his most popular song “Rock & Roll,” I felt myself dip into teenage girl groupie status. He sang, “If they wanna rock they rock, if they wanna roll they roll.” Well, the crowd wanted both of those things, thus, in turn they danced along to the catchy beat and snapped some final photos of the songster.

Almost a week later, his tunes have resonated with me: in the car, at the gym, and even lullaby-ing me to sleep. This is a rookie who is getting it right. Eric, you’re welcome for this kickass review, it was well deserved. If you’re reading, call me.

Sugarland, 40 Watt Club, 2/26/09

By Kelli Hilderbrand

There is something sweet about the Grammy Award-winning country duo, Sugarland, they are electric and downright sexy. Lead vocalist Jennifer Nettles and guitarist Kristian Bush kicked off their Love on the Inside tour Thursday night at the historic 40 Watt Club in Athens. Nettles, 34, and Bush, 38, impressed the sold-out crowd with their catchy tunes, flirtatious dance moves and instrumental talents.

As Nettles and Bush hit the stage, the crowd cheered and continued cheering for the entire 90-minute performance. To get the show started, the spotlight focused on Nettles as she began singing the uplifting song “Love” off their current album, Love on the Inside, which was released in July 2008. After they sang this first song of the night, Nettles and Bush didn’t slow down the pace one bit.

While pointing the microphone at the audience and dancing around on stage, Nettles sang three songs from their second album, Enjoy the Ride. Two of the songs, “Want To” and “Settlin’,” were Sugarland’s first No. 1 singles. The third single from Enjoy the Ride was “Everyday America,” and is still a popular choice on Atlanta’s country radio stations.

When Sugarland performed their newest upbeat single, “It Happens,” Nettles excited the crowd with her dance moves as she floated from stage right to stage left. This single was definitely a great addition to the show because of its fun-filled lyrics and rhythm.

A surprise guest in attendance was legendary country singer and song writer, Athens’ own Bill Anderson. The band honored him by performing the song “Joey,” co-written by Anderson and Nettles. Anderson has written countless songs for numerous country artists, with arguably his most famous being “Whiskey Lullaby,” a song performed by Brad Paisley and Allison Krauss.

When Nettles toned it down to perform her emotionally uplifting song “Stay,” there was a calming hush that lingered over the crowd for the entire five minute song. Her high-pitched vocals and the touching lyrics of this song made this one of the most memorable songs of the night.

Another great addition to the show was “Who Says You Can’t Go Home,” the duet Nettles and rock band Bon Jovi collaborated on in 2006. Bon Jovi and Nettles took home a Grammy for best Country Vocal Collaboration in February 2007. Bush did not have the raspy voice of Jon Bon Jovi when he sang the song Thursday night, but he did a good job as his stand-in.

Kristian Bush enthralled us with his instrumentals on the guitar and displayed an uncanny ability on the mandolin along with his deep raspy vocals.

The ladies in the audience sang along with Nettles when she performed their first single, “Baby Girl,” from their debut album, Twice the Speed of Life. Many women can relate to this song as it is about a daughter going off and pursuing her dreams as a singer while needing the support of her parents to stay afloat.

Nettles and Bush honored Athens’ very own R.E.M. when they played their 1987 mainstream hit, “The One I Love” for their encore performance. This song enthralled the crowd and they encouraged everyone to sing along.

The last song of the evening described the entire performance in two words, “Love Shack”. Sugarland’s cover of The B-52’s legendary song was a great ending to their show.

Sugarland fans praise Nettles and Bush for writing and composing every song on their current album, Love on the Inside and their previous album Enjoy the Ride. Nettles not only impressed us as a song writer, but she also has quite the instrumental talents. She sang and strummed on her guitar alongside Bush on a few of the songs and we also witnessed Nettles’ piano skills in a song that they have been working on for their next album.

On this particular visit to Athens, Nettles and Bush captivated us with not only their catchy songs but their ability to entertain and energize their fans. Sugarland’s dancing, singing and instrumentals dazzled us and they proved that they are one of the hottest country groups on tour.