The 11th Hour: July 19- August 1, 2019

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ISSUE #416

J U LY 1 9 - A U G

US

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1,

19

18, OL

more than

JUSTIN CUTWAY: A CONVERSATION IN OPEN C PG 16

DON MCLEAN, THE INTERVIEW PG 34

PAGE 24

The Once and Future Macon

Plus:

THE VOTES ARE IN AND THE NU DOG IS...

PG 23

Layout & Design by M&R Marketing

11thHourOnline.com 1

FRIDAY The Brick

@ The Hargray Capitol Theatre

iHeart Radio @ The Crazy Bull Main Stage

GA Music Foundation

@ Grant's Lounge

SATURDAY Silent Disco

The Brick

@ The Hargray Capitol Theatre

iHeart Radio

@ The Crazy Bull Main Stage

96.5 The Bull

@ The Crazy Bull Parking Lot

GA Music Foundation

@ Grant's Lounge

Civic Club

@ The Hummingbird

Stage & Taproom

Fresh Produce Records @The McEachern Art Center

Amazon @ Reboot Retrocade & Bar

The Blacksmith Shop

@ Just Tap'd

( FREE UNTIL 5PM) UNTIL 5

2:00 - 2:15 2:15 - 2:30 2:30 - 2:45 2:45 - 3:00 3:00 - 3:15 3:15 - 3:30 3:30 - 3:45 3:45 - 4:00 4:00 - 4:15 4:15 - 4:30 4:30 - 4:45 4:45 - 5:00 5:00 - 5:15 5:15 - 5:30 5:30 - 5:45 5:45 - 6:00 6:00 - 6:15 6:15 - 6:30 6:30 - 6:45 6:45 - 7:00 7:00 - 7:15 7:15 - 7:30 7:30 - 7:45 7:45 - 8:00 8:00 - 8:15 8:15 - 8:30 8:30 - 8:45 8:45 - 9:00 9:00 - 9:15 9:15 - 9:30 9:30 - 9:45 9:45 - 10:00 10:00 - 10:15 10:15 - 10:30 10:30 - 10:45 10:45 - 11:00 11:00 - 11:15 11:15 - 11:30 11:30 - 11:45 11:45 - 12:00 12:00 - 12:15 12:15 - 12:30 12:30 - 12:45 12:45 - 1:00 1:00 - 1:15 1:15 - 1:30 1:30 - 1:45 1:45 - 2:00

MGSU

@ Bearfoot Beer Garden

(FREE STAGE)

Mercer University @The Rookery (FREE STAGE)

Focus Advertising @ Taste and See Coffee Shop

GABBA @ Gallery West

(FR EE STAG E)

(FREE STAGE)

Corey & Jenna (4:15-5:15)

Kate Rhudy (4:30-5:15)

Luke & Mary Alice (5:30-6:15)

Abby Owens (5:30-6:15)

Georgia Farm Bureau @ Piedmont Brewery (FREE STAGE)

Dragg Jam @ Late Nite

AFTER 5

Sean Solo (3:00-4:00) Brent Thomason (4:00-4:45)

Hindsight (6:00-7:00)

Maggie Renfroe (6:30-7:15)

Andy Johnson (7:00-8:00)

Molly Stevens (7:30-8:15)

Jared & The Mill (8:45-9:45)

John Emanuel Eidenire (9:30-10:30)

The Orange Constant (8:30-10:00)

DJ B3 w/ African Americana DJ Set

Bloodkin Filmore

(10:30-12:00)

(11:00-12:00)

Tyler Hammond Band (12:30-2:00)

V E N UE GUI DE

2 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

Anderson East (9:00-10:15)

(9:00-11:00)

of Montreal (10:15-11:15)

American Aquarium (7:30-8:30)

Trae Pierce & The T-Stones

All Get Out

Josh Courson (5:30-6:30) Matt Brantley Band (6:30-7:30)

8 Second Ride (8:00-9:30)

Muscadine Bloodline (10:00-11:30)

(10:45-11:45)

Brandon Ray (12:00-2:00)

(12:30-1:30)

= NO SMOKING

David Dingess (5:00-5:45)

= SMOKING ALLOWED

Zack Horton (6:00-6:45)

ZALE (6:15-7:15) Folk Soul Revival (7:00-8:00)

Drew Parker (8:30-10:00)

The Vegabonds (10:30-12:00)

Hughes Taylor Band (7:00-7:45) Heather Gillis Magnolia Band Moon (9:45-10:45) (8:15-9:15)

Jenny Parrott (7:00-8:00)

Shouldies (7:00-8:00) Neighbor Lady (7:45-8:45)

SONTALK Heather Gillis (9:15-10:30) Band (9:45-10:45)

Cult Of Riggonia (8:30-9:30)

Material Girls (10:00-11:00)

Tedo Stone (8:15-9:15) DJ Old Flame (8:00-10:00) Bootz and Katz (10:00-12:00)

FUTUREBIRDS Super (11:00-12:00) Doppler Locate S1 (11:15-12:15) (11:30-12:30)

Wesley Cook (9:30-10:30)

Swim In The Wild (4:30-5:15) Choir Of Babble (5:45-6:30)

Babe Club (7:00-8:00)

Pip The Pansy (8:30-9:30)

Little Stranger (10:00-11:00)

Trae Vedder (10:45-11:45) Roots Of A Rebellion (11:30-12:30)

The Buckley’s (4:15-5:00) Front Porch Radio (5:15-6:00)

She Returns From War (6:30-7:30)

The High Divers (8:00-9:00)

Sam Burchfield (6:45-7:45)

Parker Gispert (6:30-7:15) Nathan Hussey (7:30-8:15)

Molly Stevens (8:15-9:15)

Matt Brantley (4:00-4:45) Drew Beskin (5:00-5:45) James Worsham (6:00-6:45) Jason Cutway (7:00-7:45)

More Degrees Than Talent (8:15-9:00)

The Artisanals (9:30-10:30)

.nomenclature (11:00-12:00) Dragg Jam (11:00-2:00)

African People’s Blues Americana Of Richmond (12:45-1:45) (12:30-1:45)

= ADMITS 18+ONLY. ID REQUIRED

= ALL AGES ADMITTED

= OUTDOOR VENUE

= FREE ADMISSION

= TICKET REQUIRED

11thHourOnline.com 3

4 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

Outdoor fun doesn’t always go as planned.

That’s why we have three Urgent Cares to better serve you.

Houston Lake Med-Stop2510 Highway 127, Kathleen Lake Joy Med-Stop1118 Highway 96, Suite 1, Kathleen Pavilion Med-Stop233 North Houston Rd, Suite 140, Warner Robins

Houston Lake Med-Stop2510 Highway 127, Kathleen Lake Joy Med-Stop1118 Highway 96, Suite 1, Kathleen Pavilion Med-Stop233 North Houston Rd, Suite 140, Warner Robins www.hhc.org 11thHourOnline.com 5

RUNNING COMMENTARY When people talk about Macon music or the Macon “sound” as a recent documentary called it, I have to remember to appreciate how other people “hear” this city. When I got here in 2005, it had a twangy reverberation that convinced me to stay. Since then, I’ve felt the tones shift towards hip hop and country, indie and pop, back to the bluesy formula of rock n’ roll, and in between there’s always been a weird, funky hum that to me represents the true Macon Sound. I don’t know how to define it, but I know what it feels like-- and I feel it when I hear it. If you’ve been to a show where the crowd is as homegrown as the band and everybody’s moving in time at the front of the stage, it’s a tough thing to beat. It’s something you want to take home with you so that you can hear it and feel it whenever the notion strikes.

And you can-- you know? It’s a digital world, and you can find real, honest-to-goodness Macon music on nearly every streaming platform out there-- a lot of it recorded right here in town. And I’m not talkin’ about just the classic heroes like Little Richard, Otis Redding, and Johnny Jenkins, or The Allman Brothers Band… I’m talkin’ about Magnolia Moon, Bob Lennon, Louise Warren, Joey Stuckey, Big Mike & The Booty Papas, Justin Cutway (who’s featured in this issue), Fooligans, The Delta Moan, Floco Torres, Hindsight, Taped Fist (who have my favorite local band name), Bobby Ferguson, Shane Bridges, Choir of Babble, and many, oh-so-many more artists that are playing and making original music somewhere in Macon… Right now! Seriously, that’s only a few!

We’ve got it all here in Macon, every genre under the sun and then some. We’ve even got some damn fine recording studios-- some of which you’ll get to read about in this issue. And if you’re a new artist or band-- heck, even if you’ve been at it a while and haven’t recorded anything yet-- then I encourage you to contact some of the folks between these pages. Make it happen. There’s a line in the featured story where Madelyn writes about musicians becoming a part of Macon’s legacy, and I absolutely agree with it whole-heartedly. But our legacy is intact.

Ya’ll get out there and give us a future.

-AI

OUR TEAM Aaron Irons Managing Editor

Kirk West Contributor

Bo Walker Contributor

Madelyn Rueter Contributor

Doug Nurnberger Photographer

Ned Dominick Contributor

CONTACT US

MAILING: 543 Cherry Street, Macon 31201 ADVERTISING: tony@thecreekfm.com EDITORIAL: aaron@thecreekfm.com Published by Creek Media LLC

6 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

M&R Marketing Layout & Design

Flip thru the entire issue online 11thHourOnline.com

WHAT'S INSIDE July 19-August 1, 2019 // Volume 18, Issue #416

_______________________ 09 11 Events _______________________ 15 Kirk West's 50,000 Shades of Gray _______________________ 16 Justin Cutway: A Conversation in Open C _______________________ 21 House Talk _______________________

16 22

22 Eat This _______________________ 23 Nu Way Winner _______________________

AND THE NU DOG FOR 2019 IS…

24 More Than Music History: The Once and Future Macon _______________________ 31 The Dish _______________________ 33 Bo Talks _______________________ 34 Don McLean, The Interview _______________________

PG 23

34

40 The Creek’s Show Review & Americana Singles Chart _______________________ 43 Live & Local: Calendar _______________________ 45 Open Jams & Karaoke _______________________ 11thHourOnline.com 7

Tuesday, June 4, 2019

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Career Center Cornell Room 306 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA

Anderson Conference Center 5171 Eisenhower Parkway Macon, GA

Warner Robins

WE DON’T JUDGE! WE’RE HAPPY TO SERVICE ALL BRANDS AND TYPES OF BIKES (AND STROLLERS TOO).

SPANDEX OR LYCRA NOT REQUIRED! BIKE TECH IS LOCATED AT 3003 VINEVILLE AVENUE IN MACON. COME SEE THE NEW DOWNTOWN BIKE VENDING MACHINE AT 338 POPLAR STREET. WWW.BIKETECHMACON.COM

Macon

11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Networking 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Lunch and Learn Enjoy lunch on us and learn how Goodwill’s social enterprise and YOU can change lives.

