Downtown Knoxville/Knoxville, Tennessee/Urban Living
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Waynestock 2012: For the Love of Phil, Night Three
Wayne Bledsoe, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
The third and final night of Waynestock promised to be the craziest of the bunch and it delivered. The bands were all high-energy and seemed genuinely excited to be there. Wayne Bledsoe spoke and, in the context of his namesake festival, that always seems emotional. As he said, perhaps we can hold this event next year without having suffered a tragedy. Phil's wife, sister and brother also spoke and his wife, particularly, seemed moved by the outpouring, but also strong and determined to bring home Phil's belief in the power of music.
Phil Pollard's wife speaks while his sister and brother look on
Scott and Bernadette West also took the stage, but while Bernadette had difficulty speaking given the emotion of the event, Scott seems to have never met a microphone he wanted to surrender. He proposed a toast or two to Phil as well as telling a funny story about Phil putting together the Band of Humans in less than a day in order to play a slot at Preservation Pub.
The French, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
The French, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
The French, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
But, of course, the night, as every night, was about the music. The French started the night with a country-flavored set. It was hard to get a bead on exactly what they were trying to do. I'm pretty sure most of what they sang was serious, but served with a sly glance to the side. They used a good bit of French - and I don't mean Francois. Some of the songs seemed to need a bit more work with lengthy repetitious lines that could be trimmed entirely or augmented with additional lyrics.
The Theorizt, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
The Theorizt, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
The Theorizt, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
The Theorizt held the second slot for the evening and their performance was strong, but was marred by technical problems. The sound was never quite right all night and in their set, the guitar was inaudible. This is a tremendous loss for any band, but the first time I saw them it was as if the guitar was a third front-man. Not so on this night. I also felt their mikes could have used more treble as I had a hard time understanding most of what was said. I still feel they are bursting with potential and I'm enjoying them in my Ipod.
Todd Steed and Tim Lee, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
Todd Steed followed The Theorizt and his set was strong, though heavy on his older material. Dave Nichols played bass (he showed up later in the evening playing various brass instruments) which seems strange to me given his great gift on guitar. Todd took the leads and I have to say I found his playing to be strong throughout the night. Toward the end of his set he was joined by Tim Lee on a flying V guitar and, as you might imagine, the music hit a new level.
Senryu, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
Senryu, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
Senryu, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
Senryu played next and I'll say they've grown on me since last year. I'll concede the front man, William Wright has a presence, though it's pretty understated. They are certainly able to captivate a crowd, wild thrashing evident in every direction. Finally, Wayne Bledsoe seems to really like them, so who am I to say anything? I must simply be missing the point. I will say when Wright and the bassist played a stripped down set for the Blue Plate Special recently I was pretty impressed.
Band of Humans, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
Band of Humans, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
The finale was the Band of Humans, with many special guests attempting to fill the void left by Phil's death. It was a fun set that included many of the favorites popularized by Phil and his band. Naturally, the Gettysburg Address had to be read and there were many stovepipe hats and a general craziness from one end of the stage to the other. This set didn't start until midnight and by 1:30 AM I'd had about all the fun I could take for one night, so Shaft and I headed home.
Band of Humans, Waynestock 2012, Relix Theater, Knoxville
It was another great year for Waynestock and I hope there will be many more. If you've missed them so far, I hope you'll keep an eye out for it next year. There is too much talent in the Knoxville music community to hear it all, but having them all in one space in such a short span of time really helps. And it is just so, so good.
This past Friday night was set to be a night one might enjoy the talent and personality of Phil Pollard at the Knoxville Museum of Art's Alive After Five show. His "Band of Humans" was set to play the show and it promised to be a special event. As it turned out, it was to be a night of tributes, memories, collecting money for his children's education and saying goodbye to a larger-than-life and much loved figure within the local arts community.
Michael Gill hosts Alive After Five, November 2011
Lydia Sainikova at KMA, November 2011
Phil died unexpectedly earlier this month and the music community reacted strongly (see Wayne Bledsoe's article). When news of his illness first broke, Facebook was filled with pleas for prayer, hopeful updates and ultimately word that he had passed at an early age leaving a family shocked and without a father and husband. Bernadette and Scott West chartered a bus to take anyone who wanted to go to the funeral, which seemed to me to be about as thoughtful a gesture as I've seen in a long time.
Collection Hat in front of Stage
The tribute at the KMA was billed as featuring "Jack Rentfro and the Apocalypso Quartet with Lydia Sainikova, Black Atticus and Ben Maney." Michael Gill emceed and, appropriately, a stove-pipe hat was turned upside down in front of the stage for donations to an education fund for Phil's girls.
