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I have been putting off writing about the Slobberbone show at White Water Tavern now for a while now.  Frankly, I didn’t know if I could do it justice, and I’m personally still not sure I can.

Slobberbone, perhaps the most randomly named, best alt-country band out there, recently reunited for a ten show tour.  Little Rock was their first stop, and I like to think a lot of that had to do with the numerous ties Brent Best has with the place.  One of his best friends, since the age of eight, Kevin Kerby, is here.  Travis Hill is a massive fan and brought them down in conjunction with Last Chance Records.  Lastly I cannot forget the fans.  If it weren’t for the fans that packed the small bar on that Tuesday night, the show would have been missing something.

I knew Slobberbone would draw a crowd.  They broke up in 2005 and some of the members formed The Drams.  I’d seen The Drams & Brent Best’s solo act and knew what I was getting in to.  Well, I thought I did.  

Let me start with the openers first though.  Kevin Kerby + Battery started precisely at 9:45.  I was surprised that the show started only 15 minutes later than the time predicted online.  They performed most of their new album Beautiful & Bright and threw in a few old favorites too.  I was gunning for Kerby’s new song about “Christian boys, their fucking cocaine, and their skinny girl jeans”, but alas that was not on the set list that night.  Perhaps it’ll be next time.  I’m not making that up either, he really does have a song that’s tentatively titled that.  It’s humorous and well written which, if you are a fan of Kerby’s, is expected.  They always put on a great set, and this was actually better because Best was there to egg Kerby on.  

Glossary, a local crowd favorite, from Murfreesboro, TN, took the stage next.  They played a good mix of songs from their albums The Better Angels Of Our Nature and For What I Don’t Become.  They even threw in a few new ones from their forthcoming album Feral Fire.  I’m highly looking forward to it as are a multitude of other diehard fans.  If the new album is anything like Angels… it should be amazing.  Joey & Kelly Kneiser’s vocals are pretty stand out.  Bingham Barnes is an enthusiastic bassist that really shows on stage.  Todd Beene is still one of the most bad ass pedal steel players I’ve seen and their drummer is no slouch either.  Put them all together and you have one hell of a band that I’ll continually go out and support when they come through town.  With sharp lyrics, pretty melodies, and a bit of country twang to spice things up, they certainly form a coherent band that is such a p.  In fewer words, along with Kerby + Battery, they were also perfect openers for the band to come.

Slobberbone formed in 1994.  I feel as if the way of life back then was a bit more laid back and accepting of alt-country.  Denton, TX probably didn’t know what hit them.  Brent Best (pictured) and his motley crew proceeded to crafts some amazing albums.  My personal favorite and the most widely received album in my opinion is 2000’s Everything You Thought Was Right Was Wrong Today.  There isn’t a bad song on that album and Slobberbone sure delivered many of them during their nearly 30 song set.  

During the show, there were several childhood Kerby/Best stories exchanged.  One of my old, standby favorites was when Best gave Kerby some more than run of the mill tequila.  Apparently, Kerby vomited so hard that night that he woke his wife up, she came out, took the tequila away from him, and poured it out in front of his face.  I bet that was a priceless night. I love hearing these stories as a glimpse in to the lives of those that I don’t know well.  Also about this time Todd Beene made his way up front and well none of us could quiet him.  He just kept saying in a high-pitched, southern hick voice, “Gimme back my dog.”     Obviously that was in reference to their song with the same title, but Beene was having too much fun pestering Best while he was on stage.

Regardless of all the bantering between audience and musicians, the show was a complete success.  Three of the hardest working bands, that ought to be more popular than they are, delivered literally one of the best shows I’ve ever been to.  I’m still in awe of how great of a show it was, and I must apologize for not being able to convey it in better words.  I really hate to say this phrase, but it must suffice for now, but you just had to be there.

-L
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Several of my friends booked a show at White Water last night, so naturally I had to go.  Little Rock’s own, The Reds, Drunken Angels, and Kevin Kerby & Battery, were playing.  I regretfully missed The Reds, who I feel ought to be a great band.  The three members that comprise the group have been in several other projects over the years, and hopefully they will have another show sometime soon, as I would really like to see them perform.   Nonetheless, the rest of the night was nothing to shrug about.

I paid the cover and walked in as Drunken Angels were setting up.  Mind you, these guys have been around Little Rock for a long time, but the band itself had only played two shows prior to this one.  Mikey Hayes and Travis Hill both say that they, as a band, aren’t all that great.  I beg to differ.  The demos they have posted on Myspace are good.  I mean, I went in to listening to them with a slight bias, but what I heard impressed me.  So naturally I was looking forward to see how they would measure up live.  Let’s just say that they kept me smiling and tapping my feet along to the beat the whole time.

Every once in a while I’ll learn something new at a show, and this one didn’t disappoint. I did not know that they had three vocalists.  Hayes was the primary vocalist of the night, but Tracy Sanchez, on drums, and Hill shared in the duties as well. The highlight in my eyes was when Hill quickly apologized to any Bruce Springsteen fans & Matt White for the cover he was about to do.  He wasted no time and jumped in to “Atlantic City.”  I personally thought it was not a bad cover and hope to hear the cover at a future show.   The instrumentation was to a tee, even if the vocals were a bit dwarfed by it.  I didn’t think it made all that much difference though because each man was putting his heart in to playing, and that made for an excellent third gig.  I’m awaiting that illustrious fourth concert.

Kevin Kerby & Battery came up next.  I actually don’t know whether or not this was directed to LRLM, but on at least two separate occasions, Kerby called the songs they had just finished playing ‘blogworthy.’  So Kevin, if you’re reading this, I got your really “subtle” hints.

As I have said before, Kerby is a pleasure to see as a solo act, but when he brings the men of Battery to back him up, they pack one hell of a punch.  Kerby & Battery have immersed themselves completely in rock ’n’ roll.  I have trouble envisioning them as anything else.  No other genre would fit their personalities and, I’m glad they aren’t trying to make the leap to some other completely different type of music.

That being said, Kerby has a loud and distinct voice.  It’s the kind of voice that penetrates your thoughts and allows you to see in to his world.  A lot of his songs are about life, his surroundings, and other every day things.  His voice pulls you in, and it’s almost like you were sitting there on the porch with Kerby or you were up late hours drinking with him.  Kevin also has a knack for involving the audience in his antics by telling jokes and doing other silly things.  He is an entertainer or many sorts and the rest of the band seems to fully support that especially when they all start to joke around.  Kerby really has found his match with Battery and vice versa.  They compliment each other so well, and I’m glad they have been playing more recently.  Keep your eyes out for more of Kerby’s dancing and shenanigans because he and Battery will be returning to a venue near you really soon.

-L

P.S. I chose the show's poster because of the pure ridiculousness of it.  I mean, who doesn't like pirate bananas? 

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