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HEAR IT! Cheers to the Triad’s Best
Sometimes you wanna go where everybody knows your name — and with that, Triad musicians get their own round of cheers in the Triad’s Best 2022 reader poll. Cover bands once again reign supreme with Camel City Yacht Club sailing in for the win for the top spot among the best “Tribute Bands,” along with Clay “Cap’n Morgan” Howard (aka “Best Vocalist,” “Best Songwriter,” and “Best Musician”).
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The crew themselves racked top slots, with Lauren “Fanny von Bottoms” Myers getting “Best Percussionist,” Greg “Tom Collins” Hurley winning “Best Guitarist,” and Jerry “Charlie Chardonnay IV” Chapman snagging second place for “Best Bassist.”
“I’m thrilled for the recognition and very grateful for every vote!” Howard said. Keeping things smooth, the Camel City Yacht Club will play the CoalPit (voted “Most Unique Place to Hear Live Music”) in Winston-Salem on June 18; and will be at the “Summer on Liberty” series on July 31.
Howard’s original outfi t, the Silver Alerts, will be with Buckcherry and Old Heavy Hands at the Ramkat (voted “Best Venue in Forsyth County”) on June 24 and on July 8 with Cracker at Ziggy’s.Space in High Point.
Spinning into second place for “Best Tribute Band,” Spindle 45 adds another trophy to their fold; with drummer Faye Wilson topping the list for “Best Percussionist,” and Laurie Alley placing second for both “Best Vocalist” and “Best Musician.”
“It’s an honor to place again this year,” Alley said. “Every year the fi eld gets bigger and more amazing musicians come onto the scene. It’s a privilege and a blessing to be able to make music surrounded by such talented band members.” Spindle 45 has dates booked through the summer, with upcoming shows at the Garage Tavern on June 17; they’ll play with Matt Weiser for the “Piedmont Triad Supports Ukraine” show on June 18 at The Deck (voted second-place for “Best Venue in Guilford County” and runner-up for “Most Unique Place to Hear Live Music”) and will be at Rizzo’s (runner-up “Best Venue in Forsyth County”) on June 24.
Runner-up is a charm for the Carolina Pines, who fi nished runner-up for “Best Tribute Band” with Mark Vestich coming in as runner-up for “Best Bassist,” Mark Miller as runner-up for “Best Guitarist,” and Cody Haviach as runner-up for “Best Songwriter.”
“We’re beyond honored and couldn’t be more excited,” Haviach said. “The Triad audience is the reason we keep coming out to play music.” While the group is working on new covers, the Pines are shifting into more original material. They’ve recently released the “Reckless Heart” single and video; with an upcoming album expected later in the year. They’ll be at Breathe Cocktail Lounge on June 17; at Old Nick’s Pub in Lewisville on June 18; and at Folly’s Draft and Snack (voted “Best Intimate Music Venue” and “Most Unique Place to Hear Live Music”) on June 25.
Vagabond Saints Society’s take on the Rolling Stones rolled into the runner-up slot for “Best Live Show of 2021.” Fans can relive the experience on June 23 at the Ramkat for a special documentary screening from Director Carrissa Jones. VSS will take the stage as Duran Duran at the Ramkat on July 29.
Gears and Guitars festival took the top prize for “Best Live Triad Music Show of 2021,” it’ll return September 9-11, while Hotwax and the Splinters at the Brewer’s Kettle snagged second place for “Best Live Show.” The “not your daddy’s bluegrass” outfi t also placed second for “Best Original Band” while Clyde Lewis came in second for “Best Songwriter.”
Lewis (who hosts the “Monday Night
Katei Cranford
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Brewgrass Jam“ at Brewer’s Kettle in Kernersville) gave a special thanks to the “#SplinterNation” for the votes. “You’re the best fans in the Triad,” he said. “There’s no better feeling as a band than hearing patrons tell us that they never knew that they loved Bluegrass until seeing our show.” The Splinters return to the Brewer’s Kettle in High Point on June 18.
Red Dirt Revival at BreakTime Billiards rocked the runner-up “Best Show,” with Robert “Red” Elliot snagging runner-up for “Best Musician.” They’ll be at Whiskey Sowers in Mebane on June 17; at Apps & Taps in Mooresville on June 18; and at Ziggy’s.Space on June 23.
Killing Gophers killed as the top contender for “Best Original Band,” with Kevin Beroth winning “Best Bassist,” guitarist Mark McKernan and drummer Tim Bernthal took second place for their respective instruments. It’s a success to follow their latest album, “Get. In. Line,” which was recorded by Doug Williams at EMR Recorders (who won second place for “Best Recording Studio”). Work is already underway on a new record. They’ll be at Rizzo’s in Clemmons on July 9th, and at Bull City Cider Works in Lexington on July 17th.
The Malamondos, meanwhile, rounded runner-up for “Best Original Band;” with drummer Jaysen Buterin taking runner-
