Counteract the heat of seemingly endless dog days' weather with a cool snap of sassy sonic sparkle from Gigi Dover and The Big Love tonight for a CD release party at The Double Door Inn, Charlotte.
The new CD, snappily titled "The Avocado Sessions --This Side and The Other," is a 12-song breath of musical magic mixing styles, genres, moods, and melodies willy-nilly for maximum effect.
The Big Love is primarily the creative partnership of singer/songwriter and guitarist Dover and multi- instrumentalist / magician Eric Lovell, whose bag of tricks includes vocals, guitar, pedal steel, sitar, tambura, melodica, ukulele, mandolin, even a glockenspiel.
Also assisting are David "6" Clark, bass; John Spurrier, drums, and Jason "Baby J" Atkins, keyboards. The Dover/Lovell combo makes for an enlightening encounter. Dover's role as sassy Southern chanteuse is enhanced by her ability to evoke the ambiance of familiar personalities -- a little Carole King here, a little Linda Ronstadt there, with a bit of Fleetwood Mac that's more McVie than Stevie -- all without losing the character and impact of her own voice.
Her overall aura is as rich and bright as the vivid colors of the CD's packaging -- all purple, red, yellow, green and plum mauve woven through the design and original paintings created by Dover. Meanwhile, Lovell as consummate musician with virtuoso skills on multiple instruments wields a whimsical charisma that's part shaman, part alchemist, and part psychedelic rocker.
Together they weave a dreamy, quirky path that trips through styles, sounds and genres. It's a little bit country, a little bit rock and roll and a whole lotta groovy, soulful, funky fun. The song titled "Future" is more like a throwback to say a Stray Cats past, while "Gangster" goes toward Parliament's "Flashlight" or perhaps "Brick House" a la The Commodores.
Truly, "time casts a spell" over this enterprise with much more waiting to be discovered from Gigi Dover and The Big Love tonight for their CD release party at The Double Door Inn, 1218 Charlottetown Ave., Charlotte. For show info, call 704-376-1446 or check doubledoorinn.com. For more on the music, visit gigidover.com.
Greenville, N.C., rockers Parmalee finally find their way into the area Monday at The Money, Rock Hill. Formed in 2001, this four-man juggernaut is Matt Thomas, vocals and guitar; Josh McSwain, guitar and vocals, Barry Knox, bass and vocals; and Scott Thomas, drums.
They spent most of the years since developing, recording, promoting, performing and touring. "Daylight" was the title of the first Parmalee EP, followed by a full-length debut, then a live acoustic album "Unplugged," plus "Inside Live," a documentary-style DVD. Then 2006 found Parmalee in Los Angeles recording with producer Stevo Bruno and working with Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx producing several tracks with the band.
In 2006, Parmalee split their time recording on the West Cost, touring on the East Coast, as well as time in Nashville finishing the writing, producing, recording and mixing of the tracks with producer Kevin Beamish for their EP "Complicated," released in 2008. See how all this cross-country creativity can help crank out hot-rocking dynamics with Parmalee plus guest Damsel Down Monday at The Money, 110 S. Cherry Road in Rock Hill. Call the club at 329-2710 for details. For more on the band, head to myspace.com/parmalee and facebook.com/parmaleemusic.
A bunch of big concerts should keep everybody hopping this weekend. There's Big Head Todd and The Monsters tonight at The Fillmore-NC Music Factory in Charlotte; while Saturday look for Lady Gaga in Uptown Charlotte at Time Warner Cable Arena, with The Black Crowes across town in Charlotte at the Road Runner Mobile Amphitheater-NC Music Factory. Sunday take in Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers at Charlotte's Verizon Wireless Amphitheater.
"Music, music, I hear music...music over my head" and everywhere, all around. Check the listings for the who, what, when and where.