Plus, we'll give you a behind-the-scenes tour of our operations!

This is a great way to network with like-minded professionals, so be sure to bring business cards.

Reserve your seat today!

www.goodwillworks.org/lunchandlearn

8 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

AT H W

HIGHWAY 41 WITH HUGHES TAYLOR LIVE! 7:30pm Thursday, July 18 The Creek Stage @ The Rookery- 543 Cherry St, Macon Originally, Highway 41 was formed as the backing band for Miss America, Betty Cantrell. Highway 41 has continues to thrill audiences in Central Georgia--and this special show featuring 23-year-old super guitarist Hughes Taylor will be no different! Heavy rock n’ roll with a blues backbone on the Creek Stage!

W E

A R E

I N G O D

MOVIE: THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION 7pm Friday, July 19 Grand Opera House- 651 Mulberry Street, Macon How many times have you seen The Shawshank Redemption?

Have you seen it on the big screen? Now’s your chance!

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the box office or at thegrandmacon.com.

APOLLO 11 MOON LANDING 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION 10am-2pm Saturday, July 20 Museum of Aviation Robins AFB- 1942 Heritage Blvd, Warner Robins Experience National Moon Day at the Museum of Aviation with activities, exhibits, and more! continued on page 10 11thHourOnline.com 9

NEW IN CENTRAL GEORGIA

New Hope Herbal 352 Cotton Ave, Macon CBD, Vitamins, and Supplements

SUMMER AT THE SPLASH PAD FREE! 4pm Saturday, July 20 Creekwood Park-- 1107 Creekwood Dr, Perry Visit Creekwood Park in Perry for an evening of FREE family-friendly fun! The City of Perry will be providing a free cookout for the first 200 attendees along with activities and a movie on the lawn at sunset! Bring your lawn chairs and blankets and enjoy The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part!

P3: PERPETUAL GROOVE ACOUSTIC TRIO LIVE! 9pm Saturday, July 20 The Hargray Capitol Theatre- 382 2nd St, Macon Perpetual Groove continues to create a cultivated, unique experience for each live show. This new chapter for Perpetual Groove showcases the continuing evolution of their music and performances. This is a band that is fully realized and ready to bring their new sound, storytelling, and live experience to the masses. Tickets are $12-$15 and can be purchased at hargraycapitoltheatre.com.

VOTED THE BEST

2010 – 2018

10 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

Your Favorite Classics and a host of new hits

807 Forsy th St. Macon, GA 31201 478-621-7044 • HandHSoulFood.com

MACON BACON YOUTH BASEBALL CAMP 9am-12pm July 22-24 Luther Williams Field- Willie Smokey Glover Dr, Macon The Macon Bacon have some of the top college baseball players in the country from schools like Mercer, Georgia Tech, Georgia College, Notre Dame, Coastal Carolina, and Long Beach State.

Now, your kids have a chance to get some pointers and tips from these very same talented ball players during the Macon Bacon Youth Baseball Camp! They’ll enjoy one on one training from the Macon Bacon coaching staff and players and receive free Macon Bacon shirt! Age range for the camp is 6 to 16 and the three-day camp is just $75. For more information or to register, visit maconbaconbaseball.com or call 478-803-1795.

PERRY PRESENTS: 80'S ALL NITE WITH ECHOSPEED FREE! 7pm Friday, July 26 Heritage Park- Sam Nunn Blvd, Perry The City of Perry presents a FREE Summer Lawn Concert Series! Start your weekend with echospeed on the lawn at Heritage Park. Coolers are permitted for this event with outside food, beverages, and spirits allowed. Lawn blankets, chairs, and your best ‘80s gear encouraged!

MACON FILM GUILD PRESENTS: ASK DR. RUTH 7:30pm Tuesday, July 23 The Douglass Theatre355 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Macon A lively profile of the 90-yearold Holocaust survivor and famous sex therapist.

Tickets are $5 and can be purchased at the box office or at douglasstheatre.org.

AN EVENING WITH KC & THE SUNSHINE BAND 8pm Thursday, July 25 Macon City Auditorium- 415 First Street, Macon KC & The Sunshine are bringing a boogie filled dynamite spectacular to Macon featuring classic hits to make you Shake, Shake, Shake Your Booty! Tickets are $36.50-$82.50 and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com.

BRAGG JAM July 26-27 Downtown Macon Bragg Jam is back in 2019! The premiere music festival in Macon Georgia is set to feature 60+ artists and bands over two days! Friday July 26, the Concert Crawl will kick off with Molly Stevens, Of Montreal, Bloodkin, The Orange Constant, and more! Saturday, enjoy the FREE Arts & Kids Festival in Cherry Street Plaza from 10am-2pm, and then get ready to rock with American Aquarium, Anderson East, and so many more! Check out the full lineup and purchase advance tickets at braggjam.org.

continued on page 13

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Back to School Checklist: School Supplies & Bookbags Crayola, Elmers, Stephen Joseph, Mudpie, Melissa & Doug Sharpie, and More!

New Clothes & Boots

Georgia Boots, Ariats, Columbia, Mudpie, Beaufort Bonnet Co., and so much more!

Dorm Decor & Storage S

Scout Bags, Glory Haus, Happy Everything, Rubbermade, Swiffer Sweepers, Decor and More!

Classroom Supplies

GermX, Tissues, Clorox, Bandaids, Expo Markers, all the supplies you need for a great year!

12 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

CENTRAL GEORGIA FARMERS MARKETS JAZZ IN THE COURTYARD FREE! 7pm Sunday, July 28 The Douglass Theatre- 355 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Macon Cool Jazz on a warm summer evening! The GQ Jazz Quartet returns! Bring your own lawn chairs and enjoy this FREE concert series!

THE MULBERRY MARKET AT TATTNALL SQUARE PARK

Wednesdays year round 3:30–6pm 1155 College Street Macon, GA

FIRST SATURDAY VILLAGE MARKET IN MERCER VILLAGE

1st Saturdays of the month 9am–3pm 1624 Coleman Ave Macon, GA CENTERVILLE FARMERS MARKET AT CENTER PARK

MACON BACON AT THE LUTHER WILLIAMS FIELD SAVANNAH BANANAS 7:00pm Thursday, July 18 Happy Hour Specials

1st & 3rd Saturdays of the month 8am–12pm 103 E Church Street Centerville, GA WESLEYAN MARKET

2nd Saturday of the month 9am–1pm 4760 Forsyth Rd Macon, GA MACON STATE FARMERS MARKET

GASTONIA GRIZZLIES 6:00pm Saturday, July 20 Allman Brothers Night/Post-Game Concert

Monday–Sunday 6am–10pm 2055 Eisenhower Pkwy Macon, GA

SAVANNAH BANANAS 7:00pm Monday, July 22

PERRY FARMERS MARKET

FLORENCE RED WOLVES 7:00pm Wednesday, July 24 Battle for the Golden Spork FLORENCE RED WOLVES 7:00pm Friday, July 26 Faith and Fellowship Night LEXINGTON COUNTY BLOWFISH 7:00pm Saturday, July 27 Fireworks

Saturdays year round 9am–1pm 901 Carroll Street Perry, GA INTERNATIONAL CITY FARMERS MARKET

Thursdays year round 1–6pm Corner of Maple St & Watson Blvd Warner Robins, GA

SAVANNAH BANANAS 7:00pm Wednesday, July 31 Battle for the Golden Spork

11thHourOnline.com 13

NEW Cedar Creek Hathaway Edition 38FBD fifth wheel MSRP $100,704 SALE $64,925 Payments as low as $442/mo. (stock 13797 - 240 mos. at 6.99% APR)

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NEW Forest River Surveyor 192T hybrid trailer MSRP $25,385 SALE $16,495 Payments as low as $179/month (stock 13501 - 120 mos. at 7.99% APR)

NEW Coachmen Freelander 24FS motorhome MSRP $ 100,435 SALE $69,997 Payments as low as $477/month (stock 13789 - 240 mos. at 6.99% APR)

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All prices exclude tax, tag/title, and documentation fees. Financing examples assume 20% down, with qualifying credit.

1 - 7 5 E X I T 1 4 9 | 1 3 1 P E AC H T R E E P K W Y | B Y R O N , G A | ( 4 7 8 ) 2 9 2 - 6 9 5 0 | M I D S TAT E R V. C O M

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50,000 SHADES OF GRAY DICKEY BETTS & BILL Butch Trucks’ Studio in Tallahassee, Florida February 1989

This was the week the ABB reformed and auditioned bass players. Several players showed up to try out for the job-- all fine bassmen-- but the last one to take his turn was Alan Woody. He got the job. Good thing Al was last rather than first, otherwise the others wouldn’t have even played... ‘Cause Woody was that fierce! As for Dickey here, he was always a bow hunter, but not with this bow… This was target practice with his ol’ dog, Bill. Betts would often take his bows on tour. I have checked him out of more than one hotel room that had phone books used as targets with missed shots leaving damage to the walls!

I guess that’s better than pitchin’ TVs out a window though…

Kirk West is a photographer, archivist, and the host of Into The Mystic Wednesday nights at 7pm on 100.9 The Creek. He’s published two books of his work, Les Brers- Kirk West’s Photographic Journey with The Brothers, and The Blues in Black and White— a collection documenting his time on the Chicago Blues scene in the 1970s and 1980s. Kirk and his wife, Kirsten, own and operate Gallery West at 447 Third Street in Macon. Visit kirkwestphotography.com and Gallery West to view and purchase prints and canvases of the greatest artists in blues, country, rock n’ roll, and soul.

11thHourOnline.com 15

J U S T I N C U T W AY :

THE OPEN C CONVERSATION A new album and a rapidly approaching Bragg Jam performance were more than enough to warrant a conversation with my friend Justin Cutway. Known for his time in Macon’s Magnificent Bastard (affectionately referred to as Mag Tard) and by his indie alter ego, Trendlenberg, Justin’s become something of an icon among local songwriters. He seemingly appeared on stage from nowhere in the mid-aughts, and since then has become a favorite collaborator among Macon musicians as well as a singular performer. Justin’s approach is simple, but it carries weight. He’s also a patron as well as an artist, and many of his contemporaries have felt a bit a taller in the saddle just by seeing him in the audience. Genuine is a word I would use to describe Justin Cutway-- both the man and the music. His latest offering, The Open C Observations, is some of his best work to date and certainly worth your time.

AI- This brand new album, The Open Observations... Everything is in open C?

C

JC- It's a variation of open C You just happen to sit down and start writing all those songs in open C? No, I was toying around with some new tunings and I came up with this... Well, I didn't come up with it.

