Waynestock 2012: For the Love of Phil, Night Two

The Lonetones, Relix Theater, Knoxville, February 2012

The second night picked up the energy from the first night and cranked it up a notch. I got there a bit late and only caught a portion of Sarah Schwabe's set and my camera still had issues, so I got no pictures of her performance, which I regret because it was really good and it was obvious she enjoyed being reunited with her Jass Band.

Lisa McLeod and Jake Weinstein perform acrobatics

The Lonetones played next and played with quite a bit of muscle. This was the most rock and roll I've ever heard them sound, though they certainly haven't turned into the Tim Lee Three. I really liked the amped-up sound and the songs they played may have had some new material mixed in. It all sounded very good and their performance feature a guest flutist from the Band of Humans and acrobatics to the side of the stage.

Jack Neely at Relix Theater, Knoxville, February 2012

Jack Neely made an appearance amid references to him being on the stage dressed in a diaper along with Phil Pollard. I missed that one and it isn't so much an image I'll dwell on. In any case, he introduced RB Morris who likewise reminisced about Phil and played a great set of somewhat less familiar songs, including "Old Road," "Dreaming" and "Someone."

RB Morris at Relix Theater, Knoxville, February 2012

RB Morris at Relix Theater, Knoxville, February 2012

RB Morris at Relix Theater, Knoxville, February 2012

One emotional highlight of the evening was his introduction from the stage of Madeline Rogero who didn't take the microphone, but stayed in the audience after waving to the crowd and enjoyed the music for a couple of hours. You know there was a fancy party she could have attended with much more important and powerful people, but she didn't. She chose to be with regular people and talented artists in a bar in Happy Holler. You have to love that. The crowd roared approval and RB launched in to "City" which is one of my all time favorite songs by anyone and is, of course, the song about Knoxville which Mayor Rogero quoted in her inaugural speech.

Madeline Rogero at Relix Theater, Knoxville, February 2012

The Tim Lee 3, fronted by Tim and Susan Lee stormed onto the stage next - or at least after the loss of power was resolved. They were as good as always, though they didn't have the chance to stretch things out like they do in a full show.

Tim Lee 3 at Relix, Knoxville, February 2012

Tim Lee 3 at Relix, Knoxville, February 2012

Kevin Abernathy joined them and that's always a power guitar treat. Enough thanks can't be expressed to Tim and Susan for all the work they've done each of these two years to make this event happen. In any supportive community there are always good people doing the work in the background to make life better for everyone else and, I suspect, in Knoxville's music community, that would be Tim and Susan.

Tim Lee 3 at Relix, Knoxville, February 2012

Kevin Abernathy joins Tim Lee 3 at Relix

Tim Lee 3 with guest at Relix, Knoxville, February 2012

After the Tim Lee 3, the coolest moment of the night took place when Phil's parents took the stage to remember their son and to thank Knoxville for loving him. It was obvious Phil's father is no shrinking violet himself and it was easy to see Phil in him. He also wore Phil's famous stove pipe hat onto the stage.

Phil Pollard's parents take the stage at Waynestock II, Relix

King Super and the Excellents closed down the show

The evening ended with King Super and the Excellents, of whom I'd never heard. They are a very talented band with the potential to add something very different to the Knoxville music scene. As you might guess from their name or from their zany attire, the group is sort of a Dadaesque send-off of a band. The trick for them, it seems to me, will be getting past the shtick and remembering that the music is what will make them, not the antics.

King Super and the Excellents, Relix, 2012

King Super and the Excellents, Relix, 2012

That said, they are very versatile and touched bases from Philly-esque R and B to powerpop (the most popular with the bar crowd) and even very credible covers of Pink Floyd. The musicianship and vocals popped all night. I really hope they will focus on the music as much as the revelry. The crowd went absolutely crazy during their show and I think everyone was exhausted by midnight.

I had one strange moment as I exited: Just before I got to the door I was grabbed forcefully from behind by a young man, who I assume was an employee, and he demanded frantically to know whether I had a drink in my hand. I assured him I didn't and he pushed past me onto the sidewalk. When I followed him I realized there were two police cars outside with lights flashing, patrons detained and more police on the way.

I find the scene interesting because I'm assuming the issue was the open container law. If the police were actually targeting people who had just stepped outside with a drink - maybe to smoke a cigarette - that seems pretty grossly unfair given what I had seen earlier in the evening: People walking everywhere downtown with glasses of wine held in front of them. Pretty inconsistent.

Night three coming up next!

