This Saturday promises to be a great night for live music in Savannah. Not only is the Savannah Jazz Festival wrapping up in Forsyth Park, but the bill at The Jinx is one of the most interesting I’ve seen in a while. The first time I saw local favorites Little Tybee, it was in a now defunct quasi legal space called the Co-Lab on East Broad. Situated in a tiny rented space just north of Gwinnett, with a tiny window unit air conditioner located high in the corner. Of course the window unit wasn’t running, the room was packed with people which made it even hotter than outside. Locals will recognize that thick heat that clings to your skin and seems unique to Savannah. It was also a BYOB situation, so my friend David and I hiked up Gwinnett to the Kroger and grabbed a couple of six packs of PBR tall boys. On returning we found other friends had an insulated bag, yet by then their ice had melted and most of us just opted to hang on to the remains of our six pack as the show started. As it turns out, Little Tybee was so good we nearly forgot about the heat and our warm beer. I’ve been a fan ever since. On first listening to them, you might be tempted to try and pigeonhole the music that just seems to flow naturally from these six musicians, but I’ve found it’s best just to sit back, forget about genres, and enjoy the set. You’ll be glad you did.
Paleface is also on the bill, and like his last time or two in Savannah he’ll be playing with Mo Samalot on drums. Schooled by the great Daniel Johnston in songwriting, discovered by Danny Fields, and first heard by me on an early Avett Brothers album, this guy is someone you don’t want to miss. I saw Paleface and Mo last at The Wormhole, and their infectious energy and great songwriting made an impact despite the mediocre crowd. In the video below, you’ll hear Scott Avett on Paleface’s show at Raido Perfecto one night – “Seeing Paleface was like seeing Neil Young and Tom Waits combined… he was barkin’, and singin’, and just throwing passion out.”
Finally, we come to locals Triathalon. They’ve been around the Savannah scene for a little while now, and have gained a regular following with their lush, surf rock sound. I only hope these guys stay together long enough to take it to the next level, I see a lot of potential here.