Southern Ground Music & Food Festival Day 2

Thoughts from Day 2 of the Southern Ground Music & Food Festival as they issued forth from my music-soaked brain:

12:15pm - Made it on site and checked in at the press area. Just like yesterday there was a sizable crowd waiting to get in when the gates opened.

1:00pm - Levi Lowery kicks things off at the Landshark Lager Stage. A small but appreciative crowd of early birds are soaking up the music.

1:20pm - I grab some brisket and collards from the Home Team BBQ stand. Good gravy, but I love Home Team (and no, they are not paying me to say that). Word of the street is that they served so many people yesterday that they ran out of meat. I'm not surprised. Best barbecue in the Lowcountry in my opinion. Even Clay Cook raved about the place when I spoke to him earlier in the week.

1:30pm - JJ Grey & Mofro start the festivities on the main Jack Daniels Stage. This is an amazing band to see live, and they waste no time demonstrating why.

1:45pm - JJ Grey & Mofro just kicked into my favorite tunes of theirs, "Orange Blossoms." It's 75 degrees and another beautiful fall day in the Lowcountry. Day 2 is going to be great!

2:37pm - Nic Cowan & The Remedy are playing on the Landshark Lager Stage. I'm standing with a couple of friends and we're remarking how much Cowan sounds like Dave Matthews when he sings, and on the next song he sounds just like Jack Johnson. If someone were going to do a remake of Woody Allen's "Zelig," and set it in the music business, Cowan would be my pick for the lead role. That isn't to say that the band is bad, just...familiar.

3:05pm - Talked to one of the food vendors (not going to say who) that was apparently assaulted after the show ended last night. He was driving a golf cart back to his catering truck, and a group of drunk idiots hopped in like he was running a taxi service. An argument ensued as the vendor asked the idiots to get the hell out of his cart, and he ended up getting sucker punched in the eye. Kids, if you can't hold down a few beers without acting like a douche, then maybe stick to water, 'Kay?

3:05pm - The Jerry Douglas Band is on the Jack Daniels Stage. Douglas seems to be doing a lot of adjusting to his dobro rig. Isn't he supposed to have someone to do that for him beforehand? Once they get going though, the band sounds pretty good.

3:20pm - Blackberry Smoke just walked into the press area. I saw them open for ZZ Top a few years ago at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. At the time I'd never heard of them, and they did a great job warming up the crowd before That Little Ol' Band From Texas came out. Looking forward to their set later on.

4:05pm - Clay Cook is playing with a couple of friends, including Levi Lowery, on the Landshark Lager Stage. It's a very loose set, with the trio trading as many jokes as songs. At one point Cook waves off a request for The Beatles' "Blackbird," saying, "No, sorry, but I've been asked not to play that anymore. Paul McCartney actually asked me not to play that anymore." The bassist then did a passable McCartney Liverpool accent, saying, "Please stop playing my song." Lowery then mused, "I thought it was Michael Jackson's song." Perhaps you had to be there, but it was pretty hilarious.

4:15pm - During a discussion about The Wailers, the band that plays next, Cook tries to say "reggae" in a Jamaican accent, but winds up sounding more like Scotty from Star Trek. A discussion ensues as to what Scottish reggae would sound like, and the trio actually takes a stab at trying to play the idea that's in their brains for a moment, before collectively realizing the futility of such an exercise. Hilarity ensues. Again, you probably had to be there, but it was pretty funny.

4:30pm - The Wailers, Bob Marley's backing band, take to the Jack Daniels Stage. Bob, of course is not with them, having died in 1981, but The Wailers are still going strong. The stadium has collectively gone into chill mode.

4:47pm - Someone in the crowd remarks that Bob Marley would have been 70 this year (actually he would have been 67). His friend considers this for a moment, then replies, "Man, Bob Marley's dead."

5:11pm - "Is This Love," "Could You Be Loved," "Jamming," "Get Up, Stand Up," if you're into reggae, specifically Bob Marley's type, then The Wailers are delivering the goods right now.

5:14pm - "I Shot the Sheriff." Eric Clapton would be proud.

5:30pm - Sonia Leigh is performing on the Landshark Lager Stage and drawing a considerable crowd with her country/Americana sound.

6:05pm -  Michael Franti & Spearhead take the Jack Daniels Stage, and the always energetic Franti wastes no time demonstrating why his band is such a dynamic live act. Franti dashes down the left-side row of Front Porch Stage Boxes and grabs a kid from the VIP crowd. He leads the boy back to the stage and has him jump up and down to the music. The kid seems thrilled and a little freaked out at the same time. Franti returns the child to his rightful owners, and delivers a set of mostly pop-oriented hits. He's not nearly as political in his music as he used to be, which may explain why he's found more widespread appeal.

6:50pm - Apparently the catwalks weren't getting him close enough to the crowd, because Franti has now hopped off the stage and waded into the east stands of the stadium. He sings a song from the cheap seats. The crowd is loving it.

7:00pm - Dusk has passed, and Franti gets the added benefit of the stage lights.

7:20pm - Franti is playing past his 7:15pm stop time, not that anyone minds. On the other end of the Fest grounds, Blackberry Smoke can be heard rumbling to life. It appears they aren't going to wait for Franti to finish.

7:25pm - Franti finishes with his big radio hit, "Say Hey (I Love You)," much to the delight of the crowd. I head over to catch a bit of Blackberry Smoke at the Landshark Lager Stage.

7:30 - Blackberry Smoke is tearing it up. They are also apparently experiencing some equipment problems, but their lead singer shrugs it off, saying, "That's the way it goes sometimes."

