Week #480                          Bar B Que Killers

November 29, 2019

                                                Winner:  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK.  Co-winners:  Matt Morrison,                                                      Winston-Salem, NC;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Andy Johnson,                                                              Athens, GA;  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta,                                                      GA;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Craig                                                        Williams Portland, OR;  Melissa Bock, Marietta, GA.

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Hint: this band was Athens' most complete entry in the grunge rock field of the 1980's. Their virtuosity was enough to gain them a spot on the documentary Athens, GA Inside Out, which featured their lead singer on the cover. Sadly, she passed away too early from substance abuse. 

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Week #481                         Joe "King"Carrasco & the Crowns performing "Party Weekend"

December 6, 2019

                                               Winner:  Andy johnson, Athens, GA.  Co-winners:  Kip Shepherd,                                                               Huntsville, AL;  Chris Hartstonge, London UK;  Matt Morris, Winston-                                                       Salem, NC;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU;                                                     Craig Williams Portland, OR;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Steve                                                             Fleming, Seattle, WA.

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Hint: this band formed in late 1979 and began a career featuring its lead singer, who performed and recorded with other bands until at least 2015, when the 26th record of his career was released. The song on this clip is also the title song from his 8th studio album, which was released on MCA Records in 1983.

Known as the king of Tex-Mex rock n' roll, this artist has called Puerto Vallarta home for years but he hailed from the west Texas town of Dumas, which is located in the panhandle. He is known for being an advocate for dogs, and founded a non-profit called Viva Perros. His stage name is a nom de plume, we'll award a bonus of 5 points to everyone who can provide us with his birth name. Good luck everybody!!

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Week #482                          Chickasaw Mud Puppies performing "Telephone"

December 14, 2019

                                                Winners:  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU & Dan Smith, Hillsborough, NC.                                                    Co-winners:  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Tom English, Archdale,                                                        NC;  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;  Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC;  Kip                                                    Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Melissa Bock,                                                  Marietta, GA;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA.

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Hint: this band was actually a duo that formed late in the 1980's in Athens and, like so many others, consisted of students from UGA. They created quite a buzz in the beginning and developed a loyal local following that unfortunately didn't translate into a larger success, despite being produced by Michael Stipe, John Keane and Willie Dixon. They did release an EP and an LP, neither of which set records in retail sales. They reformed in 2011 for a brief period before disbanding again. Good luck everybody!!

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Week #483                          Christmas performing "My Operator"

December 20, 2019

                                                Winner:  Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC.  Co-winners:  Chris                                                                    Hartstonge, London, UK;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Darryl White,                                                      Melbourne, AU;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  Andy Johnson, Athens,                                                      GA;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA.

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Hint: this was a Boston band that played the Watt on Broad in 1986. I can't provide much bio on the band but we chose them for this week solely because of the name and the suggestion of one of the regulars on our panel. That hint will have to do, good luck everybody and Happy Holidays!!

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Week #484                        Drivin' Snow performing "Gotta Move On"

December 27, 2019

                                              Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU.  Co-winners:  Kip Shepherd,                                                            Huntsville, AL;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Matt Morris, Winston-                                                          Salem, NC;  Andy Johnson Athens, GA;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;                                                          Melissa Bock, Marietta, GA;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  Chris                                                                Hartstonge, London, UK.

 

 Hint: this group wasn't really a band, it was an ad hoc collection of musicians that included some of Athens' most notable people at the time. We had a band scheduled to play the Watt on Clayton (version 2.) in early January, 1988, but they called us at the time appointed for sound check to let us know they were stuck on I-85 near Charlotte and couldn't make it to the show. Barrie notified the aforementioned musicians, who decided to come to the Watt and play an impromptu acoustic set. I recorded the show and gave the group a whimsical name, and all of that led to this week's Band of the Week. We want the name I gave the group, not the names of other bands in which they performed. Good luck everybody!!

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Week #485                          True Believers performing "Alone in a Crowd"

January 3, 2020

                                                Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourn, AU.  Co-winners:  Andy Johnson,                                                            Athens, GA;  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Matt Morris, Winston-                                                          Salem, NC;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Andrew Carter, Charlottesville,                                                  VA;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, NC;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Craig                                                    Williams Portland, OR;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA.

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Hint: this band formed in Austin, Texas in 1982 and came to the Watt on Broad in June, 1984. They enjoyed brief fame until 1987, when one of the two brothers who performed in the band decided to leave. They released an eponymous album in 1986, but their second album languished in music limbo till 1994. They reformed for a reunion show in 2012, putting the finishing touches to a band that, in the words of a noted music critic from the Lone Star state, "was widely considered to be Austin’s best band of the mid-eighties." Good luck everybody!!

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Week #486                          Kilkenny Cats performing "Route 66"

January 10, 2020

                                               Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU.  Co-winners:  Matt Morris,                                                               Winston-Salem, NC;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Tom English,                                                               Archdale, NC;  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Craig Williams Portland,                                                     OR;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;  David                                                    Judd, Alexandria, Virginia.

