Ace Weekly

Lexington Rock City
It’s on come rain or shine

By Kevin Elliot Reynolds

The air is filled with the slander and controversy of politics. He said/he said and all that goes along with the season in which Americans choose the leader of the free world. It has been a long four years, to say the least, in which the world and the country have been split in two by terror and how to confront it. But if you can drag yourself away from the debates for a night, you may notice the Lexington scene is attracting some of its largest crowds in years. The scene is hot and more and more people are being introduced to the cutting-edge sounds of the city’s local talent. This past week offered a plethora of music with Hillbilly rock icons, country’s reigning superstar, and plenty of rock and roll with crowds to assure their return visits. The coming week will present more of the same with a charitable tribute show and national recording artists brought to you courtesy of the rescheduled outdoor rockfest known as Rock the City.

Friday night Z-Rock 103 and the Downtown Lexington Organization will present Rock the City at 7pm atop of the Transit Center downtown. The original date was canceled due to inclement weather caused by Hurricane Ivan, though Z-Rock DJ Fish guarantees that it will not rain. If that unforeseeable event were to occur, grab your umbrella and get ready to rock, because this show will go on, rain or shine. The rockfest will feature Flaw with Bobaflex, Black Stone Cherry and Ample Time. Ample Time is an acoustic folk-rock band from Champaign, Illinois. The quartet performs in a variety of styles and will get the show started Friday night. Next to take the stage will be the Western Kentucky hard rocking country blues band Black Stone Cherry. These guys have opened for numerous big name bands including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ted Nugent, Breaking Benjamin and The Kentucky Headhunters. This is sure to be a high-octane display of rock and roll. Up next will be the hard-hitting nu-metal sounds of Point Pleasant, West Virginia’s Bobaflex. If Point Pleasant sounds familiar to you, it may be because it was the town in which the infamous Mothman sightings took place in the late ‘60s. With a sound similar to that of System of a Down, Bobaflex will bring their melodic metal in support of their first full length release Primitive Epic, and possibly a nine feet tall, red eyed special guest with wings. Finally, headlining the night will be Louisville based Universal/Republic recording artists Flaw. These nu-metal masters defy the genre tradition of simply raging on drop-tuned guitars and belting out primal screams. Their melodic angst and versatile style forms a dynamic sound the country has caught on to. Flaw spent their summer on tour with Ozzfest promoting their new album Through the Eyes, Friday they will push it on you.

Another big Friday event is the Tom Waits Tribute Show featuring Waits interpretations performed by The Swells, The Monkey Deathsquad, The Sexual Disaster Quartet, Thaddeus Greer, Scourge of the Sea, Chinese Medicine and Kuchi Guru. The cover charge is only $5 and all proceeds go to The Dream Factory. The Dream Factory is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization which provides terminally ill children with their last wish, be it a ball game or to go to Disney World. A night of great music written by a great songwriter, performed by some of the best in the Lexington scene and proceeds could not go to a better cause.

Saturday night will hold many noteworthy entertainment choices as well; including Atlanta based jam-jazz-funk fusion Adams Township. This hybrid genre 5-piece blend jazz with funk-rock and replace vocals with the smooth sounds of the sax and trumpet. High On Rose will host the original eccentric rock of The Ralph Jones Band with Frank Nixon and J. Hamlin, plenty of music to enjoy in the intimate venue. The Dame will also have a quality choice Saturday night in spielmeister and Indie rock Godfather Mike Watt. Watt has been on the Indie rock scene for years, forming numerous bands including The Minutemen, Firehose and Engine Room, the eclectic singer/bassist helped bring rock and roll back and out of the hair-band era. It should be a great show; you will want to be able to tell people you once saw Mike Watt.

That should tide you over until next week. There are plenty of entertainment choices to choose from, so get out, no excuses. Be safe, be responsible and as always…Support Local Music!!!! n

SCENE & SOUND Lexington Rock City It’s on come rain or shine By Kevin Elliot Reynolds The air is filled with the slander and controversy of politics. He said/he said and all that goes along with the season in which Americans choose the leader of the free world. It has been a long four years, to say the least, in which the world and the country have been split in two by terror and how to confront it. But if you can drag yourself away from the debates for a night, you may notice the Lexington scene is attracting some of its largest crowds in years. The scene is hot and more and more people are being introduced to the cutting-edge sounds of the city’s local talent. This past week offered a plethora of music with Hillbilly rock icons, country’s reigning superstar, and plenty of rock and roll with crowds to assure their return visits. The coming week will present more of the same with a charitable tribute show and national recording artists brought to you courtesy of the rescheduled outdoor rockfest known as Rock the City. Friday night Z-Rock 103 and the Downtown Lexington Organization will present Rock the City at 7pm atop of the Transit Center downtown. The original date was canceled due to inclement weather caused by Hurricane Ivan, though Z-Rock DJ Fish guarantees that it will not rain. If that unforeseeable event were to occur, grab your umbrella and get ready to rock, because this show will go on, rain or shine. The rockfest will feature Flaw with Bobaflex, Black Stone Cherry and Ample Time. Ample Time is an acoustic folk-rock band from Champaign, Illinois. The quartet performs in a variety of styles and will get the show started Friday night. Next to take the stage will be the Western Kentucky hard rocking country blues band Black Stone Cherry. These guys have opened for numerous big name bands including Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ted Nugent, Breaking Benjamin and The Kentucky Headhunters. This is sure to be a high-octane display of rock and roll. Up next will be the hard-hitting nu-metal sounds of Point Pleasant, West Virginia’s Bobaflex. If Point Pleasant sounds familiar to you, it may be because it was the town in which the infamous Mothman sightings took place in the late ‘60s. With a sound similar to that of System of a Down, Bobaflex will bring their melodic metal in support of their first full length release Primitive Epic, and possibly a nine feet tall, red eyed special guest with wings. Finally, headlining the night will be Louisville based Universal/Republic recording artists Flaw. These nu-metal masters defy the genre tradition of simply raging on drop-tuned guitars and belting out primal screams. Their melodic angst and versatile style forms a dynamic sound the country has caught on to. Flaw spent their summer on tour with Ozzfest promoting their new album Through the Eyes, Friday they will push it on you. Another big Friday event is the Tom Waits Tribute Show featuring Waits interpretations performed by The Swells, The Monkey Deathsquad, The Sexual Disaster Quartet, Thaddeus Greer, Scourge of the Sea, Chinese Medicine and Kuchi Guru. The cover charge is only $5 and all proceeds go to The Dream Factory. The Dream Factory is an all-volunteer, non-profit organization which provides terminally ill children with their last wish, be it a ball game or to go to Disney World. A night of great music written by a great songwriter, performed by some of the best in the Lexington scene and proceeds could not go to a better cause. Saturday night will hold many noteworthy entertainment choices as well; including Atlanta based jam-jazz-funk fusion Adams Township. This hybrid genre 5-piece blend jazz with funk-rock and replace vocals with the smooth sounds of the sax and trumpet. High On Rose will host the original eccentric rock of The Ralph Jones Band with Frank Nixon and J. Hamlin, plenty of music to enjoy in the intimate venue. The Dame will also have a quality choice Saturday night in spielmeister and Indie rock Godfather Mike Watt. Watt has been on the Indie rock scene for years, forming numerous bands including The Minutemen, Firehose and Engine Room, the eclectic singer/bassist helped bring rock and roll back and out of the hair-band era. It should be a great show; you will want to be able to tell people you once saw Mike Watt. That should tide you over until next week. There are plenty of entertainment choices to choose from, so get out, no excuses. Be safe, be responsible and as always…Support Local Music!!!! n