Crib Notes

I bumped in to the Subsonics vocalist / guitar player Clay Reed this afternoon at the coffee shop, where he informed me that he will be playing a solo set at the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge this evening opening up for local bands 40 Hells and Sleep Creeps.

Clay’s set will consist of him singing and strumming an electric guitar through 6 original songs along with 4 covers; though he wouldn’t tell me what covers or what original songs he will be playing.

The music starts around 8:30 p.m. and the cover is $5 at the door.

The Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge. 644 North Highland Ave. 404-874-5756.

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Who are you?
Miss Bernadette Seacrest

Describe yourself in three words.
Reclusive, very serious, lovey-dovey all-the-time.

Who — dead or alive — would you most like to meet?
Pee Wee Herman

Who would you most like to slap in the face?
My mama.

What song do you wish you had written?
“Stairway to Heaven.”

Elvis Costello or Elvis Presley?
I can’t choose. Well, okay, this is kinda hard… Presley.

LP, CD or MP3?
Damn! Another hard question. LPs, I suppose, they’re all good or should I say CDs and MP3s serve my purpose better. Power to the people.

If you could start one trend, what would it be?
Stilettos… all the time

If you could end one trend, what would it be?
Small children with pink hair.

With whom would you most like to play a game of spin the bottle?
I would’ve wanted to play with Lux Interior, I’m so sad. But, so, in that case, my husband. Yep, my husband.

“Wrong Turn” mp3

Bernadette Seacrest plays the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge on Wed., June 24. $8. 8 p.m.

(Photo courtesy Bernadette Seacrest)

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Just back from a US tour in support of their Kim Fowley produced debut full-length, Trippin’ with the Howlies, the Howlies are playing a homecoming show at the Fringe Factory this Saturday night (April 25).

Resident DJs Vikki V & Suzy Q , as well Justin Brooke from the Howlies will be spinning a ’60s psych, garage, soul and freakbeat records before and after the show.

$7. 9 p.m. The Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge.

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This week Atlanta power pop trio Young Antiques unveiled a video for the song “Johnny Da Da” from their latest album, Soundtrack To Tear Us Apart.

“Johnny Da Da” – Young Antiques from Chuck on Vimeo.

The group is playing a free, “stripped-down” show at the Edgewood Corner Tavern on Edgewood Avenue this Sunday, April 5th at 8 p.m.

Their next proper shows take place on Saturday, April 18. First they’re hitting up the Dogwood Festival in Piedmont park at 5:15 p.m. Later that night the ‘Tiques play again, this time with Warm in the Wake at the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge. $7. 9:30 p.m. The latter show is part of the National Record Store Day festivities that are going on all day.

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Over at the Star Bar wayward and whimsical songstress Adron returns from Brooklyn to play a show with Athens songwriter Madeline and locals Zano and Trapper’s Cabin. Show starts at 9 p.m. Star Bar, 437 Moreland Ave. 404-681-9018.

The debut performance from a new three-piece featuring Soulphonics’ members Spencer Garn (organ), Scott Clayton (guitar), and Mark R. (drums) takes place at 529. DJ’s Suzy Q & Vikki V of Fringe Factory will be spinning a mix of surf, psych, garage rock, soul and otherwise vintage rock records. Free. 10 p.m. 529 Flat Shoals Rd. 404-228-6769.

And of course there is the weekly Kirkwood Ballers Club experimental open mic night going on at the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge. Come here to mingle with folks and check a wide array of outsider music. From pretty and melodic to fractured and skittish to the outlimits of jazz, noise and punk rock, the KBC is an incubator for a lot of music. 9 p.m. The Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge. 644 North Highland Ave. 404-874-5756.

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This week Brooklyn-based Atlanta expat. Joseph Plunket and his band the Weight are heading back this way to spend a couple of weeks recording a new album with Ed Rawls at the Living Room Studio.

Word on the street says that they have recently signed with Tee Pee records, which is also home to Sleep, High on Fire, Witch, the Warlocks and Brian Jonestown Massacre. Tee Pee is also reissuing the Weight’s album titled Are Men, which came out last year on the Colonel Records.