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Hint: this was an Athens band that reached a level of popularity in the mid 80's that culminated in their appearance in the documentary Athens, GA, Inside/Out. They formed in 1983 when they released a 45, then released their first album in 1985, which was followed by their last recording afterward. They broke up after a couple of more years together and the members went their separate ways. Today one of the members is an attorney and another is on the faculty of Tulane University. 

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Week #487                            Georgia Hellhounds performing "I'm Just a Fool"

January 17, 2020

                                                 Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU.  Co-winners:  Kip Shepherd,                                                          Huntsville, AL;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  Matt Morris, Winston-                                                        Salem, NC;  Melissa Bock, Marietta, GA;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;                                                        Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Steve Fleming, Seattle WA;  Chris                                                                Hartstonge, London, UK.

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Hint: this was an Atlanta band that formed in the mid 80's, broke up, re-formed when a recording it had made went gold in the UK, broke up again, then re-formed yet again minus the lead vocalist, with a variation on its original name and with the addition of a scorching hot keyboardist. They enjoyed a successful career as a roadhouse blues/rockabilly band around the southeast for a brief period, cashing in on the recognition generated by the success of the original edition. We're looking for the name this band performed as, not the name of the original band. Good luck everybody!!

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Week #488                             Silent Partner performing "Tubular Blues"

January 24, 2020

                                                   Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU.  Co-winners:  Kenneth Rogers,                                                     Atlanta, GA;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Craig Williams, Portland,                                                           OR;  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC;                                                     Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Steve Fleming, Seattle WA.

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Hint: this band was actually a member of a successful Athens band from the late 70's who continued using the name for other musical projects of his in ensuing years. This particular concatenation was a trio composed of him with two accompanists, who performed as vocalists and instrumentalists on various instruments. To my knowledge this was their only performance and was very likely the penultimate recording from the 40 Watt Uptown in March, 1987.

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Week 489                               The Feelies performing (title unknown)

January 31, 2020

                                                  Winner:  Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC.  Co-winners:  Darryl                                                                  White, Melbourne, AU;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Craig Williams,                                                      Portland, OR;  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Tom English, Archdale,                                                      NC;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;                                                                  Melissa Kemmerly, Atlanta, GA.

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Hint: this was a band from New Jersey that came to Athens in support of its second album, which was released in 1986, the year prior to when this recording was made. They were one of the most influential indie pop bands in the 1980's and took their name from Aldous Huxley's novel Brave New World. REM cited their first album  -which was released in 1980-as a major influence; Peter Buck served as a co-producer of one of their albums. The band formed in 1976, broke up in 1992, and has since performed several reunion shows. During its career the group released four studio albums. Good luck everybody!!

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Week #490                             Oh Ok performing "Person"

February 7, 2020

                                                   Winner:  Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC.  Co-winners:  Tom English,                                                     Archdale, NC;  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville,                                                         AL;  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU;  Melissa Kemmerly, Atlanta                                                                     Georgia;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;                                                       Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA.

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Hint: this was a local band that burst upon the Athens scene in 1981, releasing a three-song EP in the fall of that year on Danny Beard's record label. The band endured personnel changes during the remainder of its career until they finally split up for good after their second record release in 1983. They re-formed in 2006 for a reunion performance as part of the Athens Popfest that year. Good luck everybody!!

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Week #491                              Fetchin' Bones performing "Asteroid"

February 14, 2020

                                                   Winner:  Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC.  Co-winners:  Kip                                                                         Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;  Darryl White,                                                         Melbourne, AU;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Craig Williams,                                                                       Portland, OR;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Steve Fleming, Seattle,                                                       OR;  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;   Grace Elizabeth Hale,                                                                           Charlottesville, Virginia

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Hint: this was a North Carolina group that came to the Watt on Broad, for the first show of several in that location, in 1984. They put on a high-energy, rousing performance that garnered them several loyal fans in the Athens music community for years to follow. During their career, which lasted six years, they released five studio albums, three of which were produced by Don Dixon and recorded by Mitch Easter. Good luck everybody!!

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Week #492                                the New Invincibles performing "TV"

February 21, 2020

                                                    Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;                                                            Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;                                                                Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;                                                                          Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA.

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Hint: this band was Athens' preeminent surf ensemble in the late 80's. Their lineup included some local color characters, of whom sadly two have passed away not long ago. They experienced some personnel changes but their repertoire and presentation remained essentially unchanged during their tenure, which lasted only a couple of years. We're going to award a bonus of ten points each to everyone who can identify the deceased members, one of whom was a champion of our Athens music game. Good luck everybody!!

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Week 493                                    Bruce Hampton & the Aquarium Rescue Unit

February 28, 2020

                                                       Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU.  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;                                                          Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Matt                                                              Morris, Winston-Salem, NC;  Melissa Kemmerly, Atlanta, GA;                                                                      Steve Fleming, Seattle WA;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Craig                                                                Williams, Portland, OR.

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Hint: this band was one of several fronted by a legendary performer of the Atlanta jazz-rock scene. Most of those bands featured the front man's name, followed by the band's collective name. The front man boasted a career that spanned six decades, beginning with a band that was the flag bearer  of Atlanta progressive rock, releasing an album whose claim to fame was that it was the second-worst selling album in Columbia +Records' history. Sadly, his career culminated in a birthday celebration at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, at which he suffered a massive heart attack and died. We want the front man's name and the name of his supporting group, the way it was billed on the night this recording was made at the 40 Watt on Clayton version 2.0. Good luck everybody!!

