Rock Against Racism 2004...Saturday February 14

[Carnage]

Rock Against Racism 2004

Saturday, February 14th, 2004, Mayhem Productions joins forces with FTK Entertainment to present: Rock Against Racism 2004, a rock show to benefit the anti-racism cause. The venue will be held at Rafters, located at 410 E. State of Franklin Rd. in Johnson City, TN. The show will start at 8:00 PM, with $6 getting you in. All ages are allowed to attend. Rock Against Racism will feature some of the best talent, locally and regionally, and is definitely one of the first do not miss shows of 2004.

Playing Rock Against Racism will be: Never Before from Kingsport, TN, Without Cause from Johnson City, TN, Stillborn from Bristol, TN, Dana Seals & The Robots from Elizabethton, TN, Stopsign Asshole from Johnson City, TN, Cauda from Boone,NC, Zombie Attack from Asheville, NC, and Wheatstone Bridge from Spartanburg, SC.

Never Before is a melodic-metal band out of Johnson City, TN, but don't let that fool you they have many other influences as well, such as: Metallica, Pink Floyd, Nirvana, and Type O Negative. Formed in the spring of 2003 on a whim, the band originally consisted of Lee Ramey on vocals, Chraw on guitar, Adam Lawson on bass, and Bruce on drums. After a few
months and many gigs, Adam and Bruce abruptly left the band in mid-summer. Maverick joined as the new drummer in early August, and Josh joined as the new bassist in September. Since the line-up change, the band has been getting recognized quite a bit lately due to their unique sound. For more info on Never Before, visit: http://neverbefore.cjb.net

Without Cause is a metalcore act out of Johnson City, TN that showcases amazing stage presence and a loud, commanding sound. Drawing from such influences as: Children of Bodom, Incubus, Box Car Racer, In Flames, and Dokken. Without Cause is comprised of Richard Haynes - guitar, Richie Bucher - drums, Matt phipps - bass and vocals, and Trevor Cable - guitar. I spoke to guitarist, Trevor Cable, earlier this week, who gave me a short bio on the band. Trevor stated, "Me and Richard started playing guitar together about 3 years ago and decided after a few months that we wanted to start a band. So, we got together some members and played in some churches for awhile... went through a small number of band members... found our new bassist (Matt) at Heart's At Stakefest at Winged Deer Park.. ever since then we've been playing what we do now. For more information on Without Cause: http://www.xanga.com/withoutcause

Stillborn have been making waves locally for a long time, and with their stage energy and sound, will continue to do so for a long time to come. One of the more original bands in the area, Stillborn, have a unique stage presence and appearance, which sets this apart from so many bands in the Tri-Cities. Bassist, Ogre, is easily one of the best bassists to ever grace a stage in the Tri-Cities, and is a perfect fit in this band. Playing all over the southeast, they've made a name for themselves, get used to it, Stillborn is here to stay. More info on Stillborn can be found at their website: http://www.stillbornmetal.com

Female-fronted bands are a dime a dozen these days, but ones that really stand out are a bit harder to find. Dana Seals & The Robots is one of the stand-outs, and can be found in the Tri-Cities own backyard, Elizabethton. With an interesting mix of covers and originals, Dana Seals & The Robots command your attention, and get it very easily using one of the best sounding vocalists in the area.

Stopsign Asshole is a throw-back to the days of old school punk rock. Such influences as Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, D.R.I., and the Exploited shine through in their sound. Showing everyone that punk definitely shines on i the Tri-Cities, Stopsign has made a name for themselves locally playing all over the Tri-Cities. Some of the best guitar and basslines in all of punk come through, making Stopsign Asshole a unique viewing and listening experience.

Hailing from Boone, NC, and comprised of Neil Stafford - Bass, Jason Brown - Guitar and Vocals, and Cliff Hughes - Drums, Cauda are a break-out from the North Carolina music scene. Cauda have been playing together for 3 years. Formed in a small town in western NC, where most music is either country or bluegrass, Cauda definantly has a unique sound. With their first demo CD just finished, Cauda is just now starting to push into the music scene. With a heavy melodic sound, Cauda's songs are meant more for the serious music fan, rather than the generic radio listener. For more info, visit their site: http://www.garageband.com/cauda

Formed by brothers Curt and Will Arledge of Asheville, North Carolina in the summer of 2003, Zombie Attack skillfully blend the genres of blues, indie pop, and full on rock and roll to create a sound that shouts out to be heard and then apologizes with a lovable smirk. The attack of the Attack is not a lyrical onslaught of pent up teenage angst, but the force of a well-oiled three-man instrumental machine; an exposé of solid songwriting and a host of assorted musical influences. In fact, lyrics will often take a back seat to a tasty pop riff or a driving, a**-kicking rock and roll climax. Genuinely writing music for music’s sake and for the thrill and pleasure of performing, the Arledge brothers, along with long time collaborator and good friend Rusty Sutton, aren't attached to an established style or scene, but linger somewhere in between several of them. In a nutshell: The Zombie Attack is here now and ready to rock your ass. Prepare for the Attack. More info on Zombie Attack can be found at their website: http://www.soundclick.com/bands/9/thezombieattack.htm

Wheatstone Bridge is a progressive-rock unit out of Spartanburg, SC. Influences for Wheatstone are numerous, but this is truly progressive rock that stands up there with the best. Comprised of: Ernie Planck, John Taylor, and David Wilson, the band released their first demo cd earlier this year, and this will be their first visit to Johnson City.

This show is truely for a great cause, and all proceeds will be going to charity, some come out on Feb. 14th and support a great cause, and a huge night of live, original music. The show starts at 8, and the fun will begin.