7:34pm - Blackberry Smoke deliver what has to be the most badass song introduction ever, saying, "This song is about a bar fight we got into a few years back. It's called 'Sleeping Dogs.'"

7:36pm - Blackberry Smoke throws a bit of the Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider" into "Sleeping Dogs," but just enough to get a cheer from the crowd.

7:55pm - The stadium lights go out, and the Zac Brown Band kicks into "You Get What You Give." "All right, day two. It's on," says Brown after finishing the tune.

8:10pm - "It's Not OK," which the band played last night too, gets just as big a reaction the second night. I have to admit it's growing on me.

8:19pm - Brown welcomes back John Mayer and Gregg Allman, who both performed with the band on Saturday night. Allman plays two Allman Brothers tunes, "One Way Out" and "Melissa," the latter of which is an especially huge crowd pleaser.

8:30pm - "Jump Right In," another repeat from Saturday, complete with video screen cue cards for the audience sing along.

8:40pm - "Who Knows," an upbeat ZBB tune that has a group of my friends dancing around on the soccer field's grass.

9:00pm - Clay Cook performs a half country/sort of jazzed out cover of The Beatles' "Blackbird." It's the same song he waved off earlier in the day during his solo set. Not the best attempt at the tune, but interesting nonetheless.

9:10pm - "Toes," yet another repeat from Saturday. I understand the need to play the hits that the fans want to hear, but Zac, buddy, could you mix it up a bit more next year? To be fair, the audience loves it, singing the "Adios and vaya con Dios" part of the chorus with gusto. Oh, did I mention that there will be a next year? Brown announced early in the band's set that there would be a third year of Southern Ground.

9:14pm - John Mayer returns with Sarah Dugas in tow, and they play a soulful version of "I Shall Be Released."

9:21pm - Mayer stays onstage to play guitar while Brown sings Mayer's "Queen of California." Yet another repeat from Saturday, but Mayer's guitar solo is better tonight.

9:30pm - "Free," which transitions into Van Morrison's "Into the Mystic"...just like it did on Saturday.

9:40pm - "This is a song from a father to a son," says Brown by way of introducing "Highway 20 Ride." At the end of the song Brown's father comes out on stage and hugs his son.

9:52pm - A fairly straightforward cover of Widespread Panic's "Ain't Life Grand," followed by a barn burner version of The Charlie Daniels Band's "The Devil Went Down To Georgia." The band bids the crowd good night, but very few folks leave.

10:04pm - The encore includes "Keep Me in Mind," as well as an epic cover of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb." After one more tune the second annual Southern Ground Music & Food Festival is history. With a crowd estimated at more than 12,000 on Saturday and an equally robust attendance on Sunday, it's safe to say that we can look forward to the 2013 edition.

Southern Ground Music & Food Festival Day 1

There was a lot to see and do on day 1 of the Southern Grounds Music & Food Festival out at Blackbaud Stadium on Daniel Island. If you weren't able to make it out Saturday, here's what you missed.

12:30pm - Waiting in line to get into Blackbaud Stadium. The early birds waiting in line are starting to get antsy. According to the event website, the gates were supposed to open at noon. I'm guessing the grousers are probably from "off," and don't understand Southern time. C'mon folks, it isn't as if there's anything happening onstage yet.

12:32pm - Someone must have heard me tweeting about the grumblers in line. The line is moving along nicely now.

1:00pm - John Driskell Hopkins & Balsam Range have officially kicked off the second annual Southern Ground Music & Food Festival. Great acoustic Americana music with a lot of muscle. I'm their newest fan. Folks are streaming into the venue, checking things out and plotting their day. Folks are already playing frisbee and corn hole on Blackbaud's lush soccer field. Just like last year, it's a very laid back vibe. The festival organizers have set up a truly sweet media area with tables, couches, and goodie bags, all in the shadow of the Zac Brown Band's Jack Daniels tour bus.

1:30pm - The James Arthur Band is kicking things off at the smaller Landshark Lager Stage at the back of the venue. I love getting constant music throughout the day.

2:00pm - Los Lonely Boys apparently had to cancel at the last minute, so the crowd is now enjoying the mellow country sounds of Levi Lowery on the Jack Daniels Stage. As much as I was in the mood for Tex-Mex rock and roll, Levi doesn't suck.

2:38pm - Lowery just sang some song filled with expletives. I'll bet that went over great with the family crowd.

2:45pm - Did you know that Zac Brown's record label has a hip-hop act? Yeah, me neither. Still, The Wheeler Boys are attracting quite a crowd at the Landshark Lager Stage with their Southern style of rap. In addition to two turntables and a couple of microphones, the group features a live drummer and guitarist. Interesting.

3:12pm - The first legend of the day. The Charlie Daniels Band hits the stage with Daniels himself sawing on his fiddle and playing it hot (you see what I did there?). Daniels is 75 freakin' years old, and he still plays live like a madman.

3:23pm - CDB is playing one of my favorites, "The Legend of Wooley Swamp."

3:40pm - With CDB still onstage, I walked over to speak to Jean Peck, Executive Director of Camp Southern Ground, a camp for kids with both normal and special needs that will be built outside Fayetteville, Georgia in the near future. Zac Brown is a big supporter of the camp, and from the plans I was shown it's going to be a pretty amazing facility. Check out southerngroundcamp.org for more information. Just as we were wrapping up, Zac Brown himself came strolling into the tent. What a nice, down to earth guy.