Waynestock 2012: For the Love of Phil, Day One, Special Weekend Edition

Relix Theater, Knoxville, February 2012

Those of you who read my blog daily know that I don't usually publish on Saturday and Sunday. This time I need to make an exception. There is so much to talk about and cover that waiting until next week to jump into Waynestock seems untimely. I'll start with night one. There are so many pictures to work through that I'll have to break it up that way. Sadly, my night one pictures were a disaster which is what happens when you are comfortable with one setting on your camera and you mess up that particular setting. More on photography in a later post. Changes are coming on that front.

Red Hickey of WDVX, Relix Theater, February 2012

Sarah Pirkle, Jeff Barbra, Jay Clark, Greg Horne and Kevin Abernathy

The first Waynestock occurred last year around this time in the Relix Theater. The untimely death of Drew Bledsoe, a local musician and the son of Wayne Bledsoe, the beloved local music critic, led a group of artists to organize the event as a fund raiser. No artists were paid for their work and the event became a celebration of the local community of musical artists with much help from many people, but particularly Tim and Susan Lee of the Tim Lee Three. I blogged about the three day event here, here and here.

Sarah Pirkle plays a waltz, Relix Theater, Knoxville

Jeff Barbra at the Relix Theater, Knoxville

This year's event is held in honor of Phil Pollard who died recently at a very young age. He was intimately connected to many of the artists who are playing in this year's concert. He is best known for his work in the Band of Humans, but he also played with Sara Schwabe and her Yankee Jass Band, as well as drumming for many other artists. As much as anything he was known for his sense of the absurd, tender concern for children and simply as a bon vivant. Proceeds from raffles, food sales, admission and all other sales go to the Pollard family to help with his three daughter's college expenses.

Jay Clark with Greg Horne, Relix Theater, Knoxville

Greg Horne, Relix Theater, Knoxville

Kevin Abernathy, Relix Theater, Knoxville

This year's event started much as last year's with a singer/songwriter showcase. The line up across the stage this year included Jeff Barbra and Sarah Pirkle (who would later cut quite the dancing figure!), Jay Clark, Greg Horne and Kevin Abernathy. Highlights for me included Sarah's beautiful waltz, Jeff's Tom T. Hall and Jay's "Bringin' Home the Bacon." Greg and Kevin's songs were also excellent and each of them added nice guitar support to the others. I'm really getting to like Kevin playing acoustic, although he can wail on an electric guitar.

Young Girl takes photographs with her Ipod

Jack Rentfro and the Apocalypso Quartet, Relix Theater, Knoxville

Red Hicky hosted the event and kept the music flowing and the raffle packages moving, adding her charm and grace to the transitions and leading the crowd with a toast to Phil every time she took the stage. There would prove to be many, many toasts to Phil as well as to Ed Corts and Rocky Wynder who were also part of Knoxville's music family and who died recently.

Jack Rentfro and the Apocalypso Quartet, Relix Theater, Knoxville

Jack Rentfro and the Apocalypso Quartet, Relix Theater, Knoxville

While I enjoyed the entire evening filled with musicians on my Ipod, I have to say one of the very few not on my Ipod took the spot for my favorite of the night. Jack Rentfro and the Apoclalypso Quartet were incredible. The are not a quartet - or at least they weren't last night - and you will hear no calypso music if you are fortunate enough to hear them play. What you will hear are powerful poems recited by Mr. Rentfro over a persistent jazzy jam. Beatniks? Yes, with a good bit of gloom and depression. While you won't hear calypso, you will hear apocalypse. The best moment was when he dedicated the next piece to Stacey Campfield and repeated the refrain throughout, (something like), "Isn't it hard to hate the thing you love?" I'll just let it say what it says.

Ian Thomas, Relix Theater, Knoxville

Ian Thomas, Relix Theater, Knoxville

Ian Thomas was next up and his set was very good. I haven't heard him in a while and I think he's really grown as an artist. His singing and presence both seemed more mature than that last concert or CD. Maybe it's time for him to record again. His voice was easily the draw for his set and it's hard not to think when listening to him, "Why can't this guy be a country star?" Of course, a couple of minutes listening to contemporary country music radio and that question is answered. If I could give him one suggestion, it would be: lose the kazoo. Cute? Yes. And annoying to me after a very short time. Fortunately he didn't play it much.

Christabel and the Jons, Relix Theater, Knoxville, February 2012

Christabel and the Jons, Relix Theater, Knoxville

Christabel and the Jons closed out the evening and, as always, gave an interesting, though mellow show. Her soft swing had couples on the dance floor, as had Ian Thomas before her. Highlights for me included her versions of a couple of Hank Williams songs as well as a Webb Pierce song. Now that's real country music. In that universe maybe Ian could be a star, as well as Christabel.

Christabel and the Jons, Relix Theater, Knoxville

It all ended around eleven and the crowd went home happy. I think a number of us were excited to think about night two. I'll cover it in another post.