Metro Pulse/Music/Eye on the Scene

Speaking Well of a New Speakeasy

Bearden's got its own speakeasy, and 4620 is it. Discreetly located in the same strip mall as Long's Drugstore, 4620 doesn't blare its presence to the world; instead, you must know someone who's been (or, at least, call and ask directions), just as you would have had to do during Prohibition, in the days of the Jazz Age. It's downstairs, as a speakeasy should be, and a sign posted outside the door warns that proper attire is required. We're not sure what it would take to be refused entry, but judging by the crowd, normal attire, at least, ranges from business suits to jeans and knit shirts.

It's a swanky enough place, with decorations that someone put some thought into, as if done by Martha Stewart After Hours. Which is to say, the interior is dark, spacious, and properly atmospheric (with an underlit, translucent bar the only jarring element), funky paper light fixtures, exposed-pipes ceiling, wall booths and a variety of oddly shaped tables (including at least one that wraps around a support column), a decent beer and wine selection, a menu that includes appetizers like "Warm Parisian Crab Dip," "Marinated Buffalo Mozzarella" and "Baked Mussels," ranging in cost from $5.99 to $8.99. The serving staff was uniformly friendly and helpful—we were impressed and appreciative that we were still getting regular visits when the place had begun to fill up (after 8ish) and our lone server was covering the entire place.

We arrived long before the music act for the evening (Robinella and CC String Quartet) started, and we don't know jazz from dazz, but the piped-in music sounded soft and mellow with lots of bass and horns, which qualifies as jazzy for us. On this Tuesday night, by the time the band began, 4620 was packed with happy, respectful people (respectful as in, although everyone in the joint was chatting, nobody was so loud that we could not hear the music over the din), including, curiously, many tall people. Maybe it was Tall People Night, we didn't ask.

All in all, Bearden's a lucky village to have this cool new hangout, and with the likes of Robinella, Jobe, and Donald Brown playing regular gigs, we hope 4620 becomes a frequent stop for scenesters looking for an upscale downstairs joint.

Sitting in Judgment

I was nervous about serving as a judge (with Phat Ass from 94.3 Extreme Radio and Rik Asher from Rik's Music and Sound) for the University of Tennessee's Battle of the Bands two Friday nights ago. Metro Pulse already has enough of a reputation for insularity and elitism in its assessment of local music, and the prospect of rating—on the spot—a handful of young and mostly inexperienced bands I'd never heard of didn't seem like a good way to improve that image. But the Campus Entertainment Board, which has held the Battle of the Bands every spring for the last 15 years, offered me a free dinner, so how could I say no?

Fortunately, none of the bands were awful, and all of them delivered at least one song to make my foot tap. The highlight of the night, hands down, was a cover of OutKast's "So Fresh, So Clean" by the frat-rockers Wait a Minute Chester, playing their last show after a year together. While the band's originals were bland, the rap song was an instant crowd pleaser—the heavy rock groove with a funky breakdown on the chorus and admirable rapping by one of the guitarists pulled dozens of people off the hill in front of the UT Aquatic Center and down to the stage.

The Christian group Joey's Loss, an emo/pop-punk band that seems to have listened to a lot of Jimmy Eat World, won the contest and the $300 grand prize. Their set was blisteringly energetic—front man Joshua Tipton flailed like a madman, and the band had unmistakable chops to go along with their enthusiasm. Even their cover of the mopey 1982 hit "Melt With You" by the Modern English was a burst of adolescent liveliness.

The runners-up, Glass Joe, were equally energetic, but didn't quite have the skill of Joey's Loss. Glass Joe was a late replacement for Organic Dialect, who canceled at the last minute, but their blend of extreme rock and—again—emo was among the more original sets of the night. And their timely rendition of TLC's "Waterfalls" was a surprisingly touching selection.

Third place went to Riverboat John, a group of jazz-school guys who could clearly play their instruments—the guitarist ripped through a couple of absolutely fierce solos, and the drummer (who sang on an unfortunate cover of Weezer's "Hash Pipe") thundered through the set. For all their chops, though, their songs—jazzy prog-rock jams—fell far short of Glass Joe and Joey's Loss.

The Battle of the Bands has sometimes provided a glimpse of what's to come on the local scene. Superdrag won in the early '90s; Copper won last year, and they now draw hundreds of people to their shows on the Strip. I doubt if any of the bands from this year's contest will have similar impact, but they did indicate a healthy youthful group of underclassmen. If only there had just been a single woman in any of the bands, or at least one group that played something besides white-boy rock...

Go.

Thursday: Derek Trucks Band with the Hackensaw Boys at Market Square. Southern rock under the stars.Friday: Maquinaria Band at KMA. A Spanish boy band. Curiosity, at least, should get you in the door.

Saturday: BeauSoleil at Pellissippi State. Classic Cajun.

Sunday: Ruth Koh's Vanishing Landscapesat Townsend Gallery. Koh's work will capture you.

Monday: Sing Mamas and Papas songs.

Tuesday: Sheila Nicholls at Blue Cats. Nicholls is being positioned as the next Alanis. You be the judge.

Wednesday: The Larry Keel Experience at Blue Cats. Keel is equal parts bluegrass, heavy metal, and classical.

—Emma "Does a great cover of 'Hash Pipe'" Poptart with Scott McNutt and Matthew T. Everett