JOLT WAGON

05/21/2009

Visulite Theatre (18 +)

Doors Open: 8:00 - Headliner Begins: 10:25

Tickets: $7 (Advance) / $7 (Day of Show)

Joltwagon is rollicking sonic grit and melody. From Asheville, North Carolina, the band is forging its own blend of rock with intriguing songwriting, soaring guitar work, and clawhammer banjo. While captivating with its pop sensibility and harmonies, the group moves effortlessly from freewheeling rock to alt-country to gypsy/klezmer instrumentals. As listeners are swept along in an eclectic mosaic of sound, they might imagine Neil Young & Crazy Horse meets John Hartford with a Wilco aesthetic on the side.

 

David Bradshaw sings and plays guitars, mandolin, lap steel, and pedal steel.

Dalton Stansbury sings and plays banjo, fiddle and synthesizer!

Greg Sipes plays bass.

Jamie Hurlston plays drums.

joltwagon.com

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M4 MESSENGER

Start Time: 9:20

M4 Messenger Tim McDonnell bass, vox Rich Parris guitars, vox, keys, programming Benji Rogers drums, percussion Otis vox, guitars, bass Est: November 2006 "I'm always trying to reconcile between being a pop craftsman or an avant-garde experimentalist," says Otis, songwriter/singer of M4 Messenger, one of Charlotte, North Carolina's up-and-comers in the Queen City's diversified music scene. "Right now, my pendulum is swinging toward pop, but I've been doing this long enough to know it's only a matter of time before the weirdness starts creeping in."

With a line-up rounded out by Rich Parris, Tim McDonnell, and Benji Rogers, M4 Messenger is in possession of a chemistry that can only come from years of friendship. "We pretty much go back over 20 years. At one point, Rich, Tim and I were roommates, remarks Otis. "Rich and I played together for years in Animal Bag (signed to Mercury in the 90's and recorded three albums), but we split in '97 after our deal expired." In the aftermath of that demise, Rich dipped his toes in the waters of electronica as Treephrog, while Otis switched from bass to guitar and wrote idiosyncratic folkadelic "silly drug songs" with Throes Like A Girl, Pinkwood Flat, and Jackacid. Tim recorded two albums with Colorblind, did some time in the Degenerate Kings and a myriad of Charlotte bands. Benji, (a sky-diving martial artist) graced the skins with Eric Lovell, as well as the Essence. Combining the sound of a dark, more powerful U2 with the atmospherics of Pink Floyd, M4 Messenger easily shifts within a wide spectrum of classic styles. "I see us gradually becoming more electronic and trippy, while keeping an anchor in classic songwriting, Otis said in closing. "I'd like us to grow old gracefully like& Peter Gabriel or Tom Waits."

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NEAR GRAVITY

Start Time: 8:15

 

 About Near Gravity Two guitars, bass and drums. This tried and true combination gets a facelift with the musical contributions of Charlotte, North Carolina’s Near Gravity. Founding members Artie Denman (drums) and Jarrod Karl (guitar) have linked up with bassist Jeff Lewis and guitarist Kevin Greene to create a powerful blend of progressive rock, blues, and jazz. With energetic live shows and a genuine connection to the crowd, the band has become a mainstay in clubs and at festivals throughout the Charlotte area and beyond, sharing the stage with such national acts as Devon Allman’s Honeytribe. Their ability to transition from delicate jazz melodies to explosive rock anthems has enabled the band to appeal to an enormously diverse fan base. Taking command of the stage, Near Gravity delivers a unique experience each time they play.

www.myspace.com/neargravity