Shiny Toy Guns Shine at Nashville’s Exit/In…

It was late Friday night, when I got a call from a local musician and friend, Guy Farmer, asking me if I’d like to go and see the Shiny Toy Guns show. He told me to just show up, that I would be on the list. So, I figured “Why turn down a FREE concert, I mean the Verizon commercial was pretty cool, right?”

When I got there, it was pretty crowded, definitely not a sell-out; but for Nashville, it was decent. For those of you who are unaware, Nashville is famed for its low concert attendance. It affects not only the poor and struggling indie artists, but larger international touring artists, who choose to completely skip over Nashville, heading on to cities like Atlanta, Birmingham, Memphis, etc. The Shiny Toy Guns, however, had rallied up a nice sized crowd. Filled with tons of hipsters wearing skinny jeans, guyliner (you know, eyeliner for guys), faux hawks, and vintage retro prints, the Exit/In was the mecca of cool.

STG @ the Exit/In 5.1.09

As the STG made their way up and onto the stage, the crowd screamed and cheered. The friendly welcome, was returned with a flashy response as the stage lights went on, and the band struck its first note. Immediately, I noticed that the STG had brought along their own small, but stunning, light show. Perfectly programmed to change color and flash with each and every beat, the STG hit. I was admittedly, not too familiar with the STG, so I stood there, just kind of listening and following the lights until I decided that I was going to hang around and see the show through to the end.

As a recording studio owner, and self-professed gear ogler, I had to get a closer look to find out just exactly what they were working with. The STG are a four piece band, comprised of Mikey Martin on drums, Chad Petree the guitarist/lead male vocalist, Jeremy Dawson who plays bass and synthesizer, and Sisely Treasure, who plays synth, bass and sings. Any time a band uses a synthesizer, I pay attention, as I think they are one of the most versatile instruments a touring band could have; especially when it’s a good analog synth. To my greatest pleasure, I noticed that the synth the STG used was the Roland Juno 60, just like the one we use at our recording studio, WaterWorks Entertainment. Once I noticed this, I was firmly swayed into the “fan camp.” It was such a relief to see that the STG were actually playing the subsonic sounds and beats they have become so famous for blending with their pop/rock tunes. It is all to common to see bands throw up the laptop computer and press play. (I am not opposed to the laptops, just relieved that electronica bands are still out there playing instruments!)

Shiny Toy Guns

The STG delve up a cool blend of electronica and dance, with a pinch of goth, and a big old heap of rock and roll. While their sound is not uniquely original (Cleopatra Records has been releasing albums in this vein for years), the STG do an excellent job of serving it up live. The crowd was into it, jumping around, dancing and shouting. By the time the encore came around, the fans were either to tired, or to drunk, to scream much louder than they already had. However,  when the band took the stage again, and the lights fired up, the crowd quickly followed, continuing their jumping and dancing through a three song encore. As I mentioned before, I was not all that familiar with the STG, but I did recognize two of the encores; “Don’t Cry Out,” and “You Are the One.” “Le Disko,” from the Verizon commercial was played midway though the set.

Overall, the Shiny Toy Guns were great. I came as a curious onlooker, and left a fan. Oh, and I went and snagged both of their records too! You can purchase “We Are Pilots” and “Season of Poison” on both Vinyl and CD through the band’s website, www.shinytoyguns.com, in the merch section.

Shiny Toy Guns have two official releases, both of which are available through Amazon:
*We Are Pilots (2006)
*Season of Poison (2008)

Shiny Toy Guns have also appeared on numerous compilations and tribute CDs to include:
*Goth Electro Tribute to Depeche Mode -(October 4, 2005; contributed “Stripped”)
*Goth Electro Tribute to Prince – (July 4, 2006); contributed “Nothing Compares 2 U”)
*This is Rave-Electro – (January 1, 2007; contributed “Stripped”)
*Gothic Divas – (January 1, 2007; contributed “Stripped”)
*Blood & Chocolate Soundtrack – (January 23, 2007; contributed “Stripped”)
*Bam Margera Presents – Viva La Bands, Vol. 2 – (September 4, 2007); contributed “Rocketship”)
*Monster New Wave Hits- (April 24, 2007; contributed “Stripped”)
*Nightmare Revisited – (September 30, 2008; contributed “Finale/Reprise”)

For more info on the Shiny Toy Guns, visit them online at:
www.shinytoyguns.com

Author:Rosemary Haskins, co-owner of WaterWorks Entertainment

Toni Price, 30 songs and 30 shots…

Toni Price

Austin resident, Toni Price, hit the stage last night in Nashville, at the Douglas Corner Cafe. The dimly lit venue, with it’s brick lined walls and green tinted lighting, was a quaint compliment to the singer’s sultry voice. The evening, which started as a low-key acoustic session, quickly morphed into a whiskey driven walk down memory lane for Price and her audience. Reminiscing about late night jam sessions, Price became not only the evenings entertainment, but an instantaneous friend, drawing her audience in like a moth to a flame.