I really looked it up. It's very similar to Nick Drake's tuning kind of thing. Then from there, it was just a matter of changing a string to a different note-- so it's not quite open C. It's like open C sustain or something like that.

You made the record and I guess what you might call a preview EP, Been Too Long. You made all of this down with Shawn Williamson at Star Static Studio. You and Shawn had been buddies for a while. Was that what led you into going to record with him or did it just feel like the right place?

I had been one other place with the Back City Woods guys [Daniel NeSmith & Mike Collins]... Just kind of toying with it. Honestly, I wanted to start the whole thing by myself. I wanted to record it all and do it all like I used to do and just like really insular. I even broke out, at one point, the four-track cassette recorder to try and maybe be really like how I started out.

16 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

thought I'd get back to that feel-- and I just wasn't able to do it anymore. It sounds like garbage now. I don't know... You know what I mean? It's just my ears have grown too much. At that point, I was just trying to figure out where to go and I know Shawn was setting up his studio and we knew a lot about each other and I knew that we could just go in there and it could take as long as it needed to take. And some parts of it did.

Some of those songs you've been holding onto for a little while… Like "Maconga" which you've had in your repertoire for a fair amount of time.

When did you start the project?

I think I finally came up with, with the exception of “Maconga”, I had these seven or eight songs that I had written in this open C and was really kind of thinking I would like them as a piece. They are all sort of about the same kind of thing. I thought that would be a good way to keep them together. And then we added a couple of other ones just to fill it out a little bit and I wrote another one and there's some stuff that didn't make the record, but [Been Too Long] is songs that I was writing along the way that just weren't quite... Didn't fit in the way I wanted it to in the end.

That's what you had done with the old "Pecan Suit" days and all that?

Madeline Rueter, who just wrote a story for this issue about recording studios, she spoke to Shawn Williamson, and one of the things he said was the most fun he's had as an engineer working was just coming up with weird and odd sounds with you on a synthesizer. What was the process like? Did you guys sit down with pen and paper?

A lot of that stuff was done at Rob's, at Star Motel. But the stuff before that, like Trendlenberg way before I got here to Macon, was all sorts of bedroom stuff. So I

No, we went in there and I did the vocal and the guitar tracks together live. And then did a bunch of takes of those and just kind of sifted through the ones

that were good enough as a whole take.

Then we'd go in and pick a song and just be like, "Well, I was kinda thinking about this..." And I had a lot of ideas of my own, but being able to bounce them off Shawn who is also, you know, a "synthy" guy...

We just had a bunch of toys around and were able to just kind of record them all and pick things. There's some of those songs that we've tracked probably 30 or 40 things-- and we end up using three or four. It was never about having as many as we could, but it was nice to just have them at our disposal. And then when we decided, going into the end of the thing, getting into the real nuts and bolts of it, we could just cut it off.

Once upon a time, I don't think anybody other than maybe your wife knew that you wrote and performed.

I don't know if you were keeping it a secret...

Not particularly...

But then all of a sudden... And I remember the first time I saw you perform, I was actually embarrassed that I didn't know this about you, that I was unaware of that you could even do it much less how good you were.

And then from that point on, you really came up, became a big part of Macon's songwriter scene and music scene.

For a while there.

You had Magnificent Bastard and various other incarnations that you've played with. So a lot of those songs early on were coming out of a time when you had first got to Macon. You were a teacher. That's a world you left behind... This time around, where were these songs coming from?

They're still very self-centered and about me. But now it's in this sort of lull... Some of these songs have been written for a while. It's just kinda been getting them together... So some of them come from a place where there was a lot of death going on in my life. There's my grandmother and my mother's husband and then a buddy, a drummer in Mag Tard... And it had given me this sort of... I was trying to get around the sort of moroseness. 'Cause I mean, I was sad, but I don't try and write a sad song necessarily. Although the subject matter is maybe a bit rough around the edges.

There's something about mortality in those songs, those observations.

Yeah, right, exactly. That's where, obviously, the title comes from. A lot of the songs are spawned from notes that I've taken just walking around Downtown Macon seeing something, anything, hearing someone say something...

Of what you can hear and see a lot of.

Exactly. There's plenty of material (laughs)!

One of the significant things about this is... We always say, you know, your "record", you make a "record"... You really literally did make a record. You're doing vinyl with this release. Tell me, tell me about that process. 'Cause I heard a couple of rumblings...

Honestly, it sounds amazing. It literally is worth it. It's one of the few times-and I've made lots of projects... And I even had an old Trendlenberg release that was on vinyl... It's like a one-sided, hand-lathed...

Yeah, yeah, I do remember that! continued on page 18

11thHourOnline.com 17

And that sounded cool. But this sounds like vinyl.

You've done the Trendlenberg band ensemble before. Any plans to do that again? 'Cause I know you always had a good time. I know the guys always had a good time.

Yeah, there is some talk about that. I think it would be fun to do, at least a show of a lot of songs. Meaning, play not just the record, and if I could do some of that stuff with the fellas, the usual fellows or anybody really, it'd be cool. I have hopes and ambitions of at least trying to get a little bit out of Macon and there's some venues that I think are fairly accessible and it'd just be easier for it to be me-- I think anyway.

I'm not sure, but we'll find out.

Who's out there working right now that you're are enjoying? New songwriters on the scene? I mean, cause you've been, this isn't a jab, you've been at this a little while now. You have been up above and considered one of the best songwriters in Macon.

Sean Solo (Sean Williams) is putting a great record together. That last record...

Not the newest release, I haven't actually listened to that, but the last full-length he put out was a really good record. All homegrown. I just had the pleasure last night of seeing David Dingess play. He's a key player, which is a nice little change of pace from the usual singer-songwriter playing guitar. I think those are probably the two real young guys that I've seen as of late. I mean, that's one of the things I was just talking to with Bo [Walker] at work. I don't know if I go out and see as much as I used to? And I feel like I still go out and see some things, but there's 18 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

probably a lot of like... Sean Solo's been around Macon for a while. I mean, he's been in all those bands. He's not really that new. So there must be some new kids out there that I'm missing, right?

But you do get out and you perform.

Do you feel like you're performing less these days?

Definitely, yeah. Oh yeah. This record, I think, is a really good example of what I sound like now, and it's not too heavily produced to give some sort of concept that I'm going to walk in with a big group of people. I think you could see how I could pull that off by myself. I'm kind of hoping to use that as a little bit of a jump to get back and play some more shows.

It's just been way too long. I played a song last night at the Storytellers thing.

It was a Bragg Jam Storytellers...

I wanted to ask you about that. This was like the first Bragg Jam that you attended? Tell me about the first Bragg Jam you played. Was this back in the old days before they paid any of us? When it was all goodwill and love and like, "We want to be a part of this!"

Magnificent Bastard, and we were still called that at that point, we played the very first set, the very first year the Hummingbird had Bragg Jam. We were the, like, 6:30pm show.

What year was that? Was that the year we had the outdoor stage?

Maybe? When the Drive-By Truckers played?

Yeah, 'cause that was my first Bragg Jam. That was the first Bragg Jam

that I had ever performed. And I did that twice, man...

You played at 11:30 in the morning...

With the Liabilities.

I totally remember going to that!

And then we went on later that night before the Truckers as Hank Vegas.

Long days, long days...

A lot of beer and whiskey too...

Yeah, 'cause you know, it's not like anyone went home to take a rest!

At this point in time, I think it's safe to say that you have been, for many years now, one of the premier songwriters in town, an actual songwriter who's applied and worked on your craft.

And you've also been somebody that a lot of the younger songwriters have looked up to. Everybody talks about Macon music and we've got a lot of bands, but when it comes to actual-- to me, this is my opinion-- to actual real writers, I wouldn't say that we have an overabundance of those. How do you feel about Macon's songwriting community in addition to the musical community at large?

Songwriting for me has been a very long process. Right? The way I think about songs is vastly different than when I started when I was 12 or 13. This is 30 years later. There's a whole different

So when I think about how the songwriters that I hear, like the local bands, play their songs, I almost always give everyone the benefit of the doubt. concept of what I'm thinking.

Because it takes... I mean, you have to write crap songs. Even if they're your best songs, you have to write those songs. The problem is that here, you need someone to tell you, "Hey, that's a crap song. Let's look at it. Here's why I think this part of it is a crap song."

And we don't really do that. I mean, again, to bring up last night, but a newer guy in town who's not in music... Well, he's sort of a pseudo musician. Bryan Beck?

The glassblower guy. He was like "Oh, I listened to your stuff." And I was like, "Cool." He was like, "Yeah, I really liked the first one and the third and the fourth one. But that second one was no good."

(Laughing) And that's not something you hear. And it was very refreshing. I was like, "Thank you. So tell me about it."

And he talked about what he didn't like, and I was like, "Oh, well, sorry, that's

kind of what I do." But it was just that back and forth and understanding that it is a process.

It was you and me and somebody else, I think once upon a time had discussed... It was a long time ago when The Rookery was trying to do an open mic and we'd discussed trying to write a song and come back every week with a new song-- whether it was good or bad. I think you're the only one out of the two or three of us that decided to do this, that took it and ran with it.

That's what I mean. I have tons of songs and some of them are no good, but I try and write a song at least every week.

Maybe not every day-- but that's how you get better, right? There was a little while where I could just go to see bands

play or really listen to records, and, like really think about it. And that helps. But that's not the same as transforming it out of thin air.

How do you become a better writer?

Practice better. The more words you know, that kind of thing. I found that it's still hard at times to get motivated to come up with new kinds of music or new styles or to push that part. 'Cause I'm a more lyrically driven songwriter, I think, more often than not. So there are times where I have to really focus on trying to get something to be better.

Like the music to sort of pull along the lyrics as opposed to the lyrics leading.

But I don't know... How do I become a better writer?

Look for Justin Cutway’s new vinyl release, The Open C Observations, at Fresh Produce Records in Downtown Macon or download/stream the album on Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify, and all your favorite digital platforms. Don’t miss Justin Cutway’s Bragg Jam 2019 performance LIVE at 7pm, July 27 on the Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen Stage!

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20 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

House Talk

To Slab Or Not To Slab, That Is The Question!

As most of us know Macon, Georgia is “an old-timey town”. We like things done the way they have always been done, and in the case of the historic areas of town, Grandpaw did a good job building those wonderful old houses. One thing that Paw Paw did was to build all his houses on crawl spaces. As a result, the prevailing belief is that a house built on a concrete slab is a cheap and miserable thing fit only for Yankees and Liberals! However, we all know that the old ways are being thrown into the trash bin of history and if you are considering buying a newly constructed home, it is likely to be built on a slab!

So what is a good Macon boy to do?

