For a taste of the killer bands playing this Saturday, June 1st at Bands & Boil, listen to this Spotify playlist. Do it now while driving around. Or cleaning up around the house. I guarantee it will put you in the mood for free crawfish and beer. Weekend is comin’!
With their up-tempo Dixieland jazz, the Mudbug Stompers are the perfect jumpstart to an outdoor boil. They’re a welcome dose of New Orleans’ Preservation Hall in town where country is king. I have been wanting to book them for a very long time and your satisfaction is guaranteed. Their track, “Lindberg Hop”, will put you in the perfect weekend mood. Think the French Quarter on a hot afternoon, Royal Street, with a rum and coke in your hand and your out-of-office ON.
Hardcore honky-tonker, Leo Rondeau, is equally at home in Austin dancehalls and Nashville writer rounds. He’s a seasoned two-stepper, and the shuffle beats of his original tunes show a keen affinity for the dancing crowd. Country is dance music after all, and you have little business slinging country songs if you can’t cut a rug yourself. Give the Cajun-tinged “Love Again” a listen while drumming on your dashboard. I wish I had played accordion on this track.
On a bill heavy with roots music, the swamp grunge trio, Hagz, is a breath of fresh air. No fiddles or banjos here. Drawing from the likes of Slint, The Cure, and My Bloody Valentine, they deliver crunchy fuzz tone guitar and a powerful backbeat. They are FUN to watch, with lead singer/guitarist KJ Parish pipping her siren song alongside Nicole Torres, who bangs the HELL out of those drums, and clearly loves it. I really dug “Generation Kills” and you will too.
Afton Wolfe has the rare distinction of returning to Bands & Boil as a performer and supporter. He has good cause to do so, with his beautiful new album, “Harvest,” in tow. Using a unique voice and clever arrangements, Wolfe has crafted a sort of “Mississippi Americana” that offers a mischievous counterpoint to East Nashville’s honky-tonk fixation. “Mississippi” is a welcome update to Phil Ochs’ take on the Magnolia State.
Yours truly, Runner of the Woods, is putting the finishing touches on a long overdue album. Entitled, “New in Town” and produced by Steve Daly, it serves as a sonic diary of Nick Beaudoing’s years in Nashville. And a road map for road dates head. Prepare to feel better.