Known as “the queen of the back-porch blues,” Price belted out songs about the blues, life, love, and learning, with numbers like ”Cats and Dogs,” “Lucky,” “Like the Sun,”  and “Moonlight Blues,” many of which were written by Gwil Owens, who provided last night’s acoustic guitar. Each song was followed by a shot of whiskey, making the bar tender a permanent part of the act.

Price’s voice is definitely what draws people to her. A self confessed talentless songwriter, she laughed and slurred, “if I had to write my way out of a paper bag, I’d still be in it.” Owens, on the other hand, is better left to the writing and playing, as heard in his attempt to throw in background vocals on a couple of songs.

Dressed in a nude-pink shimmering dress, that came inches above the knee, Price posed and smiled through many of the more upbeat songs, while drunkenly weeping through the sadder ones. Her performance, though whiskey fueled, was nonetheless a delight for all in attendance. She joked that she was going to write a memoir entitled “Who the Hell Remembers?,” which seems ever so appropriate, and explained what “irons” are. According to Price, “irons are tiny pieces of irony.” which was followed by a wave of laughter, as were many of her interjections.

Live at the Douglas Corner Cafe, April 18, 2009

Price appears as  a cross between Emmy Lou Harris, Sheryl Crow, and Janis Joplin. The singer, now 48, resembles Emmy Lou, with her long flowing grayed hair, sounds eerily like Sheryl Crow, and drinks more whiskey than even Janis Joplin could have. With her red draped shawl, which she clung to in a manner that would make any burlesque fan proud, her tiny sequined dress, and unshaved “all natural legs,” Price surprisingly came off as a sexy, sultry blues singer, worthy of any good Vegas lounge. It’s no surprise that she has long been revered as one of Austin’s diamonds, rough as it may be.

Price currently has seven albums available, all of which are available on Amazon.

• Swim Away (1993)
• Hey (1995)
• Sol Power (1999)
• Low Down and Up (1999)
• Midnight Pumpkin (2001)
• Born to Be Blue (2003)
• Talk Memphis (2007)

For more info on Toni Price, visit:

www.toniprice.com

And check out NPRs feature on Toni at:

http://www.npr.org/programs/morning/features/2002/feb/price/020218.price.html

Author: Rosemary Haskins, co-owner of WaterWorks Entertainment

“Make Out with Violence” hits the big screens in Nashville, this weekend!

Dearest Friends, Enemies, and Lovers,

I wanted to let you all know about the screening of Make Out With Violence, at the Green Hills Cinema. As a part of the Nashville Film Festival, the film is back on the big screen, once again. This time, armed with tons of awards and accolades, including:

What the critics are saying:
“It’s pretty damn good.” —Scott Weinberg, Cinematical

“A lyrical, surreal and deeply felt zombie movie that constantly
subverts and rethinks the genre.” —Jim Ridley, Village Voice

“One of the most original films I’ve seen at a festival.” —Kim Voynar, Film Essent

” it’s the American Graffiti of Zombie love stories.”
—Tim Anderson, Bloody-Disgusting.com

Fans of “the Virgin Suicides,” “American Beauty,” “the Ice Storm,” and “Night of the Living Dead, ” just might dig this little indie nugget. It’s not really a horror film, there are zombies, but they are not the kind you would see in modern box office films like “28 Days Later” or “Dawn of the Dead.” Instead, the star Zombette is romanticized spectacle, as Johnny Depp was in “Edward Scissorhands.” It’s interesting… to say the least. With that said, go and see it, I loved it, you just might too!

Plus as an added bonus, you can watch my name show up in little hot pink letters (I think they were hot pink) in the credits section. Yeah! The film has an EXCELLENT soundtrack, much of it performed by the Lehning brothers’ Non-Commissioned Officers. You can check the NCO at the Mercy Lounge, in Nashville, April 23rd at 9pm. I heard a roomer that you could get in for FREE with a ticket stub from the MOWV film screening.

Screening Times:
WHEN?
Sunday, April 19, 2009, at 7:45 PM
Monday, April 20, 2009, at 4:00 PM

WHERE?
Regal Green Hills 16
3815 Green Hills Village Drive
Nashville, TN 37215
(615) 269-5910

cha-cha
ROSEMARY