Until recently, almost all houses in Macon were built on crawlspaces with wooden floor systems-- but almost all homes built over the last thirty years in Houston County are constructed on slabs. Which is the best?

We have had the privilege of inspecting over twenty-eight thousand homes in Warner Robins and Macon during the last forty years and this has given us a wonderful basis of comparison. I can conclusively tell you that slabs are the best way to go…

Nooooo!

Ned Dominick has been inspecting homes in Macon, Warner Robins, and all of Central Georgia since 1978.

He and his qualified inspectors have examined over 28,000 local homes.

For more, go to www.housetalk.net or call at 478-738-0893.

Whenever I make this statement, the first question is, “Mr. Dominick, what if the pipes break?” Good question. If the pipes break in the slab then either you will have to cut out part of the slab to access them or you will need to re-route the plumbing through the attic. Bummer! But pipes rarely break under slabs for several good reasons.

The first is that they will never freeze since the soil temperature stays around 50 degrees year-round. Secondly, there are no home inspectors, termite men, or plumbers crawling around under the house bumping into the pipes and causing damage. Finally, all modern construction requires that the water pipes under a slab have continuous runs without connectors. Most leaks occur at connections, so this problem is avoided.

Crawl spaces are bio-friendly! That sounds so good until we look a little deeper. The dark, wet, and warm environment under a crawlspace house is the perfect ecosystem for fungus, termites, spiders, snakes, las cucarachas, and varmints like rats, possums, and raccoons. When the weather turns cool some of these will decide to invite themselves into your part of the house for the winter… Ychhhh!

The positive reasons for slabs are even more obvious. Termites do not eat concrete! Slab homes can get termites in the walls if the house is not treated but there is no wooden floor system to be devoured by the little critters. Your floors will not rot out due to wet crawlspace conditions and since there is no place for water to accumulate under the house then the likelihood of developing mold problems is much less. Structurally, slabs are more stable also. Consider a lady with a four-inch spike heel. When she steps off the sidewalk onto the grass she will immediately sink (settle) into the soil as all of her weight will be concentrated on that little pointy heel. Crawlspace structures are built with the tremendous weight of the house all sitting on isolated skinny piers.

But a slab is like a giant snowshoe that distributes the weight of the house across the entire footprint of the house. Ladies wearing snowshoes look funny but do not sink into the grass!

If you are building a home on a slab then there are some things to be watching for.

One is not to build at a low point on a lot where water will accumulate around the house as a wet lot will tend to allow settling.

Also, be careful that the builder has installed the gravel or sand layers carefully followed by the plastic vapor barrier over the sand or gravel. This will ensure that moisture is kept away from the cement and will not “wick” up through the floor or at any cracks. But take it from your home inspector-- I have a rule which is not to buy any investment property unless it is built on a slab!

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NU-WAY HOT DOGS ANY TIME, ANY DAY, ANY “WAY”...

That’s how you enjoy a Nu-Way hot dog-- and for over a century Central Georgians have been doing just that!

The “Best Weiner In Town” is a hub, an iconic institution known from coast to coast. That secret recipe chili sauce and that signature red hot dog are more than a meal-- they’re legendary. Stop into the nearest Nu-Way today, and find your favorite! Get a hot dog, a slaw dog, a cheese dog, a chilicheese dog, a chili-cheese-slaw dog… All the way, baby!

See The Dish (pg 31) for all of the Nu-Way Weiners locations throughout Central Georgia or visit nu-wayweiners.com!

22 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

Photo by Doug Nurnberger

HUNDREDS OF SUBMISSIONS, OVER 8000 VOTES

AND THE NU DOG FOR 2019 IS… MUDDY WATERS Muddy is a 9-year-old Boxer. “Muddy was actually given to us when he was 6-weeks-old because no one else wanted him,” says Muddy’s owner, Josh Graff. “He was born three days after all of his brothers and sisters.

I guess people thought something would be wrong with him. His mom started acting sick, so they took her to the vet only to find out Muddy was still in there! To make his story even crazier, my grandmother, Mart Wiggins Graff (MWG) stopped breathing the day his brothers and sister were born and she stayed on life support for 3 days and passed on the day that Muddy Waters Graff (MWG) was born. He’s been our baby for 9 1/2 years now.”

Muddy is an easy-going but energetic dog. He enjoys running and leaping after his favorite tennis ball, and quality time with Josh and his wife Jennifer, their daughter Ellie-- and a lil’ Boxer sister, Koko Taylor!

When asked about his favorite NuWay order, Josh wouldn’t speak for Muddy but smiled with a “Can’t go wrong with a hot dog, fries, and a cup of Flaky ice!”

Muddy and the Graffs will receive a prize package that includes $250 Cash, $250 Nu-Way Bucks, and a print featuring Muddy as the iconic Nu Dog! Thank you to all of the competitors and participants-- and be sure to follow Nu-Way Weiners, The 11th Hour, 100.9 The Creek, and 100.5 The X for details on how you can enter the Nu Dog contest in 2020!

About The Artist Sara England is a Georgia based artist, living just south of Macon. She has always loved creating but about two years ago finally decided to start painting on a regular basis. A true country girl at heart, Sara has always been fascinated by the beauty she sees around her. She hopes her sense of wonder and love for nature shines through in her paintings. A self-taught artist, she enjoys working with acrylics for their vibrancy and versatility.

Sara grew up on a farm in Wales, and earned a Law degree from the University of East Anglia, UK. Soon after, she moved to the US and worked for several years at a law firm in Macon. Having lived in Middle Georgia for almost twenty years now, Sara has a huge fondness for Georgia, its beautiful coastline, majestic mountains and most importantly its warm and friendly people. Her heart now calls two places home.

Married to her high school sweetheart, they have two children and love to travel and visit the beach as often as possible.

Sara’s work can be seen at Travis Jean Emporium in Macon, and you can also follow her on instagram @ saffronsaraart.

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MACON’S ALWAYS BEEN A MUSICIAN TOWN, EVEN WHEN IT WASN’T A MUSIC SCENE, AND SOME TOWNS JUST HAVE THAT. PAUL HORNSBY AT MUSCADINE STUDIOS

more than

The Once and Future Macon

BY MADELYN REUTER

24 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

Macon music S C E N E legends

THE IS KNOWN FOR like The Allman Brothers Band and Otis Redding, but there’s more to this town than just history. Local studios and artists have been producing music consistently over the past few decades. While some cities are defined by certain genres like jazz or

hip hop, Macon features every style out there-- and some that haven’t even been defined yet. With Bragg Jam approaching, the spotlight will be cast on an array of local talent and visiting bands, many that have never performed here before.

But when an artist chooses to record here, they become a part of Macon’s legacy-- and Macon theirs.

How they record their music varies based on the artist and the studio they choose. Some artists look for a more organic approach with live sessions. Other times, they might use scratch tracks where the lead artist records their general idea for the song and a band works around that until they have a finished, secure product. Johnny Davis of Symmetry Studios said he doesn’t mind how the band wants to record.

He’s all about just getting the music out there.

Starting out with a little set up in his parent’s guest bedroom and at one point renting a place on Cotton Ave, Davis has recorded and played all over Central Georgia since 2006. He’s recorded music for Travis Denning, Taped Fist, Sugar Virus, and so many more that he couldn’t remember. “I like recording anything and everything if I get along with the people,” he said. “Any type of music that friends and families are involved in, anything I believe in.” His latest project was with Magnolia Moon who released their self-titled album back in May. Davis has been friends with Zack of Magnolia Moon for a long time, and they’ve recorded all of his past projects together since he moved from Mississippi twelve years ago.

I started to see Davis as a sort of recording crusader of Macon. The hundreds of bands in the southeast that he’s recorded were found through friends and word of mouth. He recently recorded with a local band, African Americana, after meeting them randomly and hearing they had something to record. It isn’t about the money, he said. “The music that’s out there needs to be made. Money standing in the way of that is just awful-- that’s why I don’t have set rates or advertise. I’m just here.”

Since he finds his purpose primarily in recording, his own projects have taken the back burner. However, he does have two projects, Madre Padre and Choir of Babble, and he’s looking forward to releasing new music with both bands in the near future. As both a sound engineer and artist, he records and mixes all of his own work. “I do everything-- I’m probably doing it on my own at the expense of stress. I would like someone to help me out, but I prefer to maintain control. I’m not necessarily a man of numbers and calculation. It’s more of a vision of the composition, and in production, I can use all the engineering knowledge and education I already have.” Any other producer you ask would argue against recording your own music, but with Davis’ experience and familiarity with his studio techniques, it’s worked out very well for him so far. You can check out Davis and Choir of Babble during Bragg Jam at Bearfoot Tavern.

Recording engineers all seem to have a bit of a gospel that they share: Music is the reason they’re in the business, first and foremost. Shawn Williamson of Star Static Studio is also a local musician and long-time recording engineer who believes in focusing on the band’s goals over anything else. He did mention that he prefers live sessions over individual tracking because he believes it’s a more honest rendition of the band. But if the vision of the artist is to record individually, then that’s what he’ll do to produce their desired sound. Williamson said of engineering, “If the band wants a fat kick drum, that’s what I should be trying to give them.”

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THE MUSIC THAT’S OUT THERE NEEDS TO BE MADE. MONEY STANDING IN THE WAY OF THAT IS JUST AWFUL JOHNNY DAVIS AT SYMMETRY STUDIOS SHAWN WILLIAMSON AT STAR STATIC STUDIOS Lately, Williamson has worked with local artists like Walk Through Walls, Holy Land USA, and his good friend, Justin Cutway, who released his latest EP, Been Too Long, in March of this year. That project was one of Williamson’s all-time favorite moments at the studio, just coming up with noises on the synthesizer with Justin before a note had even been made. When Cutway approached Williamson about doing the record, Williamson said the timing was right for both of them, and after two weeks of recording just Cutway and his guitar, then a little bit of experimental mixing on top of that, they had a record. The process was smooth and enjoyable for both of the guys, and the album’s clear and confident tone seems to have hit the nail on the head for them.

Looking ahead, Williamson is really excited about revamping his studio. After about six years with his studio, he’s learned a lot about how he works best and what flows right for him. He’s adjusting the hookups and acoustics in the sound room and getting more and more analog equipment. “Analog to me, it’s just easier,” he said. “I can run everything 26 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

into an analog console, do the phase adjustments, the EQ, combine all the mics to one track, then use Pro Tools to mix.” When Williamson first started recording music in the ‘90s, he was using a 4-track cassette tape machine, and he still finds that to be the most comfortable to record on. Then when he started getting serious about recording, he got the Pro Tools software, which allows him to mix everything on a digital interface, but he still prefers to track the music on an analog platform.

