Calendar
Back City Woods w/ Weston Harris Hill live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
The South. A region loaded with history to say the least. What can be said about it that hasn’t already been said? Who needs another country act with a new angle on this sordid tale? Besides, if you’ve eaten your Grandma’s peach cobbler, haven't you already had the best? A band out of Middle Georgia called Back City Woods has thought about these perplexing issues and answers with yet another question. Do you still hear the call of the westerly winds whispering through the pines at dusk while rocking in a chair on the porch sweet tea in hand, alone, with the thoughts of a life that could have been? If your answer is yes, there’s hope left for the Southern life after all. If no, spin that dusty record again for old times sake. For the future is in the past, and we’re all dead anyway. You already know everything this band has to say, but they say it anyway, and they’re saying it with soul: louder & longer. They’ve released two award winning EP's and now have a full length album: The Light. The Dark. The Dusk. So what does this album bring to the table? Fiddles, guitars, banjo, songs about heartbreak, small towns, and all that Southern stuff. Also, it’s new, and it’s alive. Like you, like me, like the South. We’re here together sharing a semblance of similar existence, and everyday is new. So why experience the tales of the South from those who are decades in the past? There comes a time when Grandma can't make peach cobbler anymore, do we all stop eating cobbler? As life moves forward, as you move forward, so does music. Back City Woods: The South, today.
Jacob Stiefel Band w/ Trade Day Troubadours live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
ON THE HEELS OF HIS 3RD RELEASE, “THE MEMPHIS SESSIONS,” JACOB STIEFEL (STEE-FULL) IS BUILDING STEAM, AND ISN’T PLANNING ON SLOWING DOWN ANY TIME SOON.
JACOB, CURRENTLY BASED IN NASHVILLE, TN, WAS BORN AND RAISED IN FORT PAYNE, AL, WHERE HIS LOVE AFFAIR WITH MUSIC BEGAN. HIS EARLIEST MUSICAL MEMORIES ARE HIS MOTHER DANCING WITH HIM AT 2 OR 3 YEARS OLD TO WILLIE NELSON’S “RED HEADED STRANGER,” AND LISTENING TO HIS GRANNY’S CASSETTE TAPES OF ELVIS PRESLEY AND LITTLE RICHARD, AFTER KINDERGARTEN. AFTER TWO YEARS OF PIANO LESSONS AT 7 & 8, HE STARTED GUITAR LESSONS AT AGE 9 AND HASN’T PUT IT DOWN SINCE.
THROUGHOUT CHILDHOOD, JACOB CLAIMS HIS MUSICAL TASTE & SOUND WAS MOLDED BY THE RECORD AND 8-TRACK COLLECTION FROM HIS FATHER. “I CAN REMEMBER DAD FIRST SHOWING ME HOW TO LOWER THE NEEDLE ONTO THE GROOVES OF THE VINYL RECORDS. WHEN I GREW TALL ENOUGH TO REACH THE RECORD SHELVES, AND HE TRUSTED ME ENOUGH TO ALLOW IT, I WAS OFF TO THE RACES. BOB SEGER, LYNYRD SKYNYRD, WILLIE NELSON, WAYLON JENNINGS, TED NUGENT, AC/DC, CHARLIE DANIELS… IT WAS LIKE AUDIO HEAVEN…” DURING HIGH SCHOOL, JACOB WOULD LEARN AND PERFORM MANY OF THESE SONGS FOR HIS FRIENDS AT PARTIES AND GET-TOGETHERS. AT THE AGE OF 15 HE BEGAN PLAYING BASS IN “THE SHARPS”, A GOSPEL QUARTET/BAND THAT TOURED AROUND THE SOUTHEAST. THROUGH BOTH OF THESE, HE REALLY BEGAN TO DEVELOP HIS LOVE FOR PERFORMANCE AND TRAVEL. A LOVE THAT WOULD CONTINUE TO GROW.
