Real Artists Wanted on the Square

In conjunction with his buddies over at the Tomato Head, local restaurateur Scott Partin, co-owner of Lula in Market Square, is sponsoring a Saturday Market on the square for the next six Saturdays (May 1-June 5). This historic area of downtown Knoxville, which currently hosts events semi-regularly throughout the year, has been through a number of awkward revitalization projects in recent years. The Saturday Market is an attempt to restore Market Square, if only for the next six Saturdays, to its original designation as a community marketplace and cultural hub.

This modern-day marketplace will need your help if it is to succeed. The sponsors are trying to find some artists of various mediums, be they sculptors, photographers, painters, etc., and other vendors (produce, flowers, candy, and so on) to sell their goods in the centrally-located Market House. If you can provide a $5 payment up front, and you have a business license, you are free to sell your goods for the entire day. Ideally, Partin would like to attract "high quality arts" for these events. Give Mr. Partin a call at 633-5852 if you are interested in participating.

Also of interest is the live jazz that will start up at 11 a.m. and continue until 2 p.m. On May 8, Trioism with Andy Whittington will be featured. May 15 and 22 will be highlighted by the Cuban Jazz group Ritmo De La Noche. And on May 29 and June 5, Market Square will be the absolute place to be when everyone's favorite, the as yet unnamed quartet, will bring the house down with virtuoso performances.

What makes the Saturday Market such an exciting event for the downtown area is that if the first six weeks are successful, this could eventually manifest itself into a regular weekly event during the spring and summer. Perhaps these are the kinds of ideas that will revitalize downtown and promote tourism, rather than a multi-million dollar convention center that no one really cares about that much.

Not Dead, Just Moving

The future looks bright for soon to be departed punk/hardcore/metal guitarist Jason Williams. Williams has signed on as the new bass player for Nashville metal/grind demigods, Process Is Dead. Relocating to Nashville, Williams will have to learn the Process songs in short order to prepare for two month-long tours of the East and West Coasts in June and July.

Fear not, Williams will continue his work with Knoxville melodic hardcore/emo newcomers Past Mistakes. "You know me, I'm dedicated," says Williams. "I'll just come down on weekends and practice."

A recent flurry of activity in the Past Mistakes camp has resulted in a probable record deal. The band is currently negotiating a linkup with Germany's Backfire Records for a planned 7" vinyl record and a six-song CD.

As if two bands wasn't enough to keep him busy, Williams will also be enrolling in MTSU's recording industry program, performing some office tasks for EMI Records, and working as a roadie for a Nashville promoter of metal and hardcore music. What's more, Williams has yet another side project in the making: A Fall Farewell, a metal/hardcore band consisting largely of members of Past Mistakes abetted by local hardcore mavens Will Evans and Matt Gregg.

New Jam Band?

Last week's Lucinda Williams concert at the Tennessee Theatre gave fans more than their money's worth—perhaps too much more. Williams and company were in fine form, raging through almost all of the critically lauded Car Wheels on a Gravel Road album as well as several old chestnuts and songs written by Williams, which were covered to more commercial success by other artists.

Dressed in tight black pants and a Harley shirt, Williams looked more rock 'n' roll than country—kind of like Aerosmith's Joe Perry with her blonde-streaked, dark, disheveled hair. Apparently, roadwork has served Williams well. She wasn't the least bit timid on stage and her vocals were right on the money throughout the extended set.

A low point of the show was the band's rendition of "Joy." The song stretched into a meandering blues jam, clocking in at over 15 minutes of tedious self-indulgence that would have been better off left in the practice room. Sure it's great to give your musicians a chance to shine, but does anybody really want to hear a three-minute organ solo? Williams' strength is in her songwriting, and the '70s style decadence of the extended jam served to detract from her generally outstanding performance.

A Head-Scratcher

Thursday: Metro Pulse's Best Of Knoxville Party at Fairbanks Roasting Room. We'll all be there. Get on the bandwagon already.

Friday: Gran Torino at Moose's Music Hall. These local boys done good would sure like to see you come out for their funk grooves.

Saturday: Blood, Sweat, and Tears with the KSO Pops at Civic Coliseum. I'm amazed these guys are still ambulatory, aren't you?

Sunday: The Travelers at Borders. Folk/Protest tunes at their finest.

Monday: N'Sync at Thompson-Boling. You can just smell the end of their 15 minutes. Catch them before they get old and bitter like Menudo.

Tuesday: Donald Brown Trio at Lucille's. Jazz the way it's meant to be.

Wednesday: Southern Culture on the Skids with Blue Mountain at The Bijou Theatre. Just can't get enough of that hillbilly thing.

—Zippy "Pass the 'shine" McDuff