Despite being excited about new equipment, Williamson was quick to declare that an artist doesn’t go to a studio solely for the equipment. Paul Hornsby, owner of Muscadine Recording Studios and a legendary musician and producer, said the same thing to me. He has owned Muscadine on Vineville Ave for 37 years now, and if anyone appreciates equipment, it’s him. He said, “If I knew the person who coined the term ‘vintage,’ I would give them a big kiss.” The word vintage is a big selling point for him, considering the amount of antique equipment his studio houses, but when I asked him more about the specific pieces he loves, he said, “You can have

a beautiful studio that costs five million dollars… and it’s gonna sit there and never make a record.”

He believes that first, you need a song, and you have to have talent in front of the microphone and behind the soundboard. Then comes the equipment. “You have to have something decent to put it down on.” While he does love the Yamaha grand piano and original Hour Glass Leslie tone cabinet that he and Gregg Allman used to play on, he would rather put the focus on the musician and production.

Hornsby moved to Macon in 1969 to work with Capricorn Records, but before working with Capricorn, he was a member of Hour Glass with Gregg and Duane Allman and also played as a studio musician with FAME and Liberty Records.

During that time, he worked with Dr. John who he said is his “favorite piano player in the whole world.” I spoke with Hornsby about Macon’s music scene in 1969 versus now, and he recalls how all the people and powers that be tried to stifle the music business here. Grant’s Lounge, Hornsby said, was the only place that young rock n’ rollers could go to hear and play live music, but now it’s a different story.

Over time, Hornsby has watched the downtown scene expand with new restaurants and nightclubs on every block, and he said, “It’s a pleasure to be here now.

People aren’t fighting you on what you’re doing.” Lately, Muscadine Recording Studios has worked with Chris Hicks of The Marshall Tucker Band, EG Kight, Chuck Leavell, and Japanese guitarist Kunio Kishida.

When Capricorn Records went quiet at the end of the 1970s, the industry here began to fade. The legends left Macon and began recording their hits in cities that were making an effort to further music tourism and production.

Athens and Tuscaloosa, with their big universities and hordes of young musicians streaming in, became hot spots for live music and recording. Nashville and Atlanta also grew and created that “big city” feel, which is appealing to young artists who often feel the need to be next to the stars in order to be seen by them. In a sense, being around other musicians and immersed in the field is influential in an artist’s career, but one doesn’t necessarily need to go to the big city to do that.

ROB EVANS AT STAR MOTEL RECORDING STUDIO Rob Evans, co-owner of Creek Media, which includes Star Motel Recording Studios, has been recording and playing in bands since the ‘80s and is a founding board member of Bragg Jam. At Star Motel, Evans has worked with Great Peacock, Charley Crockett, Molly Stevens, and Gregg Allman, including 2015’s criticallyacclaimed Gregg Allman Live: Back to Macon, GA recorded at the Grand Opera House. Evans and I talked about how an immersive and serious studio space is needed to encourage artists and their music.

Art, in general, can be a little shy and sometimes needs to be coaxed out into the world. When a studio offers a type of vacuum environment that seals an artist into an experience, the music feels free to come out. Evans’ band, Hank Vegas, once rented out a studio and its upstairs apartment in Athens for three weeks so they could live and breathe their music 24/7. He called the experience an “awakening” for him and the band. More studios around here are trying to offer that immersive opportunity and space for an artist to connect and find their music.

Evans is part of the group that will be reopening Capricorn Records later this year. He mentioned how he and the other members found Phil Walden’s original plans when they first started planning the project, and they agreed to follow his dream in the process.

Walden had wanted to include a bar and live events, a space that would invite a diverse group of people into a welcoming, electric atmosphere. The revamp of Capricorn will include a museum, guided tours, impressive recording equipment, and more. Artists will be more inclined to visit here, to play for a passionate music community and to record with fantastic producers in competitive studios. “There’s something to be said for going to a large recording studio… Just the sound you get.

It’s a different mindset,” Evans said. Evans is looking forward to the new creative crowd that Capricorn will bring, as well as the diverse art that will follow.

The annual Bragg Jam Festival has set the tone for musical diversity in Macon for the past twenty years. “Bragg Jam has done more

for Macon’s music scene than any other entity,” Evans said. He has been working with the festival since it began and knows first hand how music brings people together. In 1999, a few days before the accident that took Brax and Tate Bragg and inspired the festival, Evans had recorded a practice jam for his friend’s band- the only recording ever made of Brax Bragg and the Buckleys.

Bragg Jam came together in an effort to remind everyone of the special talent that thrives in Macon’s community. The festival has benefited more than just music culture-- proceeds support the Ocmulgee Trail and Amerson River Park in the brothers’ name.

The local artists of Macon have a home-field advantage by existing within a community of music, and some even have the privilege to build a portfolio with the Otis Redding Foundation during their teen years. I spoke with Mrs. Karla Redding-Andrews, the foundations Vice President and Executive Director, about the foundation’s involvement in the music education of Macon’s youth. The Otis Music Camp held every June is an intensely structured, twoweek program where musicians age 12-17 develop their talents and discover the many avenues of the industry. They receive a coach, learn the details of their chosen genre, and spend every hour at camp preparing to enter the music industry. Every facet of the entertainment business is taught-even the legal side of things like branding, and trademarks.

Redding-Andrews wants the campers to leave knowing they

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Creek_wBleed.pdf

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7/8/19

3:07 PM

C

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Do you have a story to tell?

CM

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The 11th Hour wants to hear it!

CMY

K

We are currently accepting submissions from community based writers looking to share their stories with the rest of Central Georgia.

You could be featured in The 11th Hour!

Email your ideas and contact information to Aaron@thecreekfm.com

ter s, s y O , r oupe s, Jam Pups, r G , p hrim Claw Fr e s h S t B l u e C r a b r a f t B e e r s !

C as Gulf Co 30 Southern .. er to. a n d O v g yo u n e e d hin E ve r y t

L A T S A O STAY C S D N E I R MY F

KUDZU SEAFOOD COMPANY

470 THIRD STREET, MACON• (478)292-2085

Open Monday & Tuesday 11am til 3pm Wednesday–Saturday 11am til 9pm

28 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

WE CARE ABOUT PEOPLE AND MUSIC BECAUSE I THINK MUSIC IS NOT A DISPOSABLE COMMODITY. IT’S AN INTEGRAL PART OF LIVING. ART IS HOW WE FIGURE OUT OUR PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE. ART IS PART OF EVOLVING THE HUMAN SPIRIT. JOEY STUCKEY AT SHADOW SOUND

did something great. She said, “Right here in Middle Georgia, there are a host of talented individuals who have gained self-confidence, self-expression, and know that the opportunity to continue with the Otis Redding Foundation is there for them always.” During the rest of the year, the foundation provides many opportunities for their campers, such as the Otis Redding Center for Creative Arts where private lessons and recording sessions for the youth are held. The foundation also partners with Navicent Health and the Bragg Jam Festival to create more creative and performance opportunities.

When we spoke about music continuing to expand over the next few years, Karla said, “It’s only the right thing to do here in Macon, Georgia where so many influential musicians came from. If you came to the [Otis Music Camp] finale on Saturday, you saw people from all walks of life, because music brings us all together… I think that we cannot lose sight of what music, self-expression, and creativity do for the young people in this community.”

Joey Stuckey, Macon’s music ambassador and owner of Shadow Sound Studio, was once that young person in Macon’s community striving to learn all that he could about music. In the ‘90s, Stuckey attended Midsummer Macon, which was a two-week arts and music camp very similar to the Otis Music Camp now. Teens took part in dancing, drama, painting, writing, and music lessons with the best professionals at the time. After that opportunity, Joey interned with Capricorn Studios when it was under the Phoenix Sound banner and then was inspired to open his own studio and become a producer.

At Shadow Sound, Stuckey records with many local artists such as Southbound Mojo, but he also works with many international artists.

Recently, he’s recorded with Vanessa Moses from Malaysia, Mason Roberts from Michigan, and Ebenezer San Francisco, a Spanish church in California. Stuckey enjoys this global work because it allows him to essentially bring Macon to other countries and bring awareness to our local music culture.

In 2006, Stuckey was appointed as the music ambassador because of his powerful drive to connect people. He believes in a “hub and spoke” mentality, a central point for music and information to come in that then connects to all of the other music people, such as club owners, bands, and studios. “The idea of a music city is that we have to connect central, state, and local governments with private enterprises and nonprofit artists.” With that idea, everyone can copromote and encourage a thriving economy.

By strengthening Macon’s music scene internally, it can then be exported elsewhere and draw more people in. Stuckey said, “Wherever I travel, I talk about Macon, try to bring people to Macon, and export it to other places.” When he was a keynote speaker at the College of London, he talked about the sounds of Macon, such as how The Beatles were influenced by Little Richard.

He gives away kazoos, an instrument created in Macon, as his calling card, because “No one forgets ‘the blind guy that gave me a kazoo,’” Stuckey said. Gene Simmons from KISS has brought his kazoo out on stage to play, as well as Charlie Daniels and other bands such as Yes and Spyro Gyra.

Shadow Sound Studio, located downtown on Third Street, is already a top-notch studio with state of the art digital technology as well as boutique analog equipment, but a new phase of construction is starting now. Anticipated to be ready this time next year, Stuckey wouldn’t give me a ton of information, except that it’s going to be something world-class. He’s most excited to have multiple recording rooms that can run concurrently. He intends to make Shadow Sound a career starter space to help artists release the right kind of “first” album, as well as provide internships, exposure, and start everyone on a path of success. Of Shadow Sound’s mission, Joey said, “We care about people and music because I think music is not a disposable commodity. It’s an integral part of living. Art is how we figure out our place in the universe. Art is part of evolving the human spirit.”

An Alabamian when he first heard of Macon, Paul Hornsby had no idea where the little town was. Phil Walden told him more about what was happening here, and in ’69 when Hornsby arrived, he realized that Macon is just one of those towns. “Macon’s always been a musician town, even when it wasn’t a music scene,” he said.

“And some towns just have that. You wonder why, and I don’t know how… I don’t know why.” Mrs. Karla Redding-Andrews has been quoted saying, “I think there's just something in the water here.”

Macon has good bones for where we are headed. We’ve got a rich and diverse history, but right now there are studios and foundations that are bent on creating serious, impressive spaces for artists to work. The future of Macon music is looking better each day.

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THE Z BEANS STORY THE NAME

BY SHANE BUERSTER

May 2016 Why wasn’t El Oro, Ecuador exporting coffee to the United States? I’m not a genius, by any stretch of the imagination, so I knew there was some catch, some good reason…

November 2016 Arturo said he wanted to start importing coffee into The States, but he thought we should talk to the mayor of Zaruma first because “it’s important that he approves of the project.”

