The Bad Dudes, Prowess, and Killing Grace

The many facets of the English language never cease to amaze me.  One of them is the use and meaning of the word bad.  If knowledge serves me correctly, this negative word became a positive one in the early 80s.  It's especially amusing when those in the music business use this vernacular to their advantage.  The same thing goes for dude.  All I will say is: That one word has had several meanings through the centuries.  

Then, I met The Bad Dudes. What came to my mind was, a group of guys who considered themselves so great together, they formed a band.  They would not take themselves so seriously and give their audiences music they could relate to, enjoy.  That they did, with their rich punk style, both in music and appearance.  Brian really stood out in all of that and more, outdoing himself in making the band look like bad dudes...in a good way, of course.

For those of you who saw the Bad Dudes and thought they were bad, as in bad, and left, shame on you.  You missed some more great music.

Yes, that's right, great music...from Charlotte, North Carolina.  Even now, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around now some parts of the Tar Heel State have a strong local music scene.  I have heard some bands of various genres from that state, primarily Charlotte and Raleigh, and liked all of them in some way...Then came Prowess.  They are on tour for their debut CD, Headfirst.

That would be the right word to say how they embraced Knoxville, boldness and with lots to give, not the least of which was some great rich rock music, talent, and charisma.  Within seconds of starting their set, I was blown away, and then some.  Those who were watching and listening knew right away what "3 seconds" means.  They did that countless times.  

Their stage presence is a cross between those of the Ventures and KISS, with an Axl-esque lead singer, who likes Elvis.  I appreciated every effort they made to give the audience great music, to the point of bass player Kenny Keeler breaking a string. Oh, these things happen all the time!  Just relax, it's going to be OK.  I loved how they made light of it without breaking the flow of the show, interacting with the audience.  After that, they plunged head first {laughs} into some more great music, complete with tight melodies and non-stop rock music that would make music heaven do the happy dance and sing.

 

At many shows, there comes a moment in it where one song gets the audience going.  I don't know the exact title of the song, but the lyrics were, "Let it ride...take chances."  Nothing is sweeter than hearing a live band play a song so well that is so deep, the best part of which was the backup vocals.  Any other reservations gave way in their cover of "Come Together," one of my personal favorites of the late-Beatles era.

Last and certainly not least, Killing Grace.  By now, I've lost count of how many times they have been here.  But it must have been enough times, in just a few short years, to where lead singer Matt Edmonson expressed boundless thankfulness to everyone who came out and to all of us Knoxvillians for loyal support.  

Only this time, he took it to a higher, deeper, personal level.






How deep is their thankfulness?  It is heard in "Take Me With You," which is on Speak With a Fist.  It was in honor of a fan who had gone to a lot of their shows. He passed away unexpectedly.  Those who are Killing Grace fans never tire of not only hearing "17 Scars," whether live or on the CD, but the story of the song and the big impact that one song made on the band's success.  Let's just say, they hadn't planned on playing that last night, wanting to do more from Speak.  But because a certain fan was there who loved that song (maybe almost exclusively) and wouldn't consider the show complete without seeing it live once again, they inserted it into the set list.  In short, they made it happen.  The same thing goes for "Nobody's Hero," their encore song.

Sinful Lilly at Manchester Hall, Lexington, KY

In early December, after many requests from many Sinful Lilly fans via Facebook to have them open up for Jackyl, it was a done deal.  

It was a killer set, proudly delivered by Sinful Lilly, themselves.  Non-stop energy that they only got more of as their hour-long set unfolded.  Guitar solos from Fredi that amazed the crowd and then some was only scratching the surface of what the entire band were capable of delivering that night.  In the few times I have seen Sinful Lilly, Fredi has done things I had never seem any other guitarist do.

Speaking of the mostly unheard of, and something I shouldn't overlook:  Trey Bledsoe, the drummer.  All I can say is:  I have a better respect for his talent, because he is a great visual timekeeper, while being an actor of sorts, and doing everything short of interacting with everyone in the audience.

Photo Credit:  Rise Up Photography

The one part of the show that stood out to me was during "California Man." I love how Fredi was pleased that he was playing for primarily a biker audience.  That they loved "California Man" in return, I know, only made them want fast-forward winter to enjoy spring.  In that way, they can get back on their Harleys and ride, maybe to California; they'd be "feeling fine."

That they were able to play for an hour allowed them to not limit the songs in their lineup.  Over the past few years, they have written such songs as "Devil Music and the Record Machine," "California Man," and "Wait Your Turn," all of which they played.

Photo Credit Rachel Leigh Vendetta

The onstage chemistry between Fredi and Nik was at its finest, from sharing the mic during a chorus, to Nik spreading himself all over the stage, to their guitar-bass solos.

But they didn't merely play it.  Uh-uh, not when it comes to Sinful Lilly.  They added passion to it, and it was over from there.

The Beatles' appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show made many young men and women want to start playing guitar and drums.  While I am confident they have gained more "likes" and "followers," I wonder how many people were so inspired, blown away, by Fredi, Nik, or Trey, that they added another item to their Christmas wish list.

It is only getting better for Sinful Lilly.  It would be a good idea to see this for yourself.  And you have that chance next week...twice, and within approximately.100 miles of each other  They will be playing with Davey Suicide as part of their Born to Raise Hell tour on February 20th at the Trixie's Entertainment Complex in Louisville, KY, and with John 5 at the Manchester Hall in Lexington, KY, on the 23rd.