While they’re in town the Weight will be playing a few shows. First and foremost if you’re not going to be at Manuel’s Tavern watching the presidential inauguration tomorrow night (Tues., Jan. 20th) the group will be playing at 529 in East Atlanta (529 Flat Shoals Rd.).

On Sun., Jan. 25th they’re playing a free show at Vacation Gallery & Boutique at 7 p.m.. Then on the 30th they’re playing at the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge at 10 p.m.

(Photo courtesy of Tee Pee Records)

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Ruzow (right).

For today’s Roll Call we call out Roger Ruzow of the 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra.

Who are you?
Roger V. Ruzow. Teacher/Composer/Musician.

Describe yourself in three words.
Obsessed with music.

Who — dead or alive — would most you like to meet?
It’d be nice to have a few drinks with Captain Kangaroo, Kurt Vonnegut, Emile Jaques-Dalcroze and Lester Bowie if their schedules don’t conflict.

Who would you most like to slap in the face?
Myself when I was in undergraduate school.

What song do you wish you had written?
The windows start-up sound. I hate that damn noise, but the royalties would sure help to fund other ideas.

Elvis Costello or Elvis Presley?
What time of day or night is this question asked and which one of them is buying?

LP, CD or MP3?
See above answer for clarification.

If you could start one trend, what would it be?
Thinking… assuming I figure out how to do it.

If you could end one trend, what would it be?
Cell phones.

With whom would you most like to play a game of spin the bottle?
Ingrid Bergman.

“Greater Lagos Wednesday Night Talmud Meeting”

The 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra plays the Highland Inn Ballroom on Sat., Jan. 24th w/ Kinnah Boto’s Ayah Drummers. $5. 9 p.m. The Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge. 644 North Highland Ave. 404-874-5756.

(Photo by Stevie Brown.)

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Big Trouble in Little 5 Points returns to the Star Bar for another free show. Tonight the bill is filled out by Jeffrey Butzer, Mike Lesage, the Stumbling Troubadours and the Matt Kurz 1. Show starts at 9 p.m.

If that’s not your bag, over at 529 the Fringe Factory DJS Suzy Q and Vikki V spin a grip of ’60s soul, R&B, psych, garage, and rock and roll sounds at 529 (formerly the Village across the street from the Flatiron). 529 Flat Shoals Rd.

And last but not least, the Kirkwood Ballers Club brings it’s regular crop of experimental musicians to the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge, running through shades of everything from sing/songwriter fare, jazz, noise and electronic music.

(Courtesy Jeffrey Butzer)

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Since around Thanksgiving of this year the weekly Thursday night Kirkwood Ballers Club experimental open mic night has offered an early, online registration form to level the playing field for musicians who want to play each week, and to stimulate attendance.

This advancement in open-mic technology was hatched after a few disgruntled Ballers started balling about not being able to snag one of the eleven 15-minute slots available each week between 9 and 11:30 p.m.

“We used to have people coming out one week and singing up to come play the following week and we started getting a lot of flack for it,” says KBC founder Randy Castello.

The idea for online registration was spawned by his Tight Bros./Fifth Planet Press cohort Nisa Asokan who is using a similar means of RSVP for a group art show in Spring of 2009.

“It seemed like the right thing to do because not everyone wants to show up between 8:30 and 9 o’clock to sign up,” Randy adds. “Now they can do it from home and when they’re done they can start promoting right then and there. The response has been good and every week we only have about four or five slots left by the time we get there, and we’re seeing lots of new faces and lots of quality stuff.”

***NOTE:  The Kirkwood Ballers Club is canceled this week as it falls on New Year’s Day, but will resume next week at the Regular time and place.***

The Kirkwood Ballers Club takes place at the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge on Thurs., nights. There’s no cover charge. Doors open 8 p.m. and the music begins at 9 p.m. 644 North Highland Ave. 404-874-5756. RSVP.

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