There Goes Another One

Knoxville lost one of its bedrock downtown nightclubs a couple of weeks back when Neptune (the club that was the Mercury Theatre) in the Old City closed its doors for good on Nov. 25 (fittingly enough, the last evening fell on one of the venue's Secret Garden fetish night shows.) And as if that news weren't bad enough, the city will also lose one of its primary nightlife movers and shakers in former club owner Kevin Niceley.

Neptune's problems stemmed, according to Niceley, from a termite-induced hole that suddenly appeared in the bottom floor of the club in late October. "I looked around one night, and this guy is standing up to his ass in the floor," Niceley says with characteristic candor.

The club moved its festivities upstairs, but Niceley says he was unable to reach a compromise over the floor with his landlord. In the meantime, a series of other personal crises—the sale of his house by his landlord, and a sudden break-up with his girlfriend—dictated that it was time for the long-time Knoxville scenester to move to friendlier climes.

"I was going to be jobless, womanless, and homeless," Niceley says, then adds, with a chuckle, "But don't cry for me, Knoxville. I'll be judging wet T-shirt contests by March." Niceley's destination, it would seem, is Daytona Beach, Fla., where he will be working for a friend's nightclub. Our loss is the sunshine state's gain.

Local CD Review

A Band Called L.I.F.E.
Slave to the Gravity

If long-time Knoxville rock/soul synthesists L.I.F.E. could be said to lack in any regard, it's that the band's sense of song and melody hasn't always been commiserate with its knack for the salacious groove. So while the group's unerring funk instincts and bring-down-the-house ensemble chops always made for scintillating live performances, L.I.F.E.'s recorded output sometimes suffered.

No more; from the barnstorming opening cut (the aptly-named "Detonation") of L.I.F.E.'s new D.I.Y. local release Slave to the Gravity, it's clear that years of low-rent funkin' have finally put their melodic sensibilities on a par with their considerable visceral skillz.

L.I.F.E.'s influences are, at times, still unabashedly plain—take, for instance, the hard-assed Wonder-esque keyboard funk of "Detonation," or, on songs like "Go-time" or "Everyday," the distorted vocal rants reminiscent of Rage Against the Machine, or the brief Primus nod that introduces the CD's eighth selection, "Down Deep (Crownin' the King)." But most of the cops are so well-integrated into L.I.F.E.'s own increasingly well-defined conception of the Perfect Groove that you almost have to forgive their audacity.

And with better songwriting has come a keener dynamic sense; rather than bringing on every song full-mosh, L.I.F.E. ushers in tunes like "Everyday" and "Let It Ride 2000" with a sense of hushed tension. "Everyday" eventually explodes the creepy keyboard menace of its opening strains with a rock-ribbed industrial rap groove, while "Ride's" prog-rock beginnings are foiled nicely by a soulful rap-croon that would do head Chili Anthony Kiedis proud.

If, in the past, you've had any misgivings about the band that would dare call itself L.I.F.E., put them aside. Slave to the Gravity is not only a rump-wagging treat, its overall musical virtues rank it among the best all-local releases we've heard around Knoxville in years.

Night-Timer

This week, dear friends, may be a bumpy one. The gallons of cold medicine that I have swilled (because I'm actually sick, you weenies, not because my addictions have left me with no options) seem to be affecting my better judgment. DayQuil coupled with Y2K panic and the approaching holiday season have left me a giddy, sleepy, terrified mess. So here's what I'd do this week, to forget all about it:

Thursday: The Stringbeans at Bird's Eye View. It's bluegrass. 'nuf said.

Friday: KSO with the Knoxville Choral Society at the Civic Auditorium. Deck them halls and all that. Maybe this will finally get me into the holiday spirit.

Saturday: A-1 Is Dead Improvisation Noise Fest at, uh, the soon to be defunct A-1 Gallery location on Gay Street. I have no idea what this will be like but it is sure to be loud. Bring earplugs and something to smash. Afterwards, head to the Lava Lounge for their Winter Wonderland, with DJs Phat Rabbit, Satoshi, and Red Commi.

Sunday: Rest, relax, and hope that my freakin' sinuses clear up.

Monday: Noonday Handbell Concert at St. John's. Again, it's festive. It's the season. It's soothing. And no one, repeat, no one will mention Y, 2, or K.

Tuesday: Looking at the World Through Rose Colored Glasses, an art show at the Unitarian Church by Debby Hagar, Richard Hays, Beverly Howard, and Emily Spence.

Wednesday: Male-Female Oil Wrestling at the Electric Ballroom. Hey, you can only be so good for so long.

—Zippy "Non-Drowsy Formula my ass" McDuff