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COUNTRY ECLIPSE: Neil Mooney is headed our direction, by
way of L.A., and will be arriving at The Airport Lounge this Saturday.
On the road supporting his recent Strawdog Records release Ranchstyle,
Mooney's genuine country crooning is likened to masters-of-yore
Roy Orbison and Hank Williams; but in a more contemporary sense,
he falls somewhere in the neighborhood between Lyle Lovett and
Dale Watson.
Time and experience have had a circuitous influence on Mooney's music--he cites Jerry Lee Lewis' More of the Greatest Show on Earth as the record that planted the rock-and-roll seed at the tender age of 12. Guitar lessons at D.D. Yoakley's Banjo Ranch soon followed. From there, the influences ran the gamut: younger days spent listening to Elvis, Credence Clearwater Revival and the Allman Brothers, followed by the likes of Iggy Pop, David Bowie and the Sex Pistols. Mooney moved to the Big City (New York) from his native St. Petersburg, Florida, and soon after formed The Drive-ins. This first incarnation found its place in the rockabilly revival movement of the early '80s, and released an EP before disbanding when the rhythm section fell victim to a plague that only continues to intensify within the industry: smack.
When the Hurricanes petered out into the Pacific, Mooney further distilled his style, concentrating the wide variety of influences into a simple, direct country approach. Bring on the pedal steel! Still a wild man on the stage, despite his musical growth and maturity, Mooney pulls out all the stops with Tucson favorite Honeywagon (who, with the help of Clovenhoof, recently packed the Lounge to capacity) on Saturday, June 7. Cover is $3 at the door, located at 20 E. Pennington St. Call 882-0400 for more information. HOT PICK: And I do mean hot, so dress for the weather! KFMA is in cahoots yet again with Club Congress, 311 E. Congress St., to bring you a blowout indoor/outdoor bash on Friday, June 6. The terrific mix features local and not-so-local entertainment from headliners Chalk Farm (currently touring with Hammel on Trial), joined by The Almighty Ultrasound, Greyhound Soul, MaryAnn, 35 Summers, Bill White Acre, and Austin rockers Mumbleskinny. The show starts early at 8 p.m. With any luck the thermometer will have fallen below the three-digit mark by then--so head in for a tall, cool one (a promise of beverages only) and enjoy the open air. Cover is a mere $5 at the door. Call 622-8848 for more information. LAST NOTES: The word is out, and I'm sure young girls throughout the British Isles are still screaming: Oasis' third album, Be Here Now, is slated for release the week of August 25. Produced by Noel Gallagher and Owen Morris, the album was recorded in sessions at five different studios--topping the list, of course, is Abbey Road. Surprise, surprise.
The Luna Loca Café, 546 N. Stone Ave., presents an SST Records showcase of jazzcore, featuring two bands for an early show: Saccharine Trust and The Sort of Quartet. Tee time is 8:30 p.m. Saturday, June 7. Tickets are $5 at the door. Call 882-4488 for more information. Now that we've turned the page to June, put a big circle around Tuesday, June 24: The legendary Link Wray will be performing at Club Congress. Details will follow in future Soundbites; but if you're writhing in anticipation, call 622-8848 for the basics. The 1997 TAMMIES Band of the Year winners, The Mollys, are joined by the likewise award-winning Pipes and Drums of the Seven Pipers Society (named 1997 Championship Band by The Western United States Pipe Band Association), for a performance to benefit The Seven Pipers Scottish Society. The concert, which starts at 8 p.m. Friday, June 6, takes place at The Hut. (If you've never been there, it's on Fourth Avenue at Eighth Street, near where those crazy kids flipped an unmarked car when the Cats won the championship.) Tickets for the show are $8 at the door, and dancing is almost required. Call 626-2235 for more information.
Calling all ages: There's a new (or at least relatively new)
venue--sometimes it takes old farts like me a little extra time
to mention trendy new developments on the local teen scene. In
any case, you'll want to head out to Skrappy's, 3710 N.
Oracle Road, to check out some great local music. Skrappy's has
live shows Thursday through Saturday, usually featuring three
bands a night. Friday, June 6, you can rock out with Beyond
7, Blue Noon, Room and Disowned. Doors
open at 6 p.m., with show time at 8 p.m. Cover is $4 at the door.
Call 408-9644 for more information.
--Lisa Weeks
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Disgusted with the scene, Mooney retired from the stage to concentrate
on his songwriting. In so doing, he rediscovered his roots, so
to speak: 
Congratulations go out to Hipster Daddy-O and the Handgrenades
on their recent deal with swing/ska label Slimstyle Records. The
band breaks away from their work in the studio to perform at
11 p.m. Saturday, June 7, at the Third Stone Bar & Grill,
500 N. Fourth Ave. The forthcoming release is due out in late
July or early August, and the band strikes out on tour to support
the record shortly thereafter. Tickets are $3 at the door, and
the opening band has yet to be announced. Call 628-8844 for more
information.