3:53pm - Charlie Daniels' drummer is doing a drum solo. I didn't realize country bands did that. It's like Neil Peart with a cowboy hat from where I'm sitting.

3:55pm - 72 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. I live for this kind of weather. I tried to get up to the Jack Daniels Stage to take a photo of CDB, but there are so many people here already he'd look like a speck in the distance. If you're going by the sheer number of people already here as measurement, then the event is already a success.

4:02pm - Charlie Daniels just gave a shout out to all the service members, especially the gold star families that have lost a loved one. I expect he's going to close with "The Devil Went Down To Georgia."

4:08pm - CDB pays tribute to Johnny Cash with a cover of "Folsom Prison Blues."

4:12pm - CDB calls The Zac Brown Band's Clay Cook onstage for a song.

4:18pm - They keep Cook out on stage for, you guessed it, "The Devil Went Down To Georgia." I wonder how many violin strings Daniels goes through a year? I hope that I have even half of his energy when I turn 75.

4:30pm - Coy Bowles & The Fellowship are on the Landshark Lager Stage. Man, what a kick-ass brass section. Three saxophones and a trombone. Real powerhouse playing too.

4:35pm - Clay Cook has joined Bowles onstage. When I interviewed Cook earlier this week he said he was going to try to play with a bunch of people, and it appears he's making good on that promise.

4:50pm - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals on the Jack Daniels Stage. If you're out here seeing Potter live for the first time, then I envy you. First saw her at the First Flush Fest a couple years ago and was totally unprepared for how powerful her live act is. She must lose five pounds of water weight a show. I managed to get a bit closer to the stage and got some decent shots of Potter with my point and shoot camera.

5:02pm - Potter is making full use of the catwalk that juts out from the front of the main stage. She's walking up and down it, giving fans high-fives and generally being an A-list rock star. On a related note, if reincarnation exists, can I come back as Grace Potter's Gibson Flying V guitar?

5:41pm - I'm at the back of Blackbaud Stadium, opposite the stage Potter's on right now, and the bass from "Paris (Ooh La-la)" is vibrating the couch on which I'm sitting. I imagine folks up front are having the fillings in their teeth rattled loose.

5:48pm - Watching Another great band I've never heard of, Dugas, on the Landshark Lager Stage. Very attractive, very talented lead singer, Sarah Dugas, fronting a band that plays fairly straightforward, very good rock music. They're also on Zac Brown's record label, and I can see why he signed them. Grace Potter should probably watch her back.

6:15pm As the sun goes down behind Blackbaud Stadium's Three Lions Pub, Avett Brothers arrive onstage, and they get points for starting exactly when the schedule said they would. Actually, the acts have been pretty much on schedule all day. I have a feeling that when he was considering potential acts for this festival, Zac Brown steered away from any divas that might have the potential to hold things up. The Avetts launch into one of their signature songs, "A Talk on Indolence," with rapid-fire lyrics like "Readin' and writin' and read in' and thinkin' and searching for reasons and missing the seasons." The crowd is loving it.

6:40pm - The Avetts perform one of my favorites, "January Wedding," from their stellar album "I and Love and You." It is readily evident that a large part of the crowd has come to see this band. They've been favorites here in the Lowcountry since well before they became a mainstream act, partially due to the fact that the band is from just over the border in North Carolina.

6:54pm - I'm getting hungry. Fortunately, this Fest is just as much about the food as it is the music. The only problem I'm having is what to choose from among he dozens of vendors out here. Will it be Home Team BBQ (one of my favorites), Taco Boy (hmm, I wonder if they're serving their famous Baja fish tacos?), or perhaps something from Chef Rusty, Zac Brown's own personal chef. Decisions, decisions.

7:00pm - Another great Avett Brothers song, "Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise,"  got a hearty cheer from the crowd when the band played the opening bars. It's now twilight, and the lights on the Jack Daniels Stage are starting to live up to their potential. Starting to cool off a bit, but the weather is still perfect.

7:05pm - Just in case anyone is considering sleeping through church tomorrow before heading out to day 2 of the Fest, the Avetts have you covered with a beautiful acoustic version of "Just a Closer Walk with Thee."

7:29pm - "Kick Drum Heart!" Another Avett Brothers classic. And the crowd goes wild.

7:34pm - The Avetts close with the beautiful title track from their "I and Love and You" album. A gorgeous end to a superb set.

8:00pm - The Wood Brothers, an impressive three-piece band, closes out the lineup on the Landshark Lager Stage for day 1. While the crowd is fairly small due to that fact that most folks are jockeying for a space to stand for the soon to start Zac Brown Band performance on the other stage, those that do check The Wood Brothers out get a great show. On the way back to see Zac Brown I stop by Brown's catering setup, which is serving Chef Rusty's signature recipes, and sample the chocolate peanut butter biscuit pudding that Clay Cook had mentioned when I interviewed him earlier this week. Holy schneikes, that stuff is dangerous, as in dangerously good. I also stop by the Home Team BBQ stand to show them where Cook praised their barbecue in my interview, as well as saying that he had a Home Team sticker on all of his guitar cases. They're understandably tickled.

8:15pm - The stadium lights go out, and on the huge video screen on the Jack Daniels Stage erupts with a map of the Earth that slowly zooms in on Charleston before a Zac Brown Band logo lands with a thud. The band then kicks into "Keep Me in Mind," and folks can be seen dancing all over Blackbaud Stadium.

8:42pm - Brown welcomes out The Avett Brothers to play on "Oh My Sweet Carolina." It's the first in what will likely be many guest appearances throughout the night.

