Interlude

September 18
Melissa Greener

I am cheating here. Melissa Greener did not play The Blue Plate Special, she played a house concert but she is a Blue Plate veteran and it's my show here so...

A Melissa Greener performance is greater than the sum of its parts, and what parts.
From the spider dancing her fretboard that is her left hand to the curling strand over her right eye, to the powerful words coming from enthralling lips, to the voice that is as loud or soft as she needs it to be; the pieces meld into beauty. And when her voice stretches, I have to remind myself to breathe.

SET LIST (as well as I can recall)

Bullets To Bite
Same Big Sky
Fancy Free
Wishes
On My Way Back Home
Tack And Jibe
Ballad of the Snow Leopard and the Tanqueray Cowboy (David Rodriguez)
Cover of a Jonathan Byrd song I don't remember the name of.

I think Melissa enjoys a severe case of wanderlust. A born troubador, she's lived in Detroit, Canada, San Francisco, Nashville, Austin, New York, and toured all points in between. Now she's burning to leave New York. When the city that's a musical fit for her (Austin) and the city that is musically good for her (New York City) can't hold her, I don't see her as the settling down sort. Melissa, feel free to give Knoxville a shot next.

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Pokey LaFarge

Pokey LaFarge
Rum Drum Ramblers
September 18, 2009

Pokey was in town and I missed him. This is the third time this year Pokey played the Blue Plate and the second time I missed it. When I missed him at the Blue Plate last time I was able to Catch him in Ashville the next day. This time, alas, no. This time I had a dilemma. Not your standard Tom Waits, "Two dead ends and still you've got to choose" dilemma but a positive dilemma, having to chose between Pokey Lafarge and Melissa Greener. Melissa was playing a house concert that I helped set up so I missed Pokey live. It was the radio for me again for Pokey.

At what some have called the best Blue Plate ever, The Rum Drum Ramblers opened the show.
Lead by Matt Wilson and with two shared members of Pokey's South Side Three, Joey Glynn and Ryan Koenig, The Rum Drum Ramblers play depression era sounding dirty blues. Highlighted by Six Feet In The Ground, they stomped there way to a strong set.

SET LIST

Bumble Bees
I Feel It Too
Six Feet In The Ground
Stop Calling Me Friend

Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three hit the stage like a paddlewheel through town.
Upright bass and guitars, harmonica, washboard, and kazoo and Pokey's foghorn voice promising us all a clear path to port through the instrumental chaos of the South City Three. Add Adam Hoskins' guitar to Joey's bass and Ryan's washboard and the frenzy and fun gets the crowd on their feet and dancing in their beer.

SET LIST

Clyde Jones? Claude Jones? Todd Jones? enunciation isn't Pokey's stong point.
Hard Times Come, Hard Times Go
Cairo Illinois?
I'm So Happy I'm Singing La La La

Pokey's new album, Riverboat Soul, is expected out any day as I post. I can't wait to find out the names of the new songs and hear what else he has in store. Just because I missed an opportunity to see him don't you follow my example. If you get a chance catch his act. You will not regret it.

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Pokey's In Town

Friday, September 18th

Pokey LaFarge is coming to the Blue Plate Special, Friday September 4/th at Noon Eastern Time. Mark your calendars, you don't want to miss this one.


POKEY’S IN TOWN


Pokey’s in town, Pokey’s in town.
Tell all the neighbors that Pokey’s around.
Tell all the neighbors but don’t tell a cop.
Whatever Pokey’s doing, the cop’ll ask him to stop.

Pokey’s in town but don’t you fear.
He may steal your woman but he’ll buy you a beer.
He’ll buy you a beer so that you won’t mind.
When Pokey’s in town everybody has a good time.

He’ll borrow your banjo, make it ring.
When he brings it back it won’t have strings.
It won’t have strings, but that’s no crime.
When Pokey’s in town everybody has a good time.

Pokey’s in town, what can I say.
I had to break out of jail just to hear him play.
I heard him play, but I can’t win.
The cops nabbed me as I was breaking back in.

Pokey’s in town, Pokey’s in town.
Tell all the neighbors that Pokey’s around.
Tap the deaf on the shoulder, lend a hand to the blind.
When Pokey’s in town everybody has a good time

The Mascara Tour

September 8th
Morgan Bracy
Treva Bloomquist
Roxie Randle
Rachel Pearl

The Mascara Tour hits Knoxville or Matt Morelock In Heaven. Four attractive young ladies with guitars (and snare drum and shakers) shared the Blue Plate stage taking the full hour. Morgan Bracy, Treva Bloomquist, Roxie Randle, and Rachel Pearl together comprise the Mascara Tour, songwriters pooling resources for a short East Tennessee, West North Carolina tour. My initial concern was to be able to sort out the voices in an hour, which I thought would be difficult in person and nearly impossible on the radio, but they did a credible job identifying and distinguishing themselves as individuals. They each sang three songs with Treva getting to close the show with a fourth. The show started with Matt blushing and gushing over the stage presence of the foursome. The interplay between musicans and the host was fluid and funny.

