JULY 2, 2009 ISSUE
Brewer’s Briefs
I had been buying music for years before I had any real idea what it is a producer actually does. I’d always seen their names in the liner notes and occasionally on the disc itself, but it was just another name in the cast of characters who performed a variety of roles that were all pretty foreign to me.
A producer can wear a lot of hats. He or she can do as little as consult the band on which tunes should make the final cut, or whether or not a vocal take or guitar solo is up to snuff. A producer can help arrange the songs, helping trim the fat in terms of unnecessary verses, choruses or solos. A producer can help pinpoint the best parts of each song and figure out how best to make him or her stand out.
Then there are the other roles producers frequently inhabit that can’t be heard on the record or deduced from liner notes. Producers have to serve as a referee in the studio, keeping opinionated band members from choking each other while still trying to understand their points of view.
Producers also have to work as psychologists, gently massaging the ego of the artist to extract the very best performance for the recording. The tough love/drill sergeant approach doesn’t necessarily always work, so the producer must cajole the singer or instrumentalist into the proper state of mind.
Ask George Martin (The Beatles), Quincy Jones (Michael Jackson, r.i.p.), the late Tom Dowd (Aretha Franklin, Allman Brothers, John Coltrane, etc…) or Brian Eno (David Byrne, U2) and they’d all be happy to tell you that a producer doesn’t just twist knobs. They shepherd record projects from the beginning to the bitter end in search of the ever-elusive magic.
This Week…
-This Friday, July 3, at Boone Saloon, I’ll be hosting Brewer’s Big Bad Birthday Benefit Bonanza featuring Possum Jenkins, Soul Benefactor and Six Foot Groove with guests The King Bees, The Worthless Son-In-Laws, Laura England and Heather Paige Preston. All proceeds will benefit local charities. And yes, it will be a party.
-In conjunction with the monthly Downtown Boone Art Crawl, Murphy’s and Art Crawl Presents will host Culture Shock, a celebration of local performers featuring music by The King Bees, Boss Hawg featuring Mark Schimick, Clustar and Brian Smith & Tim Salt. The special show will also feature famed local clogger Arthur Grimes, as well as break dancers and live painting during the Clustar set.
-This Saturday, July 4, local music fans are invited to celebrate the opening of 641 RPM, Boone’s newest independent record store. To mark the occasion, proprietors Travis “smallwonder” Reyes and Kevin Freeman will host live music by Naked Gods, The Karloffs and Human Pippi Armstrong. The store is located in the spot formerly occupied by Grapevine Music and, more recently, Green Eggs & Jam.
Next Week…
-On Monday, July 6, Blowing Rock’s Hayes Performing Arts Center will host the 2nd annual Summer Blues Fest. The event will feature performances by Southern soul man Johnny Rawls, The King Bees and Big Ron Hunter.
-With one of its most stellar lineups to date, the 12th annual MusicFest ‘N Sugar Grove will take over the grounds of the Historic Cove Creek School on Friday and Saturday, July 10 and 11. Performers include Doc Watson, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Steep Canyon Rangers, The Kruger Brothers and lots more. Don’t miss one the High Country’s best summer events.
-On Friday, July 10, North Carolina band Kent Doobrow & The Other Brothers will return to the area for an appearance at the Concerts in the Valle series at Valle Crucis Park. The band cranks out classics from the likes of The Grateful Dead, Phish, Pearl Jam, Bob Dylan, Warren Haynes, The Allman Brothers Band, Eric Clapton and many others.
On The Horizon…
-The return of Celtic Gypsy rockers Scythian to Canyons on Wednesday, July 15, is just around the corner. Have you made your plans yet? You weren’t considering missing it were you? Because if you like to dance, jump up and down, drink beer and sing along, you CANNOT miss Scythian. You dig?
-Ska, punk and reggae rockers and former Boone residents Bums Lie will return to town on Saturday, July 25, for a show at Boone Saloon. Led by Hope Massive frontman Cullen West, the band’s thought-provoking tunes and raucous live shows have earned them shows in Charlotte’s biggest rooms.
-On Saturday, July 25, world-renowned rocker Kenny Loggins will wrap up the 25th anniversary season of An Appalachian Summer Festival with his string of massive radio hits at the Holmes Convocation Center. Prepare to be taken into the danger zone.
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