Excellent Weekend for Live Music in Alexandria
Friday Night: Mike Comfort. The Frosty Factory. 9PM. $5
You may have not heard of him, but you’ve heard his songs. Rah Rah ClearChannel (Cenla Broadcasting)! Seriously, this guy has a reputation throughout the nation for solid, steady adult contemporary music. Click on “Pledge”–this is the song everyone knows. They even play it on the radio, guys.
Saturday Night: Alexandria Music Project. At the Ampitheater. Featuring Multiple Music Acts. Beginning at 5:30PM. $12.50 at the door.
AMP is a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing music into Alexandria. If you’re not already a member, I highly encourage you to join tomorrow.
Glossary
The quality (and quantity) of bands that come out of the little “holler” of Murfreesboro, TN shouldn’t surprise anyone. With one of the nations’ top recording programs in town at Middle Tennessee State University, the place is bound to be a hotbed for bands, musicians-to-be, and probably quite a few has-beens as well. Notable successful and somewhat-successful regionals include The Katies, The Features, and Fluid Ounces/Seth Timbs. Not to be lost in the local shuffle are the land’s purveyors of thinking-man’s southern rock, kicked-up and dirtied-down Americana, and just about every term that rock critics are tossing about for “alt-country” these days. Listen up, Glossary is your new band.
Mark White
Mr. White is a singer-songwriter with a passionate voice and a wide-ranging, unique songwriting sensibility. His roots trace back to Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens, and his influences include Bright Eyes, Blind Melon, and Tool. Mark is an all-around musician who plays multiple instruments. He was born and raised right here in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Download Mark’s first single “No Reason” on Tipitina’s website.
Scott Miller and the Commonwealth
Mr. Miller is this year’s Ryan Adams, a talented singer-songwriter emerging from a cult band (the V-Roys) with an astonishingly good solo album (Sugar Hill). The only difference is that Mr. Adams weeps better, while Mr. Miller rocks better. (The Year in Pop and Jazz: The Critics’ Choices, New York Times, Dec. 23, 2001).
Uncut Magazine Review
Review of Thus Always to Tyrants, Uncut Magazine, October 2001If Scott Miller sounds like a surrogate Steve Earle, it’s hardly surprising, Miller was part of the late lamented V-Roys, whose albums were produced by Earle, and his first solo album strongly bears the great man’s influence. The blend of rock guitars, muscular melodies, roots sensibility and brutally honest lyrics make it an outstanding debut, and “Absolution” ranks as one of the great drinking songs of our time. Spirited, sassy and visceral, Billboard reckons it’s the best roots-rock album of the year. They may not be far wrong.
CenLamar 
Hey Lamar….It’s Cenla Broadcasting, not Clear Channel.
Lamar – Thanks for the AMP plug. Just for the record, AMP is a membership organization and doesn’t really sell tickets. But we absolutely will not turn anyone away at the door because the project really is about getting people plugged in and introducing new music to the community in hopes that it will return – and it has. So if you do show up and you are not a member, please just make a donation of $12.50 per person, but more importantly FILL OUT A MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION at the gate and become a member of AMP for the calendar year 2007.
AMP is a 501(c)(3) public charity, but has no grants or sponsors, which is by design because it keeps the focus on the audience and the individual members. AMP does not advertise, so its up to the members to help grow it by word of mouth. I could go on and on about the importance of membership as a show of general support for live music and the benefits to the community, but I need another cup of coffee. The quality of music and crowd response will speak for itself.
If you want to go to the show (and I hope you do), be sure to bring an ice chest filled with your favorite food and beverages of any sort. Outlaws BBQ will be on site if you don’t want to pack in food.
That’s this Saturday (11/4) at the Red River Amphitheater (Murray Street at the River). Mark White will start about 5:30p.m. Glossary will start about 7p.m. and Scott Miller and the Commonwealth will take the stage about 9pm.
If you have any questions or want further details, visit the website at http://www.alexandriamusicproject.org or call me (Graves) at 542.6794.
This is great to know that they allow “walk-ins” for a gate price of $12.50, especially for the last event of the year. AMP is filling a real niche in the community so everyone should turn out to support them Saturday (and buy memberships for the next season). Every band is not for every ear, but I’ve always really liked at least one of the offerings. Anyway, there’s always enough to enjoy just getting together with friends outdoors on a beautiful night.
true. the crowd is always lively and fun.
Maybe I’m dumb (okay, yes I am dumb), but where exactly do I download Mark’s “passionate” single?
Get that music scene nice and hot for me for when I get back at the end of next summer.
thanks for your support as always lamar! we had a great show last night with a great crowd! Mike comfort and co. were super pumper about alexandria after the show. They had an awesome time. They might show up tonight at the frosty factory for a small unannounced set between the denver connection sometime after 11pm. come check it out as a possible AMP afterparty! Man i wish i could get my boogie on with you guys downtown!! Thanks AMP for supporting local music as well!!
mp199