8:52pm - "We have a new guitarist in the band," says Brown. "Please welcome John Mayer!" While he doesn't sing, due to throat problems, Mayer seems to be having a blast coaxing bluesy licks from his ornately painted guitar.

9:06pm - The band launches into the country stomp of "It's Not OK," which only gets the crowd dancing harder. It's a country hoedown frenzy!

9:18pm - Darius Rucker joins the band onstage to thunderous applause (he is a local guy, after all) and the band kicks into Bob Dylan's "Wagon Wheel," with Rucker singing lead.

9:23pm - It's apparently sit down acoustic set time. The band takes a collective seat, and starts a song with a distinctly familiar melody. Could it be? Yes, it's the Unplugged version of Nirvana's "All Apologies," and a fairly faithful version to boot. I know grunge enthusiasts everywhere are cringing reading this, but trust me when I tell you that it didn't suck.

9:32pm - Zac Brown's bassist starts a bass groove on what appears to be a bass ukulele, and before you know it the band has launched into an acoustic version of Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion." The set is starting to resemble the incredible covers set the band did on the first night of last year's festival.

9:37 - Okay, finally a Zac Brown original, "Free." Oh! Psyche! Just as fast the song transitions into Van Morrison's "Into The Mystic." This is sacred ground as far as Celtic soul goes, but Zac and his boys do the song justice.

9:42pm - A little crowd participation for "Jump Right In," as Brown has the audience sing the chorus, which is very courteously projected on the video screens on either side of the stage, just in case you forget the words "jump right in."

9:48pm - John Mayer is back, and oh look, he brought a friend. A huge cheer goes up as Gregg Allman walks onstage, straps on a guitar, and leads the band into The Allman Brothers' "Midnight Rider." Allman then sits down behind his trusty Hammond organ and tears into another Allman Brothers classic, "Statesboro Blues." Southern rock fans are passing out from sensory overload.

10:07pm - "Toes," which with it's lyrics "I got my toes in the water, my ass in the sand," is a crowd favorite. Just about everyone is singing along. The band thanks the audience and leaves the stage. Calls for "Chicken Fried" can be heard coming from the crowd.

10:14pm - What, you thought they were finished? Ha! The band's percussionist and drummer both return to make sure the folks in the neighborhoods adjoining Blackbaud Stadium don't doze off too early. I'll bet that sourpuss who wrote the letter to the newspaper last year complaining about the noise from the first Southern Ground Festival is at his computer right now. Nah, he's probably using a quill and inkwell. The drumming goes on for 9 minutes.

10:23pm - The band is back onstage, and after playing one of their own tunes they welcome John Mayer back out. Mayer, who is suffering from granulomas on his throat, and he isn't supposed to talk or sing while he's being treated, but he briefly thanks the band for letting him sit in. The band then plays Mayer's song "Queen of California," with Brown singing lead and Mayer once again showing why he's one of the best guitar players out there right now.

10:34pm - A lovely version of Brown's own "Ain't In No Hurry," which transitions into a bluesy version of "America the Beautiful" as Brown thanks the crowd for coming and reminds them that there is still another day ahead. The band then sends the crowd home with "Chicken Fried," ensuring everyone leaves happy.

The Southern Ground Music & Food Festival continues on Sunday.

