Dinner series to showcase Peek at Blind Mule
Posted by Lawrence Specker, Entertainment Reporter
September 03, 2009 5:22 AM
Photo courtesy of David TrimmierPeek, a Mobile-based rock group known for its lack of pretension, will be featured at the next installment of One Horse Productions' "Dinner and a Show" series. From left are John Hamilton IV, Chris Powell, Andy Cobb and Timmy Dennis.
Lyle W. Ratliff/Press-RegisterPatrons dine at the May installment of "Dinner and a Show."
Last May I had the privilege of attending one of the freshest, tastiest and all-around neatest events that Mobile's entertainment scene has produced in years.
The occasion was the second installment of the "Dinner and a Show" series presented by One Horse Productions and The Blind Mule. For a modest ticket price of $30 per person, patrons got an expertly prepared multi-course meal, followed by an exclusive performance by the Colonel Dixies, a show that was one part volcanic roots-rock and one part tent revival.
The dinner was exceptional. The show was a thing of beauty, a dedicated listening experience that took place at a decent hour.
The third installment has been booked for Sept. 18. The price and location are the same, with dinner seatings at 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. The featured band is Peek, a local rock quartet that has won a loyal following based on upbeat music and guys-next-door accessibility.
In honor of the fact that the band's soon-to-be-released sophomore CD was recorded in New Orleans, Blind Mule co-owner and chef Rick Barfield has drawn up a menu loaded with Crescent City flavors: baked Creole oysters, roast chicken breast with tasso and crawfish cream sauce, boudin sausage on a bed of garlic spinach with smoked tomato gravy, black-eyed pea fritters and other mouth-watering selections. If May's installment serves as any indication, portions will be almost appallingly generous.
The unusual show couldn't come at a better time for Peek, a much-loved group at a pivotal point in its seven-year career.
The band has a fine debut CD to its credit, 2003's "Safe Harbor." Standout tracks include "She Dances," a song that's gotten airplay on WZEW-FM 92.1 over the years.
Peek's bread and butter, though, has consisted mainly of club shows and private parties where its large repertoire of cover songs was most in demand. "We suffered through a lot of 'Mustang Sallys' and 'Brown Eyed Girls,' says drummer John Hamilton IV.
As they suffered, they saved the dollars necessary to record the next album, "Neighbors, Lovers, & Others," which they anticipate releasing in October. With that project nearly finished, they've decided to emphasize their original songs, even if it means giving up some lucrative paychecks. They'll be playing a lot of the new material on Sept. 18.
"You kind of have to go back to square one, playing in little venues, not making any money," says rhythm vocalist Chris Powell.But that's not all bad. Powell said original-music shows like a recent gig at Serda's Coffee, where an audience of 20 was more or less a full house, carry their own rewards.
It's a big month for Peek. On Sept. 12 they'll play at the Deep South Music Festival at Oysterella's restaurant on the Causeway, a rare opportunity to play in daylight for an all-ages crowd. On Sept. 17, they'll appear at the Alabama Music Box, a venue with a fierce emphasis on original music.
"It's going to be interesting for Peek in the next six months," Hamilton says. "We're going to try something we've never tried before."
"It's a challenge, but it's a fun challenge," says Powell.
Best to start a challenge on a full stomach, and "Dinner and a Show" should certainly give patrons that.
"I've always been curious about what constitutes the difference between a concert
and a show," Hamilton jokes. "Do we have to wear costumes?"
Johnny Gwin of One Horse Productions said there's no such requirement. He has suggested the band play an acoustic or semi-acoustic set, but it's up to them. "Somebody like this, it gives them a new canvas to paint on," he said.
(Note: once the "Dinner and a Show" performance ends, at about 10:30, the club opens for business as usual and the band is free to crank up the volume.)
Gwin says attendance for this show is strictly limited to 100, spread across the two dinner seatings.
"It's a full night of dining and music, and you get home by 11:30, which the normal people of the world really appreciate," he says.
Tickets are available at The Blind Mule, 57 N. Claiborne St., 251-694-6853. For information on Peek, visit www.peeksite.com.
