Published October 13, 2010
In trying to improve the Suncoast music scene it’s important to examine where it came from, how it developed, and where it stands today. Therefore, I felt it was necessary to use this week’s column as a State of the Scene Address of sorts. When looking back at what’s taken place over the past year, I figured the best point of comparison would be to examine where the scene was back in February. That’s when 38 bands from the 941 area code joined together in collaborative musical harmony to produce theNoise Ordinance CD compilation, culminating in the momentous CD release celebration that united Suncoast musicians like never before.
But a lot has changed in eight months. Some of the standout bands in the area — Villanova Junction, Youth, The Silent Film Exhibitionists Club — have disbanded. Other popular artists like Sam Robertson and Reggie Williams bid farewell and headed off to college, or in Devin Robinson’s case, Nashville.
Thankfully, there’s a silver lining in many of those developments. SFEC’s former keyboardist Aimee Guerin found a home in the lineup for Cassolette, who just cut a deal with Miami’s Cloud Berry Records to release a 7†vinyl. Former SFEC guitarist Adam Marret took over bass duties for Fancy Rat, although the band is now scouting replacements for their recently departed drummer and French horn player, only months after the release of their first album. Villanova’s ex-frontman Ryan O’Neill stepped in as bassist for Sons of Hippies, who after releasing their second album A-morph in August, embarked on a six-week tour that ends with a homecoming show at Pastimes this Thursday. As for the Devin Robinson Band, word on the street is Jack White’s Nashville-based label, Third Man Records, has shown interest in signing them. Nice job, boys! (more…)
Tag: Pastimes Pub
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Come original: Out of all the live music venues on the Suncoast, three have stood firm in their long-time support for original music, thanks to their owners
Published September 22, 2010 Howie and Dawn Hochberg of Cock & Bull Cock & Bull Pub, 975 Cattlemen Road, Sarasota, the-cock-n-bull.com. There’s no one in the area who has been in the original music game longer than the Cock & Bull. Owner Howie Hochberg started booking local bands seeking an outlet for their creativity way back in 1994 when he opened a coffee shop on Central Avenue in the Rosemary District, and soon found an accomplice in his future wife Dawn. The two upgraded to a bar on Main Street in 1997 and continued to book original acts, although the crack down on live music during that period often made it difficult, as they were frequently ticketed for violating the city’s newly instated noise ordinance laws. Fed up with the red tape, the Hochbergs moved operations to their current location on Cattlemen Road in 2001, and the industrial zoning location meant they were finally free from the sound restrictions that had been limiting them. Thus, the rustic beer hall we have all come to know and love was born. Over the years, the Hochbergs have become far more than just a venue willing to hire original musicians, they have actually developed deep personal relationships with many local artists, as well as many of the touring acts just swinging through town. “We love the Sarasota music,†says Dawn. “Some of them are old enough to be our peers, but we call them our kids.†She says her “kids†are too numerous to list, but mentions Cassolette, the Equines, Elysian Sex Drive and Sons of Hippies off the top of her head. “We’ve been doing this for about 15 years now and it’s definitely personal relationships,†she says. “That’s why this community works. You look around and all the people in the bands are pretty supportive of each other and they’re friends.†Howie chimes in: “Like Pete from Cassolette, his dad was coming and singing at my coffee shop just on a whim. It’s a family affair.†(more…)