An Interview With Clay Cook of The Zac Brown Band

When the Zac Brown Band takes to the stage at the Southern Ground Music and Food Festival this weekend, the band will include an artist who at the ripe old age of 34 is already a veteran of five major music groups. Clay Cook has been playing guitar since the age of 7. That's according to his cleverly-written bio on the official Zac Brown Band website. While he switched to drums while attending high school in Georgia, he eventually returned to guitar and soon found himself enrolled at the Berklee College of Music in Boston. While at Berklee Cook met another guitar player who lived on his dorm hallway. The two men started collaborating, and in 1998 they decided to leave Berklee to pursue playing music full time. Oh, I guess I should mention that the other guy's name was John Mayer. The duo moved to Atlanta, where they wrote and performed music together before parting ways about a year later. "It was an amicable split in most ways," said Cook, who spoke to me today by phone from Nashville, where he was getting ready to board a bus to head to Charleston. "We were two young kids, and you had to make concessions sometimes to continue a partnership. Had it been years later when we were 34 years old it might have been different." Cook co-wrote several songs on Mayer's first two studio albums, and wrote and recorded a couple of albums of his own.
Cook eventually found his way into legendary South Carolina group The Marshall Tucker Band. Marshall Tucker Band lead singer and founding member Doug Gray is none other than Cook's uncle, and while some might think his inclusion in the band was simply rock and roll nepotism, in truth Cook proved himself worthy of playing with the band's more seasoned members. Stints with Shawn Mullins and an early version of Sugarland followed,  and then Zac Brown came calling. "From what I understand, Zac had my first solo record, and we kept putting out records and he kept buying them," said Cook. "He saw me play with the Marshall Tucker Band, and he realized I could actually play guitar. He thought I was just a singer songwriter up until that point. Zac's bassist, John Hopkins, shared a studio with me, and Zac started talking John about getting me into the band. Eventually when he could afford to add a sixth band member Zac called me." Speaking about the appeal of Brown and his music, Cook said, "I think that there's nothing fake about it. It's genuine and real, and you may not agree with him, but that's okay. He's not one of those guys who's going to try to convince you that he's great. He's just going to go out there and do his thing. He has some great beliefs in what music should sound like, and what he's trying to do with the festivals and his charity. I think all of that transcends into his celebrity persona."
In addition to performing with the Zac Brown Band on Saturday and Sunday, Cook will be performing a solo set of his own music on Sunday. "I'm going to be sitting in with a good deal of the other artists as well," said Cook. "I have a lot of friends that are a part of (the festival), so it's a lot of fun for me musically." One artist participating in this weekend's festivities is none other than Cook's old dorm mate and musical partner, John Mayer. So will the two be performing together at Blackbaud Stadium? "The first time we'd played together since back in Atlanta was about a year and a half ago," said Cook. "I was having a birthday party, and I got a bunch of friends together at a venue, and we performed Tom Petty's 'Wildflowers' album. John was there, and that's the first time we'd played together in a long time." Cook also advised that Mayer showed up last month at the Southern Ground Fest's Nashville performances. "John sat in on a bunch of tunes with other artists," said Cook. "He was having a blast, but because he's not able to sing due to granulomas in his throat it was just good for him to get out and play and remember that he's a musician, not a celebrity."
Since food is just as big a part of this weekend'd festival as the music, I asked Cook what it was like being able to travel with Chef Rusty, the chef that travels with the band, and who helps oversee the meal courses for the VIP boxes on the festival stage. Has he been spoiled by having a gourmet chef on the road? "Oh, for sure," laughed Cook. "When I'm home for a few days at a time I eat terrible. I eat whatever I can find in a short amount of time. It's definitely spoiled me." So does Cook have a favorite dish from Chef Rusty? "It surprises people when they asked my what his favorite thing he makes is," said Cook. "Most people would think that it's the chocolate peanut butter biscuit pudding that he makes, but my favorite thing that he does is, once a month he'll find some good Brussels sprouts. I know that sounds weird, but he makes the best Brussels sprouts, and I hate Brussels sprouts."
Cook also looked forward to getting some food from local restaurant Home Team BBQ, which will be setting up shop at Blackbaud Stadium this weekend along with many other local and regional vendors. "Home Team is my favorite, and I haven't had it in two years, so I'm really stoked that they're going to be on site. I have a Home Team sticker on every one of my guitar cases."
Looking back at last year's Southern Ground Fest, Cook points to the Zac Brown Band's set of covers from the first night. "The cover set that we did, before My Morning Jacket, was great. We didn't rehearse any of that. Right before we went on the stage we wrote up a setlist so the lighting guys would have an idea, but it was all spontaneous." That cover set, which included covers of songs by Stephen Stills, Pink Floyd, Tom Petty, Johnny Cash, and The Band, had people talking for weeks after, especially when Warren Haynes joined the band onstage for Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb." "I'm cooking up a couple of things for us to attempt this weekend," said Cook, adding, "We could fall flat on our face, but we could pull t off. The intention is to pull it off. We're definitely going to take some chances. It's going to be really cool."  
The Southern Ground Music and Food Festival takes place this Saturday and Sunday at Blackbaud Stadium on Daniel Island. I'll have daily wrap-ups on Saturday and Sunday nights, and I'll be tweeting at geekmusique throughout the weekend. Go to southerngroundfestival.com for more information.

Eat To The Beat

As the Southern Ground Music and Food Festival draws closer, I honestly can't decide if I'm more excited about the food or the music. I'm obviously a major fan of music, and this year's edition of the event features some great bands (more on that in a moment), but thanks to Zac Brown being as big a foodie as he is a music lover, the senses of hearing and taste get equal amounts of love at Southern Ground. Last year I was fortunate enough to be seated at one of the incredible front porch stage boxes, which were nestled right up against the stage and came complete with a server, an open bar, and a multi-course meal each night. As the Zac Brown Band, Warren Haynes, and My Morning Jacket performed, my table mates and I feasted on duck confit carnitas, molasses pork belly and ricotta hoe cakes, butter pea pasta, cornmeal-dusted flounder, and roasted carrots. To say that the food was delicious was an understatement. Even the folks not fortunate enough to be seated up on stage were able to sample great food at booths around the grounds of Blackbaud Stadium. We're not talking simple hamburgers and hotdogs, but instead hearty gourmet fare. Even if you're not necessarily a fan of any of the bands playing, you can come out, sample the food, and perhaps discover something new musically.
As far as the band lineup goes, I have a few to which I'm particularly looking forward.

The Avett Brothers - I've been going to see these guys since they were still traveling down from North Carolina to play at the Music Farm a decade ago. The band's 2009 album, "I And Love And You," remains one of my favorite albums of the last decade. It has yet to leave my home CD player (yeah, I still listen to those shiny silver things). The band's followup, "The Carpenter," which was released earlier this year, is not quite as good as its predecessor, but it's still better than 99% of what's out there. The band's live act is electric, with the Avett's stomping, strumming and singing their hearts out. If you haven't seen The Avett Brothers Live, please do yourself a favor and check them out this weekend.

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals - I'll admit it; I was late to the Grace Potter Party. I didn't see the Vermont-based band play live until just a couple of years ago at the First Flush Fest down on John's Island. I'd heard the band was good, and that Potter had a considerable stage presence, but in the end I wasn't prepared to get my face rocked off, which is basically what happened. Potter is one of those human beings that was just born to be a rock star. She carries herself in a way only seen previously by the likes of Elvis, Springsteen, and Bono. Wait until you hear the band belt out "Paris (Ooh La La)" this weekend. I'll be the guy up front throwing the finger horns.