For information on Dinner and a Show, visit www.onehorseproductions.com. There is also a Facebook group promoting the "Dinner and a Show" series. Gwin said future installments will include a second appearance by his own band, El Cantador, which played the inaugural dinner, and possibly a string quartet or other classical-music ensemble.
http://blog.al.com/just-coasting/2009/09/dinner_series_to_showcase_peek.html
Photo courtesy of David TrimmierPeek, a Mobile-based rock group known for its lack of pretension, will be featured at the next installment of One Horse Productions' "Dinner and a Show" series. From left are John Hamilton IV, Chris Powell, Andy Cobb and Timmy Dennis.Lyle W. Ratliff/Press-RegisterPatrons dine at the May installment of "Dinner and a Show."Last May I had the privilege of attending one of the freshest, tastiest and all-around neatest events that Mobile's entertainment scene has produced in years.
The occasion was the second installment of the "Dinner and a Show" series presented by One Horse Productions and The Blind Mule. For a modest ticket price of $30 per person, patrons got an expertly prepared multi-course meal, followed by an exclusive performance by the Colonel Dixies, a show that was one part volcanic roots-rock and one part tent revival.
The dinner was exceptional. The show was a thing of beauty, a dedicated listening experience that took place at a decent hour.
The third installment has been booked for Sept. 18. The price and location are the same, with dinner seatings at 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. The featured band is Peek, a local rock quartet that has won a loyal following based on upbeat music and guys-next-door accessibility.
In honor of the fact that the band's soon-to-be-released sophomore CD was recorded in New Orleans, Blind Mule co-owner and chef Rick Barfield has drawn up a menu loaded with Crescent City flavors: baked Creole oysters, roast chicken breast with tasso and crawfish cream sauce, boudin sausage on a bed of garlic spinach with smoked tomato gravy, black-eyed pea fritters and other mouth-watering selections. If May's installment serves as any indication, portions will be almost appallingly generous.
The unusual show couldn't come at a better time for Peek, a much-loved group at a pivotal point in its seven-year career.
The band has a fine debut CD to its credit, 2003's "Safe Harbor." Standout tracks include "She Dances," a song that's gotten airplay on WZEW-FM 92.1 over the years.
Peek's bread and butter, though, has consisted mainly of club shows and private parties where its large repertoire of cover songs was most in demand. "We suffered through a lot of 'Mustang Sallys' and 'Brown Eyed Girls,' says drummer John Hamilton IV.
As they suffered, they saved the dollars necessary to record the next album, "Neighbors, Lovers, & Others," which they anticipate releasing in October. With that project nearly finished, they've decided to emphasize their original songs, even if it means giving up some lucrative paychecks. They'll be playing a lot of the new material on Sept. 18.
"You kind of have to go back to square one, playing in little venues, not making any money," says rhythm vocalist Chris Powell.But that's not all bad. Powell said original-music shows like a recent gig at Serda's Coffee, where an audience of 20 was more or less a full house, carry their own rewards.
It's a big month for Peek. On Sept. 12 they'll play at the Deep South Music Festival at Oysterella's restaurant on the Causeway, a rare opportunity to play in daylight for an all-ages crowd. On Sept. 17, they'll appear at the Alabama Music Box, a venue with a fierce emphasis on original music.
"It's going to be interesting for Peek in the next six months," Hamilton says. "We're going to try something we've never tried before."
"It's a challenge, but it's a fun challenge," says Powell.
Best to start a challenge on a full stomach, and "Dinner and a Show" should certainly give patrons that.
"I've always been curious about what constitutes the difference between a concert
and a show," Hamilton jokes. "Do we have to wear costumes?"
Johnny Gwin of One Horse Productions said there's no such requirement. He has suggested the band play an acoustic or semi-acoustic set, but it's up to them. "Somebody like this, it gives them a new canvas to paint on," he said.
(Note: once the "Dinner and a Show" performance ends, at about 10:30, the club opens for business as usual and the band is free to crank up the volume.)
Gwin says attendance for this show is strictly limited to 100, spread across the two dinner seatings.
"It's a full night of dining and music, and you get home by 11:30, which the normal people of the world really appreciate," he says.
Tickets are available at The Blind Mule, 57 N. Claiborne St., 251-694-6853. For information on Peek, visit www.peeksite.com.
For information on Dinner and a Show, visit www.onehorseproductions.com. There is also a Facebook group promoting the "Dinner and a Show" series. Gwin said future installments will include a second appearance by his own band, El Cantador, which played the inaugural dinner, and possibly a string quartet or other classical-music ensemble.
No comments:
Post a Comment