Can You Count to Five…or Six?
This is a week of new initiatives for the A-List. First, we will feature our first artist interview – Bucky Goldstein of the recently reunited Sodajerk. Second, you can now follow the A-List on Twitter. Tweets are A-List related only, so don’t expect vacant tweets like “I’m standing on the platform at the Underground (no, not Atlanta’s Underground, the real one).” Third, you can become a fan of the A-List on Facebook (okay, that one’s not new, but you should still do it). Fourth, artists, record stores and other people or places I like on the A-List (and those who link to it) are now linked on the blog (but no, I will not link to your mortgage brokerage or some other such thing). Fifth, the A-List is committing to its literary bent (notice the new slogan on the blog?) and will start including readings and literary events with more regularity. That brings us to the last new initiative for the week, and this one is sort of big, we will start posting blogs (record & show reviews, author tours & reading events) that will not be sent to the mailing list. These posts will happen at irregular and random times (cuz routine’s no fun right?) Let me make this clear though, current (and new) A-Listers will continue to receive the A-List by e-mail every week (before it is posted on the web), but if you really want to stay current with the A-List you’re going to have to subscribe to posts. You can also just add the A-List to your favorites and visit it everyday.
All of that being said, watch Twitter for daily tweets this week from Atlanta and beyond. Look for new favorite bands, record stores, concert venues and other cool music places on Facebook. Check out the blog for a review of U2′s latest, No Line on the Horizon, later this week.
And with that, it is…
Jerk Time
Yes, the interview is coming but first let me tell you a little bit about how I know about the ‘Jerks. I first saw these boys at the Earl when they opened for Bobby Bare, Jr. (who may or may not have had his Young Criminals in tow that night) but it was at Star Bar that I actually ended up in a conversation with the legendary man that I though existed only in limerick and lore, Bucky Goldstein. Once we discovered our common Pennsyltucky roots including familiarity with Warren County fire hall wedding receptions and the dreaded dollar dance, well, the whiskey wasn’t far behind. Despite the inauspicious beginnings, we stayed in touch. Shortly after the start of Sodajerk’s two-year hiatus, I caught up with Bucky’s alter-ego who was performing as Swing Set at Decatur CD. With the assistance of a couple (well, a few…aw hell, many) bottles of Victory Brewing Co.’s finest, and several trips outside to let the A-Man who fronts the S-Bands light up another, we discovered we also had common ground in music and women who once liked us for the way we are, but then decided they didn’t like us anymore for the very same reasons.
And while all that happy, sappy stuff is nice, there are several good reasons why you need to see Sodajerk this Saturday night at the Highland Inn Ballroom Lounge. First, it’s only $5. Second, they will have plenty of copies of Sodajerk, Sodajerk 2, and Unhappy Hour (all of which can be found on your A-List author’s bloated CD shelf) at recession proof prices. Third, there will be other merch, like stickers and t-shirts worn by cool, sorta famous people like Robbie Fulks (who once offered free tickets to his show to anybody who requested a Bryan Adams song at a Ryan Adams show). Fourth, nobody in this town can turn a lyric like my buddy from Pittsburgh. Listen for lines like these, “I don’t need a savior, just a beer”, “She was beautiful until things got ugly”, “When I still feel lonely with 5 women on me, I know something’s wrong” and “I’ll be your Rockford baby, if you just leave the clues.” (Yeah, I only four this time, but five and six are outside having a smoke with Bucky).
It was nice to have a sober conversation with Bucky (I was driving after all). This is what came of it.
Atlanta’s A-List: This coming Saturday Sodajerk will be playing for the first time in over two years. The shows are being billed as a 10th Anniversary reunion. Can you tell us a little bit about the origins of the band?
Bucky Goldstein: Sodajerk was forged from the fiery pits of the steel mills of Pittsburgh. We came to Atlanta when we’d played everywhere we could in Pittsburgh and it was time for a change. It’s sort of funny, Sodajerk started out as a side project. PJT (Poppa John Tucker) was in another band and I was playing indie rock. Everyone liked Sodajerk more than our other bands, so we did it.