Michael Franti & Spearhead - Franti is one of those musicians who approaches music the same way a priest, rabbi, or cleric approaches religion. Franti's not playing to entertain you, he's playing to convert you to his musical point of view. Although his political stances have softened a bit as he has aged and evolved, Franti's live act is still a force of nature. I'm hoping he performs my favorite Spearhead tune, "Everybody Ona Move." If that song doesn't get you shaking your moneymaker, then you should probably check to see if you have a pulse.

JJ Grey & Mofro - Probably one of the best, most original, and in my opinion most underrated Southern rock bands currently performing. Actually, labeling the band as simply Southern rock is wrong, because the band can switch from Southern rock, to R&B, to funk, to blues in the blink of an eye. The song "Orange Blossoms" always brings a smile to my face when I hear it on the radio.

The Charlie Daniels Band - I've actually never seen CDB. This legendary country outfit is best known for it's 80's hit "The Devil Went Down to Georgia," but I'll be waiting to hear "Long-Haired Country Boy." Don't think I won't be hootin' and hollerin' though when that devil rosins up his bow.

Zac Brown Band - I'll admit that I was only a casual ZBB listener prior to last year's Southern Ground Festival. I'd seen them a number of times everywhere from the Windjammer to Bonnaroo. Perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention at those earlier shows, but when the band came out on the first day of the fest last year and played covers of songs by Pink Floyd, Tom Petty, Pure Prairie League, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and The Band, I was mesmerized. The band's set the next night was equally stellar. I'm a full-fledged fan now, and I look forward to the band's sets on Saturday and Sunday.

There are plenty of other acts playing over the two days of the fest. Go to southerngroundfestival.com and check out the full lineup, which now includes JohnMayer and Gregg Allman sitting in with ZBB. It's going to be a great weekend of music on Daniel Island.

We're Comin' To Your Town, We'll Help You Party It Down

Twenty years ago music festivals were a rare thing here in the US. Over in places like Europe and Japan they have been happening for years. I went to a few great ones while I was stationed in Germany in the army in the late 80's, most notably one in Heckeheim that featured such diverse acts as (and remember, this was 1990) Tina Turner, Jethro Tull, Alannah Myles, Simple Minds, Chris De Burgh, Fury in the Slaughterhouse, and Gianna Nanini. Nope, I'd never heard of Gianna Nanini either, but I do like the way the Italian pop singer's name rolls off the tongue.
I got back home after the army just in time to see Perry Farrel start Lollapalooza. I never got to attend a date on that traveling alt-rock festival, but thanks to its success folks over here began to see that music festivals in the US could be safe, fun, and, most importantly for those producing the events, lucrative. Lollapalooza begat the H.O.R.D.E (Horizons Of Rock Developing Everywhere) Festival, then the all-female Lilith Fair Tour, and the Warped Tour. The Warped Tour is one of the few fests that still tours the country. Most of the other music festivals are staged in a single location, and provide a multi-day experience with an amazing enough lineup to draw music fans from all over the country. The Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee is the current king of the American fests. For the last decade folks have flocked to the tiny Tennessee town, where the festival organizers have purchased a 750 acre plot of farmland that turns into music heaven for four days each June. Other well-known festivals include Coachella in Indio, California, Bumbershoot in Seattle, and yes, even Lollapalooza in Chicago. That latter fest no longer travels, but instead follows the current trend of having the music fans come to the music.
Now Charleston stands poised to be added to the list of cities that hosts an annual music festival. Last October the Southern Ground Music & Food Festival made its debut at Blackbaud Stadium, and by all accounts was a rousing success. Over three days folks got to see performances by big acts such as My Morning Jacket, Warren Haynes, Eric Church, Train, Fitz and the Tantrums, and Steel Pulse among others. The Zac Brown Band played headlining sets all three nights of the festival. Brown himself helped create the event, and because he is just as much a foodie as he is a musician, Brown wanted to combine those two passions. Concertgoers last year had the chance to sample food from some of the South's best chefs while watching the show. Those willing to pay for the privilege got to sit at tables on the stage and experience the music while professional chefs served up delectable meals for them. It was a huge undertaking that had its risks, and it happened without a hitch, at least that's what it looked like to me. If you didn't get a chance to attend last year's soiree, here's a YouTube video of My Morning Jacket performing "One Big Holiday."   
I was overjoyed to hear that the Southern Ground Festival would be returning to Daniel Island this year on October 20 and 21. Charleston has tried multi-acts, multi-genre music fests in the past, most notably Chazzfest a few years back. Chazzfest had a great lineup (Al Green, Buddy Guy, Son Volt, Sam Bush), a good location (the Family Circle Tennis Stadium), and decent weather, but attendance fell off sharply in year two, and the event was doomed. I don't see the sophomore slump being an issue for Southern Ground. For starters, the festival's organizers have wisely condensed the event from three days to two. Next, the list of bands is just as impressive as last year's. No, check that; this year's lineup is better. We're talking The Avett Brothers, Michael Franti and Spearhead, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, The Wailers, Los Lonely Boys, JJ Grey & Mofro, The Charlie Daniels Band, The Jerry Douglas Band, and The Zac Brown Band. That's just a partial list. It was also recently announced that Gregg Allman and John Mayer would be sitting in with The Zac Brown Band during its nightly sets at the festival.
Once again food will be just as big a star as the music. The Stage Boxes are back, as are the guest chefs. The Southern Ground Fest has also expanded to Nashville. That two-day festival, which featured a largely different lineup, happened last month and was a hit in Music City.
I'm looking forward to heading out to Blackbaud Stadium next weekend for two days of great music and great food. If you haven't purchased your tickets yet, you can do so here. Single day tickets are available, but I can almost guarantee that if you go Saturday you'll want to come back on Sunday. I implore you to come out and check the event out though. The only way cool stuff like this will continue is if it's supported.

