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South
Regional Report
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Edited by Mike Jones and
Chip Schramm
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This can be a busy time of year with family responsibilities and the like but STILL we need to step it
up. If you have any questions about guidelines, guest lists, etc. please contact us.
KING KONGA 12/31/2000 IMPERIAL PALACE BILOXI, MS
First off, thanks to the band and their entourage for the help on
getting in to this sold out show! The show that I saw was the second
set of the night. The casino had the band playing two sets on New
Year's Eve. Oh, and about the casino, BAD SECURITY! Not in the sense
that there wasn't any but in the sense that there was too much. It
might as well have been the Hell's Angels at Altamont. To give you a
brief example of what I'm talking about - the band invited their fans on
the stage to dance around with them during one song. Fair enough, no
problems occurred and fun was had by all. The second time the band did
this security came blitzing in and made all the fans get off the stage
even though they weren't tearing up any thing or threatening harm to the
band in any way. They even went so far as to barricade the way up to
the stage. The band's response to all this was even better, they came
out in to the crowd, at least the ones that could. Tony Lymon
(percussion) and Steve Cook (bassist) both came out at separate times.
Tony went so far as to climb the PA and play his Djembe, which was
definitely one of the highlights of the night.
Overall, the set was really good. The band played several selections
from their forthcoming album, including what is sure to be a
breakthrough hit, "Something Good". I absolutely love hearing this
song. It's wonderfully upbeat and you can't help but smile when you
hear it. The band also played my favorite cover that they do, "No
Woman, No Cry" by none other than Mr. Bob Marley. If you've ever seen
this band play and haven't seen them do this song, then, you haven't
really seen this band. When they perform this song, everyone in the
band gets a time to showcase themselves a little bit. Both Tony and
Skeeto Valdez (drums) are amazing during their percussion solo. Steve
also shines on vocals during his respective part.
All around, this band is a tight cohesive unit and although they've gained
some accolades and praise, they deserve so much more. With the release
of their new album, I hope they reach new levels of success because
there isn't a band out there that can say they work harder than
King Konga. Check out http://www.kingkonga.com
for more info on the band. This website is well designed and should
be commended as well. Here's some upcoming dates for King Konga...
February
2 Dave's On Dixon Fayetteville, AR
3 Juanita's Little Rock, AR
8 Bluebird Café Bloomington, IN
9 5th Avenue Novi, MI
10 5th Avenue Royal Oak, MI
BREAKING NEWS ON WILL HOGE
Pre-Release sale for the new album, Carousel!!!!
![](http://www.awarestore.com/images/Covers/1550.jpg")
The album won't be released until January 30th but you can order your advance copy from AWARE now!! Order the CD for only $11.00. Visit the following link at http://www.awarestore.com/display.cfm?PRODUCT_ID=1550 to pre-order the record. The first 200 people to pre-order through Aware will receive an autographed copy of "Carousel". Your name will also be entered for a drawing to WIN A WEEKEND WITH THE BAND. A drawing will be held on January 26th for the people who have pre-ordered the record. The winner will receive hotel accommodations for them and a guest to the Nashville CD release at the Exit/In on Saturday, February 3rd. They will also receive two tickets to the concert along with a Sunday Brunch the following day with the band. These CDs will go fast, so don't procrastinate or you will miss your opportunity to win! Coming soon...February release shows include Here's the run down of shows for January along with some CD release shows coming to your town. These shows are confirmed as of today, but dates, times, etc. can change. If you are planning on making a long road trip, please contact the venue to confirm the following information.
TUE 16 - DETROIT, MI - MAGIC BAG
WED 17 - CLEVELAND, OH - THE GROG SHOP
THU 18 - CHICAGO, IL - SCHUBAS
FRI 19 - GREENBAY, WI - RYAN'S BALLROOM
SAT 20 - MILWAUKEE, WI - SHANK HALL TUE 23 - TBA
WED 24 - NEW ORLEANS - HOUSE OF BLUES
FRI 26 - BIRMINGHAM, AL - ZYDECO
SAT 27 - JACKSON, MS - Hal and Mals TUE JAN 30 - CAROUSEL RELEASE DATE
TUE 30 - FAYTETTEVILLE, AR - GEORGE'S WED 1 - MEMPHIS, TN - NEWBY'S Info TBA THU 2 - OXFORD, MS - PROUD LARRY'S Info TBA FRI 3 - NASHVILLE, TN - EXIT/IN Info TBA
[Site editor's note: sorry, this was supposed to run last month- I misplaced it- so here it is to enliven a quiet section] Kudzu Kings 11/25/00 Temple Theater Ballroom Meridian, MS By Eric Swanson redclay99@hotmail.com This year has seen the Kudzu Kings spreading their vine across the nation, including an opening spot for Widespread Panic at Red Rocks. That opening slot was a milestone for them, but their specialty is the all-nighters when they get to burn the house down with their deltafied hill country boogie and good time grins. Their Thanksgiving holiday weekend show in Meridian was just that type of opportunity. Take a home state gig, add a ballroom filled with hundreds of familiar faces home for Turkey Day, throw in some BBQ catering by Stack's Smoke Shack, and you've got yourself a Kudzu throwdown! The crowd almost resembled a bluegrass festival crowd since it was comprised of a varied age range (mid-twenties to sixties) that had come out to hear some music played fast and fierce. The opening band's set left the crowd a little unenthused, but all that changed when the Kudzu Kings kicked the door in with their opener of "Bound for Zion." The fiery slide work of George McConnell turned up the energy of the crowd and set the tone for the rest of the night. The band worked the crowd, saying how happy they were to be playing for them, and introduced "California Blues," a classic 1930's era song by Meridian native Jimmie "The Singing Brakeman" Rodgers. The Kings always manage to have a good time on stage, and it was especially the case when bassist Chris Ethridge joined them for four songs. Ethridge, an original Flying Burrito Brother and former member of the Willie Nelson & Family, added to the set an original he wrote with Gram Parsons called "She." After Ethridge had his rounds on stage, opening act guitarist James Edwards joined the cast to add his loud and nasty licks to the mix. As the second set came to an end with a scorching Women Are Smarter> Iko Iko> Women are Smarter, the now well-lubricated crowd had turned into a dancing Kudzu zoo. The first encore song, Dr. John's "Such A Night," seemed the perfect choice to describe the night, yet it was upstaged by the next song, "Down In Mississippi." The dark and bluesy chords of this epic rang through the room, out the doors, and into the Mississippi night sky. After the band finally stopped, everyone in the room was still grinning. Imagine that. Such a night indeed. Set I: Bound For Zion> NRBQ Jam, Rototiller, California Blues (Blue Yodel #4), Whiskey River, Who's Lovin' You Tonight, It's a Play, BBQ Blues, Dream, Punk Poet, Mellie, Bryan's Song, Workin', Bisquit and Gravy, My Guitar, Bubba, Panola County Line, Junkard Blues*, NYC*, Okie from Muskogee Set II: She*, I Love Beer, Ed Dye Song*, Wonder Woman, Goin' Down the Road Feeling Bad, Like a Rolling Stone, No One Else Seems Right, Women Are Smarter> Iko Iko> Women Are Smarter Encore: Such A Night, Down in Mississippi (* with Chris Ethridge on bass) |
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