David Childers & Bill Noonan

Bill Noonan with Mark Lynch in the background.
David Kim on drums. Beth Chorneau giving an assist on vocals.

Randy Saxon.

David Childers and the Overmountain Boys.

Saw a great show July 11 at Snug Harbor. Two of the alt.country pioneers of the Charlotte scene, David Childers and Bill Noonan, showed why they have built loyal followings. Childers opened with his new band, the Overmountain Boys. The difference from his previous band, the Modern Don Juans is that Mark Lynch is no longer on bass, replaced instead by a keyboard player. Drummer is still son Robert Childers and phenomenal Randy Saxon on lead guitar. David anchors at rhythm guitar and a fiddle player brings kind of Neil Young circa Harvest but with a harder Crazy Horse sound to the music itself. Of course David's howling vocals are much different from those of Neil Young, but the emotion of the performer is similar as you sense the sincerity as he delivers each line. It is good to see David back on the scene after a hiatus. Bill Noonan released his new CD at this show and he showcased his precise songwriting chops. Amazingly, David Kim was on drums joined by Mark Lynch on bass. I came to the realization tonight that probably at least half of my almost 200 videos on youtube feature David Kim ("DK") on drums. This guy is a mainstay on the Charlotte scene and is at the heart of some of its most creative endeavors. Check out my vids at the bottom of the page or www.youtube.com/nosyfieldstone

Benji Hughes Snug Harbor 7/4/2009

The "hirsute" one as I have seem him described.

Benji Hughes has a phenomenal record called "A Love Extreme". It has been out about a year now but still seems relevant after hundreds of spins. It showcases his great songwriting talent, his use of sampling and his unique vocal talent. Benji is a product of the Charlotte music scene with some time in LA (he wrote one of the songs used on the parody of the Johnny Cash movie, can't remember the name). Anyway, Benji and his crack band appeared at Snug Harbor on July 4 early a.m. From the outset, Benji was not satisfied with the volume and bass of his voice in the stage monitor and somewhat demonstratively (understatement) complained to his band to turn it down and the sound man to turn him up. Interestingly, he had made the same complaint when I saw him a few weeks ago at Petra's with his piano man, Jon Phillips. Despite Benji's complaints, the fact is that it sounded excellent from the audience. The band ripped through many of the great songs on "A Love Extreme" adding their raw energy to a record that is kind of a studio masterpiece. Peter Gray is a fine guitarist and adds some incredible solos. Jon Phillips is a really talented keyboardist who adds a number of cool variances to the music. David Kim is steady and strong on drums and shows why he is often seen in a number of the finest bands on the Charlotte music scene. I don't know the bass player, but he is good and completes the package. I have some vids posted on my youtube and at the bottom of this page and you need to check them out (www.youtube.com/nosyfieldstone) and get Benji's record on itunes.