Morgan started the show with The Looking Glass, her best song and a strong opener.
Treva's best tune was, I Could Get Used To This, a sweet love song amidst a sea of break up songs, gentle and not so.
My favorite Roxie song was one of the not so gentle songs, You Don't Know A Thing About Love.
The highlight of the show was Rachel's Please Let Me Go, a song about talking her way out of a ticket.

SET LIST

The Looking Glass - Morgan Bracy
On My Own - Treva Bloomquist
You Don't Know A Thing About Love - Roxie Randle
Hello Officer - Rachel Pearl
Traveling Light - Morgan Bracy
I Could Get Used To This - Treva Bloomquist
The Perfect Pair Of Shoes - Roxie Randle
Stop Being Such A Boy ? - Rachel Pearl
She Believes - Morgan Bracy
Live A Little - Treva Bloomquist
Where Does The Love Go - Roxie Randle
Wayne - Rachel Pearl
You Deserve Better - Treva Bloomquist

It is hard to pick out favorites as there were no bad songs in the set. The girls put on a great show. It is quickly becoming my favorite show, not my favorite songs or favorite musicians, but as an hour of entertainment it is hard to beat.

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What Have We Become

September 1st
What Have We Become

I went for Korby Lenker and What Have We Become was also there. Not the usual Blue Plate fare, if there is such a thing. Lead by a clarinet, with six string electric bass, acoustic guitar, and drums, is an interesting jazz band. Jazz isn't my first choice, in fact I don't chose Jazz. I usually need lyrics to grab my brain. Still it made for an enjoyable, mind stretching half hour.

SET LIST

On The Whale's Tongue
New Tazrabia

and two or three other tunes. It's hard for me to track without words.

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Korby Lenker

September 1st
Korby Lenker

I had high expectations for Korby. I had seen him at the Blue Plate before and he was great. I bought his King Of Hearts CD from him last show and enjoyed it a lot. Come Closer is the best song off it but there are plenty of other good tunes on it as well.

I was late for the show and of course he played first so I only heard the first two songs on the radio and missed part of Matt's interview on the walk from the car. My mood was not especially conducive for listening. Korby has a way of making singing and playing look hard, with exaggerated expression and motion. He gets up on tip toe to get right on top of the microphone while singing. In my mood it was distracting.

All that said, the songs he played are really strong. It is hard to pick a favorite, California Wine, or perhaps, Angel of Mercy.

SET LIST

April May - ?
Feel Like Burnin - Lovers and Fools
California Wine - ?
Lovers and Fools - Lovers and Fools
Angel of Mercy - King of Hearts
She Makin Me Crazy - Lovers and Fools

Host Matt Morelock was in fine form. His friendship with returning performers is evident and makes for fun interplay between host and guests.

Recommended - See the show, buy the music.

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Mickey Clark

August 31st
Mickey Clark

I attended today because Brandy Robinson was playing. Mickey Clark and his band was bonus.
Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, fiddle, and bass. Good old boy music is not generally my favorite but Mickey was entertaining. The highlight was Don't Piss On My Boots and Tell Me It's Raining.

SET LIST:

Bound To Loving You (?)
Red Velvet Cake
In The Blink Of An Eye
Sweet Evangeline (?)
Don't Piss On My Boots And Tell Me It's Raining.

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Brandy Robinson

August 31, 2009
Brandy Robinson

I was excited when Brandy Robinson appeared on the Blue Plate calendar as her as her presidential inaugural day appearance was outstanding. Her latest album, Beautiful Graffiti, has received heavy play since January. Today, she did not disappoint. Brandy has a big voice and an aggressive guitar style. I love to watch her attack her guitar strings. It did not surprise me when she broke a string during Devil In Disguise. She continued on with a borrowed guitar. She played mostly new, unrecorded songs with a few old favorites mixed in. Her songwriting continues to be a strength. Devil In Disguise will be her next single and is very good but Fire was the highlight of the new songs and the show. Fire is an emotional charged, bone meltingly beautiful song. Brandy has stage presence to match her talent. In addition to her exciting guitar playing I became hypnotized by her dangling earrings as they flashed in and out of her hair like a glimpse of thigh. The current Knoxville native is moving to California and Knoxville will suffer but she promised to continue to tour the Southeast and make Knoxville a frequent stop.

SET LIST:

Roll on(?) - unrecorded
Devil In Disguise - unrecorded
Traveling Mercies - Beautiful Graffiti
Fire - unrecorded
Beautiful Graffiti - Beautiful Graffiti

Brandy is the total package: approachable, humble, funny, talented, and good looking,
I came early for soundcheck, talked to her after the show, and bought her first album, Gypsy Queen. Unfortunately work prevents me from seeing her again tonight at the Preservation Pub.

Check her out on Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/brandyrobinson, buy her albums, and go see her live. You won’t be disappointed.

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Introduction

The Blue Plate Special is a daily radio show, hosted by Matt Morelock, coming to you live from the Knoxville Visitor Center in Downtown Knoxville Tennessee. Every Monday through Friday at Noon WDVX presents a one hour concert, open to the public, for free. You may listen on the internet at http://www.wdvx.com/ if you are not fortunate enough to live in East Tennessee.

I am fortunate enough to be able to attend The Blue Plate Special on a regular basis. Here I will chronicle my impressions for the unlucky ones.

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