ROCK — Sevendust
w/ Revelation Theory, Socialburn, Burn Season
Wed. Dec. 12
The Plex
$9.80
Led by valiant singer Lajon Witherspoon, Atlanta’s well-polished metal band Sevendust return to Charleston for a headlining set at local rock station 98X’s “98Xmas Ball” (admission price, appropriately, is only $9.80 … get it?). The ‘Dust — Witherspoon, guitarists John Connolly and Sonny Mayo (the band’s newest member, replacing founding guitarist Clint Lowery of Dark New Day), bassist Vince Hornsby, and drummer Morgan Rose — made their mark in the late-’90s touring with Creed and Woodstock ’99. They’re on tour behind their fifth album, Next, released in October on a Universal-distributed indie startup called Winedark. Beware of those double-kick fills. Check www.sevendust.info for more. —T. Ballard Lesemann WEDNESDAY
ROCK — The Dellortos
w/ Sin Eaters
Thurs. Dec. 15
Cumberland’s
$5
Charleston indie band The Dellortos have been at it for four years with a clean, catchy, country-tinged rock sound led by a Telecaster that veers at times towards ’60s folk and pop, and classic indie rock with a “huge emphasis” on melody. “We’re doing the second show with our new bass player, Sarah Gaskins, at Cumberland’s on the 15th with alt-country trio Sin Eaters,” says singer-guitarist Bradley MacLean (formerly of SKWZBXX). Sarah and husband/drummer Kevin Gaskins (also of the Hayloft Saints) complete the current lineup. “Sarah is our third bass player in a line of great ones,” says MacLean. “We lost Mimi Violette, the last one, to art school in Savannah. Sarah was a natural because she’s heard my songs for years and could play the crap out of the bass. She combines the muscle of Nick our first bass player with the chemistry of Mimi. This is definitely our strongest lineup yet.” The Dellortos recently put the final touches on a new album titled My Motorcycle. The Cumberland’s show precedes their set at the massive Chord & Pedal pageant on Sat. Dec. 17 (see p. 60). —TBL THURSDAY
NEWGRASS — Steep Canyon Rangers
Fri. Dec. 16
Pour House
$8
N.C. string band The Steep Canyon Rangers proudly perform their own brand of bluegrass at the Pour House on Friday. Referring to themselves as a “traditional bluegrass outfit,” their blend of country and folk styles seems to do the trick for jambased fans. Lead singer and acoustic guitarist Woody Platt, mandolinist Mike Guggino, banjo player Graham Sharp, fiddler Nicky Sanders, and double-bass player Charles Humphrey III are poised to become a mainstay. In September, they celebrated the release of a new 12-song album on Virginia-based label Rebel Records titled One Dime at a Time. Recorded live in the studio, the album swings through a set covering traditional subjects “such as love gone wrong, death, and redemption while updating the themes from the band’s own perspective.” —TBL FRIDAY
BLUES-ROCK — Johnny Mac & The BootyRanch
Fri. Dec. 16 / Sat. Dec. 17
Sand Dollar
Free
Longtime Charleston musician and bandleader, Rev. Dr. Johnny Mac (a.k.a. John McIver) calls his hard-working rock trio’s bluesy sound “a sinfully delicious cornucopia of aural sensations … a heady mixture of rhythm and blues, funky grooves, and low-down in the street rock ‘n’ roll.” The guitarist’s versatility allows him to cover all the bases — from traditional Chicago and Delta blues to Texas-style electric riffery (a la Billy Gibbons and Stevie Ray) to Southern-fried funk. “If Muddy Waters met Johnny Winter and the Rolling Stones down at the Crossroads round about midnight, this is what it would sound like,” he says. Look for the Rev. Dr. Mac, bassist Chris Watts, and drummer Jay Van perform a weekend gig at the Sand Dollar on Folly. “The BootyRanch: where nothing tastes like chicken, but it’s all worth lickin’.” —TBL FRIDAY / SATURDAY
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