Newspapers / The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.) / March 23, 2001, edition 1 / Page 11
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March 16, 2001 OVT FOR A S LOT ITT SIOTII6IT BSSpjL JBt - : • . H if I ma^a No, you're not tripping. This is simply the supernatural aura of The Knowledgeable Kamakasi, Neil Taveras. What a hunk. ence. Tim Lafollette's band sets up their wares composed of stuffed animals, a blow-up tulip, and a worn umbrella. 9:43 p.m. "I had me a girl from North Carolina, she is still on my mind....a." Tim croons a Tom Waites cover accompa nied by an acoustic guitar into a front stage mike. Geordie Woods on drums, Ted Fetter on keyboard, and Eric Mann on guitar enter the main stage. The band is bedecked in shorts, knee high striped 80's socks, and T's and proceeds to play original pieces reminis cent of Tim's friends, memo ries, and fears in the past 4 years. Tim's fascinating stage presence ignites with his rote recitation of a scene from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, with almost perfect imperson ation of Splinter the rat, and his glorious tribute, in song, to Jesse, present and held atop someone's shoulders, cheering and singing along 3 feet from the stage. 10:22 p.m. Outside the side door of Dana, five people stand around smoking butts. Through a window into a class room, fluorescent bulbs out line the forcefully gesticulated movements of a man practic ing for his turn on stage, his body reacting to his muted words. The rhythmic nature of his expressions permeate through the jostling of voices Features yelling and laughing. 10:45 p.m. Neil Taveras, aka the Knowledgeable Kamakasi, ap proaches the mic with wide-legged jeans cuffed at his shoes and camoflage tee. The man who was practicing in the win dow is now facing the pendulum of a sway ing crowd, moving to his confident rapping over recorded beats. Neil is two men. He says, "this first one is gonna give you a taste of what the Knowledable Kamakasi is all about, and after that you're gonna hear what Neil Taveras is all about." True to form, Neil shifted between raps DAVE SNOTT in the style of popular MC's, emitting lyrics that boast of "mad skills" and raps display ing his use of the medium to deal with personal feeling and circumstances. 11:16 p.m. Dave and three helpful bodies drag his drum-set for ward. The announcers, eager to perform, scramble on stage and fill the role of clowns in the ever-intoxicating circus. 11:34 p.m. Everything changes. De hydrated bodies burst into flames, ignited by the deep soulful rhythmic pulse of Her b i e Hancock's "Chameleon" thumped and pierced on layed-back strings. In the balcony, sil houetted dancers arc through empty space filled with feeling, their bodies spin ning and throbbing, their arms curving and diving to the suddenly won derfully tan gible feeling of Cousin Jimmy. Nothing L m "••' -..X'"'.- : f K* s!wL h ' I• ' ■HL f^^figx. * >M ?|gr 'J^WMEp * M Ki jyclk ' e ..i 4 The Guilfordian exists but funk. Cousin Jimmy works like cocaine, and, after the first dose, Curly teases the audience's new hooked addiction while the other members re-tune by throwing out riffs of Led Zeppelin and southern rock heav ies; the crowd sucks it up and begs for more. Curly only gives them little tastes and laughs blissfully at their reaction while his hands make lithe, precise movements across strings. Their next song, Allman Brothers "Hypnotized," turns the mood from dance to drone. Whole note harmonies from the two guitars epically es calate and reverberate against the walls of Dana. Bodies brought to the trance-like state of the song sway, bounce, or stand im mobile. 12:27 p.m. A shy Jenne Sluder, lead singer for Waiting For January, who sat alone most of the night, approaches the stage and drops all reservation. Though the sound system, at times, leaves the au dience struggling to decipher the words, the emotions in her face and tone articulate the temper of the songs, brooded in sadness, passion, and mystery. Mary- Eleanor Joyce, Asa Archer, Andy Ben Many, guitarist for Cousin Jimmy, is the epitome of Southern rockstar. He knows ft too. And how could he not with that spankh' fine cowboy hat 0n.... u ■f **£**■ '/ A ML* I'll betGeordie Woods,drummer for Little Brother and the Spoiled Siblings, sure knows how to keep a rhythm. (Wink wink.) Nunnery and an ever-growing pile of shoes (confiscated from unsuspecting partiers and thrown joyously on stage) revital ize the fatigue-fallen on-lookers for one last hoorah. 1:09 p.m. Dana disperses in all direc tions, some walking, some danc ing, some stumbling. No one knows who won "Battle of the Bands", but no one seems to care. Editor's Note: As a result of the Battle of the Bands, Cousin Jimmy, Little Brother and the Spoiled Sib lings, and Waiting for January will kick off the Serendipity festivities at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday. Stay tuned for more details and locations. Page 9 LYNDSAY ELIAS
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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March 23, 2001, edition 1
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