Metro Pulse/Music/Eye on the Scene

Lighting Up

For a while, Paige Travis had her heart set on leaving Knoxville. She spent a good part of this year searching for jobs in Boston, the city she'd settled on resettling in. But, as so often happens in life, those plans fell apart.

"One night, I just realized I don't want to leave," she says. "And I had to do something—something important."

Luckily for Knoxville, that important thing turned out to be Spark*, a bi-weekly paper devoted to Knoxville's music scene. It debuted last week and promises to be great for the local music scene. Eight pages long, it has stories on Lucero, Superdrag, Ryan Adams, Jodie Manross, Stinking Lizaveta, and an interview with Nathan Moses of the Bitter Pills. The free paper will be printed every other Wednesday and distributed at local coffee shops, clubs, the UT campus, the Old City and record stores.

Travis—who will continue contributing to Metro Pulse—says Spark* will showcase bands coming to town and local groups, as well as Knoxville's general music scene and culture.

"I want it to be that thing that brings the music community together," she says. "When I travel, I find out what's going on in a city by the free publications sitting out in the coffee shops.

"I'm not sure Knoxville as a whole participates in music like it does other things, like sports. I talk to club owners who say nobody goes out.... I think of this as a public service. It's like non-profits are deemed necessary for a community to have. I care about music so much that I need to do this."

Although a number of writers are contributing, Spark* is now mostly a one-woman show. Travis is eager and willing to accept help, Whether it be administrative, advertising, graphic designing, or, of course, writing. To lend a hand, you can email: [email protected] or call 584-9743.

Lend A Hand

Speaking of things that have been good for Knoxville's music scene, it's hard to imagine anything that has had more of an impact in the past two years than a little club on Jackson Avenue called the Pilot Light.

Owned by Jason Boardman and Leigh Shoemaker, the place is essentially a non-profit club (if only they could get that as a legal tax status) run by and for people who love music. There's not enough room here to list all the great, diverse, unusual and wild shows they've hosted (there's a reason that 19 of Metro Pulse's 43 music stories this year have been about Pilot Light shows). At times there have been only 10 people at a show, but most music fans in Knoxville have likely had at least one magical experience there—my own were Moe Tucker, Kaito, Shannon Wright, Damo Suzuki (who, after playing for more two hours, hugged every person in the audience), getting hit in the neck with a mic stand by Hamo at a Pink Sexies show, seeing 30 Amp Fuse jam with Grant Hart, and watching people flat-foot dance to Cary Fridley Band's old-timey music. More than anything, the club has given local bands a place to play original music.

Most people reading this column undoubtedly have their own special moments here. Well, it's time to give thanks and pay your dues.

In their first ever benefit show, the owners have rounded up an all-star line-up of bands to play Oct. 31—including Joy Diviision, the Replaacements, Kyuss, Wiire and ZZ Topp. (Actually, the performers are rumored to be a bunch of local groups posing as their idols.)

The proceeds will be used to help provide more comfortable seating.

If you can't make the show, there are other ways to help out: a) Buy one of the benefit posters made by Bryan Baker; b) Go out to more shows; c) Tip well; d) Stop begging the door guy into letting you in for free; e) Stop breaking things. Patrons are encouraged to dress up for the show, which will start early. Admission is a cash donation ($3 is suggested, but give more if you can). C'mon—you can spare it.

Go.

Thursday: Halloween parties abound, but two standout—the above-mentioned Pilot Light benefit and a truly scary gig with the Monsters of Japan, Lab Rats and Evil Twin at the Longbranch.

Friday: Go hear what music used to sound like, with fiddler Clyde Davenport at the Laurel Theatre.

Saturday: Welcome Jag Star back home at Blue Cats.

Sunday: Go see Ma Vie En Rose at UT's Clarence Brown Theatre. Then head to 4620 and let Superfly Soundtrip explain why Sunday evenings were made for jazz and r&b.

Monday: Multi-instrumentalist and arranger Tara Jane O'Neil (formerly of Rodan) will make music of many different shades at the Pilot Light.

Tuesday: There's only one show in town, and it's the very loud Tool at the Civic Coliseum. Of course, there's always Buffy.

Wednesday: Write a love letter.

—Emma "chim, chiminny" Poptart with Joe Tarr