“Why does he have to approve of the project, Arturo?”

“There is a right and a wrong way to do business down here, Shane. We must run it by the mayor.”

January 2017 The mayor approved of the project. Arturo told him we would export thousands of pounds of coffee per year. We would change the fate of Zaruma! We would change the fate of the entire region!

Change fate? We didn’t even have a name...

February 6, 2017 Since it was essential that we had the local government’s blessing, we wanted to name the company after the city. It was only fitting.

11:17am- Conrad Cornell, a good friend of mine and founder of Press App, sends a message in our GroupMe: “Zaruma Beans.”

It just didn’t seem right. There was no magic, no spunk.

For more Z Beans stories you can find us here: ZBeansCoffee.com Facebook: @ZBeansCoffee Instagram: @ZBeansCoffee Storefront: 1635 Montpelier Avenue Macon, GA 31201

BE SURE TO VISIT OUR NEW LOCATION AT 311 COTTON AVE, DOWNTOWN MACON!

11:23am- I researched “Why did Kentucky Fried Chicken change their name to KFC?” I figured there had to be a good reason why a very successful 40-year-old company would change its name. Every article I read had a different answer. “KFC has fewer syllables,” or “They no longer wanted to be known for only fried chicken.” Another article seemed to go out in left field with “It’s detrimental for a company to have a city or specific region of the world in their name.” While it was a bit of a stretch for KFC, it made sense to me. I began looking at other articles related to naming a business. A Forbes article mentioned that a business should never “Box itself in.” If I named the company Zaruma Beans, would I ever be able to expand my product offerings into other regions of the world?

11:24am- While I was pondering this extremely important decision, overthinking it in every way, Conrad sent “Z Beans.”

That’s it. I didn't give it any more thought. We had found it.

Z Beans.

30 JULY 3-JULY 18, 2019

DINING-OUT IN CENTRAL GEORGIA A.P.’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY 4274 Broadway Macon | 478-781-5656 Classic rock n’ roll bar with burgers, salads, sandwiches, wings and more! Homestyle Southern Cookin’ Sundays! Outdoor seating available. L/D/Bar $

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BARBERITOS 4123 Forsyth Rd Suite G Macon | 478-621-4883 4921 Riverside Dr Macon | 478-254-5802 3123 Watson Blvd Suite 100 Warner Robins | 478-971-1138 barberitos.com Burritos, tacos, salads, quesadillas, nachos, and more using locally sourced, farm-fresh ingredients. L/D$–$$ BEARFOOT TAVERN 468 2nd St, Macon | 478-305-7703 bearfoottavernmacon.com Contemporary gastropub featuring a menu of New American fare & a beer garden with live music. L/D/Bar $–$$ CASHMAN'S PUB 370 Cherry Street, Macon | 478-219-9703 Neighborhood pub serving burgers, wings, and specialty items. Featuring live music on the weekends from regional and touring acts. L/D/Bar $-$$ DOVETAIL 543 Cherry St Macon (above the Rookery) | 478-238-4693 dovetailmacon.com Farm-to-table casual fine dining. Southern crafted small plates and a cultivated bourbon selection. Reservations encouraged.

Complimentary valet located on Mulberry St Lane for dinner only. Saturday & Sunday Brunch. D/Bar $$–$$$ DOWNTOWN GRILL 562 Mulberry St. Lane Macon | 478-742-5999 macondowntowngrill.com English-style steak and chop house with nightly features, extensive wine list, and amazing bourbon and whiskey selection. Cigar bar and private humidor. Complimentary Valet. Reservations encouraged. D/Bar $$–$$$ EDGAR’S BISTRO 5171 Eisenhower Pkwy Macon | 478-471-4250 edgarshospitality.com City Chic and a foodie’s dream! Edgar’s Bistro presents a dining experience that nourishes the body and soul. Open for lunch & dinner Monday-Friday, Edgar’s serves as a hands-on training facility for the Culinary students at Helms College’s Polly Long Denton School of Hospitality. Reservations encouraged. L/D $$–$$$

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FATTY’S PIZZA 344 2nd St Macon | 478-744-9880 fattyspizzamacon.com Pizza, calzone, wings, & salads. Gluten Free options and delivery to Downtown Macon. L/D $

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FINCHER’S BAR-B-Q 3947 Houston Ave Macon | 478-787-4648 5627 Houston Rd Macon | 478-7876947 891 Gray Hwy East Macon | 478-787-4649 519 N. Davis Dr Warner Robins | 478-787-4651 finchersbbqga.net So fine, it went to the moon in ‘69! Delicious Southern barbecue at four locations in Macon and Warner Robins featuring pulled pork, chicken, ribs, burgers, and more. Family owned & operated since 1935! L/D $ H&H 807 Forsyth St Macon | 478-621-7044 handhsoulfood.com “The H” is an institution woven into the fabric of Macon’s history. Since 1959, H&H has kept Macon’s most diverse clientele well-fed with delicious, stick-to-ya-ribs soul food— and is most famous for the unique friendship between founder Mama Louise Hudson and the Allman Brothers Band. B/L $

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INGLESIDE VILLAGE PIZZA 2396 Ingleside Ave Macon | 478-750-8488 inglesidevillagepizza.com It doesn’t get any better than IVP! Hand-tossed, homemade dough and fresh toppings, salads, sandwiches, and the sloppiest breadsticks! Voted the best pizza in Central Georgia by readers of the 11th Hour and the Macon Telegraph! 80+ cold, craft beers! L/D/Bar $

JUST TAP’D 488 1st St Macon | 478-599-9951 3123 Watson Blvd | 478-599-9950 justtapd.com Gastropub serving tap brews over the counter & bottles from the shelves, plus hearty bar grub. L/D/Bar $

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KUDZU SEAFOOD CO. 470 3rd St Macon | 478-292-2085 kudzuseafood.com From the Panhandle of Florida to the coast of Louisiana, the cuisine of the Gulf Coast is simple and unique. Kudzu Seafood Company brings the best of Southern coastal seafood to Downtown Macon! Offering a menu of fried and grilled seafood along with non seafood items prepared fresh to order in an open kitchen. Welcome to the Coast of Middle Georgia!

L/D/Bar $

Barberitos Dovetail

NU-WAY WEINERS 5572 Bloomfield Rd Macon | 478-781-1305 1602 Montpelier Ave Suite 105 Macon | 478-812-8200 921 Hillcrest Blvd Macon | 478-743-1047 148 Emery Highway Macon | 478-743-7976 3990 Northside Dr Macon | 478-477-0533 6016 Zebulon Rd Macon | 478-474-5933 1762 Watson Blvd Warner Robins | 478-929-4941 215 Russell Parkway Warner Robins | 478-923-5335 nu-wayweiners.com An iconic Macon Restaurant featuring the famous red hotdog!

Established in 1916 by Greek American James Mallis, Nu-Way is one of the oldest hot dog restaurants in the United States.

The New York Times declared Nu-Way the “king of the slaw dog “hill”. B/L/D $ OCMULGEE BREWPUB 484 2nd St Macon | 478-254-2848 ocmulgeebrewpub.com Ocmulgee Brewpub offers the best curated brews using the finest grains, hops, and yeast. Delicious gourmet burgers, super food salads, and hand-cut fries. L/D/Bar $ PAPOULI’S MEDITERRANEAN CAFE & MARKET 121 Tom Hill Sr Blvd, Macon | 478-474-0204 papouliscafe.com Mediterranean restaurant with a casual atmosphere. Gyros, Pita Wraps, Greek Plates & More! Papouli’s Mediterranean Cafe & Market also offers a large selection of imported grocery & deli items. L/D $–$$

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Piedmont Brewery & Kitchen H&H

PARISH ON CHERRY 580 Cherry St Macon | 478-257-7255 parishoncherry.com Cozy Cajun eatery in a rustic-chic setting dishing up classic Creole fare, such as ‘po boys & gumbo. Outdoor seating available. L/D/Bar $–$$

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PIEDMONT BREWERY & KITCHEN 450 3rd St Macon | 478-254-2337 piedmontbrewery.com Eclectic atmosphere with a menu featuring handcrafted beer and honest food. Family-friendly arcade and outdoor seating available. L/D $–$$ THE ROOKERY 543 Cherry St Macon | 478-746-8658 rookerymacon.com Legendary downtown eatery offering Southern rock & soul inspired burgers, sandwiches, fresh salads, shakes, daily features, and so much more! Soul Jazz Brunch on Saturdays!

Outdoor seating available. L/D $–$$

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SHANE’S 1592 Forest Hill Road Macon | 478-474-6481 Breakfast served daily, delicious pulled pork bbq and wings smoked on premises, fried chicken, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and more! All served to go. B/L/D $

Shane's

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Z BEANS 1635 Montpelier Avenue, Macon | 478-200-6136 311 Cotton Ave, Macon | 478-259-4348 zbeanscoffee.com Sandwiches, pastries, smoothies, teas, and freshly roasted coffee. Catering available. B/L $ 31

32 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

BO TALKS Part of Your World

I feel it’s well known that I consider myself a moderate to aggressive cinephile. Try as I might, I was never particularly “sporty.” The only sport I ever really enjoyed participating in was competitive swimming, which until Michael Phelps came along wasn’t anything most people paid much attention to. But movies (and music to a similar degree) were my sport. The actors were the team along with the writers and directors serving in coachlike roles. The theater was my stadium. I couldn’t tell you who played in what championship or who my favorite star athlete was, but I can vividly remember things like who I was with and where we sat in the theater when we snuck into From Dusk till Dawn in ’96…

And I read movie credits like I was looking for my next fantasy league draft pick.

You can imagine then how much I love talking about upcoming features. Yet upon returning to Facebook after a month-long sabbatical, I was shocked to find so many people up-in-arms over Disney’s recent casting for the upcoming live-action adaption of

The Little Mermaid. Now, I am pretty used to seeing people argue on social media (to be honest, I’m not sure what else people use it for these days), but I had no idea everyone had such strong opinions about the future of The Little Mermaid franchise!

Sometimes we become downright possessive over movies that we connected with during certain times in our lives. I understand feeling like you have earned some degree of say-so over its interpretations-- but you simply haven’t. These fictional tales of whimsy, tragedy, love, and adventure are as fluid as the waters of Atlantis. If you’re upset about this now, just think how irate the Hans Christian Andersen fanboys were when they heard the moneyhungry studio heads at Disney were rebranding yet another of his classic works! Believe it or not, singing crabs and slapstick seagulls were surprisingly absent from his original story.

