If you’ve been wondering what’s happening with the promised reopening of The Brewery , have no fear. Tom Taylor, longtime editor and publisher of EDGE Magazine and the newest manager of the longtime Raleigh rock club, finally obtained the proper beer permits last week, and plans to open the doors to the public this Friday at 8:30 p.m.
Reality Entertainment’s Slavemachine, a band based out of Jacksonville and Raleigh, will headline the resurrected venue’s debut supported by Confliction and Age of Despair. If those names strike a metallic chord, expect the same from The Brewery in the coming months, at least on Fridays. Taylor says Friday nights–which are already booked well over a month in advance–will be reserved strictly for the heavier stuff, from “new metal like Godsmack” to “hardcore and heavy, heavy metal.”
The rest of the week, though, The Brewery will be run as an anything-goes rock club, in which Taylor plans to book a diverse fair of rock, reggae and funk. Already, J-Theory–a Winston-Salem fusion trio that gets its name from the first initial of each band member’s name (and not from its drug of choice)–is on the books for July 10. Acoustic music will dominate each Tuesday night along with special events, such as a bikini contest that will be held on June 8 as local songsmith Rob Alford plays a set. It also looks as if the Lincoln Theatre will have some competition for its tribute band crown: Taylor has already booked the top Ozzy Osbourne, Iron Maiden and KISS tribute bands for this summer.
Taylor has been calling on his old friends from his work at EDGE in order to fill open dates. “We’ve got a lot of good reaction with this so far. I’ve been getting a ton of e-mails and calls and press kits from bands that just want to get back in here and play,” Taylor says a week away from the opening. “We’re ready.” Triangle metal finally has a new home.
Some early dates for the club include:
Compilation Worthy
If you’re beating the heat at a Starbucks Coffee this summer and find yourself tapping along to a song that sounds local, you’re probably hearing
The Rosebuds . The melodically savvy duo of Kelly Crisp and Ivan Howard have earned a spot on Hear Music Playlist Volume 1 with “Back to Boston,” from their Merge Records debut Make Out. Rachael Yamagata, JEM, Sarah Harmer, The Shins and twelve other acts all appear on the disc, available at www.hearmusic.com and any Starbucks store.
If that doesn’t fulfill your compilation fancy, be sure to grab a copy of the first Okayplayer compilation, True Notes, Vol.1, released in May through The Roots’ new Okayplayer Records. Triangle trio Little Brother has two new tracks, “On and On” and “Shake It,” on the 19-track LP. Other contributors include The Roots , Aceyalone & Madlib, Dilated Peoples and RJD2.
Checking on Bickett
Bickett Gallery is quickly turning into another local music hot spot. Singer/songwriter Ryan Pound has been booking shows at the Five Points art gallery for five months, and the June docket is perhaps the strongest yet.
Kennebec will return to Bickett for its third show there this year on Friday night, followed by the excellent Spader on Saturday night. Pound and John Harrison of
North Elementary will play on June 10, and local sitar hero Viswas Chitnis will perform the next night. Stolie, a Chicago-based chanteuse, will split the bill with Goner’s accordion-wielding Scotty Phillips for a special Monday night show on June 12. Schooner will play a pop blowout on June 25 with Erie Choir (featuring members of Sorry About Dresden ) and Wilmington’s Summer Set .
The Bickett space is also lending itself to some interesting collaborations. Members of Phon and
Ticonderoga will back Eric Amling during a spoken word performance on June 24, and Defenestrator’s Crowmeat Bob will bring in special guests for his “Death Jazz” performances every Wednesday night. Visit www.bickettgallery.com for more information. 
Please e-mail Grayson with your Raleigh news: dgcurrin@unity.ncsu.edu