And The Road Goes On Forever

When discussing the merits of Southern rock and roll, the talk almost inevitably comes back to the holy trinity of that genre; Lynyrd Skynyrd, ZZ Top, and The Allman Brothers Band. Yeah, I know, go ahead and throw in whatever Southern rock band you think deserves equal billing, be it The Marshall Tucker Band, .38 Special, Molly Hatchet, or even more recent entries such as Widespread Panic, but none of those great acts can measure up to Skynyrd, The Allmans, and “that lil’ ole band from Texas.” Time hasn’t been kind to the lineups of two of those three bands. The Allman Brothers lost founding member and Southern guitar god Duane Allman in 1971 to a motorcycle crash, and Skynyrd lost Ronnie Van Zant, Steve Gaines, and Cassie Gaines in a plane crash in 1977. Only ZZ Top has a lineup that hasn’t changed in more than four decades. 

By all accounts, including his own, Gregg Allman should have joined his brother Duane long ago. From the ridiculous amount of drugging and boozing, to contracting Hepatitus C and undergoing a liver transplant, Gregg Allman is the Keith Richards of Southern rock. Seriously, they should study the guy’s DNA, because a lesser man would have been six feet under decades ago. 

I first saw The Allman Brothers Band back in the early 90’s, when it has resumed touring after lengthy hiatus. The North Charleston Coliseum was packed with a rowdy crowd back then, and the band was benefitting from the inclusion of guitarist Warren Haynes, keyboardist Johnny Neel, and bassist Oteil Burbridge (Burbridge had replaced Allen Woody prior to the tour I saw). Since I was working in radio at the time I got to go backstage and meet a few of the band members. I even got my picture taken with Haynes, and Gregg Allman signed my backstage pass. I still have it. 

I’d listened to the Allmans while in high school, but it took seeing them live to really appreciate the band. I’ve had the chance t see Gregg Allman perform as a solo artist over the years at venue such as the Charleston Music Hall and the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. Although time and punishment has left him looking pretty frail, once Allman opens his mouth it’s usually like being transported back to the days when his brother Duane was still in the band and known for his tendency to speed on his motorcycle. 

Tuesday night’s stop at the North Charleston started with a performance by Jaimoe’s Jasssz Band. Led by Jai Johanny “Jaimoe” Johanson, percussionist and a founding member of The Allman Brothers Band, JJB got the crowd into the mood with a solid set of music that drifted between jazz, R&B, and jam rock. Especially impressive was the band’s horn section, which later made an appearance during Allman’s set.

JJB was well received by the crowd of about 1,300, but you could tell that most folks were chomping at the bit to see Allman himself. After a short intermission, the lights went down and Gregg Allman led his band onto the stage. Instead of taking a seat at his Hammond organ, Allman strapped on an acoustic guitar and kicked off the set with a cover Sleepy John Estes’ blues classic “Floating Bridge.” Although Allman seemed to be reading words from a nearby music stand, it was a decent opening performance. With the leadoff song done, Allman took a seat behind his Hammond, which looks more like an old-fashioned roll top desk than a musical instrument. Allman kicked into “I’m No Angel,” his solo hit from the 80’s, and the crowd came alive. Allman and his band alternated between Allman and Allman Brothers originals and blues covers from his recent solo album, “Lowcountry Blues.” Twice during the show Allman turned over vocal duties to singer Floyd Miles, who belted out great versions of songs like “Lucille” and “Goin’ Back to Daytona.”

The biggest crowd reactions obviously came when Allman played the classic Allman Brothers Band stuff, and he didn’t hold back. “Statesboro Blues,” “Melissa,” “Midnight Rider,” “Whipping Post,” and an encore of “One Way Out?” Yes, please. Allman continued to go between organ and guitar. The arrangements of his songs at Tuesday night’s concert had a bit more of a jazzy feel to them, possibly due to the influence of his opening act. I thought that the flute solos on “Melissa” and “Midnight Rider” were a bit over the top, but interesting nonetheless. The couple sitting, er, standing in front of me danced through most of Allman’s set. Normally that would annoy me, but in this case their tipsy jitterbugging amused me. All in all, a good night of music from one of Southern rock’s elder statesmen. Certainly more interesting than Allman’s recent autobiography, which basically recaps everything we already knew about him. 

Setlist

Floating Bridge

I’m No Angel

Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’ 

Tears, Tears, Tears

Lucille (Floyd Miles lead vocals)

You Must Be Crazy (Floyd Miles lead vocals) 

Queen of Hearts

Before the Bullets Fly

Can’t Be Satisfied

Statesboro Blues

Melissa

Goin’ Back to Daytona (Floyd Miles lead vocals)

Wasted Words

Midnight Rider

Whipping Post

(encore) 

