Savannah Stopover 2014 – March 8th – Preview

stopover 2014Alright, you’ve had a great time, you’ve gotten to enjoy a good bit of the city, and you’ve even caught a few good shows or 15. But the weekend isn’t over yet! This may be the last day of Stopover, but don’t think that things are going to let up just yet. If you’re up early enough on Saturday and haven’t gotten a chance to explore the city just yet, make sure to make good use of your early morning hours because music starts early on Saturday and there’ll be plenty to keep you busy the entire time. So take an hour or two in the morning, check out some of the local highlights like the O’Connor Home and other architecture around historic downtown, and make sure to grab a bite to eat before you start checking out shows because once things kick off, it’ll be a near constant stream of bands all day.

SARAH & PETEE: COEDS: 2:30pm @ Knights of Columbus

This will be local Savannah band COEDS’ third show and I can’t wait! With a mix of members from Whaleboat and Lovely Locks, they combine the sound of a sock hop with a little bit of rock and roll. (Side note and shameless plug from Petee: Check out a quick review of their last show at here at local Savannah music blog, Hissing Lawns!)

SARAH: The Whiskey Gentry: 5pm @ The Jinx

Pulling their name from a Hunter S. Thompson quote, The Whiskey Gentry prove that there’s more beneath the surface. This sextet formed in 2009 and defies attempts to pidgenhole them into country. They take their bluegrass sound and add a just a pinch of punk to keep things interesting.

SARAH: Hurray for the Riff Raff: 6pm @Moon River Beer Garden

Since early February and the release of their sixth album, Hurray for the Riff Raff has exploded. Lead singer Segarra sings and plays a type of southern folk that brings to light the current issues of our time.

SARAH: Christopher Paul Stelling: 8pm @ Artist’s Lounge

The last of his two shows of the festival. Saying that he is just a man with a guitar is an understatement. When he sings, you can feel every word in your soul. If a country rocking, foot stomping good time is what you’re looking for, look no further.

PETEE: The Weeks: 8:30 @ Ellis Square

The Weeks sport a classic Southern tinged, rock and roll sound and saying that they’re good at what they do would be a gross understatement. Coming out of Nashville, the group combines some pretty hard hitting, personal lyrics with infectiously groove heavy guitar licks. Plus, they’re playing out in the Square! What’s Stopover without enjoying some of Savannah’s awesome scenery.

PETEE: TEEN: 10pm @ Club One

Coming in from Brooklyn, TEEN is a slightly drone-y, slightly psychedelic outfit who’ve evolved a fair bit since the release of their first album, In Limbo. While In Limbo sported the aforementioned droning, synth heavy sound, snippets from TEENS newest album, The Way and Color, seem to indicate a more pop oriented approach. It will be interesting to see what they deliver for Stopover, but either way, it should be a good set!

PETEE: TORRES: 11pm @ City Coffee or Bleeding Rainbow: 11pm @ Hang Fire

Another tough call between two great artists so I’m leaving the final decision up to you all! TORRES is a great artist originally from Macon,GA who’s gotten garnered recognition from publications such as Pitchfork where she was awarded “Best New Track” for “Honey” from her last self titled LP as well as “Band of the Month” right here at The Blue Indian. Helmed by Mackenzie Scott, TORRES is a heartfelt singer-songwriter project much in the vein of other artists in the genre like Laura Stevenson or Waxahatchee. Certainly an act not to be missed!

On the other hand, there’s Bleeding Rainbow coming down from Philadelphia. While their 2013 album, Yeah Right, showed a heavier influence from shoegaze and garage rock, their most recent release, Interrupt, displays a bit of a shift towards more intense and abrasive instrumentation while dialing back, but not completely disregarding, their garage rock influences. Another act that I can’t recommend too highly!

PETEE: Ex Hex: 12am @ Hang Fire

I’ve got a definite soft spot for Ex Hex although, that only minimally influences them making this list. Fronted by Mary Timony, who’s fronted some pretty influential bands in the indie rock world like Wild Flag and helium, Ex Hex is a relatively new band on the scene that’s making some major waves. As someone who hates the fact that they missed out on the emergence of the indie rock scene in the 90’s, Ex Hex’s throwback sound is a welcome addition to the Stopover lineup.

SARAH & PETEE: Peelander-Z: 12:30am @ The Jinx

I wasn’t too sure about including this band in my pick, but after I read the interview with them in local paper, I was sold. Described as a Japanese Action Comic Punk Band, they were originally formed in 1998. With the promise of “intense audience participation and a chance to exercise” I think that this will be an amazing, if not at least memorable, way to end Stopover IV. (Note from Petee: Have you ever wondered what it would be like if the Power Rangers had a punk band? Wonder no more!)