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POLLUTEME/POLLUTED EZINE/Night at The Warehouse
written by: Jacob Robison
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| Lapp Dog was the first of the three bands to take the stage. The three-man band from Western Tennessee-comprised of guitarist/vocalist Cris Brown, bassist Jereme Hubble and drummer Kevin Scott-got the ball rolling at around nine forty-five p.m.. Brown started off the band’s first appearance at The Warehouse in several months by thanking the crowd for showing up and giving an opening band a chance, and then they started rocking out. Their sound-somewhere between a heavier Pearl Jam and Machinehead-is really thick and versatile, despite having only the one guitar. No offense intended towards Scott and Hubble-who are very talented musicians in their own right-but Cris Brown is the man who drives the music. His guitar playing and vocal range stole the show. With lyrics that spoke of child abuse and lost love, the threesome pulled off a helluva set. "Closure" and their remake of the Eurythmics’ classic "Here Comes The Rain" remain my favorites; Brown’s vocal abilities really stand out in those two songs. Despite the usual opening band crowd, Lapp Dog proved why they are considered to be among the best in Jackson (same hometown as Full Devil Jacket), if not the whole of Tennessee. |
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| 12v Negative Earth took over The Warehouse stage next. The quintet from Nashville-vocalist Jason Carroll, guitarist/vocalist Cody McCall, guitarist Eli McFadden, bassist Toomey and drummer Richie Kohler-, like Lapp Dog, were making their first appearance in Clarksville in a long time. With a sound somewhere between Sevendust and Korn-along with the stage presence to match-12v has built a following in Middle Tennessee that borders on the edge of obsession in the four years they have spent as a band. If you don’t believe me, visit their website at http://negative.tsx.org/ and check out the guest book; there’s one visitor who professes to have been stalking the band for two years. The crowd, who had started to roll in, gathered in front of the stage as 12v kicked off their set. Despite battling a broken belt (Carroll’s belt broke midway through their set. For the remainder of their show he had one hand on the mic and the other on the back of his pants) and Toomey relieving his bladder with two songs remaining, Twelve Volt put on an awesome show. "Where Did All The Sunshine Go?" (original version) sounded especially tight. Toomey’s little bathroom break tested the band’s ability to keep a crowd; they passed the test with flying colors. Cody and Richie broke into a little punk while the rest of the band took the time to tune their instruments. All in all, 12v Negative Earth showed off a lot of talent and experience. Their set was outstanding. |
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| The last band to play was the hometown favorite, Lowboy. As soon as they were introduced, the dance floor became standing-room only as the crowd appeared out of nowhere. Vocalist Scott Trotter, guitarist Brian Williams, guitarist Matt Beadle, bassist Charles Irwin and drummer Charley Grubbs took to The Warehouse stage for the second time in a month. The first two songs that they played (the first song was still untitled at publishing time, and the second song is named "Watermark") are the first songs written as a five-piece. From the beginning of the set every member was on top of their instruments as the band hit on all cylinders. Beadle looked a lot more comfortable onstage as he moved around and cast a few demonic looks out into the audience. Trotter used the whole of the stage stomping around to the time of the music as the gorilla came out in him. His long flowing go tee shined with sweat after their set was over. Irwin and Grubbs continued to set a solid foundation for the music throughout their set, and Williams (minus the gimp suit) got loose inside the music. "Greater Than Something" and "Zoo Mob" really stood out among the band’s polished music. The fellas in the band put a lot of themselves into their music, and it showed. This was the tightest show that they have had as a five-piece that I’ve seen so far (a scary thought). With several cool shows up ahead (Rivalfest and Buzzfest, to name a couple), their big break maybe right around the corner. |
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