One Way Out

Unta Gleetin Gloutin Globen

I was never a metal music fan in high school. That fact takes on extra significance when you know that I graduated from Wando High in 1988, right in the thick of the 80's metal craze. No, while a lot of my friends were banging their heads to the likes of Poison, Warrant, Guns 'N' Roses, and Stryper (yes, Stryper, that yellow and black striped Christian metal juggernaut), I was far more interested in INXS, RUN-DMC, R.E.M., and U2. Apparently bands that used acronyms or initials ruled my life back then. Sure, I was aware of the metal bands. You couldn't turn on MTV back then without seeing some longhaired, spandex-clad, skinny lead singer belting out a tune over an onslaught of thundering guitars. Metal was just never my bag.
Now Alan Coker? There, my friend, is a disciple of metal. Coker, who is better known as the marketing manager at the North Charleston Coliseum, Performing Arts Center, and Convention Center, attended North Charleston High about the same time I was going to Wando. He's been a friend for years, but we didn't know each other back then. In conversations over the years we've learned some interesting and potential embarrassing things about one another. For instance, I was the Wando High mascot for one football season, meaning I dressed up in Native American garb and generally made a fool of myself on the sidelines during games. Forget that I was one of the bigger guys in school, and that the coach would have loved to have had me on the team's defensive line. No, I had caught the showbiz bug early, and doing pushups when the football team scored was as close as I ever got to organized athletics.
I learned early on that in his high school years Coker was a rabid, unapologetic fan of metal. He even had one of those sweet, sweet mullets. I tried to find a picture, but Alan has apparently destroyed all incriminating evidence, much like I did with any photos of me as the Wando Warrior. A couple of years ago Alan came back from his annual trip to New York City raving about this musical he'd seen. "It was called 'Rock of Ages,' and it was awesome!," said Coker, his eyes wide with excitement. "What was it about?," I asked. Coker's one word answer: "Metal!"
I went into Thursday night's performance of "Rock of Ages" at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center with the same sort of attitude I had about metal in the 80's. I expected cheesiness on a ridiculously high level. Instead, I had my face rocked off.
For those that haven't seen the musical, or who might only have seen the film version released earlier this year (which I heard was dreadful), here's the story in a nutshell. Midwestern girl Sherrie arrives in Los Angeles sometime in the mid to late 80's, ready to seek fame and fortune as a film actress. She soon meets Drew, who works as a barback at the Bourbon Room, a fictional rock club on the Sunset Strip. Drew secretly wishes to be a rock star. The pair are instantly smitten with one another, and their romantic ups and downs weave through the musical's storyline, which also involves the city's efforts to close down the Bourbon Room to make way for retail space. Sounds like a pretty typical plot for a musical, right? Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, girl has a fling with a famous rocker who once teabagged a llama.
Whoa, hold on, stop the clock.
Teabag? Llama? Oh, yeah, I guess I should tell you that, much like the musical genre that is heavy metal, "Rock of Ages" is about as irreverent as Broadway musicals get. There are scantily-clad strippers, foppish German boys, and a character named Lonny who seems to have fifty different ways of flipping someone the bird (my personal favorite was miming the creation of a balloon animal, which emerged as a middle finger). This isn't necessarily a musical you want to take kids under 15 to, unless you're cool with said kids seeing gyrating pole dancers, simulated sex acts in a bathroom stall, references to crystal meth and, yes, teabagging an innocent llama. Still, for what I was expecting going in, I came out of "Rock of Ages" with a newfound respect for the music I shunned as a music snobbish teen. The way the show's creators work songs by Poison, Whitesnake, REO Speedwagon, Foreigner, Night Ranger, David Lee Roth, Warrant, Extreme, Journey, and even freakin' Quarterflash (when was the last time you heard that band mentioned?) into the storyline was pretty amazing. It shouldn't work, and yet it does amazingly well. Among the cast were a few standouts. Dominique Scott, who played Drew, has an amazing voice, and several times during the show he held a note way longer than any mere mortal should be able to. Matt Ban as Dennis, the burt-out hippie owner of the Bourbon Room, is a hoot, and his onstage antics are topped only by that of Lonny (played by Justin Colombo), the club's sound guy and assistant to Dennis. Colombo does double duty as both a character in the show and the story's narrator, and he steals just about every scene he's in. Especially hilarious is when he declares his love for another character (I won't ruin it by telling you who) while the couple sings "Can't Fight This Feeling" by REO Speedwagon. Universo Pereira, who plays rocker Stacee Jaxx (Tom Cruse played the character in the film version), is also great. Equally amazing are Stephen Michael Kane, who plays Franz in hilarious over the top fashion, and Amma Osei, who plays strip club owner Justice. Man, does that woman have a voice.
There were also a few unscripted moments, such as when someone in the back started singing Extreme's "More Than Words," matching the actors onstage word for word and actually holding thier own against the miked performers. There was also the moment when Jaxx slingshotted a pair of panties to an older gentleman in the front row. Instead of acting like it hadn't happened, the guy swung them around above his head, earning a huge laugh and applause from the crowd.
The whole show takes place primarily on one set, which occasionally undergoes slight modifications to fit different scenes, and the use of space is pretty amazing. Rather than being banished to the orchestra pit, the band, which consists of a drummer, keyboardist, bassist, and two guitarists, is right out on the stage, doubling as the Bourbon Room's house band.  
In the end though, it is the music that is the real star of the show. Normally when I go to see a musical I don't listen to the cast recording first, because I want to experience the music as the story unfolds. That's what happened when I saw "Wicked" earlier this year, and it was a great experience. That obviously didn't happen with "Rock of Ages." Every song in the show was a bonafide radio hit in the 80's. I'll admit, hearing all those familiar songs made me pine for my high school days, which is a bit weird, since I hated high school. The music also reminded me that I'm not getting any younger. Mostly though I was thoroughly entertained by a hilariously bawdy musical that did anything but take itself seriously. "Rock of Ages" continues Friday night at the PAC for one more performance. If you're on the fence about seeing it, I urge you to go. Hell, Alan Coker hereby commands you to go, especially if you're still rocking a sweet, sweet mullet in 2012. Coker currently doesn't, by the way, but you can tell he misses his.