Tonight: Truckstop Preachers at McHale's on Main, Rock Hill; Tool Academy, Matsuflex, Shawn Southern at The Money Rock Hill; Flyleaf, Story of the Year at Amos Southend, Charlotte; Civil Twilight, Lovers and Liars, The Daylights, Ocean is Theory at Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte; The Lenny Federal Band at Comet Grill, Charlotte; GiGi Dover and Big Love at The Double Door Inn, Charlotte; The Small Ponds, The Atoic Duo; Evelynn Rose, 500 Miles to Memphis; at The Evening Muse, Charlotte; Bums Lie, When IT Hits, IED at Snug Harbor, Charlotte; Flesh and Stone at Smokey Joe's Café, Charlotte; Big Head Todd and The Monsters at The Fillmore-NC Music Factory, Charlotte; U.S. Christmas, Throttlerod, Black Skies, Chameleon at the Milestone, Charlotte; Telepath at the Neighborhood Theater, Charlotte; Donnie Honeycutt at Grapevine Wine Shop and Bar, Charlotte; Mike Lassiter at Lava Bistro, Charlotte; Tim Hall, Buffalo Country at Puckett's Farm Equipment, Charlotte; and The Band of Heathens, The Sammie's at Visulite Theater, Charlotte.
Saturday: Taner Adkins' Benefit featuring the Shoulda' Been Gone Band at Charlie's Oasis, York; 500 Miles to Memphis, The Stellas, Jeremy Ray, Division Red, Remember Your Trojans at The Money Rock Hill; Superstar Runner at McHale's On Main, Rock Hill; An Evening with The Black Crowes at Road Runner Mobile Amphitheater-NC Music Factory, Charlotte; Lady Gaga at Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte; Off White Party at The Visulite Theater, Charlotte; Big Ed's Garage at Big Ed's Garage, Charlotte; Hipshack at McCoy's, Charlotte; Lady Saw at the Neighborhood Theater, Charlotte; Cloud 9 at Black Bear Saloon, Charlotte; Ten, Badmotorfinger at Amos Southend, Charlotte; Larry Keel and Natural Bridge at the Double Door Inn, Charlotte; Mike Garrigan, Low Kung; Transmission Fields, Shortwave Society; at The Evening Muse, Charlotte; Motorbike Militia, 510 Expert Tattoo, The Wiggle Wagons, Loose Lugnuts at the Milestone, Charlotte; The Black Bottom Biscuits at Puckett's Farm Equipment, Charlotte; Monstro, Hectagons, Shroud Eater, Junior Bruce at Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte; and Black Glass at Amici's, Concord.
Sunday: Battle of the Bands with Done Deal, Harbor The Grudge, Mack Fowler and Company, Kavod, Sara Scott, Making Mojo, 3Remain at Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte; Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Charlotte; Brian Culbertson at The Fillmore-NC Music Factory, Charlotte; Candy Claws, Cement Stars, Bob Fields at Snug Harbor, Charlotte; and Scoot Pittman Trio at Mac's-Lake Norman, Cornelius.
Monday: Parmalee at The Money, Rock Hill; Monday Night All-Stars at the Double Door Inn, Charlotte; Find Your Muse Open Mic at The Evening Muse, Charlotte; Aids Wolf, Junior Astronomers at Snug Harbor, Charlotte; Mitch Fatel at McGlohon Theater, Charlotte; and Dale Watson with The Bo Stevens at Puckett's Farm Equipment, Charlotte.
Tuesday: Electric Open Mic at The Money, Rock Hill; Joint Damage, The Red Mass, Secret Hospital at The Milestone, Charlotte; George Terry at Jeff's Bucket Shop, Charlotte; and Bill Hannah Jazz Jam at the Double Door Inn, Charlotte.
Wednesday: Oneppo Brothers at the End Zone, Rock Hill.
Thursday: Summerland, Transmission Fields, Dylan Gilbert at The Money, Rock Hill; Garrigan, North Elementary, Schooner at Tremont Music Hall, Charlotte; and 46th Festival in the Park Kickoff at Freedom Park, Charlotte.
And that was, 'all she wrote.'
Email to jetstar413@aol.com; send materials to P.O. Box 13, Catawba, SC 29704; and get more info at myspace.com/jetrockmedia.