Holey Miss Moley w/ Row Jomah live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Holey Miss Moley is a nine piece Funk-Flavored Rock-Soul Infused Groove Factory based out of Everywhere, Florida (St.Petersburg to Orlando to Jacksonville). Their high-energy sound is reminiscent of old school 70's funk, melded with elements of Disco, Jazz, Soul and Hip-hop creating a superb fusion that delights and energizes the crowd getting people up and dancing all night! Row Jomah is a five piece band from Clearwater, Florida that will change your perception of what rock music is and could be. Using basic rock instrumentation, Row Jomah weaves a tapestry of classic rock, acoustic rock, fusion, world, funk, blues and folk music into a show that you are not soon to forget.
Guy Marshall live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
It’s a vivid memory for Adam McNulty: crawling over rocks and fallen trees at the headwaters of mountain streams, his smiling grandfather — the man for whom he would later name his band — beckoning him onward. Guy Marshall Shirley would help his grandson turn over rocks, catching crawdads and salamanders with hands callused from decades of hard work as service station owner in the Appalachian mountain town of Boone, N.C. Together, they’d walk down to where those streams widened out into rushing rivers, stands of trees crawling up steep hillsides around them, ground fog slipping over summits like the ghosts of ancestors long since passed. Shirley passed away in 2008, but the kind of man that he was and the land he called home lives on in the music made by McNulty and his wife, Sarrenna. Together with a few talented friends, they’ve made Guy Marshall an up-and-coming East Tennessee roots-rock outfit that plays with touching beauty and sincerity. “I’m big into family, so a lot of the songs I’ve written about my grandfathers is a desire to have known them better — both of them, especially Guy Marshall Shirley,” Adam McNulty told The Daily Times this week. “He was just a hard-working guy in the Boone area, an upstanding guy, and the coolest thing to me was that he was a real funny guy, but he seemed as deep as anything. He was a guy I always looked up to as a hard worker and a prime example of a man taking care of his family. “We’ve tried to vocalize or put into words why we love that so much. There’s just something about the old ways and men from that era, they just seemed to have something I don’t think too many people have anymore. It’s something we’ve lost, and a lot of our songs are kind of reminiscent of those things.” McNulty grew up in the Seymour area, the son of a mom who started him out on Alison Krauss and Union Station. His first concert was one by the Indigo Girls; when he started playing music as a teenager, his guitar teacher — Eric Griffin, who now plays as a member of Guy Marshall — turned him onto bands like Radiohead. Later on, he immersed himself in Bob Dylan, absorbing the singer-songwriter’s lyrical prowess as best he could. McNulty first met his wife when they were kids growing up in the same church — one that Griffin attended as well, Trinity Chapel in Fountain City. Both Adam and Sarrenna were home-schooled and attended Friday classes together, bonding over music. “He was always like, ‘Sarrenna, come listen to this in my car!’” she said. “It was completely innocent, just the two of us sitting in his car, listening to David Gray or Jeff Buckley. Adam has always been a music lover, and he’d show me all kinds of music when we were kids.” The two started dating when they were 17; they married soon after and sang and played at church, but Adam always worked on songs on the side. He didn’t share them with anyone, however, and Sarrenna urged him to let the rest of the world in on the songs in his head that were finding their way onto paper. Enter Jamie Akins — now the bass player for Guy Marshall — who attended church with the newlyweds. “He really pushed Adam to start showing his music to people and hone in on his writing skills,” Sarrenna said. “He was part of helping us decide that we wanted to do the band thing. He pulled together a couple of people we had gone to church with, and we started to play music together in his basement, going through some of Adam’s songs and giving them some structure.” Griffin, meanwhile, was busy playing around town with a band called The Young and stepped away from music after The Young broke up; after the McNultys invited him to attend one of Adam’s first solo shows — at Vienna Coffeehouse in Maryville (the couple was living in Louisville at the time) — he was inspired to start playing again, and wanted to do so with Adam. “They played a couple of times together, and from that point Eric was just a part of the band,” she said. “From there, we’ve continued trying to expand and do the best we can.” They recorded a four-song demo, and this weekend they’re part of Vestival, the annual South Knoxville arts and heritage festival that takes place in the community in which they now live. They’re scheduled for a May 30 performance at Brackins in downtown Maryville as well, and the band hopes to hit the studio soon. “Adam has these stories in his mind that he has to get right,” Sarrenna said. “Right now, he’s taking banjo and fiddle lessons during alternating weeks, and he’s also taking drum lessons. It’s insane, but it’s like he can’t stop. He’s always wanting to learn more about music.”