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Week #494                                  Mystery Date performing "Pink Ribbon"

March 6, 2020

                                                       Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourne AU.  Co-winners:  Andy Johnson,                                                          Athens, GA;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Craig Williams, Portland,                                                            OR; Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC;  Chris Hartstonge, London,                                                              UK;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL;                                                                  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA.       

 

Hint: this band's notoriety was due mostly to it being Athens' only all-female group in the mid 1980's. They endured a change of drummers and went on to establish a reputation for being a good opening band for many shows with Athens' premier groups. One of those involved the band Seven Simons, along with an unannounced performance by an Athens favorite, which show was truncated by the demise of a guitar amp in the middle of the fourth song. 

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Week #495                                 Black Crowes performing "Seeing Things for the First Time"

March 13, 2020

                                                        Winner:  Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC.  Co-winners:  Darryl                                                                  White, Melbourne, AU;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Andy Johnson,                                                          Athens, GA;  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, NC;  Steve Fleming, Seattle,                                                          WA;  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;                                                            David Judd, Alexandria, VA.

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Hint: this band burst on the Atlanta music scene in 1987, although they had formed in 1984 while the brother pair who started the band were attending Walton High School in Marietta, Georgia. They released their first album in 1988, and it quickly reached multi-platinum status. The band went through several ups and downs in its career, enduring personnel changes and challenges in lifestyle choices. They have broken up and re-formed several times, and recently put together a new backing group which announced a 46 date tour to commemorate the 30th anniversary of its debut album. This clip was one of the songs on that album. 

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Week #496                                  Joe "King" Carrasco & the Crowns "Que Paso Vato"

March 20, 2020

                                                       Winner:  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL.  Co-winners:  Darryl White,                                                             Melbourne, AU;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Matt Morris,                                                                             Winston-Sale, NC;  Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;  Mitch Harris,                                                                       Athens, GA;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Crig Williams,                                                                             Portland, OR;  Tim Abbott, Skipton, UK;  Chris Hartstonge,                                                                           London, UK;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA.

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Hint: this band formed in 1979 and soon thereafter released a single, Party Weekend. It brought considerable attention and extensive touring, which was just the start of what this band had in store. They signed a deal with MCA Records and released two albums on that label, and since the mid 1980's have released several on the front man's private label. That front man enjoys fame as the king of Tex-Mex rock n' roll. Good luck everybody!!

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Week #497                                 Buzz of Delight performing "Story of Love"

March 27, 2020

                                                       Winner:  Kip Shepherd, Huntsville, AL.  Co-winners:  Tom English,                                                             Archdale, NC;  Craig Williams, Portland, OR;  Andy Johnson,                                                                         Athens, GA;  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU;  Chris Hartstonge,                                                                     London UK;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Matt Morris, Winston-                                                             Salem, NC;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA.

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Hint: this band burst upon the Athens music scene in 1983 and enjoyed a couple of years of success before breaking up in 1985. It consisted of just two members, a characteristic of Athens groups to follow for years afterward. After their breakup the front man went on to a very successful career that included #4 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks for a single from his third studio album. This clip appeared on a compilation album released in 2002. 

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Week #498                                 John Cale performing "Feelings"

April 3, 2020

                                                        Winner:  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU.  Co-winners:  Kip                                                                                Shepherd,  Huntsville, AL; Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC;  Andy                                                            Johnson, Athens, GA;  Tom English, Archdale, NC;  Kenneth                                                                        Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Craig Williams,                                                            Portland, OR;  Chris Hartstonge, London, UK.

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Hint: this band consisted of the front man, who was the member of a seminal New York group famous in the art-rock period of the late 60's, and his backing band. They came to the Watt on Broad in February of '85, putting on a memorable performance. The voice of the front man is such an iconic one we don't think further introduction is necessary. 

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Week #499                                  Skinpops performing "Truck Stop"

April 10, 2020

                                                        Winner:  Matt Morris, Winston-Salem, NC.  Co-winners:  Tom                                                                      English, Archdale, NC;  Darryl White, Melbourne, AU;  Kip                                                                              Shepherd,  Huntsville, NC;   Andy Johnson, Athens, GA;  Chris                                                                      Hartstonge, London, UK;  Kenneth Rogers, Atlanta, GA;  Bryan                                                                    Cook, Tulsa, OK;  Steve Fleming, Seattle, WA;  Craig Williams,                                                                    Portland, OR.

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Hint: this band was one of those Athens power-pop duos that proliferated in the mid-to-late 80's in the Classic City. This ensemble appeared toward the end of that decade; this clip is possibly the last recording I made during my tenure at the 40 Watt. Although they weren't widely heralded, their claim to fame was largely based on sharing the stage with Atlanta's renowned street poet, Deacon Lunchbox. He in fact made a cameo appearance at this show, joining in on a song or two. Good luck everybody!!

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