Metro Pulse Online: Eye on the Scene

What's the Hold-Up?

Like a lot of people, Zippy's been eagerly awaiting the opening of two new clubs: Three Nineteen and the Pilot Light, which promise to offer a much-needed space for original performers in Knoxville.

The owners of both establishments are working furiously to open, but are being stymied by the omnipotent force known as building codes.

"It's like those little Russian dolls," Leigh Shoemaker, co-proprietor of the Pilot Light, says of the building code approval process. "You open one, and there's another one in there. You open that, and there's another one. I'm learning things I never wanted to about the bureaucracy of Knoxville."

Located in the Old City at 106 E. Jackson—the former Futopia location—the club plans to showcase music that doesn't currently have much of a venue in Knoxville, such as art rock, electronica, and avant garde.

The stumbling block is they're waiting for approval for their work plans. "We're having to install bathrooms, and the bar, sinks, and on and on and on. Right now, we're kind of gathering the supplies. When we get the go-ahead, we'll start cranking it out.

"I'm hesitant to give you [an opening] date," she adds, but predicts mid- to late-March.

Three Nineteen, located at 319 Gay St., across from Regas, may be opening sooner, says Kristen Chapman, one of that club's three proprietors. This club—which will be folk-singer friendly, but open to performing and visual arts of all kinds—is waiting for the building and fire code inspection approvals, Chapman says.

"Right now, we're erring on the side of caution," Chapman says. "Theoretically, we could open the second week of March, but haven't booked anybody yet."

Small shows could start as soon as March 9. The club is still planning a free, grand-opening, all-day musical gala, to feature several local performers and bands. That could happen the last weekend in March or the first weekend in April, Chapman says.

Work In Progress

It's never a bad idea to step into The Longbranch on a slow weekend, just to see what and who is happening. It's a hit or miss proposition checking out new bands, especially when they're at square one of the local scene hierarchy.

Friday night's performance by aspiring locals, Fin, was yet another example of why most bands never make it out of the garage. The band was well rehearsed, but just didn't seem to have that indefinable charisma that is all-so-necessary for good rock 'n' roll. The band was unfortunately a bit lacking in the originality department. Almost all of the songs had the standard 1-4-5 chord progression (as in "Louie Louie") that sounds great once or twice, but not over and over.

Fin was by no means a bad band, but they'd best keep their day jobs. I think their meat and potatoes style of music might be a bit better suited for Amvets or the lounge at the Ramada Inn than for the Longbranch's slightly more hip and adventurous crowd.

A pleasant surprise was the Longbranch's new layout, with the stage upstairs. The room is much more comfortable and the stage is just a little bigger. And there is an extra bar upstairs for your imbibing needs without having to navigate the stairs every time you have the urge for another lager.

Well, You Asked...

Juvenile, yeah. Formulaic, ditto. But the Lords of Acid show last Thursday at the Electric Ballroom contained one moment of spontaneous transgression in the midst of its well-choreographed pageant of faux decadence. It was during "Pussy," the Lords song where leather-and-fishnet clad lead singer Supersexy Deb croons, "I wanna see your pussy," while mimicking lesbian sex with assorted audience volunteers. Suddenly teetering onstage on hefty stack heels was a large blond woman who insisted on joining the parade. A post-op transsexual (at least as far as Zippy's smoke-filled eyes could make out from the back of the room), she obliged the song's directive by pulling down her black lacy panties and exposing herself to the world at large. "Oh, it's real," Deb squealed in appreciation. Yes it was. And for just a moment, the mock shock of the Lords' sextravaganza gave way to a reconsideration of what exactly constitutes "a pussy" in the 21st century. Welcome to the future, Knoxville.

Week A-Go-Go

Thursday: Donna Lee Van Cott at Borders. Van Cott is a local singer/songwriter in the mold of Louise Mosrie and/or Jodie Manross. But molds were made to be broken, and Van Cott does.

Friday: Peggy Seeger at Laurel Theatre. In an ideal world, you could catch Saffire at KMA's Alive After Five, then Seeger, then Scott Miller's Mule Train with Kenny Roby. Hey, maybe it's an ideal world after all...

Saturday: Bounce back and forth between Mic Harrison at Manhattan's and The Lucy Opry at Barley's. Try to not trip over the gutter on your way out.

Sunday: Alice in Wonderland at The Bijou. Wacky references for the grown-ups. And the kids will like the schtick.

Monday: Gail Wegodsky's Southern Realism and Adella Thompson's Visions of Africaat The Bennett Galleries.

Tuesday: Bach Bash at Messiah Lutheran Church. Come and celebrate a dead, white musical genius.

Wednesday: Blues Jam at Sassy Ann's. You just never know who you're going to see.

—Zippy "Livin' Large in Leather" McDuff