Abby Owens live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
“Abby Owens is an incredible singer, an interesting and unpredictable songwriter, and a real sweetheart. You'll love her." – Jason Isbell
Abby Owens is a story teller of songs hailing from Indiantown, Fl. Working alongside the likes of Jason Isbell, Drivin' N Cryin', and Leon Russell, Abby's roots-style music is inspired by the south. "I like to play what I like to listen to." Abby states.
"My songs are about what I've experienced directly or indirectly."
Abby's songs, while unpredictable, weave through relatable experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Her songwriting combined with a percussive acoustic guitar style and smooth vocal makes for an engaging performance.
Walk Thru Walls w/ Maryex live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Walk Thru Walls is just as much an ideal as it is a band. A reminder to all; pass through what confines you. Let nothing hold you back or stand in your way. Walk Thru Walls hope to instill that ideal into all people the way the Beatles, the Stones, David Bowie, The Kinks, The Who, and Led Zeppelin did in years past in England and the way Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and The Beach Boys did in America. These bands influenced new generations of great bands such as The Smith's, The Stone Roses, Blur, Oasis, Supergrass, My Bloody Valentine in the U.K. while bands like Devo, Nirvana, Soundgarden, STP, The Strokes, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club emerged in the U.S. Now, as newer generations of artists come of age, many have expressed discontent over the future of rock 'n' roll. Walk Thru Walls has no intension of perpetuating this notion that well thought out and inspiring rock 'n' roll music has long ago seen it's peak. On the contrary... Johnny Ahearn, from Atlanta, GA, relocated to Macon, GA in search of those who held this ideal just as closely to their hearts. After being introduced to drummer Wes Cook by the wonderful SaVana Cameron of the band Atria, the events were set in motion to form Walk Thru Walls in Macon with bass player Casey Meadows and guitarist Daniel Walker. And rightly so... Dirty, loud, melodic, spellbinding music on guitars, not computers, is what Walk Thru Walls is all about. Live performance of their original music is what they live for. The goal? Bringing it to the ears of the next generation of kids, who are in danger of falling for the flash, the gimmicks, the wardrobe malfunctions, and the lack of soul in music today, as well as to the ears of the older generations who ask themselves, "Whatever happened to my rock 'n' roll?".
Hot Rod Walt and the Psycho-Devilles live at The Hummingbird
Atlanta's Hot Rod Walt & the Psycho DeVilles are a super-charged, high-energy rockabilly show singing tunes about hot rod cars, mean women, and having a good ol' time.
Universal Sigh live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
Universal Sigh is a high energy, metamorphic rock show. Hailing from Athens, GA the foursome features a two-guitar attack and driving rhythm section, producing versatile music which reflects a deep fondness for artists such as Radiohead, Snarky Puppy, and Umphrey’s McGee. Influenced by a myriad of musical styles, the quartet has crafted a diverse catalog, which includes both lyrical tunes and instrumental arrangements. Each song is a voyage, with harmonious melodies soaring through epic peaks and dramatic descents into electrifying funk grooves. Fluid and dynamic, the Sigh is equipped with an abundance of compositions to energize any musical atmosphere. Universal Sigh’s guitarist and drummer Pace and Jones Maynard, developed together as young musicians playing long hours in their parents’ basement. In high school, Jones met songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Steve Terry, and the two took playing together like fish to water. The expansive music scene in Athens paved the way for the band to meet Austin Parker, a soulful vocalist with a love for laying down the bass. Pace, Steve, Jones, and Austin have been at the forefront of all song writing and live performances. However, the band frequently collaborates original music with special guests, including full brass sections, percussion, and guest vocalists. Their openness allows every show to be a special surprise. May 2016 ushered in the anticipated release of Universal Sigh’s first album, Atoms & Void. While improvisation is a staple component of the live show, Atoms & Void displays a thoughtfulness to innovatively diversify arrangements of rock songs, blues tunes, and futuristic jazz alike. The debut album explores the uncanny nature of song structure and provides lyrical content inspired by the turmoil and beauty of the human condition. The core four presents Atoms & Void, as a material extension to connect the listener to the inherent music within everyone.
MARADEEN w/ Rachel Hillman Band live at The Hummingbird in Downtown Macon
