MUSIC FEATURE
A TWIST OF OLD TIME COUNTRY
The Loose Lugnuts weren’t born in a bar, they birthed one
Pg. 10 APR 6 - APR 19, 2022 - QCNERVE.COM
BY PAT MORAN
Ask a Charlotte music fan to name a consummate performer that defines the city, and you’re likely to get one of a handful of answers. R&B aficionados are likely to pick gravel-voiced country soul artist Anthony Hamilton, who once had the audacity — and accuracy — to say that no one had a Blacker voice than him. Others would likely side with “Rockstar” rapper DaBaby, a consistently inventive and controversial artist, who may or may not have tempered his propensity for sexist and homophobic pronouncements. Still others will plump for Concord-boys-made-good The Avett Brothers, who’ve stretched their roots in hoot-and-holler bluegrass and folk to big guitar rock and beyond. These are all worthy choices, but another local act deserves to be in this august company. Like DaBaby, they honor existing musical elements while spinning them off in an inventive directions. They don’t sound like Anthony Hamilton, but they sure sound Southern — and quintessentially Charlotte. Like the Avett Brothers, their band centers on a pair of local siblings, but they’ve dug even deeper into their roots. Formed by brothers Mark and Brian Wilson, The Loose Lugnuts are Queen City gems that have been overlooked by the critical establishment for over 20 years. Comprised of Mark on rhythm guitar and lead vocals, Brian on drums, lead guitarist Bill Noonan and bassist Jef Pearce, the foursome plays rough-edged rowdy country that draws from the wellspring of all-American genres, the font from which country, rockabilly and rock ‘n’ roll emerged. They’re so good at what they do, it’s impossible to tell the difference between the emotionally direct covers they love to play live and the powerful punchy originals they craft, which sound like they were cut contemporaneous to tunes by “the singing lineman” Jimmie Rodgers and country-pop crossover “King of the Road” Roger Miller. “Our folks are from Ashe County, and our dad was always singing old country music in the morning,” Brian Wilson says. “Initially I’d think, ‘What is going on?’ then for whatever reason it sunk in that I enjoyed it.”
THE LOOSE LUGNUTS (FROM LEFT): BILL NOONAN, MARK WILSON, BRIAN WILSON AND JEF PEARCE The Lugnuts’ songs, written by Mark Wilson, are not mere classic country pastiches, however. The band’s tunes revitalize the old-school genre’s plainspoken poetry and emotional accuracy with a contemporary sensibility and scalpel-sharp playing. In the process, The Loose Lugnuts balance nostalgia and modernity, being grounded in an up-to-theminute party atmosphere while reaching back to Charlotte’s past as a semi-sleepy Southern town. The Loose Lugnuts will play a special show at The Thirsty Beaver for Mark Wilson’s birthday on April 24, and Midwood Maynia at Midwood Park on May 7. The Loose Lugnuts, incidentally, are also the perfect band to feature in Queen City Nerve’s Beer Issue. Not only are they the quintessential bar band, they’re a band that owns a bar — one that (mostly) adheres to serving only canned beer and is widely admired and beloved in Charlotte. The Wilson Brothers launched the down-home and resilient dive bar the Thirsty Beaver Saloon 14 years ago, in part, Brian Wilson says half-jokingly, because he and Mark wanted to open a honky-tonk where their band could play. Be that as it may, when The Thirsty Beaver opened its doors, it proved to be the perfect embodiment of the Wilsons’ love for their favorite music genre, centered on spotlighting three things — old country, the aforementioned canned
COURTESY OF BRIAN WILSON
beer, and a small TV set that only plays episodes of people be nice to each other no matter who they Hee Haw, the cornpone musical variety show that were — and it all started with country music. aired off-and-on from 1969 to 1997. Brian Wilson was born to Methodist minister Ben Wilson and his wife 52 years ago. Brian’s brother Rockstars, middle fingers and Mark followed six years later. Ben loved the music of Grand Ole’ Opry, and he was constantly singing country music songs by artists like Hank Williams and Tom T. Hall. Recent arrivals to Charlotte may identify the Growing up in Pond Mountain in Ashe County, Beaver as that place where The Rolling Stones’ Mick Brian was captivated by the music his father sang. Jagger slipped away for a beer and an Instagram Even though he likes pop and rock artists like Bruce photo during his tour stop here in September 2021. Springsteen, Brian says he filters music through his Longer time residents might think of some photos knowledge of country. that were as big in their day as the picture of the “There’s always been that foundation of country iconic rockstar enjoying some rest and relaxation at music,” he says. “I look for it and find it, even when the cozy and welcoming dive bar last fall. I’m listening to other genres. I say, ‘There’s an In 2017, those pictures, published overseas as element this guy is doing that’s kind of country.’” far away as the United Kingdom, showed the plucky The Wilson family moved from Ashe County single-story honky tonk ringed by the high-rise to Charlotte, and in high school Brian got a set of buildings that flank it today, forbidding runaway drums that someone was going to throw out. After development that blocks the sun from reaching attending college at Appalachian State University in the feisty dive bar. Many saw the construction as Boone, he returned home and started playing music punishment from a thwarted developer who wanted with his brother in 1990. the Wilson brothers pushed out, and in short, that’s “After I got out of Appalachian, I lived out back precisely what happened. at a shed at my parent’s house,” Brian says. “That was The fracas with the developer turned the Wilsons our music room.” into inadvertent rebels. Brian maintains that all that The brothers started playing small gigs that he and Mark ever wanted was to open an accepting their father had set up after having dubbed the duo place where the only requirement for entry was that
