Beer, Beer, More Beer (and some live music)

Keith Waller wants to change the world. Well, he wants to give Knoxville a shake or two, anyway. And he's not the only one.

Straight from the bright lights and big city of Atlanta, Waller has started a one man crusade for all those who refuse the domestic-beer-on-tap atmosphere of the college strip and are looking for a more unique way to consume diverse beverages and listen to music. Tentatively scheduled to open Oct. 23, Bird's Eye View Pub and Coffeehouse hopes to give Knoxville yet another choice for, need I say again, beer drinking and music appreciation. Under the guise of bringing unique new acoustic music to Knoxville, Waller not only wants to relieve our entertainment frustrations but, at the same time, support and expand the Old City's night scene. Located a few doors down from the old Hooray's, in the space that was formerly the Brickhouse, this new establishment will host performers such as Dave Wilcox and Eddie from Ohio, as well as open mike and comedy nights.

Also in the works are two other nightclubs—both run by groups with impressive track records for such businesses.

Details are sketchy (we couldn't get hold of the developer), but a new venture by the owners of Barley's Tap Room in Asheville is slated to open in the Spaghetti Warehouse, also in the Old City. The popular Asheville version of this concept/pub features 40 beers on tap and live music. Hopefully, they'll bring the same to Knoxville. Clearly, you can never have too much beer or live music.

The old Barley & Hops building on Cumberland Avenue shouldn't be empty too much longer either. Moose's Music Hall is expected to open there soon. The future managers said they couldn't give any details yet. But they're the same ones who run 5 Pts Music Hall in Birmingham, Ala., a club known for bringing in some big name musicians. Moose's already has booked a few promising acts, like Kid Rock, VAST, Vallejo and Brother Cane. (Plus, they will, yes, serve beer.)

Wish You Were There

There was no stage, just a band in the middle of the A-1 Artspace's immense floor and a lot of teenagers and college kids mulling around last Wednesday. It was also the hottest spot in Knoxville for live music last week, which is unusual because this venue is usually reserved for the quiet appreciation of unique art (and the more animated poetry slams). The Makeup, however, had no trouble commanding this space.

Attempting to meld punk rock with the stylings of African-American gospel, lead singer Ian Svenonius enraptured the crowd from the start, with his rhythmic rants punctuated frequently by a high-pitched "Aiiiiiieeeeee." The rest of the band, dressed in black polyester suits exuded a silent, forceful hipness.

Svenonius swallowed up what little space remained between the band and the crowd by walking among and crawling on top of it, and inviting fans to screech into the microphone with him. The more voyeuristic in the audience simply hung back or watched from the balcony above.

When it was over, people talked to the band or, wearing a stunned grin, wandered out to the sidewalk for a smoke. No one, it seems, wanted to leave.

Knox Radio: 801. Zippy: zip.

Another local morning show bites the dust. Extreme Radio 94.3 has replaced morning guy Just Brian with the Man Cow, a satellite show from Chicago. Time for a true confession: the Zip-ster really enjoyed Just Brian and nearly wept when he found out JB had been replaced by four-plus hours of the Man Cow's juvenile antics—just the other morning the 'Cow played a song about a woman's pubic hair. Now that's entertainment.

"Syndication is the wave of the future," says Program Director Shane Cox. "A rock station, to keep its listeners, has got to have a major rock 'n' roll morning show." The show will give Knoxville listeners access to interviews with bigger names, like Lenny Kravitz. And, according to Cox, it doesn't really matter to listeners where the show is from as long as local info about weather, news, and entertainment is included, which will be handled by former morning-guy Just Brian in the near future.

Cox stresses that it is hard for listeners to get used to any new show and that we should all give it a few weeks before we make any judgment. Unfortunately, I've already started listening to another station because I don't think like a teenage boy, the market that 94.3 is pursuing to the exclusion of every other demographic—which is, of course, their choice.

Advice for the Lovelorn

Entertainment doyenne Adrienne Martini asked me to pass along to y'all that she's pondering a new column chock full of meaningful-yet-kicky advice to your love/relationship/sex questions. If you've got any (and, really, who doesn't?), send them on in to her, either through the standard mail, fax, or email to martini@ metropulse.com. And, yes, every last identifying shred of info, like names and birthmarks, will be kept completely confidential. So, let 'em rip!

Oops.

When Zippy wrote last week about the crowning of Paris Renee as the new Miss Knoxville at the Carousel, the scores he reported weren't entirely accurate. Never being one to intentionally step on any drag queen's feelings, here are a few corrections: The winner of the evening gown part of the competition was Xena, who earned a score of 473. Kandi Russell scored 665 in the talent contest, second only to Renee.

—Zippy "Can I Show You This Blister?" McDuff