Ben Maney performs at KMA Phil Pollard Tribute
The opening set by Lydia Sainikova who, contrary to promotional materials, was not joined by Black Atticus, which was disappointing, highlighted her range as a performer from a pop standard (the name of which evades me) to a Russian folk song and several others which I assumed must be personal compositions. She is a very talented musician and singer from Russia, who now calls Knoxville her home.
Beautiful version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
Next on the stage was Knoxville keyboard stalwart, Ben Maney. He performed several songs including several solo and several with various musicians. The highlight of his set was a heart-felt rendition of a great song by Tom Waits, "The House Where Nobody Lives," one of my all-time favorites.
Assembled musicians perform "Empire" at KMA Phil Pollard Tribute
I wish I knew the names of the musicians who joined him on stage, some of whom are pictured here. The young lady who played cello added a beautiful touch to the music. I was able to thank her when I saw her at the Market Square Farmer's Market the next morning. The woman who fronted the group and performed vocals on "Bridge Over Troubled Water," and brought the house down. Next various members of the ensemble traded verses on R.B. Morris' "Empire," which has to simply be one of the best songs ever written by a Knoxville artist. It's one of my favorite songs by anybody.
I had other places I needed to be on a First Friday night, so I headed out into the night with thoughts of a very special person who is no longer with us, but who made everyone around him a little better with his wit and humor. I'll leave you with a recording of the Tom Waits song mentioned above. Take time to listen to it, look at the photographs and to ponder things missing.
Roman Reese at Preservation Pub's Speakeasy via i105's Homegrown
Roman Reese at the Preservation Pub Speakeasy
I'd never heard Roman Reese perform before last week. I'd heard his name about town. Last winter I met Adrian Hardcore (as I recall) who sang his praises and noted that he had spent the night on Roman's couch while he was in town for his Blueplate Special performance. He seemed taken aback that I could live in Knoxville and not know him as a musician, if not a person. After that I watched for an opportunity to hear him in person, but never seemed to be able to line up my schedule and his.
Joe listens as Roman Reese performs at the Preservation Pub Speakeasy, Knoxville
The weekly i105 Homegrown broadcast from the mercifully smoke-free Speakeasy in Preservation Pub presented me with the opportunity I'd been waiting for and I wasn't disappointed. Joe moved his chair and microphone onto the stage this week and that worked much better since people didn't walk between them as they talked and the audience could see the two of them as they talked. Roman showed himself to be a bright, personable and self-effacing interviewee.
Roman Reese, Preservation Pub Speakeasy
Of course, the music is the matter at hand and it was excellent. It may not be for you if you like your music to put you in a happy frame of mind. I generally like my music, movies and books listing toward the depressing side, so for me it was delightful. I did get a bit squeamish during his song detailing how to dispose of a body after committing murder, but that was the exception.
Roman Reese, Preservaton Pub, Knoxville
The grit in his voice matched topics like drinking, murder, getting drunk, bad relationships and consuming prodigious amounts of alcohol. His most recent album, "Listen Before Dialing," includes several songs I've really enjoyed. He performed "Away From Me," which reminds me of some of Cruz Contreras' work with the Black Lilies, "Hemlock" and "Enough of Your Lies" from that album. My favorite cut is probably "Beer I Fear," which is a clever take on drinking with various buddies such as Jack and Jose and the perils associated with each.
His playing is good, his voice is excellent and his songwriting is the draw. I'd encourage you to follow the link above or go to itunes and check it out. You won't be disappointed.
Tonight at Preservation Pub the Homegrown show will present local singer-songwriter Karen Reynolds who is host of the local "Writer's Block" show which focuses on Knoxville songwriters.
Finally, a word about something that has happened in the Knoxville music community and warrants a comment or two. Phil Pollard, a local musician and human being extraordinaire has died. A memorial service was held today and many people downtown are in mourning. This also bears a mention: in an effort to help people who might not otherwise be able to attend the services in Virginia, Scott and Bernadette West came up with the idea of chartering a bus on their dime. It was one of the most thoughtful and moving gestures I've seen in a while. Sending healing wishes to friends and family and thanks to the Wests.
I'm a person who is interested in documenting urban life as I experience it in Knoxville, TN, from the fun to the tragic, from the silly to the profound. If you have a thought you'd like to share privately, you can contact me at KnoxvilleUrbanGuy@gmail.com.
