Samuel Adams Spanish-flavored guitar tunes (originals and covers) with vocals. Fri., 8 pm, Tango (Tybee).
Argyle A volatile mixture of ska, punk, reggae and groove music. Fri., Savannah Blues + Mon., Fiddlers Crab House.
A.W.O.L. All Walks of Life bills itself as an elite organization of poets, hip-hop artists and performers, whose goal is to promote and provide self-awareness to people of all ages within the community. Sat., 8 pm, The Sentient Bean.
The Back River Ramblers Acoustic trio of local songwriters Darryl Wise and Kyle Shiver, plus Dobie Simmons on standup bass. Wed. – Thurs., 8 pm, Fannies on The Beach (Tybee).
The Kevin Bales Trio Highly acclaimed touring jazz act from Florida, featuring Bales, a young pianist of some renown. Fri. – Sat., The Jazz Corner (Hilton Head).
The Jeff Beasley Band Newly-formed blues-rock trio showcasing the original songs of Two Blue guitarist Beasley. Fri. – Sat., Mercury Lounge.
The Beer Parlor Ramblers House band at this landmark eatery playing Dixieland-style jazz. No cover. Fri., 8 pm, Crystal Beer Parlor.
Belle’s Wake Local alternative rock keyboard duo that cites Damien Rice as an influence. Tues., 7 pm, Bits Bytes & Coffee.
The Blend Latin-tinged guitar duo of Samuel Adams and Brian Dingess. Think Santana. Wed. & Sun. 8 pm, Spankys (Tybee).
Boomerang Local dance-oriented cover band specializing in Motown, shag, and soul hits from the 60s to the 80s. Fri. – Sat., Fusion/The Monkey Bar.
The Doug Carn Quintet See Connect Recommends. Sat., 10 pm, Creole Red.
Eric Culberson Blues Band Savannahs best-known electric blues guitarist (think Albert King). Tues. (hosts Open Mic) – Wed., Mercury Lounge + Thurs., JJ Cagneys.
Bernard Dillard R & B, soul and pop covers from a local singing keyboardist. Thurs., Fusion/The Monkey Bar.
Dropsonic See Connect Recommends. Thurs., 10 pm, Aprés (above Il Pasticcio).
Erickson/Strong The folks behind local R & B group Souled Out (and one current member of Bluesonics) offer a mix of covers and originals. Its light and buoyant groove music with a tropical feel. Thurs., 6:30 pm, Snapper Jacks (Whitemarsh Island).
Jacey Falk Extroverted jazz vocalist who found a modicum of success in NYC before returning to his hometown of Savannah. Fri. – Sat., 9 pm, Jazzd Tapas Bar.
Five Foot Flame This young Atlanta trio describes their sound as Joy Division meets Weezer. Talk about an introverted dinner party… Regardless, its an apt and handy take on their driving, distorted melancholia. Fri., The Jinx.
Trae Gurley’s Sinatra Tribute Reverential interpretation of Ol Blue Eyes big band period. Thurs., 7 pm, Jazzd Tapas Bar + Sat., 7 pm, Go Fish.
Kodac Harrison Named Best Spoken Word Artist by Creative Loafings readers and critics for the past couple years, this Atlanta blues troubadour has been a familiar face in our area for almost 2 decades. Thursdays billed as a poetry slam with Kodac as MC/featured artist. The weekend gig goes late and features more of his guitar-based songs. Thurs., 8 pm, The Sentient Bean + Fri. – Sat., Loggerheads (Tybee).
Hazel Virtue Charleston/Savannah alt.rock act known for well-crafted, radio-friendly crunch-pop (with a touch of psychedelia). Fri., OConnells Irish Pub.
Hitman & The Blues Boys Local electric blues. Tues. (hosts Open Mic) – Thurs., Savannah Blues + Fri. – Sat., Mercury Lounge.
