Bob Alberti & Ben Tucker
Alberti played piano with Les Browns Band of Renown. Tucker was a session bassist in the 1960s, whos penned over 300 songs. They play vibrant jazz. Sun., 11:30 am, AquaSpace Restaurant at The Westin (Hutchinson Island).
Joey Allcorn & The Hillbilly Band
Retro country artist playing up the outlaw image with lazy drawls, baritone vocals, sleepy rhythms, undertaker duds and an obvious fixation on Luke The Drifter. His tunes are about murder, cheating, drinking and jail, in no particular order.
When a guy in his early 20s wears Webb Pierce duds, publicly bemoans the proliferation of candyass pop music and gives his albums titles like 50 Years Too Late, its easy to see where hes coming from. Sat., The Jinx.
Argyle
Exhilarating local rock act known for shifting genres (punk, ska, reggae, jam) at the drop of a bong. Their forthcoming album should be one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises of the year on the local music scene, as it shows them at their best. Thurs., 10 pm, Fiddlers Crab House + Fri., (unplugged acoustic show) Locos Deli & Grill + Sat., JJ Cagneys.
Bottles & Cans
Hard and primitive blues from a local act thats building a very strong following. They describes their sound as more T-Model Ford than T-Bone Walker… Thurs., Savannah Blues + Fri. – Sat., Mercury Lounge.
Eric Britt
Solo acoustic show from the charismatic and popular lead singer and songwriter for regional alt.rockers Hazel Virtue. Expect plenty of catchy, singalong-worthy originals and a handful of crowd-pleasing cover tunes. Wed. (hosts Open Mic Night), OConnells Irish Pub + Tues., 10 pm, Fiddlers Crab House.
Chuck Courtenay
Solo acoustic show from one member of The Courtenay Brothers, a local duo playing pop, rock and country hits. Wed., 7 pm, The Island Grill (Pt. Wentworth).
Jason Courtenay
Solo acoustic show from one member of The Courtenay Brothers, a local duo playing pop, rock and country hits. Wed., 7 pm, Driftaway Café (Wilmington Island).
The Courtenay Brothers
Wonder Twin powers activate! (Form of a tip jar…) Thurs., 7 pm, Tubbys (Thunderbolt) + Fri., 9:30 pm, Fiddlers Crab House + Sat., 7 pm, Baja Cantina (Skidaway Island Walk).
Eat Mo’ Music
New local instrumental quintet (trumpet, bass, drums, trombone and guitar) offering jazz, blues and funk grooves all the way from Miles to The Average White Band. Fri. – Sat., 8:30 pm, Moon River Brewing Company.
First Friday for Folk Music
This time around, The Savannah Folk Music Societys family-oriented coffeehouse-style show includes the Illinois husband-and-wife duo Small Potatoes, Athens Bob Hay & the Jolly Beggars, and Auburn, Alabama singer Dave Potts.
Both members of Small Potatoes have won awards for their songwriting. They bill themselves as eclecto-maniacs, who specialize in a wide-open mélange of Celtic tunes to cowboy ballads and most everything in between. Last time they appeared locally was for one of the SFMS Folk Music Festivals some years back, and this return engagement has been eagerly awaited.
The Jolly Beggars are making their Savannah debut, although they likely played the old Night Flight Café almost 20 years back when some of the members were known as The Squalls, a popular indie-rock band from Athens that achieved some level of notoriety in the heady days following Pylon and REMs spearheading of the UGA music scene. This new quintet specializes in the relatively obscure songs of the late Scottish poet Robert Burns.
Potts, on the other hand, is a frequent guest at these monthly gigs. His 2004 CD, One Night in the South was nominated for New Folk Album of The Year. Hes known for a strong, clear voice and accomplished guitarwork. As always, this is a smoke and alcohol-free ALL-AGES vent, with a suggested donation of $2. Fri., 7:30 pm, Wesleyan Monumental United Methodist Church (429 Abercorn St.).
Fetish Night
Like to get whipped? Like for other people to watch? This toned-down showcase for exhibitionists and voyeurs gives average folks a chance to pretend theyre living inside an episode of HBOs Real Sex. Endorsed by scenemaker Chris Cook, this resurrected weekly event features DJ Elgie spinning industrial, darkwave, synthpop and techno music. Thurs., Club One.
The David Keller and Jackson Evans Jazz Duo
Local act featuring a veteran bassist whos worked with Gatemouth Brown, and an up-and-coming guitarist. Wed., 8 pm, The Sentient Bean.
The Lonesome Whistle Band
See Connect Recommends. Fri., JJ Cagneys.
Misfortune 500
Columbus, Georgia 4-piece whose latest demo tracks sound about as much like Incesticide-era Nirvana as I can imagine anyone sounding in 2005. Thats not necessarily bad. In fact, theyre very good at it. Theres a bit of old L.A. hair metal in there, too… Sat., The Jinx.
Willie Nelson
See Connect Recommends. Sat., 8 pm, The Johnny Mercer Theatre.
Harry ODonoghue
Irish tunes (both traditional and contemporary) from the host of the syndicated Celtic music show The Green Island. Mon. – Tues., Kevin Barrys.
G.E. Perry & James Gay
Potent duo of bluesy guitarist Perry and the harmonica stylings of Gay. Wed., Fusion/The Monkey Bar.
Radio Dogs
Mix of original tunes and covers by bands like KISS, The Doobie Brothers, Barenaked Ladies and America. Sat., 9 pm, The Oyster Bar (Wilmington island). The Second City 45th Anniversary Tour
See Performing Arts Interview. Fri., 8 pm, Trustees Theatre.
Sheldon
This South Carolina hard rock band was a popular draw her years ago, and was well-received at a few local Battles of The Bands. Though they show up infrequently these days, theyve continued on with their career, and released 2 impressive DIY albums of in-your-face modern metal. Theyve also gigged with noteworthy bands like Corrosion of Conformity, Clutch, Machine Head, Suicidal Tendencies, Acid Bath, The Misfits, and GWAR to name a few. They were also given a favorable nod on Howard Sterns syndicated radio show. Fri., The Jinx.
Greg Snyder
Jazz vocalist (and recent transplant from Illinois) whos fluent in the styles of Dean Martin, Nat King Cole and Tony Bennett. Wed., Jazzd Tapas Bar.
Gail Thurmond
Piano jazz and show tunes from a true downtown fixture. Tues. – Sun., Planters Tavern (below The Olde Pink House).
Tradewinds
Local sextet playing old-school soul and R & B (think Motown, Stax and shag music). Theyre a popular act on the private party circuit, and occasionally play club dates like this one. Fri., 9 pm, The Oyster Bar (Wilmington Island).
Tsunami Relief Comedy Show
See Connect Recommends. Thurs., 7:30 pm, Savannah Trade & Convention Center.
The Ben Tucker Trio
Bens one of the most well-known and experienced jazzmen in the area. This longtime session bassist has been one of the shining lights on our local jazz scene for decades now, and can usually be counted on to put together a hot little combo and swing hard when required to. Fri. – Sat., 9 pm, Jazzd Tapas Bar.
Voodoo Soup
Killer hard rocking and soulful jam group featuring members of The Greg Williams Band and The Permanent Tourists. They give greasy funk and soul nuggets a workout. Wed., JJ Cagneys.
Tim Warren
Solo acoustic guitarist and singer playing a variety of popular rock covers, i.e., Dylan, The Beatles, etc… Wed., 9 pm, Fiddlers Crab House.
This article appears in Feb 2-9, 2005.