There are also countless examples of people being proven wrong about actors being cast in iconic roles. Heath Ledger as the Joker

is one of the most well-known, but it happens all the time. Sure, there are times when those actors don’t get it right and what seemed like a bad idea turns out to be just that, but we get by somehow. As Dr. Ian Malcom so notoriously stated in the 1993 dinosaur epic, Jurassic Park, “Life, uh… Finds a way.” So, maybe you don’t like the new Ariel, and you’re bitter they probably aren’t going to cast a real flounder as Ariel’s fishy best friend. And don’t get you started on how they likely won’t cast a real half-purple-woman-half-octopus as Ursula the Sea Witch! But if I can get over Jar Jar Binks making a joke about doodoo in the Star Wars prequels, I believe anyone is capable of accepting near-limitless changes to the stories they know and love. I promise it’s all going to be ok.

Bo Walker is a local writer, who recently released an album titled Cinephile, on which he paired movie dialogue samples with original music compositions. It is available for free on his Bandcamp page... If you’re into that kind of thing.

11thHourOnline.com 33

By Aaron Irons

Don McLean is immortal. Since his enduring masterpiece “American Pie” first captured the world in the fall of 1971, it’s become threaded into not just our country’s cultural history but the world’s. McLean’s music has urged countless songwriters forward with icons from every genre citing compositions like “Vincent” and “The Grave” as inspiration. He might’ve never written another tune and we’d still revere him as one the greatest, but McClean’s career has spanned six decades of constant touring and the release of over twenty albums, including his most recent, Botanical Gardens.

I read a comment that you made about the evolution of the guitar playing troubadour in popular music, how the Big Band era was essentially derailed by Elvis and rock and roll and then the folk rejuvenation in the 1960s...You witnessed all of this first hand and then experienced it as an artist, a guitar-playing troubadour in your own right. Do you think that it will always come back to that?

34 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

We're guitar-centric now. Everything is about the guitar. In fact, piano players... I have a wonderful keyboard man and he does not get that much call to be on records.,You don't hear a piano on records anymore.

So it's guitar-centric and it's gonna stay that way. Ed Sheeran's probably one of the biggest phenomenons in the music business and he's just him and this little guitar!

And he also counts you as a major influence.

(Laughs) Yeah. But he's the phenomenon, social media guy... And kind of went around all the whole established business.

And again, it's some effects and him with the guitar. I kind of like that because I've been able to work. I'm getting pretty old now and I have just so many jobs, I don't

know what to do! I guess I helped with part of what created that in a way because from the '50s and '60s, we were all young and it was all new, that whole thing…

Again, leaving the big bands behind and being just a guitar-playing songwriter troubadour became the thing. And that's what he is.

When did you learn to play guitar and how'd you learn that distinctive picking style you have?

I do a number of things all mixed together, which I invented and which I also learned from living with and being with a number of very famous and wonderful old-time blues guitar players. One of them was Brownie McGhee and he would play guitar in a way that was a lead, but also in a percussive, rhythmic way.

'Cause the guitar is a percussion instrument, it's a lead instrument, it's a chord instrument. And those good blues boys would get that sound, all that stuff out of there at once. Then another great one was Josh White, who I had a chance to hang around.

Josh would play a style with all five fingers on the right hand where he would make these chops on the guitar. (Makes chopping sound) Like that! It would almost be like a horn band giving a big stop. It was a very percussive thing that he would do. So I learned all this stuff from them and then I started to break it down and make it kind of a piano style where things were all going on at once in the chord. That and also my flat-picking... I like to do a lot of bass runs and little lead-ins.

So when I play guitar with the band, my guitar's loud! It's in front of the whole band, it pushes the band. If my guitar drops out, the whole band starts to flow free.

So me and the drums and the bass are the center of the whole thing. It was an evolution because I wanted to be a lot of different things with the guitar when I was young. I love Carlos Montoya and I loved jazz guys and I liked blues guys and I had to figure out what was right for me.

And that leads me into my next question actually… ‘Cause you grew up with early rock n' roll but then it was folk music that became your medium, directly influenced by your mentors, the Weavers, and then your good friend Pete Seeger. Why folk music at that time? Why not rock n' roll all the time?

Elvis was really from the country and folk background and Buddy Holly too. What they

did was they got gravitated over to those electric guitars... I was in a bunch of little bands playing rhythm guitar. I was not a lead player. I loved all that stuff, the Ventures, and everything thing. Rock n' roll was a big part of it. But here's the thing, I didn't really work well with people and so when the folk thing came along, it was perfect for me to get a start in the business because I could work alone with my guitar and banjo. I learned my stagecraft and then I began to add back on the musicians to work with. One of them was John Platania who was on a bunch of Van Morrison classic albums-- and he was with me for 15 years, just the two of us. And then I started building a band unit, starting with Tony Migliore on the piano to what I have now, which is four or five, sometimes five guys. But I paid my dues as a soloist and went out of that into a group. That served me well because sometimes if the band doesn't

make it... At one time or other, we did a tour of England and there was... I don't know if you remember this, but in Iceland, there was a huge volcano and the volcano spit out so much of this volcanic ash that planes could not fly into England. So all plane traffic was almost nonexistent for about nine days, maybe two weeks. And I had a band that was coming over, we were starting a tour!

So I ended up doing it. Anybody else would have said, "Well, you know, I guess we're not going to do the tour and just to have to cancel it and do it some other time." But I did the first nine shows solo-- and I got great reviews (laughs)! So sometimes it's handy to know how to do that.

You brought up the banjo. How much of that instrument did you pick up from Pete Seeger?

Well, there's two different banjo players-you know, the great ones. One is Seeger and the other is Earl Scruggs. They're both different. Earl does his style and Earl has everything planned out. It's all planned out. Every time he played a break... You know, the "Flint Hill Special"? He played exactly the same way every time. And in my opinion, Flatt and Scruggs were one of the greatest musical organizations ever. They're as great as The Beatles, they're as great as any great rock n' roll band. They are way up there. Great as the Sons of the Pioneers or any of those great groups. Because they're perfect. The music was gorgeous and anything they did was... You can't change a note! Each one of those players were brilliant, but Pete was more of a guy who had a grab bag of wonderful things that he could do.

He had a number of different strums that he used and some of them he invented. He had a rhythm style on the banjo, certain things that he would do... I know how to do everything he did. I watched him very carefully. I invented a few things on my own, but eventually, I moved away from playing that instrument because I realized I could never be as good as either of those people. I didn't want to be doing a bad version of somebody else's stuff, so I kind of stopped. But I did get on a number of records, a few tracks with Leon Redbone, which came out pretty nice.

Let's talk about your latest album. I guess it just passed the one year mark, Botanical Gardens. I loved it. It's full of reverb, a fair amount of twang, which is my thing, but it was your first project in nearly a decade. Why the break?

I didn't have anything to say. I had some other problems that took a couple of years out of my life. And I'm not in a hurry. Nobody's waiting breathlessly for anybody's album these days. Except maybe Taylor Swift! I've got a lot of albums out there, but I put a lot of effort into [Botanical Gardens] and it wasn't hard. I enjoyed doing it. My favorite song on there is "Ain't She a Honey" which I don't know if you heard that, but that's got some wonderful slide work by Vip Vipperman who is a songwriter as well as a great guitar player-- and he's from Athens, Georgia! continued on page 36 11thHourOnline.com 35

Who were some of the other players on that album? 'Cause I really enjoyed the guitar tones. Sometimes it sounded like Ricky Nelson's old alt-country, Americana band that he put together later on.

in the studio who's gonna f--k up the whole session. If you don't know the people? You know what I'm sayin'? You don't want that. So you know how cool these guys are. They're all friends and you know you're going to have a good time.

We love that stuff. We love rockabilly, and we love that old fashioned telecaster era, stratocaster sound. I love that big D-28 Martin thing... My piano player is Tony Migliore and the drummer is Jerry Kroon who's been on a lot of hits. The bass player is Brad Albin, and also Mark Prentice. Both of them are fantastic. Brad travels with me. And also, in addition, we had Mike Severs as well on some of the stuff where we were double guitar things.

You made two particular albums I wanted to ask about...

Don McLean Sings Marty Robbins in 2001 and The Western Album in 2003. I'd always assumed that the pink carnation line from "American Pie" was a nod to Marty. But were you a big fan of cowboys and westerns growing up? Is that what got you into that project later on?

Where'd you record that album at?

A little place called Watershed Studios. It's a little house on a hill that Mike, who produced the record, found. I loved it! I think it turned out really well. It's in Nashville. I always record in Nashville. I have for many years. I know all the guys and the background singers.

That makes it easy. You just open up the Rolodex and go.

Yeah, because you never know when you're going to get a jerk

36 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

I wouldn't say I'm embarrassed to say this... But I'm kind of B western expert. I've been collecting films of the great B western stars since the mid-Seventies. And my favorites, of course, are Buck Jones and Tom Mix and Hoot Gibson-- and Ken Maynard is probably the greatest of all the B western star film guys. They are quintessentially what America should be. They are daredevils, he-man army guys... They flew their own planes and in the case of many of them, they wrote their own scripts. They were really something... And a lot of them came from the Midwest around car country, like Indiana. Buck Jones and Ken Maynard came from there and they were way into cars back in the 1930s. So these guys were something else.

Were you ever tempted or have you ever considered the opportunity to be in a western? You wouldn't be the first a singer-songwriter to go and do that?

No, I'm not an actor. I do what I know how to do. But I am a western horseman and I still have three horses. I've had horses and I've ridden horses on my own in all sorts of weather and environments and everything. I'm one of those guys, I know how to ride a horse and I know how to handle horses. I wouldn't mind doing some of that on a western movie but I wouldn't want to be in it because it takes a certain kind of... I don't think today you'd have the kind of actors that you would require to make a decent western. The last decent western was really Unforgiven that the Clint [Eastwood] did. Clint knows how to make a western movie!

I'm holding out that he's gonna make one more.

Well, I hope he does. In the old days, in the movies, you had a group of guys-- and if you know westerns, you'd know these people by their faces and their voices.

They called them the Gower Gulch Gang and these guys would show up at the door of the studio where Gower [Street] was every morning. And there would be like a "show-up". You know, like you were working as a stevedore almost on the docks? They'd tell people, "We want you, you, you, you, you, and you!" And they'd come in and work for two or three days on a B western. Not more than that 'cause that's how long it took. And then

they'd do it again. That's how they made their living. But their faces and voices...

Al Bridge and Charlie King and all these guys... You know these people because they would also turn up in legitimate movies. There's quite a few of them in It's a Wonderful Life with Jimmy Stewart.

There are real western guys that are predominantly in western movies.

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about "American Pie". One thing you've stated is that you wrote that one rather quickly when you were rushing to put together the follow-up to your first album, Tapestry. I find it oddly comforting and strange at the same time that anybody could just sit down and write an epic in one fell swoop.