Q: How do you feel about getting together again after taking two years off?
A: There are a lot of things I miss about playing but we’ll see how it goes. I think the shows should be a lot of fun. Plus, I have not rocked out like this in a long time. I’ve traded my cowboy boots for converse though.
Q: Now that Sodajerk is back together and playing again, what is the future of Swing Set, and the Young Antiques (PJT’s other project)?
A: Both projects will continue. I know the Young Antiques already have some dates set for later this spring. Swing Set, which is my project, has a new EP that will be available at Saturday’s show. Swing Set is more of a studio project than the ‘Tiques. I will play out under the right circumstances, but right now I want focus on crafting quality records. I hope to have another full length record out by the end of the year. All that stuff is available on iTunes and CD Baby too.
Q: What else can we expect from Sodajerk?
A: After 10 years together we have quite a bit material on the shelf. Every time we put together a disc we recorded more songs than we released. It’s been fun listening to all these old songs we never released. I think people are going to enjoy them and the new stuff we did sounds really fresh and new. We intend to release at least new record based on that material which should be out this summer.
Q: Okay, you’ve told me when, but where can fans expect to find new Sodajerk music?
A: The tracks definitely will be available for download at our website. Isn’t this where you usually put in the link? [okay fine, I'm just a shill for your product: Sodajerk] We might do a limited pressing to sell at local stores and our shows too, but we haven’t worked out all the details yet.
Q: Any plans to reissue the first Sodajerk record, Can’t Put You Down, digitally or otherwise?
A: I really hope so. It’s our best record hands down. Probably because we were still trying to figure out what we were doing but it was just me and PJT. I played all the instruments so there is a bit of recklessness and honesty on there that we have not been able to capture since.
Q: What’s the best Atlanta show you have been to in the last twelve months?
A: Alejandro Escovedo at the Variety [He's coming back to Eddie's April 14 & 15] and Gaslight Anthem at the Tabernacle. Oh, and the Everybodyfields at Vinyl. [Apparently Bucky's not so good with numbers either]
Q: Finally, with Dr. Sanjay Gupta withdrawing his name from consideration as Surgeon General, is there any truth to the rumor that the administration is considering Bucky for the post?
A: I have been asked not to discuss that, but I am familiar with the warning.
The Rest of the Week
We are almost full swing into the spring season of shows. This time of year there will always be more than this space can cover each week. If you were following the A-List on Twitter you would already have known about Morrissey’s cancellation the morning of the show (instead of when you got to Euclid Ave.) and you would also know that Neko Case already sold out her April 2 show at the Variety. So there’s an easy alternative.
One other show for this week. Wednesday night, Clem Snide will be at the Earl. I don’t know front man Eff Barzaley, so that sort of makes him a quieter, less interesting songwriter than Alex Brenner, despite his considerable skills. It’s a bargain at $10. Local boys Y-O-U (who really need a new name so that Google searches don’t turn up youtube and hip-hop ensembles – Please Rock maybe?) will be starting the set and they seem to fit right in with that thoughtful mid-tempo rock I expect to hear later than night.
Advance Planning Required
Call ahead to get tickets to see Pulitzer Prize winner Junot Diaz at the Agnes Scott College Writer’s Festival on March 26. If you are not familiar with this modern genius you must read “How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl, or Halfie” from his short story collection Drown. If you aren’t into that reading thing (you must find this blog interminable) you can still listen to it on Chicago Public Radio’s This American Life or The New Yorker Out Loud.
Plan ahead for 500 Songs for Kids – April 30 to May 9 at Smith’s Olde Bar. Very simply Atlanta’s best and most important musical event.
Wow, I’m sure I must have missed something but that’s the A-List. Could these ceilings contain my feelings?