JeWop Antagonistic and multi-layered Florida hardcore duo featuring Savannah bass prodigy Adam Safer and drummer Steve Caglianone. Their over-the-top style is reminiscent of Firehose and the early years of The Rollins Band. Fri., The Jinx.
Jounce Musically diverse New Jersey jam act thats shared bills with The Flaming Lips and Medeski, Martin & Wood, among others. Thurs., Savannah Blues.
Kurtz Heavy Atlanta band (the heaviest East of the Mississippi) that claims to purvey genuine metal, and whose singers vocal prowess is strong enough to make the devil urinate on himself. Fri., The Jinx.
Lauren Lapointe Sparse, melancholy ballads (originals and cover) sung and played on acoustic guitar. Thurs., OConnells Irish Pub.
Li’l Blokes Austin, Texas group of old friends who learned to play their instruments just to start this band. Minimal, CCR-style rock with slightly distracting vocals that at times sound like a half-assed Elvis Presley impersonation. Fri., The Jinx.
Liquid Ginger Local, female-fronted modern pop-rock band (think Meredith Brooks), that took top honors in our most recent Readers Poll. Fri. – Sat., Scandals (Tybee).
Stewart Marshall Acoustic originals and covers from one half of the popular Americana duo Stewart & Winfield. Sun., Driftaway Café (Wilmington Island).
Mezzanine 70s hard rock throwbacks that aim for a sludgey Black Sabbath-meets-Mountain aesthetic. Fri., The Jinx.
Perception Hard-edged Southern rock and metal covers and originals. Fri., Savannah Blues.
Permanent Tourists Tight, polished party and dance band playing covers from Barry White to The Rolling Stones. Fri.- Sat., The Oyster Bar (Wilmington Island).
Polemic Angular and edgy, art-rock duo from Athens thats collaborated with members of The Sunshine Fix. They recall both the Dead Beat dub of Pylon, and the loud/soft dynamic of Jucifer. Fri., The Jinx.
Ras Bonghi Reggae All-stars Charleston-based project thats become one of the more popular touring acts in the Southeast. Fri., JJ Cagneys.
Paul Reeves Guitarist and singer (covers and originals), who utilizes effects processors and loops to beef up his solo shows. Fri., B & D Burgers (Southside) + Sat., Driftaway Café (Wilmington Island).
Roy & The Circuit Breakers Popular covers with sequenced backing for a full band simulation. Wed. – Sun., Docs Bar (Tybee).
The Bobby Ryder Quartet Big band standards. Thurs., The Jazz Corner (Hilton Head).
Randy “Hatman” Smith Beach, boogie and blues hits played with sequenced backing. Wed., The Oyster Bar (Wilmington Island).
The Soundmen Atlanta-based jazz fusion group that to recalls a smaller-scale version of The Mahavishnu Orchestra. Fri., JJ Cagneys.
Southern Lite See Connect Recommends. Fri., 8 pm, Randy Woods Concert Hall (Bloomingdale).
Top Dead Center Ambitious hard rockers that recently cut an impressive, radio-friendly demo. Thurs., 10 pm, Aprés (above Il Pasticcio).
Two Blue Trio of electric guitar, blues harp and bass, playing stripped-down standards in the vein of Little Walter. Thurs., Driftaway Café (Wilmington Island).
2 Gallons New local trio featuring drummer Eric Vaughn, trombonist Andrae Murchison and flugelhornist Alex Nguyen. They offer their own takes on jazz standards. Fri., 8 pm, The Sentient Bean.
The Greg Williams Band Organic, deep pocket rock, blues and folk from one of Savannahs best songwriters. Fri., midnight, Malones.
The Jimmy Wolling Band Excellent local bluegrass (both traditional and hell-raising), led by Wolling, a banjo player formerly with the Double Diamond and Lonesome Whistle bands. Fri., Fiddlers Crab House.
Peter Yates This Celtic balladeer comes to the USA once a year for an extended residency at this Irish Pub. Catch him while you can. Wed. – Tues., Kevin Barrys.
This article appears in Jul 14-21, 2004.