No, I didn't write it quickly. I wrote the first part, the "long, long time ago" part, the slow part. And then I had that a long time.

I knew I had something that was really special and I had no idea how I was going to finish it.

So you did know at the time how powerful it had the potential to be?

I knew I had something I didn't want to blow, you know? I didn't want to lose it.

So I was very careful. But I didn't really realize how long it would be because when I actually wrote the body of the song, I just kept going! One verse led to another... I was in this just... Writing it down as fast as I could because I had this crazy idea and it was coming together!

I was like tuning in on radio almost, like

a telegraph operator or something. And that's how it happens.

Did you think that the length of it was going to be a detriment when it came, to the record label and the radio and the masses?

I never really thought like that. First of all, I never thought that Don McLean would amount to a hill of beans. Okay?

I'd made a first record and the record was well accepted. It was played on radio, underground radio. I went from being an opening act on a three-act bill in little night clubs to headlining and playing colleges and drawing audiences... It caused attention to be paid to me. And then I had to come up with another album. Pretty much, I was way into that and I certainly never thought I would ever have lasted 50 years-- and all over the world and have all these things happen to me. I never had that kind of ego. My ego was tied up in trying to do the most beautiful and interesting things I could do.

From Elvis to Madonna to Tupac, you and that song have had an influence on 20th and 21st Century music, and it's truly been incredible. It's 2019...

People are waking up every day hearing "American Pie" for the first time and becoming inspired. Why do you think it continues to resonate with people even today?

I have no idea but I'm damn glad it does.

I'll tell you that.

See Don McLean LIVE at the Monroe County Fine Arts Center in Forsyth, GA on Friday, July 26th! Tickets are available now at monroefinearts.com.

11thHourOnline.com 37

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www.centralgatech.edu • (478) 988-6800 A Unit of the Technical College System of Georgia 38 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

Equal Opportunity Institution

11thHourOnline.com 39

AMERICANA NEWS, NOTIONS, AND NONSENSE In case you missed it, Los Straitjackets released an EP of television theme songs back in June. Game of Thrones, Dancing with the Stars, Sex and the City, Ken Burns’ The Civil War, and The Andy Griffith Show all get the signature surf treatment from the masked men...

Jade Jackson’s Wilderness

is worth your time. Like her first album, 2017’s Gilded, the sophomore effort finds career badass Mike Ness in the producer’s seat and flexing his alt-country muscles…

Dori Freeman will release Every Single Star on 9/13…

The 24th Annual Farm Aid will take place on 9/21 at the Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East

Troy, Wisconsin. Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats, Yola, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, and truckloads more will be out in full force to raise awareness and funds for the current dairy farm crisis...

40 JULY 3-JULY 18, 2019

Iggy Pop will release

‘Til Wrong Feels Right: Lyrics and More on 10/1.

The “more” will consist of exclusive photos, illustrations, and personal stories and recollections from Pop’s friends and conspirators...

Luther and Cody Dickinson hit the family’s hallowed Zebra Ranch to record the new North Mississippi Allstars album. Guest stars include Mavis Staples, Jason Isbell, Duane Betts, Cedric Burnside, and Otha Turner. Look for Up and Rolling on 10/4...

Also on 10/4 John Prine’s Oh Boy Records will release Kelsey Waldon’s new album, White Noise/White Lines…

Massive is a word one might use to describe Bear Family Records new anthology, The Bakersfield Sound: 1940-1974. Ten discs, 307 tracks that weigh in at 755 minutes, a 220-page book with an introduction by Chris Shiflett, and an in-depth look by historian Scott B. Bomar are included in a price that runs just under $200. The set arrives on 8/2 and will feature a/b sides, alternate versions, live versions, and a whole heckuva lot from Buck Owens, Merle Haggard, Joe Maphis, Kay Adams, Clarence White, Jean Shepard, Wynn Stewart, and oh-so-many mo’...

Chris Knight will release

Almost Daylight on 10/11! The long-awaited new album will feature guest shots from Lee Ann Womack and John Prine...

Lee Fields & The Expressions will be at Terminal West in Atlanta on 10/31. Halloween will be a special night indeed…

FEATURED SHOW

INTO THE MYSTIC Former Allman Brothers Band “Tour Mystic” and world-renowned photographer Kirk West sits down to talk about some of his favorite music. He’s seen it all and taken photographs of most of it. West’s career began in Chicago in the 1960s, where he photographed Frank Zappa, Muddy Waters, and Junior Wells to name a few. Later on, he found himself on the Outlaw Country Circuit, chronicling the likes of Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, and George Jones while capturing some of the most iconic moments in country music history. Then there were the Tom Waits’ years, Bob Marley, and the list goes on and on. Into the Mystic takes on a different form each episode-- all blues or all country, British invaders, or obscure jazz. The common thread is each phenomenal story from the life of Kirk West. Gallery West is located at 447 Third Street in downtown Macon.

Presented by Houston Healthcare, join tour mystic Kirk West every Wednesday at 7 p.m. as he delves into the deeper side of the music.

AS HEARD ON

Playlist For The Week Of July 9, 2019

Singles Chart Powered By CDX TRACTION

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LUKAS NELSON & PROMISE OF THE REAL / Bad Case / Fantasy Records/Concord

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THE LUMINEERS / Gloria / Dualtone Records

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THE AVETT BROTHERS / High Steppin' / Republic

3

4

MAVIS STAPLES / Change / Anti-

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5

BUDDY & JULIE MILLER / I'm Gonna Make You Love Me / New West Records

6

6

JOSH RITTER / Losing Battles / Pytheas Records/Thirty Tigers

5

7

DYLAN LEBLANC / Renegade / ATO Records

15

8

WILLIE NELSON / Ride Me Back Home / Legacy Recordings (Sony)

8

9

HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER / I Need A Teacher / Merge Records

9

10

JJ CALE / Chasing You / Caroline/UMG

16

11

YOLA / Love All Night (Work All Day) / Easy Eye Sound/Nonesuch

12

12

SANTANA / Breaking Down The Door / Concord Records/Concord

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CHRISTONE KINGFISH INGRAM / Outside Of This Town / Alligator Records

10

14

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN / Hello Sunshine / Columbia Records

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15

SHOVELS & ROPE / C'Mon Utah! / Dualtone Records

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16

JAMESTOWN REVIVAL / This Too Shall Pass / Jamestown Revival Recordings/ Thirty Tigers

DEBUT

17

BRITTANY HOWARD / History Repeats / ATO Records

21

18

JADE JACKSON / Bottle It Up / Anti-

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JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE / Ain't Got No Money / New West Records

14

20

BAILEN / I Was Wrong / Fantasy Records/Concord

27

21

THE REVIVALISTS / Oh No / Loma Vista Recordings/Concord Music

28

22

RYAN BINGHAM / What Would I've Become / Axster Bingham/Thirty Tigers

Artist / Song Title / Label

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42 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

Thursday 7/18

THE CREEK STAGE @ THE ROOKERY Highway 41 with Hughes Taylor 7:30pm $10 FRIENDS ON THE HILL Pool Tournament 10:30pm JUST TAP'D Brain Blast Trivia 8pm

Friday 7/19

REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Big Kids Brunch 1pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Karaoke w/ The Captain 9pm

Sunday 7/21

A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Big Mike (Blues) 3pm Karaoke 7:30pm

Wednesday 7/24

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Dart League 7pm REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Trivia 8pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Jim Jam Karaoke & Dance Party

Thursday 7/25

FRIENDS ON THE HILL Pool Tournament 10:30pm

A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Karaoke w/ Jesse Jane 8pm-midnight

JUST TAP'D Brain Blast Trivia 8pm

REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR July Drag Show Extravaganza 9pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Mon Capitan 9pm

Friday 7/26

A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Karaoke with Jessie Jane 8pm-Midnight

Saturday 7/20

A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Skeeterz 8pm Never A Cover

CASHMAN’S PUB Rodney Appleby 9pm

REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Sunday Fun Day 1pm TRAVIS JEAN EMPORIUM Live Music 12:30pm CASHMAN’S PUB Kool Change 9pm

Monday 7/22

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Double Down Service Industry Night REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Karaoke w/ DJ B3 7pm THE ROOKERY Trivia 7pm

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Beer Pong Tournament 10:30pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Heavy Handed Showcase w/ Taped Fist & Tombstone Blues 9pm

Tuesday 7/23

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS Dart Tournament 4pm 2 Finger Jester 9pm THE HARGRAY CAPITOL THEATRE Perpetual Groove Acoustic Trio 8pm $12-$15

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Trivia 8:30pm Karaoke w/ DJ B3 10pm JUST TAP'D MACON Brain Blast Trivia 8pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Service Industry Night continued on page 45 11thHourOnline.com 43

44 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

Feed Your Inner Rock Star

OPEN JAMS & KARAOKE Monday

REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Karaoke w/ DJ B3 7pm

Tuesday

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Karaoke w/ DJ B3 10pm

Wednesday

ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Jim Jam Karaoke & Dance Party 9pm

Saturday 7/27

A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Big Mike 8pm Never A Cover

REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Karaoke w/ DJ B3 7pm

CASHMAN’S PUB Brandon Marsolo & Blake Bryant 9pm

THE ROOKERY Trivia 7pm

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS Dart Tournament 4pm ‘50s & ‘60s Party 9pm REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Big Kids Brunch 1pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Karaoke w/ The Captain 9pm

Tuesday 7/30

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Trivia 8:30pm Karaoke w/ DJ B3 10pm JUST TAP'D Brain Blast Trivia 8pm

Wednesday 7/31

Sunday 7/28

A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Big Mike 3pm Karaoke 7:30pm REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Sunday Funday 1pm TRAVIS JEAN EMPORIUM Live Music 12:30pm

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Dart League 7pm REBOOT RETROCADE & BAR Trivia 8pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Jim Jam Karaoke & Dance Party

Monday 7/29 Friday

A.P.'S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Karaoke w/ Jessie Jane 8pm

FRIENDS ON THE HILL (WARNER ROBINS) Double Down Service Industry Night

AMPERSAND GUILD POETRY & SPOKEN WORD Every 2nd Friday 7pm $5 (Free for performers) AMPERSAND GUILD OPEN MIC NIGHT Every 3rd Friday 7pm $5 (Free for performers)

Saturday

A.P.’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Karaoke 7:30pm ROCO’S BAR (BONAIRE) Karaoke w/ The Captain 9pm

Sunday

A.P.’S HIDDEN HIDEAWAY Karaoke 7:30pm

NEXT ISSUE

ON STANDS FRIDAY,

AUGUST 2 !

ND

11thHourOnline.com 45

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46 JULY 19-AUGUST 1, 2019

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