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South Regional Report
Edited by Mike Jones - lovetoy2@geocities.com

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Wow, is it June already?!! I'm just starting to recover from Memphis In May's Beale Street Festival and Jubilee Jam in Jackson, Mississippi. I saw several amazing bands at both places, not all jam bands but still good in their own way. Just in Memphis alone I saw Peter Frampton, Sammy Hagar, Fuel, Big Star, Hootie & the Blowfish, Clarence Carter, Bobby "Blue" Bland, Sheryl Crow, Everclear, Rusted Root, moe, Better Than Ezra, to name a few. I'm sure most everyone has heard of these bands or at least enough people know about them that I won't write about any of it. I'd rather focus on people that you might not have heard about but that you definitely should have heard about and more than likely will if justice is served.

There is a band based out of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, which is about an hour or so from my hometown, called King Konga. If you are looking for a definition of the sound, the best description I can come up with is to imagine Ken Block, vocalist of Sister Hazel, singing to the tune of some Dave Matthews Band songs. In other words, it's some of the best stuff to come out of the south in a long time! The band sent me their latest release, Halo, and I haven't stopped listening to it yet! Also, the first track, Dancing Girls was just added to radio in Virginia. The disc has been getting great reviews all around the south and I think, it's just a matter of time before the masses take serious note of King Konga. They have a website for you to check out at www.kingkonga.com I highly recommend this band to everyone reading this. If you're in the south region, check out their tour dates and if they are playin' near you, go check them out. I'll see them this weekend in Birmingham, Alabama at the City Stages festival. www.citystages.org I suggest everyone within reasonable driving distance come to Birmingham this weekend, not only to see King Konga but to see all of the other great acts coming to town. Pat McGee Band and Vertical Horizon are playing on Sunday and I can't wait to check that out! I'll be writing up a report on City Stages for next month, that's if the summer southern heat doesn't kill me :-) Also, be on the look out for info on a band from Memphis, The Patrick Dodd Band. In the meantime, check out my South Regional Music Website.

Until next month...

Mike Jones