October at the Southgate House: Shows to Know

The third edition of the Ten Out of Tenn Tour returns to the Southgate House this Tuesday, October 6. Trent Dabbs and K.S. Rhoads created the tour in 2005, which has featured a revolving cast of (usually) ten singers and songwriters from Tennessee. I’ve seen their Christmas show in the past, and the way this tour works is, you’ll have each of the artist’s playing solo, as well as playing as an entire group together. Only seven others will be joining Dabbs and Rhoads on this stop, and they are Madi Diaz, Kyle Andrews, Andrew Belle, Joy Williams, Ashley Monroe, Mikky Ekko and Sarah Siskind. The show is in the ballroom at 9 pm. Tickets are $10 in advance and $12 at the door. Open to all ages.

Break out your leather jackets and grease up your hair because Friday, October 9 is going to feel like 1979. This night’s going to be all about loud and obnoxious vintage bands, including a couple of legendary local acts. The Cynics, The Customs and The Long Gones are taking over the ballroom at 9:30 pm, and it’s a celebration of The Customs’ Long Gone album, which actually inspired that last band on the bill. Get ready for a sick and sweaty drunken orgy of loud and perverse, pure rock and roll. Tickets are only $10 at the door but $8 if you purchase them beforehand. Ages 18 and up.

Only twenty years old and already an established folk singer/songwriter, Jessica Lea Mayfield got her start in music at the age of eight in her family’s bluegrass band, One Way Rider, who used to tour on Bill Monroe’s 1956 tour bus.  A Kent, Ohio native, Jessica began writing her own songs at just eleven, playing open mics for tips and free pizza. Her first album, White Lies, was recorded at fifteen years old and only printed one-hundred copies. Fortunately, one of those copies fell into the hands of Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, whom she has collaborated and toured with, as well as recently going on the road with bands and artists like Ray LaMontagne, The Avett Brothers, Cake and Lucero.  She’ll actually be playing the Southgate House twice over the next few months, the first on Saturday, October 10, with the second show supporting Dan Auerbach and the Fast Five and Justin Townes Earle. This month’s show starts at 8:30 in the parlour and is a steal, with tickets only $8 in advance or $10 at the door. Opening the show is an indie-pop quintet from Chapel Hill called The Old Ceremony.

It was just this year when Sara Watkins set out on the first solo tour of her career (and stopped by the Southgate House in May), but the eighteen-year vet formerly of the Grammy Award winning Nickel Creek has decided that Newport, Kentucky would be a well deserving place to stop on the second leg of her tour. That last show in May absolutely blew me away, despite a small crowd, but writing songs is certainly nothing new for Sara. I’d even go as far to say that her solo stuff is among some of the best material she’s ever created, but that’s just my opinion. She’s got the voice of an angel and will probably even stick around to talk to her fans. Be in the ballroom on Sunday, October 11. Eric Sommer, formerly of the ’80s psychobilly outfit, The Atomics, opens the show at 8:30 pm. Tickets are $17 in advance and $20 at the door.

Although they’ve been around for nearly ten years, indie-folk rock group, Blitzen Trapper, has only been receiving the recognition they truly deserve for only a few years now. Signed to the highly respectable Sub Pop, Blitzen Trapper’s past two albums, Furr and Wild Mountain Nation, have both garnered massive critical acclaim landing on many indie “Best of” charts. Check out this band, but if it’s still not enough to convince you, then maybe you’ll be sold when you hear that a current emerging indie-folk rock band known as Wye Oak is opening the show. They’re only a duo but you’ll be amazed when you see Andy Stack peforming on both the drums and keys simultaneously. It’s in the ballroom on Wednesday, October 14 at 9:30 pm. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 at the door.

Fran Healy and Andy Dunlop of the Scottish, alternative rock band, Travis, are heading out this fall on a tour dubbed “A Chronological Acoustical Journey Through the Travis Back Catalogue.” Travis formed in the mid-90’s, drawing inspirations and influences from heavy British hitters like The Beatles and Oasis, and often credited for having paved the way for bands like Coldplay, Keane and Snow Patrol. Sounds like it’ll be an interesting unplugged-type of show, and I can’t wait to hear the stripped down versions of songs from Good Feeling (“All I Want to Do Is Rock”), The Man Who (“Why Does It Always Rain on Me?”) and The Invisible Band (“Sing”). Travis was one of my favorite bands during the late 90’s/early 00’s, and although I’m not too familiar with their more recent material, I’m looking forward to hearing selections from their most recent three albums. In the ballroom at 9 pm on Wednesday, October 21. $15 in advance, $18 at the door.

After a brief hiatus, locals mallory are releasing their first album in seven years. Read about my thoughts of their recent MidPoint performance here. Joining mallory are two other exceptional local bands, State Song and The Sundresses. It’s been a great year for both of them (actually all three of them) but State Song is one of the hottest new bands in the area, while The Sundresses have put out one of the best local albums of the year, Barkinghaus. It’s on Friday, October 23 in the ballroom at 9:30 pm. $7 in advance, $10 at the door.

On Saturday, October 24, the ballroom will be owned by a couple of psychedelic indie rock bands, The Raveonettes and The Black Angels. The Raveonettes are a Danish duo, putting heavy emphasis on vocal harmonies, electric instrumentation, driving beats and dark lyrical content, which has drawn comparisons to both The Velvet Underground and The Jesus and Mary Chain. The Black Angels, named after a Velvet Underground song, formed in Austin, Texas about five years ago. They have drawn comparisons to the Velvet Underground as well, and The Warlocks and Black Mountain. Saturday, October 24 in the ballroom at 9:30 pm. $15 in advance, $18 at the door.

Just in time for Halloween, The Misfits are returning to one of their favorite venues, which they actually offered to buy the last time they were in town. There’s an incredible history to this horror punk band that was created by Glenn Danzig in the late 70’s, and their skull logo has become one of the most recognized symbols in music. The current incarnation of the band features original bassist, Jerry Only, and former Black Flag members, Dez Cadena and drummer Robo. I’m sure that the local bands opening the show, Banderas and The Frankl Project, are feeling pretty psyched to be opening for such a legendary band. Hopefully this will lead to some good things for both. It’s actually happening a few days before Halloween, on Tuesday, October 27 at 8 pm. $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

It’s getting late in the year, and that can only mean two things in the local music scene: the CEA’s and the BRINK Showcase. Information regarding this year’s CEA Awards show is still being put together but I can tell you that it will be taking place at the Madison Theater. As for BRINK, it features some of the best of the year in local music. I feel it’s been a strong year in the local scene; doesn’t it feel like every year just keeps getting better and better?! But the lineup for BRINK this month has yet to be announced and as I’ve already said, expect some performances from some of the year’s best in the local scene. Last year’s showcase featured performances from The Chauncers, Boss Monkey, The Tillers, Wonky Tonk and The Sweep. This year’s event takes place in the entire Southgate House on Saturday, October 31 at 9 pm. Only $5 in advance or $8 the day of the show.

Atlanta’s psychedelic, indie rock band, Gringo Star, is already returning to town, after a show not that long ago at the Northside Tavern with The Harlequins. They too will be playing, still out supporting one of the better local releases of the year (Baron von Headless), as well as being joined by The Shy Spots. It’s upstairs in the parlour on Friday, October 30 at 9 pm. $8 in advance, $10 at the door.

The artist in residency for October is Chick Pimp, Coke Dealer at a Bar, a undefinable experimental band combining elements of jazz, prog, jamgrass, hip-hop and pop and rock with the use of instruments like mandolin, keys, horns and turntables. It happens every Wednesday night at 9 pm in the lounge and is free.

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